Chapter 420 - 172: Source of the Celestial Transformation, Netherworld Venerable Master, Gu Tianyun, Book of Reincarnation

"I knew someone would come, but I had no idea who it would be."

Gu Tianyun seemed to be in an excellent mood. He drank alone, downing three or four cups before he finally spoke.

"You must have an extraordinary treasure as well, don’t you?"

’An extraordinary treasure?’

A thought struck Su Bai. He immediately knew Gu Tianyun must be talking about the Purification Tripod.

He had learned years ago that the Netherworld Venerable Master possessed a wondrous book capable of guiding souls through Reincarnation.

That wondrous book was likely an extraordinary treasure, much like his Purification Tripod.

"Yes."

His mind raced, and Su Bai nodded slightly.

"I don’t know what kind of extraordinary treasure you possess, but mine is called the Book of Reincarnation. It is a supreme artifact whose mysteries I haven’t been able to truly fathom, even after a lifetime of study."

Gu Tianyun paused, taking another drink of wine. Then, with a long sigh, he continued,

"Unfortunately, you’ve arrived too late."

"I’d like to hear more."

Su Bai’s expression was calm.

He knew that in the near future, the Seven Heroes and Three Li would all emerge, and the Era Calamity would descend. Still, he didn’t believe death was a certainty.

He didn’t argue the point, however. He wanted to hear what Gu Tianyun had to say.

"Many years ago, at the moment of my death, a twist of fate brought me to this realm. At that time, all living things were in despair, the Ten Thousand Spirits nothing more than food for the Demon Ghosts. The calamities on Blue Star were utterly insignificant in comparison..."

Gu Tianyun clutched his wine cup, seemingly lost in memory.

"The moment I arrived in this realm, I was corrupted by the Yin Sha Resentment Qi and transformed into a Demon Ghost that very day. Fortunately, I was under the Shelter of my extraordinary treasure. I used a skeleton to preserve a sliver of my spiritual light."

"I spent ten years in that dazed state before I could finally form flesh and bone again. Three years after that, I finally made a breakthrough in my cultivation and reached the Feathered realm."

Listening to Gu Tianyun’s story, Su Bai began to understand.

’On Blue Star, Gu Tianyun had gone to his death alone, buried under a storm of artillery. Under that overwhelming barrage, there was no chance he could have survived.’

’In that moment between life and death, the Book of Reincarnation within him must have awakened, or perhaps some other opportunity presented itself, allowing him to come to this realm.’

’He had arrived at the very end of the Ancient Era.’

’In those days, the Seven Heroes and Three Li ran rampant across the Four Seas and Five Continents. The world was a living hell where all beings despaired and the Ten Thousand Spirits wailed.’

’Even the Dayu Immortal Dynasty could only secure the borders of Yu Province; it was powerless to concern itself with the other Great Provinces.’

’If Gu Tianyun hadn’t possessed an extraordinary treasure and anchored a wisp of his Divine Spirit within that skeleton, he would have degenerated into a mindless Demon Ghost right then and there.’

’But that must have been the only real trial Gu Tianyun ever faced.’

’After that, his progress was nothing short of miraculous.’

’In ten years, he went from a skeleton to a man of flesh. In another three, he achieved the Feathered realm. Six years later, by systematically inferring Divine Techniques and cultivation techniques, he set foot upon the path to Ascension to Immortality.’

What followed were three hundred long years.

For three hundred years, he roamed the Four Seas and Five Continents, slaying demons, righting wrongs, and saving those in peril.

Until finally, he confronted the Seven Heroes and Three Li!

No one knows how long that battle lasted, only that it ended when he had suppressed every last one of the Seven Heroes and Three Li.

And with their defeat, the chaotic Ancient Era was brought to an end.

Thus began his era: the Age of the Netherworld Venerable Master.

"The very foundation of the Demon Ghosts’ existence is drawn from the seven human emotions and the Yin Sha Resentment Qi that permeates the world."

"Back then, the world was so steeped in resentful qi that there was no law to speak of. Ghosts walked freely in daylight, and every person was merely a source of food."

"Across the vast expanse of the Four Seas and Five Continents, aside from Yu Province, only a little over a million members of the Human Race remained. And even they only survived under the Shelter of a few Feathered True Masters..."

"But those Feathered True Masters didn’t survive because they were strong. They survived because the Seven Heroes and Three Li needed them to act as farmers, slowly cultivating their ’ingredients.’"

Gu Tianyun stated nonchalantly:

"Those ten Elder Demons particularly enjoyed feasting on the Divine Spirits and brains of Cultivators."

Hearing this, Su Bai could feel the chilling cruelty behind the words.

Such dense Yin Sha Resentment Qi would create a terrifying, endless cycle: no matter how many Demon Ghosts you killed, more would simply rise to take their place.

"As long as human desire persists, the Demon Ghosts can never be truly exterminated, and the Seven Heroes and Three Li can never truly die. I slaughtered them for three hundred years straight, from the Central Continent across the Five Continents and the Four Seas..."

"Eventually, I realized that even my technique of devouring ghosts couldn’t save the world. So, I passed on my mantle to Kuixing..."

Gu Tianyun pointed a finger at the phantom of the burly, grotesque man across from him.

This was his first attempt.

And the origin of the Kui God Dao.

Su Bai nodded.

’Kuixing, Ox Head and Horse Face, the Black and White Guardians, the Eight Sovereigns of Netherworld...’

’These must have been the different paths Gu Tianyun explored to save the world, all before he established the Yin Department Divine System.’

’He had failed countless times.’

"Enlightenment, transcendence, judgment, slaughter..."

"I tried so many times, but in the end, I could never eradicate the source of the calamity."

"It was as ridiculous as a fish trying to drink the Four Seas dry."

"The Demon Ghosts would just be reborn after being killed. They were endless..."

"And the Seven Heroes and Three Li could never be completely annihilated..."