Eldritch Horror Theatre

”This sight truly never gets old, no matter how many times I see it.”

As it turned out, the formidable reputation of the Rebirth Club hadn’t yet reached the World of Ultimate Bliss.

While they showed no reaction to the name Lu Ming, the onlookers were clearly quite satisfied with Fu Qian’s reaction, especially the golden-haired man who had helped open his coffin.

”You can call me Godot.”

Between his admiring remarks, he even cheerfully introduced himself.

”Alright, Godot.”

Fu Qian didn’t comment on the name; he was more curious about the crowd’s attitude.

It seemed that his ’forced calm’ giving way to undeniable shock had left the group feeling quite gratified.

While not entirely friendly, it wasn’t completely incomprehensible.

Just the mention of a hundred years passing was enough to inspire plenty of speculation.Considering the onlookers’ wide variety of styles, one could easily imagine a scenario where people from different eras died, awoke here in this World of Ultimate Bliss, and gathered together—in much the same way he just had.

As for the surrounding crowd, their mindset was likely akin to watching a newborn open its eyes to the world for the first time; they didn’t want to miss that initial shock and loss of composure.

Of course, his face-palming gesture a moment ago definitely wasn’t out of shock.

After all, you couldn’t just throw a name around haphazardly.

Since there were no mirrors around, he had merely used the gesture to briefly verify his current appearance.

It might not have been a perfect read, but as a flesh-and-blood expert who had performed this operation countless times, tracing a general outline was no problem at all.

As it turned out, he didn’t have his original face, nor did he look like Old Man Lu. It was a completely unfamiliar face.

Moreover, contrary to what Brother Godot had said, he wasn’t exactly a ’young man.’

”So there really is an afterlife? Paradise and hell?”

While pondering this, Fu Qian didn’t mind letting everyone’s amusement continue, playing his assigned role to the hilt.

”I don’t know about hell, but calling this place Paradise is certainly no problem.”

This time, it wasn’t Brother Godot who answered. Instead, it was a voluptuous mature woman who clearly didn’t mind showing off her figure.

Her long, reddish-brown hair cascading down to her ribs served as the most effective cover on her body.

She wasn’t completely naked; the tunic tied around her actually reached all the way to her calves.

The only problem was that this silky, exquisite garment—which hardly seemed like something from the mortal realm—was simply far too sheer.

Coupled with the Bright Light spilling everywhere, she looked almost completely naked at a glance, every detail vividly exposed.

Seeing Fu Qian look over at the sound of her voice, she didn’t seem to mind his gaze in the slightest. In fact, her posture grew even more graceful and alluring.

”Enjoy this moment well, young man. The joy you feel right now is the only thing you will never be able to experience again here.”

...

That did make some sense.

Filled with anxiety over death, one sank into a slumber without knowing how long it would last, or if they would ever wake again.

That was a fear transcending the instincts of the will. No matter what people claimed, Fu Qian believed very few could truly resist it, and it only surged more violently at the very final moment.

And the sheer joy of regaining consciousness and thoroughly escaping the darkness was impossible to replicate. It was indeed an emotion worth sharing with anyone who came to witness it.

However, wasn’t it a bit impolite for her to also call him a young man?

At least in terms of appearances, she looked even younger than Brother Godot.

”I haven’t been called that in a long time. Is everyone’s age calculated by the time they arrived here? Does that make me the youngest of you all?”

Testing his legs, Fu Qian pressed his hands against the ground and finally stood up, asking the question with a hint of confusion.

Even as he spoke, he forcibly ’suppressed’ his excitement at attaining bliss, as if to prove he was a man of experience and refinement.

”First of all, no. Every one of us remembers the age we were when we came here.”

Seemingly surprised by Fu Qian’s demeanor, the tunic-clad woman weighed her words carefully before answering him.

”But your latter point is correct. The reason we call you ’young man’ is that only those who come here for the first time are born in the graveyard.”

...

Oh? There was quite a bit of information in those words.

His mind racing with the implications of ’for the first time,’ Fu Qian stepped forward under everyone’s watchful gaze and surveyed his surroundings.

It really was a Wordless Stele, and this really was a graveyard.

Looking out, densely packed tombstones of all shapes and sizes filled his vision, stretching on almost endlessly.

Yet despite this, he couldn’t feel the slightest trace of gloom.

Bathed in the Bright Light that seemed to rapidly evaporate all shadows from one’s heart, this place actually gave off a vibrant sense of life.

And as for the source of this Bright Light, the sky directly overhead was as clear and flawless as colored glass, seemingly capable of reflecting everything. Looking at it, the only phrase to describe it was ’pure land.’

Furthermore, despite how beautiful it looked, there was absolutely no sign of a sun anywhere in the sky.

What a miraculous place.

Having already visited a place suspected to be hell, Fu Qian had long harbored many theories about similar concepts.

Seeing this today, he had to admit that the aesthetics of this Paradise were much more classic.

Beyond that, near the edge of that glass-like horizon, he could vaguely make out a dense cluster of houses.

They weren’t exaggerated, magical buildings; rather, they looked like a town from the human world, which actually matched this massive graveyard quite well.

According to the tunic-clad woman, those who came to the Realm of Bliss for the first time all crawled out of coffins. That fit his current situation, but it also clearly implied that for some, this was not their first time.

Where they arrived from on subsequent visits was an interesting question indeed.

”Samsara. Every person standing before you right now has undergone samsara at least once.”

Seeming to completely understand Fu Qian’s confusion, Godot explained with a smile, even pointing to his own chest.

”Everything is just the beginning. What is eternal is not the state in which you entered this place, but you yourself.”

”Bliss is never the shallow imagination of mortals.”

...

So that was it. ’Eternal Anle’ didn’t represent an eternal state of the self.

As long as their self-awareness was continuously inherited, did the people in ’Paradise’ actually still experience the concept of life and death, thereby entering a new samsara?

With his inner suspicions faintly confirmed, Fu Qian became even more interested in this unprecedented concept.

”It looks like you are adapting well. The welcoming ceremony can end now.”

Seemingly very satisfied with Fu Qian’s reaction, Godot tilted his head back to look at the sky. Under the reflection of the light, even the fine hairs on his face seemed pure and translucent.

”So, who do you want to guide you to your destination? Trust me, any of them would be more than happy to do it.”

Oh?

This lack of red tape and formalities suited Fu Qian perfectly.

”This is my path of cultivation.”

However, before he could answer, the tunic-clad woman beside him already reached out a hand, her guiding posture gentle and dignified.

”Don’t worry, I am not like the women in the city. I don’t charge a fee.”

Hmm... There is definitely something wrong with this pure land of bliss, isn’t there?