Chapter 1867: Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons

The Human World

Two demon kings projected their spiritual forms: one was a fiercely armored earth dragon, and the other was humanoid, shimmering with crimson light. Its body appeared like a mass of fire, as if a spirit had emerged from the flames.

While the two sides battled, the demon kings silently activated their spiritual forms, connecting with a nearby illusory realm.

That illusory realm was a world of flames. Lava rivers crisscrossed the land, radiating intense heat. The ground was covered with black rocks that gleamed with a metallic luster, hardened exceptionally by constant tempering in the flames.

Countless flames danced in the void, omnipresent.

A boundless sea of fire consumed everything!

This was the target of the two demon kings. The armored earth dragon pried loose rocks from the earth, while the fire spirit gathered scattered flames from the sky.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

A crimson hurricane swept through the illusory realm.

The fiery wind continuously absorbed surrounding flames, growing deeper in color and more formidable in intensity.

Simultaneously, the earth rumbled loudly. The ground tore open, forming crisscrossing ravines, and massive boulders flew into the air.

“Crash!”

The fiery wind swept over, engulfing the boulders, and sounds of continuous collision echoed from within the flames.

Scattered rocks flew through the air, and fiery sparks scattered everywhere.

Amidst the chaos, both the flames and black stones underwent a peculiar transformation. Their essence was extracted, and impurities discarded. The fire and earth energies within the illusory realm were jointly activated by the two demon kings.

Before long, a colossal black stone, engulfed in flames, appeared and hovered in the air.

“Buzz!”

The giant stone vibrated slightly, causing the entire illusory realm to violently shake.

As the chaos intensified, the giant stone finally moved. It instantly burst forth with extreme speed, shooting out of the illusory realm.

“Boom!”

The barrier between the illusory realms was pierced.

The adjacent illusory realm was a dark void. A massive extraterrestrial meteorite forcefully crashed into it, shattering the silence. Its fiery glow stained half the sky crimson, and the red light was dazzling.

The fiery colossal stone resembled a comet, trailing a long tail as it flew through the void. It left behind a persistent crimson streak in the sky.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The fiery colossal stone pierced through one illusory realm after another, drawing closer to the battlefield.

The two demon kings' spiritual forms retreated to the outskirts of the battlefield. They looked up slightly towards the approaching fiery stone, and divine light erupted from both of them, merging together. Their aura continuously escalated, and their eyes glowed with excitement and bloodthirsty ferocity.

The Daoist sect immediately sensed trouble. They wanted to interrupt the two demon kings' divine abilities, but it was already too late.

The demon cultivators saw the Daoist battle formations attempting to move towards the two demon kings and desperately tried to block them.

“What is that over there?!”

A Daoist Master looked up and saw the horizon stained crimson, faintly discerning a red arc. His mind was instantly shaken, his expression changed drastically, and he cried out in alarm.

More and more Masters noticed the anomaly, and everyone felt the suffocating, terrifying power.

The three Great Masters also had grave expressions at this moment.

The old Daoist remained calm in the face of danger, his expression composed. He reached into his robe, pulled out a shimmering golden rope, and secretly transmitted a message to the other Great Masters. He was about to throw the golden rope.

At this critical moment, the auspicious cloud experienced an unprecedented violent tremor.

This tremor was not only intense but also accompanied by a peculiar fluctuation that spread from the center of the auspicious cloud.

On the battlefield, even the lowest-ranking demon soldiers could sense the unusual nature of this fluctuation.

Suddenly, all eyes were drawn to the auspicious cloud.

The white-robed demon king had advanced another ten zhang, but this did not obstruct anyone's view. This was because the auspicious cloud became very sparse during the tremor.

The imperial decree was gone. The white-robed demon king stared intently into the depths of the auspicious cloud, completely oblivious to the gazes behind him.

His gaze was fixed on the source of the tremor, where a multicolored vortex had appeared unnoticed.

The vortex stirred the cloud qi; initially tiny, it expanded rapidly. Half of an imperial decree was at its center, and after a moment, it sank deep into the vortex.

This fluctuation was clearly related to the Divine Court, originating from deep within the vortex.

The white-robed demon king seemed to have discovered some secret, as if he had opened a passage to the Divine Court.

The demon cultivators of Guifang Kingdom were overjoyed, while the Daoist Masters all changed color.

To make matters worse, the extraterrestrial meteorite had already appeared in the Masters' sight. Its formidable celestial power surged towards them.

The Masters could already imagine the dreadful scene if they were struck by the fiery colossal stone.

However, compared to the extraterrestrial meteorite, breaking through the demon formation and preventing the white-robed demon king from entering the Divine Court first was more urgent.

If the Divine Court were to be occupied by demons, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Unable to attend to both fronts, the Masters were burning with anxiety and all looked towards the old Daoist.

The old Daoist's movements stiffened slightly, and his expression changed several times. He unexpectedly put the golden rope back into his robe and, with a flick of his hand, pulled out a small seal.

This seal was carved from black jade, measuring one inch and two fen square. It was small and exquisite, yet it exuded an ancient aura, appearing like an ancient divine seal.

There were several prominent cracks on the surface of the divine seal, but its body remained unbroken.

The old Daoist vibrated his palm, and the precious seal flew up, allowing the cultivators to see the characters on its surface.

“Northern Pole Execution Seal!”

A demon king, recognizing the inscription, gasped in shock, and a flicker of fear appeared in his eyes.

This fear was not true terror, but an instinctive reaction, originating from his ancestors.

This demon king's ancestors were once ghost deities under the Daoist Court, part of Fengdu's Underworld Bureau, and subject to the Northern Pole Exorcism Department.

As the name suggests, the Northern Pole Execution Seal had the power to intimidate ghost deities of both the yin and yang realms. Wielding this seal granted the power to monitor their merits and demerits, and wield authority over their lives and deaths, earning the respect of all ghost deities.

After countless ages, the descendants of the ghost deities had long since separated from the Daoist Court. Yet, the fear of this divine seal still lingered in their bloodline.

It was surprising that this seal was still preserved within the Daoist Court, appearing relatively intact, its power likely not diminished significantly.

While the demons were surprised, they also felt some doubt. Among the demon kings who had entered the altar this time, there were no cultivators of the divine path.

The divine path demon cultivators of this era practiced divine methods independently developed by Guifang Kingdom. Although they originated from the Daoist sect's ghost-deity path of yesteryear, there were differences. They might not necessarily be suppressed by this divine seal.

What was the old Daoist's intention in bringing out this seal?

The demons' doubts did not last long.

The old Daoist activated the Northern Pole Execution Seal but did not fully unleash its power. He shook his sleeve and pulled out another item: a yellow scroll.

The yellow scroll slowly unfurled.

A mysterious, earthy yellow light permeated the air, thick and heavy like the earth itself. At its center, a plume of black mist emerged, radiating a chilling coldness, as if it were yin qi drawn from the Nine Nethers.

“Swish!”

The yellow scroll fully unfurled, becoming slightly smaller than the talisman altar beneath the old Daoist's feet. Its shape was irregular, as if it had been torn from a larger piece of cloth.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...”

A cold wind howled, and all cultivators on the battlefield felt a bone-chilling coldness.

“Could this be...?”

A demon king seemed to recognize it, his face revealing shock, and the other demon kings quickly understood as well.

Immediately, gasps of alarm arose: “The Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons Record! It's the fragmented map of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons from the Yin Heavenly Palace!”

As the exclamations sounded, the mysterious earthy yellow qi within the yellow scroll suddenly spread rapidly. The scroll expanded with it, and the small yellow scroll seemed boundless.

In an instant, an endless expanse of mysterious earthy yellow qi permeated the space above the cultivators.

The cultivators felt as if they were beneath a vast, mysterious earthy yellow land, and their minds were profoundly shaken.

And at the very center of this mysterious earthy yellow expanse, the plume of yin qi persisted, expanding along with the yellow scroll.

The yin qi surged, dense and unscattering, comparable to a towering mountain on the mysterious earthy yellow land.

Indeed, within the yin qi, there was a mountain, from which echoed wails of ghosts and strange shrieks, as if ten thousand spirits resided within.

This mountain was precisely a Heavenly Prison!

This yellow scroll was precisely the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons Record, crafted by Houtu Heavenly Master in ancient times to deduce the divine path. It was used to capture demons and ghosts, refine them into ghost soldiers, assess their merits and demerits, and allow those willing to submit to merge with divine power and be sealed as ghost deities.

However, by now, it was not even a fragmented map, but merely a piece. It was obtained by the ancestors of the Yin Heavenly Palace, who then founded the Yin Heavenly Palace and, based on this fragment, established a new set of talismans for the Yin Heavenly Palace: the Northern Emperor's Demon-Subduing Secret Talismans.

But due to cultivation limitations, the Northern Emperor's Demon-Subduing Secret Talismans had only reached the third stage at most.

The Northern Emperor's Demon-Subduing Secret Talismans were connected to the fragmented map of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons, not the Divine Court. Therefore, the Yin Heavenly Palace was the most unique existence within the Daoist sect. And precisely because it was a fragmented map, there were limitations.

The fragmented map contained a Heavenly Prison, capable of collecting ghost soldiers, and also housed talisman spirits left by ancient great beings.

In ancient times, Fengdu and the Divine Court were connected; the divine path was not the sole dominant force. Within Fengdu, there was a coexistence of ghost deities and talisman spirits.

The Yin Heavenly Palace selected some ghost soldiers, instructing them to merge with certain talisman spirits to transform into ghost deities.

The ghost deities commanded the ghost soldiers, obeying the imperial decrees of the Yin Heavenly Palace Masters.

Cultivators of the Yin Heavenly Palace had an advantage over other Daoist cultivators: they could employ the art of summoning spirits to command the talisman spirits within the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons Record for their own use.

The Yin Heavenly Palace established its sect in Jushan Cure, rooting itself in the Yellow Springs Path. This was to capture monstrous beasts on the battlefield, replenish them into the Heavenly Prison, and train ghost soldiers.

In a sense, the fragmented map of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons was also a supreme treasure for stationing troops.

The environment within the altar was unique, preventing the use of extremely powerful treasures. The fragmented map of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons, however, could be effectively deployed. The Daoist Court had secretly borrowed this treasure and brought it into the altar!

The Heavenly Prison appeared!

Yin qi surged boundlessly, and waves of ghostly shrieks filled the air, striking terror into hearts.

The shrieks grew increasingly sharp and piercing.

Because it was only a fragmented map, the Heavenly Prison's foundation was unstable. The Yin Heavenly Palace had set up a grand formation in Crane Cry Mountain and placed the fragment within it to stabilize the Heavenly Prison.

Now that it was brought into the altar, the ghost soldiers felt the restraining power on them weaken. Some of the more ferocious ones immediately began to stir.

Even the ghost commanders who had already submitted to the Yin Heavenly Palace and been conferred as ghost deities started having subtle thoughts. They appeared above the Heavenly Prison, exchanged glances, and looked up at the world beyond.

Some had glints of shrewdness in their eyes, while others hesitated. Ultimately, they allowed the ghost soldiers to stir, showing no intention of restraining them, letting the chaos spread.

However, they too were restrained by the Heavenly Prison and could not easily escape. They prepared to wait and see how events unfolded.

“Hmph!”

The old Daoist saw through their intentions like an open book. With a flick of his whisk, the Northern Pole Execution Seal transformed into a beam of light and shot towards the Heavenly Prison.

The next moment, the ghost deities inexplicably felt a chill of fear. Then, they saw six crimson characters appear above the Heavenly Prison.

It was the Northern Pole Execution Seal!

They couldn't see the full divine seal, only the inscription. The six characters seemed stained with blood, radiating terrifying malevolent energy as they descended from the sky.

All the ghost deities were greatly alarmed and terrified, feeling that if the inscription touched them, their souls would be scattered.

In their terror, they all knelt on the ground, trembling, no longer daring to entertain any wicked thoughts.

“By the Northern Emperor's decree, descend and obey! You ghost soldiers, manifest now!”

The old Daoist roared furiously.

“We obey the decree!”

The ghost deities prostrated themselves, then rose and looked towards the Heavenly Prison, waving their tokens.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The prison gates opened, and plumes of black mist surged out, the ghostly shrieks suddenly multiplying in intensity.

The ghost deities were enraged. They glared at the troublemaking ghost soldiers and fiercely cracked their disciplinary whips.

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

A series of ghostly wails ensued, and all the clamor ceased instantly. Their formation became neat, and at the old Daoist's command, they charged out of the Heavenly Prison.

“Whoo!”

“Haha!”

“Hehehehe…”

Strange shrieks continued ceaselessly. Though called ghost soldiers, most were actually fierce beasts and demon cultivators from Guifang Kingdom, captured by the Yin Heavenly Palace over the years. Years of imprisonment in the Heavenly Prison had drastically altered their natures, making them even more bloodthirsty.

The ghost deities led the ghost soldiers in a charge towards the enemies, immediately engaging in a frenzied slaughter.

Meanwhile, the old Daoist's actions did not cease. He looked up at the fragmented map of the Heavenly Prison, performed hand seals, stepped on the paces of Yubu, and chanted:

“Divine Charm of Eastern Mountain, summon the Nine Heavens.Scarlet Writ Talisman, control Fengdu Mountain.Bind demons and send ghosts, none shall escape judgment.All proceed to the Wood Palace, none dare delay!”

Upon finishing the chant, the old Daoist flicked his whisk towards the east.

As the incantation echoed, the mysterious earthy yellow qi within the fragmented map of the Heavenly Prison fluctuated. Where the qi gathered, figures seemed to emerge.

The next moment, beams of golden light suddenly shot out from the mysterious earthy yellow qi, heading towards the direction indicated by the old Daoist's whisk.

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Golden light descended from the heavens, landing on the heads of the eastern forces. Faintly visible within each beam of golden light was the ethereal form of a talisman spirit.

The talisman spirits possessed no sentience, resembling statues in temples. Their postures and expressions varied.

Their appearances were not necessarily humanoid; there were majestic celestial gods with three heads and six arms, as well as strange, fierce deities with sinister countenances.

The incantation chanted by the old Daoist was called the Lingbao Scarlet Writ Secret Ghost Charm, a technique for summoning talisman spirits. It was passed down from the Northern Pole Exorcism Department in ancient times, primarily used to command the talisman spirits of Fengdu.

“Swish!”

As the talisman spirits descended, they instantly transformed into golden light, engulfing the forces.

In an instant, all the forces donned golden armor, feeling boundless divine power surge through their bodies. They roared repeatedly, their momentum skyrocketing!

With the divine power bestowed by the talisman spirits, their strength was now unparalleled.

“Scarlet writ commands spirits, northern grasp on Fengdu Mountain.Bind and send demonic sects, sever evil roots.What the talismans demand, clearly list the source of sin.Divine Charm of Southern Mountain, subdue all directions.All demons extinguished, all trials destroyed!”

The old Daoist performed the paces of Yubu, his chanting continuous, and flicked his whisk, pointing south.

“Scarlet jade script, the true writing of the Nine Heavens.Summon all qi, universally return to the Emperor Lord.”

The whisk then pointed west.

“Divine Charm of Northern Mountain, stir yang to raise thunder.Flowing bells brilliantly fall, heaven-shaking power suppresses.All forces of Northern Fengdu, destroy all demons.”

When the northern forces were also engulfed in golden light, almost all the Masters' troops received divine power blessings.

Golden light pierced the sky above the battlefield, and the demon soldiers seemed to transform into true divine warriors.

The so-called summoning of celestial gods was not merely about infusing divine power. When demon soldiers received the power of the talisman spirits, they would instinctively be guided by it, even casting aside their natural instincts, allowing the Masters to command their forces as if they were extensions of their own limbs.

The coordination between the forces could also reach a seamless level. Moreover, with the power of the talisman spirits, they could unleash powerful Daoist techniques beyond their original capabilities.

“By the Northern Emperor's decree, open the ghost gate!Eliminate all inauspiciousness, let nothing stand before us!”

The old Daoist's eyes were wide with fury, and his incantation roared like thunder, shaking heaven and earth.

“Roar!”

All the forces responded with a resounding cry!