Chapter 111: The Most Knowledgeable Ghost

Inside the Hall of Fate, Jiuxuanzi, Qingyunzi, Shendanzi, and Lingjingzi all stood before their respective Idols of Fortune. Their eyes followed Li Si and the Phantom Bride as they walked over and stopped before Li Si’s own idol, which measured only three meters and nine centimeters.

Witnessing this, their expressions shifted subtly.

“Everyone, this is my sincerity.”

“And also my final card.”

The Phantom Bride spoke. “I know how you view me. I know the mistakes I committed. I once took the form of a vengeful ghost and slaughtered my way through cities, killing hundreds of thousands. I also once stumbled into the Five-Tone Ruins. Obtaining the Herb Gatherer’s inheritance, I released the Devil Mushroom a thousand years ago. My sins are indeed heavy.”

“You all understand that the boundary between the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Void must be maintained. Otherwise, the main body of the Devil Mushroom will enter the Mortal Realm. The consequences would be catastrophic. The Fortune of Heaven and Earth that each of you suppresses is the very foundation that maintains this balance between the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Void.”

“Today, due to Muan’s descent into demonic cultivation, part of the Fortune of Heaven and Earth dissipated. I was barely able to recover sixty percent. While this doesn’t endanger the foundation, it means we absolutely cannot afford another mistake.”

“Right now, Fellow Daoist Kaoshanzi wishes to fill this vacant position. However, for reasons not convenient to disclose, I have decided to lend my own strength to help him suppress this aspect of Heaven and Earth’s fortune.”

“Additionally, I offer to open the Palace Ruins Secret Realm to all of you. Your disciples and followers, once they reach the Golden Core Realm and possess two types of Dao Heart, may enter this secret realm to challenge it. They may obtain traces of the medicinal effects of the Seven Emotions Great Medicine. How far they can go depends entirely on their own fortune and fate.”

“Finally, I will offer all the Peachwood Heart cores I have gathered over the past thousand years. These were all obtained by me slaying Peach Blossom Evil Spirits in Peach Hill. There are three thousand six hundred of them. Divide them among yourselves. Forge each Peachwood Heart core using a Divine Thunder method, and you will obtain a Ten Thousand Years Peachwood Heart core. This material can be used in crafting magical artifacts or for warding off evil spirits. It should undoubtedly provide significant assistance.”

Once the Phantom Bride finished speaking, the five figures present were visibly moved. This Herb Gatherer had truly shown genuine sincerity.

Her offer to help Li Si suppress fortune was undeniable. Li Si, Kaoshanzi, was clearly only at the Golden Core Realm. What capability did he have to suppress anything? But with the Phantom Bride, a ghost immortal whose strength wasn’t weaker than a True Immortal, lending her aid, the situation became exceptionally secure.

Then, opening the Palace Ruins Secret Realm? That was practically heavenly music! Soul Lamps could be obtained from within the Palace Ruins Secret Realm. Asking for more was greedy, but obtaining even two Soul Lamps brought incalculable benefits.

Finally, the Ten Thousand Years Peachwood Heart cores! Those were even more precious. Tempered with Divine Thunder, they could be crafted into Evil-Warding artifacts capable of preserving one’s life.

During Li Si’s previous experience of the Seven Emotions Tribulation, that piece of Ten Thousand Years Thunderstruck Peachwood he used hadn’t even been finished or specially tempered, yet it managed to neutralize 500% Soul Alienation Contamination. If one were to be properly forged, the effect could at least double.

Yet this person! Offers three thousand six hundred cores at once! The twelve World Guardian True Immortals can each get three hundred cores. The strained difficulties everyone faces within the Mortal Realm will finally see some alleviation.

In short, the Phantom Bride handled this matter impeccably. Even Jiuxuanzi, known for his extreme hatred of evil, found nothing to criticize.

After all, the Phantom Bride was originally driven mad, turning into a vengeful ghost seeking deadly revenge after being terribly wronged. In her madness, she lost control and massacred cities. Later, by sheer chance, she entered the Five-Tone Ruins, gained the Herb Gatherer inheritance, and gradually recovered her mind.

Though the vast catastrophe truly began because of her, it was never her deliberate intention.

Li Si, standing by her side, felt a pang of realization. The Phantom Bride hunted Peach Blossom Demons daily in Peach Hill; it was all preparation for this very moment.

“Since this is the case, let’s not stand idle here,” Shendanzi spoke gravely. “Fellow Daoist Lingjing and I will take one path. Fellow Daoists Jiuxuan and Qingyun will take another. Let us immediately move to assist the others. The most critical thing now is to get the Idols of Fortune installed within the Qi Luck Hall as soon as possible, restoring order between the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Void.”

The other three naturally agreed. The four quickly departed, leaving only Li Si and the Phantom Bride within the Hall of Fate.

“Well… what can I do? What I mean to say is, though I possess little talent, I am still willing to offer my humble strength.” Li Si asked with a serious expression.

The Phantom Bride glanced at him. “The reason I chose you to replace Muan’s position is not because of your handsome face. Good looks are utterly meaningless. It’s because, urgently, I had no way to officially appoint a new deity.”

“Do you know why, after establishing the Qi Luck Hall, the first group of World Guardian True Immortals to arrive were Jiuxuanzi, Qingyunzi, Lingjingzi, and Shendanzi? It wasn’t because they lived nearby, nor were they the most righteous. It was because Qingyunzi is your Master. Thus, as Qingyunzi’s friends, they naturally wish for you to become a new ‘World Guardian True Immortal’. The unseen benefits in this are innumerable.”

“Following the same principle, do you know why figures like Chisongzi and Tianjizi have not come? It’s because they were dissatisfied with my arrangements. Shortly after Muan lost control to demonic cultivation, Chisongzi recommended his disciple, Mo Yi, to me. Mo Yi is a cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm. Previously, Chisongzi kept Mo Yi very well protected, unwilling to allow him to undergo any formal appointment or title. There are only twelve positions as Righteous Gods of Heaven and Earth. There must be twelve. No more, no less.”

“Then Tianjizi also recommended his disciple to me, Xu Ang. He is a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm. So, you see? They are discontented.”

“Therefore, I had no choice but to promise to open the access rights to the Palace Ruins Secret Realm in order to gain their concession.”

Hearing this from the Phantom Bride, Li Si was a little stunned, but not entirely surprised. Scheming foxes remained scheming foxes. Even his revered old Master Fairy was like this, let alone others.

“Then why didn’t you choose Mo Yi or that Xu Ang? They are clearly more suitable than I am.”

“First, time already didn’t allow any delay. With every moment wasted, the part of Heaven and Earth’s Fortune that Muan suppressed would drain further away. Choosing Mo Yi or Xu Ang would require at least a full day to complete the process of appointing them as divine deities. How could I disregard the greater good for personal reasons?”

“Second, I don’t know any Mo Yi or Xu Ang. I know you. So why shouldn’t I choose you?”

“In fact, within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea after Muan fell to demon cultivation, I took matters into my own hands and appointed you as one of the Twelve Righteous Gods of Heaven and Earth. From start to finish, we lost less than ten percent of Heaven and Earth’s Fortune.”

“We?” Li Si was sensitive to this wording.

“Who else is there? Even now, I am already helping you suppress this part of Heaven and Earth’s Fortune. And the true owner of this portion of fortune is you. So, do you feel it’s still necessary to draw a line between us?”

“Don’t harbor those base thoughts. I, Xia Xiaowan, act honorably as a human and openly forthright as a ghost. I ask my conscience and find no fault in anything I have done.” Facing Li Si’s strange gaze, the Phantom Bride reprimanded him.

“Ha ha, just a joke,” Li Si laughed. “I also stand righteous as a good person and take joy in doing good deeds. I only have one small doubt. Why do you have the authority to appoint deities within the Mortal Realm? Didn’t you say the Five-Tone Ruins and the Seven Emotions Medicine Field fell from the Land of Infinite Vastness?”

“It’s simple. The former masters of the Five-Tone Ruins and the Seven Emotions Medicine Field rose up to the Land of Infinite Vastness from this world. And before their Ascension, they were the masters of this world. I, by obtaining the Herb Gatherer inheritance, gained partial authority to manage the Mortal Realm. This authority includes appointing deities.”

“Naturally, there might be some misunderstanding on your part. Try thinking of it another way: The original masters of the Five-Tone Ruins left behind an immensely powerful Deity and Demon Formation Array within this world. This Formation Array separates the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Void. It’s like cleaving the primal chaos – dividing Yin and Yang, clarity and turbidity – it has a profound protective effect on the living things within this world. This Formation Array needs at least twelve beings with True Immortal cultivation to sustain it. And I… I have the power to decide who gets to sustain it. On the rare occasion where I appoint someone who isn’t quite strong enough? That too falls within the boundaries of the set rules.”

“Thank you for your explanation, Lady,” Li Si said. “I have one more little doubt. In the Mortal Realm, Evil God Cults support the Human Race in establishing kingdoms, plundering vast amounts of Human Fortune. Isn’t that Fortune part of what needs to be suppressed?”

Li Si hurriedly accessed his inner encyclopedia. After all, the person before him was arguably the most knowledgeable ghost in this world. The Phantom Bride showed no sign of impatience, answering everything honestly and exhaustively.

“The Fortune of Heaven and Earth is Fortune of Heaven and Earth. The Fortune of the Human Race is the Fortune of the Human Race. The two cannot be confused.”

“The former is the power that maintains the greater boundary between the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Void. The latter represents only the Human Race itself.”

“To put it simply, more than a thousand years ago, the Mortal Realm held not just Humans, but also the Demon Tribe and the Strange Tribe. Humans had their Human Fortune. The Demon Tribe had their Demon Fortune. The Strange Tribe had their Strange Fortune. Whichever had stronger Fortune could claim more resources and seize more territory.”

“Breaking it down further: Nations have nation’s fortune. Sects have sect’s fortune. Even the smallest family possesses a trace of household fortune. Going even more specific, each individual person also possesses their own personal fortune.”

“Among these, Heaven and Earth’s Fortune manifests as purple. Major nations’ fortunes appear gold. Minor nations’ fortunes appear cyan (blue-green). Sects’ fortunes appear white. Further down appear black and gray.”

“Therefore, in the Mortal Realm, what the Evil God Cults and those Seven Great Kingdoms usurp is actually the Fortune belonging to the Human Race. They cannot touch the root of the Fortune of Heaven and Earth. However, it does gravely affect the development of our Human Race. But compared to the corrosive force of the Devil Mushroom, it’s not quite as severe. Because the more powerful Evil Entities are intercepted at the boundary between the Illusory Realm and the Mortal Realm. That is the primary battleground.”

“The Human Race only appears so pitiful in the Mortal Realm for two reasons: one relates to the corrupting, alienating power of the Devil Mushroom; the other stems from the massive theft of Human Fortune. Think about it: an individual, or a race, without fortune protecting them? Misfortune would strike them relentlessly. As their misfortune grew and fortune dwindled, the situation only worsens.”

“Especially for cultivators! Declared monsters and heretics by the Seven Great Kingdoms? That severs an entire source of Human Fortune! How could it not be tragic?”

“Therefore, having your own ground is essential. Like you seizing the small town of Kao Mountain Town in the Mortal Realm? That was extremely good. When the cycle of four seasons passes, your Hundred-League Law Seal should be able to suppress about three hundred portions of White Fortune. At that time, you will gain 300 portions of the White Human Fortune.”

Only upon hearing this did Li Si fully understand.

However, his method of seizing Kao Mountain Town was exceptionally difficult to replicate. Just the presence of the evil god’s idol + the Blood Coffin was enough to decimate any cultivator foolish enough to covet a human settlement.

He suspected this was precisely why the Phantom Bride insisted on choosing him to replace Muan.

He was quite obviously a clear rising talent.