Chapter 1010: The Emperor's Pride

Hao Meili grasped the Book of Life and Death with her eyes glowing, though what emitted from her eyes was not an ordinary light but an eerie black radiance—dark, yet paradoxically bright.

As the black light shone, a chill spread through the surroundings, as if an immense, obscure energy was gathering around her.

Xidu Emperor immediately stepped back, clearly finding it difficult to withstand the aura, while Mr. Corpse and the others looked on with astonishment.

Is this some kind of eye technique?

No, it wasn't an eye technique. Although Hao Meili's eyes emitted black light, her pupils remained unchanged—only the whites of her eyes had turned black.

Standing close by, Zhong Shan could see clearly that Hao Meili's entire eyes had become pitch black.

Streams of black light shot into the Book of Life and Death, causing strange black symbols to emerge from the book. These symbols multiplied, increasing in number, and were then absorbed directly into Hao Meili's eyes.

The scene was incredibly eerie, but everyone present understood that Hao Meili was in the process of refining the Book of Life and Death.

This enigmatic book, which had seemed impossible to handle, was being so easily refined by Hao Meili?

Black energy began to seep out from Hao Meili's body, and the surrounding space was chilled by the coldness of this energy, causing frost and snow to appear in the air.

The group waited patiently, and after a full hour, the black light in Hao Meili's eyes finally disappeared. At that moment, the Book of Life and Death also shrank mysteriously, becoming the size of a palm and falling into Hao Meili's hand.

With a simple flick of her wrist, the Book of Life and Death vanished. Another flick, and the book reappeared in the void before her.

Hao Meili, brimming with excitement, began to play with the book.

After a moment of reveling in her newfound treasure, she turned to Zhong Shan.

"This... this Book of Life and Death feels like it was custom-made for me! So many curses in here are perfect for my cultivation!" Hao Meili said excitedly.

"In that case, the Book of Life and Death is yours," Zhong Shan said directly.

Since he couldn't utilize it effectively, Zhong Shan naturally decided to give it to Hao Meili, who could make the most of it.

"Zhong Shan, you're the best!" Hao Meili exclaimed, overjoyed.

Seeing Hao Meili so happy, even Xidu Emperor couldn't help but show a warm smile. After all, he had watched her grow up and poured his heart and soul into her training. Though they were master and disciple, their relationship was more like that of a father and daughter.

"Did you figure anything out?" Zhong Shan asked.

Upon hearing his question, Hao Meili's expression turned serious, and the excitement vanished from her face.

"What's wrong?" Zhong Shan asked again.

"Is this Zilu powerful?" Hao Meili asked.

"He's quite capable—a Grand Immortal," Zhong Shan replied.

"Then that's bad!" Hao Meili said with concern.

"Why?" Zhong Shan's expression tightened.

Hao Meili turned to the page where Zhong Shan had written Zilu's name. "This is a Life-and-Death Contract. By writing Zilu's name, you've influenced him to some extent, but you've also trapped yourself!" Hao Meili explained.

"Me? What do you mean?" Zhong Shan's expression grew more serious.

"The Life-and-Death Contract ensures that one of you must die. Since you've written Zilu's name, within three years, one of you will definitely die. If Zilu dies, one-tenth of his remaining lifespan will be added to yours. But if you don't kill him within three years, then Heaven itself will decide, and one of you must die!" Hao Meili said.

"..." Zhong Shan's expression turned somewhat strange. It seemed that dabbling in curses without proper knowledge could be dangerous. If he had inadvertently written the name of a saint, wouldn't that have been a death sentence?

"What if Zilu doesn't show up?" Mr. Corpse quickly asked.

Yes, if they couldn't find Zilu, wouldn't that be a disaster?

"No, once the Life-and-Death Contract is formed, it becomes entangled with the heavenly mandate. Fate will ensure that you two will cross paths again within three years," Hao Meili explained.

"..." Zhong Shan fell into a brief silence, before finally muttering with a slightly strange expression, "What kind of treasure is this Book of Life and Death? It's so sinister."

"I'm not entirely sure myself. There's still a lot about it that I haven't mastered, but I heard from the Plague God that the Book of Life and Death is one of the Four Sacred Tomes of Cursing," Hao Meili explained.

"Alright," Zhong Shan nodded.

Although they couldn't fully understand the book right now, it didn't matter—Hao Meili was the one who would study it. The more pressing issue was how to deal with Zilu in the future, given that one of them must die.

"By the way, do you know who ended up with the Creation Jade Disc after the battle at Saint Corpse Mountain?" Zhong Shan asked.

"I don't know. Old man, do you know?" Hao Meili turned to ask.

"You don't care about anything, so of course you wouldn't know!" Xidu Emperor said with a smile.

"I didn't have the time!" Hao Meili responded, a bit embarrassed.

"The Creation Jade Disc caused quite a stir when it emerged. But in the end, it vanished!" Xidu Emperor said.

"Vanished?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"Yes, many people fought over it, and during the chaos, the Creation Jade Disc emitted a blinding white light and then disappeared. Some say it was taken by someone in secret, others believe it chose a new owner, and some think it returned to the heavens. There are many theories, but the fact remains—it disappeared," Xidu Emperor explained, shaking his head.

"Disappeared? That's impossible. After so many years, why would it vanish now? What happened afterward?" Zhong Shan pressed.

"After the Creation Jade Disc disappeared, Sa descended from the heavens. By then, many had already fled, but some remained, unwilling to give up. When Sa drew his Qingping Sword, he slaughtered every strong cultivator within a million miles—none were spared," Xidu Emperor recounted.

"Sa truly left no one alive..." Zhong Shan said, his voice heavy.

"Indeed," Xidu Emperor nodded.

"And what about Confucius?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Confucius hasn't appeared since. It seems he, too, realized that the Creation Jade Disc was lost. The area around Saint Corpse Mountain has returned to its former state of deathly silence. After Sa's sword strike, no one dares to approach the place anymore," Xidu Emperor said.

Zhong Shan stayed in the Celestial Court for several days. During this time, the Jade Emperor did not meet with Zhong Shan again. Zhong Shan wasn't in a rush, but he could tell that something significant was happening within the Celestial Court, likely related to the jade slip from King Dizang.

One day, while Zhong Shan and Hao Meili were discussing curse techniques—though Zhong Shan didn't plan to delve too deeply, he wanted to understand at least the basics so he could protect himself—something unexpected occurred.

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound echoed through the heavens and earth, shaking the surrounding space.

"What was that?" Hao Meili exclaimed, clearly startled by the sudden noise.

"Let's go!" Zhong Shan quickly reacted, leading the group outside.

"Which way?" Hao Meili asked.

"To the Lingxiao Hall!" Zhong Shan replied.

The group swiftly flew towards the location of Lingxiao Hall.

Lingxiao Hall, the grand hall of the Celestial Court, stood tall and imposing. The first hall of the Four Continents, it was the central gathering place for the Celestial Court's assemblies. Zhong Shan and his group soon arrived nearby.

The hall was a towering structure, a hundred zhang tall, entirely made of pure white jade, exuding a sense of vastness and majesty.

Above the entrance hung a large crystal plaque, on which the characters "Lingxiao Hall" were prominently displayed.

As Zhong Shan and his group approached, they halted at a distance, observing the scene unfolding before them.

In the grand plaza before Lingxiao Hall, the gods of the Celestial Court were gathered, all eyes focused on the center of attention—a massive golden throne adorned with nine dragons. Seated upon this throne was the Jade Emperor, his expression cold and stern.

Beside him stood the Queen Mother, the Plague God, and others, all appearing as though they were facing a great threat. Their gazes were fixed on the southern skies, where something extraordinary was happening.

In the distance, beyond the Southern Heavenly Gate, a celestial path stretched from the heavens to the earth. Trapped within this path was a man clad in a monk's robe.

Zhong Shan's pupils contracted at the sight of this man. King Dizang?

But how could this be?

King Dizang's eyes had lost their luster, as though he had been completely controlled, reduced to a puppet carrying out commands. Yet, even in this state, he was trapped within the celestial path.

"Hmph!" The Jade Emperor let out a cold snort.

At this sound, the celestial path trembled violently.

"Boom!"

A resounding explosion echoed as King Dizang's body suddenly spewed blood.

"Dizang!" The Jade Emperor's voice thundered, as two more celestial paths appeared, shimmering with a mystical aura. These paths intertwined and shattered the one confining King Dizang, freeing his body.

Dizang? Could it be? Zhong Shan's heart grew heavier as he watched. Could the Saint Mitian have arrived? Did King Dizang foresee that Mitian would come to the Celestial Court, prompting him to send the jade slip to warn the Jade Emperor?

But what was the Jade Emperor's attitude? Did he know it was Mitian? If so, why did he show no fear?

The Jade Emperor, still facing south, suddenly spoke in a frosty tone, "So, even among saints, there are those who resort to sneaky tricks. What? You come to my Celestial Court and hide your face, Mitian?"

"He knows?" Zhong Shan's expression grew more serious as he muttered.

Suddenly, in the distant sky, between the two paths, a figure in white robes appeared with a flash.

As soon as this figure emerged, the clouds parted, and an overwhelming aura of supreme authority surged forth, pressing down upon all living beings.

"Roar!" From the Celestial Court, a massive golden dragon of fortune erupted from a sea of golden clouds, its mighty roar weakening the saintly presence significantly.

"Hao Tian Tongming Palace's Jade Emperor? The little attendant who served beside Lijun back in the day? What, has Lijun's fall left you clinging to your old arrogance?" Saint Mitian spoke in a calm, almost indifferent tone.

"Saint Mitian? You still live up to Lijun Daozu's assessment of you," the Jade Emperor replied, his voice deep and unwavering.

"Lijun's assessment?" Saint Mitian looked at the Jade Emperor, clearly paying great attention to what Lijun had said.

"A lackey of Heaven's Will, shallow and narrow-minded, unworthy of great responsibilities!" The Jade Emperor articulated each word with precision and disdain.

The air grew eerily still, as if even the wind had been scared into silence. The gods of the Celestial Court did not dare utter a word; no one laughed, and all they could do was watch with cold, silent gazes.

As for Saint Mitian, he stood motionless in the void, his expression hidden, but Zhong Shan could guess his feelings. From Mitian's initial curiosity, it was clear that he valued Lijun's opinion. But to have that opinion be so dismissive? One could only imagine Mitian's internal turmoil.

Having spoken, the Jade Emperor showed no fear, his gaze steady as he looked up at Saint Mitian, exuding an unyielding aura of imperial pride. His presence was as imposing as a towering mountain, defying even the might of a saint.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8