Chapter 158: The Golden Portal of Kunlun

At that moment, the Ghost Emperor turned his head, fixed his gaze on King Qinaguang, and said in a hollow, eerie voice, "King Qinaguang, had it not been for his mercy in sparing your life just now, you would have been silenced forever and unable to speak these words."

King Qinaguang had never seen the Ghost Emperor speak in such a manner and unconsciously stepped back a few paces.

"From now on, watch your step!" said Zhou Qi, the Ghost Emperor.

"Understood!" King Qinaguang replied, cupping his hands. Although he felt a lingering resentment, the Ghost Emperor's warning reminded him of the irresistible, bone-chilling terror he had felt moments ago when attacked by the shards of his own signature sword, a sensation akin to plunging into an icy abyss.

Then, the Ghost Emperor turned around and addressed everyone in the Judge's Manor, "Remember what happened today. Not a single word of this is to leave this place!"

"Yes!" everyone chorused, cupping their hands in unison.

Afterward, the Ghost Emperor and his retinue left the Judge's Manor on foot.

Meanwhile, I departed in the company of the Peddler.

The Ghost Emperor's black-and-gold dragon palanquin was indeed quite different from the other black sedan chairs in the netherworld; no wonder the Peddler had chosen to borrow this particular conveyance.

It felt as though only a brief moment had passed before he and I arrived outside the Ghost Gate.

At this time, the repairs to the Ghost Gate were proceeding in full swing.

Catching sight of the Ghost Gate reminded me of Fatty's situation, so I asked the Peddler about him.

The Peddler told me not to worry; as long as the demonic heart remained undying, Fatty would not die either. In forty-nine days at most, Fatty would certainly awaken.

Moreover, this ordeal was a necessary tribulation for Fatty. When he woke up, he might very well awaken to his true destiny.

"What do you mean by Fatty's destiny?" I asked.

"You'll know when the time comes. Just think about it—he was able to slay Luohu. How many people in this world do you think could accomplish such a feat?" the Peddler countered with a question.

That made sense. Indeed, Fatty had told me with his own lips that he had slain Luohu. However, Luohu had originally been trapped beneath the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, yet somehow managed to break free only to be killed by Fatty. The Peddler did not know the details of these events either, saying that once Fatty woke up, I could naturally ask him myself.

I thanked the Peddler for his reassurance regarding Fatty.

Then, thinking of the Book of Life and Death and Weiyang, I asked, "Since Weiyang's name has now been removed from the Book of Life and Death, has she already been reborn?"

Without hesitation, the Peddler nodded.

Seeing him be so certain, the shadow lingering in my heart finally dissipated. However, he added, "Although her name has been erased from the Book of Life and Death, your beloved must have inevitably been affected by the book itself. Therefore, her rebirth will certainly differ from a standard rebirth through fire. You must mentally prepare yourself."

"How will it be different?" I inquired.

"I cannot say for certain, but it will undoubtedly be different. You should already know that the Phoenix clan, when reborn through fire, forget everything of the past. As for how the Book of Life and Death has altered her fate, perhaps she will not be reborn in the Wutong Forest; perhaps she will acquire a physical form right away; or perhaps, after her rebirth, she is still merely an infant at this moment..."

The Peddler listed several possibilities, all of which I had actually considered. As long as Weiyang could live, what did any of these trials matter?

"Right, there is one most crucial point," the Peddler continued. "After her rebirth, she will undoubtedly be nothing more than an ordinary mortal. Therefore, you must find a way to locate her as quickly as possible; otherwise, it will be extremely dangerous if someone else sets their sights on her."

Rebirth meant a fresh start, and the Peddler was entirely right—after her rebirth, she would indeed be like a blank sheet of paper. Then, the Peddler added, "As far as I know, you still possess a Phoenix Gallbladder. That Phoenix Gallbladder is your beloved's destiny-given chance. When you find her, present the Phoenix Gallbladder to her, and she will recover the bloodline of the Phoenix clan, as well as her innate divine soul."

Prompted by his reminder, I finally recalled the purpose of the Phoenix Gallbladder that the old clan leader had given me before her dying breath.

Remembering the old clan leader's passing filled me with deep reverence.

Her departure had cost her everything she had.

Her phoenix blood was given to Lixi to save her life. Her phoenix gallbladder was given to me so that I could awaken the Phoenix clan bloodline within Weiyang upon her rebirth. And her physical body transformed into the dragon veins of the Wutong Forest, blessing future generations.

Such a deed was so great that even the word "magnificent" fell short of describing it.

Before parting, the Peddler gave one final, solemn instruction: "Lin Yi, the fact that your beloved's name was removed from the Book of Life and Death is known not just to you and me. Those who know it, they know it too. Therefore, you should seek guidance from your grandfather to find Weiyang as soon as possible. Otherwise, if she falls into the hands of villains, it will likely bode ill for you."

"Thank you for the warning!" I said.

With our conversation concluded, the Peddler used the Yin-Yang Path to send me back to the Wutong Forest.

By this time, the Wutong Forest had completely returned to its former state. Towering Wutong trees stretched across the mountains and plains, lush and verdant, with immortal mists lingering among the branches, brimming with vitality.

River waters rippled gently, yet that familiar melody of "The Phoenix Seeking Its Mate" was nowhere to be heard.

When I returned to the Wutong Forest, everyone was pleasantly surprised to see me. They had been searching for me over the past few days because my departure for the netherworld had been too rushed for me to notify them.

Lixi had sent people to wait by the stream every day to search for my whereabouts. Thus, when I asked her if she had seen Weiyang, she shook her head and said she had seen nothing.

I understood that this was the alteration wrought by the Book of Life and Death. Although Weiyang's name had been erased from the book and she had been reborn, her rebirth had not taken place within the Wutong Forest.

After a few days of recuperation, Daoist Priest Li's injuries had completely healed.

Following our farewells to Clan Leader Lixi and the Phoenix clan, we headed to the Nvotong Village.

Upon arriving at the Nvotong Village, I asked the Mountain Ghost for a favor, having her burn a formal visiting card to inform my grandfather about my search for Weiyang. With her extensive connections, she might be able to gather some information first.

Once the Mountain Ghost helped with this task, Daoist Priest Li, Niu Dahuang, and I journeyed back together toward the Mountain God Temple.

I hoped that by the time we returned to the Mountain God Temple, my grandfather would have some news of Weiyang.

The Kunlun Ruins.

Originally a sacred snowy realm and the ruins of the Immortal Dao's Yuxu Palace, it was now called the Gates of Hell by modern people—a landscape of deserts, gobi, and pervasive deathly aura. Yet recently, it was unlike the past. Immortal mists lingered among the mountain ranges, and multicolored sacred birds flitted through the forests. Such a sight was an auspicious omen that had only appeared in the ancient days when the Immortal Dao flourished.

Word of this quickly spread among the mortal cultivation sects and Daoists. It was said that the Kunlun Immortal Dao had reemerged and supreme opportunities were descending from the heavens. Consequently, practitioners of the Dao from all over the world, regardless of whether they were male or female adepts, flocked there in pursuit of supreme and wondrous techniques.

At the summit of Mount Kunlun.

There stood a palace named the Golden阙 Palace (Palace of Golden Portals).

Perched atop the Nine Heavens Cliff, this palace was surrounded by clouds and immortal qi, obscuring the base of the cliff so that, viewed from afar, it resembled a floating island amidst a ten-thousand-li sea of clouds.

Beneath the Nine Heavens Cliff.

Thousands of outer-sect disciples of the Immortal Dao knelt in prostration toward the Golden Portal Palace, seeking the teachings of the Immortal Dao.

The reason for such devotion was that they had all heard that inside the Golden Portal Palace atop the Nine Heavens Cliff resided a Heavenly Dao Sage known as the True Person of Thunder Spirit. If one could obtain the true teachings of the True Person of Thunder Spirit, one could grasp the true essence of the Immortal Dao, become an inner-sect disciple, and master profound and arcane immortal arts.

This rumor was widely spread, and as a result, every practitioner under heaven yearned for it.

Yet, a strange phenomenon existed.

Those who ascended Mount Kunlun seeking the Immortal Dao were subjected to strict rules: male adepts had to kneel ten miles away beneath the Nine Heavens Cliff, while female adepts could kneel directly at the base of the cliff. Even more peculiarly, women of exceptional beauty were handpicked by the immortal disciples and arranged to stay in the immortal dao quarters beneath the Nine Heavens Cliff. It was said that merely by residing in these quarters, one would become a candidate for the inner-sect discipleship.

Indeed, among the female adepts who stayed in the quarters, many were repeatedly summoned up the Nine Heavens Cliff. Moreover, while they were seen ascending the cliff, not a single one was ever seen coming back down.

Many practitioners whispered among themselves that supreme techniques undoubtedly existed atop the Nine Heavens Cliff. Once those women went up, they remained there to become true disciples of the Immortal Dao, ascending as immortals, which explained why they never came back down.

However, was that truly the case?

Night fell.

The Nine Heavens Cliff was brightly lit, glowing from afar with a gentle golden light amidst the clouds, making it look exceptionally sacred.

Yet inside the Golden Portal Palace, the atmosphere was foul, murky, and utterly disgraceful.

Upon the grand golden throne of the Golden Portal Palace sat a man wearing a bronze mask. He was flanked by beauties in his arms, a scene of extreme extravagance. In truth, these selected female disciples had been beguiled by exotic incenses and kept here. Clad only in sheer gauze robes with their faces flushed like rosy clouds, they had actually been reduced to the bronze-masked man's female slaves, waiting upon him hand and foot.

The so-called supreme technique was merely a malevolent art the bronze-masked man had unearthed from the Kunlun Ruins—the dual cultivation technique of absorbing yin to supplement yang. This art was originally a forbidden technique within the Immortal Dao, ranked first among the top ten taboos of the Daoist sects.

Sacred on the outside of the Golden Portal Palace, yet dissolute within.

The interior and exterior were like two entirely different worlds, yet one could never know the truth without entering the palace itself.

Just at that moment.

A female guard entered the Golden Portal Palace and reported, "Reporting to True Person Thunder Spirit, a netherworld ghost envoy is outside the Golden Portal Palace, requesting an audience!"

"Let him in!" said True Person Thunder Spirit.

"Yes."

A moment later, a ghost envoy draped in black robes stepped into the palace.

"Who are you? What brings you to my Golden Portal Palace?" True Person Thunder Spirit asked.

"I am an envoy of the netherworld. I have come this time to deliver a message to True Person Thunder Spirit. That Ye Weiyang's name has already been removed from the Book of Life and Death. Since she belongs to the Phoenix clan, she is bound to be reborn. Without my saying, the True Person should know what must be done!" said the netherworld envoy.

Hearing this, True Person Thunder Spirit stood up, smiled coldly, and said, "Many thanks to the envoy for this good news! I wonder, where has that woman currently manifested?"

"Fengxi Village."

With those words, the netherworld envoy turned and left, vanishing into the pitch-black night.

"Farewell to the sacred envoy of the netherworld!"

"Immortal Maiden Luofu Mei, Immortal Maiden胭脂红 (Yanzhi Hong), the two of you make a trip to Fengxi Village and bring her back!" True Person Thunder Spirit commanded.