Chapter 582 - 289: Celestial Immortal (Part 2)

Chapter 582: Chapter 289: Celestial Immortal (Part 2)

"Hmph, you always have an excuse," said a dignified voice, still a bit displeased, "If something like this happens again, send it to another hall. Don’t bother me."

"Go, go, step back now."

The sharp voice instantly withdrew with a thousand thanks.

Lord? Chu Xuan silently speculated, could it be the legendary King of Hell? Yet, he wondered which hall of the Ten Yamas it might be?

From this conversation, Chu Xuan could guess that he was probably in the Underworld. This Six Souls Banner was truly baffling, bringing me into the banner and then dutifully lining up for reincarnation in the Underworld??

Was it because I didn’t set up any commands beforehand? Luckily the little ghost in the Underworld was clever, otherwise this King of Hell’s tone, hinting at apprehension, might have actually sent the banner off to reincarnate.

As Chu Xuan pondered what to do next and whether he should attempt to leave the Six Souls Banner and negotiate with the King of Hell for convenience.

That dignified voice came again, but quieter and much more respectful this time.

"Upper Immortal? Are you inside?"

Upper Immortal?? Chu Xuan’s expression turned peculiar, what’s this nonsense, when did I become an Upper Immortal?

I’m not some reincarnated Immortal, strictly speaking, I’m an "Outer Celestial Demon," which is met with calls for attack and destruction.

"Well then, Upper Immortal visiting the nether realm again, is there something important?"

"If you would like to show yourself, our department will certainly do its best to cooperate."

With such words from the other party, Chu Xuan thought he couldn’t stay in the Six Souls Banner forever.

So after calming himself down, he silently communicated with the Six Souls Banner, asking it to send him out.

Even though Chu Xuan was just a soul without any cultivation, the Six Souls Banner still complied with the command.

He felt a sudden brightness and found himself in a gloomy hall, lit with ghostly green candles on either side, a black desk piled with documents on the top seat, but nobody was present behind it.

Instead, a person met him at the foot of the steps, immediately bowing slightly in greeting, "King Qinguang of the First Hall of the Underworld, Jiang Xin, pays respect to the Upper Immortal."

This man’s features were of a leopard-eyed, lion-nosed, long-bearded figure, wearing a tall crown and black robes, holding a tablet in his right hand, bearing a dignified demeanor, typical of the legendary King Qinguang, who oversees mortal life’s longevity and life and death in the nether realm.

Chu Xuan was somewhat surprised by the other’s respect, but he had thought ahead before coming out; pretending to be an "Upper Immortal" would be satisfying, but being exposed easily would be disastrous.

Therefore, he didn’t act prideful, just cupped his hands in a polite gesture, "King Jiang, you are too kind, I’m just an ordinary mortal, hardly worthy of the term ’Upper Immortal’."

King Qinguang lifted his head, cautiously scrutinized Chu Xuan, then said, "Understood, I understand."

Chu Xuan was a bit amused absurdly, thinking, you don’t think I’m playing "playing the fool to catch a tiger," or a "disguise trick" here, do you?

In any case, he grasped the Six Souls Banner floating behind him for an added sense of security.

Chu Xuan realized that King Qinguang’s misunderstanding was likely due to the Six Souls Banner, an extremely high-ranking netherworld treasure.

Recalling now, the banner’s curse ability, when targeting middle realm cultivators, summoned a "Underworld Messenger" to claim lives.

These Underworld Messengers were typically the black and white impermanence or higher-ranking ghost marshals, ghost generals, bypassing the Underworld directly to summon ghost servers, showing the Six Souls Banner’s authority in the netherworld.

King Qinguang might have mistaken him for some reincarnated ancient mighty figure, or a celestial immortal from heaven; anyway, anyone carrying this thing wandering the nether realm must have an unusual background.

As King Qinguang said, Chu Xuan was indeed not entering the nether realm for the first time.

Years ago, after getting the Sun-Moon Time Ruler from the Ancient Battlefield, he fulfilled a promise to an Immortal "Hua Guang" by seeking out a Ferryman on a bamboo boat on the Forgotten River in the Underworld.

Now Chu Xuan remembered that the ferryman girl’s looks, resembling his junior brother’s current sweetheart Zhang Ping’er, were strikingly similar, with matching temperaments.

In such a case, Ye Xingming could very likely be that reincarnated Sword Immortal...

Anyway, back then, Chu Xuan relied on the Six Souls Banner to cross worlds, running to the underworld to find someone.

But then he was cautious, never visiting the Yellow Spring Road, Ghost Gate, or City of the Dead—places with structure—fearing those ghosts might catch him as a trespassing "living human."

Once in the underworld, he went directly toward the winding path of the Forgotten River across the black land.

There were quite a few interesting experiences in between, as Chu Xuan engaged in a mental spar with an old ferryman on the river, finally finding the lady on the bamboo boat.

Upon learning of Hua Guang’s death and hearing Chu Xuan’s conveyed message, tears streamed down her face, and she directly went to reincarnate to seek her beloved.

After completing the task, Chu Xuan didn’t loiter around in such ghostly places but immediately used the Six Souls Banner to return to the mortal realm.

In theory, King Qinguang shouldn’t recognize him, but not only did he recognize Chu Xuan, he knew it was his second visit.

Hence, Chu Xuan deliberated aloud, "When I entered the underworld with this banner, the Ten Hall Yamas sensed it?"

King Qinguang shook his head, "The last time you came, you made some commotion on the river; we used the ’Mirror of Karma’ to detect an Upper Immortal’s presence."

"But at that time, the Upper Immortal seemed to deliberately avoid the Underworld’s ghosts, so we didn’t meet rashly."

"However, this time..." King Qinguang paused to choose his words, "We wonder why the Upper Immortal mingled into the deceased spirits’ queue?"

Chu Xuan showed a helpless smile, "Last time I came, it was just to find that lady."

"This time is different; I died and naturally must report to the Underworld."

King Qinguang wiped the sweat on his forehead, "The Upper Immortal is joking; there’s no name of yours in the Book of Life and Death—you don’t belong under our jurisdiction."

Now Chu Xuan was completely dumbfounded, "What?!"

How could there be no name in the Book of Life and Death? He had a documented birth record in this world; he was born through reincarnation, not transitioning directly with the body.

Seeing the Upper Immortal’s expression and tone weren’t feigned, King Qinguang cautiously said, "Not to hide from the Upper Immortal, last time when you came out of curiosity, we checked the Book of Life and Death for your origins."

"But among the ten types of beings: celestial, earth, divine, human, ghost, worm, scale, fur, feather, insect, we couldn’t find your name."

Though Chu Xuan hadn’t mentioned his name in the Underworld, for the Ten Hall Yamas, having Underworld divine duties meant they could recognize people simply by looking, something utterly normal.

Chu Xuan furrowed his brow in thought, "Which name did you check? Chu Xuan?"

King Qinguang nodded. There were countless people named "Chu Xuan," but as he was already in the nether realm, the Book of Life and Death, with its power, couldn’t have mistaken him.

"Then check again now; this time checks ’Ayun,’ or ’Lin Yun.’"

Earlier mentioned, when Chu Xuan crossed into this realm, he was born into a poor woodcutter’s family; his parents were gone early.

His childhood nickname was ’Ayun,’ with his father’s surname Lin.

After his parents passed, Chu Xuan reverted to his original name from Earth.

King Qinguang hesitated for a moment, but then nodded.

With a solemn expression, he stretched out his right hand, chanting, "Record the beings of the three realms, inscribe the life and death of the ten directions."

Empowered by divine force, a transparent, shapeless vortex appeared in the hall, with a mysterious black book gradually emerging within.

It imparted a sense of profoundness, seemingly woven from countless strands of Netherworld Law, precisely the legendary Book of Life and Death.

Receiving the book in hand, King Qinguang began flipping through it; the seemingly thin volume recorded countless beings’ names and life spans, its pages seemingly infinite.

Soon, King Qinguang lifted his head to shake it at Chu Xuan, "Not found."

This surprised Chu Xuan even more; how could there be no entry?!