The Book of Life and Death

"The Book of Life and Death..."

"How could this be..."

The eerie, alluring woman in Su Mo's Spirit Sea was utterly shocked. She stared blankly at the Life-Bound Spirit Artifact that had taken form as Su Mo entered the Dao.

"The Book of Life and Death... the Book of Life and Death..."

A Life-Bound Spirit Artifact shouldn't have taken the form of a specific book. It should have embodied a concept. A book was a book—it should never have been some particular named book!

For example, when a sword cultivator entered the Dao through the sword, their Life-Bound Spirit Artifact should have been a sword. Its form might vary, but... a sword was a sword. It would not be some Clear Wind Sword or Thunder Sword.

Since Su Mo had entered the Dao through books, his manifestation should have been a book...

Not something called the "Book of Life and Death"!

Strangest of all... this book was far too eerie!

Its cover was pitch-black, seemingly made from some kind of bark, with fine, simple grain visible across its surface. Three bronze rings bound its edge. The whole thing looked like an object of immense antiquity...

It hovered silently in the void of Su Mo's Earth Spirit Sea, wisps of black smoke curling around it, with gleams of light dancing within the smoke.

The black smoke kept appearing... dissipating... as though endlessly passing through some cycle!

The words "Book of Life and Death" flickered with a dim, dark-red sheen, as though some ancient living creature were breathing.

Waves of deeply eerie energy emanated from the Book of Life and Death. The sensations of vitality and death kept alternating, casting Su Mo's entire Spirit Sea in an utterly strange light...

Su Mo had entered the Dao through the written word. Having entered the Dao, he radiated the bearing befitting the Confucian Dao...

Refinement, simplicity, humility, serenity!

Yet... threaded through those qualities were deeply peculiar traces of an eerie presence. It was remote, profound, uncanny, transcendent...

It was as though an invisible door stood behind Su Mo... and beyond that door lay another ancient, secluded, unknowable place outside the world!

Everyone before the hall watched Su Mo enter the Dao, and they, too, sensed the strangeness of his presence.

At that moment, Su Mo was gentle and refined, plain and unadorned, yet tinged with something wild and strange, born of that eerie presence.

"Young master..." Little Girl suddenly rose in the Riverboat Pavilion. Her gaze flickered as she looked toward the city's east, delighted surprise appearing on her young face.

Luo Yin watched Little Girl's every move. The usual serenity and quiet elegance had vanished from her stunning face; instead, her emotions rose and fell with Little Girl's every movement. They concerned a mysterious man... though that man was still young...

"What is it?" Luo Yin asked.

Little Girl turned toward Luo Yin, pointed toward the Imperial Palace in the city's east, and said happily, "The young master has entered the Dao!"

"What?"

So soon? What was he going through?

"But..." After her initial joy, Little Girl began to worry again. "The young master doesn't seem happy!"

"Don't worry!" Luo Yin put an arm around Little Girl's shoulders, gently comforting her.

"Didn't you say your young master always finds a way to solve whatever problems he faces?"

The Riverboat Pavilion had been especially quiet these past few days. It had not opened for business in a long time... because there was no longer any need to...

Little Girl looked east again. From atop the Riverboat Pavilion, she could actually see nothing, but it seemed that simply looking in that direction brought her a little closer to her young master.

"This..." Su Mo looked up at the emperor, seated high above him on the imperial throne.

"... is my answer!"

The emperor stared at the frail yet resolute youth in white standing below him, momentarily dazed!

The assembled officials watched Su Mo standing alone and steadfast in their midst. Something seemed to awaken within them, and their gazes shifted uncertainly as they turned toward Liu Cheng.

Such should a scholar be!

A scholar should have backbone!

A scholar should not fear power!

A scholar should stand amid wind and rain and forge ahead!

An elderly civil official's eyes shifted and brightened. He stepped forward and was just about to speak when...

"You spread lies to bewitch the masses and undermine the foundations of the nation! Your crime deserves death!" Liu Cheng, the Minister of War, who had been steadying his son's energy at the side, suddenly erupted. His eyes brimmed with murderous intent as he stared at Su Mo.

Without the slightest warning, Liu Cheng raised his hand, and spiritual power burst forth.

"Stop!" The emperor's expression changed, and he shouted!

Liu Cheng's gaze flashed. Without the slightest hesitation, his spiritual power surged out, sending an invisible force hurtling toward Su Mo to kill him outright.

A raised hand, and a killing move!

There was not a trace of mercy-only a fatal strike!

He had no intention of giving Su Mo any chance to survive. Never mind someone in Qi Refining who had only just entered the Dao-even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have found death inescapable beneath this blow.

Before anyone could react, the killing move was already upon Su Mo.

The Book of Life and Death in Su Mo's Spirit Sea flashed and trembled slightly. A wisp of black, deeply uncanny smoke appeared before Su Mo, instantly forming a black barrier.

Dense smoke billowed like incense fumes!

Boom!

A thunderous crash rang out...

When the dust cleared, a figure stood before Su Mo, having blocked Liu Cheng's killing move for him!

His hair hung loose and disheveled, his expression listless, like a man who had just endured despair.

He was the very man who had been seated below the emperor!

It had happened in the blink of an eye, just as Liu Cheng sought to kill Su Mo outright! No one had even seen how the man had suddenly appeared between Su Mo and Liu Cheng and blocked Liu Cheng's killing move for Su Mo.

With his back to Liu Cheng, the man faced Su Mo. An indescribable sorrow filled his eyes. He seemed to be looking at Su Mo, yet also seemed not to be looking at him.

The black mist before Su Mo scattered in the wind, revealing a powerfully built middle-aged man who nevertheless exuded an air of death.

"You carry... her presence!" the man said, his expression grief-stricken.

"It's Prince Ying!" an official exclaimed!

Why would Prince Ying...?

Everyone was bewildered. Prince Ying never concerned himself with worldly affairs.

Prince Ying was the emperor's cousin. Unlike the emperor, he had possessed exceptional talent from childhood and had followed a True Person of Mount Sumeru there to cultivate while still young. He had only recently returned to the Imperial Palace with his wife and daughter. Something was said to have happened, though no one knew the details.

However, Prince Ying's daughter had gone missing some time ago. He and his wife had searched for a long time without finding her, then succumbed to grief and never recovered!

Yet no one knew why Prince Ying had stepped forward at this moment!

If Prince Ying were willing...

Seeing Su Mo unharmed, the emperor let out a small breath of relief. He turned toward Liu Cheng, his gaze utterly icy.

Liu Cheng remained proud and fearless, but he frowned as he looked at Prince Ying's back.

"Prince Ying, what is the meaning of this?" Liu Cheng asked coldly, addressing his back.

Prince Ying's hair was disheveled, his clothes untidy and rumpled. Stubble covered his unkempt face, and his eyes revealed boundless anguish.

Prince Ying slowly turned his head and glanced at Liu Cheng, who had just attempted murder, and at Liu Feng in his arms, as though looking at two corpses!

"Shh..." Prince Ying raised a finger to his lips and spoke hoarsely.

"You're too loud!"