đź“– Chapter 1186 - Drawing the Corpse Face
Although the Underworld Sect had not completely reappeared, their Heavenly Dao had recreated the cycle of reincarnation, re-refined the magical laws, and re-established the natural laws. Heavenly retribution struck, and the entire Never-Ending Dao Domain trembled.
Meanwhile, in the Underworld Galaxy on the flip side of the Dao Domain, the calm Underworld River formed a stark contrast to the uproar outside. And in the location at the bottom of the river, there was neither the calm of the river nor the commotion of the outside world…
Instead, there was only sorrow and madness.
“Ebbing Time!
“Ebbing Time!!
“EBBING TIME!!!”
Inside the Underworld Emperor Tomb, Wang Baole was on his knees at the spot where Ming Kunzi had disappeared. Unaware of the passage of time, there was only a single thought in his mind.
Make the impossible possible, reverse time, and resurrect his master’s soul!
By now, he had already unleashed Ebbing Time who-knows-how-many times. His complexion had long turned utterly pale, and even his bloodshot eyes seemed dry. A while later, Wang Baole’s body suddenly shuddered. A huge mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth, and he staggered backward several steps.
He gave everything he had to reverse time, but there was still no sign of his master’s soul.
Wang Baole fell silent.
By now, he knew… or perhaps he had known all along… that there were some things he couldn’t fix by turning back time. His master’s soul had already dissipated the moment the Underworld Emperor’s coffin had opened. This wasn’t something that his Ebbing Time could change.
“Little Missy, can you help me…?” Wang Baole said bitterly.
“I… can’t. Baole, don’t be sad. Let’s think together. Is there really no other way?” Wang Yiyi, who hadn’t spoken for a long time, whispered softly. She knew how Wang Baole was feeling, but she really didn’t have any way to help him.
Perhaps Flowing Time could fix things.
But… she could sense that her father was no longer in this piece of the universe.
“You can’t…” Wang Baole murmured. The sorrow in his heart deepened, sweeping through his whole body. After a long time passed, the distortions formed by Ebbing Time faded, and Wang Baole raised his head despondently.
Although the Underworld River above him obscured his vision, he seemed to see his former senior brother out there. Wang Baole stared for a long time before silently withdrawing his gaze.
He understood his master’s choice, and he also understood his senior brother’s choice. There seemed to be nothing wrong with either, but… their paths were different. He couldn’t understand.
It was one thing for Chen Qingzi to pursue the Dao of glorifying the Underworld Sect, but it was wholly another to do it at the cost of his master’s soul. In this matter… Wang Baole knew very well that his senior brother was wrong.
As for his master, Ming Kunzi… he was also wrong. He was wrong because he was too softhearted, because he couldn’t bear to watch his two disciples turn against each other, and because he wanted to resolve everything with his own death.
“And I… was wrong as well. I shouldn’t have come to this Underworld River…” Wang Baole sat down, face full of fatigue. Looking at the spot where his master disappeared, he fell silent once more. But after a while, he suddenly lifted his head, and his eyes were spirited.
“There’s another way…” With a flip of his hand, a bottle appeared in his palm.
It was the wishing bottle.
Holding the wishing bottle in his hand, the light of hope appeared in Wang Baole’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, he held it firmly and spoke.
“I wish… for Master to be resurrected!”
The wishing bottle remained cold and didn’t show any hint of reaction. Wang Baole was silent for a long time before speaking again.
“I wish… for time to turn back to before Master’s soul disappeared!”
Still, nothing happened. Wang Baole lowered his head and closed his eyes. This time, he remained silent for half an incense stick’s worth of time. When he reopened his eyes, he looked at the wishing bottle in his hand with a complicated expression. He whispered softly.
“Senior, if my master truly can’t be brought back, then… please, give me the chance to draw his Corpse Face.”
The wishing bottle was just as silent as before. The wave of heat that represented a wish being granted didn’t appear even after a long time passed, and Wang Baole’s heart grew more and more bitter. Just as he was about to make a different wish, the wishing bottle suddenly trembled slightly. A faint voice originating from a distant and unknown land echoed in Wang Baole’s mind.
"You owe this seat a favor."
This voice was ethereal and difficult to place. It seemed to have used the wishing bottle as a medium in order to transmit itself into this stele world. As soon as it reverberated, the wishing bottle in Wang Baole’s hand suddenly emitted a wave of heat.
This time, the heat was unprecedentedly powerful as it flowed from the bottle into Wang Baole’s hands. As his mind trembled, the wishing bottle shone with dazzling light, tugging on the natural and magical laws of the world. Threads of soul gradually appeared from the void and condensed in front of Wang Baole.
These soul threads had originally dissipated, but through the power of the wishing bottle, they reappeared. As huge waves surged in Wang Baole’s heart, the threads finally converged, turning into… a soul!
A soul that could only exist temporarily, one that would return to the void before long.
It was his master’s remnant soul!
Perhaps it was more accurate to call it his master’s essential soul. The soul here didn’t have the consciousness of Ming Kunzi, it was merely a mindless lump of soul energy that bore the imprint of his master.
According to the Underworld Sect, souls like this were considered to be past the stage of Soul Guide. After following the guidance of the Heavenly Dao to draw their Corpse Face, determine their fate, and connect their karma, they could be sent off into reincarnation.
However, this remnant soul was a little different from the souls collected with Soul Guide. It was… dissipating. Although the power of the wishing bottle meant it could last a little longer, it would still dissipate soon.
Judging from the current rate of dissipation, it would probably only be able to last an incense stick’s worth of time at most.
Staring at the soul in front of him, Wang Baole’s eyes grew moist. He gently touched it, murmuring softly.
“Master…”
Wang Baole shut his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, they were full of reminiscence. His hand trembled slightly as he began outlining the appearance of this soul’s next life.
He drew the eyebrows, the lines, the nose, the mouth…
Every brushstroke contained his emotions, his memories, his absolute solemnity.
What he drew was not the next life.
It was this life.
It was his master before dissipation, in the moment Wang Baole hoped that they could leave this place together undisturbed.
When they first met, it was in a grand dream, and he became the other’s disciple. When they met again, one was reduced to nothing but a soul, and their reunion passed by in the blink of an eye…
By the time Wang Baole finished the last brushstroke, his face was full of tears. The soul in front of him had his master’s visage, and its eyes were faintly closed. Stepping back, Wang Baole knelt down and kowtowed.
Once, twice, thrice… all the way until nine kowtows.
“Thank you… Master!”
The soul body slowly opened its eyes. It looked at Wang Baole with a gentle gaze, and slowly… smiled.
“Good.”
A moment later, the soul turned blurry and began to dissipate. Wang Baole watched as his master disappeared little by little, and even more tears streamed down his face. At this moment, he recalled his master’s final words from the Underworld Dream.
“All you have to do is follow your heart…”
“Follow my heart…” Wang Baole murmured. Face wet with tears, he slumped down on the spot.
The figure of Little Missy slowly appeared next to him, looking at him silently with an expression full of heartache. She sat down next to Wang Baole and gently rubbed his head.
“In life, there will always be some regrets, things we cannot change.
“Baole, you’ve done well. You did everything you could.”
“I did everything I could…” Wang Baole murmured. Exhaustion was spreading through his body, deep and thorough exhaustion.
“Mmhm, you did everything you could. Now, just take a rest.” Little Missy said as she placed Wang Baole’s head on her lap. Massaging his head gently, she began singing softly.
Her voice was very soothing, full of a mellow quality that made people feel tranquil from the bottom of their hearts. At this moment, Wang Baole was like a mortal walking through a cold winter night who suddenly found a fire out in the wilderness. Standing next to the fire, he was gradually enveloped in its tender warmth.
The surroundings were silent. Only Little Missy’s song echoed softly throughout this tomb.
“The wind so softly blows, the bird so gently sing. Baby, don’t be sad. Quickly go to sleep…
“Snowflakes flutter down, silent as your tears. Baby, don’t be sad. Laugh happily when you wake…”