The gravekeeper wanted Bai Hao and Bai Xiaochun to meet, and to make that happen, he had interfered behind the scenes several times. Although Bai Xiaochun had been suspicious about certain things over the years, the clues had been too vague for him to come to any conclusions.
Of course, not even the gravekeeper could have anticipated that Bai Xiaochun and Bai Hao would become apprentice and Master, would accomplish so many things, and would develop such deep feelings for each other. All the gravekeeper had done was ensure that they met. And if Bai Hao could gain Bai Xiaochun’s approval… well then, he would become the chosen successor!
If he was unable to do that, then the gravekeeper wouldn’t have hesitated to discard him and pick another candidate. He would have then ensured that the next candidate encountered Bai Xiaochun and got to know him. And he would have continued to do that until he found a successor that Bai Xiaochun approved of.
In fact, as far as he was concerned, Bai Xiaochun’s approval was the only main requirement to become his successor!
Of course, he didn’t explain that to Bai Xiaochun. After looking closely at Bai Hao and Bai Xiaochun, he turned his attention to Bai Hao, to whom he spoke in a voice that seemed to echo out from ancient times.
“Bai Hao, are you willing to become my successor?”
Looking very nervous, Bai Hao looked over at Bai Xiaochun. “Master….”
Bai Xiaochun was worried that the opportunity might pass. Besides, he really did feel that this was a wonderful thing for Bai Hao. “Hurry up and agree, my little apprentice,” he said. “This is good fortune for you!”
Bai Hao hesitated for a moment, mixed emotions in his eyes as he looked at his Master. The truth was that he didn't care too much about the supposed position of being the successor to the Hell-Emperor. What he was more worried about was losing out on the happiness he felt by being able to accompany his Master.
His Master was his only family, and the only person he truly liked. That relationship was the most important thing in his entire life.
However, he also realized that his Master had offended too many people in the Wildlands. By becoming the Hell-Emperor, he could make sure that no one ever dared to cause problems for his Master.
Having reached the conclusion that this was definitely the best way of looking at the matter, he gritted his teeth and looked back at the gravekeeper.
“Senior, I am willing to become your successor. However, sir… I can’t view you as my Master. For all eternity, I will only ever have one Master!!” Both his voice and his eyes brimmed with determination. He was willing to become the next Hell-Emperor so that he could protect his Master, but that didn’t mean that he could change his allegiances.
Bai Xiaochun was shocked to hear Bai Hao’s words, and his gaze turned even softer as he looked at his apprentice. However, he knew his apprentice well, and understood how importantly Bai Hao viewed their Master-apprentice relationship.
Although no expression could be seen on the gravekeeper’s face, he was smiling inside. The truth was that despite what he knew about Bai Hao, he still wasn’t absolutely convinced that he was the perfect person to be the next Hell-Emperor. After all, it was a very important position. As such, he was still performing a few tests.
However, Bai Hao’s answer conformed perfectly with what the gravekeeper was looking for. There were no false feelings in them, and they caused the gravekeeper to be even more satisfied.
“Good!” the gravekeeper said, nodding. Although Bai Hao had a lot of questions, the gravekeeper didn't give him an opportunity to ask them. He waved his hand, causing a streak of red light to fly out toward Bai Xiaochun.
Bai Xiaochun's eyes widened as he reflexively reached out to catch… a lock of blood-colored hair!!
As soon as it was out in the open, intense rumbling sounds filled heaven and earth. The sky dimmed, and a whirlwind sprang up around Bai Xiaochun!
It almost seemed like the hair was trying to escape his grasp, prompting him to quickly clasp his hand down to hold it. As he did, he was certain that he could sense something howling, and even detected a dramatic thrum of life force from inside of it.
The gravekeeper’s eyes sparkled. He waved his sleeve, and the howling ceased. An invisible seal had been placed on the lock of hair, making it impossible for it to flee, not even if it had more life force than it already did. All it could do was lay there meekly on Bai Xiaochun’s palm!
A mere brush with the life force inside the hair caused Bai Xiaochun’s entire body to thrum. Of course, he recognized this hair. It was… the very same blood-hair which he had seen on the Celestial!
“The life force in that hair should push your Undying Bones to the peak. Think of it as a gift of good fortune from me to you!” The gravekeeper then took Bai Hao with him as he stepped toward the Underworld River. The water surged as they entered, and then they floated off into the distance until they were gone.
The Underworld River slowly faded away, revealing the dry riverbed. Everything in the area was completely quiet….
Bai Xiaochun was alone on the dry riverbank, holding the blood-red hair, looking off in the direction his apprentice had just vanished in.
Everything had happened so quickly. Although Bai Xiaochun wasn’t interested in becoming the Hell-Emperor, he did hope that his apprentice would succeed at it. However, to have Bai Hao gone so suddenly had him feeling a bit lonely and disappointed.
“When the baby eagles grow up, they have to leave the nest eventually, and soar in the sky….” He sighed, reminding himself that at least he had become someone very important because of everything that had happened. “There’s nobody more powerful than me in the Wildlands now…. My Daoist partner is a deva, my father is a demigod, and my apprentice is the Hell-Emperor! Not even the Grand Heavenmaster could match up to me!”
When he thought about it in this way, his heart began to race with excitement.
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Chapter
844: Undying Bones Skyrocke
Chapter 844: Undying Bones Skyrocket
Happy for his apprentice, and excited about his new status, he looked down at the hair he held, and his heart yet again began to thump.
“A lock of the Celestial’s hair… It was the only red hair on his head…. I can only imagine how important a treasured item like this would be to the Celestial….” Having reached this point in his train of thought, Bai Xiaochun glanced around subconsciously.
The cultivators that had previously been stationed here to guard the Underworld River Restricted Area were nowhere to be seen, leaving him completely alone. Perhaps it was the doing of the gravekeeper, or perhaps they left because of the shocking battle and the destruction of the Great Wall. The entire structure of the Wildlands would be changing. At this point, he gritted his teeth.
“Fudge. What the hell am I afraid of? Great-Grandpa Gravekeeper gave this to me! It's mine now! Besides, according to what Great-Grandpa Gravekeeper said, if I absorb this life force, my Undying Bones will climb to the very peak. Even if this hair belonged to someone more powerful, I would still absorb it!”
After the tempering he had experienced in the Wildlands, Bai Xiaochun had become somewhat more courageous than he had been in the past. Therefore, he found an area in the Underworld River Restricted Area that was suitable to hew out a temporary immortal's cave, and then went into seclusion to cultivate!
**
Somewhere else in the Wildlands, in what seemed like a different dimension, there was a huge black river that was none other than the Underworld River.
It was as black as night, and yet, it was still possible to see a huge palace at the very end of the swirling river water.
The palace was also black, and very sinister in appearance as it rose up over the river water. There was something consummately powerful about it, and there was a constant stream of souls which flew toward it, encircled it, and then vanished on their way to being reincarnated.