The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 145 - 115: Ghost God Legacy_2

Chapter 145: Chapter 115: Ghost God Legacy_2

Furthermore, from the Hook Seal inscribed on my left palm emerged a black chain, slithering out like a serpent, extending along my palm and then coiling around my wrist, transforming into a chain that protected my arm...

...

I didn’t know how much time had passed when I slowly awoke.

I felt an excruciating headache and struggled to rise from the ground. After taking several deep breaths, the pain gradually subsided.

Then, I looked at the stone coffin before me.

Inside the casket, the pile of bones had completely turned to dust.

I fell silent for a moment, then knelt respectfully in the manner of a disciple.

I had come to understand what this inheritance was.

The legacy of a Ghost God!

Those who cross over into the world of the dead, even living Yin messengers, remember nothing after wandering the Netherworld—only their duties are clear to them.

Even the living Yin messengers sometimes carry out their tasks in a daze, only knowing to send the yin criminals to the Netherworld, then summon yin soldiers with Hook Paper.

I had no idea what trials Mount Hook had endured to forcibly break through the fog of oblivion and gain the lineage of the Beiyin Fengdu Emperor.

The inheritance contained a total of two Magic Methods and a single Divine Skill.

One method was called "North Emperor’s Scripture," a spell from one of the five Ghost Emperors under the Beiyin Fengdu Emperor—the Northern Ghost Emperor. His divine title was "Nuogao!"

With this title, when inscribing a talisman, one can bind the Sha into the name, giving the talisman its power.

When using spells, chanting this name invokes their effect.

It seemed that by some twist of fate, the skills I had previously learned—the Baopu Mountain Climbing Skill, the Thousand Gold Protection Spell—all originated from this scripture.

The other method was the "Luo Feng Scripture," which was used for spellcast building, not only specifying the ritual for each level of the tower, but after every three levels, one could use it as a foundation to create a palace.

The palace is known as the Luo Feng Six Heavenly Palaces, each one named: the Defiant, the Ancestral Spirit, the Quiet, the Clear, the Tai Sha Forgiveness, and the Ultimate Yin.

With each level of the palace built, one would gain a Divine Skill from the Yin Bureau.

My cheap master, Mount Hook, had built the Defiant Heavenly Palace and thus gained one Divine Skill: Soul Hook.

This Divine Skill could either draw out a soul or annihilate it. Its power depended on one’s Dao, and what I received was my cheap master’s lifelong effort.

It was like a seed, prematurely granting me a Divine Skill from the Yin Bureau.

However, this Magic Method from the Yin Bureau was too astonishing. Mount Hook had sustained a spiritual trauma during the process of acquiring it, which led him to descend into madness and veer into the path of Evil Techniques.

So much so that the secret he discovered was ridiculed by others, denounced as an Evil Technique!

Perhaps, that was the reason for his deep obsession.

But because I possessed the Daluo Dharma Body, I bore this terrifying inheritance without madness.

Thinking of this, my expression became grave.

The profundity of this Magic Method, and the difficulty of practicing it, was self-evident.

And there’s the matter of three levels to a palace.

Should one construct all six palaces, that would be eighteen levels!

Is that still human...

No wonder Mount Hook said he had discovered a ladder to Ascension.

But this ladder... even if one spent an entire lifetime climbing, I’m afraid one wouldn’t get very far...

I remained silent, casting one last deep glance at the ash that was all that remained of the corpse before leaving the cave.

Entering the Divine Hall of the Beiyin Fengdu Emperor ahead, I found an old woman meditating, her fingers counting prayer beads as if she were a stone statue.

Seeing me emerge, she merely nodded slightly.

I asked her, "Senior, how long have I been in there?"

"About half an incense stick’s time."

"That’s good to hear."

I heaved a sigh of relief, and looking at the old woman’s undisturbed eyes, I couldn’t help but ask, "Aren’t you curious, senior, about what happened to me?"

"All is predestined."

The old woman looked at the statue of the Beiyin Fengdu Emperor, "No matter what Magic Method you have received, now that you have the Hook Paper and become a living Yin messenger, there are Yin Laws to deal with everything. Why should I be concerned?"

I frowned, "What are these Yin Laws?"

Without wasting words, the old woman immediately got up, took an ancient text from the altar, gently wiped it, and handed it to me with both hands.

This was the respectful way to handle scriptures.

I, likewise, received it with both hands.

On the cover were two characters: "Yin Law."

The old woman spoke, "This scripture contains many taboos for living Yin messengers and also the methods of controlling ghosts and using Hook Paper."

"Giving you the Hook Paper is passing down the teachings of our Ancestor. In the world, many carry the Hook Paper, but no one knows its origin. Our lineage of Beiyin Fengdu has few people, and more belong to the lineage of the Ten Directions’ Yama."

"Taking this item, from now on, whether you do good or evil, has nothing to do with our lineage..."

Having said that, she continued to sit on the meditation cushion, closed her eyes, and meditated.

After a moment of silence, Li Yan raised his hand in a fist and palm salute, turned around, and left.

Long after he had left, the old woman slowly opened her eyes and looked towards a small divine altar beside the divine altar of the Beiyin Fengdu Emperor, murmuring,

"Master, when you insisted on not destroying the remains of the Great-Uncle, were you leaving a lamp behind...?"

The autumn wind was bleak, and the sound of horse hooves on the ancient road were heard one after another.

"I almost thought something had happened to you..."

Wang Daoxuan rode his horse, shaking his head with a smile, "We had agreed on the time, and no signal arrow was fired; I was just about to descend the mountain to seek help."

"Sorry for making Daoist worry," Li Yan shook his head, "There were some unexpected events, this inheritance is somewhat..."

"Don’t tell me about it."

Wang Daoxuan waved his hand to stop him, "The matter of inheritance differs for everyone. In our Western Mystical lineage, one can learn freely, depending on personal fate and insight.

"But judging from your situation, the inheritance you’ve received must be extraordinary and involves the Yin Bureau, likely with many taboos.

"Do you forget how the Magician Lü schemed against Elder Wu? Some things, it’s enough that you know by yourself, don’t even tell me."

Li Yan pondered and nodded slightly.

Wang Daoxuan was partly right and partly wrong.

He had just briefly reviewed the "Yin Law."

The Yin Law was completely different from the laws of the Human World; the key was a set of rules and order, namely that Yin and Yang are separate, and the Dao is impartial.

What he did in the Human World, such as killing and arson, had nothing to do with the Yin Bureau.

But once he took on a task from the Yin Bureau, there was no room for bargaining; he had to complete it. If he tried to evade it, he would end up like Old Fourth Wu, with his soul seized by the Yin Bureau.

Moreover, it was forbidden to use spells to return to life or extend life and death.

The boundary between life and death is the iron rule of the Yin Bureau.

Of course, the benefits were astonishing.

A living Yin messenger who completed tasks given by the Yin Bureau could obtain the command of five camps of yin soldiers and drive yin soldiers with the Hook Paper.

Do not underestimate this; many Magic Veins raised troops that not only needed to carry out training ceremonies regularly but also required incense offerings, which was troublesome.

However, the five camp yin soldiers driven by the Hook Paper had no such worries. As long as your command was high enough, you could summon ghost soldiers of the corresponding level.

Come to think of it, it was more like the Heavenly Soldiers of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

Furthermore, the cultivation from the inheritance he had received was also inseparable from the Hook Paper.

No matter what, this trip had given him a framework and a goal for his cultivation. After constructing the building, he would officially step into the Mystical Sect!

The two had already left Fengyang County by now and were preparing to meet with Sha Lifei in Shangluo to head to Taibai Mountain.

Counting the time, there were still nearly two months before the winter solstice.

This length of time was enough for them to reach Taibai Mountain, so they were not in a hurry; they finally reached Shangluo City the next day.

Shangluo was a core city of Shangzhou, built by the mountain. A great river wrapped around the city like a jade belt, surrounded by water on three sides, with stunning scenery.

On the river, various boats shuttled back and forth, a never-ending stream of activity.

"This river is the Dan River."

Wang Daoxuan halted his horse and looked on, saying, "The locals call this stretch the Luo River, and that is where the name Shangluo comes from. This river originates from the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains, flowing through Shaanxi, Henan, and Hubei, and is the longest tributary of the Han River."

"After meeting with Sha brother and the others, we’ll take a boat upstream, reach Luonan, bypass the secluded mountain paths, and then we can reach Lantian. If we don’t take the mountain roads, the plain official road to Taibai Mountain is unobstructed all the way."

"Daoist has arranged well," Li Yan nodded and said with a smile, "But I can’t wait. I need to find an inn to freshen up and then have a good meal!"

"Hahaha, indeed."

The two didn’t bother to go around, left their horses at the wagon store by the river bank, and then crossed the Dan River by ferry to reach the pier of Shangluo City.

"Daoist! Brother Yan!"

Just as they stepped onto the pier, they saw Sha Lifei waving and quickly running over from a distant tea pavilion.

Li Yan, having received the inheritance and in high spirits, joked, "Yo, Uncle Sha, could it be that you too can use Divination to predict that we would arrive today?"

"What predictions, I’ve been waiting here for a day."

Sha Lifei heaved a sigh, wanting to speak but hesitated.

"What’s wrong?" Li Yan asked with a frown.

"I’ll show you guys."

Sha Lifei shook his head, leading them to the city gate, where they saw Lv San’s wanted poster prominently displayed at the very top of the reward notice outside the city gate!