Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 192 The Ancient City of Loulan

He turned and left Zuixianlou.

Back at the inn, Zhou Ning took out the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

The contents of the jade slip greatly surprised him.

That was a detailed account of how the masters of the Three Realms sealed the Wine and Meat Bodhisattva a thousand years ago, as well as their analysis of the structure of the Three Realms.

The notes mention that beyond the Three Realms, there is an even wider world.

Within the Three Realms, there are even more ancient seals.

The Wine and Meat Bodhisattva is just one of the sealed beings.

"The True Emperor of the Demon Realm..." Zhou Ning murmured.

The notes mention this name, saying that he was a being even more powerful than the Black Mountain Demon, and was sealed deep within the Demon Realm.

If the seal breaks, the Three Realms will face an even greater catastrophe.

Zhou Ning carefully put away the jade slip and closed his eyes in deep thought.

Ashu brought in a bowl of hot porridge and placed it on the table.

"Young Master Zhou, have some porridge. You haven't eaten all day."

Zhou Ning opened his eyes, looked at Ashu, and suddenly asked, "Ashu, do you know about the True Emperor of the Demon Realm?"

Ashu's hand trembled slightly, and the bowl of porridge almost fell to the ground. He quickly steadied himself and smiled, "True Emperor of the Demon Realm? Never heard of him. Who is he?"

Zhou Ning stared into his eyes and said, "A powerful being sealed deep within the Demon Realm."

Ashu lowered his head, avoiding his gaze.

"Young Master Zhou, I'm just a businessman, how would I know about these things? Please don't make things difficult for me."

Zhou Ning didn't ask any further questions, picked up the bowl of porridge, and took a sip.

"Go and rest. Tomorrow we'll investigate the next lead on the 'Wine and Meat Bodhisattva'."

Ashu nodded, turned and left the room.

Zhou Ning watched his retreating figure, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

The contents of the jade slip kept Zhou Ning awake all night.

The sealing war a thousand years ago was far more brutal than he had imagined.

There were nine experts from the Three Realms who participated in sealing the Wine and Meat Bodhisattva, each of whom possessed cultivation levels above the Nascent Soul stage.

They joined forces to set up the "Nine Heavens Divine Seal" to suppress Jingchen underground at Dabeisi Temple.

However, the notes also mention that Jingchen's strength far surpasses that of the Dao Integration stage, and she is only one step away from the Tribulation Transcending stage.

If she hadn't been plagued by inner demons and her strength hadn't been greatly diminished at the time, the nine masters might not have succeeded.

"The Tribulation Transcending Stage..." Zhou Ning murmured.

He is currently in the mid-stage of the Dao Integration Realm, and there are still two major realms to go before reaching the Tribulation Transcending Realm.

Jingchen's true strength may be even greater than that of the Heavenly Demon ten thousand years later.

What's even more terrifying is that her methods don't involve brute force, but rather precise strikes against the weaknesses of the human heart.

The next morning, Zhou Ning got up early and went to A-Shu's room.

As A-Shu was packing his bags, he saw Zhou Ning and asked with a smile, "Young Master Zhou, where are we going today?"

Zhou Ning said, "Go to the Western Regions. The next clue to the 'Wine and Meat Bodhisattva' lies there."

Ashu was taken aback: "Going to the Western Regions again? We just came back from there."

Zhou Ning said, "She said she was waiting for us at Zuixianlou, but the real clue isn't there."

He took out the jade slip from his pocket and handed it to Ashu: "Take a look at this."

Ashu took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

After a moment, his expression turned serious.

"A seal from a thousand years ago... The True Emperor of the Demon Realm..." he murmured, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Ning stared at him and said, "A-Shu, you really don't know the True Emperor of the Demon Realm?"

Ashu lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he raised his head, looked at Zhou Ning, and his eyes were full of sincerity.

"Young Master Zhou, I lied to you."

Zhou Ning wasn't surprised; she just watched him quietly.

Ashu took a deep breath and said, "I am not a merchant. I am a servant of the True Emperor of the Demon Realm, and he is my master."

Zhou Ning gripped the Heavenly Fox Sword tightly, but did not draw it.

"Go on."

Ashu said, "The True Emperor has been sealed deep within the Demon Realm for over a thousand years."

"I was a little demon he subdued back then, and I was responsible for finding a way to break the seal in the outside world."

"The Black Mountain Demon and the Wine and Meat Bodhisattva are both people I pay attention to."

"The Black Mountain Demon is dead, and the Wine and Meat Bodhisattva has been reborn. I thought my chance had come. But after meeting you, I changed my mind."

"Why?" Zhou Ning asked.

Ashu said, "Because you showed me that there is still true justice in this world."

"I once thought the true emperor was, but his subsequent actions made me realize that this world is truly terrible. However, your appearance has given me a new perspective. I no longer want to be an accomplice to evil."

"If the true emperor were to be born, the three realms would be stained with blood. That is not what I want to see."

Zhou Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll believe you for now. But if you lie to me, I won't hold back."

Ashu nodded: "I understand."

The two left the inn and embarked on their journey to the Western Regions once again.

Zhou Ning and Ashu spent five days reaching the edge of the desert in the Western Regions.

This time, their destination was not the Great Compassion Temple, but an abandoned ancient city.

Loulan.

Loulan Ancient City was once the most prosperous city in the Western Regions, but it was later abandoned due to the depletion of its water source.

Today, only ruins remain, standing alone in the wind and sand.

Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the "Wine and Meat Bodhisattva" established the "Paradise Religion" here, tempting the people of the city to indulge their desires, which ultimately led to the destruction of the city.

"This is it." Ashu pointed to a pile of ruins ahead.

Zhou Ning unleashed his divine sense, covering the entire ancient city.

He could sense a faint demonic aura surging deep within the ruins, different from the aura of the Heavenly Demon, more concealed and more eerie.

"Let's go in and take a look."

The two entered the ancient city.

The streets were littered with collapsed houses and scattered bones.

The wind and sand blew by, stirring up yellow dust that stung my face.

The air was filled with a dry smell, mixed with a faint stench of decay.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a huge building appeared ahead.

That was the royal palace of the ancient city of Loulan.

The roof of the palace has mostly collapsed, but exquisite murals still remain on the walls.

The mural depicts ragged people, some drinking, some eating meat, and some embracing, their expressions one of infatuation and madness.

"The murals of the Blissful Religion," Ashu said.

Zhou Ning approached the wall and reached out to touch the murals.

The moment his fingers touched the wall, an eerie light surged from the mural, enveloping him entirely.

"Young Master Zhou!" Ashu exclaimed in surprise.

Zhou Ning wanted to retreat, but his body wouldn't obey him.

His consciousness began to blur, and everything before his eyes became distorted.

Illusion.

He entered the illusion of the wine-and-meat bodhisattva.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes and found himself standing in a bustling city.

The streets were bustling with people and vehicles, and the shops were thriving.

The air was filled with the aroma of food and wine, and smiles graced people's faces.

"This is... the ancient city of Loulan?" Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat.

But this city is not a ruin; it is Loulan during its prosperous period a thousand years ago.

The people on the street were dressed in gorgeous clothes and behaved elegantly, a stark contrast to the madness depicted in the murals.

"Zhou Ning".

A soft voice came from behind.

Zhou Ning turned around and saw Jing Chen standing behind him.

She wore a magnificent red monk's robe, held a white jade wine pot, and had a faint smile on her lips.

"Welcome to Loulan a thousand years ago."