Chapter 531: Chaos Begins

At this very moment, the Gods’ Parade in the city was gradually coming to an end. The crowds following the procession had begun lighting the lotus lanterns they carried. After closing their eyes to make a wish, they placed their lanterns into a nearby man-made river, letting them float downstream.

As far as the eye could see, the river’s surface was dotted with twinkling lights from the colorful lotus lanterns, creating a scene of unique beauty.

“Make a wish, and then place the lotus lantern in the river.”

The riverbank was packed with a surging crowd. He Xijun managed to squeeze into a spot and handed a lotus lantern to Zhao Xuanqi. She then lit her own, cupped it in both hands, and closed her eyes, apparently making a wish.

‘Make a wish?’

Zhao Xuanqi took the lotus lantern, his expression calm. He made no move to light it, instead raising his head to look at the sky.

A faint golden glow veiled the dim sky, perhaps from the city’s bright lights below or some other unknown reason. Nine stars twinkled overhead, their brilliance outshining even the dim moonlight. It was as if the very distance between the stars and the ground had been shortened.

Nine Palaces, Nine Stars.

At the same time, a faint sense of crisis began to form within Zhao Xuanqi. He couldn’t pinpoint its direction—much like the Ghost City incident—but the feeling itself was unmistakably clear.

‘Something big is about to happen.’

Outside South Mansion City, in the desolate wilderness, it was a world apart from the bustling city. The outskirts were dark and deathly silent. Even the occasional cicada’s chirp sounded incredibly eerie. A cold, sinister aura permeated the air, and the surroundings were hazy and indistinct. The shadows in the woods took on twisted, bizarre shapes, and the occasional scuttling of some unseen creature sent a chill down the spine.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Yin Qi was at its peak, and Evil Spirits and strange phenomena ran rampant. Were it not for being in South Mansion City, the custom in other places at this time would not be to hold celebrations. Instead, every household would lock its doors after sunset and remain safely inside.

Not to mention, the South Mansion area was a terrifying Land of Evil to begin with.

Inside the city walls was the prosperous world of the living; outside, the gloomy Netherworld.

But within this stretch of the Netherworld, a stream of twinkling lotus lanterns flowed out from the city on the current. Nine beams of light blossomed in the woods, piercing the silent darkness.

At the source of each blossoming light stood a massive Magic Altar, sixty-four meters across. The altar was crafted from a special type of Jade, its surface covered in intricate runes. It seemed to possess the ability to draw down the power of the stars, as a beam of starlight descended to envelop it.

In the center of the Magic Altar was a pillar, and atop the pillar was a jade palace lantern. A bright yellow light burned within the lantern—the Power of Human Dao Incense.

Heaven and Man converged here. The pillar and its palace lantern served as the foundational node of the Magic Altar.

At each Magic Altar, a group of people stood guard by the palace lantern. These were the masters from the various sects and the South Mansion’s Official Family, assigned to defend the altars.

As the hour of Midnight drew near, everyone’s expressions grew grim. They held their breath, their focus absolute. Some had even inscribed their Techniques in advance, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Within the South Mansion Garrison Command, Yang Zhongyuan, Marquis Xuanping Jin Ce, and Marquis Wei Lie Ten Thousand Laws Inference stood atop the tallest building in the compound, waiting quietly.

In the Divine Capital, within the Imperial Study, Yi Xingli stood aside while Emperor Hengyang sat calmly on the Throne. In the center of the hall hung a shimmering, water-like curtain of light, which displayed the unfolding situation in the South Mansion.

With Midnight drawing near, the tension was palpable.

Meanwhile, in a wilderness somewhere outside South Mansion, Yin Qi was rampant and all sorts of strange things were happening. The shadows of plants and trees spread as if they were alive. The vegetation on the ground twisted and knotted together like countless ghost hands, grabbing at anything that passed by. Even normal creatures seemed to have been infected by the baleful yin energy, becoming savage and berserk, attacking each other on sight.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

The sound of slow footsteps echoed from the woods as two cloaked figures emerged from the darkness. All the surrounding Evil Spirits and strange phenomena dared not approach them.

One of them was tall, and the very air around him seemed to twist and distort.

The other carried a massive longsword on his back.

“The appointed time is almost here, and the stage is set. I’ll leave this chance to make a grand entrance to you. Give our opponents a proper greeting. After that one move, we’ll have to pick the nearest Magic Altar and attack to ‘invite’ those two marquises out of South Mansion.”

Formless said indifferently.

“Haha, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long, long time. Two Hundred-Devouring Sword Gus should be enough for a proper greeting.”

Sword Gu said with a loud laugh, drawing the greatsword from the sheath on his back.

The greatsword, as tall as a man, was not forged from steel. Instead, it was formed from knotted masses of flesh and blood.

Muscle, fascia, organs, bone… all these bizarre living tissues had been specially pieced together to form the greatsword. Amidst its grotesque form, it possessed a strange and powerful beauty that was almost intoxicating.

“Two Hundred Devourings? You’re really going all out, aren’t you?”

Formless said.

“This? I’m afraid this greeting isn’t loud enough! When I barely escaped from Heqing Dao with my life, the South Mansion Garrison Command certainly put in a lot of effort!!!”

A crazed smile split Sword Gu’s face beneath his cloak. He bent his fingers and tapped several acupoints on his body.

K-THUMP!!

A terrifying, blackish-purple power coalesced on the surface of his body, becoming almost tangible. A horrific transformation occurred within him as all of his Primordial Qi and Destiny were seemingly drained in an instant, pushing his power to an utterly terrifying level.