Twilight Boundary-Chapter 780 - 770: Life Borrowing and Requesting the Altar

Unable to fight, he couldn't win, and he couldn't even find the person.

Since learning his skills, Hu Ma had never encountered such a situation. Although his heart was filled with anger, once he made a move, he immediately realized the gap between them.

He summoned his Mana, eager to shake off the incense burner and display his Dharma Form. But as the State Preceptor chanted, the incense burner grew increasingly heavy, pressing down hard enough to make his bones crack noisily.

His eyes turned cold as he stared directly at the State Preceptor, hurriedly reciting the Execution Spell of the Hu Family. Yet, the State Preceptor's figure floated unpredictably. Hu Ma couldn't find him, but he heard the same incantation from behind. The State Preceptor was reciting the "Shackle" Spell, one of the Four Great Curses of the Hu Family.

As he chanted, he took slow steps, walking past Hu Ma.

With every step, a footprint was left behind, and each footprint formed a talisman pattern.

Among these countless talisman patterns, one could hear the clattering of iron chains. One by one, they drilled up from the ground, tightly wrapping around Hu Ma, holding him firmly in place.

"I was supposed to teach you the method to bear the Twelve Ghost Altars, laying the foundation for your first achievement in White Jade City, but it seems I still must act personally."

The State Preceptor trapped Hu Ma, then sighed lightly, as if there truly was regret in his voice.

With a flick of the horsetail whisk, it seemed to turn into a brush. He then extended his left palm, using his thumbnail to cut across it, instantly splitting the flesh open. Blood began to flow, dripping onto the ground.

He waved the horsetail whisk, dipped it in the blood, and started swiftly writing talisman patterns on the incense burner pressing down on Hu Ma's head. One after another, these blood patterns, imbued with a hidden golden light, floated around Hu Ma in midair.

As he wrote more and more, the night seemed to envelop the entire area. Immense umbrellas adorned with treasures became faintly visible, separating this world from the outside.

At this moment, Hu Ma seemed to truly realize the gap between them was too vast. His intention to struggle diminished slightly. As he no longer struggled with all his might, the incense burner on his head seemed to become somewhat lighter.

He gritted his teeth and said grimly, "Haishou, walking ghost, tricks… you're really well-versed in all the Paths…"

The State Preceptor also smiled easily and explained to Hu Ma, "Our Daluo Dharma Sect's methods are not limited to one Path. As long as they're useful, they're good. So I dabble in quite a few and have even helped the Ten Surnames refine several dharma methods."

"The pity lies in the fact that while I've learned much of the Ten Surnames' abilities, the mainstay of the Daluo Dharma Sect, the Sacrificial Inquiry, has been neglected."

"Because I am the Main Sacrificial, I cannot stray too far from heaven and earth."

"Back then, unaware, I ascended the Bridge too early. Although I gained these skills, I only realized afterward that since I am not within this heaven and earth, I can no longer act as the Main Sacrificial in the Sacrifice to Heaven."

"So you want me to bear the altar?" Hu Ma coldly demanded. "Then what after you summon it?"

The State Preceptor laughed, as if he somewhat admired Hu Ma, and said, "My return to the Capital this time is to hold this dharma assembly and, through it, suppress those evil spirits."

"You helped them seize the Bridge from the Meng Family, which also caused some things to start becoming easily uncontrollable."

"Reincarnators originate from the heavens, unlike us earthly living people who are grounded. Their ascent to the Bridge, after encountering the Purple Tai Sui, often results in incomprehensible changes."

"But their presence on the Bridge is also our opportunity."

"You will bear the Twelve Ghost Altars, thereby possessing the Main Sacrificial identity. Then, I will cast the spell. We can summon the Meng Family Ancestor—he has awakened below but cannot find his way up and is currently in a temper. He will engage those evil spirits on the Bridge in battle, and we can seize the chance to invite them into the altar…"

As he spoke, he couldn't hide the joy on his face and smiled, "What do you think will be the result?"

"So you entered the underworld yesterday to awaken that thing?"

Hu Ma sighed softly. Now that he no longer exerted force, the incense burner didn't seem as heavy, and speaking was easier. He even managed to show a puzzled expression. "Are you so confident?"

"After all, we have already tried once using your Hu Family's bridge."

The State Preceptor also looked at Hu Ma, gave a faint smile, and said, "Lao Junmei, to Reincarnators, is actually considered a traitor."

"At least, after he chose to cooperate with your Hu Family, the Hu Family did not spare those Reincarnators who attempted to reclaim his Immortal Fate. Of course, those Reincarnators did not spare the Hu Family either back then."

As he spoke these words, his hands did not stop moving. He had already finished writing a row of talisman patterns. Then, smiling, he looked at Hu Ma and said, "Young friend, the time has come."

"Once this sacrifice begins, it cannot end. If you change your mind now, I can still credit you with the first achievement in White Jade City."

Even at this moment, he still seemed to want to persuade Hu Ma once more, but meeting Hu Ma's grim gaze, he just shook his head and immediately gave up.

With a soft sigh, he suddenly said, "You were created by my own hands, intended to be a perfect immortal embryo. Now I must destroy you with my own hands. Believe me, I am truly pained by this."

Yet, despite speaking of pain, he did not stop. He raised his hand and summoned five urns from a distance.

Neatly, they were placed in front of Hu Ma. The State Preceptor also sat cross-legged opposite Hu Ma and slowly fished out a piece of black, shiny, and eerie meat from the first urn before him.

Hu Ma, with a slight sense of caution, recognized it immediately. It was the Black Tai Sui.

At this moment, the State Preceptor's face seemed to carry a kind of sacredness. He bowed to the Black Tai Sui and faintly outlined a humanoid shape on the ground.

Afterward, he moved on to the White Yu Sui, Green Tai Sui, Blood Tai Sui, and Golden Silk Tai Sui.

Each of the five urns contained one of these Tai Sui. He first used the Black Tai Sui to form a human shape, then laid the White Tai Sui within it, mixed the Green Tai Sui in, molded the Blood Tai Sui into organs, and traced the blood vessels with the Golden Silk Tai Sui.

Once everything was complete, he lightly waved his robe sleeve. With a RUSTLE, numerous talisman patterns descended from the sky, covering this faintly humanoid figure.

After that, he took a pill from his sleeve. Hu Ma saw clearly that it was the very Immortal Pill used twenty years ago by the Young Master of the Life-Knowing Hall to revive the dead.

Lifting a talisman vaguely positioned at the head, the State Preceptor placed the Immortal Pill into this "person's" mouth.

Chanting quietly and pointing lightly, the next moment, the humanoid figure on the ground suddenly sat up. Talisman patterns RUSTLED off it, revealing what looked like a complete person.

Most critically, this person had vivid features and an empty gaze, looking exactly the same as Hu Ma.

After helping this person sit up, the State Preceptor personally brought a garment and draped it over him. He then slowly performed a ceremonial bow, an act that seemed almost sacred. After completing these actions, he calmly turned to look at Hu Ma.

Hu Ma also stared at this person identical to himself. It was only then that he suddenly raised his head and looked at the State Preceptor, asking, "Senior, you keep saying that my Hu Family colluded with Lao Junmei to deceive you."

"In your words, my Hu Family is a traitor to the Ten Surnames, and Lao Junmei is a traitor to the Reincarnators. However, betrayal must have a reason."

"They didn't agree with your plan to become immortal. So, what exactly were they trying to do?"

The State Preceptor's busy hands suddenly stopped. He slowly turned his head to look at Hu Ma, a rare sharpness in his eyes.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled and said, "Young friend, at this point, even if I tell you, it doesn't matter."

"It's just a pity that their ideas are whimsical and disrespectful to heaven and earth. Even if I were to articulate them, I would feel the transgression is too great. So you'll have to forgive me for not being able to reveal the final answer to you."

"I understand, you're very scared."

Hu Ma also stared at him intently, suddenly saying slowly, "But actually, even if you don't say it, I've guessed."

Then, he began to speak slowly, "Mandated by Heaven, may your life endure eternally."

It was just these eight words, but upon hearing them, the State Preceptor's complexion suddenly changed drastically, and he screamed fiercely, "Shut up!"

His large sleeves swept forward as he whispered, "Madmen like you never know fear. But fortunately, with this grand sacrifice, these curse-bearing individuals can finally disappear from this world completely."

"Life Borrowing to Summon the Altar!"

With the State Preceptor's low shout, he stepped into the Gang Step, moving around the four directions. In the next moment, the horsetail whisk in his hand acted as a sword and lightly pointed forward.

The surrounding talisman patterns all lit up with golden light, like candles. Opposite Hu Ma, the newly created him also formed a Magic Seal, his lips moving as if rapidly chanting something along with the State Preceptor.

"Hmm?"

Pressed beneath the incense burner, Hu Ma felt a slight tremor in his heart.

He sensed the nine columns of Tao within his body surging simultaneously, his rolling Mana practicing on its own. In a trance, he even had the illusion that he was seriously casting a spell, following the State Preceptor's guidance, performing some kind of sacred ritual.

Also, as he cast the spell, the surrounding world seemed to grow utterly dark, so much so that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

「At the same time, in Old Yin Mountain」

In the Fox Coffin Village, beneath a Disaster Corpse, one of the twelve neatly arranged black urns in the secret cave gently shook.

This urn was so heavy that Hu Ma, in his true form, had previously exerted all his strength but couldn't budge it even slightly. But now, it seemed to respond to some stimulus, inexplicably. Slowly, it lifted into the air.

It was as if an invisible hand cradled the urn. Then, the world around the urn's body transformed—the urn itself did not move, but the surrounding stones, trees, cities, and lands all shifted rapidly. Thus, the urn seemed to fly across the dim earth.

An invisible RUMBLE, soul-stirring, spread out. At this moment, whether human, god, demon, or ghost, all they saw was a black meteor streaking across the earth.

Heading straight for Shangjing City.