Chapter 856: All Will Die

Zhao Ruizhi had been starting to lose hope after what had happened with the fake peach trees. However, now that he saw another path, he immediately felt energetic again.

He quickly reviewed what he had just read. ‘Above chaos rests dark clouds; the Heavenly Gate opens wide’ probably meant that a large gate had opened within the dark clouds. He recalled the scene of the world itself being destroyed, how heaven and earth had flipped. There had been dark clouds that flickered with lightning, then three sacred mountains appeared. These words were most likely referring to that scene.

But what in the world did ‘The great sun returns to the Golden Palace; the Southern Star moves around the Alioth. The Imperial Canopy lies in purple; elegant music enters Zheng. Those who understand shall receive eternal life’ mean?

He vaguely recalled an ancient record mentioning the term ‘Alioth’; it seemed to be the name of a star. Even though he didn’t really understand what was going on, he could tell that a certain astronomical phenomenon was being described. Did certain celestial patterns have to align for him to obtain eternal life?

Zhao Ruizhi’s expression changed several times. He had believed that he was unmatched in this world, that there was nothing too hard for him. He had remained calm even when the world itself was being destroyed previously. But now, he really was starting to feel a bit of despair.

If a certain celestial pattern was needed, how was he supposed to influence the stars above? According to what he knew, many of these celestial patterns only happened once in a long time. The shortest intervals took a few decades, while the longer ones took thousands or even tens of thousands of years. They were definitely not things human strength could control.

He Li felt a wave of berserk energy ripple out while blocking that hole in the ceiling. The emperor’s mood had clearly become a bit unstable. He was alarmed, but his mind moved quickly and he said, “Congratulations, your majesty!”

Zhao Ruizhi gave him a cold look. “There’s nothing worth celebrating.”

When Zhao Ruizhi’s eyes passed over He Li, He Li felt as if his entire body had frozen over. He didn’t doubt for a second that if he couldn’t show his value, the other party would immediately eliminate him.

He gulped, and then quickly said, “This dungeon in the academy’s rear mountain hasn’t changed at all in so many years, and yet the entire world flipped when your majesty entered and a new dungeon appeared. It’s clearly because your majesty is the one this new dungeon is destined for! Isn’t ‘Dark clouds surround my weary self, a gate of heaven opens wide’ describing what we just experienced? Since the preceding words have already been confirmed, the celestial phenomena will most likely be confirmed soon as well. Your majesty, you came at the perfect time; this dao of eternal life was waiting for you!”

He heard what Zhao Ruizhi had read earlier. As someone at the peak of the ninth rank, he wasn’t stupid. He could deduce the rough meanings of the characters after a simple analysis. Even though he couldn’t completely decipher those words, it was more than enough for flattery.

Zhao Ruizhi became happy when he heard what He Li said. He roared with laughter. “Indeed, indeed! The astrological signs these characters describe are most likely talking about the present! Ha ha ha…”

He Li, who was still up on the ceiling, smiled as well. But inside, he was cold and ruthless. Even though the celestial pattern has been confirmed, it’s hard to say who’s going to receive this opportunity! After all, many of us came into this dungeon together…

Zhao Ruizhi became excited. “Since we’ve already explored all of the secrets of this place, we’re moving on!” They left the ancient city’s remains afterward, returning to the desert. He wondered what Zu An and Bi Linglong were doing right now. Hmph, they were probably done in by those vengeful spirits or traps. They should be grateful that they were able to die so painlessly.

…

Zu An had no idea whether he should do it or not. Bi Linglong was like a little kitten in heat. She continued to kiss him on both cheeks. Zu An’s entire body felt as if it were about to explode when he smelled her fragrance.

But he wasn’t an inexperienced kid anymore. Even though his body’s reaction was there, he felt hesitation. He gave Mi Li a pleading look. “Master empress, can you help me check if there’s something wrong with her?”

Mi Li, who had been pretending to look for clues but was actually eavesdropping on them, grinned. However, she quickly covered her expression up and remarked, “Tsk tsk, you only realized that something was off with her now?”

“What’s going on?” Zu An pushed the beauty in his arms away while looking at Mi Li. However, the amazing feeling in his arms almost made his rationality collapse several times.

Mi Li shook her head. “I don’t know, but judging from her condition, she’s probably been poisoned. You’re only fine because you’ve cultivated the Primordial Origin Sutra and you have poison immunity.”

“Poison?” Zu An reviewed everything that had happened after entering this temple. There didn’t seem to be any toxins, so why would she get poisoned?

Wait! He suddenly realized something and looked up toward the torches and candles. He saw faint wisps of smoke coming from the burning candlesticks.

It was too dark inside, so he had used his Flame Blade skill to light these candles. Back then, he was surprised that such a ruined temple had candles that could still be lit. But now, he realized that they were probably the source of the main issue. As such, he quickly took Bi Linglong into the air, breaking open a hole in the roof and flying out. Horrifying sounds of ghostly weeping surrounded them again.

“Who’s trying to play the ghost here? Show yourself!” Zu An roared as he scanned his surroundings. Unfortunately, apart from the violently swaying grass, he didn’t see any people.

Zu An frowned. He used the jade badge’s ability, planning to search the surroundings with the help of some small creatures. But he was shocked to discover that there weren’t any small creatures to control! Forget about birds or mice, there weren’t even any insects.

His expression became grave. It was to be expected that a lake full of vengeful spirits wouldn’t have any living creatures, but this was a place where plant life flourished! However, there still wasn’t a single living being apart from the two of them. This was way too strange.

“Why are we outside?” After breathing in the fresh air and hearing Zu An’s ferocious roar, Bi Linglong trembled. A bit of confusion appeared in her eyes.

Zu An took the chance to feed her a Heart Calming Pill and help her digest it. “You were poisoned inside that temple.”

As the medicine’s effects spread through her body, Bi Linglong’s eyes became clear again. “Poisoned?” Her small face was already red from all of her previous movements. Now that she had become clear-headed again, it burned up even more.

Even though she was poisoned, she hadn’t forgotten what happened. When she recalled how she had been seducing him a moment ago, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to run away and hide forever.

Do I have no shame? What in the world is wrong with me?! She was going crazy. She really wanted to scratch her hair in frustration, but her rationality stopped her. She took a deep breath and pretended to be calm. “What happened after I was poisoned? I… didn’t do anything, right?”

Zu An knew what she was like. He knew she would be way too embarrassed if he told her what happened, so how could he bring himself to tell her the truth? “Nothing much. I brought you out here when I realized that you were poisoned.”

Mi Li rolled her eyes as she watched the drama as a bystander. “This woman really knows how to act.”

“What do you mean?” Zu An asked, confused.

Mi Li said with a smile, “If she really didn’t know what happened just now, her first reaction should have been asking if you did anything to her, and yet she asked if she did anything to you. How interesting.”

Zu An was speechless. The prettier the girl, the better they are at lying! Furthermore, those who understand pretty women best are naturally other pretty women.

The ghostly whimpering became louder and louder. They could even vaguely make out human voices.

“Dead… They’re all dead… Too cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel…” The voice was rough and crude, as if it had been many years since it had last spoken to anyone. Its pronunciation was also a bit strange. If not for Zu An’s quick reactions, he wouldn’t have been able to understand it at all.

When the voice spoke, the weeds on the ground grew even taller. They had only been as tall as a person before, and yet they reached the top of the temple in just a few moments. They reached toward Zu An and Bi Linglong like countless tentacles.