Chapter 84: Mo, the Drought Demon’s Heir (First Update)

Although Master Yulan felt a measure of sorrow, it was not overwhelming; after all, the Ancestor of the Extreme Star had merely ascended to the Immortal Realm rather than falling into the cycle of reincarnation, and this should be cause for celebration. Whatever trace of grief she had quickly dissipated, and she gathered the members of Jade Toad Palace to rejoice together.

All manner of fruits and fine wine were brought forth. The most troubled by this, however, were Xu Cheng and Chrysanthemum, for neither could taste any of these delicacies unless incense and candles were lit at the feast and they worshipped themselves.

As everyone was celebrating, Xu Cheng vaguely heard a gurgling sound. Looking closely, he saw it came from the distant blood lake formed by the self-destruction of the Great Xia Dynasty. Bubbles rose continuously from the lake's surface, which then began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, the blood lake vanished entirely, revealing a figure in black. Sensing the aura, Xu Cheng realized this must be the zombie he had encountered previously.

The moment the blood lake disappeared, the figure flickered and appeared before Xu Cheng. The people of Jade Toad Palace noticed the black-clad stranger as well, assuming he was a martial artist from the Xia Dynasty. Their hands sparkled with light, ready to act.

In this tense moment, Xu Cheng quickly said, "It's all right, he's one of us!"

The members of Jade Toad Palace, half-believing, withdrew their magical power. Xu Cheng had seen the zombie's body before; perhaps only the Ancestor of the Extreme Star could duel him for three hundred rounds.

"So this is where you've gone! I wondered why I couldn't find you! Fortunately, there was enough blood left to sustain me, or I truly would have perished," the zombie exclaimed in a hurry, his voice thick with the scent of blood. Hearing this, Master Yulan led her people to stand behind Xu Cheng in support.

"Senior, what should I do?" Xu Cheng asked urgently.

"It's simple, you need do nothing. When my body completely fades, I'll leave behind a true spirit. When that happens, send me into reincarnation! By the way, you may call me Zi Mo. If fate allows, perhaps we'll meet again in the next life!"

As he spoke, the skin on the zombie's face gradually turned to loamy earth. When he finished, only a skeleton remained, which soon crumbled and scattered in the wind.

From the remnants emerged a wisp of pale smoke that did not dissolve into the world—clearly the true spirit of the zombie, Zi Mo. Xu Cheng opened the path to reincarnation, and the true spirit was enveloped by the aura of the Yellow Springs. With Xu Cheng's guidance, it successfully transmigrated. Whether it would become livestock or a human, he could not say.

"So that was the zombie Zi Mo!" Master Yulan said in disbelief.

"Master Yulan, you know him?" Xu Cheng asked, watching her expression.

"Indeed. He was a figure from six thousand years ago, and had already evolved to the level of a drought demon. Many accomplished cultivators sought to destroy him to make a name for themselves, but all met the same fate: their blood and souls drained, perishing utterly. Three thousand years ago, he left for the Immortal Realm, and was never heard from again—until now, reappearing in the mortal world. It seems he suffered grave injuries, and was forced to use his true spirit to reincarnate and live again," Master Yulan explained, recounting what she knew.

To wound Zi Mo so severely, Xu Cheng could guess without thinking that a formidable immortal from the Immortal Realm must have harmed him.

"If you can find his next incarnation and guide him onto the path of cultivation, you might learn about the Immortal Realm," Master Yulan concluded.

Xu Cheng's eyes brightened at her words. All matters of the mortal realm are recorded and accessible, but the Immortal Realm remains a mystery; those who ascend rarely return, and descriptions in the mortal world are but fragments, speaking only of its wonders without revealing what it truly is.

Still, though his heart was moved, he thought it would be nearly impossible to find him among the vast sea of humanity.

After sending Zi Mo into reincarnation, the Yellow Springs rewarded Xu Cheng with thirty thousand merit points. Streams of golden light descended, nearly dazzling Master Yulan's eyes.

For a moment, she was tempted to seize it, but quickly abandoned the notion. Wealth can stir the heart, but mere merit is not enough to shake Master Yulan’s steadfast resolve.

Without further thought, Master Yulan led the Jade Toad Palace members to continue celebrating.

Several days passed. Aside from Yan Mengdie, who ate with great satisfaction, Xu Cheng and Chrysanthemum wore pained expressions, unable to taste anything.

As the others became intoxicated, the two planned to slip away. However, Yan Mengdie was drunk as well. Carrying her felt like bearing a mountain; ultimately, they gave up, finding it too wasteful of spiritual power.

The two carried her back to the elders’ quiet chamber to begin their cultivation.

Within the patterns of the cave, Xu Cheng's primordial spirit was suffused with warmth. It felt as though, in the next moment, he might ascend to immortality, carefully condensing the supreme truths of the Dao.

Not until the truths of Sacrifice, Reincarnation, and Hell each reached the thickness of two strands of hair did Xu Cheng awaken. He estimated that another three months had passed.

Yan Mengdie was also meditating. Though her body had not grown larger, her skin was now covered entirely in a keratinous layer, making her appear truly terrifying.

“Haha, Messenger of the Yellow Springs, why not become a guest elder at Jade Toad Palace!” As soon as Xu Cheng stepped out of the chamber, he saw Master Yulan in her true form—strikingly beautiful—with arcs of lightning flickering as she spoke.

“Master Yulan, you jest! My troubles are far too numerous,” Xu Cheng replied politely, puzzled by the flickering lightning on her body.

“No matter! It’s just a guest elder position. Every sixty years, I’ll send you elixirs!” Master Yulan was unwilling to give up.

“Master, what is this...?” Xu Cheng sidestepped the question, curious about the flashes of electricity on her body.

“Oh, nothing more than a baptism by heavenly thunder two months ago. What’s so remarkable about that? Messenger of the Yellow Springs, will you accept or not?” Master Yulan pressed close, her breath carrying a unique fragrance—pleasant but not cloying; even Xu Cheng, lacking a sense of smell, could perceive it. Clearly, it was an effect targeting the primordial spirit.

Faced with such persistence, Xu Cheng had no choice but to agree to become a guest elder at Jade Toad Palace.

“By the way, Master, would you come with me to check on my companion’s condition?”

Yan Mengdie, once merely round as a little elephant, now looked more like a monster with her body covered in keratin.

“It’s nothing; it’s the fairy art of the Spiral Jade Clan—a process they must undergo!” Master Yulan gave Xu Cheng a reassuring glance after examining her.

“There’s such a fairy art? I just don’t understand why the body produces keratin,” Xu Cheng felt somewhat comforted.

“Have you ever seen a caterpillar form a chrysalis, then a chrysalis become a butterfly?” Master Yulan smiled as she spoke.

“So that’s it...?” Xu Cheng finally understood. Yan Mengdie’s current state was the chrysalis stage, preparing to transform into a butterfly, which explained the layer of keratin that had appeared on her body.