Although the Underworld Sect had yet to fully reappear, the reopening of the Underworld Dao had resulted in the formation of Underworld Punishment, causing the entire Never-Ending Dao Domain to tremble. Meanwhile, in the Nine Serenities Galaxy, at the bottom of the Underworld River filled with countless dead souls, the commotion was different from that of the Underworld Planet and the outside world …
This place was filled with sorrow and madness.
"Waning Moon!"
"Waning Moon!"
"Waning Moon!"
In the Underworld Emperor's Tomb, Wang Baole knelt at the spot where his master, Ming Kunzi, had disappeared. He had forgotten the passage of time, and only one thought remained in his mind.
To make the impossible possible, to reverse time, and to reappear his master's soul.
He didn't know how many times he had used the Waning Moon. His face was pale, and the veins in his eyes were about to dry up. After a long time, Wang Baole's body trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He staggered back a few steps. He had used everything he had to reverse time, but he still couldn't find his master's soul in the distortion.
Wang Baole fell silent.
He knew, or perhaps he had known, that there were some things he couldn't reverse. His master's soul had dissipated because it was connected to the Underworld Emperor's coffin. This wasn't something the Waning Moon could affect or change.
"Big Sister, can you help me …?" Wang Baole whispered bitterly.
"I … can't do it. Baole, don't be sad. Let's think if there's any other way." Wang Yiyi, who hadn't responded to him for a long time, spoke softly. She could sense Wang Baole's thoughts, but she couldn't do it.
Perhaps Waning Moon could.
But … she could sense that her father was no longer in this world.
"Can't do it …?" Wang Baole murmured. The sorrow in his heart grew stronger, and it spread throughout his body. After a long time, the distortion caused by the Waning Moon slowly dissipated. Wang Baole looked up.
Even though the Underworld River had drowned out everything and blocked his vision, he seemed to be able to see his senior brother's figure beyond the Underworld River. After a long time, Wang Baole quietly retracted his gaze.
He understood his Master's choice, and understood his Senior Brother's choice. There seemed to be nothing wrong here, but their Daos were different. However, he could not understand.
Because … Chen Qing could pursue his own dao and walk the path of the glorious Dark Sect, but the price he had to pay shouldn't be the destruction of his master's soul. Wang Baole knew full well that his senior brother was wrong.
Master was also wrong. He was wrong because he was soft-hearted. He was wrong because he couldn't bear to see his two disciples turn against each other. He was wrong because he wanted to use his own death to fulfill the wishes of his two disciples.
"I was wrong too. I shouldn't have come to the River Styx." Wang Baole sat off to the side, looking wearily at the spot where his Master had vanished. After a long moment passed, he suddenly looked up, and his eyes once again began to shine.
"There's another way …" Wang Baole raised his right hand, and a small bottle appeared in his palm.
It was the wishing bottle.
As he held the wishing bottle, hope burned in Wang Baole's eyes. He took a deep breath and gripped the bottle tightly.
"I wish … for Master to be resurrected!"
The wishing bottle was as cold as ever, and didn't react at all. Wang Baole sat there quietly for a long moment before speaking again.
"I wish … for time to return to the time before Master's soul was destroyed!"
There was no reaction from the wishing bottle. Wang Baole lowered his head and closed his eyes. This time, he sat there quietly for a long time. After enough time passed for half an incense stick to burn, he opened his eyes and looked at the wishing bottle with mixed emotions.
"Senior," he murmured, "if you really can't resurrect Master, then please give me … a chance to paint his corpse face."
The wishing bottle was as quiet as ever, and as before, there was no warm current that Wang Baole was familiar with. After a long moment passed, the bitterness in Wang Baole's heart grew. He was just about to change his wish when, all of a sudden, the wishing bottle in his hand trembled. Gradually, a will began to emanate out from within the bottle. It seemed to be coming from some distant, unknown location, and was echoing into Wang Baole's mind.
"You owe me a favor."
The voice was ethereal and difficult to detect. It seemed to be using the wishing bottle as a medium to enter the Hell-Emperor's Tomb within the world of the stone steles. As the voice echoed out, the wishing bottle in Wang Baole's hand began to emit a warm current.
This warm current was unprecedentedly hot, and it exploded out into Wang Baole's hand. Wang Baole's mind trembled as the wishing bottle began to shine with intense light. The light spread out in all directions, influencing natural laws and changing them. Gradually, strands of soul appeared out of nowhere.
The soul strands had long since dissipated, but now, the impossible had become possible. As Wang Baole's mind trembled, the strands of soul strands began to converge together in front of him to form … a soul sphere!
It was a soul sphere that would not last forever, and would not last for very long.
It was the discarnate soul of his Master!
More accurately speaking, it would be more appropriate to call it the soul sphere of his Master's origin, because the soul sphere did not contain his Master's face. It was just a soul that bore his Master's mark.
According to the Underworld Sect's understanding, such a soul needed to be drawn according to the Heavenly Dao's guidance, its Corpse Face, its Fate, its Karma, and finally, it would be sent into the cycle of reincarnation.
But his Master's discarnate soul was somewhat different. It … was dissipating. Although the power of the wishing bottle slowed down the dissipation, it still could not last for very long.
Judging by the speed at which it was dissipating, it would only last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Wang Baole's eyes grew moist as he stared at the soul sphere. He gently brought the soul sphere in front of him and began to murmur softly.
"Master …."
As he murmured, Wang Baole closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were filled with reminiscence. His hands trembled as he began to draw out the features of the afterlife for the soul sphere.
He drew the eyebrows, the eyes, the nose, and the mouth.
Every stroke was filled with his emotions. Every stroke was filled with his memories. He was very serious.
What he drew was not the afterlife.
What he drew was the present life.
It was the Master who, before dissipating, still wanted a future that could not be interfered with, a future that would allow him to leave this place.
They had met in a dream. They had become apprenticed to each other in that dream. When they met again, they were in soul form, and in the blink of an eye, they were in the past ….
After a long time passed, Wang Baole finished his final stroke. His face was covered with tears. He looked at the soul that had returned to the appearance of his Master. Wang Baole stood up and stepped back. Then, he knelt down in front of the soul, whose eyes were closed.
One kowtow. Two kowtows. Three kowtows … all the way until nine kowtows.
Thank you for your kindness, Master!
The soul slowly opened its eyes and looked kindly at Wang Baole. Gradually … a smile appeared on its face.
"Good."
In the next moment, his soul blurred, as if it had been wiped away, disappearing from Wang Baole's sight when he raised his head. He watched as his master disappeared bit by bit, and more tears flowed out of his eyes. In his mind, the words his master had said before they parted all those years ago appeared vaguely.
"Just do as you wish …."
"Just do as you wish …." Wang Baole murmured. He sat there paralyzed, tears streaming down his face.
Little Missy's silhouette gradually appeared beside him. She looked at Wang Baole silently, her eyes filled with heartache. She approached him gently and sat beside him. She raised her hands and placed them gently on Wang Baole's head, massaging it gently.
"There are bound to be regrets in life," she said softly. "Those are not things that we can change.
"Baole, you've done well. You've done everything you could."
"I've done everything I could …." Wang Baole murmured. Exhaustion filled his body.
"Mm, you've done everything you could," said Little Missy softly. "Go to sleep and rest." Little Missy spoke gently as she placed Wang Baole's head on her lap. As she kneaded it gently, she began to sing a gentle song.
The song was very gentle, and made people feel warm and safe. It was a feeling of tranquility that came from the depths of their hearts. Wang Baole was like a mortal walking through the cold winter night, wearing only a single layer of clothing. He was shivering as he approached a stove, which gradually enveloped him in warmth.
Everything was quiet. The only sound that could be heard was Little Missy's song.
"The wind blows softly, and the birds sing softly. Baby, don't be sad. Go to sleep ….
"The snow floats slowly, and the tears fall quietly. Baby, don't be sad. Wake up and smile happily."
(End of Chapter)
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