Chapter 354
Chapter 354
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 355
Chapter Title: Crowned as King
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Those words left not only Prince Xiangkun and the others stunned speechless, but even Chen Shi stood there dumbfounded.
He had originally thought that the ghost clan chiefs' goal was the Blood Lake True Scripture he had deciphered. Their invitation for him to the sovereign's palace this time was merely to coerce or tempt him into passing it on.
But if he could leave alive, Chen Shi wouldn't mind sharing the technique.
If the Blood Lake True Scripture spread, it would undoubtedly plunge the Tianchi Ghost Kingdom into chaos—mutual slaughter, everyone living in fear and anxiety, too preoccupied to bother with them.
But what he never could have imagined was how wildly these ghost clan chiefs' minds leaped to the absurd—they actually wanted him to become the next Tianchi sovereign!
In the small temple behind his skull, Peng Ju, Peng Yan'er, and Sang Xixi were also closely watching the outside developments. Hearing Lei Qu's words, they too were utterly shocked.
Peng Ju and Peng Yan'er were somewhat prepared—the siblings already admired Chen Shi to no end—but Sang Xixi was utterly bewildered.
"This isn't right. This isn't right at all. Isn't the top scholar a living person? How did he become the sovereign of the Tianchi Ghost Kingdom?"
Could selecting a sovereign really be this hasty?
At Chen Shi's side, Lady Shi'e whispered, "Envoy, did you kill the previous sovereign?"
Chen Shi let out a muffled grunt. Given this scene unfolding before him, even he suspected he'd offed the old sovereign and bribed all 112 tribal chiefs of Tianchi Kingdom.
Prince Xiangkun and the mourning ghost gods who had rushed here were both shocked and furious. They had come first thing for the sovereign's throne.
Prince Xiangkun had long schemed endlessly for that position. He had bought off many disgruntled or ambitious ghost gods, amassed power, hunted treasures to enhance his bloodline strength—all in hopes that one day, when his father grew old, he could send the old man swiftly to paradise.
But unexpectedly, this time the old sovereign had led the clan's experts out and met with disaster, passing away.
He had rushed here immediately, bringing nearly all the East Palace's elites. Anyone daring to oppose him as the next sovereign could join the old one in the grave.
Yet what was this little skeleton that had popped up out of nowhere?
Why did this little skeleton have the support of all 112 tribal chiefs?
Tianchi Kingdom's power structure was fairly loose—a tribal confederation. The sovereign was usually either the chief of the largest tribe, the strongest tribe, or the mightiest individual. But a skeleton serving as sovereign? Utterly unprecedented!
Prince Xiangkun gritted his teeth. With the united support of 112 tribal chiefs, it was basically set in stone. Even if he opposed it, it would change nothing.
Even if he mobilized all the East Palace's experts here, they couldn't take these old monsters.
But watching the sovereign's throne fall into someone else's hands—a little skeleton, no less—he absolutely could not tolerate it!
Prince Xiangkun glanced at the Chancellor, who understood and stepped forward, declaring gravely, "Esteemed chiefs, the sovereign's position is of utmost importance. Since ancient times, every sovereign has been selected from among our ghost clans' tribes. Never has a skeleton cultivator been chosen as sovereign. Moreover, skeleton cultivators aren't even ghost clans."
Chief Chi Di retorted, "Skeleton ghosts are ghosts too."
The Chancellor couldn't help but grow angry at that. "Skeleton cultivators are merely阳间 cultivators who die and whose nascent souls fall to the underworld, latching onto a skeleton. How are they ghost clans?"
Chief Chi Di snapped back angrily, "Born from a mother's womb or born of heaven and earth—what's the difference?"
"How could there be no difference?"
The Chancellor fumed. "We have fleshly bodies—they don't!"
"Aren't bones a body?" Chief Chi Di sneered.
From beside Prince Xiangkun, another ghost clansman spoke up. "Since ancient times, it's been father passing to son—"
Chief Lei Qu shook his head. "No such rule. Step back."
Another ghost clan powerhouse said, "Sovereigns of every generation have been chosen by strength. This skeleton brat hasn't faced challenges from the clans—how can he become sovereign?"
The other ghost clan powerhouses nodded vigorously. "Without proper selection, how will he command respect?"
Chief Lei Qu declared, "With the endorsement of 112 chiefs, what need is there for selection? As for commanding respect—get past us first and then we'll see if you're convinced."
Chief Qing Sha added, "We have our ways to make you submit."
The assembled tribal elders all laughed. "We've come only to inform you that Chen Shi is assuming the sovereign's throne and will soon be crowned. Not to let you little whelps question us."
All the ghost gods present fell silent.
Each tribal chief was an existence whose bloodline had been developed to its utmost, having served as chief for many years and received long worship from their people. Their divine power rivaled the strongest阳间 cultivators. If these old fogeys wanted to elevate Chen Shi, then Chen Shi was the new sovereign!
This was an announcement, not a discussion!
The ghost gods remained silent.
Chief Lei Qu scanned the room, speaking earnestly, "His Majesty is the legendary wise ruler foretold to lead our resurgence, restoring our golden age. You must all loyally assist him. Understood?"
The crowd remained silent.
Chen Shi coughed, wanting to speak, but as all eyes turned to him, he said nothing.
He was still a bit dazed.
Even after Chen Shi sat upon the throne, was crowned, and accepted homage from the clans—with the chiefs coming forward to kowtow and offer incense—he was still somewhat out of it, not fully snapped back to reality.
The new sovereign's ascension was naturally a grand affair. Every ghost clan lit lanterns and celebrated boisterously, filled with joy. But upon learning the new sovereign was a skeleton ghost, they exchanged uneasy glances and gossiped endlessly behind closed doors.
The day after ascending the throne, Chen Shi finally shook off yesterday's revelry and thought to himself, "My dad and Granny Sha are still exorcising the demon from me. They probably have no idea that while they were doing that, I ran off to the ghost clans and became their sovereign."
This whole thing was too ridiculous.
He still found it unbelievable.
Steadying his mind, Commander Peng Ju reported, "Your Majesty, Thunder Ape Chief Lei Qu requests an audience."
Chen Shi rose from the extravagantly ornate throne. He wore a heavy fur robe crafted from the hides of underworld creatures between ghosts and demons—opulent, brimming with extraordinary power and various exotic bloodline forces, likely refined with blood sacrifices from the clans.
Atop his skull sat a golden crown inlaid with gems. He gripped the scepter by the throne, which towered several times his height.
Chen Shi thought for a moment and set the scepter down. "Let him in."
Moments later, Lei Qu entered the throne hall following Peng Ju. Seeing Chen Shi disheveled, robe open to reveal his ribs, pelvis, and leg bones, he quickly raised a hand to shield his eyes. "Your Majesty, please spare these old eyes of mine."
Interior Minister Sang Xixi hurried forward to wrap the fur robe tighter around Chen Shi.
Chen Shi descended the dais and approached Lei Qu with a smile. "I'm just a pile of dry bones to begin with—this robe on or off makes no difference. Chief Lei, I'm still puzzled."
Flames flickered in the eye sockets of his skull, burning steadily as they fixed on Lei Qu.
Lei Qu resembled an elderly ape, his facial hair all white, clad in black robes. He moved and spoke like any man.
"Your Majesty wonders why you could ascend to the sovereign's throne?"
Chen Shi nodded lightly—careful not to nod too vigorously.
He had no hair, just a bony cranium. The crown might slip off.
Chief Lei Qu smiled. "I knew Your Majesty would have questions, so the 112 chiefs have sent me to explain."
The two walked and talked, making their way outside the throne hall.
Chief Lei Qu said, "Our Tianchi Kingdom is but one of many ghost kingdoms in the underworld."
Chen Shi's heart stirred. "There are other ghost kingdoms?"
Chief Lei Qu continued, "There are several more within the Yin Mountains, and others beyond. But every ghost kingdom's legends share the same history: back then, ghost kingdom civilization flourished with all sorts of wondrous arts, divine abilities, supernatural powers. The heavens weren't like they are now.
The underworld skies had a sun, a moon—even stars visible at night."
Chen Shi stood before the throne hall, gazing at the great and small Tianchi pools—hundreds of them, with ghost tribes scattered like stars around them.
"And no leaks in the sky back then."
Chief Lei Qu looked toward the heavenly waterfall a hundred li away. "The firmament bore no massive gash, no waterfall cascading down, no fog moon phenomena. We could cultivate then, ascend to immortality. But suddenly, for some unknown reason, all ghost clans forgot how to read. They no longer recognized the languages and scripts handed down by their ancestors. Sun and moon vanished, stars hid away, the fog moon appeared, immortals disappeared, the gods died—
hanging from the Cliffs of Immeasurable Heights."
Chen Shi couldn't help asking, "What happened?"
Chief Lei Qu shook his head. "No one knows. Clan legends hold only fragmentary records of that golden age, passed down in poems.
Now it's the dark age. What occurred in between is lost to us."
Chen Shi's gaze fell on the heavenly listeners perched on the nearby palace eaves. "Something similar happened in the阳间."
He recalled the True King's sealing of immortality, the severing of the Transcension and Ascension realms—much like the ghost clans' loss of language.
Chief Lei Qu said, "But Your Majesty understands our ghost clan's lost tongue—even the big-headed ghost lady by your side can wield a treasure left by ancient sages!"
Lady Shi'e flew into a rage, bursting from the small temple behind Chen Shi's skull. She landed, seized Lei Qu by the collar, and hoisted him into the air. "Monkey, say 'ghost lady' one more time if you dare! I'll bury you with the old sovereign!"
Lei Qu quickly begged for mercy with a placating smile. "Big-headed lady—"
Lady Shi'e raised her fist to send him on his way.
Chen Shi interjected, "Chief Lei, this is Lady Shi'e—a true divinity."
Lei Qu hurriedly said, "This humble one greets Lady Shi'e! Please forgive any offense."
Lady Shi'e felt much better and set him down. "The owner of that copper coin was an old acquaintance of mine. How did his coin end up here?"
Chief Lei Qu shook his head. "I don't know."
Lady Shi'e couldn't resist asking, "Then what do you know?"
"In the poems passed down through our clans, our ancestors came from the world of the Four Great Continents, fleeing here after defeat—
to avoid extermination."
Chief Lei Qu gazed at Chen Shi with fervent awe and adoration. "I also know that in these orally recited poems, the dark age's future foretells a magnificent hero descending from the heavens, deciphering our clans' techniques, teaching us our long-lost divine tongue, leading us out of darkness into light!"
Lady Shi'e looked suspiciously at Chen Shi, thinking, "A magnificent hero? The envoy? Doesn't look the part at all—"
Chen Shi smiled. "I think those poems your people recite were made up to keep your descendants from despairing over this world—a prophecy of a world-saving hero from the heavens. I'm nothing magnificent—just an ordinary top scholar from the阳间."
"Perhaps."
Chief Lei Qu didn't know what a top scholar was, but his aged eyes gleamed. He chuckled, "The elders might have spun tales to fool us, but it turns out fittingly so. Your Majesty cultivates the Blood Lake True Scripture, deciphered lost ancient script, knows the lost divine tongue. And Your Majesty came from the阳间—from the heavens!"
The zeal in his eyes grew ever more fanatical, his reverence surging, leaving Chen Shi feeling a touch unnerved.
"The moment you descended from the heavens, the old sovereign died—clearly yielding the throne to you!"
Chief Lei Qu spoke rapidly. "You can even command the mighty Lady Shi'e, wield the divine artifact of our ancestral spirits, rendering our clans' treasures inert! What is this if not heaven's will? The divine plan! The dark age is finally ending!"
Chen Shi's head ached. Lei Qu's words did make it sound interpretable that way.
"Think what you will," he thought to himself.
The Tianchi sovereign was largely ceremonial. Clans handled their own affairs, seeking the sovereign only when necessary.
The sovereign didn't hold court daily or micromanage—interior matters to Sang Xixi and Peng Yan'er, foreign to the Chancellor.
Chen Shi pondered briefly, then spoke candidly. "Chief Lei, I can't stay in the underworld forever. Once my business is done, I'll return to the阳间. I can teach you the Blood Lake True Scripture, help decipher your clans' techniques, even impart the divine tongue. Then you can select your own sovereign."
Chief Lei Qu's expression shifted. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, don't rush to teach the Blood Lake True Scripture! If it spreads, Tianchi Kingdom is done for! Nor should you hasten to decipher and spread the other clans' techniques—that would ruin us too! Your Majesty must possess supreme might to suppress the clans' experts. Only then, when you spread them, will there be no chaos!"
Chen Shi considered it. If the Blood Lake True Scripture spread, its cultivators would unleash slaughter. Spreading the other ghost clans' techniques posed even greater peril. Supreme strength would breed ambitions, shattering Tianchi into warring factions.
"But once the demon in me is excised, I'll have to return to the阳间," Chen Shi thought.
Unaware of his concerns, Chief Lei Qu smiled. "Your Majesty has just ascended, and there's one matter this old minister hasn't reported. Your harem lacks beauties, so we clans are preparing to select from our midst ghost women of refined beauty, gentle temperament, and elegant bearing to send to the palace and fill your harem..."
Chen Shi closely examined his features—reminiscent of the Great Belly Clan, Qing Sha Clan, and others. Their women were likely similar. He couldn't help shivering.
"Chief, take a look."
Chen Shi undid the robe, baring his skeletal frame. "Do you think I need harem beauties?"
Chief Lei Qu came to his senses, his face clouding over. He thought, "Clans have always maintained ties with the sovereign this way, but skeleton ghosts truly have no need for harem beauties—"
After Chief Lei Qu departed, Chen Shi resumed cultivating the Blood Lake True Scripture on the throne, refining drop after drop of divine blood.
His Blood Lake Hell grew ever vaster, his soul ever stronger. In mere days, the lake spanned over ten li—though still far from Blood Sea Realm.
This skeletal body grew ever mightier, its aura ever more astonishing, even exerting palpable pressure!
Chen Shi had no idea what level this skeletal body's strength had reached.
The Blood Lake True Scripture advanced far too swiftly to gauge by阳间 realms.
That day, Chen Shi rested his skull on the white-clothed immortal lady's thigh as she stroked his cranium. He felt utterly at ease, drifting toward sleep. Since possessing the skeleton, Peng's influence had ceased; his mind pure. Even pillowed on this girl's lap, no improper thoughts arose.
Suddenly, a powerful summoning force assailed him. Chen Shi's heart stirred. "Granny's calling me back!"
He rose hastily, leaving Lady Shi'e in the palace. "Shi'e, stay here and guard my kingdom! I'll be right back!"
Whoosh—his nascent soul flew off, vanishing without trace.
Lady Shi'e looked over to see Chen Shi's skeleton sitting in place, mechanically circulating the Blood Lake True Scripture, cultivating on its own as the Blood Lake Hell behind it continued expanding.