Undying Life

Chapter 519: The Sky Changes

On Sirius Island, within the Celestial Observatory at the Qintianjian, the Mud Buddha was deeply engrossed in studying some ancient, yellowed manuscripts, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Mud Buddha!" A sudden urgent shout rang out from outside.

The Mud Buddha's head snapped up, surprise flickering in his eyes. It was the Emperor's voice, but it was so frantic. What could have happened? The Mud Buddha had never seen Zhongshan so agitated before. Zhongshan's composure was legendary; nothing seemed capable of shaking him. But this voice was unmistakably Zhongshan's.

Realizing that something significant must have occurred, the Mud Buddha's aura flared as he prepared to fly out.

Sensing the Mud Buddha's presence from afar, Zhongshan left a shadowy afterimage in his wake as he darted towards the Celestial Observatory north of Xuanjing.

The Mud Buddha had just reached the main hall's entrance when he saw Zhongshan approaching.

Zhongshan's eyes were bloodshot, his expression a mix of panic, fear, and urgency. The Mud Buddha had never seen him like this. What on earth had happened?

"Ying Lan self-destructed her Nascent Soul. She's dying. Is there any way to save her?" Zhongshan shouted as he neared.

Ying Lan self-destructed her Nascent Soul? The Mud Buddha couldn't process it immediately. Where was she?

"Quickly! Is there any way to save her?" Zhongshan shouted again.

The urgency in Zhongshan's voice snapped the Mud Buddha back to reality.

"Self-destructed her Nascent Soul? How long ago?" the Mud Buddha asked.

"Half an incense stick of time," Zhongshan replied.

Half an incense stick? The Mud Buddha's brow furrowed deeply.

Seeing the Mud Buddha's expression, Zhongshan knew it was bad.

"No, it's too late. Ying Lan is beyond saving," the Mud Buddha shook his head.

"Dead?" Zhongshan's eyes widened with killing intent as he stared at the Mud Buddha.

Even accustomed to dealing with malevolent energy in his feng shui practice, the Mud Buddha felt a chill. Zhongshan's intense aura was overwhelming.

"Your Majesty, saving General Ying Lan is not the priority now!" the Mud Buddha quickly said.

"What?" Zhongshan glared at the Mud Buddha, his face filled with rage.

Not the priority? To Zhongshan, nothing was more important than saving Ying Lan right now.

The Mud Buddha felt Zhongshan's imposing presence, a dominance so intense it seemed like an imminent thunderous attack. Cold sweat beaded on the Mud Buddha's forehead. Was this still the Emperor's Peak Realm? This imperial might was more intimidating than anything even the old Buddha had projected.

But having spoken, the Mud Buddha braced himself to explain.

"Your Majesty, saving her is impossible now. The most crucial thing is to preserve General Ying Lan's soul, to prevent it from scattering and becoming formless," the Mud Buddha said with difficulty.

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Hearing this, Zhongshan's expression became desolate.

"Is there really no way to save her?" Zhongshan asked again.

The Mud Buddha shook his head. At least, he had no solution.

After a moment of silence, Zhongshan reluctantly accepted the harsh reality. Time was of the essence. He had to act quickly to save Ying Lan's soul.

Chapter 519: The Sky Changes

In the Celestial Observatory at the Qintianjian on Sirius Island, the Mud Buddha was engrossed in reading ancient manuscripts, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

"Mud Buddha!" A sudden urgent shout echoed from outside.

The Mud Buddha's head snapped up, surprise flickering in his eyes. It was the Emperor's voice, but it was frantic. What could have happened? The Mud Buddha had never seen Zhongshan so agitated before. Zhongshan's composure was legendary; nothing seemed capable of shaking him. But this voice was unmistakably Zhongshan's.

Realizing that something significant must have occurred, the Mud Buddha's aura flared as he prepared to fly out.

Sensing the Mud Buddha's presence from afar, Zhongshan left a shadowy afterimage in his wake as he darted towards the Celestial Observatory north of Xuanjing.

The Mud Buddha had just reached the main hall's entrance when he saw Zhongshan approaching.

Zhongshan's eyes were bloodshot, his expression a mix of panic, fear, and urgency. The Mud Buddha had never seen him like this. What on earth had happened?

"Ying Lan self-destructed her Nascent Soul. She's dying. Is there any way to save her?" Zhongshan shouted as he neared.

Ying Lan self-destructed her Nascent Soul? The Mud Buddha couldn't process it immediately. Where was she?

"Quickly! Is there any way to save her?" Zhongshan shouted again.

The urgency in Zhongshan's voice snapped the Mud Buddha back to reality.

"Self-destructed her Nascent Soul? How long ago?" the Mud Buddha asked.

"Half an incense stick of time," Zhongshan replied.

Half an incense stick? The Mud Buddha's brow furrowed deeply.

Seeing the Mud Buddha's expression, Zhongshan knew it was bad.

"No, it's too late. Ying Lan is beyond saving," the Mud Buddha shook his head.

"Dead?" Zhongshan's eyes widened with killing intent as he stared at the Mud Buddha.

Even accustomed to dealing with malevolent energy in his feng shui practice, the Mud Buddha felt a chill. Zhongshan's intense aura was overwhelming.

"Your Majesty, saving General Ying Lan is not the priority now!" the Mud Buddha quickly said.

"What?" Zhongshan glared at the Mud Buddha, his face filled with rage.

Not the priority? To Zhongshan, nothing was more important than saving Ying Lan right now.

The Mud Buddha felt Zhongshan's imposing presence, a dominance so intense it seemed like an imminent thunderous attack. Cold sweat beaded on the Mud Buddha's forehead. Was this still the Emperor's Peak Realm? This imperial might was more intimidating than anything even the old Buddha had projected.

But having spoken, the Mud Buddha braced himself to explain.

"Your Majesty, saving her is impossible now. The most crucial thing is to preserve General Ying Lan's soul, to prevent it from scattering and becoming formless," the Mud Buddha said with difficulty.

Hearing this, Zhongshan's expression became desolate.

"Is there really no way to save her?" Zhongshan asked again.

The Mud Buddha shook his head. At least, he had no solution.

After a moment of silence, Zhongshan reluctantly accepted the harsh reality. Time was of the essence. He had to act quickly to save Ying Lan's soul.

A person's soul has only a one percent chance of becoming a ghost and entering the underworld; the remaining ninety-nine percent dissipate into the energy of the world. Ying Lan's soul could not be allowed to scatter. At the very least, she needed to become a ghost so that Zhongshan could eventually restore her body when he achieved greater power.

"What must be done?" Zhongshan urgently asked.

"Where is Ying Lan?" the Mud Buddha inquired.

"On the battlefield!" Zhongshan replied.

"Have many people recently died there?" the Mud Buddha asked.

"Yes, the ground is littered with corpses," Zhongshan confirmed.

"Good, then set up the 'Great Yin Gathering Soul Array' to harness the yin energy and aid Ying Lan," the Mud Buddha instructed quickly, using magic to manifest the array and teaching Zhongshan how to execute it.

On the vast land of Shenzhou, the shadow form of Zhongshan held Ying Lan. The Wolf King Sha Po glared menacingly at Han Ji Guang.

Zhongshan, holding Ying Lan, waved his hand, causing the ground beneath them to depress and flatten. With another wave, a pattern resembling an altar with rune-like grooves appeared on the ground.

The altar seemed to emit a strange, sinister aura, drawing blood from the surrounding corpses to fill the grooves, creating a red, malevolent energy.

A deeply evil presence spread from the center of the battlefield.

Han Ji Guang's eyes narrowed as he watched Zhongshan, while the Wolf King Sha Po looked on in astonishment.

"What is this?" Sha Po asked in surprise.

Zhongshan ignored them both, placing Ying Lan at the center of the altar.

"Laner, Granduncle couldn't protect you," Zhongshan said, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing Zhongshan's tears, Ying Lan smiled weakly, using her hand to wipe his cheek.

Zhongshan did not stop her, knowing she was on the brink of death.

Ying Lan's hand caressed Zhongshan's face, wiping away his tears.

Han Ji Guang watched Ying Lan intently. Wei Ying Lan had self-destructed her Nascent Soul; there was no saving her, not even by a celestial being. What was Zhongshan trying to do? Could he somehow save her?

Zhongshan retrieved a black silk handkerchief, emitting a faint black mist, with an illusionary depth resembling an abyss. Two green and red characters were embossed on it: "Ten Halls."

Seeing the "Ten Halls" in Zhongshan's hand, both Han Ji Guang and the Wolf King felt a jolt of unease.

Such heavy yin energy, such malevolent energy! What was this?

"Laner, I couldn't protect you. This is all I can give you now. May it strengthen your soul," Zhongshan said, tears streaming down his face, placing the "Ten Halls" in Ying Lan's hand.

This "Ten Halls" was a treasure given to Zhongshan by the ghost woman Ruyan, who had waited a thousand years for her husband, Xiao Bingyi. Before returning to the underworld, she had given it to Zhongshan, not knowing its true value.

Ying Lan, extremely weak, clutched the "Ten Halls," while her other hand continued to caress Zhongshan's face.

On the altar, countless streams of blood-red energy and green energy flowed into Ying Lan's body. Endless death energy and malevolent energy filled her, turning her entire body green, making her look eerily sinister. Zhongshan, holding her, felt the bone-chilling coldness of her body.

On the battlefield, where hundreds of thousands had perished, most souls had already dispersed into the vast yin energy, ready to dissipate into the heavens and earth. The altar's purpose was to purify and concentrate this yin energy, then infuse it into Ying Lan's body, anchoring her soul and preventing it from scattering. This would ensure she could safely enter the underworld and become a proper ghost.

As Ying Lan's body grew greener, Zhongshan's anguish deepened. Holding Ying Lan in his arms, watching her slowly die, he was transported back to over a hundred years ago when his wife, Wei Kuier, had died. He had been just as powerless then, utterly helpless.

Pain consumed Zhongshan's heart.

"Granduncle!" Ying Lan's body trembled, as if frozen stiff by the overwhelming yin energy, making speech difficult.

"I'm here!" Zhongshan held her tighter, his heart breaking at the sight of her pain.

"Lan'er is leaving. Can you kiss me one last time?" Ying Lan's eyes, tinged with death, looked at Zhongshan expectantly.

As their eyes met, Zhongshan finally understood Ying Lan's feelings. He recalled a playful conversation they once had:

"Does my Lan'er fancy anyone? Granduncle can arrange a proposal. If he refuses, I'll kidnap him for you." "No, no. My man must surpass Granduncle, otherwise, Lan'er will remain single forever."

Now, as Ying Lan lay dying in his arms, Zhongshan could not accept it, but she was barely holding on.

Ying Lan's legs had already begun to dissipate into energy under the impact of the endless yin force. Though her body was being consumed, ensuring her transformation into a ghost required the abandonment of her physical form.

Unaware of the pain in her legs, Ying Lan gazed at Zhongshan with tenderness and longing. The sight reminded Zhongshan of his wife, Wei Kuier, in her final moments.

"Kuier, I have failed you. I couldn't protect Lan'er!" Zhongshan thought, tears streaming down his face, his heart heavy with sorrow.

As Ying Lan's face seemed to morph into Kuier's, Zhongshan was lost in grief.

"Can you kiss me one last time?" 'Kuier' asked again.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhongshan lowered his head and kissed the cold, lifeless lips of 'Kuier.'

Ying Lan's lower body had completely vanished, becoming energy. The dissolution continued upward, yet she smiled, having received the last kiss she longed for, even if her lips had lost all sensation.

Ying Lan had no regrets, smiling as she faded away. Her hand, body, and head all vanished, consumed by the yin energy, leaving nothing behind.

Ying Lan was dead, utterly and completely, without a trace left behind. A crushing grief overwhelmed Zhongshan, leaving his hands empty.

"Roar!" Zhongshan roared to the heavens, a primal scream of pain and rage.

As his terrifying scream echoed, a boundless black aura erupted from Zhongshan's body, a pure malevolent energy. Ying Lan's death had unleashed an infinite rage within him. Green light suddenly shone from his eyes.

His Reincarnation Eyes, catalyzed by his own fury, flared open.

Green light pierced the sky, and the black malevolent energy formed a colossal black eye in the heavens, resembling the ancient Celestial Eye. Just one glance at this eye emanated an overwhelming sense of evil.

An endless malevolence filled the air. The sky darkened as black clouds swiftly covered the battlefield. The sky changed!