Chapter 78: The Great Peril of the Six Paths of Reincarnation

“So that’s how it is. Then it seems all we can do is wait—after all, deification is a matter shrouded in uncertainty.” Zhang Kai sighed.

The man in brocade nodded. “Indeed, deification is a tribulation. The struggle between old and new is inevitable. And in the current circumstances, who can tell what’s happening in the mortal realm?”

Zhang Kai laughed. “I only came to the Netherworld to travel and see for myself. Once I return to the mortal world, I’ll check the situation again.”

The man’s eyes lit up. “You can return?”

Zhang Kai replied, “I am, after all, half human. As long as I do not use my powers, I am unaffected by the taboos.”

The man said, “If that’s the case, might we cooperate?”

“How would we do that?” Zhang Kai asked.

“If you have the chance to meet the one destined for deification, convey the information into this item, then simply crush it.” As he spoke, the man produced a black sphere.

Zhang Kai accepted it without hesitation, smiling. “Rest assured, if I find him, I’ll get to the bottom of it and inform Your Excellency.”

“Many thanks, my friend,” the man smiled.

“No need for courtesy. In fact, there are some matters I wish to trouble Your Excellency with as well.”

“Speak freely.”

“In the mortal world, I have some friends and family. While I don’t expect them to ascend to the heavens, I do hope they may live longer lives. It is the least I can do for them,” Zhang Kai said with a gentle smile.

“That’s no problem. This is a shadow of the Book of Life and Death. Within it is a thousand years’ lifespan. As long as it does not exceed the mortal limit, you may add any name you wish. Those who receive this gift will be exempt from the whims of fate, and die only of old age,” the man explained, handing Zhang Kai a sheet of paper.

The paper was neither gold nor silver, wood nor iron, yet it carried a profound aura of the Dao.

Zhang Kai was overjoyed and thanked him profusely.

Their exchange complete, Zhang Kai and the man continued drinking tea.

For the lordly man, this tea was mere entertainment.

For Zhang Kai, it was a marvelous boon.

One would be a fool not to seize a bargain.

So, Zhang Kai drank most of the tea, and even chewed the leaves at the end, leaving the man in brocade dumbfounded.

Even the woman playing the zither glanced over, her melody faltering.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, time had nearly run out.

Zhang Kai rose to take his leave.

The man did not try to detain him, his gaze frozen as he watched Zhang Kai quietly whisk away the teapot from the table.

Wasn’t this a bit much?

But he had never encountered such a thing before. In fact, he found it amusing.

Once he had left the lord’s pavilion, Zhang Kai admired the teapot as he walked, thoroughly satisfied.

Why was he so full?

Because the teapot could generate its own tea leaves.

It was none other than that ethereal Dao tea.

What was truly extraordinary was that this tea seemed not to be a material substance; after consuming it, it transformed into a kind of Dao resonance, absorbed by his body.

For Zhang Kai, this was a treasure not to be missed.

After all, they’d just finished a successful trade and had a pleasant conversation. Joy breeds friendship, and tricking friends was, after all, the hallmark of true friendship, wasn’t it?

He stowed away the teapot.

Zhang Kai transformed into Ultraman and soared off once more.

He dug a hole in one place.

Now that he had already dug here, there was no further benefit to lingering, except perhaps for showing off.

That didn’t suit Zhang Kai.

Better to head elsewhere, continue spinning tales, gather some more treasures, and then return to the mortal world for a good time.

Ultraman’s radiance streaked across the sky.

That light was seen by the man in brocade and by Yellow Springs alike, and both fell silent.

The brilliance was so pure.

To call it the first light between heaven and earth would not be wrong.

And in these times, to see it rise anew signified boundless potential.

Even Yellow Springs thought, perhaps such a younger brother was worth acknowledging.

He flew on for an unknown distance, leaving the endless mountains behind and entering a vast wilderness.

Along the way, Zhang Kai saw small ghost towns or scattered ghost villages, but he had lost interest.

After an indeterminate time, Zhang Kai discovered something new.

A massive circular screen of light spanned heaven and earth, its outline visible yet so vast as to be incomprehensible.

On its surface were countless ancient characters—unfamiliar, yet each one emanated infinite Dao resonance.

The light was divided into six squares, each displaying something different.

Instinctively, a name surfaced in Zhang Kai’s mind.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Wasn’t this a bit excessive?

Zhang Kai was left dumbfounded.

While marveling at the sight, he sensed something and turned his head. In the distant reaches on the other side, he saw a bridge of crystal, spanning heaven and earth. It was packed with people, all heading toward the circular screen.

Was this the Path of Reincarnation?

Had he come upon the very site of the underworld’s cycle of rebirth?

Turning these thoughts over in his mind, Zhang Kai did not approach.

He had a vague feeling that nothing good would come from nearing the screen—in fact, it might be extremely dangerous.

His senses told him that, apart from the souls crossing the crystal bridge, there was nothing else within thousands of miles.

He watched for a moment.

Then, decisively, he turned to fly back.

The unknown is the most terrifying.

If reincarnation was compulsory and he got swept in, he’d be finished.

Better not to tempt fate.

He would return when he had greater confidence.

This time, he did not pause, flying straight back to the original Nether Spring Grotto-Heaven.

Zhang Kai planned to return to the mortal world.

This journey to the Netherworld had been remarkably fruitful.

He would first assess the situation in the mortal realm, see if he could adjust, and then clean out any lurking aberrations.

As for deification—

He’d put that off for now.

He was not pressed for time, after all.

With a thousand years of cultivation and several centuries of life left, he could afford to wait.

Passing through the Black Abyss, he entered Nether Spring Grotto-Heaven.

But upon his return, Zhang Kai was taken aback.

Outside the Black Abyss, troops of spectral soldiers stood in dense ranks, sealing every exit.

“Well, well, you dare come back!” said the pale-faced bailiff with a vicious smile.

Zhang Kai was speechless. “It’s been so long. Is this really necessary?”

“Do you know who I am? My uncle is the garrison commander of Luofu City. You embarrassed me, so I’ll see you have no way out,” the bailiff sneered.

Zhang Kai glanced at the soldiers and was surprised to see a familiar face—it was the bearded ghost.

“Brother, what’s this about?”

“Ahem, a temporary assignment,” the bearded one answered, forcing a laugh. He wanted to pretend not to know Zhang Kai, but as a ghost king, he had to save face.

After a moment’s silence, Zhang Kai said, “Take your men and leave. I’ll pretend I never saw you.”

The bearded ghost bared his teeth. “Brother, I’m under the lord’s protection. Where should I go?”

“Head to Yellow Springs or to the Lord of North Darkness. Give them my name—you’ll do better there than here,” Zhang Kai replied sincerely.

“You’ve gone too far! Am I invisible to you?” the pale-faced bailiff shouted, turning purple with rage.

Zhang Kai ignored him entirely, looking at the bearded ghost. “Well?”

The bearded one hesitated, then shook his head. “I may be a ghost, but as a soldier I serve only one master. That much integrity I possess.”

“Very well. Then allow me to help you,” Zhang Kai said.

As soon as he finished speaking, his body swelled, transforming into a giant over a hundred and twenty meters tall.

All the ghost kings and spectral soldiers on temporary assignment were dumbstruck.

What in the world?

Wasn’t he supposed to be an ordinary demon?

Since when was ‘ordinary’ a hundred meters tall?

“Rest assured. I won’t harm your underlings, but the Lord of Luofu must give me an explanation for this,” Zhang Kai declared, unleashing his full strength and shouting, “Nephew of the Buddha, brother of Yellow Springs, close friend of the Lord of North Darkness, Diga asks: Lord of Luofu, who exactly are you looking down on?”