Chapter 2186: Ghostly Life and Death Ceremony

**Chapter 701: The Grand Ceremony of Life and Death in the Underworld**

Emperor Dadu did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "How do you view these immortals?"

Zu An pondered, "Immortals? Well, they are naturally immortal, omniscient, and omnipotent..."

"Wrong," Emperor Dadu interrupted him. "First, while immortals possess extremely long lives, making them effectively immortal compared to mortals, they are not truly deathless as mortals believe. Their long lifespans still have an end. There's a human saying, 'the Five Declines of Heaven and Man,' which, though not perfectly accurate, conveys the meaning. Immortals, too, exhibit various signs of decline as they approach the end of their lives."

"This is also why the Elixir of Immortality is so precious across all realms."

Zu An was surprised. "The Elixir of Immortality works for immortals too?"

"Of course," Emperor Dadu replied. "For example, legendary items from your human world like the Peaches of Immortality from the Jade Pool, Ginseng Fruits, the Fruit of the Garden of Eden, and so on, are all elixirs of immortality. Immortals are actually extremely powerful individuals or other types of life forms. Even nebulae or collections of abstract consciousness can become immortals. Their power is so immense that they can create or destroy worlds, often becoming gods in the hearts of all living beings."

Zu An's pupils contracted. He hadn't imagined that even entities like nebulae could become immortals. On second thought, it wasn't that surprising. Weren't the Twenty-Eight Mansions figures from ancient Chinese mythology? He had once thought they were just immortals who governed various constellations, but now it seemed possible that those immortals were simply the personifications or embodiments of those very constellations.

Emperor Dadu then continued, "Furthermore, your second mistake was believing that any immortal is truly omniscient and omnipotent. While every deity possesses their own divine abilities and knows a great deal of information, none can truly be called omniscient and omnipotent. This is because there are countless divine abilities in the world, and there are always other beings of similar rank who can conceal or block certain heavenly secrets, causing errors in judgment. This is also why, as the saying goes, 'The Great Dao has fifty, but Heavenly Evolution uses forty-nine,' meaning that no matter the situation, a glimmer of hope or a path to survival will always remain. You must always remember this principle; it should prove helpful to you in the future."

Zu An's heart stirred. No wonder he had always felt that prophecies and destiny were mysterious, yet he didn't want to fully believe in them, and indeed, results could change later... Emperor Dadu continued, "Although the Three Pure Ones are formidable, it's not difficult for the Heavenly Emperor and the Buddha to conspire against them for a short period. After all, mortals know the saying, 'one day in heaven is one year on Earth.' Many years might pass in the human realm, while only an instant passes in the celestial realm."

Zu An asked curiously, "Is your so-called Celestial Realm inside a black hole? Otherwise, why would there be such an exaggerated time discrepancy?"

He recalled some science fiction movies from his previous life, such as *Interstellar*, where the protagonists only spent a few hours on a planet near a black hole, but when they returned to their spaceship in orbit, their companions had been waiting for them for decades. This was due to differing gravitational forces causing time to flow differently in various locations.

"A black hole?" Emperor Dadu couldn't help but chuckle. "That's a term used by technologically advanced civilizations. In reality, they are just special worlds. Once you become powerful enough, you can go and see for yourself."

Zu An's heart surged with excitement at this moment, becoming even more curious about the world outside.

Suddenly, he thought of something else and asked, "I've encountered various Heavenly Emperors in other secret realms before. Although I haven't met them personally, I've heard many legends. I wonder if that Heavenly Emperor is the same as the one in this world?"

Back in the Xia Dynasty secret realm, he had learned about some ancient myths. There was also a Heavenly Court there, and legends even spoke of several different Heavenly Emperors, with various lineages seeming quite chaotic. He had been a bit confused about who the true Heavenly Emperor was.

"It's normal for you to have such doubts, because the current Heavenly Court is not the original one."

Emperor Dadu's expression turned solemn. "Just like human empires, the Heavenly Court also faces wars, power struggles, and changes in its ruling dynasty. The defeated gradually fade away, and new victors take their place. Such events have occurred several times throughout countless ages."

"Of course, not every struggle is a fight to the death. There are also situations where both sides compromise and coexist."

"For instance, I was originally the absolute ruler of the Underworld, but then the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva arrived. Since neither of us could overcome the other, we reached a balance and compromise. The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva recognized my status as the Supreme Lord of the Underworld, and in return, I permitted him to preach and redeem lost souls."

Zu An was utterly shocked. He recalled the information mentioned earlier by the Black and White Impermanence figures. "You and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva must be those two 'Unspeakable Beings' who rank above the Five Ghost Emperors, correct?"

"Precisely," Emperor Dadu nodded slightly. "However, once you leave this special space of mine, you must never mention these names. Doing so would bring you immense disaster."

"I know."

It wasn't the first time Zu An had received such a warning. At that moment, his heart was a maelstrom of emotions. So, his 'old friends' were beings of this caliber. Who exactly was his 'previous self'? "When a living being is too weak, knowing too much brings no benefit, only unprovoked calamity," Emperor Dadu said solemnly. "This is all I can tell you. Many things you will need to experience and explore for yourself in the future."

Zu An was accustomed to this kind of answer and couldn't help but chuckle. "Very well, then what's my reward after passing this trial? Since we're old friends, you can't try to fool me."

"Your nature of disliking being taken advantage of hasn't changed."

As Emperor Dadu spoke, a book suddenly appeared in his hand. The book was utterly black, with what appeared to be clouds swirling on its surface. From a distance, one could feel an intensely thick aura of death, yet simultaneously, a force of life.

The fact that two such diametrically opposed attributes could exist so harmoniously and unified on a single object was truly beyond Zu An's comprehension.

Emperor Dadu gently pushed it, and the book flew before Zu An. Its unfurling pages revealed countless swirling mists and flashing images. Zu An could see every corner of the Underworld, and even every lost soul.

"This is the *Grand Codex of Life and Death in the Underworld*," Emperor Dadu announced. "Whoever holds this item is the ruler of the Underworld. From now on, your word shall be the will of the Underworld."

Zu An was startled. "I can't accept something so precious! Besides, if you give this to me, what will you do?"

Emperor Dadu sighed at this. "My old friend, can you not see that I have actually long since fallen? My current form is merely a wisp of lingering consciousness. Entrusting this item to you will allow me to finally rest in peace."

Zu An was truly stunned this time. "You are the ruler of the Underworld, and even you can fall?"

When ordinary beings die, their souls return to the Underworld. So, how could an existence like him, after death, not simply return to his own domain? Emperor Dadu smiled faintly. "Didn't I just tell you that immortals can die? I am, of course, no exception."

"I am very pleased now. Just as the prophecy foretold, you have successfully come before me and won this trial. I am even more confident that you will be able to change predetermined fate and defeat the true enemies."

A sense of unease immediately rose in Zu An's heart. "Who exactly are these 'true enemies' you speak of?"

Emperor Dadu gently shook his head, offering no explanation. Instead, he said, "My old friend, drink one more cup with me."

For some reason, a sorrow of parting life and death welled up in Zu An. He understood that the other's lingering wisp of consciousness was likely about to vanish completely. So, he didn't disturb him further; instead, he poured him a drink, seeing him off.

As their cups clinked together, Emperor Dadu suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, I used a technique to obscure heavenly secrets. Although I've already given you the *Grand Codex of Life and Death in the Underworld*, there are still a few old friends waiting for you outside. You must defeat them as a formality. I don't imagine that will be too difficult for you, will it?"