Chapter 94

Xuankong looked on with curiosity, following behind the Yin soldier and asked, "This magical treasure is quite interesting. I wonder what principle it works on?"

The ghost general meticulously arranged his troops, forming a defensive formation suitable for escorting a significant prisoner. Only then did he salute Xuankong and reply, "This is the Soul-Binding Rope used by the spirits of the Underworld, specifically for capturing vengeful ghosts and evil spirits."

The Soul-Binding Rope is a primordial magical treasure that came into being with the Underworld. It has no physical form, and each spirit in the Underworld can obtain a shadowy version of it.

The ghost general explained, "This magical treasure is just a shadow. Its effectiveness depends entirely on the user's level of cultivation."

Xuankong's hands itched as he kept glancing at the Soul-Binding Rope on the ghost general's waist, and he drew closer, saying, "I see you are an expert in military strategy and formation. Did you serve in the army and fight in battles in the mortal world?"

The ghost general's lips curled up, and he introduced himself with a touch of pride, "I was called Zhonglimai in my lifetime, and I once served in the Western Chu army!"

Ah, another historical figure.

When Xuankong first entered the Underworld, he had wondered when he would encounter these famous historical figures. After all, these people had left a significant mark in the mortal world.

In a world filled with gods, Buddhas, demons, and monsters, how could those who caused great chaos in the mortal world be content to drink the River Styx and be reborn in the cycle of reincarnation?

Even if some did, a few would surely remain in the Underworld, unwilling to erase their memories of their past lives. And here he was, encountering one. Xuankong was surprised, "Is this the Xiang Yu of Western Chu, who overthrew the powerful Qin Dynasty?"

Xuankong had studied the history of this world and found that before the current Song Dynasty, it was not much different from his previous life.

There were only some minor changes, such as the First Emperor of Qin, who unified the six states, being recorded as the reincarnation of the Ancestor Dragon. Although most of these records were from the strange tales of Qi, their authenticity was unknown.

However, the fact that this emperor led his human cultivators to almost unify the entire Southern Continent was undeniable. Xuankong was very curious about the Xiang Yu who could overthrow such a magical and legendary dynasty.

A hint of emotion flashed across Zhonglimai's face, and he said with a sense of shame, "In my lifetime, the First Emperor had already passed away, and I had no chance to meet him."

Xuankong patted Zhonglimai's shoulder and said, "If you didn't meet him, then so be it. That emperor has been praised and criticized by later generations, and no one knows where he has been reincarnated."

Zhonglimai's voice grew low, and he whispered, "If I am not mistaken, a person like the First Emperor would never be reincarnated."

Xuankong was puzzled, "Why is that?"

Zhonglimai was somewhat sad and sighed, "We are soldiers, with our hands stained with blood. Spirits like us, who have fought countless battles, cannot be reborn through the six paths of reincarnation. We can only remain in the Avici Hell to suffer eternal torment."

He continued, "Although I never met the First Emperor, if he is in the Underworld, he would likely be in the Eighteenth Level of Hell." Zhonglimai himself should have been sent to the Avici Hell, but in his lifetime, he had done many favors for Han Xin, the reincarnation of the Seven-Killing Star Lord.

After Han Xin was unjustly killed by Empress Lu, his true spirit awakened and realized his past life.

Becoming the first Zongjiao deity to successfully escape the constraints of the "List of Gods," he also managed to forcibly retain Zhonglimai's soul in the Underworld, preventing him from being reincarnated. Xuankong listened intently, marveling, "So that's how it is. The Seven-Killing Star Lord is truly remarkable, able to escape the control of the List of Gods through reincarnation."

Zhonglimai, who could be considered Han Xin's most trusted companion, saluted and said, "To my knowledge, among the evil stars in the heavens, only the Seven-Killing Star Lord used such a method. After reincarnation, his life was no longer bound by the List of Gods, but he lost all his powers and could never regain them."

Xuankong now understood why no celestial deities were willing to use this method. Think about it, most of the Zongjiao deities were born at the dawn of the universe and attained enlightenment during the reign of the Heavenly Emperor. They had cultivated for countless eons and would never casually give up their powers and cultivation to start over.

Xuankong praised, "This Seven-Killing Star Lord is indeed decisive. If I ever have the chance, I would really like to meet him."

Zhonglimai led the way and said, "There is no longer a Seven-Killing Star Lord in the world, only the Military God Han Xin."

Xuankong clapped and nodded, "Right, right, exactly. There is no longer a Seven-Killing Star Lord, only Han Xin!"

This distraction made Xuankong forget why he was trying to get closer to Zhonglimai. Fortunately, Zhonglimai was very meticulous. When they reached the entrance of the Xuanming Palace, where King Qin Guang resided, he unfastened the Soul-Binding Rope from his waist and handed it to Xuankong.

He said, "Xuankong, as the head of the guards of the First Hall of the Underworld, you are also a spirit and should receive a Soul-Binding Rope."

Xuankong, like a puppy, was almost drooling, but he looked at Zhonglimai, feeling a bit embarrassed to take it.

If he took Zhonglimai's Soul-Binding Rope, wouldn't Zhonglimai be left without a magical treasure? To be honest, Xuankong found Zhonglimai, who was so meticulous, quite likable and did not want to cause him to lose his treasure because of his small desire.

Zhonglimai seemed to understand Xuankong's thoughts and smiled, "It's fine. I always move around in the Underworld, and even if I lose this Soul-Binding Rope, I can easily get a new one."

Xuankong looked at Zhonglimai and confirmed, "Are you sure?"

He was worried that Zhonglimai was just saying this to trick him into taking the treasure. Zhonglimai laughed heartily, and he also developed a good impression of Xuankong, who was so kind and gentle. He had rarely met such a benevolent immortal.

Zhonglimai patted his waist with his left hand, and a purple light flashed. Indeed, another identical Soul-Binding Rope appeared on his waist.

Seeing that it was true, Xuankong finally took the original Soul-Binding Rope from Zhonglimai, patting himself and frowning, "Oh no, most of the treasures I refined in the past were given away casually. Now I can't even find a gift to thank Zhonglimai."

Zhonglimai, being a ghost spirit, could not be fooled with a failed Youth-Preserving Pill. But Xuankong was truly poor at the moment, and he only had a pair of black iron dolls, which were a bit inappropriate to give to Zhonglimai.

Besides, the little monk Mila liked such things, and Xuankong had long decided to give the dolls to his future second disciple as a gift.

As for the other items, he had a dragon pearl that he had drained of its true essence. The origin of this dragon pearl was too significant, and Xuankong had not yet figured out the implications, so he could not give it away casually. He also had a newly acquired Heavenly Net Blood-Transforming Divine Saber, which he could not dispose of lightly.

Zhonglimai was kind and pulled Xuankong, smiling, "If you truly consider me a brother, there's no need to be so formal!"

Xuankong, who was naturally good at making friends, saw the stern soldier smile and knew he was genuinely treating him as a brother. He smiled in return.

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