Chapter 278: The Book of Life and Death

In thought.

Jiang Jian thought of the “Hanguang Divine Sword.”

This sword, though bestowed by heaven,

belongs to the category of “weapons.”

It has no accompanying divine art.

“The Lord of the Equal Hall has abandoned the struggle for the wonder realm!”

Suddenly, the Guide Messenger sensed something and his expression turned startled.

Jiang Jian glanced at it, said nothing, and continued toward the depths of Yinshan, toward Dizang Hall.

The next second.

The Guide Messenger’s face changed again: “The Lord of Chujiang Hall has also withdrawn, relinquishing his Chosen status!”

In the next minute.

Eight successive Wang Hall Lords withdrew one after another, severing all ties with the Yinshan Wonder Realm!

The Guide Messenger followed behind Jiang Jian, his expression now numb.

Since his creation,

he had never witnessed anything so bizarre.

According to his memory,

the struggle for the wonder realm had always been bloody and brutal.

No one, no matter who, would ever abandon such an opportunity if they harbored even a trace of greed.

“I understand.”

The Guide Messenger snapped back to himself and suddenly spoke.

“It must be that a Spirit Platform Realm True Lord from Earth has found another Chosen in the real world and forced him to relinquish his claim!”

He turned to look at Jiang Jian, his gaze strange: “I never expected you to have a Spirit Platform Realm True Lord as your backer—truly hiding your depth.”

Listening to the Guide Messenger’s incessant babbling,

Jiang Jian ignored him entirely, stepping steadily toward the end of the path: Dizang Hall.

On either side of the stone steps, hellish bas-reliefs were carved.

The Eighteen Hells were depicted with lifelike detail, so vivid they seemed to pull one into the scene, stirring uncontrollable dread in the soul.

“Jiang Jian.”

A calm voice came from before Dizang Hall.

Jiang Jian halted and looked up toward the top of the steps.

There stood a being.

She wore a Yama robe, black silk sleeves embroidered with golden cloud patterns, crowned with a black-and-red twelve-bead pearl coronet, and masked with a Senluo mask that concealed her true face.

From her attire,

Jiang Jian immediately recognized:

This being was the Lord of the Fifth Hall of Yinshan—the Yama Hall.

“Don’t you recognize me?”

The Yama Hall Lord spoke softly.

She raised her wrist, drew a slender white finger from the sleeve of her black robe, and removed the grotesque Senluo mask.

The coronet’s pearls trembled; a strand of dark hair fell beside her ear, revealing the exquisite, flawless face of a young girl.

“Lu Qingqing.”

Jiang Jian said gravely.

Lu Qingqing replaced the mask, tilted her head slightly, and said: “It’s me.”

She descended the steps and came to Jiang Jian’s side.

Her pupils swirled with mist, staring directly at Jiang Jian through the red-and-white Senluo mask.

“Help me.”

Lu Qingqing said.

Jiang Jian asked: “What do you want me to do?”

Lu Qingqing drew her sleeves together and pointed behind her to Dizang Hall: “Yinshan is truly a great wonder realm. To ascend to the Dizang title, one must sink into the story.”

“The story of the ‘Sutra of the Ten Wheels of Dizang’ contains many figures from myth and legend.”

“I need you to retrieve something for me.”

Her tone was calm, as if certain Jiang Jian would not refuse.

Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment, then asked: “What do you want me to retrieve?”

Lu Qingqing said: “The Book of Life and Death.”

She turned and ascended the steps to Dizang Hall.

Her tone grew solemn.

“I’m not doing this for myself.”

“It’s for the Earth’s underworld that we need this.”

Before Dizang Hall,

silence fell.

Meanwhile,

Jiang Jian, through the Guide Messenger, had already fully understood the rules of the wonder realm’s succession.

According to convention,

once the struggle began,

the ten Chosen of Yinshan would be swept together by the realm’s power into the story-illusion.

This story-illusion was the very origin of Yinshan’s wonder realm—the world of the “Sutra of the Ten Wheels of Dizang.”

Though the story-world was merely a simulation, borrowing divine essence,

its inhabitants possessed fragmented thoughts and consciousness—not mere illusions.

When Jiang Jian once claimed “Lihen,”

the Long Jun of the Hai River from the “Chronicles of the Four Continents” he had seen—

was precisely such a being.

Though far weaker than true “transformation from illusion to reality,” the realm’s splendor and strangeness still stirred awe.

Jiang Jian weighed it briefly, then spoke without direct reply: “Even if you ascend as Lord of Yinshan, the Dizang title, you only get three chances to transform objects from illusion to reality.”

“You want me to use one of those chances, consuming Yinshan’s power, to make the Book of Life and Death real and bring it into the physical world.”

He turned his head to look at the girl in the Yama Hall robe: “The favor you ask is too great.”

Lu Qingqing spread her hands: “I won’t let you help for free.”

Jiang Jian looked at her, saying nothing.

His meaning was clear.

The three “transformation from illusion to reality” chances belonged exclusively to the Lord of the wonder realm.

They consumed the divine essence stored within the realm’s core.

They were the most precious resource any wonder realm possessed.

Lu Qingqing offered nothing, spoke empty words—she expected to use one chance for free? No negotiation possible.

“I can get your sister admitted to the Earth-Moon Academy by special exception.”

She suddenly spoke, mist swirling in her eyes: “And train her with Level 6 Talent resources.”

During this time,

Lu Qingqing had thoroughly investigated Jiang Jian’s background.

Hearing this,

Jiang Jian’s gaze sharpened.

His sister, Jiang Zhao.

Even with noble blood and extraordinary talent,

her cultivation resources were extremely limited.

“Not enough.”

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Jian shook his head slightly.

He had calculated:

If he ascended to the Dizang title and became Lord of Yinshan, the spiritual resources under his control would surge to an unimaginable scale.

If he allocated wonder realm resources to his sister for cultivation within Yinshan, it might not be worse than the Level 6 Talent treatment at the Earth-Moon Academy.

(End of Chapter)