Twilight Boundary-Chapter 720 - 711: Uniting in Worship on the Bridge

"Conferred by Heaven, may you prosper and thrive forever."

These eight characters felt weighty, whether from a past life or placed in this world. From the moment they first appeared on the wordless treasure seal, Hu Ma had been pondering. Why would Lao Junmei leave such a treasure seal? Why did the first four characters appear only after he had slain Old Master Yan? And where were the latter four characters? What intrigued him even more was that Lao Junmei had left both the wordless treasure seal and the rebellious Not Eating Beef Sect. The seal bore these eight characters representing the orthodox mandate of Heaven, yet the Beef Avoidance Sect disciples revered the sixteen-character maxim: "The blue sky is dead, the yellow sky shall rise; the year is Jiazi; the world will be at peace." Upon closer reflection, it was all quite fascinating.

Of course, for the current Hu Ma, understanding what these characters on the seal represented was paramount. The first half, "Conferred by Heaven," consisted of four characters, but the key lay in 'mandate' and 'heaven.'

He mused that he already possessed these two, which was why the first half had appeared on the seal. As for the latter half, would it only manifest after he obtained 'longevity' and 'prosperity'? Did Lao Junmei already possess them, and Hu Ma's own power was simply insufficient to see them? Or were these latter four characters not on the seal at all, requiring him to seek them out himself? He sighed quietly. This wasn't something easily figured out; otherwise, he wouldn't have waited until now.

He had laid the foundation for stepping onto the bridge when his Shousui Cultivation Technique in the City of the Dead reached completion. However, stepping onto the bridge was a critical step, the transition from human to "non-human." It involved too many complexities, and with his mind in turmoil, he dared not take this step rashly, preferring to observe more.

Despite the doubts, the significance of these two characters was evident. The character 'mandate' allowed him to stand firm in the human world; even those who had stepped onto the bridge couldn't pull him away once he was rooted in the human realm. The character 'heaven,' in turn, could suppress the Purple Tai Sui. This combination made Hu Ma remarkably unique.

He had not stepped onto the bridge. However, what he feared were only those means capable of evading fate or related to the Purple Tai Sui. Anyone employing methods within these two categories would suffer a great loss if they encountered him.

"You... you..."

Hu Ma was aware of his own capabilities, but Cui Magu could not possibly know. Panic had already gripped her heart to the extreme. How had this legendary Ghost Walker Great Sword Catcher suddenly transformed into *that* person? Why would the esteemed Young Master Hu impersonate one of his family's own sword catchers? If he was a sword catcher, then who was it that had dueled with the Old Master in the City of the Dead and won?

She was shocked to her core but had no time to process it. All the deception aside, a person's destiny couldn't be faked! Now certain of Hu Ma's identity, her mind was in turmoil.

She had used her abilities to try and pull him onto the bridge but lacked the strength. She had even resorted to using the Purple Qi Soul Refining technique. However, her greatest pride, the world's rarest Purple Qi, was dispersed before she could even clearly see his move.

At this moment, she was in complete disarray, having lost all courage to confront Hu Ma. She retreated slightly in despair, her hempen robe tearing with audible RIPS.

A chillingly determined expression filled her cold face, carrying a resolve to face death.

RUSTLE, RUSTLE...

Fearing Hu Ma would advance, she first tore off her hempen robe. Strands of fabric drifted and swirled in the air like fluttering paper money, exuding a sinister and eerie atmosphere.

Beneath the hempen robe, her body suddenly split into countless replicas. Some moved left, some right, some forward, some backward. What was once a solid body now seemed to have transformed into light, ethereal shadows.

Each shadow was pale and dim, like a corpse, appearing in every corner within a radius of thirty zhang—some in the trees, some on the ground, some in front, some behind.

This was her cultivated trump card: the Twenty-Three Forms.

She herself was a true body, a living person weighing eighty-seven catties and three taels. Yet, she could divide into twenty-three, each form becoming extremely light and spectral, existing in a state between human and ghost. Divided, they were ghosts; united, she was human.

Currently, three of these twenty-three forms had already been dispatched: one clung to Fourth Miss Zhou's back, one to Zhao Sanyi's, and one to Chen Ah Bao's.

Of the remaining twenty forms, one retreated and prostrated itself on the ground, while the other nineteen all climbed onto Hu Ma.

When one of these spectral forms latched onto an opponent's back, the victim would unknowingly carry it. Their body would grow progressively heavier, their cultivation would decline, and even their mind would become more susceptible to the form's influence, eventually leading them to make decisions Cui Magu desired. This was one of the most advanced techniques in the Negative Spirit Path, second only to the Meng family's ancestral worship.

Ordinarily, in the jianghu, apart from the Ten Families, there was no one worthy of her using this skill. Yet now, there was no trace of arrogance in her demeanor. Instead, she was prepared to vanish like smoke at any moment, merely carrying out her orders with grim determination.

"I'm here to apologize on behalf of Young Master Meng..."

Having successfully attached nineteen of her forms to Hu Ma's back, she even felt a slight sense of relief. She spoke slowly, and the dozens of ghastly pale women clinging to Hu Ma whispered simultaneously beside his ears, "Resolve that disaster, and both families can survive. Resolve that disaster, and the enmity between the Hu and Meng families will be settled... Resolve that disaster, and we both will have a hope of becoming immortal..."

"..."

At this time, Hu Ma's Great Mighty Heaven Master General Magic Body was still manifest, presenting an extremely bizarre sight. He had the towering, imposing appearance of a ferocious deity, yet over a dozen pale forms clung to him, chattering incessantly in his ears.

"Is this the trump card of a Negative Spirit Great Sword Catcher?"

Hu Ma could also feel a chill on his back, his body growing heavy. Even his own thoughts seemed to waver intermittently.

He neither answered nor moved, merely gazing calmly at the now-faint shadow before him. He spoke softly, "Had you used this sooner, I might have respected you a bit more!"

"..."

"Still unwilling to call off the disaster?"

Hearing Hu Ma's words, a flicker of despair crossed Cui Magu's face. Behind her, the shadow of a bridge gradually materialized.

It was the first time Hu Ma had ever seen so clearly what this bridge—the goal coveted by everyone in every Path—actually looked like. Moreover, in the hazy mirage, on a bridge that stretched directly into the depths of the underworld, he could vaguely make out faint, illusory figures. Each held aloft a single stick of incense, ready to bow towards him at any moment.

It turned out that even this distinguished Negative Spirit Great Sword Catcher, having used her ultimate trump card, wasn't truly a countermeasure against 'Young Master Hu'; she was merely a conduit. She was borrowing the final reserves of the Negative Spirit Path for a collective bow, an act designed to slash fortune and destroy longevity, causing both heaven and humans to decline.

Those on the bridge were already non-human, their destinies profound and their status transcendent. A bow from them towards a person in the human world could potentially destroy that person's predetermined fate, fortune, and lifespan. So, what if the entire Path, all those on the bridge, bowed together?

More critically, even if he had a way to survive, the subsequent events would no longer be under his control. The twelve disasters were currently blocked outside the mountain, but they had not yet returned to their lairs. The mountain lord leading the pond gods of Old Yin Mountain could block them, and that was my good fortune. But if those on the bridge bowed to me, then I feared those twelve disasters would find a way around Old Yin Mountain and instantly descend upon me. This was the most ruthless and vicious move, Young Master Meng's final, desperate gambit.

Of course, Cui Magu wouldn't survive either. She was merely sacrificing her life to ensure Young Master Hu would fall victim to this move.

Yet at this moment, filled with a deathly resolve and willing to do anything, she didn't believe Young Master Hu could withstand such an attack. Strangely, however, she saw no panic on his face.

He even offered a smile.

His Dharma Form was towering, mysterious, and ferocious as he looked down at her. "Bridge?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Does your Meng family even have a bridge anymore?"

"..."

Cui Magu was stunned. Suddenly, her expression changed dramatically as she realized something terrifying and out of control. All twenty-three forms simultaneously turned their heads, looking towards that illusory bridge.

「...」

At the same time, Ghost Walkers across the land were already battling the Negative Spirit members acting under the Meng family's orders.

To those within the Paths, it was a fierce battle between the Ghost Walker and Negative Spirit Paths, two groups that held each other in disdain. But to those outside, it appeared as common folk praying for blessings while ruffians stirred up trouble.

Such a chaotic and ferocious battle naturally spread without check, erupting everywhere. For a time, countless individuals were engaged in these duels of magic.

The only issue was that the Ghost Walkers fought with fury, while most from the Negative Spirit Path were merely following orders.

With one side's morale waxing and the other's waning, the Negative Spirit's impetus gradually weakened.

Meanwhile, in various Prefectures, the wandering gods and Ghost Generals who had gone to cause trouble at the Blessing Meetings encountered formidable obstacles. The Beef-eating Demon People were all seasoned figures of the jianghu. If the parties knew each other, matters could be discussed. If not, they immediately engaged in heated combat.

And while these two sides were locked in fierce duels, the outcome yet undecided, outside Old Yin Mountain, the Hundred and Eight Golden Armors barred the Lord's path into the mountain.

A clash of golden light against the swarming, large white lanterns had already whipped up terrifying, baleful winds outside Old Yin Mountain. Even the mountain lord, who was currently being worshipped, felt his heart stir several times. However, since those were assets of the Hu Family, it wasn't his place to overstep.

But just as he was still hesitating, at the site of the Sacrificial Mountain, a serving ghost with pigtails braided like goat horns was effortfully climbing onto the incense table amidst the kowtows of countless people, panting heavily.

"Here!" she exclaimed, sitting on the incense table. She rummaged in the basket slung over her arm, pulled out an item, and said, "Brother Huma asked me to give this to you."

"He said it's just a loan, and you have to return it when you're done."

"..."

The mountain lord looked down, his eyes flickering slightly.

He recognized the item. It was the Golden Armor Collection, one of the three volumes from the Zhensui Mansion.

Whoever possessed the Golden Armor Collection could command the Golden Armored Warriors.

Just how audacious was this Hu Family child, to dare lend such a thing to me?