Then Lanling asked, “How do I absorb it?”
If it could be absorbed so easily, the Ghost King’s Eye would never have remained untouched until now.
After all, many people already knew it was mysterious and powerful, and they could all sense the strange energy hidden within it.
“The Ghost King’s Eye has already lost its soul and consciousness,” the Mirror Demon King said. “What remains inside are only the Ghost King’s residual energy, and the final sight it ever witnessed. Therefore, whenever anyone obtains it and begins to admire it, the evil aura within it will gradually influence that person’s mind and spirit. It fills them with a feeling of mystery, vastness and dreamlike wonder. That feeling is incredibly captivating, making people hopelessly addicted until they lose all interest in everything around them.”
The Mirror Demon King’s explanation was rather abstract.
“Master, why don’t you try it? Your spiritual power is extraordinarily strong. I believe the experience will be even more intense for you.”
“How do I try?” Lanling asked. Since obtaining the Ghost King’s Eye, he had never truly examined it.
“It is very simple,” the Mirror Demon King replied. “Just stare into it.”
Lanling picked up the Ghost King’s Eye and gazed into it.
It looked like nothing more than a precious gem, radiating brilliant light, as though an entire world existed within it.
He focused his spiritual power, trying to see that mysterious world more clearly.
Whoosh!
In an instant, it felt as though he had completely entered the world inside the Ghost King’s Eye.
He saw the entire starry sky, the vast universe, endless galaxies.
It was as though his soul had left his body and drifted into the world within the Eye, wandering through the infinite cosmos.
He floated endlessly through space, passing one star after another.
Every star was different. Some could be approached, while others could not.
Some nebulae looked like nothing more than faint patches of light from a distance, yet upon entering them he found countless planets, meteorites and celestial bodies packed together.
It was an indescribably magnificent and mysterious world.
It completely absorbed one’s mind, drawing every thought into the endless exploration of the universe.
The sense of freedom, the mystery, the excitement of discovery, it was utterly intoxicating.
Compared to this, everything in the real world seemed dull and meaningless.
The stars had always been the ultimate dream of intelligent life, the greatest mystery imaginable.
Whether on Earth or in this world, every child looked up at the night sky before they understood anything else, filled with curiosity and wonder.
Even on modern Earth, humanity’s greatest dream was still to venture into space.
No wonder the Ghost King’s Eye had become known as the Brilliant Star Tear.
No wonder everyone who obtained it became hopelessly obsessed and neglected everything else.
It was simply too enchanting.
Lanling suddenly closed his eyes.
Immediately, the surrounding world returned.
The enchanting galaxies and endless stars disappeared.
“Why is it like this?” Lanling asked. “Why does the starry sky inside feel so real?”
“Because it is real,” the Mirror Demon King replied. “It truly is the universe.”
Lanling was stunned.
“The Ghost King was unlike all other powerful beings,” the Mirror Demon King continued. “He possessed no physical body. He was only a soul, almost without weight. The Dragon Emperor was unimaginably powerful, but even he could not travel through the universe in his physical body. The Ghost King could. His spirit could drift endlessly through space.
“In the past, the Ghost King had every opportunity to unite the entire Southern Wasteland. Yet after conquering only a third of it, his expansion stopped.
“Not because he lacked the strength, but because he lost interest.
“He found a greater pursuit.
“For many years afterwards, his Ghost Empire continued to function, but his soul had already travelled far beyond the stars.
“When he finally died, he left behind no memories, no will, nothing to govern the empire.
“It collapsed overnight.
“The only thing he left behind was the final memory preserved within his eyes, this magnificent universe.”
Lanling was speechless.
This Ghost King possessed an astonishingly noble spirit.
“Mirror,” Lanling asked, “this should have been the Ghost King’s greatest secret. No one should know it. How do you?”
The Mirror Demon King sighed.
“Because… he could be considered my friend.
“Long ago, while his soul was wandering across the Southern Wasteland, he discovered me by chance.
“We were both lonely spiritual beings.
“So we talked for a very long time.”
Lanling could easily imagine how much they had in common.
The Mirror Demon King had enslaved countless minds to create an illusionary kingdom where he ruled.
The Ghost King had gone even further.
He had established a genuine empire and conquered a third of the Southern Wasteland.
The difference was that the Mirror Demon King’s kingdom had always been an illusion.
The Ghost King’s empire had been real.
Yet because he was only a wandering soul, he could not enjoy fine food, beautiful women or any earthly pleasure.
Once his empire had been established, only endless emptiness remained.
So he sought something eternal.
He turned his gaze towards the stars.
His soul drifted farther and farther away, endlessly exploring the universe.
“How do I absorb it?” Lanling asked directly.
The Mirror Demon King paused.
His master truly was practical.
The Ghost King’s Eye contained the memories of countless stars.
It was a priceless work of art.
Absorbing it meant destroying it forever.
“The Ghost King’s Eye is itself an energy body,” the Mirror Demon King explained. “It has no true physical substance. Its current gemstone form is merely condensed energy, giving it the appearance of matter.
“It desires only one thing, the stars.
“So I only need to create an identical illusion of the universe.
“The moment it sees that illusion, every bit of energy within it will immediately disperse.
“It will instinctively attempt to roam through the stars once more.
“It believes only the infinite universe can contain its free spirit.
“It wishes to release every fragment of its power to touch every single star.”
Lanling felt his heart tremble.
The Ghost King truly possessed the soul of a poet.
This Eye was an irreplaceable treasure.
It contained an entire universe.
It contained an utterly free soul.
Destroying it was a pity.
“Let’s begin,” Lanling said.
“Continue immersing yourself within the Ghost King’s Eye,” the Mirror Demon King replied. “When its energy is released, you need do nothing.
“It will automatically enter your body.
“Remember, this is not the pure universe.
“This is the impure mortal world.
“Its spiritual energy cannot remain here.
“It must immediately find new vessels.
“Its spiritual power will enter my mirror.
“The magical energy will enter your body.”
No wonder no one had ever managed to absorb the Ghost King’s Eye.
The process was unbelievably mysterious.
Lanling once again gazed into the Eye.
His consciousness became completely immersed within its universe.
Every star was real.
The Ghost King had personally witnessed every one during countless years of wandering.
Their positions, colours and brilliance were all genuine.
Lanling instinctively searched for the sun and moon of this world.
He found them almost immediately.
Then he became captivated by its sun.
Pure flames.
A mysterious yet radiant power.
He unconsciously drifted closer.
Closer.
Yet its energy was far too overwhelming.
Even a soul approaching it would be completely annihilated.
The Ghost King himself had never been able to get any nearer.
Neither could Lanling.
So instead, he turned towards the moon.
The moon orbited only several hundred thousand kilometres away.
For a wandering soul, that distance was insignificant.
He travelled rapidly towards it.
Then…
To his astonishment…
The moon shone with dazzling brilliance.
Upon it stood magnificent jade palaces.
There was another world there.
Just as he tried to look more closely, an overwhelming force burst forth from the moon.
The Ghost King’s vision was violently driven backwards.
Lanling was thrown back as well.
He could no longer see the mysterious world clearly.
“Master,” the Mirror Demon King said.
“I’m beginning now.”
At that moment, the Mirror Demon King released his spiritual power.
A breathtaking illusion of the starry universe appeared.
It was indistinguishable from the real cosmos.
The Ghost King’s Eye no longer possessed consciousness.
Only instinct remained.
The instant it saw the stars…
It exploded with activity.
It longed to explore.
To release every ounce of its energy into the universe.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The solid gemstone vanished.
It exploded into endless memories.
Endless spiritual power.
And a small amount of magical energy.
This was not the Ghost King himself.
It was merely one of his eyes.
Over ninety-nine percent of its power consisted of spiritual energy.
Only a tiny fraction was magical power.
After dispersing, the Eye realised this was not the true universe.
This polluted world could not contain its memories.
Could not contain its vision.
Could not contain its spirit.
So it desperately searched for somewhere to reside.
It found two energy vessels.
One was the mirror.
The other was Lanling’s Golden Demon Body.
The endless spiritual energy, carrying the memories of the stars, poured into the Mirror Demon King.
The smaller portion of magical energy flooded into Lanling’s body.
Still immersed within the Eye’s memories, Lanling suddenly witnessed the most magnificent sight imaginable.
The moon exploded.
The sun exploded.
Countless stars burst apart into rivers of dazzling light.
The entire universe shattered into an endless sea of brilliant colours.
Then…
Like a tremendous hurricane…
A storm of energy rushed into his body.
The magical energy preserved within the Ghost King’s Eye surged wildly into his bloodline.
His body expanded.
Every meridian swelled.
He felt burning heat and freezing cold at the same time.
Unbearable pain and indescribable exhilaration existed together.
The energy storm poured into him endlessly.
His body absorbed it frantically.
His cultivation soared.
…
After nearly fifteen minutes, everything became quiet.
Lanling had finished absorbing the power.
The Mirror Demon King had finished as well.
Lanling returned to reality.
Standing upon the mountain peak before the Mirror Demon King.
Looking into the mirror, he saw the enormous demonic figure reflected there.
“Mirror,” Lanling said quietly, “I know how the Ghost King died.”
“So do I,” the Mirror Demon King replied.
“He discovered something he should never have known.
“And that is why he was killed.”
The Ghost King had been unimaginably powerful.
Yet he had still been killed.
Which meant the one who killed him was vastly more terrifying.
“Mirror,” Lanling asked, “who died first, the Ghost King or the Dragon Emperor?”
“According to the timeline you described,” the Mirror Demon King answered, “the Dragon Emperor fell first.
“The Ghost King died twelve years later.”
“Have you completely inherited the Ghost King’s memories?”
“Yes.
“After this battle, when my energy is exhausted, I will merge into your body.
“At that time, you will be able to explore everything the Ghost King once saw.
“But I must warn you.
“It is extremely dangerous.
“If you explore the mysterious world upon the moon through his memories, those beings will notice you.
“And they will pursue you.”
Lanling nodded.
“I understand.”
“I know what you are thinking,” the Mirror Demon King continued.
“But now is not the time.
“You should not even think about it.
“Your only mission is to become stronger.
“To unite the Southern Wasteland.
“To establish the Flame Demon Empire.
“As for the Dragon Emperor…
“And the world upon the moon…
“Forget them for now.”
Lanling nodded again.
“Sometimes, knowing too much too early brings no benefit.”
“Exactly,” the Mirror Demon King replied.
“With my restored strength, I can now lead Constantine’s thirty thousand allied troops into a perfect death trap.
“All we need to do is wait twelve more days.”
“Yes,” Lanling said.
“Twelve days.
“The day the great battle begins.
“That will also be the day the Flame Demon Tribe truly rises.”
The Mirror Demon King deliberately lightened his tone.
“Master, let us examine your gains.”
Lanling had already prepared a set of stone weights atop the mountain.
The first weighed three thousand six hundred jin.
Lifting it would signify breaking into the Great Demon Warrior realm.
After all, only a tiny fraction of the Ghost King’s Eye consisted of magical energy.
How much improvement could it really bring?
Lanling took a deep breath.
He gripped the 3,600-jin stone bar.
Then lifted it.
He nearly stumbled.
Not because it was too heavy.
But because it was far lighter than he had expected.
He had used far too much strength.
Lanling stared in disbelief.
Next, he lifted the 3,900-jin stone bar.
Again…
He raised it effortlessly.
Wasn’t the Ghost King’s Eye supposed to contain only a tiny amount of magical energy?
How had it produced such an astonishing increase?
Finally, he grasped the 4,200-jin stone bar.
That represented the strength of a Three-Star Great Demon Warrior.
Yet Lanling still lifted it with surprising ease.
This…
This was unbelievable.
One Ghost King’s Eye had produced the greatest breakthrough of his life.
He had never expected anything remotely like it.
At last, his gaze settled upon the 4,500-jin stone bar.
That represented the power of a Four-Star Great Demon Warrior.
The same cultivation level as Du Yan.
Taking a deep breath…
Lanling grasped the 4,500-jin stone bar…
And lifted it with all his strength.