The Ancient Yin River Dao lies between yin and yang, serving as a bridge connecting heaven and earth, and the ancient river path that runs through Da Yan is like the 'water' beneath this bridge.
This is why ordinary practitioners must go to famous rivers to enter the Yin River, relying on the ancient path to open the way.
Xu Qing is currently situated in Jin Sect, where the Ancient Yin River Dao corresponds to the White River Basin, which is also the territory of the second of the twelve Sect Leaders, Ghost Law.
Meanwhile, the Corpse Demon Celestial General is in the Middle State, which, according to secular boundaries, is a thousand miles away, but on the Ancient Yin River Dao, the distance is ten times shorter.
Xu Qing, after careful consideration, did not recklessly rush through the Yin River because one never knows if they might encounter other Sect Leaders en route to the Middle State.
As the saying goes, the victor seeks to win before waging war, while the defeated fights first, then seeks victory.
Xu Qing never fights without preparation. Among the twelve Sect Leaders, he knows Ghost Law the best and fears the Corpse Demon General the least, while he is only somewhat familiar with the Wu Tribe deities 'Ji' and 'Qi'.
The former has a lethal trap laid by the Demon Exorcism True Monarch, while the latter, the Celestial Lord General, Xu Qing has already taken as his possession, his own artifact.
As for Ji and Qi, these two who were dispatched by the Nine Netherworld Corpse have yet to officially appear on his menu.
Xu Qing must first test the abilities of these two foul creatures before thoroughly engaging with them, lest he suffers from indigestion.
...
Jin Sect.
Xu Qing specifically brought along the Red-Tailed Monkey.
This monkey was familiar with the Middle State and spoke with a strong Central Plains accent.
"What does the Sect Leader want to do in the Middle State?"
The Red-Tailed Monkey, with a carefree attitude, held the Mourning-Chasing Horse while carrying the Prison Dragon Staff.
"There's a funeral to attend, right in the Middle State. You're familiar with that place, so you might be able to connect with the families there."
The Red-Tailed Monkey scratched its head, saying: "Such a small funeral task, why not assign it to a subordinate? Why does the Sect Leader need to go personally? Otherwise, lend me the horse... I'll ride it and attend the funeral on your behalf."
Xu Qing glanced at the Red-Tailed Monkey, as this monkey had been coveting his Mourning-Chasing Horse for quite a while.
"What I need to attend is not just one body, even a single monkey like you wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Sect Leader, you're underestimating the monkey. Even if it's not just one or two bodies, but a hundred, I can manage!"
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, "But it's not just a hundred?"
"It's a hundred thousand."
"..."
The Red-Tailed Monkey, who had just been eagerly volunteering, fell silent.
With a hundred thousand, naming them all would take four or five days and nights.
Not to mention burying them one by one with proper rites!
"I've not heard of any recent natural disasters or tragedies in the Middle State. How could there be a hundred thousand bodies?"
The Red-Tailed Monkey was puzzled.
Xu Qing explained, "These hundred thousand bodies come from an ancient battlefield. At that time, they lost over thirty thousand soldiers at Guangzong, and the remaining ten thousand fleeing soldiers were forced to jump into the Zhang River..."
Guangzong is situated uniquely, on the alluvial plains between the ancient Yellow River and the Zhang River.
The topography is flat, higher in the south and lower in the north, sloping towards the river. If an army flees to the Zhang River, besides fighting a last battle on the water, the only other option is to jump into the river to 'escape'.
But the Zhang River is incredibly turbulent, and historically there are tales of bridges being swept away by its depths. Those hundred thousand rebel soldiers who jumped into the Zhang were mostly unable to survive.
As recorded historically, over fifty thousand Taiping Pathway soldiers drowned amidst the torrents.
Where those bodies ended up is not clearly documented, but it seems the Celestial Lord General led them into the Yin River, turning them into corpse soldiers...
The Mourning-Chasing Horse galloped like the mist and wind, swift as a pegasus descending to earth, with a flying monkey ahead of it, charting the course.
At the banks of the ever-churning Turbid River, Xu Qing pulled the reins and descended.
Upon the cliff, gazing at the muddy waters below, Xu Qing turned his eyes towards the vast Middle State, which fed off this river.
Though turbid, this river is crucial to the grain lifeline of the Central Plains, with over ninety percent of the Middle State's incoming waters deriving from this river, dubbed the Mother River.
Xu Qing couldn't imagine how the river might rage, but he could envision the doomsday scenario if the person controlling this ancient river path unleashed its power.
"Hou Immortal Family, I will lay down an Array here to open the Yin River passage. When the river boils, you must activate the Grand Array without any delay!"
Saying this, Xu Qing whistled at the sky, and a white crow swooped down, transforming into a scholar clad in white.
"Sect Leader!"
White Gentleman bowed in greeting.
Xu Qing instructed, "White Gentleman, you have opened your Eye Recognition, able to discern minute changes. From now on, monitor the water here. If anything arises, notify the Hou Immortal Family promptly, assisting in channeling the water flow and opening the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation."
Xu Qing surveyed the waters ahead, and a thought struck him: harnessing the water's force to drive the Yellow River Formation to open the Yin River passage, channeling the spirit power purified by the Corpse Demon to cleanse the Middle State.
A celestial fox falling can influence a thousand miles around Yunmeng Mountain. If one of the twelve Sect Leaders, the Celestial Lord General, falls by his hand, it might affect the entire Middle State!
Xu Qing dared not imagine the scene, but at least it would be a transformation for this renowned grainary!
Over the Turbid River, Xu Qing employed Civil and Military Divination Skill to determine the Array's placement, leveraging twenty years of preparations with Strange Gate Evading Armor, the Ten Classics of Five Elders Temple Array Gates, and Divine Techniques like dividing rivers and moving mountains to alter the essential terrain of key parts of the Turbid River, forming a natural 'Nine Bends Yellow River Formation'.
This array was no killing or trapping formation but a conduit for channeling Yin River spirit power. Once the Celestial Lord General perishes here, the entire Middle State will be nurtured!