Zhong Shan's entourage arrived once more outside the Reincarnation Palace.
Endless black mist still enshrouded the palace, thicker than before.
From a distance, Zhong Shan stepped out of the Dragon-Phoenix Emperor's chariot.
Gazing at the rolling black mist, Zhong Shan frowned. Was this stirred by the Mud Buddha, or was it the result of the feng shui disruption ntioned last ti?
The convoy slowly halted in a vast plaza.
The plaza was filled with nurous soldiers, with Yan Chongzhi and the Mud Buddha waiting quietly.
As the Dragon-Phoenix Emperor's chariot stopped, Zhong Shan stepped down, and everyone saluted.
"May the Holy King enjoy eternal blessings and a life as long as the heavens!" the soldiers shouted in unison.
"Greetings to the Holy King!" the Mud Buddha and Yan Chongzhi imdiately said.
"Mm," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Mud Buddha, you summoned here. Have you taken control of the Reincarnation Palace?" Zhong Shan asked.
"No, I encountered a difficult problem and sought the Holy King's decision," the Mud Buddha replied respectfully.
"Oh?"
"Does the Holy King notice that the hostility around the Reincarnation Palace has intensified?" the Mud Buddha asked with a wry smile.
"Indeed," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Sothing significant may be about to happen in the Reincarnation Palace," the Mud Buddha sighed.
"Sothing significant?" Zhong Shan frowned.
"There's a large hall over there. Let's discuss it inside," the Mud Buddha suggested instead of answering directly.
Sensing the seriousness of the matter, Zhong Shan nodded and dismissed everyone else.
"Yan Chongzhi, stand guard!" Zhong Shan commanded.
"Yes!" Yan Chongzhi responded imdiately.
Zhong Shan and the Mud Buddha entered the hall.
"Alright, speak," Zhong Shan said.
"Yes, Holy King. In fact, the Mud Buddha lineage, long ago, was one of the main controllers of the Reincarnation Palace," the Mud Buddha said solemnly.
"Mm," Zhong Shan nodded.
Zhong Shan had already guessed this. In the past, why could the Mud Buddha create the derived world of the 'Netherworld Reincarnation Palace'? Why could he use secret techniques in the Small Thousand World to project his divine sense near the Reincarnation Palace?
These clues had led Zhong Shan to suspect the Mud Buddha's connection to the Reincarnation Palace. He just hadn't expected that the Mud Buddha's lineage used to control it.
"I know the Holy King might have guessed this, but today, that's not the main point," the Mud Buddha said seriously.
"Oh?"
"The Reincarnation Palace is not the sa as it once was. According to information left by my ancestors, I successfully entered the inner area. However, upon entering, I discovered that changes had occurred after my lineage entered the Small Thousand World," the Mud Buddha explained.
"Changes? What kind of changes?" Zhong Shan frowned.
"The Reincarnation Palace has been tampered with. Sothing unknown is sealed beneath it, sothing that appears to be an unparalleled fiend," the Mud Buddha said with a frown.
"After the Mud Buddha lineage entered the Small Thousand World?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.
"Yes, my lineage entered the Small Thousand World 800,000 years ago. This fiend was sealed during that period. The one who sealed it was incredibly powerful, using formations of rit, fa, feng shui, and even destiny," the Mud Buddha said, his eyelid twitching.
"What do you an?" Zhong Shan asked, his eyes fixed on the Mud Buddha.
"The one who sealed the fiend must have been either a Sage or soone very close to that level. And it wasn't done by just one person," the Mud Buddha explained, frowning.
Zhong Shan furrowed his brow. Another seal? In the Yang Realm, a peerless fiend, Guiche, was sealed with five-colored divine stones on Ghost Island. And now, under the Reincarnation Palace in the Yin Realm, there was another sealed peerless fiend?
"Is the seal about to break?" Zhong Shan asked, his brow knitted.
"Yes, perhaps the fiend inside is too powerful, or maybe the battle between you and Luo Xingchen last ti disrupted the feng shui. I think the peerless fiend inside is not far from breaking the seal," the Mud Buddha said, frowning.
Zhong Shan paced back and forth in the hall while the Mud Buddha stood respectfully.
"The Reincarnation Domain... No wonder there are so few major powers here. Neither the Holy Courts nor the Dojos seem willing to station themselves here. It seems many people know the secret of the Reincarnation Domain, and that secret lies beneath the Reincarnation Palace! It's enough to make countless strong figures avoid this place," Zhong Shan mused.
"That should be the case," the Mud Buddha nodded.
"Who could make countless strong figures avoid this place? What kind of strong figure is sealed below? Hundreds of thousands of years ago, this should coincide with the ti when the Grand Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the group of Sages in the Yang Realm reversed the fate of heaven. With such a huge event in the Yang Realm, what happened in the Yin Realm?" Zhong Shan took a deep breath.
"Holy King, I cannot open the main hall of the Reincarnation Palace yet, but I have opened the hall with the seal. The Netherworld Rose is becoming more mature. When it blooms, that will be the mont the peerless fiend breaks free," the Mud Buddha said.
"Let go in with you and take a look," Zhong Shan said gravely.
"Yes!"
Leaving the hall, the Mud Buddha and Zhong Shan walked to the edge of the endless black mist.
The Mud Buddha extended his hand, and a white orb of light appeared, emanating rings of light that repelled the black mist. Zhong Shan and the Mud Buddha were untouched by the black mist as they walked forward.
As the two slowly walked into the black mist surrounding the Reincarnation Palace, a figure in a purple robe suddenly appeared on a distant mountain peak.
The figure stood on the peak, followed by another man who seed to be his subordinate. Soon, more powerful figures arrived one by one, gathering around the man in the purple robe.
"Qingming Holy Emperor, Zhong Shan is here?" one of them asked.
"Yes, his entourage is over there," Qingming Holy Emperor said gravely.
"What about him?"
"Zhong Shan entered the black mist surrounding the Reincarnation Palace," Qingming Holy Emperor said.
"He went in? He can enter?" soone asked in surprise.
"Yes, he went in, but not by his own strength. He used a treasure, a treasure that repels hostility, to walk right in," Qingming Holy Emperor said with a look of jealousy.
"The Reincarnation Palace? What secrets does it hold? Will Zhong Shan gain more power by going in?" another person asked.
"I don't know. For hundreds of thousands of years, everyone has avoided the Reincarnation Palace. Even the Sages of the Yin Realm seem reluctant to co to this domain, as if they fear getting entangled in so karma. Zhong Shan will not find it easy in there," Qingming Holy Emperor shook his head.
"What do we do now?" soone else asked.
"Wait, wait until all our celestial experts have gathered, then we strike when Zhong Shan cos out!" Qingming Holy Emperor commanded.
"We've gathered the strongest from each of our dynasties and holy lands, about fifty celestial experts!" soone said.
"Even better. We'll set up the 'Ancient Immortal Destruction Formation.' What do you all think?" Qingming Holy Emperor said confidently.
"The Ancient Immortal Destruction Formation? There's no way Zhong Shan can survive that!" another person exclaid excitedly.
"Alright then, let's prepare," Qingming Holy Emperor ordered.
"Yes!" everyone nodded in agreent.
After walking for an hour, Zhong Shan and the Mud Buddha arrived at a massive palace complex.
Seeing the grandiosity of the place, Zhong Shan marveled at its scale, comparable to Changjing. The Reincarnation Palace was one of the Ten Palaces. If just one of the Ten Palaces was this magnificent, who originally controlled them all? And where were the other nine palaces? Was this vast domain once the territory of a mighty power?
With a heavy heart, Zhong Shan followed the Mud Buddha to the entrance of a large hall.
The door to the hall was ajar, and dense black mist was pouring out from inside.
As they reached the entrance, Zhong Shan looked inside.
The interior of the hall was pitch black, resembling a pond filled with black water. The thick mist emanated from this black water.
Above the surface of the black water was a slowly growing rose, black and shiny, radiating a sinister allure.
"What is this?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.
"The peerless fiend is sealed beneath this. The black water is concentrated hostility. That rose is the Netherworld Rose. Its blooming signifies the breaking of the seal, and when it blooms, the peerless fiend will be unstoppable. Holy King, what should we do?" the Mud Buddha asked, frowning.
Staring at the black water and the Netherworld Rose, Zhong Shan furrowed his brows deeply.
The Mud Buddha stood quietly, not disturbing Zhong Shan's thoughts.
After so contemplation, Zhong Shan exhaled slowly and said, "A fiend? Who says it must be a fiend?"
"Huh?"
"Instead of waiting for it to break the seal, why don't we help it break free?" Zhong Shan said seriously.
The Mud Buddha was montarily taken aback, then after a mont of consideration, he nodded solemnly.
There was no need to spell it out. A fiend was bound to erge, and Great Dazhen would never relocate. Instead of waiting for the fiend to erge and potentially threaten Dazhen, they might as well help it break free, thereby earning a small favor in the process.
"I will break the seal imdiately," the Mud Buddha said.
"Wait, is it possible to preserve the Netherworld Rose?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.
"It can be picked, but it can't be preserved," the Mud Buddha said.
"Oh?"
"It's entirely composed of hostility. Once picked, it will dissipate imdiately. It can only exist in this black water. Unless...," the Mud Buddha hesitated.
"Unless what?"
"Unless it is nourished with Divine Dew," the Mud Buddha said.
"Divine Dew?" Zhong Shan's expression turned peculiar.
"Yes, Divine Dew. Unfortunately, it cannot be produced in this region. It can only be found in certain places in the Yang Realm," the Mud Buddha said, shaking his head helplessly.
"If it's Divine Dew, I have so," Zhong Shan suddenly said.
"Huh?" The Mud Buddha looked at Zhong Shan in disbelief. Was he serious?
How could the Holy King have Divine Dew? It wasn't sothing that existed in the Small Thousand World.
Zhong Shan indeed had Divine Dew. The jade vase given to him by Laozi contained thirty-six types of water, one of which was Divine Dew. As for how sothing from the Yang Realm ended up in Zhong Shan's possession in the Yin Realm, that might just be Zhong Shan's secret.
Reviews
All reviews (0)