Chapter 39: The Crimson Veil of Light

The Emperor of Han and the Vermilion Bird sensed that the situation was spiraling out of control, threatening to reach a catastrophic point. Deciding that a preemptive strike was necessary, the Emperor raised the Sword of the Son of Heaven and summoned a legion of terracotta soldiers, leveling the entire Wei imperial palace in a single stroke.

As the dust settled, the source of the crimson light was revealed: a golden statue radiating a baleful glow.

The Vermilion Bird communicated with the Emperor through telepathy. "Emperor, I suspect this statue worshipped by the Wei kingdom is an evil deity. I can clearly sense an overwhelming malice and the thick stench of blood."

Suddenly, the purple-gold alms bowl shattered with a sharp sound, bursting into fragments.

Prince Song and his entourage were restored to their normal size, but they stood amidst the ruins of the Wei palace in a daze, disoriented and bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

The Emperor of Han addressed Prince Song with a cold expression. "We are in grave danger. Do you see that golden female statue? A terrifying entity within it is awakening. Do not think of fleeing; we are trapped beneath this blood-red barrier with no means of escape."

Indeed, as the Emperor warned, Zhang Cang and Zhao Yuan, who had nearly reached the borders of Wei, found themselves unable to break through the crimson veil. The entire kingdom had been transformed into a cage.

"Zhao Yuan, what are we supposed to do now? What exactly is this blood-red barrier? Tell me the truth, stop holding back!" Zhang Cang roared in fury.

"If we want to survive, we must join forces with the other two nations to confront the awakening evil deity," Zhao Yuan replied before turning back at top speed.

Within moments, Zhang Cang and Zhao Yuan rejoined the Emperor of Han and Prince Song.

The Emperor sneered, "Oh? If it isn't the two little rats. I thought you had fled; why have you returned?"

Zhao Yuan waved his sleeve, releasing the remaining vassals of the Wei kingdom and several cultivators. He bowed slightly to the Emperor and said, "Emperor, I believe we should set aside our grievances and unite all our strength to face the creature about to awaken."

"Oh?" the Emperor feigned surprise. "Give me one reason why we should cooperate with you."

"The statue being worshipped is the Ghost Mother. There are also many Ghost Children across the land about to awaken. They will devour every living soul in their respective regions and feed that essence to the Ghost Mother, helping her transcend and become an immortal," Zhao Yuan explained. "In other words, we are all nothing more than blood sacrifices to her. Does that answer satisfy you?"

The revelation struck the hearts of every cultivator present like a hammer blow.

"Zhao Yuan, you dared to commit such an atrocity? Wei Jingshuo deserves to die—that brute! For the sake of his own selfish gains, he has plunged the entire nation into a catastrophe." The Emperor’s face twisted in rage, his hand tightening around his sword as he longed to strike down Jingshuo.

Prince Song and his followers were equally shaken, realizing they were trapped in a desperate plight. Their only hope of survival lay in cooperating with the Emperor, who commanded a formidable force and had already summoned his protective deity.

The three factions reached a consensus: they had to interrupt the awakening of the mysterious entity. To stop the Ghost Mother, they had to destroy the Ghost Children being worshipped across the land. The three nations split into three groups, using their divine senses to scour the territory of Wei.

Though efficient, they were losing time. In some regions, the Ghost Children had already finished their feast and begun feeding the Ghost Mother.

As the three parties scrambled, cracks began to spiderweb across the golden statue in the ruins of the Wei capital. The Ghost Mother within was stretching, nearing her full awakening.

The first to sense the true terror of the Ghost Mother was the Vermilion Bird, the sacrificial spirit of the Han kingdom. It transmitted to the Emperor, "This approach will not work. We must combine everyone's power to forcibly breach a corner of this crimson barrier. If we continue like this, we will surely perish."

The Emperor agreed and gathered the cultivators of all three nations. "Everyone, stop holding back. Use your ancient treasures and your most powerful techniques. We rise or fall together; do not harbor any foolish hopes of survival."

Prince Song was the first to agree, followed by Zhao Yuan and Zhang Cang.

"Very well," the Emperor said, attempting to bolster their morale. "I will designate the target, and you will all strike in unison. A combined blow will surely succeed."

The Vermilion Bird let out a piercing cry, exhaling a torrent of searing flames. Zhao Yuan hurled a blood-red spear that cut through the air with the sound of a roaring dragon.

"The Blood Dragon Spear," Zhang Cang thought to himself, stunned. "So that weapon ended up in Zhao Yuan's hands."

Prince Song had Prime Minister Ji activate the Bamboo Scrolls of the Literary Saint, unleashing hundreds of golden characters that streaked toward the target. Other cultivators, even those of the seventh realm and below, unleashed their strongest arts in a collective assault.

The combined power of hundreds of cultivators was terrifying. As the explosions rippled outward, the crimson barrier trembled. When the dust finally settled, they observed the impact point—only to find a few meager cracks.

The sight filled them with despair. The combined might of so many had barely scratched the surface.

The Emperor once again rallied them. "Do not be discouraged! These cracks prove our combined strength is effective. If we repeat this, we will surely shatter the barrier."

Inspired, the group steeled themselves and launched a second, unified assault. Several cultivators even burned their own life essence to amplify their power.

*Bang!* The sound of shattering echoed clearly, and joy erupted among the group.

"We did it! Let's escape!"

But before they could move, the barrier began to heal at a terrifying speed, returning to its pristine state in an instant.

"How? How can it be so resilient? Are we truly going to die here?" Some of the cultivators, unable to accept the reality, broke down in hysterical tears. Even the Emperor felt a chill run through his heart as he watched the barrier mend itself.