168: Impulsive Punishment
There was also another point: the protective shield limited his capabilities. If the demons couldn't get in, wouldn't his thunderous killing moves become useless showmanship?
The demons were trapped outside the protective shield, baring their fangs and claws, seemingly posing no threat.
But as the saying goes, 'a well without pressure yields no oil, a person without pressure floats aimlessly.' How can one achieve a Breakthrough if they always hide in a greenhouse?
Lin Chuping stood with his hands behind his back on the clouds, looking at Qingzhou City, which had descended into chaos below. A hint of determination flashed in his eyes.
“System, display the full map of Qingzhou.”
“Ding! A 3D holographic map of Qingzhou has been generated.”
Following the System's prompt, a blue-glowing holographic map unfolded before Lin Chuping.
He stared at it for a moment, then reached out and tapped the map several times.
“Here, here… and also here, keep the protective shield. All other areas… remove them completely!”
“Host, are you sure you want to remove 72.8% of the protective shield?”
The System's voice was calm and steady, completely devoid of surprise, as if it were just a routine inquiry.
“My mind is made up.”
Lin Chuping's lips curved slightly, and his fingertips traced golden lines between several villages,
“Connect these inhabited villages and the Prefecture City into a new protected zone.”
The remaining areas, including Yan Province, one by one, would no longer receive any special treatment.
“Recalculating… The new protected area is only 28.3% of the original. Confirm?”
“Confirm.”
Lin Chuping's gaze was firm. “Let those young masters and Young Misses hiding in their comfort zones also taste the harshness of the wind and rain.”
If it weren't for a final bit of pity, Lin Chuping would have even wanted to remove the protective shield completely.
When the protective shield was first established, Lin Chuping indeed gained a large amount of incense value. Many people offered incense and worshipped the gods diligently every day.
But after only a month, many people began to slack off.
Sure enough!
Comfort makes people regress.
After careful consideration, Lin Chuping felt it was better to take this opportunity to shrink the scope of the protective shield.
As the human Formation eye, Lin Chuping had absolute control over the Star Isolation Grand Formation. With a thought, the entire protective shield suddenly vibrated.
A crisp sound like shattering glass came from the distant sky, and the pale golden light curtain covering the land visibly shrank and retreated.
This retreat was no small matter; the villagers, who had been fighting half-heartedly, were instantly stunned.
“What's going on?!”
“The protective shield is disappearing!”
“Could the protective shield have been broken by these ghosts?”
“What do we do, what do we do?”
“These damned ghostly things!”
“...”
The crowd surged, retreating while fighting towards Qingzhou Prefecture City, terrified of being exposed outside the protective shield and devoured by the ghosts.
Screams and cries rose and fell.
The soldiers on the city wall frantically fumbled with their weapons, and even Emperor Li Shun lost his usual dignity, his veins bulging at his temples:
“Quickly go and invite Temple Official adult! Hurry!”
“Your Majesty, it's useless. The Temple Official adults are all on the city wall… and they seem… they seem very panicked too…”
“It's over, they're about to retreat to us.”
“...”
Everyone suspected that the Formation had been broken by the Netherworld Old Ghost.
Fortunately, the Formation didn't disappear completely, and it stopped after shrinking to a certain range.
The city wall where they were located was still within the scope of the Formation.
* * *
The people inside were in a panic, but the Netherworld Old Ghost outside was overjoyed.
“Hehehehehehe!”
“Heaven helps me! Heaven helps me!”
“This broken shield has been destroyed by me. Let's see what can protect you now!”
He maniacally waved his bone staff and laughed up at the sky: “Little Emperor! Come out and die obediently! My little ones—”
Countless pairs of eerie green eyes immediately emerged from the swamp, and dense masses of demons crawled out of the mud, emitting excited roars.
“Charge for me! While the protective shield is unstable, bathe Qingzhou in blood!”
“Hehehehehehe!”
Amidst the Netherworld Old Ghost's wild laughter, the demon army surged like a tide towards the shrinking edge of the protective shield.
The Netherworld Old Ghost's withered fingers tightly clutched the soul suppressing banner, the skull pattern on its surface flapping in the Yin wind.
His crimson eyes were fixed on the shrinking protective shield, his mouth stretched to his ears.
Victory seemed within reach.
“Three years… a full three years!”
His hoarse voice was filled with madness. “Li Imperial Family, today I will cut off your last lineage!”
“My warriors!”
The Netherworld Old Ghost's voice echoed across the land. “Today is the day we avenge our past disgrace!”
With the waving of the soul suppressing banner, countless ghosts surged out from the black mist.
* * *
Inside the protective shield, there was chaos.
But it wasn't without its benefits; after this farce, the incense value of Lin Chuping's temple suddenly increased.
Above the clouds, Lin Chuping coldly observed all of this.
“This old ghost is quite cautious.”
All the ghosts swarmed onto the protective shield; at this moment, the shield was covered in a dense black mass, like ants.
As their decaying fingers touched the light curtain, they emitted sizzling sounds of burning, but the ghosts behind them still surged forward one after another.
Only this old ghost still stood outside the border of Qingzhou.
Lin Chuping looked at the Netherworld Old Ghost, then at the “ants” on the protective shield.
This old fellow is so cautious; if he escapes today, it would be a loss.
With a thought from Lin Chuping, fine cracks appeared on the protective shield, making it seem precarious, as if it could break at any moment.
“Now I don't believe this old ghost won't take the bait.”
As Lin Chuping expected, the Netherworld Old Ghost was indeed tempted. His withered fingers almost crushed the staff of the soul suppressing banner, and his crimson eyes stared intently at the precarious protective shield.
The fine cracks on the protective shield spread like a spiderweb, emitting an ear-splitting “creak, creak” sound.
“Soon… it's almost time…”
“Hehehehehehe!”
A quarter of an hour later, the Netherworld Old Ghost could no longer laugh.
“Trash! You bunch of trash!”
The Netherworld Old Ghost was furious, wildly waving his withered arms.
His crimson eyes were fixed on the protective shield, which was always just a hair's breadth from breaking, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.
“Get out of my way, all of you!”
Success was within reach, and even the cautious Netherworld Old Ghost couldn't resist the temptation to act impulsively.
He violently waved the soul suppressing banner, sweeping away all the ghosts blocking his path.
Those ghosts let out mournful wails and dissipated into black smoke.
Lin Chuping narrowed his eyes in the clouds.
He saw black mist surge around the Netherworld Old Ghost, and his withered body actually expanded several times.
He formed hand seals, chanting ancient and evil incantations, and all the Yin Qi from the entire Blackwater Swamp converged towards him.
“I'll do it myself!”
The Netherworld Old Ghost roared, his figure transforming into a black lightning bolt, directly striking the weakest point of the protective shield.
Just as the Netherworld Old Ghost's ghostly claw was about to touch the protective shield—
“Boom! Crack!”
A purple heavenly lightning bolt, as thick as a bucket, struck down without warning, precisely hitting the crown of the Netherworld Old Ghost's head!
This was followed by the second, then the third… a total of nine divine lightning bolts struck consecutively, illuminating an area of a hundred zhang as bright as day.