**Chapter 149: Different Versions of the Legend**
In some earlier legends of certain semi-urban legend tribes, the great Shaman Queen and the ruler of Yumen Pass, the Nanling County King, had an earth-shattering battle in front of the city gates of Yumen Pass.
In that battle, the great Shaman Queen was originally gaining the upper hand, and was on the verge of deciding the outcome by slaying the Nanling County King. However, the insidious Nanling County King had set up an ambush.
At a critical moment, hundreds of d*ath warriors, connected to the Hong Bian demon monk, burst out from the shadows and launched a surprise attack on the Shaman Queen. Subsequently, the Nanling County King took advantage of the moment to strike, paying a heavy price to barely gain control over the great Shaman Queen.
However, the great Shaman Queen would not be easily killed. The Nanling County King tried every possible means but could not truly harm the Shaman Queen and could only imprison her.
As for what happened later, it became like the most common myths of various cruel traditions that exist within the semi-urban legend tribes today.
In the legend, the imprisoned Shaman Queen has lived until now, and over the long years, her powerful abilities gradually merged with Yumen Pass. Once the time is right, she will break free from her restraints and lead the various tribes to reclaim their former glory.
Such legends, it is unknown when they began circulating among the semi-urban legend tribes, but ever since such legends started, almost all semi-urban legends firmly believe in them.
Moreover, after successfully entering Yumen Pass and feeling the omnipresent call of the great Shaman Queen’s loyal followers within the city, they became even more convinced that the legend was true.
However, Bai Kai and the General found this matter rather absurd.
“I don’t know where they get their confidence!” Bai Kai scoffed. “Even if they really can awaken the Shaman Queen, in today’s world, she’d probably just be an average character. To think they want to reclaim some past glory is simply ridiculous.”
“Not to mention other spirit energy organizations, just the Siye Society, has the Black Emperor, the Wordless Book, and…”
Bai Kai glanced sideways at the General, who was hidden in the darkness. Although somewhat reluctant, he added, “You’re not bad either.”
“I think among all the guardians, the only one who might be slightly inferior is that one. You know who I’m talking about, right?”
The General cast a sidelong glance at Bai Kai and said flatly, “You can directly mention Huaiyuan Jun’s title. Due to the interference from Yumen Pass, she can’t sense anything. Also… don’t count me in on such boring matters.”
Throughout history, there have always been people obsessed with this kind of “comparison.” Fans of anime or special effects often compare characters at high intensity, gamers enjoy virtual PVP, and even in single-player games, players can unpack monster data to engage in a bit of electronic cricket fighting…
There are also many spirit ability users and urban legends who engage in such behavior. Bai Kai obviously has a penchant for it, but the General doesn’t want to become a cricket in Bai Kai’s cricket jar.
It’s quite childish! Just like his senior brother…
Are all of us from the Yumen Sands Sea Branch this childish? the General thought.
“Isn’t this just idleness?” Bai Kai pouted. “The core mechanism that suppresses urban legends at Yumen Pass is still operational, and with our strength restricted, we can’t do anything else. We can only wait until daytime to act.”
“In this long night, just sitting here isn’t a solution. We need to find something to do?”
The General, “…” If I fought outside against the corrupted urban legends within Yumen Pass for an entire night, Bai Kai should be a bit quieter, right?”
But there’s no way. For now, he can’t separate from Bai Kai, so he can only comfort himself that staying with Bai Kai is much quieter than being with Lu Ming or even the disaster, who has surpassed the blue.
However, he still felt that it would be better if they weren’t in this safe hiding place found by the Wordless Book.
Yes, this cellar, where they could safely spend the night, was discovered by another guardian who came to support the Yumen Sands Sea Branch alongside Huaiyuan Jun—the Wordless Book.
However, unlike Huaiyuan Jun and Nanling Peak, who were trapped inside Yumen Pass and completely out of contact, the Wordless Book, due to its special powers, had not lost itself within Yumen Pass.
After all, strictly speaking, the Wordless Book that appeared in Yumen Pass was just one of many Wordless Books. It encountered an accident and was cut off from the others, and it would soon disappear from this world, just like tearing a blank page from a notebook.
It wouldn’t have a significant impact on the entire notebook.
“Speaking of which, the version of the legend you just mentioned, I’ve heard another version. Would you like to hear it?”
To ensure some peace, the General took the initiative and seized the conversational power from Bai Kai.
“Another version? What version?” Bai Kai asked in confusion.
In fact, the stories he heard from his master since childhood were quite similar to those circulating in the semi-urban legend tribes.
Only, Nanling Peak described the deeds of his ancestor from the perspective of the Yumen Sands Sea Branch, and in some details, they would definitely differ from the stories that those semi-urban legend tribes intentionally vilified.
The difference is probably between “cunning and treacherous, many bullying the few” and “united as one, with a strong collective will.”
“The version I’m going to share is one I accidentally came across in an ancient book at home,” the General said. “In that version, it was not the Shaman Queen who suffered a sneak attack and narrowly lost, but Longxiang.”
Bai Kai was momentarily stunned, and once he regained his senses, his tone suddenly took on a mournful shade, “No wonder you were so confident before that you could find the remnants of the Nanling County King’s will within Yumen Pass to help you complete the spirit patterns, for which you were willing to assist me in breaking the curse…”
“So you™ knew all along that Nanling County King might not be dead? Speak! What else are you hiding from me? Otherwise, we might not be able to cooperate anymore!”
Although it didn’t really matter whether the person who faltered in strategy was the Shaman Queen or Longxiang, regarding the current situation of Yumen Pass and the curse on Bai Kai, the feeling of being kept in the dark by a companion was still somewhat uncomfortable.
“I only know this much,” the General said. “If you’re unhappy, you can hit me once.”
Confronted with Bai Kai’s threat, his calm tone was as if he were facing a girlfriend’s unreasonable tantrum.
“Then why didn’t you say so before? Why are you telling me now?” Bai Kai questioned impatiently.
It was completely unnecessary.
Didn’t you say you wanted to find something to do? The General wanted to retort Bai Kai like this but merely furrowed his brows and expressed another, more important reason.
“Because after seeing the state of those semi-urban legends, I became very concerned about one thing…”
Hearing this, Bai Kai’s eyes trembled suddenly in the darkness. Although the General hadn’t finished speaking, he understood what the General was worried about.
From a certain perspective, what happened in the past truly made little difference to him. After all, regardless of what occurred, the Yumen Sands Sea Branch has borne the “curse” for generations, and he just wanted to lift this “curse.”
The method to lift it was to reach the core area of the God Realm and find a way to gain control over Yumen Pass, even a small part would suffice, even at the cost of becoming part of Yumen Pass and never being able to leave…
If what the General feared was true, and the Nanling County King, who had been living in Yumen Pass, had merged with the legendary Shaman Queen, then obtaining that small part of control would become exponentially more difficult.
This scenario was not impossible!
Given the number of those semi-urban legends and their fervent obsession with the Shaman Queen, even if the Shaman Queen had fallen long ago, with the long passage of time, a new “Shaman Queen” could indeed be born from the legend.
Assuming that what the General read in the ancient book at home was true, what the Nanling County King originally did in the legend, along with what the Shaman Queen did, had become misaligned, then both could possibly merge.
It was akin to how the once different deities worshipped around the world gradually transformed into a new god through repeated wars, migrations, and cultural amalgamations.
If that were the case…
The fusion of the Shaman Queen and the Nanling County King, such a high-ranking “fusion monster,” how could someone like him, a spirit ability user who temporarily elevated himself to cataclysm grade through special means, compete?
Though it was merely a speculation, it pressed down upon Bai Kai like a mountain, plunging him into silence.
Seeing this, the General nodded in satisfaction from the shadows.
Finally, it was quiet…
————
On the other side, beneath Yumen Pass, in a rarely known cave.
In the dark, there was a mist with no visible end, swallowing everything in its path, only countless silhouettes flickering into view.
They moved forward in silence, like mourners walking in a procession to a funeral.
Thus, they stepped onto the damp, sticky ground, following a twisted, cold passage deeper and deeper into the cave, until they were surrounded by the urban legends lurking in the darkness.
These silhouettes were all semi-urban legends that had entered Yumen Pass, and they were heading to the throne of the Shaman Queen.
That’s right, the great Shaman Queen must be right there!
They heard her call the moment they entered Yumen Pass.
It was the call of the Shaman Queen’s bloodline flowing within them, so it couldn’t be mistaken; the great Shaman Queen was undoubtedly waiting ahead.
“Boom—!”
Urban legends attacked from unknown origins, their massive jaws dividing the advancing group in half, crushing their bodies as if smashing a handful of berries and swallowing them whole.
Suddenly, from a side passage, ethereal and melodious flute music emerged, causing dozens of members of the group to veer off toward that seemingly endless side passage, disappearing from sight.
Constantly, semi-urban legends were assaulted by various urban legends, losing their lives, yet the team crowded in the narrow passage, appearing endless, continued to move forward.
Finally, after sustaining considerable losses, they reached the end of their long journey. In the depths of the cave, they saw a pitch-black stone coffin.
“O great king! Warrior wielding gold and weapons, lord of the skies, the earth, and beasts, the invincible king, your loyal servants have followed you here, wishing to call for your return with this body, this soul, and all that we possess…”
Accompanied by resonant and trembling calls, something within the stone coffin opened its eyes.
In an instant, the entire cave trembled violently, a brilliant light erupted, piercing every semi-urban legend’s gaze like a blade.
Soon, the terrifying blazing light dissipated, the tremors faded into silence, as if nothing had happened, except for the terrifying crack that appeared on the stone coffin.
The edges of the crack radiated a crimson glow, writhing as if alive.
Then…
A hand, wrapped in pitch-black armor, slowly emerged from within the stone coffin, gripping the edge of the writhing crack…
