📖 Chapter 1180 - The Lamp Extinguishes, the Person Dies

14 Dec, 2023

“It’s still incomplete.” At the bottom of the Underworld Emperor Tomb, the old man sitting cross-legged beside the coffin was smiling softly. Although his body was withered and ancient, his smile was still as kind and warm as in the Underworld Dream.

Upon seeing his master’s gentle gaze, the pain and bitterness accumulated in Wang Baole’s heart seemed to dissolve, leaving only a sense of peace and tranquility.

“Master…” Looking at the figure sitting in the depths of the Underworld Emperor tomb, a smile gradually appeared on Wang Baole’s face. Rather than asking what was incomplete about his Dao, he stood up and walked toward the crack that had opened up in the pitch-black sea due to his enlightenment.

Step by step, he walked into the black sea, into the crack, and into the next floor. This floor contained the trial of connecting karma, but it no longer had anything to do with Wang Baole. The crack led him directly through the floor and then onto the next.

Just like that, he walked all the way down to the bottom floor of the Underworld Emperor Tomb. This floor was empty, save for a coffin and… his master.

Wang Baole didn’t look at the coffin, nor did he pay any attention to the man and woman who had been walking around on the floor above. He didn’t care about the vigilance in their stances as they looked at him, nor about the complicated feelings and reluctance in their gazes.

None of that mattered. The only thing in Wang Baole’s eyes right now was the wizened form of his master.

Wang Baole walked over slowly and stopped a few zhang away from his smiling master. Lifting his robes, he knelt down and kowtowed, full of respect, gratitude and tranquility.

His movements were extremely meticulous. Although he moved slowly, he was very solemn.

Ming Kunzi’s smile was the same as ever, but the look in his eyes changed slightly. It held emotion, appreciation, as well as… heartache.

“Baole, your master has some regrets. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought you into the Underworld Dream back then.” Ming Kunzi sighed softly as he looked at his disciple. On the way here, he had seen everything – Wang Baole’s pain, exhaustion, confusion, and the process of arriving at his own Dao.

“Master, I have no regrets.” Wang Baole raised his head and smiled warmly.

Ming Kunzi shook his head. His wrinkles seemed to deepen, his gentle gaze carrying hints of distress. His hand twitched, as if he wanted to lift it up and stroke Wang Baole’s head, but he didn’t move it in the end. Instead, he turned his gaze away from Wang Baole and looked beyond the Underworld Emperor Tomb, beyond the Underworld River outside, at his other disciple out in the void…

Looking at the figure of this disciple, his expression was no longer gentle. Instead, it was full of regrets, complicated feelings, sadness, and… helplessness. Meanwhile, that figure silently gave a deep bow.

In the end, Ming Kunzi sighed and withdrew his gaze. After a while, he turned back to Wang Baole and murmured softly.

“You’re here for the Underworld Emperor’s remains?”

“The remains of the Underworld Emperor are important for my senior brother. Master, your disciple… wants to get them for him.” Wang Baole replied.

Ming Kunzi smiled. He took another deep look at Wang Baole before nodding.

“Go.”

“Many thanks, Master!” Wang Baole stood up and bowed deeply. This trip could be said to have gone extremely smoothly. He had obtained enlightenment of his own personal Dao, was about to obtain the remains of the Underworld Emperor, and even met his master whom he had thought was long dead.

His heart seemed to become serene, and even his original intention to part ways with the Underworld Sect after bringing the remains to his senior brother was wavering. Although their paths were different, if his master and senior brother were both here, then… staying might not be so bad.

With these thoughts in mind, Wang Baole walked toward the coffin. At some point in time, two pseudo-Underworld Children had appeared and were looking at him from not far away.

In the void above the Underworld River, Chen Qingzi was also looking at him.

Moreover, the Underworld Sect cultivators still in the upper floors of the Underworld Emperor Tomb were all looking at him!

Under the attention of all these gazes, Wang Baole didn’t notice something about his master’s gaze. Ming Kunzi’s gaze was full of fondness and reminiscence, but also… a sense of farewell.

What Ming Kunzi hadn’t told Wang Baole was that Chen Qingzi had already come to take away the Underworld Emperor’s remains. Back then, he had directly refused.

That was why Wang Baole had to come. But Ming Kunzi didn’t want to talk about this, and he didn’t want to see conflicts arise between Wang Baole and Chen Qingzi. Both of them were his dear disciples.

One of them had been accepted in reality and followed Ming Kunzi since childhood. Eventually, he betrayed the Underworld Sect and lived in pain for countless years. In the end, he merged with the Heavenly Dao and stepped onto an extreme path.

The other had been accepted in the Underworld Dream. After experiencing everything in that dream, he eventually discovered his own Dao today, never deviating from his original intentions.

‘This is fine…’ Ming Kunzi closed his eyes. He didn’t want this youngest disciple of his to watch him disappear.

However, Wang Baole’s past experiences meant that his perception was beyond Ming Kunzi’s imagination. Almost as soon as he stepped toward the coffin, he suddenly paused. A trace of doubt appeared in his eyes. His intuition was telling him… that something was wrong!

It was just that he didn’t know what exactly was wrong. Thus he turned back to look at his master.

At first glance, there seemed to be no difference from before. After a moment of silence, a profound light flickered in Wang Baole’s eyes, and the shadows of his past lives manifested in his body. The aura of his intrinsic scabbard also spread out, converging on his eyes, but even with his gaze shining brightly… everything was the same.

“Aren’t you going?” Noticing Wang Baole’s gaze, Ming Kunzi opened his eyes and spoke softly.

Wang Baole didn’t move. Right now, he was only a step away from the coffin, but his intuition made him hesitate. Although everything seemed normal, he still looked at his master’s face and spoke.

“Master, is there… something you’re not telling me? For example, if I take away the remains of the Underworld Emperor… will it have some effect on you…?”

Ming Kunzi smiled.

“Kid, you were never such a suspicious person in the Underworld Dream. Why are you acting like this now? Don’t think too much. It’s not like I’m the Underworld Emperor. What would taking away his remains have to do with me? Go on.”

Wang Baole was silent for a while before speaking again.

“Master, earlier you said that my Dao is still incomplete. How can I make it complete?”

“I’ll tell you after you retrieve the remains. Go and take them.” Ming Kunzi laughed hoarsely and closed his eyes.

Wang Baole frowned. He looked at his master, then at the Underworld Emperor’s coffin. After a few moments of silence, he suddenly patted his storage pouch, and… a small bottle appeared in his hand!

It was the wishing bottle!

“I wish to see the truth!”

As soon as Wang Baole spoke, Ming Kunzi’s eyes suddenly opened. At the same time, the gaze from up above instantly turned solemn, because… at that moment, the wishing bottle emitted a wave of heat that instantly gathered in Wang Baole’s eyes. Black lightning seemed to flash in his gaze.

The moment the lightning appeared, everything in Wang Baole’s vision… instantaneously changed!

Although this was still the bottom floor of the Underworld Emperor Tomb, with the coffin and his master… his master’s figure wasn’t solid, but illusory! He was a soul!

Three threads spread out from Ming Kunzi’s soul and connected to the coffin. Or to be more precise, they were connected to… three soul lamps on the coffin that Wang Baole couldn’t see before!

When the soul lamps were extinguished, the coffin would be opened!

When the soul lamps were extinguished, Ming Kunzi would die!