At the boundary of the Yin-Yang realm, Xu Qing used the incense of the blood lake as fuel, and the mountain and river cauldron as the stove, to refine the corpse of the Ghost Law.
With the blessing of the Wishful Divine Techniques, the mountain and river cauldron expanded with the wind to a size of hundreds of zhang. From afar, it truly had the imposing presence of subduing mountains and rivers!
The corpse of the Ghost Law was immensely large. Xu Qing captured the Ghost Law corpse, which resembled the Demon Exorcism True Monarch, into the cauldron and began the relentless refining process day and night.
Yet, he was not refining an elixir for immortality, but a formula to benefit the world.
...
At the same time.
In the mortal world, along the Baisha River region.
Ascendant Fuluan held an array plate, looking down from above.
No matter how he observed, he couldn't discern what array Xu Qing had set up.
Ascendant Fuluan, with two thousand years of learning, could only sense some invisible change occurring in the Baisha River region.
This change was exceptionally subtle, and perhaps only when the array was activated could he recognize what grand array it truly was.
"It doesn't seem like the Four Symbols and Six Harmonies Array, nor the Dissemination Array that dilutes Yin energy and expels evil. It can't possibly be a menacing Nine Curves of the Yellow River Array..."
Ascendant Fuluan found it hard to believe in Xu Qing, but he even less believed that Xu Qing could produce another array equivalent to the Nine Curves of the Yellow River Array.
It must be known that the Yellow River Town was a unique immortal-trapping array, with no equivalent alternatives. The opponent couldn't conjure one out of thin air.
"Well, once this favor is returned, it's considered good karma, which is not a bad thing for my path to immortality."
Ascendant Fuluan thought that helping Xu Qing purify the Ghost Law corpse, and benefitting the world, was in his interest without any harm.
One day, when the Three Realms connect, and the Celestial Emperor becomes aware of this, he will most likely regard him with new eyes, and he might gain the Celestial Emperor's favor and important use...
By then, it would literally be a step to heaven!
With hopeful expectations for the future, Ascendant Fuluan was unaware that he had already boarded the pirate ship, and there was no turning back...
Another forty-nine days passed. On this day, the water flow in the Baisha River along with the Jin Sect Harbor suddenly surged. Ascendant Fuluan looked over and saw, amidst the tumultuous waves, a shadow of a white rainbow axe cleaving the Yin River passage. Subsequently, a thousand-zhang-wide mountain and river cauldron flew out of the Yin River, truly blocking out the sun and sky!
Ascendant Fuluan's heart chilled. In the instant the cauldron overturned and boundless vitality aura emerged, he had no hesitation and activated the array plate in his hand.
In the next moment, the raging waters transformed into eleven giant dharma figures, arranged in the Du Tian layout of twelve, descending upon the capital regions of Jing and Jin, commanding a thousand-mile range, encompassing the entire Baisha River and even the harbor sea area.
Wait a moment! This array?
Ascendant Fuluan's expression changed. This was not the small array Xu Qing had spoken of; it was clearly an ancient absolute array, and even surpassing the Nine Curves of the Yellow River Array, the Du Tian Array!
"Eleven divine entities control the array. Where's the missing one?"
Ascendant Fuluan's eyelids twitched frantically, faced with the rapid extraction of magical power by the array and the missing divine evil array flag.
This array felt increasingly ominous to him.
"Four directions, eight positions, twelve divine entities, the missing one is... the main array god?"
Ascendant Fuluan's eyes widened. At this moment, he finally realized that he himself was the missing main array venerable god.
This is more than just using him as a donkey; they intend to take half his life!
Anger surged in Ascendant Fuluan's blood, as the surrounding spiraling tide had already transformed into a flood beast, sweeping in all directions.
"Cast into a land of death, then live; trap in a deadly situation, then survive!"
"I, Xu Junfang, have been timid for two thousand years, but now the broad road lies ahead. If I don't take the plunge now, when then?"
Thinking of the vow he made in Xu Qing's presence, and recalling the scornful gazes of the ministers on the founding Emperor's ship, Ascendant Fuluan's fear of battle was immediately replaced by a surge of unnamable fire.
"Xu Qing! You dare to be the first in the world; today I will risk my life to accompany you, gentleman. If someday you ascend the immortal palace, do not forget to spread my name, so the world will know I, Xu Junfang, am not one to value life over death!"
In the Yin Kingdom realm, Xu Qing, who was concentrating on manipulating the mountain and river cauldron, paid no heed to Ascendant Fuluan.
This Immortal surely had a bit of drama; his grand array might drain the magical power of the main array person, cost the other's half life at most, but at most it would only overdraw the origin, needing a hundred or two years to recuperate, without taking the array master's life.
Over the Baisha River, Ascendant Fuluan both divided the river paths and recklessly swallowed medicinal elixirs and spiritual herbs.
He had been excessively cautious all his life, having never encountered such a formation as today. As the mountain and river cauldron overturned, and the fierce spiritual tide stirred thousand-zhang-high waves, he truly felt like he would soon follow the founding Emperor to the afterlife.
Ascendant Fuluan dared not imagine, if his ghost were summoned to the Nether Ship by the founding Emperor after his death, wouldn't he be subjected to the persecution of his former colleagues every day?
"To think I, Xu Junfang, have sought immortality my whole life, and today find myself in a dilemma..."
As the massive waves at the Jin Sect Harbor engulfed, a disheveled Ascendant Fuluan chuckled bitterly, having lost all hope.
In the past, such waves meant nothing to him. Even if he couldn't withstand them head-on, he could ride them away at will, but now he had to fully cope with the spiritual tide sweeping from the Yin River while also minding the safety of the common people on the river's banks and on the sea-land terrain.
At present, besides burning the foundation accumulated over two thousand years and depleting his essence, there seemed no other way to resolve the situation.
However, just when Ascendant Fuluan was filled with despair, ready to gamble half his life to complete the funeral of the Ghost Law, sudden waves of magical power emerged from the Jin Sect riverside city. Then dozens of colorful tunneling lights pierced the clouds and sky, heading straight for and meeting the giant waves and spiritual tide of the Jin Sect Harbor and Baisha River region.
Ascendant Fuluan's eyes were moist; what are Daoist friends? This is what Daoist friends are!
The black-clad girl, surrounded by Sword Pills, glanced at the Immortal weeping with joy beside her, then swiftly darted past as if she had seen nothing.
The cauldron is the treasure of the Xu Immortal Family; the Xu Immortal Family needs help!
In the Ancient Yin River Dao, with the Mountain River vessel stabilizing the Yin-Yang rift and maintaining the mundane flow of the Yin River, Xu Qing noticed the changes outside.
Indeed, at critical moments, the cats raised at home are still the most reliable!
Besides Xuan Yu, Xu Qing also detected the presence of Daoist Yizhen, Tao Sanmei, Bai Qiuyu, and others.
Zombie Xu felt greatly comforted; with family around, he could finally act freely and unleash the energy contained within the Mountain River vessel.
At the array's center, Ascendant Fuluan's mood had just calmed when he discovered that the eruption from the Mountain River treasure vessel had increased tenfold again.
"..."
Ascendant Fuluan's eyes went dark, and he nearly couldn't breathe!
The promised small array, the promised step back, in the end, resulted in him taking a small step back while Xu Qing advanced ten steps.
Ascendant Fuluan gritted his teeth, having resolved that if he trusted Xu Qing once more, he would personally offer his head to the original Emperor to kick like a ball!
"Only tenfold? I am an Immortal, with half a foot in the Cloud Gate as a Land Immortal, how could I be afraid of you..."
Ascendant Fuluan had just ignited his fighting spirit when the Dutian Grand Array beneath him burst forth with twenty-fold, thirty-fold brilliance again!
At this moment, Ascendant Fuluan felt the urge to duel with Xu Qing for the first time.
Is this something a human can do?
So until he was drained, this disaster wouldn't pass or what?
Ancient Yin River Dao.
Xu Qing kept probing the limits of the grand array; at the current rate of refining the Corpse Monster's remains, after feedback to Heaven and Earth, he would still retain about thirty percent of his magical power.
With these thirty percent magical power, he wouldn't need to worry about the other Yin River sect lords.
Even if other sect lords truly came knocking, Xu Qing could use this magic to break the restrictions below the Yin Corpse Sect.
Although the Celestial Maiden Rhab was of the Corpse Monster type, she had always stood on the side of the righteous path, and seemed to be particularly tolerant towards Xu Qing, who was also of the Corpse Monster type.
If truly at an impasse, Xu Qing wouldn't mind risking facing the wrath of the Maiden Rhab upon awakening to ensure the smooth implementation of the 'Ghost Law Green Plan.'
Winter Wax Moon, Year 23 of Eternal Peace.
The matter Xu Qing worried most about still happened.
Ancient Yin River Dao, smelling the stench, twelve sect lords Ji and Qi arrived before Xu Qing.
Ji and Qi were gods worshipped by ancient witches, their abilities fundamentally based on the witchcraft ritual system.
Ji as the 'God of Sacrifice,' Qi as the 'God of Prayer Requests,' both originally from ancient witchcraft, but at this moment Ji and Qi were manifestations of evil invoked by Corpse Monsters, not real gods of rites and prayers.
Xu Qing coldly surveyed the ghost witches in front, his hands continuing to refine Ghost Law.
Ji and Qi exchanged a glance; the two, despite being lords of the Yin River, dared not take a step forward.
Among the twelve sect lords, they ranked fifth, whereas the youth before them could eliminate the Ghost Dharma Master, ranked second.
Ji and Qi were like greedy and sly hungry wolves, hesitating yet circling around Xu Qing, unwilling to leave.
After such a standoff for half a day, the leader Ji finally couldn't hold back, waved the bone banner in his hand, recited ancient curses, summoning buried skeletons beneath the Ancient Yin River Dao to rise, calling forth eight hundred-foot-tall white bone warriors towards Xu Qing.
Just as Xu Qing slowed his refining speed, planning to extract the great axe of Shou Yang to knock on the neighboring Maiden Rhab's chamber, a dragon's roar from the mundane world suddenly resounded!
Xu Qing was first startled, then his heart stirred slightly, stopping his hand action.
Nearby, Ji and Qi seemed somewhat puzzled, but when a pair of cyan-gold dragon claws appeared above the Yin-Yang boundary tablet, tearing the Yin and Yang apart.
Ji and Qi's expressions changed dramatically!
Xu Qing glanced sideways, seeing a cyan dragon with claws like golden hooks and tail sweeping through clouds, breaking through the Yin-Yang boundary, looking straight at him.
A zombie, a dragon, an eye in eternity; Xu Qing didn't know whence the dragon came, daring not to move recklessly; the Cyan Dragon feared disturbing the human in front, important in the refining of Ghost Law, cautiously refraining from flying over his head.
The Cyan Dragon Divine Monarch crawled sneakily over the divided ruins of the Bone Temple, like a reptile.
Upon circling behind Xu Qing, facing Ji and Qi directly, the Cyan Dragon immediately roused itself, claw winds like electric currents, grasped the Violet Heaven divine thunder, directly targeting the ghost witches in front!
A zombie, a dragon, an eye in eternity; Xu Qing didn't know whence the dragon came, daring not to move recklessly; the Cyan Dragon feared disturbing the human in front, important in the refining of Ghost Law, cautiously refraining from flying over his head.
The Cyan Dragon Divine Monarch crawled sneakily over the divided ruins of the Bone Temple, like a reptile.
Upon circling behind Xu Qing, facing Ji and Qi directly, the Cyan Dragon immediately roused itself, claw winds like electric currents, grasped the Violet Heaven divine thunder, directly targeting the ghost witches in front!