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Chapter 465: Lighting the Candle

If an eighth-realm being was intent on killing, it would be extremely difficult for even another eighth-realm being to ensure everyone's safety.

He then made his way to the Hall of Weapons to see Wen Yulong.

"Senior Brother Chu."

"Junior Brother Wen."

They exchanged slight nods of greeting. They knew each other so well that they could often sense what the other was thinking. As soon as Chu Liang arrived, Wen Yulong knew there was new work to be done.

"Can you take a look at this enchanted tool for me?" Chu Liang asked as he pulled out the Demon-Binding Rope.

As one of the first enchanted tools he had acquired, the Demon-Binding Rope had always been Chu Liang's weapon of choice for capturing thieves and subduing demons. The tortoise-shell bondage method of the Demon-Binding Rope not only physically restrained the enemy but also crushed them psychologically.

It could be called an essential tool for home and travel.

Unfortunately, as his cultivation level increased, the effectiveness of the Demon-Binding Rope began to wane.

First, its release speed was no longer fast enough to catch enemies off guard. Second, even if it succeeded in restraining someone, those with higher cultivation levels could easily break free.

This was a challenge every cultivator had to face. The enchanted tools they had relied on could no longer keep pace with their increasing cultivation levels, forcing them to give up on the old ones and acquire new ones.

Typically, they would repair these tools and pass them down to the next generation of cultivators as a legacy item.

However, the Demon-Binding Rope was not the type of tool that seemed appropriate to pass on to the next generation.

When he acquired this Scarlet Venom Silk today, he suddenly had an idea. Perhaps he could enhance his old enchanted tool and make them effective enough to be used in future battles.

Wen Yulong just happened to be an expert in this field.

Any enchanted tool that has been in his hands would receive a significant "enhancement."

"I want to enhance this tool by incorporating this material. Is that possible?" Chu Liang placed the Demon-Binding Rope and the Scarlet Venom Silk on the table and added, "Just a reminder: it's poisonous."

"Let me take a look." Wen Yulong carefully examined the two items for a moment, then frowned and said, "Why didn't you come earlier?"

"Huh?" Chu Liang couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter?"

"My shift ends now," Wen Yulong replied with a grin.

Oh, so I'm holding you up from leaving after work. Chu Liang thought as he heaved a sigh of relief. He thought that there was something wrong with the Demon-Binding Rope.

After a moment, Wen Yulong looked up and said, "The inscriptions on this enchanted tool are quite intricate, and this silk contains a potent paralyzing poison. Combining the two would definitely make for a valuable enhancement. I already have a few ideas in mind."

"Just stick to your simplest idea," Chu Liang quickly suggested. The daring ideas Wen Yulong came up with were not something he could handle.

"Leave it to me. Don't worry," Wen Yulong said confidently.

One could say that all of his confidence had been restored thanks to Chu Liang.

Previously, he had faced failure in alchemy and lost the trust of those around him. Even his tool-making skills had come under heavy scrutiny, as his unconventional ideas were often misinterpreted. He thought he might have to change his career again during that time.

It was Chu Liang who made all his outrageous ideas come to life. Regardless of how outrageous they seemed, their implementation always met the desired outcome.

As Chu Liang's reputation soared, Wen Yulong, as his exclusive artificer, also began to gain recognition on Mount Shu.

The remarkable thing was that when those who wanted Wen Yulong to make a tool for them set aside their pride, showed Wen Yulong the respect he deserved, and followed his instructions, they often achieved outstanding results.

Now, Wen Yulong was highly sought after among the younger generation of attendants in the Hall of Weapons, with his value nearly matching that of some of the older artificers. Yet, requests for his tool-making services were few and far between, much like scattered snowflakes.

At this point, he didn't care about money and only chose the tasks that intrigued him the most.

All of this was made possible because Chu Liang had trusted him from the very beginning.

After thinking for a moment, Wen Yulong added, "But this amount is too little. It won't be enough for even one enhancement."

"How much do you need?" Chu Liang asked.

"The more, the better," Wen Yulong replied.

...

Upon returning to Silver Sword Peak, he received messages from Noblemen's Hall and the Great Astral Sect, informing him about the events that followed in the Deep Pool of Dreams.

Caiyi did not try to kill them again and everyone made it back safely. It was probably because she was too busy to take further action, having awakened the Nightmare Demon King at that crucial time.

The Vice Headmaster of Ascending Dragon Academy and the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau both arrived. If she had been any slower, she could have ended up trapped in the center of the land of the nine provinces.

Even so, she was still struck by the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner's Tai'a Sword, resulting in the loss of one of her tails.

For the nine-tailed celestial fox, tails were the most important parts of their body. Having one severed meant a serious loss of cultivation power, and the time needed for recovery was unknown.

The most severely injured was Gu Qingyuan. His physical body had been suppressing the core consciousness of the Nightmare Demon King, and when the king awakened, it turned his body to ashes.

However, he had inherited the Great Noble Dream Immortal's cultivation legacy, the Dream Techniques. That allowed his primordial spirit to remain intact and his life to be preserved.

At this point, Ji Lianhua had taken him back to Kaoshan City, and with the resources and techniques they had, making a new physical body for him wouldn't be challenging.

If Eminent Ones at the seventh realm had reached a level that allowed their primordial spirit to exist outside their body, they would be incredibly difficult to kill.

Even in the face of great danger, they could abandon their physical form and typically find a way to escape alive.

Ji Lingyu had initially planned to stay in Kaoshan City with her Thirteenth Aunt, Ji Lianhua, for a while. However, after seeing her aunt and uncle reunite after a long separation, she tactfully decided to return to the Great Astral Sect. Although Ji Lianhua wanted her to stay, Ji Lingyu was firm in her decision to leave, assuring her that she would visit again soon.

When Caiyi left, Yan Qihu's illusion was dispelled. When he opened his eyes, he thought that he had been the one to drive away the two greater demons.

If he had not spotted the Vice Headmaster and the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, he likely would not have come to his senses so quickly.

As the dream realm shattered, Wei Lang's disciples were also freed from the influence of the blood moon.

Everyone was quite satisfied with this outcome.

Only those who originally resided in the depths of the Deep Pool of Dreams—the remnants of the former dynasty, the people of the Kingdom of the Dream Immortal—witnessed the collapse of their world.

It was unknown as to whether the Kingdom of the Dream Immortal still exists.

Deep down, Chu Liang wished that the tranquil paradise could exist forever. Even if it was merely a dream, it provided a glimpse of fantasy in the world.

After reading the two letters, Chu Liang finally felt at ease.

Right now, his plan was to go to the Myriad Poison Mountain and the Demon Spider Forest to hunt some venomous creatures for Wen Yulong to enhance the Demon-Binding Rope.

However, before that...

He had one more thing to do.

Chu Liang left Mount Shu overnight, setting off once again for the Southern Bastion Mountain. As he passed Bombax River, he took the opportunity to slay the wine-jar monster.

Once that was done, he continued his journey, feeling satisfied.

By the time he arrived at Southern Bastion Mountain, it was already late at night. Instead of heading toward the Deep Pool of Dreams, he flew in the opposite direction, flying close to the ground to avoid waking any large evil beings that might be hidden among the peaks.

At last, with dawn breaking on the horizon, he arrived at his destination. It was an incredibly serene deep pool. The water was like a flawless mirror, perfectly still, as if it had been crafted and set in place.

Splash.

Chu Liang unhesitatingly leaped into the water.

The bone-chilling coldness of the pool made even his strong physique shudder. This pool was anything but ordinary. As he circulated his foundational qi to warm himself, he dove straight to the bottom of the pool.

There, he discovered a dark cave hidden beneath the water, covered by aquatic plants, revealing almost no trace of its entrance. After searching meticulously for a while, he finally located the entrance among the foliage.

With both hands, he pushed aside the water plants and stepped inside.

To his surprise, the cave felt warm. As he ventured deeper, it gradually dried up, and by the time he reached the innermost part of the cave, there was no sign of water at all.

At the end of the cave, there lay a jade coffin.

It appeared almost transparent, glowing softly in the darkness. Inside, a small figure dressed in bright yellow could be seen faintly.

It was the jade coffin containing the young emperor of the previous dynasty!

It had somehow ended up here, a hundred li away from the Deep Pool of Dreams.

But Chu Liang was not surprised at all. Clearly, he had come all the way here for this jade coffin.

He quickly approached the jade coffin, ready to open it, when a sudden thought made him step back a few paces.

He then lit a candle in the southeast corner of the cave. Only after the flame flickered to life did he move forward once more.

As the saying went, humans light candles, while ghosts extinguish flames.[1]

Only after that did he open the coffin.

1. This refers to the practice in tomb raiding where one should light a candle in the southeast corner of the tomb chamber. If the candle suddenly extinguishes, it means that the tomb's owner is displeased with what you are taking. At this point, you should return the item to its original place, bow three times, and exit the tomb to ensure your safety. ☜