Chapter 570: Wu Konghou

"How's the outside world now?"

"Um…," Yan Buji's face turned strange: "The Martial Dao has declined."

"That fellow cultivator is truly extraordinary; to have reached this point in today's declining Martial Dao makes him stronger than we were back then," Wu Konghou laughed.

He seemed to have known about this all along?

Yan Buji asked in puzzlement: "Did you already know the Martial Dao would decline?"

"It's the inevitable trend," Wu Konghou said calmly: "Martial Dao practitioners vie for life against Heaven's will; we cannot compare with those Magical Cultivation practitioners."

"Is that so?" Yan Buji didn't fully understand, but since the matter involved saints, he didn't feel comfortable saying much.

"But since you, fellow cultivator, can come here, you must have found a way to cross the Primordial Yin‑Yang Divine Veil with a mortal body."

"Primordial Yin‑Yang Divine Veil?"

Yan Buji was bewildered, not knowing what that was.

Wu Konghou explained: "It seems you arrived here by chance, so let me give a brief explanation. Since the heavens and earth were separated, the Nether Realm lies below, the Five Domains sit in the middle, and the Nine Heavens above. This is the principle of the Three Realms. To go from the Five Domains to the Nine Heavens one must pass through the Celestial Gate; however, between the Nether Realm and the Five Domains lies a layer of Primordial Yin‑Yang Divine Veil separating the two realms. Only a great‑power cultivator can cross it with a mortal body, or by sending one's spirit downwards. Otherwise, unless one is at the Great Vehicle Stage, a mortal crossing is impossible."

"So that's how it is?!"

Yan Buji's expression changed.

Then the Rift Gap Stone and Nether Realm Book in his hand must be extraordinary treasures, right?

"Actually, that doesn't matter. Fellow cultivator, do you know why I left a residual shadow here awaiting your arrival?"

"What matter?"

"The Huang Tian Soul," Wu Konghou said suddenly.

Yan Buji was startled: "What is the Huang Tian Soul?"

"That is the core left after we shattered the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk years ago; besides the Huang Tian Soul, there is also the Houtu Soul. Together they constitute the Huang Tian and Houtu Soul, which is the core of the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk!"

Yan Buji's pupils contracted, as if he had heard something extraordinary.

He knew that the Nether Realm was currently in a unification war, and that ultimately the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk of the Nether Realm would remerge; according to Wu Konghou, without the Huang Tian and Houtu Soul, it would be impossible to reunite the shattered pieces.

"So you want me to find it? That's impossible, right?"

"It's not impossible," Wu Konghou smiled: "We sealed the Huang Tian Soul in a location within the Nether Realm. If you can retrieve it, I will reward you greatly."

"No," Yan Buji said bluntly: "I don't know what your intentions are; the Huang Tian Soul is of great consequence. Even if I could take it, would the Nether Realm cultivators let me go unscathed?"

"But the Huang Tian Soul also possesses the world's supreme power. Do you truly not want it?"

"Hm?"

Yan Buji's interest was instantly piqued.

"What power?"

"Resurrection," Wu Konghou said calmly.

Sss!!!

Yan Buji stood frozen, carefully pondering whether his words were true or a deception.

Moreover, this was their first meeting; how could he trust his words?

"Then why don't you use it?"

"We've already used it; Resurrection isn't limitless—each being can only employ the Huang Tian Soul once," Wu Konghou shook his head.

"If you don't trust me, that's fine. But the Huang Tian Soul must never fall into the hands of Nether Realm cultivators!"

"Why is that?"

"Because we martial practitioners must transcend!!"

Wu Konghou clenched his teeth, his illusory shadow trembling as he spoke, filled with resentment: "We martial practitioners cultivate to fight for our lives! Not to become stepping stones for others! Those Magical Cultivation sects consider themselves following Heaven's decree, indifferent to having their faces trampled by someone, but we cannot accept that. I will never allow such a thing to happen!"

Huh?!

Yan Buji raised an eyebrow; his words meant that…

"Do you also know that this world's birth was because a certain person was destined to appear?"

"You know that?!" Wu Konghou was startled, then smiled: "Then it seems you're already caught in the scheme."

Yan Buji frowned: "I don't believe a world exists solely for a person's emergence; that's unreasonable."

"Then do you know who is greatest among heaven and earth?"

"Heaven and earth are vast, but principle is greatest!"

"No!" Wu Konghou shook his head: "The Dao Ancestor is greatest."

Yan Buji asked in confusion: "What does that have to do with the Dao Ancestor of the Daoist sect?"

"I'm not referring to the Daoist sect's Dao Ancestor… fine, you could say that, but actually…" Wu Konghou hesitated, sighed: "It's better that you don't know these matters."

Yan Buji rolled his eyes: "Everyone likes being the riddler, huh?"

"Then tell me, what was your strength in life?"

"The ultimate martial limit."

Hm?

"According to Magical Cultivation, that means you've reached the Tribulation stage."

"If you're that strong, how could you die? You aren't deliberately hiding here, waiting for the right moment to emerge, leaving an illusory shadow to trick me into doing your bidding, are you?" Yan Buji said with a strange expression.

Wu Konghou's illusory shadow fell silent.

Indeed!

Am I really that easy to deceive?

Yan Buji added: "This matter likely involves the struggle between you and the saints, and a cultivator of my modest strength should probably stay out of it."

"Inescapable." Wu Konghou's gaze seemed to pierce ages, seeing Yan Buji's true face, he chuckled: "You can't escape; as long as you're still in this world for a day, no one can."

"Then tell me why it's inescapable? So many have told me this, yet the world hasn't been destroyed."

The world will not be destroyed; it will merely move toward a rebirth hoped for by someone.

Wu Konghou suddenly reached out his hand, drew a circle on the table, and then, following that circle, drew several more circles.

The cycle repeats, all things renew. What appeared before will reappear today; what perishes today will reappear in the future. And the arrival of that person will end all this, heading toward rebirth.

Yan Buji did not understand his meaning, questioning doubtfully: 'Isn't this a good thing?'

It's like after you die and are reborn—are you still you? Are you sure that everything you're doing now really has any connection to your future?

Yan Buji fell silent.

What does that mean?

Does that mean everything in the future will be messed up?

I don't understand.

I don't know what you're thinking, but my strength is insufficient now; I cannot possibly take part in your affairs.

The Huang Tian Soul must not fall into the hands of Youming Jie cultivators, for even if Youming Jie achieves a broken mirror made whole and unifies the two, lacking the crucial Huang Tian Soul, we would have no future to speak of.

Yan Buji pinched his chin: 'Does that mean once Youming Jie returns to its original position, it will threaten your plans?'

'Not bad; likewise, if you obtain the Huang Tian Soul, you can avoid a deadly crisis—why not?'

'Is it a deadly situation?' Yan Buji chuckled: 'I've gone through who knows how many deadly situations in my lifetime—would I be afraid?'

Wu Konghou thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled: 'Then let's put it another way—if some sage one day decides to act against you, what would you do?'

'Impossible!' Yan Buji immediately retorted.

How could a sage possibly personally deal with me, a mere Martial Cultivator?

Just like back when Yan Buji was a major tycoon, would he still go to the village to suppress a small shop?

'Really impossible?'

'True...'

Yan Buji stared blankly, then suddenly recalled the incident of fleeing into the Dragon People after being pressed by the Void Sage years ago.

'It seems you have made a decision.'

Yan Buji took a deep breath: 'Where is the Huang Tian Soul?'