Keyboard Immortal

Chapter 2459: Ancestral Shaman

Chapter 2459: Ancestral Shaman

Zu An had seen many familiar sights along the way. On the whole, it didn’t look too different from the underworld in the future, though there were fewer buildings around. The Oblivion River Bridge was lacking Grandmother Meng, too. Looking at the raging Oblivion River reminded Zu An of Chu Chuyan underneath the bridge, but now that he was thousands of years earlier in time, there was no way she could be here.  

Upon escaping to the Reincarnation Platform, the Shaman races found themselves cornered.

This was the place where deceased souls reincarnated. If they passed through the Reincarnation Platform, living beings would also be forcefully reincarnated. If the Shaman races fled there, the Asura race would be so amused that they could wake up from their dreams laughing. 

But the sight of the Reincarnation Platform reminded Zu An of a legend, and his face twisted. Could the Ancestral Shaman protecting the Shaman race possibly be… 

The Shamans fled onto the Reincarnation Platform and cried their hearts out.

“Milady, please save us!” 

“At this rate, the Asura race will massacre us!”

“Milady, you showed them kindness back then, but they are seeking to obliterate us now!”

… 

Perhaps due to the incessant cries and pleas, a terrifying aura that alarmed even Zu An rose from the Reincarnation Platform.

The Asura King was also startled, and he hurriedly halted the pursuit. The Asura army surveyed their surroundings with uneasy eyes.

Princess Ni Huang's eyes suddenly widened. “It’s her aura. How is this possible? Hasn’t she turned into the concept of reincarnation…”

Zu An could already guess the identity of this Ancestral Shaman—Houtu. In the legends, she couldn’t bear to see forlorn souls and ghosts roaming across the world, so she'd embodied the concept of reincarnation so the deceased in the world could be born anew. Her immense contribution led to her being revered as Lady Houtu.

Zu An would have guessed her identity before, but Houtu had already long since embodied the concept of reincarnation. The timeline didn’t fit, so he'd thought the Asura race was talking about other Ancestral Shamans. 

In the meantime, a woman’s avatar surfaced from the Reincarnation Platform. Despite her appearance being obscured, one could feel boundless compassion radiating from her, though she also gave off the intimidating air of an expert.

The Asura King’s face darkened. He flew over with gritted teeth and declared, “Houtu, I don’t care whether you’re backing them or not, I’ll be massacring them all!”

The Asura race had spent too long preparing for this battle. If they lost this fight, they wouldn’t have the resources to make a comeback. Rather than spiral into decline and die a slow death, the Asura King would rather stake everything here for the chance of a comeback.

As the Asura King spoke, the avatar behind him grew larger and unfurled another nine arms. His massive avatar had a total of eighteen arms, and they were all either brandishing weapons or forming hand seals. Unlike the other Asura avatars, which were just terrifying, his was dignified like a divine idol. His aura was surprisingly on par with Houtu’s avatar, and that won him the Asura soldiers’ cheers.

But Zu An keenly noticed Princess Ni Huang’s melancholic expression. She was biting her lips, her hands were clenched tightly in her sleeves, and her body was trembling ever so slightly. He made his way over to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Having found emotional support in Zu An, Princess Ni Huang’s eyes reddened, and she spoke with a hoarse voice at a volume only the two of them could hear. “My royal brother has used our Asura Royal Clan’s secret art. He has ignited his blood essence. Whether he wins this battle or not… His days are numbered.”

No wonder the Asura King’s number of arms suddenly increased twofold. Zu An felt a surge of respect for the Asura King. The latter was a worthy ruler, willing to put his life on the line for his people’s future.

Judging from the royal siblings’ earlier conversation, he'd gained a rough grasp of the Asura race’s predicament. A second chance was a luxury they didn’t have. Who would have thought that shortly after the Asura King mocked Ox Head and Horse Face for that, it would be his turn to ignite his blood essence? 

Fate was truly capricious at times.

Houtu’s avatar suddenly unleashed a swiftly rotating light halo. Upon careful examination, it resembled a miniaturized version of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The halo moved extremely slowly, but for some reason, the Asura King was unable to dodge it. He had no choice but to raise a weapon and confront it. However, his weapon was instantly cut in half.

Zu An’s eyes narrowed. The Asura King’s weapon wasn't a divine weapon, but it wasn't far off. Yet, it didn’t survive a single clash. What is that halo?

That wasn't all. The halo proceeded to slice off two of the Asura King’s hands, causing him to roar in pain. In his fury, his remaining sixteen hands struck the halo with the weapons and artifacts they held to strike it down. With his cultivation, the simultaneous movements of his sixteen arms formed an all-encompassing net that nothing could escape from. 

And yet, he was unable to contain that mysterious halo. 

Wherever it passed, the Asura King’s weapons shattered, and one after another, even his arms were severed. The Asura King roared in pain as he desperately retreated, but the halo chased him as closely as if it was his shadow. 

Soon, he had already lost seventeen of his arms. He stared at the approaching halo with eyes filled with despair.

The Asura race had fallen silent. To think that the imposing Asura King would be so helpless against Houtu! The Asuras all felt a mix of despair and fear. 

Even Zu An’s body turned cold. Houtu was just too powerful. So this is the prowess of an Ancestral Shaman!

Princess Ni Huang clutched Zu An’s sleeve and pleaded in desperation, “Can you save my royal brother?”

She was cornered too. Her brother was the strongest warrior in the Asura race, and on top of that, he had also invoked their Royal Clan’s secret art. His fighting prowess was currently far above hers. She wouldn’t be able to make a difference in the battle. She racked her brains, and the only one who could be able to turn things around was Zu An.

Zu An flitted onto the Reincarnation Platform and bowed to the blurred avatar, saying, “Lady Houtu, please have mercy!”

The halo stopped just ten centimeters away from the Asura King. By this point, he had already collapsed to the ground, resigned to his death. 

Princess Ni Huang was both surprised and overjoyed. He stepped in to save my royal brother for my sake. He truly cares about me… Does this mean he likes me? I also like him a lot too…

A layer of cold sweat had drenched Zu An’s forehead. Houtu was so powerful that he felt greatly threatened by her. He hadn’t stepped up because he was in love with Princess Ni Huang, however. Rather, he wanted to get to the bottom of what was happening in the underworld.

Houtu’s avatar lowered her head to gaze at him, then an ethereal, emotionless voice echoed in his mind. “Who are you? Why do I sense a peculiar aura from you?”