CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 101: JIU DAOSHA

[These wandering ghosts are still tolerable!]

[Master, most of the souls on the path of the nether have been consumed.]

[The Evil Qi on this human is far tastier than these souls. Master, why not consume all of his Evil Qi before he dies completely?]

"Shut up!" The chirping sounds of Jiu Ying flooded his mind, and Yu Nianzhao couldn’t take it anymore and reprimanded sharply, causing Jiu Ying to finally stop talking.

"Xie Jiuxiao, are you alright?" Yu Nianzhao half embraced Xie Jiuxiao, seeing his handsome face turning pale, as white as a corpse.

"Jiu, he’s surrounded by death energy. How can he awaken?"

[Master, he is a vessel for Evil Qi, particularly attractive to malicious spirits and ghosts. He was wounded by wandering ghosts, which invaded him, causing him to fall into a deep sleep. His fate is difficult to break. If Master wishes to save him, there is only one way.]

"What method? Speak quickly!"

[That would be to enter his dreamscape and wake him.]

[Master, I can drag him into a nightmare!]

[But be cautious, if anything bad triggers in the nightmare, it could affect his physical body, and he might die.]

[If Master enters the nightmare, it must be done quickly. The longer a mortal stays on the path of the nether, the more likely their soul will be damaged.]

"Alright, Jiu, conjure the nightmare." Yu Nianzhao drew a talisman over them, enveloping them in a golden barrier.

[Okay!]

One of the snake heads opened its mouth and spat out a bubble, which descended before Yu Nianzhao. When she gently poked it with her hand, the bubble burst.

With a ’pop’ sound, the bubble broke, and Yu Nianzhao was overcome with drowsiness, falling heavily onto Xie Jiuxiao and sleeping deeply.

Upon reopening her eyes, darkness surrounded her.

Yu Nianzhao pushed through the dark fog to find herself in a palace, cold and devoid of any presence. The ground was covered with withered yellow leaves, and even the trees in the courtyard seemed lifeless and dying, everything was in decay.

"Hehehe—this child looks delicious."

"He’s a predestined vessel, born with a Yin Sha body. Even entering his body allows continued practice of dark arts, simply perfect."

"This is a descendant of the Xie Family, naturally my vessel."

"You old wraith have been dead for years, the descendants of the Xie Family have changed several times, and yet you shamelessly vie for favor here?"

"You dare call yourself a noble! Think you’re that powerful? You’re just a fierce ghost, your era has passed!"

Approaching closer, Yu Nianzhao saw a swarm of fierce ghosts surrounding a thinly clad young boy, chattering away. Their eyes glinted with desire towards the boy, if not for the protection of talismans from the Dongfang Family, they would have already pounced.

"Ziyin, are you really going to do such a thing?" An older boy showed concern, split a bun with him, each taking small bites.

"Yes, I heard what they said. As long as one can bear all the Evil Qi and protect the nation’s fate, father will grant him one wish!" The young Xie Jiuxiao clenched the half bun in his hand, his bright black eyes staring at the young Emperor Anqing, speaking one word at a time, "Brother, I want you to become the Crown Prince, the future emperor, so we can rescue mother. Then we won’t have to worry about having enough to eat or wear, and can eat all the buns we want."

The young Emperor Anqing felt guilty, patting his head softly, "I’m sorry, Ziyin, it’s brother’s incompetence that can’t protect you well. In the future, if brother becomes the Crown Prince, the emperor, we won’t need buns anymore. I’ll bring you all the delicacies and let you eat first."

"Yes, brother will definitely succeed!" The frail Xie Jiuxiao took a bite of the bun, his eyes shining brightly.

Scene shifted to atop the high city tower.

Dark clouds hovered overhead, and numerous malicious spirits whirled in the sky, screaming.

The dragon energy atop the imperial city was about to be devoured completely.

"Your Majesty, our time is running out, the ritual has begun, selecting the most suitable prince to act as the vessel for Evil Qi can extend the dragon energy and protect the nation’s fate, otherwise... the Xie Family’s rule may not last."

The young Mr. Dongfang looked solemn, calculating, instructing the Cosmic Observatory to prepare for the ritual.

"Whoever can become the vessel of Evil Qi, I will not treat them unkindly. I will grant them one wish, any wish can come true!" The previous emperor, hair flecked with white, cast a sharp gaze over the numerous princes on the altar.

Many princes he couldn’t even name, mostly brought out of the cold palace, lacking courage, trembling in fear. Some witnessed the malicious spirits and even wet themselves.

Mr. Dongfang showed a hint of pity, sighing deeply, "Once one becomes the vessel of Evil Qi, those who cannot bear it will explode and die. Even those who withstand will not live long, perhaps five, ten years; living into their fifties is impossible."

"Wah wah wah... I want to go back, I don’t want to be the vessel!"

"Father, save your son, your son doesn’t want to die..."

"I want mother, I don’t want to die!"

A dozen princes whimpered, trying to leave the altar, blocked by surrounding guards, not allowed to leave.

"Humph, I gave birth to you and raised you, it is not yet time for you to choose. Being the vessel, protecting the nation’s fate, is your honor!" The previous emperor’s eyes turned cold, he shouted, "Mr. Dongfang, quickly begin."

"Yes!"

Mr. Dongfang waved his hand, and the Dongfang Family members arranged the formation to begin the ritual.

The Soul Summoning Banner inserted into the incense altar, and as the formation activated, all the malicious spirits in the sky shrieked and charged.

Mr. Dongfang trapped them within the formation, alongside other mystical families, using special methods to refine them into Evil Qi.

The Jiu Daosha darted rapidly, invading the closest prince.

In mere moments, with a ’bang’, that prince exploded on the spot, and Jiu Daosha continued to find the next target.

"Aaah!"

The sudden explosion left the already panicked princes dumbstruck, even the previous emperor’s pupils shrank, gripping his fists worriedly.

But he wasn’t concerned about these princes, rather he worried if this method would be as futile as before.

If the nation’s fate was lost, the Xie Family’s rule would crumble; of what use were these princes then?

Jiu Daosha was fierce and cruel, in its wake, three princes exploded into ashes, five princes bled from their seven orifices, dying silently.

When it reached young Emperor Anqing, he was already shocked foolish, shivering all over, having no strength to flee.