Resurrection

Resurrection failed? A rule-based item couldn't resurrect Yuanshi Tianzun? Heavenly King Demonic Eye stood dazed, momentarily at a complete loss for words to describe what he felt. A wave of profound disappointment and bewilderment crashed over him, swiftly turning into deep, smoldering rage—the fury of seeing a glimmer of dawn in a desperate impasse, only to watch it get snuffed out. Why couldn't a rule-based item resurrect Yuanshi Tianzun? The Mother Goddess's Womb was a Dominator-tier rule-based item, of a quality verging on demigod status; across the entire Musician profession, there were only three or four such artifacts. Resurrecting the dead was its absolute rule, even if body and soul had been utterly eradicated. What kind of power could suppress the rules of the Mother Goddess's Womb? Unless it was a causality-based item... Demonic Eye froze. A causality-based item?! No, no, that was impossible. A causality-based item capable of suppressing the Mother Goddess's Womb would possess an unimaginably exalted rank. Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't possibly have come into contact with an item of that caliber. Demonic Eye's thoughts swirled in chaos as countless theories surfaced and sank. Just then, he saw the text hovering above the Mother Goddess's Womb shift: [Unable to awaken soul...] Unable to awaken the soul? Demonic Eye forced himself to calm down and try to decipher the prompt. Yet that proved difficult. To interpret the message, one needed to understand the underlying mechanics of how the Mother Goddess's Womb restored the dead, but he was a Bewitching Demon—a bloodthirsty, berserk fighter. Souls were not his domain of expertise. Call the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter and ask? Demonic Eye grew anxious. The three other leaders had been lured away: Ghost Blade and Silver Moon were manageable, being stalled by Fu Qingyang. Heavenly King Miejue, however, was bound to come back empty-handed, and she would undoubtedly return in a towering rage. If she caught Yuanshi Tianzun quietly resurrecting right in their home base, she certainly wouldn't mind having fun slaughtering the authorities' genius, which would invite endless complications. Just as Demonic Eye pulled out his phone, he noticed the floating text change once more: [Resurrection successful!] Immediately after, the fleshy membrane on the surface of the pod stretched outward, outlining the distinct contour of a palm. That hand tore straight through the membrane, and the resurrected Zhang Yuanqing sat up from the pod like a newborn ripping through its caul. Awakening from eternal slumber, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes to see a dark, shadowy secret chamber, illuminated by the dim, yellow glow of an antique spherical light bulb. A few meters away stood a young man in an athletic headband, handsome and vibrant, yet radiating an indescribable sinister aura. It was none other than Heavenly King Demonic Eye. "You're finally alive. You're finally resurrected!" The grin on Demonic Eye's face widened, his expression brimming with boundless delight. Only a world like this was interesting. "So it really is here..." Zhang Yuanqing murmured under his breath, his voice hoarse. Then, looking toward Demonic Eye, he managed a faint smile. "We meet again. Thank you, Heavenly King Demonic Eye, for the kindness of bringing me back." Demonic Eye sized him up and gave a delighted chuckle. "You don't seem surprised at all." "I saw this scene in the river of destiny," Zhang Yuanqing explained simply. Zhang Yuanqing had possessed an inkling of his resurrection from the start. That day, provoked by Secretary Zhou, the resolve to take everyone down with him had taken root in his mind. From that moment, he had begun contemplating the possibility of his own revival. He knew the Mother Goddess's Womb could bring back the dead, and he remembered having a spare clone left in Palace Master Sister's care. The Mother Goddess's Womb resided within the Soldier Master sect, and Heavenly King Demonic Eye was there. Demonic Eye would definitely resurrect him—of this, Zhang Yuanqing had been utterly certain. In other words, he had already satisfied the conditions for utilizing the Mother Goddess's Womb; all that had remained was execution. Of course, one always had to prepare for the worst. That was why he had distributed his items among his close companions and lover, so that his lifetime of heritage wouldn't simply return to the Spirit Realm if he failed to come back. When his friends had visited him in the dungeon that day, he hadn't breathed a single word about resurrection, fearing the conversation might be bugged. —The underground dungeon of Linggan Temple was constructed right amid the roots of a century-old tree. That ancient tree was one of the President's clones. Unable to tell whether that demigod was friend or foe, he hadn't dared voice any thought of revival. Just moments ago, when he opened his eyes and took in the chamber, he had instantly realized that the stargazing revelation—that saving Demonic Eye from the Zoo would bring great rewards—had been fulfilled right here. If he hadn't saved Demonic Eye back then, he likely wouldn't have been resurrected today. Destiny had provided the guidance long ago. Hearing this, Demonic Eye froze, then chuckled in sudden realization. "I almost forgot you're a Starlord. So you already laid the groundwork, knowing full well you'd come back. Heh, what made you so sure I would save you?" *I already told you I peered into the future within the river of destiny, you stubborn tsundere,* Zhang Yuanqing thought inwardly, but aloud he said, "Because we share a common goal, a common ideal." Demonic Eye's smile turned utterly ecstatic. "Full marks for that answer." After resting for a moment and recovering some strength, Zhang Yuanqing tried to climb out of the flesh pod. Demonic Eye pressed him back down, gazing down with a smirk. "Starting today, you are the Soldier Master sect's sixth Heavenly King. Fear has already consulted Asura, and Asura agreed." This was naturally a lie, but Demonic Eye genuinely wanted to keep Yuanshi Tianzun. The poor genius had already severed ties with the authorities; aside from joining the Soldier Master sect to cleanse the world alongside him, there was no better choice. Zhang Yuanqing struggled a few times to no avail, raspy voice protesting, "Piss off. I wouldn't align with you lot even if I died. Let me go." "You claim you won't stand with us, yet you act more radical than I do," Demonic Eye scoffed, though he released his grip on Yuanshi Tianzun nonetheless. Not pressing the matter, he retrieved a parchment scroll and said, "This is the teleportation item the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter prepared for you. Leave now. Miejue is almost back. By the way, when you were being resurrected, something went wrong with the Mother Goddess's Womb. You'd better ask the Palace Master what happened." Tossing the scroll into Yuanshi Tianzun's lap, Demonic Eye added pointedly, "There are quite a few hidden perils lurking inside you." *The Palace Master is quite thoughtful after all, knowing I gave away my items as an inheritance and personally preparing a teleportation tool for me...* Zhang Yuanqing caught the item and inspected its details. At the same time, he asked, "What hidden perils?" —The teleportation jade case was actually still sitting in his inventory, but he had given the matchbox to Guan Ya. Without the matchbox, he couldn't generate teleportation jade talismans. Demonic Eye recounted the two instances where the Mother Goddess's Womb had stalled. Failed to resurrect? Unable to awaken the soul? If that was the case, how had he revived? Had the Mother Goddess's Womb resolved the issue, or... Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. "Hurry along. Miejue is back." Demonic Eye glanced toward the shut window. He could sense that madwoman's boiling bloodlust; evidently, discovering she had been led on a wild-goose chase had left her in a terrible mood. "Until we meet again." Zhang Yuanqing nodded and activated the parchment scroll in his hands. The scroll erupted with blinding white light, then abruptly collapsed inward, shrinking Zhang Yuanqing down to the size of a rice grain before vanishing into nothingness. Demonic Eye dialed the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's number, let it ring twice, hung up, and alerted Fu Qingyang the same way. * * * In the blur of a transient flash, Zhang Yuanqing teleported into a familiar bedroom—Guan Ya's room. The lights were switched off and the curtains tightly drawn, leaving the space dim. Zhang Yuanqing immediately spotted Guan Ya curled up on the bed. With a Swordsman's sharp senses, Guan Ya should have detected anyone suddenly appearing in the room right away. Yet right now, she lay utterly motionless, her breathing slow and even, her mental waves flattened into an unbroken lull—like a block of cheese gradually growing moldy, or a lifeless paper cutout. Guan Ya had remained in this state for several days. After enduring that initial gut-wrenching grief, it was as if a self-defense mechanism had engaged, emptying her of all emotion and thought, leaving her lying there for four or five days straight. Zhang Yuanqing walked to the side of the bed and spoke in a soft whisper: "Sister Guan Ya?"