Chapter 553: Awakening the Dead

Qin Mu sat beside the skeleton, taking out medicine to treat his wounds from the battle. He chuckled, "I originally walked out of the Yellow Springs; why would I fear the path to the Yellow Springs?"

The skeleton stood up and said, "This is an inauspicious place with no way out. The only way to survive is to turn back immediately."

Qin Mu squeezed the bad blood from his wounds and extracted the demonic energy. He replied, "Turning back is a dead end; only by moving forward do I have a chance to survive. Do you know a safer path?"

The skeleton shook its head.

Qin Mu applied the medicine, circulated his vital qi for one cycle, and finding his wounds didn't reopen, he stood up and asked, "Do you know north, south, east, or west?"

"That way is east!" The skeleton raised a hand and pointed forward.

"Thank you."

Qin Mu took a few steps in the direction indicated, then stopped and looked back, chuckling, "Brother, why are you following me?"

The skeleton had been following closely behind him. Seeing Qin Mu stop, it quickly stopped too and said, "I was originally here in a daze, remembering nothing of my life before death, only vaguely recalling some things after death. You woke me up. Of course, I must follow you."

Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh, "Humans and ghosts travel different paths. You can't just follow me; go back to sleep."

The skeleton looked bewildered and said, "When I was in a daze, I could sleep soundly, oblivious to seasons and worldly battles. But you woke me up, and now I can't sleep. You disturbed my slumber, so you must take responsibility for me."

"You're an unreasonable ghost!"

Qin Mu, resigned, turned around and earnestly argued, "I saw that you still had some remnant soul, so I used the Myriad Gods Natural Technique to awaken you and ask for directions. But you know nothing, only 'east,' and you can't lead me to a path of survival. Moreover, you are dead. Even if I manage to leave this inauspicious place alive, you can't follow me to the world of the living. Brother, you are dead; just return to slumber."

The skeleton shook its head, "I had no worries or sorrows before. You woke me up and gave me worries and sorrows; you must help me resolve them."

Qin Mu felt a headache coming on and chuckled, "Then I'll use the Myriad Gods Natural Technique again to draw out your remnant soul and let it dissipate into the world. Then you can sleep again. How about that?"

"No."

The skeleton shook its head again, "Since I'm already awake, if you make my soul scatter, that's killing me. How painful would it be for my soul to scatter? I don't want that."

Qin Mu indeed had a headache. He turned and continued eastward. Behind him, the skeleton still followed, step by step.

Qin Mu was agitated and about to try persuading it again when suddenly, splashes erupted from the swamps on both sides. Corpses, bleached white from being soaked, rose straight up from the water, staring fixedly at him.

Qin Mu's heart tightened. These corpses had been submerged for countless years, yet their bodies hadn't decayed. They still wore tattered armor, their eyes glowed with blood-red light, and they exuded a chilling aura.

These corpses had been extremely powerful in life, and even in death, they carried a potent and terrifying cadaveric aura.

Suddenly, the skeleton behind Qin Mu let out a loud roar. The corpses on the water's surface seemed to obey a command and slowly sank back into the water one after another.

Qin Mu asked in surprise, "Why do they listen to you?"

The skeleton also looked bewildered. After a moment of thought, it said, "I vaguely remember that they were my subordinates, who died in battle with me here. I saw them trying to harm you, so I reprimanded them. Fortunately, they still obey my orders."

Qin Mu became interested and chuckled, "Who were you in life? Do you remember?"

The skeleton thought hard, then shook its head and said, "I don't remember."

Qin Mu's interest deepened. He stopped and chuckled, "I have a divine ability that can open a path to Youdu, gather remnant souls, and bring the dead back to life. I'll perform the ritual; perhaps it can help you recall some things. If you remember, then don't follow me."

The skeleton was overjoyed and laughed, "If that's possible, I will repay this great kindness."

Qin Mu removed his hairpin, letting his hair fall loose, and suddenly manifested his true form as the Stellar Lord of Suppressing Stars. Behind him stood a Bearing Heaven Gate. In the swamp, he performed the Nine Nether Gate's Soul Attractor, and profound, obscure demonic incantations emanated from his mouth.

Halfway through the incantation, Qin Mu's heart stirred. He inexplicably felt strange information appear in his mind, and the demonic incantations from his mouth transformed into another, even more ancient and obscure language, which he uttered involuntarily.

The demonic energy around him grew thicker and purer, surging and pervading the swamp like a dark, black ocean. The Bearing Heaven Gate also became increasingly magnificent, standing tall in this sea of demonic energy.

Creak, creak. The incomparably heavy gate slowly opened.

In the darkness, screams echoed, and the wails of ghosts and wolves were utterly mournful. Countless specters poured out from the Bearing Heaven Gate!

Qin Mu was startled, "So many specters?"

Innumerable specters swarmed out from Youdu. Simultaneously, countless remnant souls gathered in the great swamp. In an instant, countless ghostly fires, like stars, flew through the dark demonic energy within the swamp, burrowing into corpse after corpse.

Countless corpses rose from this great swamp, looking around in confusion.

The desolate swamp instantly filled with tens of thousands of corpses and skeletons; some stood on the water, some floated in the air, some sat on the swamp ground, all looking bewildered.

"Who disturbs Youdu?"

Qin Mu was still performing the ritual when a vast voice suddenly boomed in his mind. The sound struck him, leaving him dazed, and his magic power instantly ceased. The Bearing Heaven Gate behind him swallowed the overwhelming dark demonic energy like a whale, sucking all of it back into Youdu like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.

Qin Mu hastily dispelled his true form as the Stellar Lord of Suppressing Stars. Unexpectedly, the Bearing Heaven Gate remained open, not closing. Pinpricks of light emanated from the darkness of Youdu.

They were lanterns hanging from the bows of many boats!

Qin Mu's scalp tingled. He repeatedly tried to reverse his technique, but the Bearing Heaven Gate still wouldn't close.

Those boats sailing from the darkness were about to pass through the Bearing Heaven Gate and arrive in this inauspicious place!

"I remember who I am!"

Beside him, the skeleton suddenly cried out in surprise and joy, laughing heartily, "I remember! Heavenly Court's Southern Dipper Ministry, Seven Killings Stellar Lord, commissioned by the Emperor of Kaihuang to guard Grand Emperor Heaven, Grand Emperor Heaven Military Commissioner Wei Liao! Where is my armor? Where is my military sabre?"

Boom—

The great swamp beneath Qin Mu's feet suddenly churned. Boundless divine light shot skyward, and massive fragments of armor broke through the water and earth, flying out from beneath the swamp.

Clang, clang, clang. Crisp collision sounds rang out as broken armor pieces successively covered the skeleton beside Qin Mu, instantly encasing its entire body. A broken helmet then flew over and snapped onto its skull.

Qin Mu was dumbfounded. Suddenly, a large mountain in the swamp split open, and several broken divine weapons flew out from it. They combined in mid-air, forming a massive military sabre that whistled as it spun through the air before the skeleton reached out and grasped it.

This military sabre symbolized the Heavenly Emperor's authority. Its left side was an axe, its right side a blade, and its top a sharp spearhead, with dragon patterns coiling around it.

The skeleton gripped the military sabre, its aura erupting with earth-shattering power. It swung the sabre fiercely, and the Bearing Heaven Gate behind Qin Mu collapsed with a thunderous roar, shattered completely, blocking the path of Youdu's underworld emissaries.

The skeleton let out a furious, prolonged howl, declaring sharply, "Where are my soldiers?"

In the great swamp, the dark demonic energy dispersed. Countless corpses and skeletons stood on the water and swamp ground, quietly looking at him. Suddenly, all the corpses and skeletons let out an earth-shattering roar, "General, your soldiers are here!"

The skeleton laughed heartily, looking up and asking aloud, "Where is our Emperor?"

His question lingered, but no one could answer.

After a moment, Qin Mu said, "Military Commissioner, the Emperor of Kaihuang's era passed twenty thousand years ago."

The skeleton looked bewildered, lowered its head to look at Qin Mu, and murmured, "Twenty thousand years?"

Qin Mu looked pained. "It's been twenty thousand years. You must have also died in battle twenty thousand years ago..."

Plop.

The skeleton sat down, murmuring, "Twenty thousand years? How can this be? We fought fiercely, shedding blood, desperately trying to hold back the enemy, yet we still couldn't protect our era..."

Qin Mu sighed and said, "Military Commissioner, your remnant soul endures, and your fighting spirit remains. Now I've summoned your remnant souls and spirits, disturbing your peace. You've awakened from your daze and come to the world of the living, and I don't know what should be done. Since you were the commander of Grand Emperor Heaven in the Emperor of Kaihuang's era, I presume you won't harm the world. If I can return alive, I will ask Yama if he can take you in. For now, please restrain your soldiers and remain in this inauspicious place. I need to continue forward."

He bid farewell, turned, and left.

The skeleton remained sitting there, dispirited, its ghostly fires flickering faintly in its eye sockets as it murmured, "Twenty thousand years? How can this be..."

At the edge of the inauspicious place, more and more demon race members arrived in pursuit, soon gathering over a thousand demon race divine arts practitioners. However, none dared to easily step into this inauspicious territory.

After a moment, a fierce gale suddenly roared in. As the wind died down, a powerful demon general appeared before the many divine arts practitioners, surveying the inauspicious place.

"General Xiu Luo!"

The numerous demon race members bowed in greeting, both surprised and delighted. The demon general waved his hand and said, "My master, Fu Ri Luo, ordered me to pursue and kill Qin Mu, and for you all to obey my command. Where is that Qin Mu now?"

"He has already entered the inauspicious place."

Xiu Luo frowned slightly. Just as he was about to order entry into the inauspicious place, demonic energy suddenly surged from its depths, transforming into a sea of demons. A huge gate rose within it, utterly bizarre.

Xiu Luo was startled and immediately stopped. After a moment, the sea of demonic energy vanished, and the huge gate also disappeared on its own.

"This inauspicious place is truly mysterious and unpredictable."

Xiu Luo pondered for a moment, then whispered, "That boy entered this place; I'm afraid he won't get out alive. However, Master ordered that whether dead or alive, we must find him. We must capture him... All soldiers, listen to my command: Follow me into this inauspicious place!"

The thousand-plus demon race divine arts practitioners received the order and, following him, marched mightily into the inauspicious place.

Qin Mu was proceeding through the inauspicious place when he suddenly heard sounds of battle from behind him. The cries of combat shook the heavens, but they didn't last long, and peace returned. He didn't know what had happened.

"This place is truly strange..." Qin Mu shook his head, unaware that he himself was the greatest strangeness in this land.