Undying Life

Chapter 999: The Pit of Ghosts

After their conversation, the group exited the grand hall once more.

By this time, Nian Ben and Nian Can had disappeared from outside the hall.

"King Yama, where are my two brothers?" Nian Youyou suddenly asked.

King Yama looked at Nian Youyou with a complex expression, then glanced at Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. As expected, in just a short time, they had already completely gained Ksitigarbha's trust.

Earlier, the sixteen Heart-Piercing Envoys had been determined to depose King Yama, but Ksitigarbha had forcefully intervened on his behalf. Now, King Yama had no intention of going against Ksitigarbha. Marrying a wife was one thing, but losing his position was not an option.

"They... they just left, and in quite a hurry too!" King Yama replied truthfully.

"They left? Why did they leave so quickly? They didn't even say goodbye to me, their sister. It must have been something urgent that needed them to leave Yama City so suddenly!" Nian Youyou remarked with a hint of regret.

"Uh, maybe it was something urgent," King Yama responded, now in no mood for further conversation.

Of course, Zhong Shan knew Nian Youyou's temperament well. Inside the hall, Zhong Shan had already learned that Nian Can and Nian Ben had forced Nian Youyou into the marriage. There was no way Nian Youyou still harbored any feelings for them. Her words just now must have had some other purpose.

At that moment, Mr. Corpse performed a spell, and with a wave of his hand, a group of zombies emerged from the ground, carrying a coffin as they slowly approached Mr. Corpse.

Huh?

The people around were slightly surprised, but no one said anything, as controlling a few zombies was a common sight in the underworld.

"Let's go," Ksitigarbha said.

"Alright," the group nodded.

Ksitigarbha led the way, slowly heading toward another relatively intact hall not far away.

"King Yama, they want to enter the Eighteenth Layer of Hell, the Pit of Ghosts?" Judge Lu asked in surprise.

King Yama turned and shot a cold glance at Judge Lu, who immediately felt a chill down his spine.

With Yama Hall in ruins and the wedding guests having no reason to stay, they all bid farewell to King Yama and left one by one.

That night, in Yama Hall.

Inside the hall, a group of high-ranking officials from the underworld gathered, all watching King Yama. What was wrong with him? Had he not yet recovered from the humiliation of having his bride stolen?

At that moment, King Yama frantically searched the hall, finally collapsing into a chair, his face filled with despair.

"King Yama, it's over. Let it go. There will be plenty of women waiting for you in the future," Meng Po comforted.

"It's over, it's gone, it's lost!" King Yama muttered in despair.

"What's lost?" the officials asked, confused.

"The Book of Life and Death! The Book of Life and Death is gone!" King Yama cried out, his face filled with panic.

"King Yama, the Book of Life and Death is here in my hands," Judge Lu said softly, holding up a black book.

"That's just a replica! I'm talking about the original! The original is gone!" King Yama shouted, his eyes wide with fear.

"The Book of Life and Death is missing?" The hall erupted in chaos as everyone's eyes filled with anxiety.

"King Yama, don't panic. Calm down and think. When was the last time you saw the Book of Life and Death?" Meng Po asked quickly.

"Before the wedding, I looked at it and put it away in my robes. How could it have disappeared?" King Yama said, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"Before the wedding? So, it was on you from the morning until the evening when it went missing. Who could have stolen the Book of Life and Death during that time?" Meng Po asked.

"Zhong Shan?"

"Zhong Shan? Impossible. From the moment he appeared, all eyes were on him. There's no way he could have stolen the Book of Life and Death under so many watchful eyes," Meng Po shook her head.

"I've figured it out! I know what happened!" King Yama suddenly shouted.

"Who?" Everyone turned to look at King Yama.

"Nian Ben and Nian Can! They're the ones! Why did they leave in such a hurry without even saying goodbye to Nian Youyou? They must have felt guilty—they took the Book of Life and Death and fled!" King Yama exclaimed, as if suddenly enlightened.

"So, what do we do now?" Meng Po asked, her face tense.

Those two were Ancient Immortals, after all.

King Yama's face flickered with uncertainty as he thought it over. Finally, he said, "We'll have to request the Heart-Piercing Envoys again. Have them hunt down the two and retrieve the Book of Life and Death!"

Zhong Shan and his group followed Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva into another grand hall, which contained a downward-sloping entrance. As they descended the steps, the surroundings trembled slightly with each step.

Zhong Shan understood that this wasn't just an underground chamber but rather another small world, similar to the former Eternal Life World.

As they reached the thirteenth step, a strong scent of blood assaulted their senses.

"Ah!"

"Roar!"

"Ugh!"

... The air was filled with the sound of ghostly wails and howls, stripped of their usual haunting sorrow and replaced with a vicious, ferocious energy. These were all evil spirits. Even after being condemned to the Eighteenth Layer of Hell, they remained evil.

The group passed through a narrow passage and then halted at the entrance.

Before them stretched an endless, vast sea of blood, churning violently with waves that reached the sky. The blood-red light was boundless.

Within the blood sea, countless black ghosts writhed and struggled, rising and falling with the waves. They seemed to be trying to soar into the sky but were always pulled back by the sea, trapped in its grasp. Even as they struggled, they emitted ferocious cries of agony.

Nian Youyou instinctively moved closer to Zhong Shan.

Above the blood sea hovered a massive golden swastika symbol, radiating a vast aura and accompanied by waves of Buddhist chanting.

"Is this the Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha?" Zhong Shan asked.

The Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha was a text specifically used for the salvation of souls. Zhong Shan had heard a monk recite it at a relative's funeral when he was young.

"Yes, the Zang family's sutra for salvation," Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva replied directly.

Zhong Shan looked at Mr. Corpse with a hint of surprise. What exactly was the origin of this Zang family?

"Is this the giant coffin that bears the mark of a sage?" Ksitigarbha asked again, his eyes flashing with interest as he looked at the coffin being carried by the zombies.

"Yes," Mr. Corpse nodded.

"Perhaps I could take a look. It's possible I could remove the mark without needing the Pit of Ghosts," Ksitigarbha offered.

Ksitigarbha wasn't boasting; as an Ancestor Immortal, he possessed the ability to remove weaker sage marks.

"No need," Mr. Corpse shook his head, immediately refusing Ksitigarbha's offer.

Though Mr. Corpse could temporarily trust the Di Zang lineage, which had been separated from the Zang family for nine generations, he wasn't ready to trust them completely.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded in understanding and didn't press the matter further. He pointed to a few buildings near the edge of the blood sea and said, "Over there are some palaces where you can stay temporarily."

"Alright," Mr. Corpse nodded.

"I'll be over there," Ksitigarbha added, pointing in another direction. "If you need anything, you can find me there."

"Hmm," Mr. Corpse acknowledged with a nod.

"Master Ksitigarbha!" Zhong Shan suddenly called out.

"Hmm?" Ksitigarbha turned to Zhong Shan.

"I've heard that you have a mythical beast named 'Diting.' Could you introduce me? I've been curious about Diting for a long time," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

Though Zhong Shan wasn't ready to fully open up to Ksitigarbha just yet, there were certain things that needed to be addressed. Diting, rumored to understand the heavens and earth, was something Zhong Shan needed to be cautious of in the days to come.

"Diting? He's not here. I've sent him out on a mission," Ksitigarbha replied solemnly.

"Really?" Zhong Shan scrutinized Ksitigarbha.

"It's the truth," Ksitigarbha affirmed without hesitation.

"That's a pity," Zhong Shan sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, by the way, a peerless demon has emerged from this blood sea. It's because of this demon that the evil spirits in the blood pool have become even more ferocious and difficult to subdue. I wounded it several months ago, but it fled into the depths of the blood pool. It's extremely cunning. If it reappears, crush this jade talisman, and I'll come immediately," Ksitigarbha said, handing Mr. Corpse a jade talisman.

"Hmm," Mr. Corpse nodded.

With that, the group made their way to the residence Ksitigarbha had indicated.

Surveying the area, Nangong Sheng began setting up an array formation. His setup was meticulous, drawing from his insights into the Book of the Earth and the Heavenly Calamity Chessboard. It took him an entire day to perfect the formation.

"Activate the array!" Nangong Sheng called out.

Immediately, a radiant light emanated from the palace, repelling the surrounding blood mist and malevolent energy.

In another palace far from the Pit of Ghosts, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva sat on a lotus platform. His expression shifted slightly, and then he shook his head with a faint smile. "The Zang family has indeed fallen for too long. Even this generation's Shishou is so cautious. What an array—it's even blocking my detection. But I have my own tribulation to face. I have no time to meddle in their affairs. Once I survive this trial, I'll reconsider the matter of the Zang family. I just hope Diting doesn't disappoint me this time."

As he spoke, Ksitigarbha brought out several purple bamboo branches, arranging them in the air. As he did so, his brow furrowed.

"A great tribulation... truly a great tribulation. There's no avoiding it. It seems I must enter the fray myself," Ksitigarbha muttered, a look of concern crossing his face.

The grand hall fell into a deep silence.

Meanwhile, back where Zhong Shan and his group were, everyone was gathered around the giant coffin.

"Mr. Corpse, can we begin?" Zhong Shan asked solemnly.

"Two more days. I need to inscribe the coffin with corpse runes," Mr. Corpse replied.

"Very well. We'll stand guard for you," Zhong Shan said.

Mr. Corpse nodded.

He then retrieved a brush and a dish of golden liquid, carefully beginning to inscribe strange symbols on the surface of the purple coffin.

The group watched for a long time but couldn't make sense of the symbols. They were unlike anything they had ever seen—so bizarre that just looking at them induced a sense of dizziness.

Over the course of the two days, they waited patiently. During this time, Nian Youyou took out a small black book.

"This is that old ghost King Yama's Book of Life and Death. My father's ancestor sent me and the two princes to retrieve it. I managed to steal it earlier. Hmph, those two traitors betrayed me, so I made sure they couldn't get the book and caused them a lot of trouble," Nian Youyou said with a resentful tone.

"The Book of Life and Death?"

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