“You’re strong—unbelievably strong. What did you go through to reach this level?”
A faint smile tugged at my lips, masking the storm of emotions churning beneath.
I sighed helplessly and glanced out at the street. The number of tourists had indeed dropped sharply since the last incident—which was officially reported as an earthquake. Now, the Golden Temple has closed its doors. We arrived early this morning, and Isabelle Jiang spent the whole trip happily eating, drinking, and playing. David Du and I could only let her be.
"We’re not here to have fun."
"So that's how it is... Out there, there are beings far stronger than even me."
The young man’s face contorted in shock and disbelief as I drifted closer, my smile unwavering.
"Will they really teach you that Tara's Ritual you mentioned?"
David Du asked, and I shook my head.
"Probably not. I asked Martin Lane about it a few days ago. Now that the Golden Temple has turned away all visitors, I have no idea what they’re planning. Tonight, I’ll go in alone—you two take care of yourselves."
I stared at him, shock and dread flooding my chest.
"I want to go too."
I glared at her until she quietly sat back down and resumed eating. I sipped my wine in silence. John Chou had briefly told me about that mysterious underground palace. The reason I need to investigate thoroughly is because they found traces left behind by Emperor God and his followers there.
"If you’re brave enough, follow me. I’ll show you the one you seek."
The Immortality Society really did come searching before, and they even interacted with several generations of Living Buddhas at the Golden Temple. There’s a secret in that Underground Palace related to immortality, which is why the Immortality Society has tried to find it for years. But every time, those who entered never returned. Eventually, they gave up.
But Isabelle Jiang has changed these past few days. She’s able to reshape even harder materials now; before, she could only alter softer things. Lately, she’s been able to unleash stronger powers every day. I glanced out the window at the sky—maybe the Heavenly Soul in the Yang Realm has found something.
There were twenty-one visible peaks. To open the Underground Palace, one must use Tara's Ritual. Vincent Swallow seemed to have mastered it, though he looked rather grim.
With a whoosh, a bolt of black lightning pierced through his head. He suddenly burst into wild laughter. I sensed a different kind of Ghost Aura—streams of black aura poured from his body, countless ghosts merging together. This surprised me.
Moreover, these entities shared a collective consciousness, which shocked me even more. Black Ghost Aura drifted around me, but I quickly suppressed my astonishment. In the past, this might have been tricky, but now things are different.
With a crackling sound, the ghosts in the sky who tried to attack me instantly turned to ash and vanished. The remaining Ghost Aura converged, and the young man reappeared.
Then I began to vanish into the air, spreading my power across the surroundings. Using it, I searched through people’s minds for memories. Soon, I understood—after the disaster at the Golden Temple, the surviving lamas had all left.
Suddenly, I sensed a presence and instantly moved toward it. In an alley, Vincent Swallow was quietly raising his wine gourd.
"You’ve gotten stronger, Earthly Soul."
I nodded, looking at Vincent Swallow’s lost and dejected expression, and asked:
"Did something happen?"
Vincent Swallow shook his head, seemingly unwilling to say.
"If you want to go to that underground palace, I can open the door for you."
I nodded, not intending to ask further about what happened.
After a while, we returned to the plaza and found Isabelle Jiang and David Du.
"Let me come with you and take a look."
I could only nod.
"Once we get there, you and Master Swallow should head back. After some time, when I’ve found what I’m looking for, I’ll return."
Isabelle Jiang agreed. Then I used my Deathbane Aura to lift all three of them, moving swiftly in the direction Vincent Swallow had indicated.
Along the way, Vincent Swallow told me that when the lamas left, they mentioned to him that the place had been discovered long ago by monks fleeing Buddhist persecution. The underground palace existed even before the monks arrived.
The Immortality Society really did come searching before, and they even interacted with several generations of Living Buddhas at the Golden Temple. There’s a secret in that underground palace related to immortality, which is why the Immortality Society has tried to find it for years. But every time, those who entered never returned. Eventually, they gave up.
Ahead were peaks like spears. In just over ten minutes, I saw the full view of Sky Burial Valley.
There were twenty-one visible peaks. To open the underground palace, one must use Tara's Ritual. Vincent Swallow seemed to have mastered it, though he looked rather grim.
"Even if you find what’s inside, so what?"
At that moment, Vincent Swallow suddenly asked something cryptic. I looked at him.
"Is something wrong with your friends?"
Each peak responded, beams of colored light radiating from them. I left Isabelle Jiang and David Du outside Sky Burial Valley.
(This chapter is not finished yet~.~ Please click the next page to continue reading more!)
[Omitted: System message per guidelines]
Isabelle Jiang looked at me with concern. I smiled and pressed her forehead with my hand.
"Don’t worry. I’m not the same as before. I survived even that last disaster."
As I spoke, I instantly moved into Sky Burial Valley, leaping through space several times. I arrived in a white enclosure filled with rubble. Before me stood an altar-like structure, bathed in interwoven light. I saw clear, pure lake water surrounding the altar. As the light intensified, everything became clear before my eyes.
I glanced back at everything behind me and smiled. The reason I came was because John Chou said that if I could uncover the secret of this underground palace, Ethan Zhang could be brought back to life.
I didn’t know if he was telling the truth, but I decided to try. I stepped from the rubble onto the altar. Instantly, the scene behind me transformed into an endless grassland. Just as I was about to cross the small wooden bridge, I heard the sound of hooves behind me.
I turned around and saw a young man on horseback. His horse sped up, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of me.
"Why is there someone coming in again?"
I smiled slightly.
"Tell me everything you know."
I stared coldly at the young man before me. I knew he was neither human nor ghost. The aura around him resembled the one emanating from the altar at the underground palace entrance. Now, my perception is no longer just about power—I can sense the essence of all things.
Ever since I gained the source of Deathbane Aura, I’ve been able to sense everything clearly. The young man’s calm face twisted into a snarl, and his voice grew heavier.
"Leave now. This is your last chance."
His voice began to overlap, as if countless people were speaking at once, each with a different tone.
With a whoosh, a bolt of black lightning pierced through his head. He suddenly burst into wild laughter. I sensed a different kind of ghostly energy—streams of black aura poured from his body, countless ghosts merging together. This surprised me.
Moreover, these entities shared a collective consciousness, which shocked me even more. Black ghostly aura drifted around me, but I quickly suppressed my astonishment. In the past, this might have been tricky, but now things are different.
With a crackling sound, the ghosts in the sky who tried to attack me instantly turned to ash and vanished. The remaining ghostly aura converged, and the young man reappeared.
"You’re really strong. How did you become so powerful?"
I smiled slightly.
"You... or rather, how long has it been since any of you left?"
The young man shook his head.
"We cannot leave."
"I see. There are many out there even stronger than I am."
The young man immediately looked at me in shock. I floated forward with a smile.
"Tell me what’s really hidden here."
After a moment’s hesitation, the young man spoke.
"This place was once the residence of one who attained immortality. I am merely his power."
I stared at him in astonishment.
"Where is he now?"
I asked. A stream of black energy swept past me. I turned and followed it. After crossing the wooden bridge, I entered the altar’s space with the young man. Flames ignited all around, and in the center, an entrance to the underground opened up.
"If you have the guts, come with me. I’ll take you to meet him."