“Forbids all supernatural power...” Zu An was surprised.
He hadn’t expected the trial to have such a peculiar setting. They had cultivated for so long that they were already accustomed to their superhuman powers. It was unnerving to suddenly be robbed of their powers and reverted to mortal status.
“I have a question. You said that I was fated with death, so why are you bringing them into the trial as well?” Zu An was confused.
Putting aside the fact that having Firework in the trial would make things far more dangerous for him, he was also reluctant to put Isabella and Tingxue in danger. No one had been able to clear the trial thus far, so there was a huge chance of them becoming part of the skulls in the stairs.
I’m sure their skulls would be delicate and beautiful... Pui pui pui, I shouldn’t be thinking about that now!
The Deity of Death replied, “There’s a chance they could be favored by the Dao of Death. Not many people have been able to get here, and the path of Death needs an inheritor. To boost the chances of finding the right person, the trial must involve everyone who makes their way here.”
Zu An was speechless. You’re just scattering your net as wide as possible. But looking at the stairs of skulls, it feels like quite a lot of people have reached this place.
He hurriedly cleared his mind and asked, “Is that all? Isn’t there more useful information?”
“I have made an exception by offering you two pieces of information. You should be satisfied!”
“What two pieces of information?!”
“One, the trial takes place in a world where supernatural powers are limited. Two, your companions will be participating in the trial as well.”
Zu An was stunned. He would have been cursing in his mind if he hadn’t known that the Deity of Death could read minds. The information offered was worthless!
“These two pieces of information aren’t helpful in the trial. Aren’t you looking for someone to inherit Death’s will? You can offer me more help since we’re fated.”
“That won’t do. The trial has to be impartial.”
“But the trial has likely been tampered with by other... entities! Challengers like me would be severely handicapped if we entered the trial without prior information. That goes against your principle of having a fair trial.”
The red eyes in the sky shook. Seconds later, he replied with a sigh, “I have met no lack of sharp-witted fellows who tried to gather information from me over the years, but you’re the first one to convince me. Alright, I’ll reveal another piece of information to you. I noticed that the world this trial is set in has some relation to you.”
Zu An was first overjoyed before confusion set in. “How is it related to me?”
The Deity of Death had prepared this trial to select his successor. He couldn’t fathom how the trial’s world could have anything to do with him.
Hold on, did he read my memories?
“The trial’s world is grounded in what I heard from a good friend. That friend was the death god of his respective world, and the stories about his world left a deep impression on me. So, when I rushed to create the trial’s world, I used his world as the backdrop.”
Zu An’s heartbeat quickened—it was bizarre how he still had such sensations even though he was only a skeleton now. “Was your friend called the Necropolis Emperor?”
“No, he’s known as Yama in his world.”
Zu An was stunned. There are indeed ten Yamas in the Netherworld. I wonder which one it was. It’s a pity all the Yamas and the ghost guards were gone by the time I took over the Netherworld, so there’s much I don’t know about it.
“He remains impartial before the world, thus establishing a fair order.”
A figure appeared in Zu An’s mind. But just as he was about to probe further, the Deity of Death said, “I have revealed too much. You have to enter the trial now, or else you’ll be sanctioned by the restriction I imposed back then.”
Zu An felt the world spin around him, as if he had been pulled into a massive temporal vortex. Some time later, everything fell silent.
He found himself lying on a bed. He pulled the blanket off and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming he wasn’t a skeleton anymore. Despite retaining his sense of self as a skeleton, who could get used to such a body?
A feeling of weakness suddenly gripped him, and he nearly fell to the ground.
He had indeed lost his cultivation. He had considerable vitality compared to his peers, but he was indescribably weaker than his usual self. To make things worse, his massive divine sense had vanished. He now had to rely on his eyes and ears, and that made him feel crippled.
He tried to execute his skills, but none of those overpowered moves could be used. He even tried summoning Mi Li, but there was no response.
It makes me feel so helpless to be a mortal...
The only silver lining was that Firework had been turned into a mortal as well. She was bound to have lost more than him. That realization lifted his spirits a little.
He grabbed a copper mirror to scrutinize his appearance. When he saw that he still had his own face, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He proceeded to survey the surroundings. His room wasn't opulent, but it was tidy and well-furnished. This suggested that the identity he'd taken on in this world was from a decent background.
Hold on. Copper mirror? And this layout resembles medieval shows as well. Have I been transported into one of the older Chinese dynasties? No wonder the Deity of Death said the trial’s world was related to me.
To think that he could read my memories. I feel as if I was stripped bare before him.
He suddenly remembered the impartial Yama whom the Deity of Death mentioned. It wasn't too difficult to figure out that Yama’s identity.
The Song Dynasty’s Bao Zheng was known for his impartial and upright nature. The populace lauded him as Justice Bao. It was often rumored that he dealt with mortal cases in the day and interrogated souls at night. He was also believed to have become a Yama after his death, and there was indeed such an impartial figure in the Netherworld.
Am I in the Song Dynasty?
Hold on. I've been to the Xia, Shang, Qin, and Tang Dynasties’ dungeons. If this is the Song Dynasty, could this be an Unknown Region, too? But this is the Deity of Death’s trial. Surely it can’t be that coincidental, right?
Just then, someone knocked on the door. “Third Young Master, are you awake? The old master and old madam are calling for you. They have something they would like to discuss with you.”
Zu An was surprised. Third Young Master?
Who am I? Am I Sword God Xie Xiaofeng? No, Xie Xiaofeng isn’t from this dynasty.
He opened his door, and the eyes of the servant outside lit up. “Third Young Master, you’re amazing. You recovered quickly after sustaining such severe injuries!”
“Was I injured...” Zu An was perplexed. He considered asking where he was and who his parents were, but he was worried he would give himself away. Thus, he decided to withhold his questions and let things run their course first.
Soon, he was brought to a remote room. As soon as he stepped in, a beautiful middle-aged woman grabbed his hand and worriedly asked, “Polu, how are your injuries?”
Zu An was speechless.
—
Guo Polu is a side character from Return of the Condor Heroes (a very famous Wuxia work in China that almost everyone knows about), and the story is set in the Song Dynasty.