Chapter 240 — The Universe Lock

Yet though Mr. Ghost thought highly of himself, he was not so arrogant as to believe he could undo an ancient divine art. Legend held that such supreme ancient divine arts were used by the gods of old to seal away the world's ferocious evils; apart from a few ancient divine artifacts, they could never be undone by human power.

But those so-called ancient divine artifacts—to say nothing of their circulating in the mortal world—even he, a man of nearly omniscient erudition, had never heard of any; he knew only that such things were spoken of in old lore. At this juncture, where could he possibly go to find an ancient divine artifact?

At this thought, Mr. Ghost's body swayed as though about to collapse. Suddenly he gave a great cry and spat out a mouthful of blood, bright crimson, which fell upon the platform, stabbing the eye.

Within the Ice Stone Chamber, Ming Li and the Nether King gazed silently at each other. The Nether King's expression was stern, his gaze sharp; Ming Li's face bore more of an air of indifference.

"What is that jade plate in your hand, and why have you brought it to Bi Li's side?" the Nether King asked coldly.

Ming Li did not answer. He withdrew his gaze and returned it to Bi Li; only after a long while did he say slowly, "I want to save her."

The Nether King frowned, a flash of light passing through his eyes. He stepped quickly forward and said, "This magic treasure can save Yao'er?"

Ming Li looked at the Universe Reincarnation Plate in his hand, shimmering with soft white light, and suddenly gave a bitter laugh. "I do not know."

The Nether King was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

Ming Li was silent a moment, then said, "I only heard tell that this magic treasure is remarkably efficacious, that it might offer hope of saving Bi Li—that is why I went to beg its loan. But as to how it truly works, I cannot say."

The Nether King glanced at the Universe Reincarnation Plate, his gaze fixing. Plainly he too was somewhat surprised by the plate's strange appearance, but by his wide experience he had never heard of such a magic treasure. Frowning, he said, "What is this magic treasure called?"

Ming Li said, "This plate is called the Universe Reincarnation Plate. It is said to be able to stabilize souls and sever life from death, but as to how..." His mind flashed to the withered figure of Master Pude, and he gave a bitter laugh. "As to how, no one knows either."

A flash of anger crossed the Nether King's face; red threads crept into his eyes, carrying a hint of murderous intent. But a moment later he looked at Bi Li, and her serene, smiling face was mirrored in his eyes, as though stirring something within him. At last his gaze slowly softened once more.

Perhaps, at this moment, only Bi Li could bring his heart temporary peace.

"That treasure is no ordinary thing!" the Nether King said suddenly. "I can see it—though I have never heard of such a magic treasure, its jade is extraordinary, its radiance pure and undispersed; it is surely no common object. Try it quickly—perhaps... perhaps it may have a wondrous effect, who can say..."

Toward the end, his voice gradually sank. Plainly, throughout these ten years, he too had suffered countless setbacks and failures, just like Ming Li. Though a hope still lingered in his heart, both men understood in their hearts that it was, after all, only the faintest sliver of hope.

Ming Li nodded silently and held the Universe Reincarnation Plate in his hands, bringing it close to Bi Li. The soft white light flowed, yet there was not the slightest disturbance. Holding onto a侥幸 hope, Ming Li channeled his true essence into the jade plate, but the Universe Reincarnation Plate was like a deep ocean; the true essence poured in like a clay ox into the sea, and there was no further sound. Nor did any change occur upon the jade plate.

Ming Li was disheartened but hardly surprised. In truth, on the road back to Mount Huqi, he had already tried countless methods to test this jade plate, including this method of channeling true essence, and all had ended in failure. Master Pude of the Fanyin Temple had studied this strange treasure for decades and gained nothing; any method Ming Li could think of in these few days, Master Pude had likely tried a hundred times over.

In his heart, Ming Li understood all this well enough; but he could not let go of that tiny hope of saving Bi Li, and so he could only strive desperately, praying that Heaven might take pity and a miracle appear. Yet in the end, all ended in failure.

Ming Li bowed his head woodenly and sat there blankly. A look of disappointment flickered across the Nether King's face as well, but he did not reproach him, nor did he reach out himself to take the strange jade plate and examine it. Though the two had been on poor terms of late, the Nether King well knew in his heart how Ming Li felt about Bi Li; if there were even the slightest hope, Ming Li would never abandon it—and this time, plainly, every method had been tried.

He gave a long sigh, his face seeming to age a little more. He shook his head silently and was about to turn away when his body suddenly paused, as though he had thought of something. He whirled around and said urgently to Ming Li, "Try placing the Union Bell together with that jade plate!"

Ming Li started, then understood. A trace of tension flickered across his face. He drew close to Bi Li and gently pried open the hands crossed upon her chest; at his touch, her skin, though still smooth and full, was chillingly cold. Ming Li's heart ached; he dared not think further, and carefully drew out the Union Bell clutched in Bi Li's hand.

The golden Union Bell gave a clear, crisp sound as it was gently shaken, a faint radiance flashing past like the eyes of a beautiful lover gazing upon him.

Ming Li held the Universe Reincarnation Plate in one hand and the Union Bell in the other, and gently lowered the bell toward the plate. Within the Universe Reincarnation Plate, those strange little jade pieces still slid silently of their own accord—mountains and rivers, the wheeling stars, all faintly contained within.

Under the gaze of both Ming Li and the Nether King, the Union Bell gradually came above the Universe Reincarnation Plate. When a foot of distance still remained, Ming Li suddenly seemed to sense something; his brows knit, and a flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes. The Nether King perceived it at once and stared at him. "What is it?"

Ming Li said nothing. He only drew a deep breath, and then, when the Hehuan Bell was still a foot above the jade plate, he suddenly let his fingers open.

The Ghost King started.

There, within the soft white radiance that poured from the Universe Reincarnation Plate, the Hehuan Bell astonishingly did not fall. It seemed to be buoyed up by some invisible force, rising and sinking slowly within the white glow, and after a moment the melodious sound of the bell rang out.

Joy and astonishment sprang onto the faces of both Ming Li and the Ghost King at once.

But at this critical moment, before that look of delight could linger on their faces even a moment longer, the entire ice-cold stone chamber—no, the whole of Mount Huki—suddenly shuddered violently. A vast and terrible formless force, thick with the stench of blood, burst forth from deep beneath their feet, as though some monstrous beast had been provoked and now roared in fury, struggling to break free of its bonds.

The faces of Ming Li and the Ghost King changed at the same instant—but with a difference: Ming Li's was sheer astonishment, while in the Ghost King's eyes there was shock and wrath.