Chapter Ninety-Five: Apotheosis
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“Fortunately, many years ago, I prepared for the worst and hid a fragment of my soul within a shard of the Kunlun Mirror. By chance, this sliver of soul merged with this palace. The formation core that Emperor Shaohao tasked me to guard is, in fact, this very palace, called the White Emperor Palace—pure as jade throughout and possessing miraculous powers.” Shen Kui stroked his beard, as if deeply honored by his role.
“It really is my father’s palace! No wonder it feels so familiar!” Qiongqi’s face was full of nostalgia. Inside the immaculate palace, he wandered about, touching here and there, staring up at the extravagant ceiling, and finally lying flat on the floor, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Men crying is no crime! Brother, tell me who bullied you. I’ll cover you from now on! I’ll beat him so badly that even his mother wouldn’t recognize his face!” Wu Ming’s terminal case of adolescent bravado flared up again. It was obvious Qiongqi was thinking of his father, Emperor Shaohao, perhaps feeling his own actions paled in comparison to his imperial parent.
A burst of laughter escaped everyone at Wu Ming’s antics.
Suddenly, a violent fit of coughing seized Shen Kui, as if he might cough up his very heart and lungs.
“Rest a while, old friend!” Shujun stepped forward, kneading and massaging Shen Kui’s back. After a long moment, color slowly returned to the old man’s ashen face.
“It’s nothing. This last thread of my soul is like the oil in a lamp—never replenished, yet constantly burning. Each day alive is a day less. Sooner or later, the lamp will run dry. I know my own limits, so I’d better lay out everything I know for you all, resolve your doubts, and do a final good deed for the world.” Shen Kui struggled to sit upright from Shujun’s embrace.
At that instant, Wu Ming felt deeply ashamed for ever doubting such a noble deity—one who had given everything to this world. What a venerable elder, worthy of awe and respect.
“Please speak, sir. I am all ears!” Wu Ming suddenly became exceptionally respectful, sitting upright like an obedient student.
“Please speak, sir!” Jiuying and Xiao Pan returned to their seats, while Qiongqi personally poured Shen Kui a cup of tea.
“You must be Qiongqi. Long ago, your father Emperor Shaohao and I were neighbors. I held you as a child. The Emperor loved you dearly. When you were caught by Emperor Shun for your crimes among mortals and faced execution, your father, setting aside his imperial dignity, pleaded with Shun—only then was your sentence commuted to exile…” Shen Kui seemed to know much of Shaohao and Qiongqi’s stories, recounting them like any ordinary elder, rambling on. Yet no one felt impatient, for these were tales told with one’s very life.
“Old age brings verbosity. Let’s get to the point.”
“By chance, the Kunlun Mirror shard containing my soul was fused into the Mountain and Sea Mirror. My soul should have remained sealed, but recently the Three Sea Mirror actually devoured the Kunlun Mirror shard!”
Seeing everyone’s confusion, Shen Kui explained, “It also consumed the Temporal Mirror. In an instant, the White Emperor Palace restored most of my soul, allowing me to awaken and continue existing here!”
“As for myself, I don’t really know how it happened. I was farming one day, when suddenly everything went black. Next thing I knew, I woke up in this palace. Anyway, wherever I am, I only care about farming. So I decided to stay and keep Shen Kui company, tending flowers and plants in the White Emperor Palace—it’s not bad!” Honest Shujun, the god of agriculture, waited patiently for Shen Kui to finish. He seemed to embody the simple nature of traditional Chinese farmers—his voice carried a natural warmth.
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“Now I feel it’s all part of the Emperors’ plans. Perhaps they truly went to seek a once-and-for-all solution. The Kunlun Mirror may have been shattered on purpose, as a hidden safeguard for this universe. Everything seems prepared for a certain moment to come. I believe it’s closely related to you, boy!” Shen Kui looked at Wu Ming with interest.
“Me?” Wu Ming pointed to his own nose in surprise.
“No way! With my meager fighting ability, facing the Outer Demons would be suicide—a liability to my teammates! Please don’t count on me. Which of the top ten outstanding youths of the Spirit Realm isn’t stronger than me? Each is a peerless talent, unmatched for centuries. It’s more suitable for them!” Wu Ming truly disliked the idea of undertaking this protagonist’s perilous journey. Even the main character Tang Monk was eaten by Sandy several times before crossing the River of Sand. Despite all the divine protection, wasn’t he repeatedly done for?
“I believe that when the time comes, the Master will not stand by idly. I’m sure the Emperors won’t misjudge a person!” Shen Kui laughed heartily, full of confidence in the matter.
Wu Ming felt he was not cut out for the leading role and wondered where their confidence in him came from. He himself believed that unless it was a life-and-death crisis, he’d never fight those legendary Outer Demons—such battles were simply not in the same league, little more than sending himself to his doom.
“I have another question: will this White Emperor Palace, remaining inside my Mountain and Sea Mirror, attract the Outer Demons? I don’t have the strength to fight those monsters!”
“Rest assured, Master! This is an independent space. Unless you permit it, nothing and no one can enter!” Xiao Pan explained.
“Don’t exaggerate! Then how did these two come to be here, along with the palace?” Wu Ming pointed to Shen Kui, Shujun, and the White Emperor Palace.
“Um, well, Master, this situation is different!” Xiao Pan was stumped.
“They’re different. They merged with the Kunlun Mirror fragments, so they’re considered part of the Mountain and Sea Mirror itself!” Xiao Pan’s little face blushed bright red.
“All right, I won’t tease you anymore.” Wu Ming patted Xiao Pan’s head and turned to Shen Kui.
“Shen Kui, your story is moving! But I’m not comfortable with strangers living in my space. Either you move out, or you swear a blood oath—and you too, Shujun!”
“Um, I…” Shen Kui hesitated.
“Master, they’re soul entities—they don’t have blood, so they can’t swear a blood oath!” Xiao Pan reminded.
Wu Ming blushed deeply, feeling extremely embarrassed.
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“So what should we do?”
“As long as they open their minds, the space system can imprint their souls, sealing them as deities of the Mountain and Sea Space!” Xiao Pan seemed very interested in these matters, his face bright with excitement.
“Very well! Since I’ve become the spirit of this palace, I have nowhere else to go. I might as well stay here. But Shujun, what about you?” Shen Kui turned to Shujun, patting his shoulder.
“My body is gone. For me, farming anywhere is farming. As long as I can farm peacefully here, that’s enough!” Shujun was utterly unconcerned.
“Good! Xiao Pan, seal Shen Kui as the Mountain God of the Mountain and Sea Space, in charge of…” Wu Ming paused, puzzled, “Wait, does this space even have mountains?”
“Master, just assign the titles. The world inside the Mountain and Sea Mirror changes according to your wishes. You can even recreate the Spirit Realm, though on a much smaller scale. Since the Mountain and Sea Mirror absorbed the Kunlun Mirror shard, it keeps expanding. And the space-time inside is entirely under your control—you can accelerate, slow, or even halt time, and appear anywhere in this small world instantly…”
“Master, look beneath your feet!”
Wu Ming hurriedly looked down to find the jade floor turning transparent, as if made of countless panels of tempered glass. Through it, he saw the ground below rising steadily, gradually forming a vast mountain range stretching into the distance. The elevation beneath him kept climbing, and Wu Ming felt they were about to surpass the height of Mount Everest.
“This place really is round heavens and square earth! Not bad, quite fun!” Wu Ming realized that in this small world, he could perceive the overall layout without even concentrating, though not the fine details—like a game map, where the big picture is clear but the details require close inspection.
“Alright, I hereby appoint Shen Kui as the god of all mountains in the Mountain and Sea Mirror world, chief over all future mountain gods!” As Wu Ming finished speaking, Shen Kui was instantly clad in a suit and tie, polished shoes gleaming, emanating an aura of authority.
“Uh, that seems a bit much! Makes me not want to leave—being the king here isn’t bad at all!”
“And Shujun, I appoint you as the god of agriculture. From now on, all farming, forestry, fishing, animal husbandry, and horticulture in the Mountain and Sea Mirror space will be under your care!” A green light flashed, and Shujun transformed from a rustic farmer into a modern researcher.
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