The more King Yama thought about it, the more complicated his expression became. The woman before him was shrouded in mystery. Her origins were unclear, her actions even harder to read.
Clearly, three people had entered the high tower together, yet the one to vanish had been her alone. This could only mean that she carried an extraordinary fortune.
On the other side, Song Wanníng noticed King Yama staring at her without speaking, his gaze heavy and unrelenting. Her heart grew more puzzled by the moment.
"Why does Senior keep looking at me like this?"
She touched her own face. Although she might look a little more beautiful than before, her features hadn't changed. Was that really worth such prolonged scrutiny?
King Yama suddenly came back to his senses, a faint trace of apology flickering across his face.
"My apologies, I was being rude."
He gestured for Song Wanníng to sit, then produced a transparent crystal cylinder. Inside, a flame blazed with scarlet radiance.
It was a fire Song Wanníng knew all too well—the Red Lotus Karma Fire.
"Senior, what does this mean?"
Song Wanníng arched a brow, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
King Yama looked at the Red Lotus Karma Fire with deep emotion, then gently pushed it across the table toward her.
"In the ghost domain of the Underworld, a cluster of Red Lotus Karma Fire has been nurtured since ancient times. By decree of our Ancestor, it was meant to be gifted to a fated one.
Unfortunately, generation after generation passed, and that fated one never appeared. At last, it has come down to me."
Each new King Yama was required to refine the Red Lotus Karma Fire, then split off a flame-seed to nurture for the next successor. But this particular flame had been kept apart within the ghost domain, never touched, left to await the arrival of destiny's chosen.
Because of this, its level was far higher than ordinary flames of its kind, its power far more terrifying. And now, according to the Ancestor's will, it was to be given to Song Wanníng.
"I am the fated one?"
Song Wanníng immediately caught the key point. The image of that earlier King Yana surfaced in her mind. Though he had been guarded against her, he had still cultivated this flame in secret, intending to pass it to her. That shocked her deeply.
"Yes," King Yama nodded.
He himself could not fathom it. Across tens of thousands of years, how had the Ancestor ever met Song Wanníng, and why had he specifically instructed that this extraordinary fire be given to her?
"At that time, the Underworld was ravaged by the incursion of a certain Immortal. To preserve this world, the only choice was to sever all the spatial channels.
Who would have thought that once severed, the passage could never again be opened? From then on, except through ascension, there was no longer any path to leave this place."
Back then, that Immortal had nearly destroyed the Underworld. If the channels had not been cut off, the realm would have been torn apart long ago.
"You are able to enter this place. That alone shows fate binds you to the Underworld. So please, accept this Red Lotus Karma Fire. By doing so, I can fulfill my Ancestor's instructions and settle a matter that has weighed on my heart."
King Yama's tone carried both awe and melancholy. That strange new memory that had been implanted in his mind remained incomprehensible, but his duty was only to obey.
Song Wanníng gazed at the flame being pushed toward her. Delight welled in her heart, but also a sense of wonder. So the events within the time-space fragment had truly altered reality. That Senior Feng…
She could hardly wait to study the inheritances within her sea of consciousness.
"Many thanks to Senior, and to the Ancestors of the Underworld. I will accept this flame!"
Back then, she had pointed out the location of the channel, which must have helped the Underworld greatly. Otherwise, why would King Yama painstakingly raise a Red Lotus Karma Fire specifically for her?
He had never guessed that she did not belong to that time-stream, so the flame had instead been passed down, waiting until now.
Having accepted such a great gift, Song Wanníng's thoughts became even more determined.
She carefully opened up the inheritance within her sea of consciousness, studying it line by line. When she saw that the knowledge was far deeper and more intricate than before, her heart began to race.
Especially the final thirty-some pages—methods for unraveling restrictive seals—crammed densely with characters. The sight struck her like a bolt of thunder. To research and record so many variations, Senior Feng must have poured unimaginable effort into it!
Song Wanníng was moved to the depths of her heart, her gratitude toward Feng Jiuxiao only growing stronger.
Suppressing her emotions, she looked back up at King Yama.
"Does Senior wish to reopen the channels, to restore contact with the Spirit Realm?"
The Spirit Realm also contained yin energy. If the channel were reopened, ghost cultivators could come and go freely, seeking fortune in wider worlds. Of course, with greater opportunity came greater danger. Everything depended on King Yama's resolve.
Song Wanníng threw the olive branch forward. If he had the will, she would attempt to unlock the channel. After all, to restore the great worlds, the Spirit Realm had to be reconnected first. Once it merged back with the lower realms, the greater task would be accomplished.
At her words, King Yama's breathing faltered, his gaze growing sharp.
To reopen the channel?
That was what every generation of King Yama had strived for, yet the difficulty was insurmountable.
"That Immortal, when unable to destroy the Underworld, went mad. He tried to drive the realm into a spatial rift.
To stop him, the Ancestor sealed the Underworld entirely, severing the channels. But when later generations tried to reopen them, they discovered that aside from the Ancestor's seal, a layer of Immortal energy still pressed down on the entire realm.
For countless generations, every King Yama has sought a solution, but never succeeded. That is why, when you and your companions entered, I watched from the shadows. I wanted to see what ability you possessed that could possibly let you slip inside…"
King Yama shook his head, with no real hope.
Song Wanníng was merely a cultivator of the Spirit Realm. How could she possibly break through an Immortal's seal? It was utterly impossible.
Yet Song Wanníng's expression was calm and confident. "If Senior trusts me, give me some time. I will try. If I succeed in opening the channel, it will be an unexpected boon for both sides."
Thirty-some different sealing methods—surely one of them must be the key. She did not believe her Luck would be so poor.
Seeing her determination, King Yama could not dampen her spirit, so he reluctantly agreed. Thus, in the days that followed, Song Wanníng remained in the side hall, dedicating herself to studying the methods of breaking seals.
Knowing her knowledge of formations was shallow, Feng Jiuxiao had carefully recorded each step in detail. As long as Song Wanníng studied diligently and imitated precisely, there should be no problem.
Meanwhile, King Yama scoured everywhere for the trail of the Mahayana cultivator. That man lurked in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment. He had to be found.
Everything unfolded in orderly progression.
On the other side, the Mahayana cultivator had fled in wounded disarray, finding a secluded place to heal.
Just as his injuries recovered, he heard that a beautiful female guest had appeared in King Yama's residence, her beauty unforgettable. Instantly, he thought of the woman who had stolen the Rebirth Flower. Murderous fury surged within him.
That second flower he had struggled so hard to obtain had been snatched away by her. How could he endure such a humiliation?
But the situation was unfavorable. Not only had he offended King Yama, but his tracks were now exposed. Finding another Rebirth Flower might be forever beyond him.
"Wretched woman…"
The Mahayana cultivator clenched his fists in hatred, pulling out the Rebirth Flower he had taken earlier. With incantations, he finally managed to summon the faint wisp of the soul he longed to see.