After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 20

Are they all this familiar right off the bat?

Ying Buran clutched her chest, panting. Having just emerged from the final gate, she was still recovering from the intense energy expenditure. Her head swam, and her soul felt weak.

This must be the problem the First Generation had mentioned. I can’t believe I’ve endured this long without success.

“Come, sit down and rest,” the First Generation said, conjuring a table and chairs out of thin air. A pot of tea sat on the table, and he gestured for Ying Buran to join him. “Normally, someone in your condition would have been eliminated in the first trial, even with help. Surviving to the end is truly remarkable. Relax for a moment—a mountain of troubles awaits you outside.”

Ying Buran didn’t immediately approach. She studied the First Generation carefully, only inching closer when she was certain he meant no harm.

She didn’t touch the tea, her gaze fixed on the First Generation. Her hand tightened around the protective talisman given to her by Ghost King Zhao Qingxun. “Senior, did you summon me for a reason?”

“To be precise, I didn’t summon you—you found me,” the First Generation replied, unfazed by her wariness. He drained his teacup in one gulp, drinking it with the gusto of someone downing liquor. “Ah, I forgot it wasn’t wine. Alcohol’s been banned for ages. What a pity.”

Ying Buran remained silent, steering the conversation back to the Righteous Path. “You said I sought you out?”

The First Generation nodded, tapping the table. “Hmm, how to put it? A fragment of my soul has lingered here, waiting for someone to pass through. Anyone with unwavering resolve who can overcome the eighteen gates will find me.”

“As for why I left this fragment behind… it was to offer future generations a small guidance regarding Heaven-Slaying.”

Ying Buran’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned forward involuntarily. “You mean… regarding Heaven-Slaying?”

“Can humans truly slay Heaven?”

The First Generation chuckled softly, then flicked Ying Buran’s forehead unexpectedly. “Don’t you already know the answer? If you believed it impossible, why would you be here?”

Startled by the sudden attack, Ying Buran clutched her forehead and recoiled slightly, stubbornly retorting, “Perhaps I simply wanted to be resurrected?”

“Hmph, as I said before, only those with unwavering resolve can find me. There’s no need for such caution in my presence; I can ‘see’ your thoughts. Let’s get straight to the point.” The First Generation chuckled again, then waved his hand. The teacups vanished, replaced by a miniature version of the Lower Realm. Above it floated a cloud, and within the cloud, Ying Buran saw something.

In that instant, terror gripped her heart, as if she were reliving her sacrificial ordeal. The flesh in the sky opened countless eyes, mouths gaping and closing, ceaselessly devouring her soul.

The First Generation pointed at the mass of flesh. “This is the entity that provoked Heaven’s Wrath and reaped the greatest benefits from the Heavenly Sacrifice. This place was once the Heavenly Path, but as you can see, it has now been sealed by Him.”

Ying Buran forced herself to look where the First Generation was pointing. The area was covered in a pool of flesh, which, upon closer inspection, could be seen writhing.

Ugh, disgusting.

“Now, this mass of flesh is the highest authority in the Mortal Realm, making it impossible to kill with ordinary means. To slay Him, we must either reopen the Heavenly Path, dethroning Him from His supreme position, or…” The First Generation clenched his fist around the illusory image of the flesh, his grip tightening violently. “…replace Him.”

“…Is there really a way to replace Him?” Ying Buran asked, staring at the putrid mass.

The First Generation shrugged and shook his head. “Regrettably, I don’t know. The Lower Realm grows weaker by the day. There might have been a method in the past, but it’s likely impossible now—unless we reopen the Heavenly Path.”

“Isn’t that just the first method again? It seems the Heaven-Severing Path is inevitable.” Ying Buran stroked her chin thoughtfully before turning to the First Generation, probing, “Senior, since you know so much, you must have a solution, right?”

“Exactly. When I died, I left behind two safeguards. First, I transferred my power to the Heavenly Dao, storing it in the Lower Realm but under the Heavenly Dao’s protection. This prevents those people and that mass of flesh from accessing my power. Second, I hid an Ancient Divine Sword—my former blade. When the time comes, you’ll know where to find it.”

The First Generation rose, causing the table and chair beneath her to vanish. Unsure what was happening, Ying Buran also stood and followed her to a swirling mist.

As the mist slowly dissipated, a door materialized and creaked open. Beyond it lay the path they had taken to arrive.

“By exiting through this door, you can completely escape your current state. Your flesh will be reshaped, and your soul will be reconstructed. Given your incomplete soul, you may experience memory distortions and disorientation.” The First Generation gently patted Ying Buran’s shoulder as her form gradually became ethereal. “For this final stretch, I’ll lend you my strength.”

Ying Buran turned in surprise as she watched the First Generation slowly transform into light, which then merged into her body. Finally, the First Generation’s features gradually became clear, his true face emerging before Ying Buran’s widened eyes.

She saw the First Generation’s lips curve into a smile and heard a soft laugh. This time, the laughter was no longer purely teasing or cheerful; it carried a heavy undercurrent of sorrow, resentment, and a hidden bitterness.

Though she didn’t see his lips move, his voice echoed in her mind: “I am the first Heaven’s Chosen, and I am every Heaven’s Chosen. This so-called blessing will not vanish with our demise. As long as heaven and earth endure, the Heaven’s Chosen Soul remains eternal. Even a fragment of our soul will eventually reform.”

“We are different individuals, yet we originate from the same source. We are both the blessing of heaven and earth and an eternal curse.”

“Every predecessor failed, but a variable has emerged in you. I hope you can carry our combined strength and fulfill our shared wish.”

“Go now. That path is your only path to survival.”

Several years had passed since Ying Buran left the Gate of Life and Death. During this time, Ghost King Zhao Qingxun could sense her life force gradually recovering, yet she remained unconscious.

Fortunately, Ying Buran wasn’t entirely human now, retaining half of her Ghost Clan form—most notably, the skeletal half of her face. This allowed her to reside in the Underworld without any adverse effects.

Otherwise, Zhao Qingxun would have been truly worried. Ying Buran couldn’t stay in the human realm for long in her Ghost Clan form, and as a spirit body, her combat strength was insufficient to protect her.

“Sigh, why isn’t she waking up yet? Is she never going to wake up? No! She hasn’t given me my reward yet!” Ghost King Zhao Qingxun poked Ying Buran’s intact cheek, then poked it again, followed by a sigh.

Before Ying Buran could awaken, an uninvited guest arrived.

A subordinate knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he dragged his head inside by the hair, holding it up. “Boss, someone’s here to chat.”

Zhao Qingxun immediately sprang up, cursing furiously. “Huh? Which Ghost King has a problem now? We’ve had so many meetings already! Didn’t everyone agree? What’s this? Someone’s going back on their word? How can ghosts be so untrustworthy? Aren’t they afraid of being fried in the oil cauldron?”

The head, long accustomed to Zhao Qingxun’s sudden outbursts of anger, calmly and cheerfully explained, “No, Boss, it’s a human. She claims to be… what was it? The Sect Leader of some fortune-telling sect.”

“Boss, can I sneak a peek from nearby? We’ve never had a human visitor before.”

“The Heavenly Evolution Sect? What’s she doing here?” Zhao Qingxun calmed down, stroking his chin in puzzlement. “Could she be plotting something? Then again, she was there that day too. She probably knows the truth about the so-called Heavenly Sacrifice.”

Zhao Qingxun grew tired of pondering the matter. He waved his hand to dismiss his thoughts and said to the head, “Alright, I’ll go check it out. You stay here and guard her. Don’t let anyone near her.”

“Okay, Boss. I’ll keep watch here. Ah, what a pity.”

Zhao Qingxun rolled his eyes, his lips twitching. He grabbed a mask from the wall and put it on. “What’s so pitiful about it? She looks almost exactly like me. What’s there to be curious about? Let’s go, let’s go. Guard her well. If anything goes wrong, I’ll use your head as a soccer ball!”

The soldier was so startled that the head in his hands nearly slipped. He quickly caught it, cradled it carefully, and stood at attention. “Understood, Boss!”

Zhao Qingxun nodded in satisfaction. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Shen Cangwu waiting. This didn’t surprise her; with Shen Cangwu’s abilities, locating her would be trivial.

“Speak your mind. What brings you here?” Zhao Qingxun settled into a courtyard chair, gesturing for Shen Cangwu to take the other.

Shen Cangwu didn’t stand on ceremony; she hadn’t come for pleasantries. “I’m here to discuss Heaven’s Wrath.”

Zhao Qingxun raised an eyebrow, unsurprised yet slightly intrigued. She’d expected Shen Cangwu to go after Chasing Wind City. “Oh? Heaven’s Wrath? What does that have to do with me?”

“I was there that day. I know the Heaven’s Chosen is with you. Besides, aren’t you also opposing the Heavenly Sacrifice?” Shen Cangwu tilted her head, her gaze filled with suspicion as she studied the Ghost King.

Zhao Qingxun fell silent, suspecting Shen Cangwu had only grasped the surface meaning of her words. She waved her hand, deciding to bypass the topic entirely. Trying to reason with a blockhead is pointless. “I thought you’d go after Chasing Wind City.”

“I tried, but Chasing Wind City is currently facing some issues. I haven’t been able to contact the City Lord,” Shen Cangwu said earnestly.

 Zhao Qingxun : “……”

So he really had tried, but was forced to come to her as a last resort. She cleared her throat, momentarily at a loss for words, and decided to focus on Heaven’s Wrath itself. “What do you know about Heaven’s Wrath?”

“Anyone with sufficient power can be offered as a sacrifice in a Heavenly Sacrifice. The reason they target Heaven’s Chosen is because all participants gain power from it,” Shen Cangwu explained. “The more Heavenly Sacrifices occur, the more frequently Heaven’s Wrath descends. This is because each sacrifice strengthens the Spirit of Heaven.”

 Zhao Qingxun  tapped the table rhythmically, nodding slowly. The fact that he had researched this and was willing to share it indicated they were likely on the same side. “So, what do you plan to do? Or what have you already done?”

“I killed the Sect Ancestor because she was one of the participants. As for what I plan to do next, I’ve seen that you have a solution.”