Cultivation Starts from Killing Pigs

"That... is the Divine Corpse!"

Taoist Puyang's mouth was trembling. He had been happily printing books, thinking about how to get his name included.

Who would have thought that he'd be urgently summoned by Crane Immortal, that dealing with locusts was no big deal, just a minor task, but why did such a thing appear!

Zhang Kui also felt a tingling in his scalp as he suddenly recalled the words of the black-robed scholar from Lanjiang Water Mansion.

"That thing is not an Incense Fire God; it's rumored to be from ancient times, when Witchcraft Path prospered, humans and gods resided—it's something left from that era..."

The anomaly didn't stop there; as the giant hand emerged towering into the sky, the previously drizzly and overcast day suddenly whipped into a frenzy.

Soon, the drizzle ceased, and the sky, once leaden gray and hazy, suddenly surged with dark clouds, the heavens dimming and thunder rumbling.

Crack!

With a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky, countless flashes of lightning crisscrossed instantly, crazily striking that towering giant hand, as if even the heavens wouldn't allow such a thing to come into existence.

However, that giant hand stood still, impervious to the thousands of thunders that engulfed it, with only those dense, hair-like tentacles waving incessantly.

Thankfully, after the giant hand erupted from the mountain, there was no further movement, as if it had gone back to sleep.

"There's still... hope!"

Elder Huayan shouted fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, glaring viciously at the darkness spreading across the entire Lake Heart Island.

"The demon god puppet is domineering; I don't know why it was seized by the demon, but now they are forming an array for protection, clearly not wanting the island's array to be damaged."

Upon his words, everyone immediately understood.

Though still unsure of the opponent's methods, with such protection, the island's array must be crucial.

Thinking of this, they no longer hesitated. Zhang Kui was the first to let his sword light burst forth, instantly transforming into hundreds of thousands of sword shadows. Guided by the sword finger, they spiraled upwards, then fell like a rain cascade, continuously bombarding that area of darkness.

The others were not idle either, each using their hidden skills. In an instant, the storm, thunder fire, and evil light all crashed into the darkness formed by the demon god puppet.

The pitter-patter and booming sounds continued incessantly, while farther on the horizon, the lightning flickered, deafening, as if the end of days had arrived.

However, the effect was not satisfactory.

They were merely at the Celestial Tribulation Realm, while the Divine Travel Realm demon god puppet's mana mixed with powerful spiritual power were fundamentally different in quality.

Zhang Kui's eyes flared with fire,

"Again!"

With that, he suddenly elevated his Flying Sword Skill to level six. His hands changed the spell, and the sky-full of sword shadows immediately converged into a hundred-meter-tall golden sword shadow, seemingly enlarging Lu Li Sword countless times, plummeting down forcefully.

This was a transformation born from the upgrade of the Flying Sword Skill. If the myriad swords were for mass attack and sword array deployment, this transformation was specifically for breaking arrays, concentrating power at one point, unyielding and indestructible.

With a tearing sound, as if fabric was ripped, a large opening split in the darkness. The other few National Guardian True Man quickly seized the opportunity to blast in with streaks of thunder fire and evil light.

Boom! The darkness immediately scattered apart.

On the island, several sections of the Bronze Array collapsed, and three terrifyingly auraed giant dark shadows charged fiercely.

"Watch out!"

Zhang Kui shouted loudly, then spun the sword shadows into the Four Symbols Evil Extermination Array, blocking in front of everyone.

Boom!

The three dark shadows collided with the Golden Sword Curtain simultaneously, causing it to flicker unsteadily. Zhang Kui was also struck back, dragging his feet over ten meters on the ground.

Zhang Kui's blood surged, his chest stuffy, almost spitting a mouthful of blood, which he forcefully swallowed, and the injuries within him rapidly healed.

The effect of the Golden Core Path had already shown itself, not only was mana pure, but he could withstand blows from these Divine Travel Realm puppets, and his body's recovery speed was astonishing.

"You all, fall back!"

Zhang Kui's fighting spirit burned with fury, his eyes blazing with golden evil light, preparing to simultaneously unleash the "Longevity" domain and "Divine Court Bell" to have a proper confrontation with these demon god puppets.

However, right at this moment, the three demon god puppets suddenly stopped, their eyes flickering with eerie green flames, and inside came Qin Yi's frantic voice.

"It's you! You've ruined my plans again... Ah, you old coots... you wish..."

As he spoke, the green flames in the eyes of the three demon god puppets suddenly extinguished, and they froze in place like statues.

What happened?

Zhang Kui frowned, prepared to strike again. After all, these things were obtained by Qin Yi, and he didn't know Puppetry Skill, keeping them was ultimately a disaster.

At this moment, a blood-red shadow suddenly descended, revealing Helian Boxiong supporting the unconscious Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji, laying him down slowly.

Zhang Kui's eyes glowed with a spectral light, immediately seeing Li Xuanji's body in shambles, filled with thread-like Yin Qi, his meridians and Dantian clogged with dense, small eggs.

"Gu Plague!"

Zhang Kui immediately thought of this Gu technique, which was quite similar, only more powerful.

Qi Prohibition Skill!

Crisis Resolution Skill!

After using these two spells in succession, Li Xuanji's nose and mouth immediately sprayed out large amounts of white threads and small spiders, which then dispersed as Yin Qi.

"Taoist Brother Xuanji!"

Elder Huayan quickly stepped forward to check and inserted a pill into the other's mouth, his lips trembling slightly:

"The meridians, Qi sea, and Dantian are shattered..."

Everyone fell silent. In this situation, only the legendary Immortal Pill, which could bring the dead to life and regrow bones, might save him, but even if he survived, he'd be a cripple.

Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji slowly regained consciousness, his face pale, aging visibly at an alarming rate. Fortunately, the pill within him took effect, bringing an abnormal blush to his cheeks.

"Quick, quick..."

He shakily took out a bronze token from his bosom, bit his middle finger to smear it with blood, and handed it out.

"The mastermind is the remnants of the Demon Star Pavilion; below are descendants of the Square Immortal Road... He, though adept in puppetry, has a weak divine soul... Quickly, go to the Sealed Demon Cave to help the State Preceptor..."

Upon hearing this, no one dared to hesitate. They left the skilled Elder Huayan to watch over Li Xuanji, while the rest rushed to the Sealed Demon Cave.

By now, the city was in total chaos, and in the Imperial Palace, no one cared that the Emperor was dead, but instead, they were fleeing in panic.

Everyone had seen the terrifying giant arm; wealthy merchants, nobles, common folks, and even the soldiers guarding the city abandoned their weapons and fled.

There was trampling, screaming, and fighting; everyone seemed to have lost their minds, only wanting to push others aside and escape as far as possible.

By the Grand Profound Lake of the Astronomical Bureau, there was a dead silence, as if hearing the city's cries, Li Xuanji's increasingly clouded eyes showed desolation.

He looked at the three demon god puppets and shakily took out three bronze pellets from his bosom,

"Yu Hua, my dear brother... These are the switches for the demon god puppets; while that demon is distracted, insert them into their foreheads to take control."

Elder Huayan did not hesitate, immediately taking them and throwing them out. The auras of the three puppets immediately shrank, turning into lifeless stones.

Li Xuanji's breathing became more labored, "Yu Hua, my dear brother, the Qian is about to fall, and chaos will soon come to the world. Since we have been friends... take these puppets for self-defense."

Feeling his old friend's life force waver like a candle in the wind, Elder Huayan restrained his grief and comforted him:

"Brother, don't overthink. As long as the divine corpse is stabilized, everything can be saved."

By now, Li Xuanji's lips were already turning leaden; he gazed at the gigantic arm of the divine corpse, shadowed in the distant thunder light, and shook his head slightly, "It's not because of the divine corpse..."

"I've wondered why there'd be a millennium calamity until I heard Hua Niang, then I realized."

"Though the human race is weak and evil spirits rampant, there's always a heroic leader to establish a dynasty, ending chaos. But a thousand years is too long for humanity, long enough to forget those dark years."

"The Great Zhou Dynasty delighted in human sacrifices, the Great Yu Dynasty nurtured demon ghosts; in our Qian, people's hearts are like the Ghost Realm. The millennium calamity is indeed a calamity of the human heart..."

"Brother, don't think about these things."

Elder Huayan quickly comforted him.

However, Li Xuanji's gaze grew darker and darker,

"The chaos... the true chaos... has arrived..."

With that, he breathed his last.

...

"Quick, it's here!"

Zhang Kui led the group swiftly to the Sealed Demon Cave and, after tossing in the bronze token, the bronze door immediately opened wide.

Without paying attention to the strange door, the group immediately flew inside.

The scene before their eyes took them by surprise.

In front was a massive abyss; a gigantic bronze pillar plunged deep into the darkness.

On the bronze platform, seven State Preceptors sat cross-legged in a circle. Behind them, seven National Guardian Divine Artifacts—the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Mirror, Thunder Sword, Yellow Springs Palace Lamp, Blood Weng Zhong, Soul-Devouring Silk, Wordless Stele, and Demon Bone Gourd—glowed brightly, illuminating the platform in a dazzling array of colors.

From within the abyss, it seemed as though countless people were screaming in madness, and with a whoosh, several giant tentacles burst forth, causing the seven National Guardian artifacts to hum and vibrate.

Without hesitation, the group flew up onto the bronze platform but had no idea how to assist.

"True Man Lu?"

Zhang Kui tried calling out, but unexpectedly, the bodies of several State Preceptors instantly collapsed, leaving ashes and white bones scattered all around...