Chapter 139: The Great Calamity, the Charnel Ground

From the well of locked retribution, the first to emerge was naturally that little autumn dragon.

Swirling clouds billowed around its entire body, and silver nails flew randomly from its claws, shattering into pieces those demons who were in a rush to leave the well. It instantly burst into a proud and triumphant laugh.

The little autumn dragon did not forget the young Daoist priest it harbored the deepest hostility toward. It needed to toy with him for several days, torment him for several days, and only then finish off that Daoist.

Its slender, serpentine body twisted within the clouds, and flashes of lightning danced through the vapor several times, illuminating its rounded scales so brightly they shone like polished silver. Then, it plunged downward, letting out a roar like a peal of thunder.

"Ah—"

Huang Jue’s mouth widened abruptly, stretching so wide it occupied half of his face. The little autumn dragon was swallowed into this cavernous maw without the slightest warning.

Next came the demons and sinners from beneath the well, regardless of male or female, old or young. Even as they scrambled back toward the bottom of the well, they could not escape the gravitational suction of that gaping mouth.

Their claws and fingernails left trails of deep gouches along the stone walls as they begged Ji Ming, the guardian of the well, to save them.

Ji Ming neither spoke nor moved. He simply let it happen, and only when a quarter of the prisoners beneath the well had vanished did he finally open his mouth.

"Enough!"

That one-fourth could be considered the portion that survived thanks to the temple's business; they were destined to die anyway, but once that threshold was crossed, even Ji Ming would find it difficult to cover up.

Huang Jue ignored him and continued his devouring.

Knowing this would happen, Ji Ming decisively flicked the plum branch. He and Great King Huang Jue instantly vanished from the spot, only to reappear by the wellside the very next moment.

In that brief departure and return, Great King Huang Jue had dutifully hoisted the spiritual stele back into place, restoring the array upon the well. He now wore an air of absolute reverence.

"So this is the Daoist sanctuary of the Southern Splendor Fire Virtue Lady. To recklessly cause such monstrous slaughter amidst these famous mountains of the world—I, the humble monk Huang Jue, have truly committed a grave sin."

The Great King had suddenly become very polite, and the eerie aura about him had receded quite a bit. Ji Ming flicked the plum branch once more, causing the Great King's eyelids to twitch violently.

"So the Great King is indeed capable of listening to my words."

"You are a celestial person, fulfilling my prophecy, and we share a common, formidable enemy." Great King Huang Jue paced around the rim of the well, clicking his prayer beads, pressing his palms together, and speaking in a slow, measured tone: "Besides, it was you who brought me back into the mortal world; how could I not listen to your words? Above all, I should be the one who listens to you most... my friend."

Ji Ming did not consider himself his friend, but he did not deliberately correct such a minor detail.

To withstand the pressure from Su Luozi, he needed a sound and equal conversational footing with Huang Jue.

Just now, borrowing the Grandmaster's divine powers to take Huang Jue on a tour of the various immortal masters' grotto-heavens on Mount Zirong was precisely the foundation for building that equality.

Although Huang Jue had just ascended from the netherworld and his cultivation was severely depleted, his profound Daoist achievements still felt unfathomable to Ji Ming. Without borrowing the tiger's skin of the Grandmaster's divine powers, there was simply no way to keep this Yellow-Hunger Ghost—who had once cultivated human Dao and attained a level comparable to the fourth stage of the Golden Core—under control.

A series of crackling sounds erupted from Huang Jue’s slightly bulging lower abdomen. Intense flashes of lightning could be seen piercing through his skin, and something resembling a loach seemed to be writhing within his belly.

A stream of light flew through the air and landed by the well.

The newcomer wore a look of shock, staring incredulously at Huang Jue’s stomach. He could sense the dragon child within crying out frantically for help.

"Do you know he is a dragon child from the Brocade-Clear Water Mansion?"

"A dragon child? I thought some wild flood-dragon was locked at the bottom of the well."

Though Huang Jue's words were arrogant, his actions were honest enough. He thrust his hand into his stomach, yanked out the little autumn dragon—whose entire body had been charred black by the hunger-fire within—and tossed it back down into the well.

The little autumn dragon grew in size against the wind as it fell back into the well, clinging to the stone walls amidst the chilling yin-winds and wailing loudly.

Having just suffered the burning of hunger-fire and now exposed to the piercing yin-winds, the sudden alternation of extreme heat and cold caused the scales across its entire body to crack apart inch by inch. Its flesh and blood were completely exposed to the elements, and dragon blood splattered against the walls.

"I want to go back!

Qian Geng, didn't you once serve in the heavens with connections reaching the highest realms? Hurry up and get me out of here!"

This time, the little autumn dragon was truly terrified; it had almost been digested into a mere lump of food.

Qian Geng the Yaksha pressed his lips together, his plans disrupted yet again.

He looked toward the young Daoist priest. Now, all these variables seemed to originate from him, and perhaps it was time to have a proper conversation with the youth.

He asked Ji Ming, "Are you the one calling the shots?"

Ji Ming flicked the plum branch in his hand, and Huang Jue beside him tacitly retreated behind Ji Ming's back.

"Is Daoist Friend Qian here to call me to account?"

"Should I not?!" the Yaksha said as if it were only natural. "A dragon child's status is noble; although temporarily trapped, he should not be abused. If I report this to the Water Mansion, can you bear the consequences?!"

"Then am I supposed to passively endure the threats of this vicious dragon?"

Hearing the young Daoist's retort, the Yaksha knew the little autumn dragon must have acted up again, leaving him somewhat in the wrong. Nevertheless, he maintained a rigid stance and said harshly, "He is a dragon child."

"I am a disciple of Taiping Mountain and a guest of the Fire Ruin Grotto—not some shrimp soldier or crab general from your Water Mansion. Even if I have committed a crime, it is not your Water Mansion's place to judge."

Ji Ming took a large step forward toward the Yaksha. His sharp tone and intense demeanor startled the Yaksha, causing his imposing aura to wane significantly for a moment.

"In my opinion, we needn't go to any Water Mansion for judgment. Let's go straight to the Fire Ruin Grotto on Mount Zirong and ask the Grandmaster to decide, and skin this little evil dragon alive all the sooner."

At these words, the Yaksha’s expression turned even uglier. He stood stiffly in place, speechless for a long time.

He had investigated the young Daoist and knew the boy enjoyed the Grandmaster's deep favor. If this matter were truly brought before the Grandmaster, the verdict would most likely tilt in the young Daoist's favor.

Whether speaking of backing or reason, the opponent seemed to hold the high ground. The Yaksha's usual tactics of relying three parts on reason and seven parts on intimidation were no longer proving very effective.

"At the very least, you cannot abuse him."

Ji Ming stood by the edge of the well, gazing down at the bloody little autumn dragon at the bottom.

In his heart, he knew this matter would not be easily settled. The little autumn dragon was absolute dynamite, liable to splatter him in blood at any critical moment.

"Very well!"

Ji Ming nodded in agreement.

Though the Yaksha knew the other party was merely offering perfunctory words, what could he do? This was Jiheng Mountain, the youth came from the Fire Ruin Grotto, and moreover, he himself could not even be considered a powerful crossing dragon here.

Though he wished to ease the tense relations, an unfathomable evil cultivator was still present, preventing him from making any rash moves. He could only observe in secret for the time being.

"Great King, what are your thoughts?"

Huang Jue rubbed his belly, and after a moment of deep thought, he said, "This dragon child must die, Su Luozi must die, and we must live well."

Seeing that Huang Jue had already formed a plan, Ji Ming asked with curiosity, "How do we survive?"

"A great tribulation."

Huang Jue uttered the phrase in a low voice, then gazed down into the well, a brilliance of discovery shining in his eyes. "To be reduced to ashes in a great tribulation is the best way to evade karma.

The bottom of this well connects to the bitter sea of Mount Tai's Haoli, where there is a Buddhist supreme being's sanctuary known as the Charnel Ground Altar. Within it lies a sanctuary of death, a blessed land of corpses, and a pure dwelling of skeletons.

The ghost-god I worshipped in life was a rigorous ascetic in that sanctuary. I intend to use this well to communicate with the ascetic ghost-god in that sanctuary and obtain their empowerment.
Furthermore, I can ask a few familiar day and night roaming deities of Haoli to help me broadly invite my old friends from the southern heavens to gather here in this temple and have a decisive showdown with Su Luozi."

"Splendid!"

Ji Ming frowned slightly, but still clapped his hands in praise.

Come to think of it, he still had past ties with this Charnel Ground Altar. Back when the Supreme Bone Relic was used to consecrate the White Bone Heart-Gathering Bead, his spirit had once entered that altar and been acknowledged as a Buddhist disciple by a certain Buddhist supreme being.

"However, such a massive commotion will make it difficult to evade Su Luozi's notice."

"Precisely so." Huang Jue presented Ji Ming with a new line of thinking. He said, "What is a great tribulation? It is when men unleash killing intent and heaven and earth overturn.

If the commotion is not grand, if all directions do not take notice, and if the enemy and I do not draw a clear line in battle to establish this as a public case of the southern heavens, how can we evade the countless strands of karma afterward?"

Ji Ming understood somewhat, yet not entirely.

Judging by Huang Jue's intent, this was not just a magical duel, but also a public relations battle. That talk of evading karma was nothing more than seizing the moral high ground so that others could not openly seek revenge.

However, this tactic struck right at the soft underbelly of orthodox cultivators, though it was of little use to left-path wandering rogue immortals.

"However, since I fled into the mortal world carrying the punishments of the netherworld, and my ghostly body is severely depleted, I need to recuperate within the dark nether realm at the bottom of this well. Therefore, the banner of opposing Su Luozi still needs to be carried by you, a celestial person."

"Me?"