Myriad Spirits Blood Transformation Array

Meanwhile— On the streets of Jiangbei City. A group of black-robed men was swiftly concealing white lanterns throughout Jiangbei City—under haystacks, eaves, slop buckets, and other hiding spots. Carrying bucket after bucket of ghost blood, they dipped brushes into the crimson fluid and hurried along, smearing it into the drainage ditches flanking both sides of the streets. If Retainer Liu of the Jiangbei Chen family were awake right now, he would likely find them very familiar. Those white lanterns were none other than the most common structure: "Soul-Calling Lanterns." Their construction cost was negligible; their sole effect was to emit a faint white glow every year during the Qingming Festival. In years past, during each Qingming Festival, every household would hang one such lantern outside their door to express remembrance for deceased family members—a local custom. Tonight was not the Qingming Festival, yet someone had blanketed the entire city with Soul-Calling Lanterns, all tucked away in extremely secluded spots. As for those ditches... Six years ago, the Jiangbei Chen family had paid out of pocket to build drainage channels for all the residents of Jiangbei City, earning thumbs-up from countless commoners. Now, however, scarlet ghost blood was continually being painted inside these very ditches, concealed beneath layers of withered grass and dirt to mask them from prying eyes. In the dead of night, the city was peaceful. Countless people slept soundly, grateful that they had survived the rainy season. Inside the Jiangbei Chen family manor: The Chen Family Head, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly sat upright in bed. He looked outside, staring silently and calmly through the window, his gaze seeming to pierce past the courtyard walls and settle all the way on Jiangbei Chen Family Outpost No. 37. Beneath the dim light of an oil lamp, he rose and stood before a mottled bronze mirror in the room. The mirror vaguely reflected his furrowed, weather-beaten face, like the battered Jiangbei Wasteland. He was old. In the past, he had never cared about his grooming or appearance. Tonight, however, defying his usual habits, he reached out with his pair of age-spotted hands, slowly spread his fingers, and dipped them into the room's remaining basin of clean water. He began meticulously wiping down every single finger and fingernail. Then, with a wooden comb, he carefully brushed his graying hair. Once that was finished, he gently retrieved an old, worn ceremonial family robe from the wardrobe. A flash of tenderness softened his eyes, and a sudden smile appeared on his face as he stroked the fabric. When he had officially assumed the position of family head, his late wife had woven this robe for him with her own hands. It was somewhat rough. Yet he loved it dearly. In the old man's cloudy eyes, there was none of his usual fatigue or harsh resolve, only an extraordinarily serene warmth—which soon twisted into a frenzied determination. Over the past decade and more, he had dedicated himself to only one thing: utilizing the Chen family's authority and Retainer Liu's skills as an architect to craft vast numbers of Soul-Calling Lanterns in preparation for the Myriad Spirits Blood Transformation Array. Nothing else mattered to him. This was an ancient formation he had discovered on a remnant page of an archaic text. According to the ancient record: By hanging 100,800 Soul-Calling Lanterns at designated positions, linking them with ghost blood, and sacrificing tens of thousands of living beings, one could establish the "Myriad Spirits Blood Transformation Array." Once completed, every living creature within the formation would be wiped out, leaving not a trace behind. This was an array that could only be laid down within a natural ghost fire zone. His plan had been simple. Once Jiangbei City fell during the rainy season and hordes of ghosts flooded inside, causing untold carnage, he would use the lives of those commoners to activate the Myriad Spirits Blood Transformation Array, obliterating every ghost creature that had breached the city in a single stroke. Through this, he would harvest massive quantities of ghost stones and exotic treasures, propelling the Chen family to astronomical heights once the rainy season ended. Yet this scheme defied the heavens and conscience, so he had revealed it to no one save his closest confidants. The early arrival of the rainy season had initially seemed like the perfect opportunity. What he had never expected was that Jiangbei City would actually hold out—its walls had not breached. After a long silence, he suddenly shook his head and laughed, a fanatical gleam dancing in his pupils. He murmured softly, "I have dedicated my entire life to this one thing. No matter what, I must see it to fruition!" During the rainy season, he had possessed countless chances to sabotage the city walls, but he had refrained. Because he had seen that Chen Fan's ghost fire never went out. He knew that if Chen Fan survived the rainy season, his rise would be unstoppable. This Myriad Spirits Blood Transformation Array, a trump card prepared over more than a decade, had been preserved for Chen Fan. Things had unfolded just as he anticipated. The rainy season had ended. Chen Fan's Fan Domain had made an earth-shattering debut by slaying a ghost king, subsequently beheading the Dan Sect young master and massacring the entire Dan Sect city. His fame resonated across both sides of the Great River. And the Chen Family Head knew his turn had arrived; the Fan Domain was coming to settle accounts with him. If Chen Fan was willing to return to the Jiangbei Chen family, he could abdicate and assist Chen Fan with all his might. If Chen Fan refused, harboring resentment... The moment Chen Fan stepped into Jiangbei City would be the moment of his demise. He would then inherit all the resources of the Fan Domain and rapidly expand the Jiangbei Chen family. Just then— A man in a black robe nudged the door open and slipped silently into the room, dropping to one knee. In a low voice, he reported, "Master, all one hundred thousand and eight hundred lanterns have been hung in their designated positions. The ghost blood is laid. The array can be activated at any time." After a long pause, the Chen Family Head slowly walked over to the window. "Everything is prepared; all we need is the east wind." "All that remains is to wait patiently." "Master," the kneeling black-robed man hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Young Master Chen Fan possesses extraordinary means. Could we... perhaps join the Fan Domain?" "Impossible!" A shadow crossed the Chen Family Head's eyes. "Unless he is willing to rename the Fan Domain to the Jiangbei Chen family and publicly announce that the Fan Domain belongs to us! What I want is the prosperity of the Chen family, not some unnamed upstart faction!" Pausing, he suddenly laughed again. "Do you remember why your mistress argued with me back then and ran off to Jiangbei Chen Family Outpost No. 37?" "Back then, I proposed the plan for the Myriad Spirits Blood Transformation Array. She cursed me as a beast and refused to help me craft the Soul-Calling Lanterns." "I was stubborn back then, consumed by the desire to elevate the Chen family, and insisted on executing the plan." "Although she was eventually found, her hunger strike in protest caused her to fall gravely ill and pass away before her time." "She was the only woman I ever loved." "Over the years, I have already lost enough. Everything I do is to make the Jiangbei Chen family flourish. For that... I am willing to sacrifice anything. As long as he agrees to rename it or return to the Chen family, I will gladly abdicate and step aside for him." "Otherwise—" "I don't need this one son." His voice faded into the quiet room. The black-robed man quietly withdrew. Dawn broke. By mid-morning, Nameless Mountain had grown bustling. "Ah, this feels so good!" Sick Monkey emerged excitedly from the cave, gazing up at the sun overhead and stretching languidly. Not having rain felt glorious. "You seem exceptionally worked up today," Zhou Mo teased as he walked up beside Quehou. "Looking forward to that trip to the brothel Wang Mazi promised you?" "I don't care about prostitutes." Sick Monkey pulled a bronze mirror from his breast pocket, carefully inspecting his appearance and smoothing his clothes. "I'm going to the Jiangbei Chen family to settle scores with the people who used to bully me." He had waited for this day for a long time. Returning to Jiangbei City. Reclaiming the face his young master had lost. Reclaiming the dignity he himself had lost. Letting those who once looked down on him and mocked him for being a cripple see the heights he stood at now! "Let's move," Chen Fan said, stepping out of the cave leaning on his Dragon-Head Cane. The wall at the entrance of Cave No. 2 faded from view, and the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage slowly rolled out. He glanced at Wang Kui, thought for a moment, and said with a smile, "You don't need to stay behind and guard the camp. Come along with us." "Take a look around Jiangbei City, do some shopping, hire some laborers, and relax a bit." He had engaged fully automated defense mode. Anyone trespassing into the Fan Domain camp perimeter would be instantly pulverized by the cannon towers without questioning. If someone truly dared to barge in, they could only blame their wretched luck. Soon enough— The nine Blazing Flame Dragon Horses raised their hooves in unison, neighing as they pulled the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage straight toward Jiangbei City! Their speed was three times that of a Skeleton Horse. The distance from Nameless Mountain to Jiangbei City was several dozen kilometers, but at the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage's pace, they arrived outside the city before long. Sick Monkey sat in the driver's seat, holding the reins. Inside the carriage, Chen Fan drew back the curtain and looked out the window. He could already clearly see Jiangbei City standing on the wasteland in the distance. The entire settlement was surrounded by Level 1 walls, soaked in a color reminiscent of diluted black ink. This was not the original color of the walls, but the stain left after prolonged soaking in rain and scouring by ghost blood. Splashed across this deep black were vast, sickening green splotches—the traces left behind by the flesh worm ghost tide. He had memories of Jiangbei City in his mind, but this was his first time seeing it with his own eyes. It was still quite a striking sight; the city was significantly larger than the Dan Sect's small walled town. Outside the city, numerous farmers were already tilling the farmland that had fallen fallow during the rainy season, busily planting crops. He glanced at the ghost-skin map. Dozens of ghost fires had reappeared outside Jiangbei City, indicating that the villages in the vicinity were coming back to life. A light smile touched his lips as he took it all in. The exhaustion of recent days seemed to melt away in this moment. Aside from recruiting workers for the Fan Domain, his primary goal today was simply to unwind. These past weeks had worn him to the bone, both physically and mentally. Seeing so many living people gave him a welcome sense of mundane life and warmth. There had been plenty of people in the Dan Sect, but none of this vitality—it had reeked too heavily of death. The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage sped toward the city gates. The surrounding farmers and pedestrians all looked up in awe and envy at the magnificent carriage and the Fan Domain flag fluttering in the wind. Just before they entered the city, the dragon carriage came to an abrupt halt. In the driver's seat, Sick Monkey poked his upper body into the carriage compartment, looking at Chen Fan with an anxious, pleading expression. "Young Master, could we... fly into the city?" Chen Fan's instinct was to refuse—after all, that meant wasting ghost stones for nothing. But seeing Sick Monkey's apprehensive, imploring gaze, his heart softened. He gave an exasperated chuckle and said, "Fine. Today we'll do as you wish." He understood what Sick Monkey was thinking. As the saying went, wearing fine silk without returning home was as good as walking in the dark. How many people, upon dressing in splendid robes for the first time, could resist the urge to show them off? "Alright!" Sitting on the carriage like a triumphant general, Sick Monkey cracked the reins with spirited vigor. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage accelerated, lifted into the air, cleared the city walls, and soared high above Jiangbei City. At this moment, Hou felt all the pent-up bitterness of recent days vanish! This was the exact scene he had envisioned for so long. Some might say he was just riding his master's coattails and had accomplished nothing on his own. So what? He instinctively looked toward the Jiangbei Chen family manor, wondering if the people who used to torment him could see him now. Inside the carriage, Chen Fan also smiled as he pulled aside the curtain to look down on Jiangbei City. Viewing it from this angle was indeed pleasant. While he didn't particularly care for blatant ostentation, if it made Sick Monkey happy, it didn't hurt. Before long, however, the smile on his face froze. From this aerial vantage point, Jiangbei City was crisscrossed with intricate patterns. Looking closely, they were drainage ditches—ordinary enough at first glance—yet the layout was bizarrely unsettling. Linked together, they resembled... formation lines. And all of these lines ultimately converged on a familiar ancestral estate: The Jiangbei Chen family. "Land," Chen Fan commanded softly and calmly. Though Sick Monkey had no idea what was wrong, he caught the change in tone and hurriedly steered the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage down into an empty alleyway. Chen Fan stepped down from the carriage, leaning on his cane. He approached the ditch along the alley wall, pushed aside the withered grass and dirt covering it, and saw half-dried filth and gore smeared across the bottom. He pinched a bit between his fingers and brought it to his nose, sniffing lightly. Ghost blood, without a doubt. Drawing the broadsword from Zhou Mo's grasp, he slashed down hard on the ditch, cleanly cleaving that section in two. Then, using clumps of mud, he thoroughly scraped away the ghost blood before handing the weapon back to Zhou Mo. Dusting off his hands, he said softly, "Before our day off begins, it seems we have some business to take care of. Someone has prepared a grand welcome gift for us." "Quehou, come with me to the Chen family." "Zhou Mo, take the others to every hidden corner of Jiangbei City. Find every ditch coated with ghost blood like this and destroy it. Try not to attract attention. Once you're done, rendezvous in front of the Chen family ancestral manor. I'd like to see what kind of play this person plans to put on." He was no longer the ignorant newcomer who knew nothing about this world. From the jade slips of the Dan Sect, he had learned a great deal. Formations, for instance. With any formation, so long as a single pattern line was broken, the array could not activate. As it stood, the array was already ruined. Still, for safety's sake, he wanted more of the formation lines destroyed to ensure nothing went awry. "Understood!" Zhou Mo took back the broadsword with a solemn nod and quickly vanished down the alley with Wang Mazi and the rest. "Let's go," Chen Fan said, stepping back inside the carriage. "Time to go home and watch the show." The news of the Fan Domain's arrival in Jiangbei City spread like wildfire, mainly because the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage flying overhead had been impossible to miss. The various factions that had come north from Jiangnan—Medicine King Valley, the Gongyang clan, the One Sword Sect, and others—had all gathered in the teahouse across from the Jiangbei Chen family ancestral manor. Shelling out high prices, they had fought over the window-side seats. Everyone knew that Chen Fan was an abandoned son of the Jiangbei Chen family. His visit today promised a spectacle, and this teahouse was the best vantage point in town. Exchanging knowing glances, they sat by the windows, eagerly ordering pots of tea and assorted pastries as they settled in to watch the drama unfold.