Chu Yun’s heart couldn’t help but become excited upon hearing about such a Divine Path Technique. Defensive Demon Soldiers could be found again, but this kind of calculation-based Divine Path Technique was incredibly rare. He immediately decided to give up the Primordial Golden Body Armor and obtain this Divine Path Technique instead.
The Twisted Wood King expressed surprise that someone would request a Divine Path Technique. How could a Divine Path Technique be casually given to others?
“Wait a moment, could it be that His Majesty Wushuang King possesses the extinct and rare demonic beast, the Spirit Snake?” The king’s wisdom led the Twisted Wood King to quickly realize this was the only possibility.
Chu Yun nodded, calmly admitting it.
The Twisted Wood King pondered in silence for a long time before stating that the Divine Path Technique could be given to Chu Yun along with the Primordial Golden Body Armor, but an agreement was necessary. Chu Yun had to swear upon the Xingzhou Great Law Net that he would not casually teach this Divine Path Technique to others.
Chu Yun frowned, haggling for the right to teach it to five more people. Although this Divine Path Technique could not be actively controlled, when the opportunity arose, it could foresee the consequences based on the cause of events. If used well, it could help avoid disaster and seize opportunities. Even more crucially, it was not a skill of an Abacus Master. If a Monster Tamer became an Abacus Master, their lifelong achievement would be capped at the peak of Marquis level. Therefore, even though Chu Yun greatly admired the unique power of Abacus Masters, and his Heavenly Eye also granted him the talent for it, he had never intended to become one.
He planned to teach this Dao Method to Jin Bihan, Erlang Tian Jun, Wine King, his adoptive father, and others. If possible, Yuwen Wan’er was also a candidate. Unfortunately, after returning from the Mermaid Island proposal, she had disappeared completely, and even the Sleeping Old Man could not deduce her whereabouts.
“Fine, let’s go with Your Majesty Wushuang King’s wishes this time,” the Twisted Wood King, knowing Chu Yun’s personality, generously took a step back in wisdom.
“Thank you so much, Master,” Chu Yun was overjoyed.
“However, there are some things I need to make clear beforehand. The Divine Path Technique is called ‘Tathagata,’ which was comprehended by our temple’s ancestor, Ku Tuo King. Ancestor Ku Tuo King was not from Xingzhou but from Tuo Zhou. Therefore, this Divine Path Technique is different from others. Even the blood descendants of us Tuo Zhou people can only occasionally trigger this divine ability. Since your bloodline is not from Tuo Zhou, I cannot guarantee the probability of triggering this divine ability,” the Twisted Wood King said, revealing a great secret.
It turned out that Ku Tuo King in the past was not from Xingzhou but from Tuo Zhou, one of the Nine Provinces. He founded the Ku Tuo Temple and left his bloodline. Therefore, his descendants, as long as they activated their bloodline power, could inherit his divine abilities.
“People from Tuo Zhou?” Chu Yun couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. He knew his own background but hadn’t expected that Ku Tuo King would also be a Monster Tamer not native to Xingzhou, just like himself.
“Heh heh, this secret is not unknown among us kings. Your Majesty Wushuang King, don’t be surprised. You are exceptionally talented, ascending to kingship at such a young age, so it’s normal not to know some of the secrets of Xingzhou. In fact, there are many immigrants from other Continents in Xingzhou,” the Twisted Wood King chuckled and explained gently to Chu Yun.
“There are other immigrants?”
“That’s right. Not to mention distant history, let’s talk about Nine Nether City. Long Jia, the Nine Ghost King of that time, opened a portal to Ghost Continent to revive his mother and ventured into Ghost Continent. Although his original plan failed, he lived in Ghost Continent for decades and brought back over ten wives and concubines from Ghost Continent, as well as a large number of heroes from Ghost Continent. He led these people back to Xingzhou and formed a faction. This is the Nine Nether City of today.”
The Twisted Wood King, as an old king of Ku Tuo Temple, was over ten thousand years old and knew the secrets of Xingzhou like the back of his hand, recounting them as if they were family heirlooms. Chu Yun was greatly enlightened by his revelations, feeling a dawning understanding. He had long heard the legend of Long Jia, the Nine Ghost King. It was related to the Heaven Spirit True Heart Pill. It was said that Long Jia, in his early years, had mediocre talent, no different from ordinary people. His mother sacrificed her life to refine a pill of Heaven Spirit True Heart for him. After consuming it, Long Jia was reborn and gained immense confidence. He then rose through the ranks, cultivating all the way to the King level. As his cultivation increased, he finally understood his mother’s painstaking efforts. To revive his mother, he ventured into Ghost Continent, his filial piety shaking the era. He was gone for decades, and just when people thought he would never return, he suddenly reappeared with his family in tow. He organized his followers and established Nine Nether City overnight. Therefore, the lineage of Nine Nether City actually originated from Ghost Continent. His reappearance caused a tremendous upheaval among the high-ranking officials of Xingzhou. Ghost Continent was the destination for souls after death, a place of immense mystery, shrouded in an endless dark mist. The incident of the Nine Ghost King showed Monster Tamers hope for immortality. They all asked the Nine Ghost King for information, but he remained tight-lipped, never mentioning his experiences. After returning from Ghost Continent, he had already ascended to the peak of the King level, and no one dared to force him. It was said that the Nine Ghost King returned from Ghost Continent in failure and remained melancholic and unhappy. No one knew what he had experienced in Ghost Continent. There were even rumors that the Nine Ghost King did not die naturally but committed suicide. He wanted to explore Ghost Continent again as a soul to revive his mother. However, this time, he never returned.
“However, Nine Nether City must hide a portal to Ghost Continent,” the Twisted Wood King finally stated. In fact, this secret was well-known among the high-ranking officials of Xingzhou. It was just that Chu Yun had ascended to kingship too recently in this life, giving him no time to accumulate such knowledge. In his previous life, his level was too low to be privy to such secrets. Sometimes, such secrets could bring disaster to those of low status, leading to their deaths. The Twisted Wood King’s openness towards Chu Yun was also because he felt that with Chu Yun’s immense power, he would eventually learn these secrets even if he didn’t say anything. By speaking first, he could gain Chu Yun’s favor and incur some debt of gratitude.
“Based on the timeline, the Nine Ghost King entered Ghost Continent during the White Emperor era, then fought his way back to Xingzhou alive and kicking. So, the Night Emperor was not the first; he was. No wonder the Night Emperor’s clone got involved with Nine Nether City. It seems the Night Emperor’s return to Xingzhou likely used the same portal the Nine Ghost King once used.” Every king was a legend. Chu Yun pondered and couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly fierce Long Jia, the Nine Ghost King, was. Even the Night Emperor’s resurrection followed his old path.
“Wait, does that mean resurrection is entirely possible!” Chu Yun’s mind suddenly flashed with inspiration. The Nine Ghost King back then was driven by the hope of rebirth, which is why he relentlessly pursued it to revive his mother. Although he failed, the Night Emperor later was a living example of success. Of course, the Night Emperor’s success was not complete, as for some unknown reasons, his soul could not return to his original body, and he had to split into five parts, residing in others’ bodies. The term ‘living dead’ was a perfect description for the Night Emperor. “If I can master these secrets, perhaps I can revive the Three Old Generals…” With this thought, Chu Yun became greatly excited, and he secretly resolved that if there was an opportunity in the future, he would definitely journey to Ghost Continent.
This conversation with the Twisted Wood King lasted for over six hours. The Twisted Wood King’s goodwill gave Chu Yun a great harvest. He finally understood that the Nine Provinces of the world were not isolated but interconnected in countless ways. He was also not the only extraordinary individual. There were quite a few individuals with bloodlines from other continents in Xingzhou.
Finally, the Twisted Wood King produced the Primordial Golden Body Armor and released its defenses, allowing Chu Yun to unilaterally communicate with its Spirit and copy the Divine Path Technique “Tathagata” from Ku Tuo King. Chu Yun found it somewhat strange that the Twisted Wood King seemed well-prepared, even bringing the treasured Primordial Golden Body Armor with him. The Twisted Wood King smiled and explained that before this trip, he had suddenly triggered the “Tathagata” Dao Method and already knew the outcome, hence his thorough preparations.
“So that’s how it is,” Chu Yun realized, understanding why the Twisted Wood King was so accommodating; he had come with prior expectations.
Now, Bei Guang, who had long been extracted from the hands of the Riot Ape and imprisoned in the underground dungeons of Huode City, was being well-fed and cared for. He immediately ordered someone to bring him over.
Bei Guang looked utterly dejected. Upon seeing his collateral ancestor, the Twisted Wood King, he immediately understood that he was saved. However, he felt no joy, only letting out a long sigh.
The Twisted Wood King smiled and asked, “Bei Guang, why do you sigh?”
“Reporting to Ancestor, this junior sighs at the suffering of life and the true meaning of existence. Emptiness is form, form is emptiness. All phenomena, whether existent or non-existent, are illusions. It’s laughable that the world doesn’t comprehend this. This junior, having been ignorant for countless eons, has also suffered this tribulation and now understands the profound intention of Ancestor when he had a damaged finger and told me to descend the mountain.” Bei Guang replied.
Chu Yun was stunned. Bei Guang now had a demeanor of a compassionate master, as if he pitied the world. It seemed the Twisted Wood King was right; he had truly undergone a complete transformation.
“Amitabha, Amitabha.” The Twisted Wood King chuckled with deep contentment. “With this, I can depart this world with peace of mind.”
“Ah, yes. Before we part, please return the Great Power Vajra Pestle of our temple to me, Your Majesty Wushuang King.” The Twisted Wood King stood up, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Chu Yun. The Great Power Vajra Pestle was a Tribulation Demon Soldier tens of thousands of years old. Although not a congenital demon soldier, it was a Destiny Demonic Treasure. It had appeared and troubled Chu Yun in the past, but after being beaten by the Riot Ape, it became obedient. As long as Bei Guang was alive, it had completed its mission. As Ku Tuo King’s demon soldier from that time, it held a disdain for wimps like Bei Guang. Later, as they spent more time together, it got along very well with the demonic creatures of the Endless Forest and formed a rather close relationship. In less than a quarter of an hour, it received the notification and, through the Gem Secret Passage, returned from the Endless Forest.
“Greetings, old king.” Upon seeing the Twisted Wood King, it immediately knelt and bowed. Then, it released a brilliant golden light and transformed from its human-like form into a golden rod.
“Don’t let me see the rod!” Bei Guang’s face twitched, and he cried out in alarm, losing his composure for the first time. The Twisted Wood King’s smile froze on his face.
(To be continued)
