Chapter 774: Immortal City of the Undying
Chapter 774: Immortal City of the Undying
"No deaths?" Hu Ma turned to look at White Wine Miss, not hiding his inner confusion.
The more crowded a place, the more vibrant it seemed, but also due to the crowd, death became an unavoidable matter.
The bustling and prosperity of the Imperial Capital surpassed Hu Ma's imagination, exceeding the combined liveliness of several provincial capitals he had visited before. However, it was precisely because of this that in such a place, people would inevitably fall ill or grow old, and someone should die every day.
But in this city, there hadn't been any deaths for a long time, and even those who had passed away would reappear in the city, creating an eerie feeling.
"People in the Imperial Capital fall ill but never die, as if the city's name has been erased from the Book of Life and Death," White Wine Miss said as she walked forward slowly.
"And the dead have started to come back to life. First, those who died a few months ago, then those from years ago. Just now, we saw a person who died twenty years ago come back to life," she continued, not trying to hide her presence but walking straight ahead. She used a unique step technique, making her movements graceful yet light as she weaved through the crowd.
Hu Ma focused his mind and quickly caught up with her. Side by side, they walked through the wide streets of the Imperial Capital, and all they saw were stiff faces passing by.
The once lively and cheerful streets now seemed masked, devoid of their former vibrancy.
Following White Wine Miss, Hu Ma arrived at the tall city wall in the south, where he saw a porridge tent, an enterprise of the Immortal King Wang Family, befitting their kind and benevolent medical background.
From a distance, Hu Ma saw the large pots of porridge simmering and the small pots of herbal medicine brewing beside them. The people queuing up, their faces seemingly covered in a layer of gray mist, looked wobbly. Hu Ma couldn't help but frown.
In such a big city, there would naturally be people with headaches, fevers, sore legs, and aching feet every day. Those waiting in line outside the porridge tent were no exception.
However, they looked pale, like lifeless puppets, holding crude ceramic bowls in a daze. They entered one end of the porridge tent and exited the other, visibly more energetic and radiant, returning to the city with renewed vitality.
Hu Ma furrowed his brows, not surprised by what he witnessed.
The Immortal King Wang Family had undoubtedly removed death from this entire city, and only the Ancestors of the Fatekeeper Sect could achieve such a feat.
"The Wang Family's free porridge and medicine distribution started about three years ago," White Wine Miss said as she took Hu Ma to see the porridge tents located throughout the city. Her expression remained indifferent as she spoke in a low voice, "I've returned to the Imperial Capital before, but unfortunately, my abilities weren't sufficient at the time. Even though I sensed something amiss, I couldn't pinpoint the problem."
"It was only later, when I met the Yan Family's old fox in Guazhou and learned about the Purple Celestial Guardian, that I had a slight inkling."
"In the Imperial Capital, people haven't bought medicine for a long time, and there's no need for house calls. The Wang Family has a cure for everyone, and their medicine is so powerful that even the dead come back to life, living like normal people in this city."
"Does the absence of death in this city also mean there are no truly living people?"
"... "
Listening to her calm narration, Hu Ma felt a strange sense of heaviness in his heart, and at the same time, he found it somewhat bizarre. "No one buys medicine, and no one seeks medical consultations..."
"This is your Heart Grass Hall's business, and you only realized it now?"
"I've been in Bright Province, and I'm not familiar with the operations of Heart Grass Hall in the Imperial Capital. My family never informed me about it, either."
White Wine Miss glanced at Hu Ma indifferently and said, "Of course, Heart Grass Hall follows the Immortal King Wang Family's lead."
"The Imperial Capital has transformed into this eerie state, yet my father and his disciples act as if nothing is wrong. This only points to one issue: Heart Grass Hall is also involved in this scheme, and perhaps, they are one of the Immortal King Wang Family's accomplices."
Indeed, one had to admit that White Wine Miss's candidness about these matters held a certain charm.
He exhaled softly, and without hesitation, he said, "The Wang Family's young master flaunts his methods, and the other youths of the Ten Surnames find it intriguing, indicating that they, too, were unaware of it before."
"And since the Wang Family is willing to publicly display these pills, it suggests they don't consider this matter a secret that needs to be hidden... But being able to bring back the dead from twenty years ago can only be the work of the Purple Celestial Guardian."
"What is the Immortal King Wang Family's purpose in consuming so many Purple Celestial Guardians to create an entire city of undying people?"
"... "
"Immortality, eternal youth, invulnerability, and indestructibility—these are the traits of an immortal."
White Wine Miss spoke coldly, "The Wang Family has freed the entire Imperial Capital from death. To say that the city is filled with immortals wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"To put it bluntly, the reincarnated ones were a step behind. By the time we discovered the wonders of the Purple Celestial Guardian and even used it to conceal our presence to cross the bridge, the Ten Surnames had already explored various uses for the Purple Celestial Guardian."
"The Purple Celestial Guardian represents the essence of this world, and now, the world's essence is diminishing. But if my guess is correct..."
She paused and spoke softly, "The essence of the Imperial Capital should be heavier than before."
"However, for the Ten Surnames' actions, this isn't unusual either."
"To put it bluntly, the Ten Surnames have always treated the common people of this world as crops. Whether they harvest them for themselves or sell them off, it's all up to their whim. Now, what I want to investigate is how the Ten Surnames harvest these crops, and where does this city's source of death originate from?"
"The most important thing is..."
She paused here, looking calmly at Hu Ma, and said, "Why do Reborns have such a close connection with the Purple Heavenly Age from the very beginning?"
Hu Ma caught the hidden meaning in her words and suddenly fell silent, slowly saying, "A very close connection?"
"Yes."
White Wine Miss exhaled softly, saying, "It's as if they were born for this very purpose."
"Before encountering the Purple Heavenly Age, Reborns had never come into contact with it. But once they do, they become uncontrollable. Even in this world, the Purple Heavenly Age is considered an extreme poison. Those with heavy fate or lacking the proper methods, upon contact with the Purple Heavenly Age, will transform into monsters."
"But Reborns don't need to worry about this problem at all. Every Reborn can refine the Purple Heavenly Age without any burden..."
"They can use the Purple Heavenly Age to cultivate their life-giving incense, and some clever ones even thought of using it to fortify their Origin Spirit Shrine..."
"The more crucial discovery, however, was made after I crossed the bridge."
"Purple Qi is the essence of immortality. Through refining the Purple Heavenly Age, not only have my skills greatly improved, but I've also found that the divine statue behind the incense table in my Origin Spirit Shrine has finally started to undergo new changes, growing flesh and blood, and reflecting my physical form."
"..."
"Flesh and blood?"
Hu Ma was slightly startled.
He also had an Origin Spirit Shrine and had practiced through it, but now, as a Nine Pillars Daoist, his skills were already at the pinnacle.
However, the divine statue in his Origin Spirit Shrine still only revealed the meridians, clearly showing a human form, but it was still far from the living, flesh-and-blood state that White Wine Miss described.
"At this stage, what changes will there be?"
"The three souls gather, divine light emerges, and walking on the bridge feels much more stable than for others."
White Wine Miss had no intention of hiding anything from Hu Ma. She spoke slowly, "After crossing the bridge, people in this world find it extremely difficult and tread carefully."
"They rely on their transcendent instincts to take a few more steps, but there's also a deep-seated fear, preventing them from going too far, lest they get lost. However, Reborns seem to have a sense that as long as there's enough Purple Heavenly Age, they can keep going."
"Even..."
Hu Ma understood her implication, "Even leave this world?"
White Wine Miss remained silent, gazing at Hu Ma, knowing he had grasped her meaning.
The Purple Heavenly Age is a treasure among treasures, yet it seems to be the most sinister of evils. There are many people in this world, including those with great courage and wisdom, but their investigations into the Purple Heavenly Age are cautious and secretive.
On the other hand, Reborns are incredibly compatible with the Purple Heavenly Age. Does this not also confirm the State Preceptor's words—that the destiny of Reborns is to find, gather, and then leave with the Purple Heavenly Age?
As Hu Ma spoke, his voice turned hoarse, "How many people have discovered this secret and made it their goal?"
"I'm from the Fatekeeper Sect, so I discovered it first, but others will find out too."
White Wine Miss spoke slowly, "Moreover, you know about Reborns. We've never been a strict organization. Once the wonders of the Purple Heavenly Age are revealed, many will surely pursue it as their goal."
This was almost a despairing answer.
Amidst the silence, Hu Ma couldn't help but start thinking quickly. Are Reborns truly born to harvest the Purple Heavenly Age? But he had met the Big Red Robe and the Dragon Well Scholar, and they never mentioned this.
"Additionally, some of the things I've discovered recently aren't actually secrets."
White Wine Miss looked at Hu Ma's furrowed brows and spoke softly, "Someone has already found out."
"I even suspect that there has never been an information gap in the Reborn circle. The Reborns who went to the Imperial Capital with me, as well as some of the previous generation who didn't participate in the Imperial Capital battle but mysteriously disappeared, they all knew something."
"They just chose to keep this information from other Reborns, even initially wanting to hide your situation."
"..."
Hu Ma's eyes slightly condensed as he listened, "The ones who asked me to take care of you in Old Yin Mountain were them?"
White Wine Miss sighed softly, "It was Daughter Red."
"When she first found me, I trusted her a lot, thinking she had the same intentions as me. But for the later events, I really couldn't predict them, and I felt like I understood her less and less."
(End of Chapter)
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