“The Hundred Ghost Night Parade?”
Rumors had it that dusk was the moment when the living world and the underworld intertwined.
Groups of wandering spirits and ghosts would set out from the underworld at this time, walking along deserted roads from twilight until the dead of night.
However, according to the rumors Chen Ning had heard, while the Hundred Ghost Night Parade sounded terrifying, in most cases, it did not interfere with the living world, and there were very few cases of people being harmed.
Jingkong hurriedly explained:
“An ordinary Hundred Ghost Night Parade is indeed not as terrifying as commoners imagine, but this time is different from the past.
The reason the Hundred Ghost Night Parade usually doesn't harm people is that they mostly pass through uninhabited places and do not actively attack humans they encounter.
But this time, for some reason, the Hundred Ghost Night Parade has changed direction.
If they continue on this path, even if they don’t actively attack, they will trample every village and living being along the way!”
Hearing this, Chen Ning quickly realized the severity of the problem and asked, “Where are they now?”
“They are heading straight for Ning’an Village!”
Jingkong gripped his Buddhist staff, his expression extremely grave.
“Normally, the direction of the Hundred Ghost Night Parade should never change. This sudden shift is highly likely to be man-made.
But... there’s no time to think about that now.”
“From where can we see the Hundred Ghost Night Parade?” Chen Ning asked with a slight frown.
“From the peak of that mountain.” Jingkong pointed toward a tall mountain in the distance.
“Qing Yan, go home first. Remember to keep this paper figure with you.
If anything happens, I will return to your side immediately.”
Chen Ning handed a Substitute Puppet to Qing Yan and then glanced at Jingkong and the others.
“Follow me.”
After saying that, he headed straight for the highest peak.
Jingkong hurriedly followed.
When they reached the summit and looked down, the grand spectacle of the Hundred Ghost Night Parade immediately entered their sight.
Even though he had already witnessed it once just now, Jingkong couldn't help but feel a chill run through his entire body.
Facing the oppressive pressure of the Hundred Ghost Night Parade head-on, it was likely difficult for anyone to remain calm.
Moreover, the route of the Hundred Ghost Night Parade this time was indeed heading straight for human villages.
At their speed, the distance of less than two li wouldn't take long at all. Even if they notified the villagers to flee now, it would be completely too late.
The animals along the way clearly hadn't realized the danger yet.
As their bodies were passed through by one ghost after another, the internal temperature and Yang Qi of the rabbits, sheep, and cattle on the road—and even the birds flying in the sky—were instantly drained dry.
Soon, the corpses fell stiffly to the ground.
This eerie sight finally allowed many villagers to notice something strange.
“What is that?”
“Ghosts, those are... ghosts!
How can they be so fast!”
A few villagers busy with farmwork outside the village collapsed to the ground. They didn't even let out a cry before their bodies quickly became cold and stiff amidst their terror.
At the same time, the Hundred Ghost Night Parade was already less than a li away from Ning’an Village.
If this continued, it was feared that not a single living soul in the entire village would survive.
Just then, Chen Ning’s gaze suddenly swept across the sky.
He saw dark blue lanterns glowing in the air above the path the Hundred Ghost Night Parade was taking.
According to the original route, these lanterns should have been arranged in a straight line.
But only when approaching Ning’an Village did one lantern change its position, causing all the lanterns ahead to shift direction, turning into a zigzagging line that passed through the village.
“Do you know what those lanterns are?” Chen Ning immediately asked Jingkong behind him.
“If I remember correctly, those lanterns are called Nether Lanterns. They are used to guide the direction of the Hundred Ghost Night Parade...”
Halfway through his sentence, Jingkong also suddenly snapped awake, his eyes widening with excitement at the thought.
“Brother Chen, could it be that you plan to start with the Nether Lanterns!”
The young monastics also slapped their bald heads in realization.
“Indeed, if we can change the direction of the Nether Lanterns, we should be able to get the Hundred Ghost Night Parade back on track!”
“However, how to change the direction of a Nether Lantern is a problem...
Nether Lanterns are objects of the underworld; they are far from being as fragile as they look.”
Just as the young monastics said, Chen Ning also felt the dense Ghost Qi permeating the Nether Lantern.
Even for him, trying to strike down that stray Nether Lantern would likely not be easy.
However, this was currently the only way, and it was entirely worth a try.
“Jingkong, do you have any wine on you?” Chen Ning suddenly asked.
“I do, but it’s just a flask of strong spirits.”
“No matter, it’s enough.”
Chen Ning took the wine flask.
The Poem and Wine Sword Art had two main secrets.
While “Poem” was one, the only thing that could truly bring out its charm was “Wine.”
Only by drenching oneself in wine, entering a state where one viewed heaven and earth as nothing and merged into a chaotic state with all living things, could the intent of a single sword strike be brought to its peak.
Gulp.
Chen Ning took a deep drink of the wine. Though the strong spirits were extremely pungent upon entry, they soon transformed into a mellow fragrance.
Chen Ning swayed, his consciousness gradually becoming half-drunk and half-awake.
Jingkong was startled, never expecting that his flask of wine would cause such a disaster.
“Brother Chen, at a time like this, why are you still drinking?”
“What am I doing? Dancing with a sword, of course,” Chen Ning answered drunkenly.
“Dancing with a sword?” Jingkong was completely dumbfounded.
“But you don't even have a sword in your hand. How can you dance with a sword?”
Chen Ning smiled slightly. “Who said I don't have a sword? Between heaven and earth, every flower, grass, leaf, and branch can be a sword.”
As his voice fell, Jingkong finally noticed that Chen Ning had broken off a plum blossom branch at some unknown point.
The branch was still adorned with a few spring plums that emitted a light, elegant fragrance.
It happened to be early spring, and the continuous spring rain had been falling for several shichen. The hazy mist even made the entire Taichu Mountain appear as if shrouded in a dream.
The cloud layer in the sky wasn't thick, yet it was a dull gray that dyed heaven and earth into a single color.
Unlike other sword techniques, the Poem and Wine Sword Art condensed all sword intent into a single strike.
This strike required no flashy techniques.
All that was needed was the heroic spirit to split the firmament with one sword and look down upon all living beings!
All people have their fates and follow heavenly principles, but I have a sword in my hand that can sever the Heavenly Dao, break the threads of fate, and cut through the eternal river of time.
Only then can it be the pinnacle of the Way of the Sword!
The rain grew heavier, and crystal droplets slowly slid down Chen Ning’s face.
But he merely gazed up at the sky in silence, his will gradually merging into the plum blossom branch in his hand.
Sharp strands of sword qi gradually spiraled up from the plum branch. At this moment, the plum branch no longer seemed like an ordinary branch but had truly... transformed into a sword!
Jingkong and the young monastics beside him couldn't help but widen their eyes slightly.
Although they didn't understand swords, they could feel the invisible sword intent swirling around Chen Ning at this moment.
It was a sword intent far sharper than anything they had ever seen on anyone else!
“Watch closely. You should be able to gain some enlightenment from this strike,” Chen Ning said casually after taking a gulp of peach blossom wine.
At this moment, the Hundred Ghost Night Parade was already less than half a li away from Ning’an Village, yet Chen Ning was still unhurriedly drinking his wine.
It wasn't until he drank the last drop of the strong spirits that he gracefully tossed the wine flask down the mountain ravine. His body was still swaying a bit, looking as if he had drunk quite a lot.
The rain intensified, pouring down like a flood.
But for some reason, there seemed to be an invisible barrier around Chen Ning, preventing the torrential rain from coming even an inch closer.
He raised his head and looked at the sky. Though there was the blurriness of intoxication in his eyes, their sharp intent was enough to pierce through the clouds!
“This sword... opens the heavens.”
Chen Ning held the plum blossom branch and gave a gentle swing toward the pouring rain.
Clang!
Though he held only a plum blossom branch, it let out a sharp sword cry at this moment.
And that sword cry didn't sound like a single sword but rather thousands upon thousands of swords crying out in unison.
The sword qi rose majestically, its momentum like a rainbow piercing the sun, like a river surging forth.
The curtain of rain across the sky actually stalled at that moment, severed horizontally by the sword qi and split to both sides.
The sword qi that pierced through the rain did not stop; on the contrary, its momentum grew even stronger as it went straight into the firmament.
The Nether Lantern seemed to sense danger and continuously emitted surging Ghost Qi.
But no matter how massive the black mist was, it was still easily pierced through by the sword qi.
Even the endless layer of clouds was split by a single sword strike. From within the shattered mist, sunlight, which hadn't appeared for a long time, actually spilled down.
On the ground, the leaves, and the rooftops, the crystal droplets reflected a prismatic glow at this very moment.
The plum blossom branch had completely disintegrated in that strike just now. A peaceful silence fell over the world, as if nothing had happened.
Only the cracks on that ghostly blue Nether Lantern gradually began to spread.
Crack!
The shattered opening could no longer be mended.
Finally, the Nether Lantern was split in two, turning into countless fragments that scattered down from the sky!
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