Chapter 1794: Finding Trouble

Fearing his status as an immortal lord, everyone searching through the coffin for treasures had carefully avoided touching his body, lest they anger him. Even though they knew he was dead, the mere title of "immortal" made them subconsciously wary.

However, with all other areas searched, only the remains of Immortal Lord Baopu were left. Zhao Hao was somewhat tempted, reasoning that if any immortal destiny or immortality techniques were hidden, they would most likely be found on the immortal lord himself. But recalling Jing Teng's mention of a "destined person," he found himself hesitating, wary of potential repercussions.

When ancient masters left behind inheritances, there were often both overt and subtle tests; character was usually considered more important than mere aptitude. He had heard stories of people needing to sincerely kowtow a thousand times before a statue to receive an inheritance, or of others having to first bury the predecessor's body to avoid being poisoned by fake manuals. He asked himself, if he were to leave an inheritance, he would certainly set numerous traps, and at the very least, would not bestow it upon anyone disrespectful of his remains. These considerations were precisely why he hesitated to act immediately.

Just then, Jing Teng reached into the remains of Immortal Lord Baopu. Zuan was startled and quickly stopped her, saying, "Be careful of any restrictions!"

Sensing his concern, Jing Teng smiled faintly. "It's fine," she said. "The Immortal Lord knows me; if he knew it were me, he wouldn't make things difficult."

Zuan thought to himself that the crucial point was the Immortal Lord was dead and likely wouldn't know who she was. But Jing Teng's resolve was clear, so he found himself unable to argue further.

Zhao Hao, meanwhile, felt a surge of delight. He had been concerned that no one would dare disturb the Immortal Lord's remains, and now this woman was practically offering herself. Under the watchful eyes of the others, Jing Teng examined the remains thoroughly, finally frowning. "Hmm, there's nothing at all," she murmured.

Zhao Hao's face betrayed his disappointment. He scrutinised Jing Teng, trying to discern if she was deliberately deceiving him. While his spiritual sense had indeed followed her movements and detected nothing, he reasoned that an immortal lord's power might encompass means to evade his perception.

Zuan, by contrast, breathed a sigh of relief. "If there's nothing here, then so be it," he said. "Let's search elsewhere."

Jing Teng shook her head slightly. "That doesn't make sense," she mused. "There's a memory, somehow, that the Immortal Lord's contingency was placed right here. Why can't I find it?"

Zuan's thoughts stirred. "Perhaps certain conditions need to be met to trigger the contingency?" he suggested.

Jing Teng paused, surprised. "That's certainly a possibility," she admitted. She then pondered the Immortal Lord's temperament, considering what kind of triggering conditions he might have left.

At this point, Zhao Hao whispered, "Could it be that we need to respectfully kowtow a few times?" Seeing their peculiar stares, his old face flushed. "That's perfectly normal, isn't it?" he defended. "A dignified immortal would naturally wish for their successors to show respect. I've even heard stories from ancient times about people kowtowing a thousand times before a statue, after which the true meaning revealed itself."

Zuan said with a broad smile, "In that case, perhaps Your Majesty would like to give it a try?"

Zhao Hao was speechless. What a ridiculous suggestion! He, the venerable Emperor, the strongest in the world for a century, the object of countless people's reverence, how could he possibly kowtow to someone else? Frankly, if no one else were present, he might have done it; after all, no one would know. But with these few people watching, how could he possibly swallow his pride? Crucially, even if he kowtowed, there was no guarantee of gaining immortal destiny, so he naturally balked at such a humiliating act.

Just then, Zuan said as if an afterthought, "Ah, having missed this opportunity, who knows when we'll find immortal destiny again. But thankfully, we are still young, and there will be other chances. Honglei, you don't need to worry too much about it."

Qiu Honglei knew he was being sly and suppressed a smile. "Yes," she agreed, "even if we don't find it here, we can always search other places later. We have plenty of time, after all."

Zhao Hao's face twitched. Every word uttered by the two seemed to pierce his heart. They were indeed young and had ample time, but his own "five decays of heaven and man" were drawing near, expected to arrive within the next year or two without unforeseen circumstances. He had no time left.

At that moment, Zuan helped Jing Teng to a secluded spot to sit down. Her face had been somewhat pale for a while, and cold sweat occasionally beaded on her forehead. Concerned that something was amiss, he had deliberately taken her aside to rest. He even thoughtfully offered her some clear water.

Qiu Honglei felt quite displeased, but as a demoness of the Demonic Cult, how could she possibly make a scene at such a moment? That would only solidify the image of a jealous woman in A'Zu's mind. In truth, her jealousy along the way had gradually served as a wake-up call. She realised she had completely forgotten the charm techniques learned in her sect, as well as the subtle methods she had observed during her time at the Immortal's Abode in Brightmoon City. Ultimately, it was her deep affection for A'Zu that caused her to lose composure.

But being an exceptionally intelligent person, she quickly composed herself, deciding to treat this as a strategic battle. Not only must she show no trace of jealousy, but she also needed to appear understanding and exceptionally thoughtful. This would make A'Zu like her more and even feel indebted to her. Humph, she thought, never mind this book-vine spirit; even Chu Chuyan and all the others combined would be no match for her. The title "Demonic Cult Demoness" was not earned lightly. At the thought of her cleverness, she instinctively leaned back, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

"Sister Jing," she said, "I have a spiritual medicine from my sect here that nourishes the spirit and replenishes qi; it would be very beneficial for you right now." She offered a pill to Jing Teng. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned."

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Jing Teng was somewhat surprised by the shift in her attitude and felt a pang of guilt. Why had she seemed so petty for no reason earlier?

"Thank you, Miss Qiu," Jing Teng said, pausing before continuing, somewhat awkwardly, "but a pill won't be of much use in my current state. If you truly wish to help me, could you emit some of that light again? That light makes me feel very comfortable."

Qiu Honglei was dumbfounded. Here I am, trying to help you out of genuine kindness, and you actually intend to use me as a literal light source? For a moment, she nearly lost her composure. But she quickly regained control, realizing this woman's cunning was exceptionally high; she had almost fallen into her trap. Humph, she thought, pretending to be weak and guileless, but in reality, she was incredibly manipulative. With that thought, she, too, offered a sweet smile. "No problem at all," she said. "Anything to help my little sister."

After speaking, she began to circulate her cultivation technique. Being of the light element and exceptionally gifted, she was quickly enveloped in soft, gentle light. Bathed in the radiant glow, Jing Teng's face revealed a hint of ecstasy. "Thank you, Miss Qiu," she murmured.

Qiu Honglei forced a smile, thinking, *This manipulative woman, she won't even call me 'sister,' despite how many times I've deliberately called her 'little sister'.* Was she truly oblivious, or was she deliberately refusing to play along? Watching her and Zuan chat, while she herself stood by as a large sphere of light illuminating their smiling faces, Qiu Honglei felt like a complete fool.

"Tedious bickering," Zhao Hao muttered. As a seasoned man who had weathered many storms, he instantly recognized the peculiar dynamic between the three and found it utterly tiresome. When they grew older, they would understand how childish they were. Love and affection were merely fleeting trifles; supreme power was the only thing that truly mattered. With that thought, a resolute glint appeared in his eyes. He walked directly to the front of the coffin, then knelt and began to kowtow respectfully towards it.

Thump, thump, thump!

Zuan and the others, who had been chatting, were startled by the sound, initially thinking it was an earthquake. Turning around, they saw Zhao Hao piously kneeling and kowtowing to Immortal Lord Baopu.

Zuan was speechless.Qiu Honglei was speechless.Jing Teng was speechless.

Qiu Honglei cast a sideways glance at Zuan, her eyes sparkling with laughter. It was all his fault for misleading the Emperor. Zuan's expression was equally peculiar. He had only spoken casually; who would have thought the Emperor would take it so seriously? It was a pity this world couldn't record videos; otherwise, recording this scene and playing it back in the Great Zhou Dynasty would surely create a sensational stir.

Mi Li's voice resonated in his mind: "He's truly gone mad with the desire for immortality, to think a powerful figure of his generation would be willing to kowtow like this." Her tone was laced with sarcasm.

Zuan's heart stirred, and he seized the opportunity to ask, "Empress Master, you are vastly knowledgeable. What exactly is the story with this Immortal Lord Baopu? If he truly ascended, why is his body still here?"

"What's so strange about that?" Mi Li replied. "Immortals are merely more powerful beings. They simply live much longer than ordinary cultivators, existing for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. To common cultivators, they appear immortal, but immortals themselves know this isn't entirely true."

"Are you saying this is the corpse of Immortal Lord Baopu, who died even after becoming an immortal?" Zuan was greatly surprised. Everyone had initially speculated this was his mortal body, left behind after his ascension, no longer needed once he became an immortal. After all, no one truly understood ascension and could only make assumptions.

"Not quite. This body lacks the formidable aura of an immortal's true form. If it were a genuine immortal body, you would all have already been bleeding profusely and collapsing from the sheer immortal pressure at this close range," Mi Li said, a hint of doubt in her voice. "However, these remains do seem to subtly contain a hidden power. Perhaps that's what Jing Teng referred to as a contingency."

"I see," Zuan nodded. Then a thought suddenly struck him. "Wait, I recall you mentioning that even someone as powerful as Qin Shi Huang in your era didn't achieve immortality. So why do you know so much about immortals?"

"Can't I... can't I make deductions?" Mi Li stammered, a hint of panic in her voice. "Did you forget I was the librarian of the Great Qin Dynasty, privy to knowledge from all realms? Making such deductions isn't difficult."

Zuan considered this and found it reasonable, so he didn't press further. He was about to ask if she knew how to activate the contingency left by Immortal Lord Baopu.

Just then, a chilling laugh suddenly echoed. "Hahaha, I wondered what you were up to," a voice sneered. "So you're here kowtowing. For a powerful individual like yourself, your knees seem rather weak. Isn't it a bit late to be praying to gods and Buddhas now?"

Everyone was startled and quickly turned to look. A black mist, swirling with countless skulls, poured in from the tomb entrance, swiftly encircling the entire chamber. It was none other than the Ghost King. Simultaneously, they noticed six bizarre ghost entities, each exuding a powerful aura. Similar to the previously encountered Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Fledgling, these had to be the remaining six great ghost generals.