Chapter 734: Great Black Sky

A gentle breeze swept across the withered yellow grassland, curling a few dry blades of grass. The sky was overcast at this moment, and the lead-colored clouds hung very low, mirroring Li Huowang's mood.

After days of arduous travel, he had arrived at Qingqiu. But could what lay before him truly be called Qingqiu? The vast, silk-like green expanse he remembered was gone. In its place lay dry, yellowed withered grass, scattered haphazardly. The situation was worse than his previous visit. If the grass had merely been yellowing before, now the grassland seemed on the verge of dying. He couldn't help but worry about Sun Baolu.

However, compared to Qingqiu, Li Huowang's own troubles were far from resolved. He didn't have time to worry about what was happening here. Li Huowang gently nudged the horse's flanks with his legs. The magnificent horse, adorned with talismans, galloped towards the distant city.

That was the capital city of Qingqiu. Li Huowang vaguely recalled someone mentioning its name once, but he couldn't remember it now. The only thing he remembered was the solid path made of stacked cow and sheep dung.

Although the Khan of Qingqiu had gone to personally lead a campaign on the battlefield, it was clear that someone was still managing this city, which reeked of livestock. As Li Huowang entered the city gate, several Qingqiu cavalrymen, wearing tall red hats, blocked his path. He didn't open his mouth, yet a low voice emanated from the cavalryman's abdomen: "Where are you from, and where are you going?"

Li Huowang pulled out his Daliang Imperial Astronomical Bureau token and tossed it over. Then he pointed towards the majestic temple towering in the distance: "I need to speak with the masters of your Bardo Temple about something." As the cavalrymen meticulously examined the token Li Huowang had thrown, the surrounding Qingqiu people quickly made way, prostrating themselves on the ground.

Soon, two rows of lamas, clad in black fur robes and with palms pressed together, slowly walked past them and approached Li Huowang. They were clearly Qingqiu people, with dark skin and lean bodies. Without exception, they were all elderly, their faces covered in age spots or wrinkles, almost too frail to move. Li Huowang had seen such lamas once before when he was in Qingqiu. It seemed the Bardo Temple knew his identity and had sent people to welcome him.

They remained silent. After bowing to Li Huowang, they turned and walked towards the spired Bardo Temple. Li Huowang glanced at the cavalrymen, who had dismounted and dared not show any disrespect. He then turned and followed the lamas. A tentacle emerged from his red Taoist robe, forcibly snatching the token back from the cavalryman's hand.

Li Huowang followed the old lamas, walking through a large number of prostrating herders who were kneeling towards the Bardo Temple, and ascended the steps into the temple. While the Bardo Temple appeared exceptionally solemn and majestic from the outside, its interior was remarkably sparse, with no superfluous Buddha statues. Instead, it featured various leather wall paintings and pointed, conical stupas. The contents of these leather wall paintings were bizarre and diverse, depicting all sorts of things. They seemed to be somewhat related to the mythology of the Eternal Sky.

However, Li Huowang hadn't forgotten the purpose of his visit. He asked the old lama leading the way: "I've come to see you masters because there's something I need your help with." The lamas remained silent. As if they already knew something, they continued leading Li Huowang deeper into the temple. After passing through the bustling debate hall, they finally stopped at a room in the innermost part of the Bardo Temple.

The old lama spoke towards the interior. A voice responded from within the room, but they were speaking Qingqiu, and Li Huowang didn't understand a single word. However, soon Li Huowang understood again. "Daoist Master Li, I've long admired your reputation." As that extremely weak voice sounded, the dark temple doors slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black interior.

As Li Huowang stepped inside, he saw several mummified corpses, wearing cock's comb hats, hanging by ropes from the ceiling beams. Although their faces looked like skulls covered with a layer of skin, their ornate monk robes and the various exquisite bone ornaments they wore indicated that these mummies held a very high status within the Bardo Temple. Not only was the room not foul-smelling, but it was also filled with an overly sweet, cloying aroma.

Li Huowang looked up at these figures. Without concerning himself whether they were dead or alive, he spoke directly: "Since you recognize me, I'll be brief. I've contracted a stubborn illness today, and now I need a medicinal ingredient from Fengdu to save my life. A junior fellow disciple of mine said you seem quite familiar with that place, so I ask you to take me to Fengdu."

Fengdu was the domain of the Death Fated Life, Kui Ta. Anything related to Fated Life was troublesome, and being unfamiliar with the territory, Li Huowang had no intention of risking himself alone. He had already confronted the Lion Dance Palace once before, and he didn't want to do it again. Since the Bardo Temple worshipped Death itself, and since they were currently allied with them against the Dharma Sect, there was no reason he shouldn't find a way to make them help.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Huowang saw one of the mummies on the left, swaying slightly from side to side with a creaking sound. "No, this is not allowed!"

"It's not that it's impossible, Daoist Master Li, but do you not know that Fengdu is not a place for the living?" His words seemed to be interspersed with phrases Li Huowang didn't understand.

"Of course I know that! If I were looking for living people, I wouldn't have come to you for help."

"It's easy to enter Fengdu, but if you go, you might never come out."

"That can't be right. My friend went there before, and it wasn't as mysterious as you make it sound. You can just use the Wheel of Transmigration to retrieve me when the time comes." Li Huowang remembered that young Yang had entered haphazardly but ultimately came out completely unharmed. Although he had the help of the Red Card, could it be that he, in his current state, was inferior to a mere greenhorn in this matter?

"Daoist Li, today is not like yesteryear. We say this for your own good; please go back." Hearing this, Li Huowang frowned. "How is it different from yesteryear? Has something happened in Fengdu recently?"

"Mahakala has moved. It should have remained forever dead at the bottom of Qingqiu; it should not have moved," another mummy spoke.

"What did you say?" Hearing this, Li Huowang felt a subtle unease in his heart. The Mahakala they referred to was likely the Death Fated Life, Kui Ta.

"We have stood in Qingqiu for generations, offering sacrifices of humans and livestock, giving for the mind, for the body, for emptiness—all to keep Mahakala at peace, Kaliya."

"Perhaps fate has arrived. Now, Mahakala has left his former position."

"What does Mahakala's departure from his position have to do with Fengdu?" He had ridden hard to get here. If he were to do nothing and just go back now, Li Huowang would not be reconciled.

"No, Daoist Master Li, you don't understand. Mahakala is the wrathful form of Isvara. Every time he moves a finger, a village of people dies in the world. Every step he takes, a town dies. Every *zhang* he moves, a city dies."