The manifestation of the Six Ghost Gods also aligned with Yuan Huang's words, serving as vanguards driven by that entity. It was unexpected to encounter the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui from the outset, a supremely powerful ghost lord in early Taoism, conceived as a great ghost in opposition to Hao Tian Shang Di, thus possessing comparable might.
As for Qing Nu having once expelled it, Qing Nu's status had declined over the ages, her divine power waning, her spirit tablet even vanishing. There was no way to summon the deity Qing Nu to descend, and it was rumored that the complete Qing Nu Ghost Laws, comprising eight volumes, were all in the hands of the Ancestral Celestial Master.
With a single step, the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui traversed several mountains and rivers, instantly arriving before them.
Ji Xiang spread his hands from his chest, and a crimson light materialized between his palms. As the sound "Da" resonated, the red light surged upward, obscuring the sky and sun, transforming into a Heaven-Covering Divine Banner.
"Dust Labor Great Sin Subduing Demon Divine Banner, rise!"
The divine banner ascended, larger than the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui itself. The impact shook the heavens and earth, releasing celestial energies intertwined with the rampant, gnawing, and attacking demonic and ghostly auras!
The Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui let out an ethereal ghostly howl, and in an instant, the corpses in the sky began to tremble. The dead bodies flew, their skeletons transforming into ghosts, roaming the world as if returning to the ancient era before the chaos of creation. Legends told of a thousand ghosts flying in the heavens daily, unstoppable. The Great Dao was unrestrained, the world left to its own devices, with fierce beings pursuing each other. They slaughtered billions of living beings, resulting in countless deaths.
Even the rescued army began to fall into a daze. Faced with the vast ghostly howl, even demons and minor earth deities possessed no resistance, falling to their knees. Their souls detached, about to transform into flying ghosts. It was at this moment that the Eastern Hua Celestial Maiden unleashed her lightning techniques. The thunderous roar from the heavens repelled some of the ghosts and deities, and Ji Xiang seized the opportunity to cry out:
"Kill!"
The Heavenly Killing Dao shout was unleashed, another ancient technique of the Wu Gui Dao, possessing unimaginable restraining power over the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui. The ghost lord was instantly forced to halt its actions. Following this, Ji Xiang conjured a military tally, upon which eight twisted, coiled evil dragons were etched.
"Eight Emperor Great Demon Summoning Myriad Heavenly Demon Soldier Tally!"
"Great Exorcism Treasure Seal!"
The phantom of the Demonic Heaven materialized out of thin air, demonic clouds churning, transforming into eighty thousand heavenly demons descending to the mortal realm. Ancient Heavenly Demon energy surged from Ji Xiang, turning the eighty thousand heavenly demons into Ancient Heavenly Demons, roaming heaven and earth.
Ancient Heavenly Demons and Ancient Flying Ghosts.
The Heavenly Demons reached out, capturing and devouring ghosts; the swarming ghosts surged forward, encircling and consuming the Heavenly Demons.
"Might and Spirit Chapter!"
"Five Heavens Great Demon Seal!"
Ji Xiang shook the divine banner, and the Gao Tian within its apex transformed into a Five-Direction Great Seal. The power of the Five Heavens Great Demons erupted from the seal, colliding with the spine of the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui, instantly creating a line of light in the heavens and earth!
*Bang!* The Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui's body descended slightly, but its blank, clear eyes remained devoid of emotion, not a ripple appearing within them.
More corpses rained down from the sky, and the number of flying ghosts increased. Even the heavenly ghosts hidden in the surroundings, engaged in sacrificial rituals, began to approach the Ancient Heavenly Demons.
As the battle tilted, a massive heavenly gate suddenly rose from the ground. Ji Xiang shook the divine banner again, and the heavenly gate immediately opened wide, releasing three hundred and sixty thousand heavenly soldiers!
The war between gods and demons, and heavenly ghosts, a world-shattering conflict, erupted in this expanse of heaven and earth. In the clear, blank eyes of the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui, two black dots appeared, resembling pupils, and they began to fluctuate.
Clearly, from the past to the present, it seemed to have never encountered an entity capable of commanding such a vast army of gods and demons.
He was the lord of the Six Directions and all ghosts under heaven, commanding all ghostly beings, from ancient heavenly ghosts, to intermediate flying ghosts, down to wandering spirits and wild ghosts. The number of deceased beings in the world was immense; in ancient times, thousands died daily. This vast ghostly army was now being held back by an army of gods and demons, causing even him to feel pressure.
"Ooooh—"
The object of the sacrifice, unable to receive the offered blood and food, caused the black dots in the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui's eyes to turn purple. It felt anger, and its emitted sound corrupted the spirits of all things, capable of twisting the unsteadfast into ghostly beings, but Ji Xiang's demonic chant again neutralized it.
However, the ordinary demons and minor earth deities suffered greatly, forced to desperately cover their ears and close their eyes, to neither hear nor see, entrusting their very lives to heaven, while secretly praying for Ji Xiang in their hearts.
It was this very prayer that began to take effect.
The prayers of mortals to gods and Buddhas were merely for the safety of their lives, with wealth and prosperity ranking second. The intense desires converged upon Ji Xiang, eliciting a celestial resonance.
"All beings revere me."
Ji Xiang's voice suddenly echoed in the hearts of the demons and minor earth deities. They had no time to ponder, naturally offering their full reverence.
The essence of their sincerity flowed like rivers, converging into one being.
Then, thunder suddenly rumbled throughout heaven and earth. Ji Xiang's voice, though not yet spoken, already resounded throughout the world.
Thunder!
The Grand Profound Thunder Sound, augmented by celestial resonance, possessed the might of heaven's descent. It did not originate from the outside but from within the heart of every being, including the enemy, making it unstoppable, thus forcing even the heart of heaven to retreat!
Following this, Ji Xiang drew out the Thunder Ancestor Ruyi and charged towards the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui. As the ghost lord extended its massive hand to grasp him, Ji Xiang swung forward!
Thunder!
The Thunder Ancestor Ruyi's power was immense, this strike reverberated through heaven and earth!
The Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui let out a great roar, not only from being wounded by the Thunder Ancestor Ruyi but also because its spirit and consciousness had suffered an inexplicable heavy blow in that instant. The thunderous sound had nearly scattered the ghostly aura from its body, and that voice had actually originated from within its own being!
"I see all beings."
Ji Xiang sighed again, and the word "Thunder" simultaneously appeared in the hearts of all beings. Accompanied by their thoughts, they shouted it out in unison, causing the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui and the surrounding flying ghosts to wail and become chaotic.
The myriad ghosts plunged into chaos, repelled by the heavenly demons and heavenly soldiers. The Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui's head twisted and turned, its eyes emitting a soul-stirring, terrifying radiance. In an instant, in this world where all things were reduced to outlines, the shapes of those outlines were distorted, forming layer upon layer of twisted ghostly faces.
Its true form also vanished into the Ghost Heaven, leaving only its eyes appearing in the sky.
"Ah..."
Those demons and minor earth deities felt unable to breathe again. Their bodies were being stretched, and the distortion of their souls caused their external forms to change, gradually merging into the surrounding ghostly outlines. But in the next moment, a crimson heavenly curtain opened, nullifying the Ghost Trial's divine abilities.
Demonic Trial!
"Ghost lords rule the dead, demons rule the gods. The deceased on earth are investigated by ghosts, and those who ascend to godhood in heaven are examined by demons. All beings have the desire to ascend to heaven; those born but not yet dead need not suffer the torment of ghosts and gods."
The Flowing Fire Heavenly Court merely protected the beings here. As they had not reached the level of immortals, they were not subject to the demonic trial. However, the obstruction of the ghost gods in collecting souls...
Seeing its efforts were in vain and it could not collect the dead, the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui's behavior began to become strange. Within the Ghost Heaven, its hollow pronouncements became more frequent.
"Only the Supreme Emperor is not constant; doing good brings a hundred blessings, doing evil brings a hundred calamities."
Sudden words appeared in Ji Xiang's eyes, but these words were not projected by a blank spirit tablet. Instead, they were the voice of the Gao Tian Wan Zhang Gui, transformed into ancient script, appearing in the eyes of all beings.
Following this, this world began to tremble!