Book 08 Chapter 079: East Spiritual Fire Sea
The emperor’s study, Borderless Heavenly Dynasty:
Gu Hai looked at Bing Ji in front of him, his brows slightly furrowed. “Bing Ji, has there been any unpleasantness between you, Xianer, and Wanqing recently?”
“No, both empresses treat me very well,” Bing Ji replied with a serious expression.
“Then why did you request to be transferred to the Huang Nation?” Gu Hai asked, his brow furrowing.
“This official is the Han Heavenly Dynasty’s Third Corps commander, and I have an obligation to contribute to the Han Heavenly Dynasty. Your Holy Eminence has repeatedly defended me, and the empresses have shown me great kindness. However, if I stay, it will lead to gossip and rumors among the officials,” Bing Ji explained in a hushed voice.
“Who dares to gossip?” Gu Hai frowned.
Bing Ji bit her lip. “Your Holy Eminence, please allow me to go. Currently, the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty and the Huang Heavenly Dynasty are leaderless. It’s an excellent opportunity for the Han Heavenly Dynasty to expand its influence covertly. If I don’t go, other imperial dynasties or sects might take advantage of the gap.”
“There’s no need for you to go personally! We have already sent officials there,” Gu Hai advised.
Bing Ji bit her lip, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Your Holy Eminence, please let this official go. Otherwise…otherwise, I really don’t know what to do. I want to do something; I don’t want to be idle….”
Tears rolled down Bing Ji’s cheeks.
Gu Hai was taken aback, and all his previous sternness vanished.
Bing Ji is crying? Maybe I pushed her too hard.
He walked up to Bing Ji, looking at her tearful expression. His heart softened.
Gently, he embraced Bing Ji, who struggled but could not break free. Just as she was about to speak, she heard his gentle voice. “You must be careful when you go south.”
“Huh?” Bing Ji was momentarily surprised, her teary eyes fixed on Gu Hai.
“The most powerful thing in the Han Heavenly Dynasty is not us but your tears. Be cautious on your journey, and don’t make me worry again,” Gu Hai said softly.
“Alright,” Bing Ji replied with a nod.
Warmth surged through Bing Ji’s heart as she looked at Gu Hai. She understood Gu Hai’s concern and resolve. It seemed that he was determined to incorporate most of the territory of the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty and the Huang Heavenly Dynasty into the Han Heavenly Dynasty.
“I’ll send Shangguan Hen with you on this trip to protect you. I’ll also send the ten sovereigns and sect masters that joined my Han Heavenly Dynasty previously to accrue contributions and, at the same time, gain their loyalty,” Gu Hai said.
“Alright.” Bing Ji pursed her lips, not letting any more tears flow out.
By sending Shangguan Hen, a consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator, to protect her, Gu Hai showed how much he treasured her.
“Before you leave, say goodbye to Xianer and Wanqing. They have prepared a birthday party for you,” Gu Hai said gently.
“Yes, I will. Empress Chen and Empress Long have been too kind to me, I…I can’t repay them.” Bing Ji nodded.
“What is there to repay? If you say that again, it will only make them sad,” Gu Hai chided, smiling.
“Yes, I won’t say it again.” Bing Ji wiped away her tears.
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The emperor’s study, Everlasting Nether Capital, the nether realm:
The skeleton Gu Hai sat behind his desk, reviewing memorials. Kneeling before him was a black-clad individual.
“Reporting to Your Holy Eminence, the Blood Uniform Guard’s East Spiritual Fire Sea regional commander sent word from the East Spiritual Fire Sea region. He has discovered the whereabouts of Lifespan Xiahou!” the black-clad person reported respectfully.
“Oh?” Gu Hai’s brush suddenly stopped, and he looked at the black-clad person in surprise.
“More accurately, Lifespan Xiahou has been in that area for quite some time. He appears every year, capturing a large number of ghosts and driving them into the East Spiritual Fire Sea. When he came out to capture more souls three days ago, our Blood Uniform Guard happened to spot him. The Blood Uniform Guard narrowly escaped from his large net and, while escaping, heard a ghost king recognize Lifespan Xiahou and beg for mercy!” the black-clad person explained respectfully.
“Oh? Recognized Lifespan Xiahou? How many ghosts did he capture?” Gu Hai asked, his voice sinking.
“One ghost city, nearly two hundred million ghost citizens!”
“Two hundred million? That’s so many! How long has this been going on?” Gu Hai was astonished.
“It’s been about thirty years. At first, he didn’t capture so many, just a million ghost citizens. However, it kept increasing year by year. Every year, more and more are captured. This time, he captured two hundred million ghost citizens and hasn’t come out of the East Spiritual Fire Sea. The ghosts in that region are terrified when they hear about this ghost-capturing demon!” the black-clad person explained.
“So, you mean he captures ghost citizens and stays in the East Spiritual Fire Sea for a year?” Gu Hai asked thoughtfully.
“Yes, Your Holy Eminence. As you know, the East Spiritual Fire Sea is extremely special, and we dare not venture deep into it. Therefore…,” the black-clad person said, his voice tinged with worry.
Gu Hai fell silent for a while, then nodded. “We got it. You may leave.”
“Yes!” the black-clad person replied.
Watching the black-clad person depart, Gu Hai frowned slightly. “East Spiritual Fire Sea? I need to consult Wanyu about this.”
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The land of the living:
Gu Hai’s true body had sent off Bing Ji and now convened the Unborn Man and Long Wanyu to the study room for a discussion.
“Salutations, Your Holy Eminence!” the Unborn Man greeted respectfully.
”Brother-in-Law, I’m in the middle of learning how to make a cake with Elder Sister Chen. Why did you come to find me?” Long Wanyu, her face still smeared with cream, asked curiously.
The Unborn Man looked at Long Wanyu and did not know how to respond. However, seeing the sisters together made him feel much more at ease.
“We’ve found Lifespan Xiahou!” Gu Hai looked at the Unborn Man.
“What?” the Unborn Man exclaimed in surprise.
“Lifespan Xiahou?” Long Wanyu found a chair and poured herself a cup of tea, still curious.
Gu Hai nodded.
“Where is he, Your Holy Eminence?” the Unborn Man asked with immense antic.i.p.ation.
“The East Spiritual Fire Sea,” Gu Hai replied solemnly.
“The East Spiritual Fire Sea? That’s no place for people to stay!” Long Wanyu exclaimed after taking a sip of tea.
“The East Spiritual Fire Sea? He went in? What is he planning to do?” the Unborn Man said, bewildered.
“He captures large numbers of ghosts every year and brings them in! This time, he captured two hundred million ghost citizens, and the Blood Uniform Guard discovered it,” Gu Hai explained.
“The East Spiritual Fire Sea is a place ordinary people can’t enter. Even those at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm are greatly suppressed inside. One slight mistake and they might perish. In the past, we lifespan cultivators formed contracts with the ghosts of the East Spiritual Fire Sea. However, that was only in the periphery. I’ve never been deeper inside.” The Unborn Man frowned.
“According to the information, the East Spiritual Fire Sea is not very large in terms of territory, only ten times the size of Borderless Heavenly Capital. However, entering it results in a mysterious force suppressing one’s entire cultivation,” Gu Hai said, knitting his brows.
“That place is like the hungry ghost path of reincarnation. Besides the fire physical soul, the other three spiritual souls and six physical souls suffer suppression. The deeper you go, the stronger the suppression. That’s why, except for those with a fire physique, most people dare not enter. I’ve heard that there are even bewildering ritual arrays inside. Some individuals with a fire cauldron physique entered in the past—and they only entered shallowly—but they managed to come out only after a few years. More often than not, people who go in never return!” the Unborn Man explained.
“Huh? Something’s not right. Bewildering ritual arrays inside? I remember there were no bewildering ritual arrays eight hundred thousand years ago. Although the East Spiritual Fire Sea could suppress a person’s cultivation, it was relatively flat terrain, producing only some fire-attributed beings,” Long Wanyu recalled.
“There were no bewildering ritual arrays eight hundred thousand years ago?” Gu Hai said in shock.
“Yes, none!” Long Wanyu nodded.
“So, the suppression of cultivation inside is due to the power of the laws?” Gu Hai asked curiously.
After all, in the hungry ghost path of reincarnation, the power of the hungry ghost Dao laws suppressed the three spiritual souls.
“No.” Long Wanyu shook her head.
“Oh?” Gu Hai showed an expression of inquiry.
Long Wanyu, on the other hand, became excited because her brother-in-law had something he did not understand, and she could help him.
“Do you know how the East Spiritual Fire Sea came to be?” Long Wanyu asked with a smile.
“I’m not sure. I’ve only heard that the East Spiritual Fire Sea contains the Southern Bright Li Flame and is related to the vermilion bird,” the Unborn Man replied.
“That’s correct; it’s related to the vermilion bird because the East Spiritual Fire Sea is the transformation of the vermilion bird!” Long Wanyu recalled.
“Vermilion bird? Which vermilion bird?” Gu Hai was puzzled.
“It’s the Vermilion Bird Prime from the ancient battle between the shaman race and the animal spirits!” Long Wanyu smiled.
“The Vermilion Bird Prime? Speaking of which, back in the Corpse Mound World, there was an azure dragon corpse but no vermilion bird corpse. I thought the Vermilion Bird Prime was like the White Tiger Prime and hadn’t died!” Gu Hai said, frowning.
“Back during the final stage of the war between the shamans and the animal spirits, the shaman race’s commander, Jiangchen, had unstoppable momentum. It looked like the animal spirits would soon lose. The vermilion bird set up an altar in the area of the East Spiritual Fire Sea, trying to turn the tide!” Long Wanyu recalled.
“A ritual? Who did the vermilion bird make offerings to? He was already a top expert in the world. Was he asking you for help?” the Unborn Man asked, puzzled.
“It wasn’t to me; he was conducting a ritual for Sa!” Long Wanyu recalled.
“Sa?” Gu Hai’s pupils constricted.
“Yes, during ancient times, before Sa left the Six Paths Immortal Firmament, he raised the vermilion bird, and the vermilion bird followed Sa for some time. So, even though the azure dragon was the leader of the four animal spirit primes, the vermilion bird’s abilities were the most bizarre. Some of his abilities were taught by Sa. When Sa entered the void and died, the vermilion bird was in a desperate situation. He set up a grand altar, and many members of the animal spirits followed him in the ritual. I don’t know how the ritual was performed, but in the end, the ritual failed. Sa was already dead; how could he possibly lend his strength to the vermilion bird to help turn the tide?”
“The vermilion bird died after failing to borrow strength?” Gu Hai asked.
“I’m not sure. The ritual was very strange. Logically, failing to borrow strength should be it. However, he seemed to gain some, and the altar was reduced to ash. Many animal spirits sacrificed their lives; the vermilion bird also perished at that time. His flesh, the altar, millions of animal spirits, and that strange energy turned into the East Spiritual Fire Sea! The vermilion bird became a legend, and the East Spiritual Fire Sea has existed since then!” Long Wanyu recalled.
Gu Hai fell into deep thought.
As Long Wanyu said, the vermilion bird, as Sa’s pet, had once had a connection to Sa, and he should have borrowed some of Sa’s strength during that ritual. However, it did not work out in the end for some reason, resulting in the loss of everything and the birth of the East Spiritual Fire Sea.
“At that time, the vermilion bird’s death was a significant blow to the animal spirits, and they were ultimately defeated, so Jiangchen’s sudden betrayal later on was baffling. However, I remember when my consciousness entered the East Spiritual Fire Sea eight hundred thousand years ago, there were no bewildering ritual arrays. This bewildering ritual array must have been created in the past eight hundred thousand years!” Long Wanyu affirmed.
Gu Hai nodded.
“Your Holy Eminence?” The Unborn Man looked at Gu Hai.
“Don’t worry; we promised you, and we will definitely help you find Lifespan Xiahou!” Gu Hai rea.s.sured the Unborn Man.
“Alright!” The Unborn Man nodded.