Chapter 998: Is This Really Necessary? (II)

After that brief scuffle, Bai Wuxiang started explaining again.

Bai Wuxiang said with deep reverence, "I’ve always suspected that when Hallowed Li left the mortal realm, he might not have been at the ninth realm, but had already stepped into the even more powerful tenth realm spoken of in legends.

"Otherwise, how could he have left behind such an artifact of overwhelming power? None of the Hallowed Ones who came after have even come close to matching him. Then again, perhaps I simply don't understand the true nature of the realm of the Hallowed Ones and have underestimated the gap between them.

"When Hallowed Li left behind the Laws of Ascension, he intended for future Hallowed Ones to follow them. However, his cultivation had already surpassed the limits of this world. Once he departed, there was no way for him to return. In order to ensure the Laws of Ascension would be upheld, he established the Divine Ruins Monastery and left behind three Jade Slip of Life and Death."

"Jade slips?" Chu Liang repeated.

"That's right," Bai Wuxiang said. "His Great Dao of Severing the Void had reached an unimaginable level. He could cut off a person's destined fate without even touching that person. These three jade slips carry that very power."

"Even a ninth-realm Hallowed One would have their fate severed if their name was written on one[1]," he continued, raising two fingers. "Evil God Jiuli and the South Sea's Hallowed Mother both met their ends this way. They defied the Laws of Ascension, and the monastery overseer of that era wrote their names on the slips. That is why they died.

"Each death played out differently. Evil God Jiuli was crushed by a divine mountain that descended from the higher realm during his clan’s ascension. The South Sea's Hallowed Mother succumbed to her wounds after the Battle of Ascension and died in the Ruins of Return.

"The one thing they had in common was the involvement of the Divine Ruins Monastery. It severed their fates."

As Chu Liang listened to Bai Wuxiang’s explanation, he realized he had gravely underestimated Hallowed Li. He was not just the first Hallowed One or merely the strongest. He had left behind artifacts capable of killing other Hallowed Ones with ease. That alone was terrifying beyond words.

"So there’s only one jade slip left in the Divine Ruins Monastery?" Chu Liang murmured, lost in thought. "You must be lying to me. The real number could be more, or it could be less. That’s the Divine Ruins Monastery’s greatest secret. No overseer would ever reveal it to anyone."

"Don’t concern yourself with that," Bai Wuxiang said, rolling his eyes. "In any case, Hallowed Li didn’t leave many jade slips behind. According to him, a Hallowed One appearing, gaining the ability to ascend, and refusing to follow the Laws of Ascension were three conditions that would only come together once in a very long time. And if no new guardian appears after such a long stretch of time, then perhaps that is simply this world’s fate."

"So you want me to recreate an artifact that can kill a ninth-realm cultivator?" Chu Liang asked, still finding it hard to believe. "Aren’t you placing too much faith in me? That kind of weapon is far more powerful than Deity Pan’s Bone."

"This item’s rank isn’t actually that high," Bai Wuxiang explained. "It’s more like a command talisman tied to the Great Dao of Severing the Void. To activate its power, it draws on the life of the user. That’s why, whenever an overseer of the Divine Ruins Monastery writes a name on it, he dies first. A life in exchange for another life."

"I see." Chu Liang nodded. Now he finally understood.

The jade slip was essentially a trigger, a command written by Hallowed Li and left behind in the mortal world. It could only be activated by the overseers of the Divine Ruins Monastery, at the cost of their lives.

Such a harsh condition naturally prevented abuse. After all, no monastery overseer would risk his own life for personal gain.

"I’m not saying you must succeed," Bai Wuxiang said, "but I hope you’ll give it a try. After all, the Great Dao of Creation holds limitless potential."

"Alright," Chu Liang said with a nod. "I’ll give it a shot. Just leave the jade slip with me and go home. I’ll let you know when it’s done."

"Yeah, right," Bai Wuxiang said with a wave. "Who would dare hand a treasure over to you again? Especially one this valuable. Come to the Divine Ruins Monastery tomorrow and try it there."

"Is it that urgent?" Chu Liang asked in surprise.

Bai Wuxiang responded, "I’m hoping we can have a duplicate of the jade slip ready before the next Hallowed One emerges."

Chu Liang understood what he meant. If the next Hallowed One chose to defy the Laws of Ascension, Bai Wuxiang might be forced to use the jade slip. And when that time came, regardless of whether there were still any jade slips remaining, he would no longer be around to witness the outcome.

"In that case," Chu Liang said as he looked at Bai Wuxiang, "since you’ve spoken to me with sincerity, I’ll do the same. The Deity Pan’s Bone was fused into this."

As he spoke, Chu Liang held up the small bone-white pagoda, letting it catch the light.

Bai Wuxiang's eyes widened in astonishment. "This is...the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda?"

"Maybe it should be called the Demon-Refining Pagoda," Chu Liang said. "Its power might rival that of the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda. That’s why I hope that if a day ever comes when a Hallowed One defies the Laws of Ascension, you won’t need to rush into sacrificing your life to activate Hallowed Li’s artifact. The cultivators of the mortal realm might just be able to defend themselves."

Bai Wuxiang looked into Chu Liang’s eyes and smiled again. "You really do have a way of surprising people."

Chu Liang returned the smile and added, "Though I doubt it will come to that. The two brink-of-ascension cultivators are both part of the righteous forces, which means that the mortal realm should remain safe for at least the next thousand years."

...

Chu Liang then finalized the plan with Bai Wuxiang. The arrangement was simple. He would visit the Divine Ruins Monastery the next day and attempt to replicate the Jade Slip of Life and Death.

But before that, he wanted to test the Demon-Refining Pagoda.

Compared to the previous White Pagoda, it now had the ability to suppress and destroy evil entities. This was a power Chu Liang had not yet witnessed for himself.

That evening, he arrived at a mass grave downstream of the Bombax River. All around him, the land was silent and still.

The site was filled with unclaimed graves, where bodies had been wrapped in straw mats and buried in shallow pits. Even grave robbers saw no value in coming here. The entire area lay in darkness, bleak and desolate.

Chu Liang released his divine sense. As expected, it wasn’t long before he caught a faint glimmer in the darkness. He flew toward it without hesitation.

He spotted a faint, ghostly green light floating above one of the graves. As he drew closer, he saw that the flame had already taken on a humanoid shape and was aimlessly drifting back and forth. The moment it caught the scent of human qi from Chu Liang, it rushed toward him at high speed.

It was a lantern monster.

Back when Chu Liang had just begun cultivating, he used to hunt creatures like this to trade for Qi-Gathering Pills. He had grown familiar with this graveyard over time. But ever since reaching a level where he could take on real monsters alone, he hadn’t set foot here in years.

Returning to this old hunting ground stirred a quiet sense of nostalgia within him.

A lantern monster was nothing more than a lingering spirit clinging to ghostly flames, one of the weakest types of demonic creatures. They often appeared in places like this. If a passerby happened to encounter one, the strong might be startled, while the weak might fall ill. But more often than not, it was the lantern monster that ended up dying.

However, the one before him had already taken on a human shape. It had clearly grown very strong. Most likely, it had formed from dozens of lantern monsters devouring one another, resulting in a much larger and more dangerous creature.

If an ordinary person happened to run into it now, there was a real chance it could successfully possess their body, unlike the smaller ones that dreamed of possession but often ended up destroying themselves in the attempt.

"We’ve known each other a long time," Chu Liang said, shaking his head. "But in your current state, I can’t just let you roam free."

This was exactly why he had come.

When he needed a secluded place and an evil entity to test the Demon-Refining Pagoda on, this old acquaintance had been the first to come to mind. And so, he came here.

It was clear that this large lantern monster had spent years cultivating and had gradually developed a sense of intelligence and awareness. Its only goal now was to fulfill its dream of possessing a human body of its own.

At this moment, it charged toward Chu Liang with all the speed it could muster.

The young man suddenly shouted, "Hah! Brazen lantern monster, behold my Demon-Refining Pagoda!"

A bolt of lightning cracked through the sky as a brilliant white pagoda emerged with overwhelming force, causing the heavens to tremble.

Boom!

The lantern monster froze in confusion.

Huh?

The Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, sealed away for five centuries, had finally reemerged in a new form—the Demon-Refining Pagoda. The power it had gathered over the years burst forth all at once, and its pressure was so great that even spirits and deities trembled before it.

Suspended high in the sky, the Demon-Refining Pagoda lit up beneath its base. A burst of light shot out, unleashing forty-nine chains inscribed with talismans. They clattered through the air and wrapped tightly around the lantern monster’s body.

Seeing this, the lantern monster was stunned. After wandering this place for years, all it had ever wanted was to find a sickly person or a small child to possess. It had never imagined it would run into something like this.

What... is this thing?

It thought.

The sight before it was so far beyond its limited understanding that it could no longer feel fear. Its mind had gone blank, frozen in disbelief.

There was even a trace of absurdity, as if the whole situation were some kind of joke.

Rumbleeee.

The earth shook, and the heavens roared as if applauding the power of the Demon-Refining Pagoda!

Clang!

The towering pagoda slammed into the mass grave beneath the night sky, sending tremors across the entire Southern Regions.

Its divine power was awe-inspiring, even greater than it had been in the past!

And just like that, the lantern monster was pulled into the Demon-Refining Pagoda.

In the final moment of its existence, a flicker of emotion appeared in the hollow eye sockets of its ghostly flames, as if silently asking, "Is this really necessary?"

1. What in the death note is this thing ☜