Chapter 361 - 152: The Past Is No More, Heaven’s Wrath Descends as Thunder! The Black Rod Upholds the Heavens

"By slaying that Elder, you’ve saved more lives across the land than you could ever know."

"At a time like this, you shouldn’t be the one kneeling to me. I should be the one kneeling to you."

As he spoke, Qin Wuliang slowly rose. Before Jin Yunfeng could react, he saw Qin Wuliang perform a deep bow toward him, his sleeves brushing the floor.

"I, Qin Wuliang, thank you for your aid, young friend!"

"You mustn’t, you mustn’t..."

Jin Yunfeng scrambled to the side, his body letting out a series of CRACKS, his heart racing with emotion.

Only after completing his deep bow did Qin Wuliang slowly speak.

"It was merely a bow. It was only right..."

"Greetings, Old Mansion Master."

Cui Yanliang bowed, his expression solemn.

’He, too, felt a great deal of respect for this Old Mansion Master.’

’For thousands of years, all contact with the Netherworld was lost. The very fact that the Yin Department Divine System survived until now was largely thanks to the immense efforts of this Old Mansion Master. Though his work may not have been perfect, it didn’t diminish Cui Yanliang’s respect for him.’

"And who might that senior be?"

After a bit of small talk, Qin Wuliang’s profound gaze settled on Cui Yanliang as he turned to the matter at hand.

Although he had been sealed in the depths of the Gui Dao Mansion by the Leader of Gui Chen Sect, he wasn’t entirely ignorant of events in the outside world.

Naturally, he had sensed the battle at the West Mountain Incense Altar.

"That is my master."

Cui Yanliang replied respectfully.

Su Bai had bestowed upon him the grace of teaching, making him something of a mentor on his path of cultivation. Calling him "master" was therefore not inappropriate at all.

Most of the time, however, he simply called Su Bai ’Senior’.

"My master still has matters to attend to, but he will certainly pay a visit to you, Old Mansion Master, when he is finished."

"It is I who should be paying him a visit..."

Qin Wuliang slowly shook his head, then drifted out of the room like a wisp of mist.

Only then did the two of them get a clear look.

Qin Wuliang’s tall frame was slightly stooped. Beneath his wide robes, his legs remained, but he had no feet.

Qin Wuliang clearly emanated a majestic, mountain-like aura, yet for some reason, he also gave them a sense of unreality.

The Qin Wuliang before them felt like a flower in a mirror or the moon on the water—seemingly close enough to touch, yet as distant as the far horizon.

"Old Mansion Master..."

Jin Yunfeng’s heart skipped a beat, as if he had realized something.

"The art of bringing the dead back to life... only First Brother and Second Brother are capable of such a thing. I am far inferior and cannot save you now."

Qin Wuliang glanced at Jin Yunfeng’s White Bone Body, his expression tinged with apology.

Being Feathered did not mean being omnipotent. Even as the most powerful ghost-god of the current age, he was not all-powerful.

Now that contact with the Netherworld was lost, even he could no longer send Yin Spirits to the Netherworld for Reincarnation, let alone reconstruct a physical body for Jin Yunfeng.

"You don’t have to say that."

"Life and death are determined by fate. From the day I stepped into the Da Yu Capital City, I was prepared to die. My current state is already far better than I could have hoped."

Jin Yunfeng shook his head. Beneath his cloak, his ghostly flames flickered, seemingly without any emotional fluctuation.

"There is truth in those words."

Qin Wuliang smiled, seemingly letting go of some worry.

He looked up at the sky, where the last rays of twilight were fading.

The horizon was ablaze with a brilliant sunset, and a flock of birds chirped in unison.

He could not help but let out a soft sigh.

"It has been a long time since I’ve seen the light of day. The scenery is lovely right now; I ought to go for a walk..."

To Cui Yanliang’s slight astonishment, Qin Wuliang had already drifted out of the Gui Dao Mansion.

The two of them subconsciously followed, quickening their pace to keep up.

RUMBLE!

As the three of them stepped out of the Gui Dao Mansion, a tremendous crash echoed from behind them.

Jin Yunfeng looked back to see the Gui Dao Mansion shudder violently before it began to collapse. Earth, stone, and wooden beams shattered as a thick cloud of dust billowed into the air.

In the span of just a few breaths, the once-vast Gui Dao Mansion was no more.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. A decaying clay idol is better off returning to the earth, returning to nothingness..."

Seeing their astonishment, Qin Wuliang let out a long laugh and drifted into the distance.

Though he had no feet to walk on, he floated along with a rising and falling motion, possessing the majestic bearing of a striding dragon or a prowling tiger.

While the two stood stunned for a moment, Qin Wuliang had already reached the end of the long street. They hastily gave chase.

’They could hardly conceal their shock.’

’The Gui Dao Mansion wasn’t just built from earth and stone. Its true foundation was the Incense Mansion in the Incense Realm, which made it exceptionally sturdy.’

’In a way, the Gui Dao Mansion was Qin Wuliang’s incarnation in the mortal realm; an ordinary expert wouldn’t have been able to so much as chip a single tile.’

’For it to be destroyed now, there was only one possibility.’

’Qin Wuliang had voluntarily withdrawn the Incense Mansion from the Incense Realm and abandoned his Divine Position.’

’In other words, he was no longer a ghost-god!’

’Or... his time had come...’

But either possibility was a monumental, shocking event.

Outside the main street of Gui Dao Mansion, the group walked for two blocks.

This was a famous night market in the Da Yu Capital City, boasting all sorts of snacks and delicacies from every corner of the land. It was also the liveliest street in the capital by night.

Although it was only dusk, the street was already bustling with numerous vendors and stalls.

The number of pedestrians was also beginning to swell.

These pedestrians, some in small groups and others alone, sat at the various stalls, savoring the food and engaging in lively conversation.

However, their topics of conversation were all largely the same, inevitably revolving around the immense changes that had recently swept through the Da Yu Capital City.

The recent period had been filled with strange celestial phenomena and violent tremors, leaving many people on edge and terrified.

It seemed that no matter who you looked at, every face was etched with a hint of sorrow.