He Has Returned
'Thump! Thump! Thump!'
The resounding beat of drums echoed through the Great Wilderness.
Du Mingsheng was horrified as he watched the eighteen black-robed figures, even the weakest of whom exuded the aura of a Grandmaster, as the drums thundered.
The incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, and in the stillness of the air, the smoke rose straight into the heavens!
It was already dusk.
But the sunset suddenly dimmed, night fell early, the moon disappeared, and only the booming sound of drums could be heard.
'Thump! Thump! Thump!'
Amidst the muffled drumbeats.
"Please."
The True Person spoke solemnly, his five fingers tapping and playing in the air, creating a mysterious rhythm that perfectly matched the sound of the drum!
"The Central Extreme Cult Master, the Lord of the Six Paths, the Nine Nether Sin-Removing Heavenly Venerate."
The greatest sound is silent; the drumbeats cease in unison, and the wilderness is utterly still.
At this moment.
Under the Grand Sacrifice.
Du Mingsheng saw a blurry Illusory Scene, a magnificent imperial palace, and a towering Imperial Shadow!
He trembled from the bottom of his heart and prostrated himself before the Imperial Shadow at that moment.
Imperial Shadow stretched out a hand and, from the magnificent imperial palace whose location was unknown, placed it directly on the altar, landing on Du Mingsheng's head.
The latter's breathing and heartbeat stopped.
It was unimaginable, unperceptible; it felt as if countless mountains and rivers, and the endless netherworld, were pressing down on my head!
"I humbly submit to the Central Extreme Cult Master, the Great Emperor of the Underworld, Nine Nether Sin-Removing Heavenly Venerate!"
Du Mingsheng shouted this.
The Central Extreme Cult Master, who embodies the vast Heavenly Position, did not utter a word. Instead, he also activated the Palm Touching Karma, immersing his palm into the thick karmic force.
This time.
Zhang Fusheng did not feel the slightest bit of pressure.
Even
He could see that heavy cause and effect pulsating, leaping, and cheering!
Tsk tsk.
As Zhang Fusheng sighed softly to himself, he, in his capacity as the Central Extreme Cult Master, followed the law of cause and effect and extended his palm into the distance.
Is it possible to retrieve the Book of Life and Death?
Disaster.
But at least we should check where the Book of Life and Death right now.
Cui Clan Ancestral Hall.
The ancestral hall of the Qinghe Cui Clan.
"How are the current Book Holder?" the current patriarch of the Qinghe Cui Clan asked softly.
" Of the Book Holder, three have already used the ability to rewrite lifespan, and one of them has used it twice."
The shrine keeper said respectfully:
"It was used twice; it was from the Golden Province, by Cui Wendao of a branch, but something seemed off."
"Eccentric?"
The old man with the cane frowned:
"What's so strange about it?"
The shrine keeper said respectfully:
"Cui Wendao altered the Book of Life and Death twice, but both times it was the same person. The first time, he erased the lifespan of a man named Zhang Fusheng."
"The second person to be erased was also this Zhang Fusheng."
The shrine keeper's face showed confusion and surprise:
"I was right next to the Book of Life and Death at the time, and I could clearly see that after Zhang Fusheng's lifespan was erased, his lifespan was clearly reduced to zero, but in the blink of an eye, he gained another ten years."
"After having ten years of lifespan crossed off, he suddenly gained another ten years or so."
The old clan chief was surprised:
"Is this really true?"
"More than."
The shrine keeper spoke in a low voice:
"After this incident, I kept a close eye on Zhang Fusheng's remaining lifespan, and not long ago, something even more bizarre happened."
The old clan chief stroked his cane and squinted as he said:
"Speak."
"Not long ago, this person's remaining lifespan suddenly ran out—not just ran out, but was directly shortened by 1,500 years!"
"But immediately afterward, his lifespan was increased by another 1,500 years!"
Listening to the shrine keeper's words,
The old patriarch's expression was extremely solemn. A lifespan of fifteen hundred years was nothing to the Cui clan.
They erased thousands of years of lifespan from more than one Celestial Person.
In fact, if the lifespans of deities were not recorded in the Book of Life and Death, they would probably have used this method to kill countless gods long ago.
But now the problem is very serious.
"So, besides our Qinghe Cui Clan, there are other people in the world who control lifespan?"
The old patriarch murmured, his gaze falling on the [Book of Life and Death] that was being worshipped.
After much deliberation, he finally came to a conclusion:
"The Golden Province? Not long ago, I remember someone from Su Qiansuan came to visit, wanting to form an alliance with my Cui family?"
"That is indeed the case." The shrine keeper nodded earnestly.
After pondering for a moment, the Cui clan patriarch said:
"Then we'll send someone to the Golden Province to openly visit Su Qiansuan, secretly find Cui Wendao, and investigate this man named Zhang Fusheng."
The shrine keeper nodded:
"Should I give the order to inform the Ancestor?"
"She is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the [Great Power] level, which is above the Venerable level. She should not be disturbed."
"Yes, Chieftain."
The shrine keeper quietly left, leaving the clan chief alone to worship at the ancestral shrine.
"The Book of Life and Death."
The patriarch of the Cui clan stared at the Book of Life and Death, a complex expression on his face, knowing that his life was coming to an end.
Pity.
That person set a rule that the lifespan of people with the surname Cui should not be changed without authorization.
For this reason, in recent years, many prominent figures, even those at the Innate Person, have died of old age in the main branch and various branches of the Cui family.
There are even rumors that the Celestial Person who oversee the branch in the Golden Province are nearing the end of their lives.
The old patriarch sighed softly, stepped forward, and carefully opened the Book of Life and Death.
[Cui Zhengzhao, 1400 years old, with 12 years remaining in his life]
Cui Zhengzhao was stunned. Logically speaking, ordinary people born with innate abilities can live for eight hundred years, while Celestial Person can live for five thousand years.
But perhaps the Cui family misused the Book of Life and Death.
Everyone has a short lifespan.
"Twelve years"
Cui Zhengzhao gently stroked the Book of Life and Death, about to sigh.
His scalp suddenly tingled, and he instinctively looked up.
The void was violently distorted, as if something was about to descend!
"Ancestral hall attacked, bells tolled six times!!"
Cui Zhengzhao roared, and suddenly an ancient bell rang six times. The entire Cui clan erupted in chaos, and terrifying auras soared into the sky!
The sounds of boiling and clamor.
Suddenly, stillness descends upon this moment.
Outside the ancestral hall, someone respectfully called out, "Ancestor!"
The clan chief suddenly turned around and saw a young girl walking in.
The old clan chief, with his white hair and weathered appearance, bowed deeply.
"Ancestor!"
He exclaimed excitedly:
"You've emerged from quarantine?"
"Strive to reach new heights."
The young girl, dressed in Rainbow Skirt, nodded slightly and walked step by step, creating auspicious clouds and other strange phenomena, before standing before the Book of Life and Death.
She said calmly:
"By borrowing the methods of the Western Sect, I have already attained the status of a Great True Person in Daoism."
The old clan chief remained prostrate, trembling with excitement.
"Awe-inspiring!"
Above the Venerable Ones lies the Great Power.
The girl hummed in response, her gaze fixed on the violently distorted void, and she frowned slightly as she muttered to herself:
"Who dares to steal my Book of Life and Death?"
The words were finished.
The void suddenly split open.
The old patriarch looked up, and together with the Celestial Person and Innate Great Realm who had rushed to the ancestral hall, they all looked at the torn void.
They saw a blurry vision: a Grand Sacrifice, eighteen large drums, and figures in black robes.
At the center of the altar, an incense burner stood, wisps of smoke rising from it, revealing a human figure formed from chaotic mist.
There was another crawling figure, but his appearance was unclear.
"What is that?!"
Suddenly someone pointed at the blurry scenery tearing through the void and exclaimed in surprise.
The girl looked over.
She saw that the altar seemed to communicate with some unknown place, with some unknown deity.
A magnificent imperial palace appeared, and the Imperial Shadow wearing a nine-tasseled crown was revealed!
They saw the Imperial Shadow reach out, his hand descending!
The usually aloof girl suddenly changed color, clearly sensing and perceiving an unattainable and terrifying status from that Imperial Shadow!
"Bar!"
She gave a soft rebuke, her slender hand hovering over the Book of Life and Death, not daring to clash with the Imperial Shadow's massive palm—his status was too high!
Just looking at it was enough to make my heart pound and my soul tremble.
"Combine!"
The girl spoke a second time, issuing a decree to the heavens and earth. The torn void, under the immense power of heaven and earth, abruptly closed up.
In the final instant before closing, Imperial Shadow's palm vanished, leaving only an endless, vast flow of Death Qi emanating from it.
The strange phenomenon disappeared.
A dense and pure Death Qi instantly filled the entire ancestral hall.
"This is."
The ancestor of the Cui family whispered, squatted down, her Rainbow Skirt swaying, and reached out to dispel the Death Qi.
She sensed it silently.
"The Death Qi from the Nine Netherworlds"
The girl calculated and deduced, her face suddenly turning pale. She coughed up a mouthful of immortal blood, which was filled with boundless Immortal Light and was comparable to that of hundreds of miraculous herbs.
Calculation complete.
She murmured the [title] of that Imperial Shadow.
"The Master of Nine Nether, the Great Emperor of the Underworld, the Heavenly Venerate of Sin Removal, the Central Extreme Cult Master, and the Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation."
The ancestral hall was deathly silent.
For a long time.
The old clan chief asked softly:
"Ancestor, who is that person?"
The ancestor of the Cui family closed his eyes and remained silent.
After a long while, she opened her eyes and spoke in a low voice:
"He is the true master of the Book of Life and Death. That altar just now was in the Golden Province."
The old clan chief was startled and quickly recounted the story of how the lifespan of the man named Zhang Fusheng kept fluctuating.
The girl listened quietly, then stood up and stared at the Book of Life and Death.
I actually stopped that person from taking the Book of Life and Death.
The old clan chief was puzzled:
"Isn't it a good thing that they stopped it?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly saw the heavenly might as a prison, the Human Treasure body cracking open, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood.
"Good news?"
The patriarch of the Cui family was furious, his voice as cold as frost:
Do you know who that is?
She was frustrated, even lost, pacing back and forth for a long time before finally sighing:
"You have not yet Becoming a God, you have not yet awakened, so it is normal that you do not know."
"Back then, I picked up this Book of Life and Death of Book of Life and Death from the wilderness of Golden City —why do you think others couldn't lift or move it, but only my Cui clan could?"
"Why do you think I forbid anyone with the surname Cui from altering their lifespan?"
No one answered; everyone kept their heads down.
The ancestor of the Cui family sighed softly:
"Very well, talking to you all too much will only do more harm than good."
She gently stroked the Book of Life and Death, and whispered:
"The Nine Netherworlds, which had been placed in an inconceivable place, have finally appeared, and the legendary one is sitting there."
The girl was certain that the vaguely magnificent imperial palace must be in the Nine Netherworld!
"Alright, all of you, get out."
Everyone, including the old clan chief, quietly left the ancestral hall, leaving only the young girl alone.
She raised her head and looked at the top of the many ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall.
There, a decaying memorial tablet stood, exuding an extremely rich aura of time, as if it had endured countless millennia.
The memorial tablet bears the inscription "[Cui Jue]".
Beside the memorial tablet, there was also a figure dressed in the robes of a judge.
The girl called out softly:
"Ancestor, the Lord of the Nine Nether you spoke of has returned; He has already appeared."
After calling out the name more than ten times, the memorial tablet remained motionless, as if the mystique entrusted to it had been completely exhausted.
The girl sighed again, muttering to herself:
"The Golden Province isn't easy to cross..."
The Great Wilderness.
The Central Extreme Cult Master withdrew his hand with lightning speed.
As he reached out his hand following the cause and effect, although he couldn't see the scenery clearly, he could clearly sense many auras.
Just now,
Zhang Fusheng sensed several auras at the Celestial Person Realm level, including one even more terrifying than Old Su's!
A deity.
"Is it that ancestor of the Qinghe Cui Clan?"
Zhang Fusheng muttered to himself, his expression somewhat grave. This meant obtaining the Book of Life and Death would be very troublesome.
The only option is to help Cui Wendao become the true Book Holder.
His gaze fell on Du Mingsheng, who remained prostrate and dared not move, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Second Master, you may get up now."
Du Mingsheng cautiously raised his head. The cracked void had already healed, and the magnificent imperial palace and the indescribable Imperial Shadow had both disappeared.
He didn't dare get up immediately, and obediently recited a line:
"Homage to the Nine Nether Sin-Removing Heavenly Venerate!"
Only then did he stand up.
As my gaze returned, I saw the True Person's figure slowly blurring, the chaotic mist gradually dissipating, leaving only a lingering echo.
"You don't need to stay in the Waiting Area any longer."
Du Mingsheng his hands and bowed towards the place where the chaotic mist had dissipated:
"Respectfully bidding farewell to the True Person!"
The next day.
Zhang Fusheng boarded the plane and slowly took his seat.
There weren't many people in first class; besides myself, there was only a couple who looked somewhat familiar.
They seemed to be the two little ones who had fled in disarray in the mountains yesterday.
That's quite a coincidence.
Zhang Fusheng didn't mind, quietly leaning back in his seat as the plane took off and entered its designated flight path.
Chongyang City.
He looked out the window at the thick clouds, his gaze deep and thoughtful, as he listened to the sounds around him.
Not far away.
"Your ancestor's grave... no, his Great Tomb, will it really be there on the Double Ninth Festival?" Luo Cheng asked curiously.
"I don't know. I only dreamt of those few places. I've checked all of them, except for Chongyang. If it's not there either, then it must be in another province."
Li Yiyi patted her chest, still feeling lingering fear as she recalled the terrifying scene she had witnessed yesterday.
She shook her head and sighed:
"Actually, I don't want to go looking for it, but if I don't, I keep having that recurring dream every day, which forces me to go and find it."
Luo Cheng clicked his tongue and said:
"If it really is the work of our ancestors, then that ancestor you mentioned named Li Shimin was no good either; why would he harass his descendants like that?"
Li Yiyi pouted:
"That's not entirely true. The ancestor who appeared in my dream said that there's a treasure inside that Great Tomb called something like the Ziwei Emperor Robe."
Zhang Fusheng, who was looking out the window at the scenery, suddenly turned around.