Chapter 357: 357. Chapter 354: The Mirror of Life and Death

357. Chapter 354: The Mirror of Life and Death

"That must be the immortal artifact inside, seized by Wu Zhanxia. It's strange he didn't take it away." Someone in the crowd replied.

"Lord Ding, I know what this thing is." A slightly fat man stepped forward and bowed to Ding Huan.

Ding Huan's gaze settled on the plate and said calmly, "You're a talent."

This man was the one who had quietly given Wu Zhanxia a face-saving exit without humiliating him.

"Lord Ding, you flatter me," Che Zhongzi quickly replied.

"Che Zhongzi, spit it out already, don't dawdle," Qi Yonghan said, showing not the slightest fondness for the fat man.

This fellow avoids offending anyone and flatters Wu Zhanxia, giving him some standing here.

Che Zhongzi offered a simple, earnest smile: "You're right, Brother Qi."

After saying that, he turned to Ding Huan again: "Lord Ding, this bamboo grove is called the Mirror of Life and Death Grove—it's no safe place…"

Hearing Che Zhongzi call this place the Mirror of Life and Death, everyone's hearts tightened; some even turned to look behind them, wondering if they could escape in time if something happened.

Che Zhongzi paid no attention to their emotions and continued:

"This bamboo grove is called the Mirror of Life and Death Grove because of the mist. Though the mist appears harmless, anyone who dares enter it will immediately have their flesh torn apart and their Primordial Spirit shredded."

"And this mist is seeping out from this very Mirror of Life and Death…"

"This great cauldron is called the Mirror of Life and Death?" Ding Huan asked, puzzled.

Che Zhongzi nodded: "Yes, this is the Mirror of Life and Death. In fact, Wu Zhanxia was able to use the immortal array to lock this gorge and nearly killed Lord Ding by exploiting the Mirror of Life and Death's domain because of this artifact."

"You mean Wu Zhanxia has subjugated the Mirror of Life and Death?" Ding Huan was skeptical.

Che Zhongzi shook his head: "No. Wu Zhanxia wanted to subjugate the Mirror of Life and Death, but his strength is too limited—he's tried for centuries with no progress."

"Instead, he later discovered certain patterns and, using some of the Mirror of Life and Death's Dao principles, simulated a false Immortal-Fanqiao space from our cultivated Dao realm."

"I always suspected the Dao rhythm of the Immortal-Fanqiao here was flawed—so it's true." Someone else in the crowd muttered irritably.

No one paid him any mind; all eyes turned to Che Zhongzi.

"Wu Zhanxia has long sought to subjugate the Mirror of Life and Death, yet after all these years, he still cannot. And that vortex… truly leads to a higher realm…"

Someone interrupted Che Zhongzi: "Brother Che, can this place really lead to the Immortal World?"

A vortex leading to a higher realm—isn't that the Immortal World?

Che Zhongzi replied: "Indeed. Because of the Mirror of Life and Death here, any cultivator attempting to leave through this vortex is dragged into it."

⊙Ttkдn⊙co

Hearing this, everyone's hearts sank.

Ding Huan asked solemnly: "Was this Mirror of Life and Death deliberately placed here?"

Che Zhongzi said: "I don't know. But after decades of studying the Mirror of Life and Death, Wu Zhanxia reached a conclusion."

"That is, only by stepping onto the true Immortal-Fanqiao realm can one escape the Mirror of Life and Death's deathly pull and surge into the vortex."

Hearing this, everyone's gazes dimmed.

Che Zhongzi fell silent for a moment, then continued: "Every year, Wu Zhanxia brings people here to test various methods of entering the vortex without being pulled in by the Mirror of Life and Death—clearly, he has failed."

"To this day, Wu Zhanxia has found no viable solution."

"Did Wu Zhanxia, after failing to ascend to the Immortal-Fanqiao realm by simulating its space, devise this plan of sending cultivators here to die in search of a way out?" Ding Huan asked.

Che Zhongzi sighed: "That's likely it. In recent years, I've gradually distanced myself from Wu Zhanxia—if I hadn't been trapped here, I would've left long ago."

"Lord Ding, had you not come, I estimate I would've arrived here myself in another two or three years to attempt it for Wu Zhanxia."

"Brother Che, when does the mist usually seep out from the river?" Someone in the crowd asked.

Che Zhongzi said: "Usually every twelve hours. If anyone remains here after the poison mist emerges, they are instantly torn apart and their Primordial Spirit destroyed."

Ding Huan's gaze fixed on the Mirror of Life and Death—it was too high a rank for him to calculate.

Wu Zhanxia's cultivation realm was roughly equal to his, but in understanding the Dao, Ding Huan was certain he could outpace Wu Zhanxia by ten thousand leagues.

Wu Zhanxia couldn't subjugate this Mirror of Life and Death doesn't mean Ding Huan can't.

If he could subjugate the Mirror of Life and Death, wouldn't that mean everyone could enter the vortex ahead and seek Immortal fortune?

No matter how powerful the Mirror of Life and Death, it likely couldn't surpass his own iron pot.

If he could subjugate the first seal of the Mirror of Life and Death within ten hours, he could bind the corrupting Dao mist within it.

Moreover, he could control the deathly pull the Mirror of Life and Death exerts on cultivators entering the vortex.

Thinking this, Ding Huan spoke: "I'll attempt to control the Mirror of Life and Death's life-and-death pull and these Dao-devouring mists. Believe me, stay here. If you don't, leave."

Che Zhongzi was the first to say: "Lord Ding, we fully trust you."

"Yes, we trust Lord Ding," the others echoed.

But the few who had come with Ding Huan remained silent.

Ding Huan knew better than anyone: those who truly believed in him were only the few who had entered with him.

These people who claimed to believe in him were only speaking empty words—if trouble arose, they'd flee faster than anyone else.

Ding Huan didn't care. He walked to the edge of the misty river and immediately constructed a Great Cosmos Zhou Tian.

The Great Cosmos Zhou Tian enclosed the Mirror of Life and Death; halfway through the first Zhou Tian, endless deathly and life-giving energies surged toward him.

These energies were chaotic and muddled; even Ding Huan's vast Dao-Cosmos consciousness nearly couldn't bear them.

Ding Huan furiously activated the Great Cosmos Art; within his Dao-Cosmos, star-rivers blazed, boundless Dao principles rippled like endless waves across a vast river.

The twelve star systems connected by the Star Bridge rotated continuously, each muddled Dao rhythm drawn into the star-river, stripped of all impurities by the ceaseless current, leaving only pure, unadulterated Dao principles.

In the first few Zhou Tian, Ding Huan endured the assault of muddled Dao rhythms; as these impurities were continuously swept into the star-river by his Great Cosmos Zhou Tian, he drew ever closer to the first seal of the Mirror of Life and Death.

Ding Huan sank into the subjugation of the Great Cosmos Zhou Tian; outside, the others grew anxious.

Because Ding Huan showed no visible change—only Dao rhythms swirling around him.

The Mirror of Life and Death in the misty river showed no change either.

In fact, eight or nine hours had passed.

Just now, Che Zhongzi said that the mist here would overflow from the river after twelve hours, then once again fill the entire bamboo grove.

More than ten hours have passed since they entered; they still need over an hour to walk out from here.

If we don't leave now, waiting any longer will be too late.

Senior Ji Gu, Cang Yongqian, and the others didn't move at all; they had come here with Ding Huan, and even if the bone-devouring mist swept out again, they would wait here for Ding Huan.

The original cultivators inside, however, were all tense and uneasy.

When only one hour remained, a man finally couldn't hold back:

"Comrade Che, are we continuing to wait here?"

He was asking Che Zhongzi.

Che Zhongzi knew the most about this place; since he hadn't left yet, perhaps he knew something.

Che Zhongzi said calmly: "I believe Master Ding will surely succeed. I will wait here for Master Ding until death, without regard for life or death."

Qi Qi Yonghan and the others glanced at Che Zhongzi in surprise.

Che Zhongzi was essentially Wu Zhanxia's first lickspittle—this guy followed Wu Zhanxia's every command, turning east when Wu Zhanxia told him to turn east, never west. Even if Wu Zhanxia told him to eat shit, he'd only ask how to eat it.

How could such a man be so fearless of death?

Remember, once the twelve hours are up and Ding Huan fails to master the Mirror of Life and Death, they're all dead.

And Ding Huan's chance of mastering the Mirror of Life and Death is actually very slim.

Think of Wu Zhanxia—how many years has he been here?

Wu Zhanxia has come here many times nearly every year, yet to this day he has never controlled the Mirror of Life and Death. On what basis could Ding Huan accomplish in eleven hours what Wu Zhanxia failed to do in centuries?

Even Senior Ji Gu couldn't help wanting to ask Che Zhongzi: Why aren't you afraid of death?

In truth, Che Zhongzi knew better than anyone else that Ding Huan's chance of refining and controlling the Mirror of Life and Death was less than one percent.

But he was tired of living a humble, groveling life, licking others' boots day after day.

When Wu Zhanxia dies, and Ding Huan fails, this place will return to its original state.

Without asking, another strong cultivator will emerge in Wu Zhanxia's former Immortal-Mortal Valley to become its lord.

Che Zhongzi knew his own abilities—he was merely slick and smooth-talking, his cultivation utterly abysmal, bottom of the pile here.

No matter who became valley lord, it would never be Che Zhongzi.

Che Zhongzi would still be the same as before, bowing and scraping to please others everywhere.

He had entered the Opening Heaven Battlefield seeking Immortal Fortune, but since that fortune was gone, and he had lived humbly for centuries, why continue bowing and scraping just to survive?

Let death come—it's nothing new; he'd seen too much of it over the years.