Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1037: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (45)

The moment Xiao Shengmo's gaze turned towards Long Xiruo, both Gui Ying and Kui Qianyi’s eyes turned cold.

Kui Qianyi even slightly twisted the handle of his cane.

Xiao Shengmo said calmly, “I heard that Lord Long arrived long ago, but despite multiple visits from different clans, you remained unseen… At first, everyone thought it was simply because Lord Long preferred solitude. After all, that has always been your nature. However, can I now assume that something has happened to you, Lord Long, preventing you from revealing your true presence?”

His voice was light.

Kui Qianyi responded indifferently, “Does Lord Long need to explain to you why he chooses not to meet people? Xiao Shengmo, have you been the Ghost King for so long that you have forgotten who granted Fengdu City its place of refuge underground?”

Xiao Shengmo smiled faintly. “I have not forgotten… That’s why I won’t speak of this to anyone, Elder Turtle. Rest assured. Ah, these peaceful days… it’s easy to get lost in them. I’ve always enjoyed a leisurely life, so I don’t particularly like sudden chaos.”

Kui Qianyi frowned slightly and glanced at Long Xiruo.

Long Xiruo gave a slight nod, and only then did Kui Qianyi say, “Gui Ying, stand down.”

Gui Ying, who was wielding two daggers, tossed them into the air. The two cold flashes of light spun before disappearing. Though Gui Ying stepped back, his gaze never once left Xiao Shengmo.

It seemed Xiao Shengmo truly had no intention of exposing Long Xiruo’s current state. Instead, he directly asked, “I just heard Lord Long mention that this place is Penglai… Is that true?”Long Xiruo replied calmly, “This place merely aligns with some of the inherited memories from the previous True Dragon. I cannot say for certain. I have never been here before, so how would I know?”

Xiao Shengmo fell silent for a moment before asking again, “Then… what is this about the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart?”

“Xiao Shengmo, don’t you think you’re asking too many questions?” Kui Qianyi suddenly interjected.

Xiao Shengmo didn’t mind. Instead, he spoke solemnly, “Though I am just a wandering free spirit, I am still part of the Divine Land. The calamity from decades ago remains fresh in my memory. If the Plain-Clothed Dao intends to repeat history, how can I stand by and do nothing? Fengdu City is already overrun with ghosts. If more souls arrive, we may have to expand it further… I assume Lord Long wouldn’t want to see that either?”

Kui Qianyi chuckled. “City Lord Xiao manages Fengdu City well, keeping the ghostly inhabitants in order. Even if the population grows, I believe your talents will allow you to handle it properly.”

Xiao Shengmo said flatly, “Elder Turtle, do you know how many wandering spirits unable to reincarnate have sought refuge in Fengdu City since the underworld closed its gates?”

Kui Qianyi was momentarily stunned.

Even Long Xiruo frowned. “Has it become that serious?”

Xiao Shengmo replied, “I do not wish to see true chaos break loose… If that happens, not even the full force of the Management Bureau, nor the combined efforts of the Daoist and Demon realms, will be able to handle it.”

Long Xiruo was silent for a moment before asking in a deep voice, “Xiao Shengmo, what do you want?”

The City Lord of Fengdu sighed softly. “If this place is truly Penglai, I only hope to find a way for souls to reincarnate. Even if that is impossible, at the very least, I wish to uncover some information about the underworld…”

“I cannot guarantee that this is truly Penglai,” Long Xiruo said seriously. “Even if it is, I cannot promise you anything… But I won’t deny that I need your help right now. Kui Qianyi, share the intelligence with City Lord Xiao.”

Kui Qianyi immediately began explaining the situation regarding the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart and Hope to Xiao Shengmo.

After learning the general details, Xiao Shengmo remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. “If spiritual energy truly revives, that might be a solution to the overpopulation of ghosts…”

He glanced at the expressions of the others before shaking his head. “But what I seek is the cycle of reincarnation. Whether spiritual energy recovers or not is of no concern to me.”

Long Xiruo said, “Xiao Shengmo, whether or not you find the path to reincarnation in Penglai, I promise that after this matter is resolved, I will assist you in expanding Fengdu City’s ghostly domain. If the ghost population truly becomes unmanageable, I will not turn a blind eye.”

“In that case, I thank Lord Long,” Xiao Shengmo bowed deeply, without a trace of insincerity.

As Xiao Shengmo continued discussing matters with Long Xiruo and Kui Qianyi, Luo Pianxian quietly approached Gui Ying—since she had no place in the conversation, she could only stand beside Gui Ying.

“Mr. Gui Ying, this City Lord Xiao seems like a good person, doesn’t he?” The little butterfly blinked and whispered.

Gui Ying glanced at Luo Pianxian indifferently, snorted lightly, and walked away.

Did… Did she say something wrong again?

Luo Pianxian: Σ(°△°|||)︴

…

For Long Xiruo, the fact that Xiao Shengmo had discovered her condition was indeed unexpected and posed potential risks. However, given the current situation, Xiao Shengmo was also a valuable ally.

Of course, that didn’t mean she trusted him easily—which was why she didn’t reveal that she could still create avatars.

But given the circumstances, at least Xiao Shengmo was far more reasonable than a certain devious merchant.

Perhaps… it was just that some of his views aligned with hers?

Same faction? Different factions?

Long Xiruo smirked bitterly. Everyone had their moments of stubbornness and unwillingness to compromise.

“Head for that mountain,” Long Xiruo said, pointing toward it.

This was the place that most frequently appeared in the inherited memories of the previous True Dragon. Additionally, some ancient, deeply buried memories were beginning to surface—things she had been unable to access since inheriting the True Dragon’s legacy.

But now, in this place, they were surfacing from the deepest recesses of her mind.

—“Cell activity is stable… Place it in the cultivation tank.”

—“The restlessness continues… It must be the beastly nature. Try removing the No. 7 genetic material strand.”

—“Specimen No. 009, status: stable.”

Certain voices… and certain images.

A chilling sensation ran down her spine.

…

…

The agonized cries continued for an unknown amount of time before they finally ceased.

Throughout the process, Zi Xing watched as the child on the sacrificial altar twisted in agony—the mysterious figure in the bronze mask had extracted seven glowing orbs from the child's body.

One of the orbs was immediately struck into the soil above, vanishing from sight. As for the remaining six, they floated around the long-haired child, who now lay unconscious on the altar, looking like a terminally ill patient in deep slumber.

A massive amount of pure spiritual energy was continuously leaking from the six orbs, allowing Zi Xing to recover some strength—but her demonic energy was still being drained away by the crystal.

Of course, this spiritual energy only restored a small portion of her power. The life force being drained from her remained irreparable.

The young master of the Greedy Wolf Clan, her once-long hair had turned completely white, and she was now utterly exhausted.

At that moment, the bronze-masked figure sat cross-legged on the altar and raised his hand slightly.

Beneath the sacrificial altar, one of the two unconscious men— the younger one—began to slowly float upward, drifting all the way onto the altar.

With a wave of his hand, the mysterious figure shattered the young man's upper garments, revealing a strange, golden, glowing script on his back.

“Emperor’s… Edict?” Zi Xing squinted her eyes in shock. “Could this person be the lucky one who obtained the Emperor’s Edict?”

“This man is the successor of Huan Zhen Dao. He has extraordinary talent and a fate unlike others,” the mysterious figure in the bronze mask said slowly. “At first, I only intended for someone to discover the Edict and take it out, but I didn’t expect that when the Edict encountered this person, it would directly merge into his body. That was beyond my expectations.”

Zi Xing was stunned. “The Daoist and Demon realms fought fiercely over the Emperor’s Edict, yet you, who obtained it long ago, released it on purpose… just to capture the Daoists and Demons trapped here?”

“This is indeed the Emperor’s Edict, but it is not the Daoist inheritance of Mt. Tai Deity that you imagine,” the bronze-masked man said indifferently. “Its true function is simply to summon the Deity of Mt. Tai.”

“Emperor of Eastern Yue, Deity of Mt. Tai…” Zi Xing gasped. “You intend to use the Daoists and Demons here as a sacrifice to summon the Mt. Tai Deity?”

Gods and immortals had long since vanished from the Divine Land, only remaining in ancient legends. In a world where the path to immortality was severed, what would it mean for a god to reappear?

“As expected of the Greedy Wolf Clan’s young master, in charge of the clan’s rituals.” The bronze-masked man seemed to smile. “Your guess is quite close… However, the Edict alone is enough to summon the Mt. Tai Deity. There’s no need for a sacrificial offering. Most of the life force here—I have other uses for it.”

“Most…” Zi Xing frowned.

“A small portion will serve another purpose.” The bronze-masked man clasped his hands together.

Instantly, the altar trembled violently. The ground split apart at its center, revealing something slowly emerging from within.

A crystal coffin, crafted entirely from pure crystal!

The crystal coffin stood upright as it fully surfaced from the altar. Through the transparent material, Zi Xing faintly saw a figure lying inside.

The bronze-masked man gazed silently at the hazy silhouette within the coffin and murmured, “Very soon… You will return. You will be resurrected. You will witness an era of spiritual energy… An era that belongs to us.”

Zi Xing’s mind reeled like thunder crashing through her consciousness. She shuddered and exclaimed, “Mt. Tai Deity… the one who governs life and death… resurrection… life itself. Could it be—”

She suddenly turned toward the altar, her voice trembling. “The Mt. Tai Lord’s ritual… Who exactly are you trying to resurrect?!”

The bronze-masked man slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the countless crystal pillars, locking onto Zi Xing. “Heavenly Heart, 70th Generation Heavenly Eye.”

Zi Xing’s face changed dramatically… She knew about the 70th Generation Heavenly Heart. Even though she hadn’t yet taken over as the Greedy Wolf Clan’s heir at the time, the clan elders had spoken of this event!

The one who single-handedly wiped out the Dragon Fiend, saving the Divine Land from catastrophe—Plain-Clothed Dao’s 70th Generation Heavenly Heart!

“…Resurrecting the dead,” Zi Xing murmured, lowering her head.

A memory from long ago surfaced in her mind—an image of a snow-covered cave, stained with warm blood.

A small, lonely figure who had dug out their own heart to save her.

Brother…

Zi Xing seemed to fall into a strange trance. The bronze-masked man paid her little mind, only casting a fleeting glance before shifting his attention elsewhere—there was no escaping from within the crystal confinement.

Instead, he turned to the young man floating in mid-air—Zhan’er.

“Since the Edict has merged with you, it at least proves that you will be a fine vessel.” He spoke calmly. “Becoming a vessel is also a kind of fortune. If you can withstand this, your future will be bright. In the era of spiritual energy revival, you may become a leader among the younger generation. But whether you can endure it… depends on your fate.”

At that moment, the Edict on Zhan’er’s back grew even brighter.

A supreme and awe-inspiring aura gradually emanated from his body.

The descent… had begun.

The hall’s candelabra suddenly flared to life.

At the same time, a spatial distortion appeared in the club’s main hall. From within, Miss Maid and Da Zhe stepped out.

Da Zhe looked at the pitch-black orb in his hand—about the size of one and a half basketballs.

Just this small amount was what he had extracted from the Void Abyss Demons he had slain—the so-called "Source of Anomaly."

According to You Ye, this much could be used to create hundreds of ordinary Black Soul Envoys, but if used for someone like him, it would barely be enough for one. Not that he really understood the details.

“I’m going to take a shower. Do I have time?” Da Zhe placed the orb on the counter and asked.

You Ye smiled. “Go ahead. I’ll store these materials first.”

“Alright!”

Though the body of a Black Soul Envoy had many conveniences—allowing him to cleanse himself with just a thought—Da Zhe was still more accustomed to human habits.

Besides, a hot shower was always a great way to relieve stress.

But it seemed like his plans were about to be delayed.

As he opened the bathroom door—

Inside, a white-haired girl was sitting on the toilet, leaning against the wall, fast asleep. She was breathing softly, her hands still holding onto a bowl.

Da Zhe rubbed his chin.

“…What the hell is this situation?”

(End of Chapter)