Chapter 41: Beings from the Upper Realm

Observing the situation spiraling further out of control, the Master first employed a profound supernatural power to shatter the blood-red light barrier. Seeing the barrier disintegrate, the Han Emperor, the Crown Prince of Song, and their entourage fled at top speed without a moment's hesitation.

The Mother of Ghosts, enraged by the departure of so many cultivators, directly altered the heavens and the earth.

"Samsara Hell, where fierce ghosts hold sway!" The Mother of Ghosts’ body expanded until it was as massive as a mountain. The ground beneath her transformed into layers of bleached bones, teeming with countless skeletal soldiers. She stood tall atop a hill formed from corpses.

"You old geezer, let us continue the fight we left unfinished last time."

It had been a long time since anyone dared to insult the Master. Without a word of courtesy, he drew his jade ruler.

"You are quite bold. For many years, no one has dared to call me an old geezer. You truly have courage."

"Gold, wood, water, fire, earth—obey my command, Five Elements!"

Five dragons, each forged from one of the five elements, materialized around the Master.

"Wind come, rain come, thunder descend—assist me in slaying the demon!"

Instantly, the sky darkened with clouds; a violent tempest erupted, and thunder roared.

"Go!" At the Master's command, the five elemental dragons surged toward the Mother of Ghosts.

She faced the threat as if confronting a formidable enemy, spreading her arms wide to summon walls of stacked corpses to block the Master's assault. As the elemental dragons shattered the ninety-nine walls of bone, they dissipated into the void.

The Master realized that the Mother of Ghosts' "Yang body" was far more powerful than her "Yin body." Wishing to avoid further testing and potential complications, he drew lightning from the heavens, directing it with precision onto her form. As the lightning struck, a wail of tormented spirits erupted from her body, black smoke rising as countless trapped souls fled.

Seeing this, the Master summoned fire.

"Fire, come!"

With his command, a sea of flames engulfed the Mother of Ghosts. She shrieked in agony, but then, an unexpected turn occurred.

A rift in space tore open in the firmament, and three creatures emerged: a blood-patterned spider, a pure white snake, and a black scorpion.

Watching these sudden arrivals, the Master felt no alarm; instead, a trace of joy flickered in his heart. He had finally baited some fish—it was better than nothing.

The Mother of Ghosts, seeing the three creatures above, was equally delighted. She transformed into a streak of light and merged into the blood-red spider, causing its body to deepen into a more intense, crimson hue.

The white snake flicked its tongue, communicating with the spider: "Mother of Ghosts, your boundary-breaking talismans and concealment charms are truly remarkable. The hidden secrets and treasures of this lower realm have made my mouth water for endless ages. Today, I have finally achieved my desire."

The scorpion shared the same sentiment. Since descending, these three had acted with arrogance, treating the cultivators of the lower realm as beneath them.

Far below, safely tucked within Liu Xiaosheng’s protective barrier, Liu An critiqued the three creatures. "Senior brother, look at those things in the sky. A spider, a snake, and a scorpion—not one of them is easy on the eyes."

Jian Yi, equally unconcerned, agreed that Liu An was right. Lin Yiyi, watching the two of them act so heartlessly without any sense of crisis, remarked, "Are you two not worried that the battle above will spill over to us? We should flee! This is not a place for us; they could wipe us out with a flick of a finger."

"What is there to worry about? With my Master here, just watch the show. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up, and clearly, my Master is the tallest. If he cannot hold it, fleeing would be useless anyway," Liu An replied, invoking his Master.

Listening to their conversation, Liu Xiaosheng wished he could appear and give Liu An a sound beating; the boy was far too sheltered.

The Master watched the three creatures hovering in the sky, not rushing to strike, but choosing to engage them in conversation. "Tell me, you three little insects, are you not afraid of being detected by the watchers above? If they find you, you will face the ultimate punishment."

The blood-red spider, inhabited by the Mother of Ghosts, looked at the calm and composed Master. She struck, a massive spider leg appearing in the sky to crush him. "You lowly creature of the lower realm, how dare you show us such disrespect! Today, I shall teach you a small lesson."

The Master did not even blink, merely waving his hand to dissipate the attack. The three creatures, seeing how easily he negated their strike, grew solemn.

"How can a powerhouse like you exist in the lower realm? Why have you not ascended to the upper realm? This shouldn't be," the Mother of Ghosts questioned.

The Master spoke with nonchalance: "I disdain ascending. Compared to the upper realm, I prefer the mortal dust and smoke of the lower realm."

Hearing this, the spider, the white snake, and the scorpion shared a suspicion: "Could this person be a Red Dust Immortal?"

The spider had descended but had not yet integrated the memories of the Yang body.

"May I ask, are others coming down? Surely it isn't just the three of you? That would be quite boring," the Master remarked to himself. "If it is only the three of you, then you truly have come here with no hope of returning."

Without hesitation, the Master brandished his jade ruler and struck at the three beings. Watching the ruler grow in size as it descended, the three upper-realm creatures remained calm.

Hiding in the shadows and watching the Master’s performance, Liu Xiaosheng stared at the ruler with envy, muttering, "A fine treasure, truly a fine treasure."

Jian Yi, watching the Master display such divine might, excitedly shook Liu An's arm. "Junior brother, look! Isn't that ruler of the Master's handsome? I wonder when the Master will bestow such a treasure upon me. Sigh."

Hearing this tone, Liu An felt a kinship. "Good fellow," he thought, "we are both disciples who truly wish to inherit the Master's legacy."

Even while fighting, the Master heard their conversation. "My sect is unfortunate. Why did I ever decide to take this rebellious disciple? What exactly is good about him?"

The three upper-realm creatures took the blow with their own bodies, retreating a hundred paces. Despite the impact, they could not help but exclaim, "What a fine treasure!" This only strengthened their belief that the lower realm held many undiscovered treasures, making their descent well worth the effort.

"Hey, old man, your strength isn't all that impressive. If this is all you have, the grand words you spoke earlier might not be fulfilled," the scorpion said, its voice dripping with contempt.