After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 428: Chapter 427: The Activated Wheel of Fate

”Oh, really?” Hee Lingchuan picked up the Floating Life Blade, flipped it over, and held it out to him. ”Why don’t you take a closer look?”

Fushan Yue didn’t stand on ceremony with him. He unsheathed the blade and examined it thoroughly with wide eyes. ”The pommel is a Flood Dragon Head, which is very similar. Hmm, but the hilt length is different, and the curve of the blade isn’t the same.” It was clearly not the same one. ”Where did you get this blade?”

Hee Lingchuan shrugged. ”It’s a family heirloom. You’ll have to ask my ancestors that question.”

’How could it be such a coincidence? The Treasure Saber given away by King Yuanl just happens to be in the hands of this obscure kid? Flood Dragon Heads are common decorations for swords and sabers, anyway. It’s not like I haven’t seen them before. Besides, there are plenty of swords with lion heads or Vengeance heads. Are they all forged in the same furnace?’ Fushan Yue secretly laughed at his own paranoia.

Hee Lingchuan asked him again, ”What’s the Fountain of Youth?”

Fushan Yue scratched his head. ”You can guess what it does from the name, can’t you? It only comes from Lingxu City. I haven’t paid attention to the other details.”

”You’re about to inherit the throne, and you still don’t know?” Hee Lingchuan hadn’t missed a single word just now. ”It seems all newly ascended Demon Kings have to take it, but that means being controlled by the Deities. So, will you drink it or not?”

Fushan Yue seemed to be in a difficult position as well.

”Ah! We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He finally waved his hand. ”Let’s go back. It’ll be dawn soon.”

In half an hour at most, the eastern sky would begin to brighten.

Hee Lingchuan had no objection.

They had been busy all night, but with their Cultivation, and having witnessed such strange events, they didn’t feel tired.

By the time they returned to the camp, the sky had indeed brightened.

The caravan packed up and set off. Hee Lingchuan and Fushan Yue returned to their respective groups, both tacitly agreeing not to mention what they had seen the previous night.

Shi the Second asked Hee Lingchuan, ”Were there any strange phenomena in the city last night?”

”It was very quiet. Nothing strange happened.” Hee Lingchuan shook his head. ”We broke in and wandered around. The people in the Illusion City were snoring louder than any of you.”

”That’s good, that’s good.” The journey so far had been harrowing, with more unexpected incidents than in the last few years combined. Shi the Second sincerely hoped the rest of the way would be a smooth and uneventful ride.

The caravan continued on its way.

The road grew increasingly flat. Hee Lingchuan rode on his sheep’s back, unusually silent.

Shi the Second glanced at him several times and noticed him staring blankly into the distance, lost in a Trance.

Hee Lingchuan’s mind was filled with the Illusion of Thousand Star City from last night.

’Clearly, the Grand Square Pot, Divine Bone Necklace, and Floating Life Blade all originally belonged to King Yuanl. King Yuanl even believed that the main reason for Beiga’s fierce attack on the Yuanl Kingdom was the Grand Square Pot.’

’Unfortunately, the black box had only opened a tiny crack, and it was facing Shao Jian. Neither he nor Fushan Yue had gotten a clear look at the Grand Square Pot.’

’Yet King Yuanl had been determined to destroy it but couldn’t. He could only helplessly keep it, which ultimately brought disaster upon himself.’

’In other words, ”not having it” was very important.’

’As someone from a later time, Hee Lingchuan knew, of course, that after the Grand Square Pot fell into Zhong Shengguang’s hands, it wasn’t destroyed either but was put to other uses. To this day, the treasure was still in the Panlong Wasteland, and no one had taken it.’

’Was it that Zhong Shengguang truly couldn’t destroy it, or did he have other plans for it after he obtained it?’

’But this contradicted what Hee Lingchuan knew.’

’The information he had gotten from Sunx Fuping, the Former Imperial Tutor of the Yuan Kingdom, was that Zhong Shengguang had only held the ritual to honor the gods after the Panlong Wasteland became an exclave again and millions of its residents had nowhere to turn. The Mitian God then bestowed the Grand Square Pot upon him and sent a Clone down to the Mortal World.’

’But from what he saw last night, the Grand Square Pot was already in the Mortal World. It had been passed from King Yuanl to Zhong Shengguang, who later took it to Panlong City.’

’Which version was true?’

’Connecting this with what King Yuanl had said earlier, a flash of insight struck Hee Lingchuan. He suddenly recalled the Jindu Ghost Children acting furtively in Panlong City, and Wen Daolun refusing to save his own son.’

’He even remembered the tribe in the Demon Nest Swamp that was completely devoured by the Divine Son.’

’The hidden threads connecting these events were gradually becoming clear.’

’Anyone else could only sigh in resignation, as the people and events involved had long since vanished and could no longer be verified.’

’But Hee Lingchuan was different. He had people he could ask.’

’He could go back and trace this hidden secret.’

’However, right now he had to face another suffocating fact:’

’King Yuanl possessed the trio of the Grand Square Pot, the Divine Bone, and the Treasure Saber. In the end, King Yuanl was defeated in battle, and Thousand Star City was destroyed.’

’Zhong Shengguang also possessed the trio of the Grand Square Pot, the Divine Bone, and the Treasure Saber. In the end, Zhong Shengguang took his own life, and Panlong City was destroyed.’

’It was practically a curse, with a one-hundred-percent fatality rate.’

’Now, this trio had fallen into his, Hee Lingchuan’s, hands.’

’This curse was clinging to him. How long would it be before it struck?’

’After seeing King Yuanl’s end tonight, his heart felt chilled to the bone.’

’His own fate seemed to be held down by an invisible hand, dragged toward an unknown abyss—or what might be called a predetermined destiny—and these three items were the handholds.’

’Why did King Yuanl and Zhong Shengguang fail?’

’Without a doubt, they had both faced an unbeatable enemy—’

’Beiga.’

’Although he hadn’t personally witnessed the final Chapter of Panlong City’s history, judging by the Demon Kingdom’s increasingly frequent and blatant interference, its final destruction was inextricably linked to Beiga as well.’

’Even King Yuanl and Zhong Shengguang had been defeated. If possessing the trio meant he would have to face the same enemy in the future, what should he do?’

’What would his end be?’

’Would he meet a tragic end like King Yuanl and Zhong Shengguang, or could he find a different path and forge his own way?’

’Hee Lingchuan had another doubt:’

’The existence of the Grand Square Pot was an extreme secret. How did the Demon Kingdom discover it was in King Yuanl’s hands, and later in Zhong Shengguang’s?’

’What method did it use to track the whereabouts of this Divine Artifact?’

’Most importantly—’

’According to King Yuanl, Beiga could definitely find the holder of the Grand Square Pot, no matter where they were.’

’The Pot wasn’t on his person, but in the current situation, he could barely be considered its—’

’Holder?’

Hee Lingchuan subconsciously pressed the necklace on his chest.

’He didn’t want to die a violent death, but this Divine Bone Necklace... he couldn’t get rid of it!’

’When he connected this to his own strange fate, the two worst-luck fortunes he had drawn in a row at the Water Spirit Temple by Immortal Spirit Lake, and the secrets he had just learned tonight, it seemed like everything was tangled together.’

’What should he do next?’

’He couldn’t just keep drifting along and traveling anymore. Who knew when the Deities and the Demon Kingdom would turn their attention to him?’

’Crisis always arrives when you least expect it.’

’”Know thyself, know thy enemy.” He had to start with knowing himself.’

’He had to find a way to uncover the secrets of the Grand Square Pot.’

’What exactly was this thing? What was its purpose? Why were even the Deities desperately searching for it?’

’The Demon Kingdom was the Divine Pet Kingdom, also known as the nation closest to the gods. He might be able to find some clues here.’

’He was already here, anyway. If he was destined not to escape, it was better to know sooner than later, and better to prepare early than late.’

’Of course, his connection to the Grand Square Pot was a secret, one that absolutely no one else could know. He had to keep it under wraps!’

...

「Two double-hours earlier.」

Lingxu City, Ruins Mountain Heavenly Palace.

At the highest point of the Heavenly Palace, inside Star-Picking Tower, the sixteen vats of the Everlasting Lamps burned through the night. The light here was always soft and bright.

But people needed rest.

All was silent, not even a single lamp flower crackled. The two Lamp Guardians standing by the Everlasting Lamps rubbed their eyes several times.

They both had Cultivation, but they weren’t allowed to close their eyes and meditate while on watch. They could only yawn constantly or use menthol oil sniffers to stay awake.

Tonight seemed especially long. One Lamp Guardian couldn’t fight off the drowsiness and fell asleep leaning against a pillar.

Watching someone else sleep so soundly only made it harder for him to stay awake. The other Lamp Guardian yawned until tears welled up in his eyes. Just as he was imagining how satisfying it would be to slap his partner’s face, he suddenly heard a rustling sound.

For a Lamp Guardian of Star-Picking Tower, this sound was very familiar, but why would it occur in the middle of the night?

He opened his eyes to see the flames of the Everlasting Lamps flaring up, while a brilliant red light erupted from the Divine Altar.

On the White Jade Platform in the center of the grand hall, the Celestial Book glowed with a pearlescent light, turning its pages on its own without any wind.

It was not made of silk or fabric, but carved from a single piece of white jade, only becoming as soft as paper at specific times.

The Lamp Guardian hurried over to look. On the previously blank surface of the Celestial Book, red characters slowly appeared:

The ten directions resonate; the Celestial Net stirs.

The Lamp Guardian slapped his companion awake. ”A divine oracle has been given! Go report it, quickly!”

His companion startled awake. Without even time to curse him, he looked at the Celestial Book and then dashed out of Star-Picking Tower.

...

Less than half a double-hour later, Star-Picking Tower was heavily guarded by Armored Guards.

The two Lamp Guardians had been sent far away. Only one person stood in the grand hall.

All the Everlasting Lamps suddenly dimmed. The three-inch-long, pure-white flames were suppressed into tiny, pea-sized sparks, flickering as if about to go out.

Fortunately, this sight lasted for less than two breaths before everything returned to normal.

A massive silhouette appeared on the pure white curtain, approaching the depths of the hall and stopping before the Divine Altar.

The person in the hall knelt before it, addressing it as ”Emperor.”

The tall, long silhouette rose up, passing over the White Jade Platform to become level with the Divine Altar.

A majestic voice sounded:

”Why has the Celestial Net stirred?”

”Your Majesty, the Celestial Net Star shone brightly two double-hours ago, and it lasted for more than half a double-hour. We just entered the eighth month; logically, it shouldn’t happen at this time. The last time the Celestial Net Star flashed abnormally...”

”I remember. There is no need for you to remind me.” The Emperor asked, ”I want to confirm, the Saint Venerable believes the disturbance sensed by the Celestial Net this time originates from—”

Three large words quickly appeared on the Celestial Book:

Grand Square Pot.

As soon as these words appeared, their blood-red color radiated a thick sense of foreboding.

The hall fell silent for a moment, the atmosphere freezing over.

”Hasn’t this thing always been in the Northwest of the Yuan Kingdom? You told me it had long since merged with the entire Panlong Desert and was impossible to retrieve.”

’If it could be retrieved, the Beiga Kingdom would have taken it long ago. Why would they have waited until now?’

The Celestial Book did not respond.

Apparently, the Deities couldn’t answer this question either, which was why they had sent down an oracle.

The Du Yun Envoy said, ”We have detected this Divine Artifact’s appearance in our country. Its location is north of Twilight and east of Apricot Mountain.”

Only then did the Demon Emperor show his surprise. ”It’s in our country? Are you sure the measurement is correct?”

”It has never been wrong before.”

The Demon Emperor’s voice held a faint trace of sarcasm. ”It seems someone was able to retrieve it after all.”

No one could answer that difficult question.

The Demon Emperor asked again, ”The area ’north of Twilight and east of Apricot Mountain’ covers the southern part of the Chiyan Kingdom and the Twilight Plateau. Can’t the Saint Venerable be a little more precise?”ℴ