The King of Curses

Chapter 348 Dream of the Heavenly Palace
For the past year, Zhao Chengxu has frequently had the same dream.

In his dream, he saw a huge heavenly palace.

It is shrouded in an ethereal white mist, and magnificent and solemn scenery can be seen everywhere.

The so-called "golden rays roll red rainbows, auspicious clouds spray purple mist" means that when you look up, you can't see the sun; you can only see a huge palace in the distance that is so large that you can't see the end.

Everything was shrouded in a magnificent light, and the buildings situated in the clouds were all made of crystal and precious jade.

Everything was exactly as he had imagined the Heavenly Palace to be, just like the impression he had of the Heavenly Palace when he watched "Journey to the West" as a child, which one day finally became "reality".

...Although he could only see him in his dreams, a certain voice kept echoing in Zhao Chengxu's heart, whispering to him:
This is reality.

He only witnessed this place through dreams, occasionally connecting with the Heavenly Palace through the depths of his soul, which does not mean that it was a fictional fantasy.

Zhao Chengxu had no idea where this "voice from the bottom of his heart" came from. With a mixture of belief and doubt, he wandered alone in the Heavenly Palace, enjoying the scenery along the way.

What's puzzling is that he didn't meet anyone, saw no signs of life, and it seemed as if the world... belonged only to him.

The dream ended quickly. But the dream itself did not disappear; several days later, Zhao Chengxu had the same dream again.

In his dream, he was still walking in this vast and boundless heavenly palace, heading deeper and deeper.

Jade steps led straight to the clouds, where a hundred-foot-tall vermilion palace gate floated. Above the nine layers of clouds, golden-tiled buildings stretched like mountains, and the copper bells hanging from the eaves were struck by the wind, their clear sounds carrying from the endless distance to his ears.

The dream ends again. A few days later comes the next dream, and then the next.

As the dream continued to unfold, he gradually lost the ability to distinguish between reality and illusion, and he began to believe the voice from the depths of his heart:

If it weren't a place that actually exists somewhere, how could he perfectly recreate it without missing any details using only a mortal's mind?

In a daze, Zhao Chengxu had a sense of déjà vu about this heavenly palace.

As he walked across the sky bridge leading to the white jade palace and looked down at the clouds below where a dazzling rainbow was brewing, he suddenly felt that he had been here before. Overwhelmed by the familiar scenery, he felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, a wave of homesickness that surged and overflowed.

...If he really did see it, it must have happened a very, very long time ago.

In what seemed like the umpteenth dream, Zhao Chengxu finally entered the palace.

Millions of eternal lamps floated in mid-air, illuminating the white jade dome with an amber glow. On the east and west sides, vast celestial rivers descended, showering down countless stars.

One after another, towering dragon pillars, as tall as mountains, support the open-air banquet, with fragrant flowers and fruits displayed on the white jade table, and amber wine always overflowing.

He even dared to take a bite of the peach bathed in the glow of the sunset. The sweet juice burst in his mouth, wonderful and real, not at all like a dream experience.

...The only regret is that I still couldn't see anyone.

Where are the fairies with their flowing robes? Where are the mighty heavenly soldiers and generals? Where are the star officials and deities atop the palace?

He stood by the Jade Pool, watching the reflection of the trajectories of every star in the sky on the water's surface; he came to the Peach Garden, watching the heavy fruits fall, their branches rustling in the wind that seemed to come from nowhere.

Standing alone amidst the breathtaking scenery, Zhao Chengxu felt a profound loneliness.

……

The dream continues, and in real life, he is also undergoing unprecedented changes.

In an unexpected incident, he encountered ghosts for the first time and awakened his abilities at a crucial moment, a thrilling and exciting process.

After becoming a curse master, Zhao Chengxu quickly realized his uniqueness. According to the classification method announced by the official organization, the Super Work Committee, he possessed "innate life-limiting abilities" and was ranked as Grade A. As long as he cultivated step by step, he could naturally become an elite among curse masters.

He grew up in a third-tier inland city. When he first awakened his abilities, he became famous in the local circle of curse masters, like a rising star. Later, Zhao Chengxu's original social circle could no longer contain this hidden dragon. He was absorbed by a large organization at the provincial level and quickly became a high-ranking member.

But deep down, Zhao Chengxu always felt that being subordinate to others was an unpleasant thing, so he chose to go it alone. He quickly rose to prominence in the world of free-spirited curse masters, becoming a figure admired by everyone.

The plots that were once only seen in fantasy stories are happening one after another to an ordinary person.

Zhao Chengxu vaguely realized that his innate talent might be related to the dream of the Heavenly Palace that had been haunting him all along.

What astonishing secrets are hidden within that enormous palace?

Unfortunately, this was a dream that belonged only to him; he could not find anyone to share or discuss it with, and no one could tell him the answer.

But in a recent dream, this seemingly eternal solitude was shattered by an uninvited guest—

"Zhao Chengxu".

Someone was talking to him from behind.

Zhao Chengxu thought it was the "voice from the bottom of his heart" he usually heard, until he heard footsteps approaching.

The young man, who was used to the vast emptiness of the Heavenly Palace, was suddenly startled and hurriedly turned around. What came into view was a human-shaped black shadow.

Its face was obscured by mist, its features blurred and distorted. It looked eerie, yet strangely, Zhao Chengxu could feel a sense of closeness from it.

"You, you are..."

"I've been talking to you the whole time, have you forgotten?"

The figure smiled gently.

"...It's you. It seems it really wasn't my imagination."

Zhao Chengxu frowned.

The voice in one's heart is never a soliloquy; it is some "other will" that is constantly trying to communicate with him.

"who are you?"

"It took me a lot of effort to finally meet you."

The figure gave an irrelevant answer.

"Through repeated connections during this period... I'm sorry, I don't know how long you've been in the mortal realm, but it is through dreams that your connection with the Heavenly Palace has been able to reach the depth of 'seeing me'."

Zhao Chengxu seemed to understand, but not quite. He didn't delve deeper, but instead looked around and changed the subject.

“…Where exactly is this place?”

"This is the 'Heavenly Palace'. To be precise, it is the ruins of the Heavenly Palace."

"The so-called 'Heavenly Palace' must be the abode of immortals, right? Then how come there's not a single person here..."

Do you think gods can live forever?

"……cannot?"

The figure gently shook its head.

"In this world, only change is eternal. Even celestial beings cannot escape the calamities destined for them; prosperity leads to decline, decay to death, and all existence is subject to the cycle of reincarnation."

As he said this, Shadow trembled slightly. Even without facial features, one could still see the fluctuations in his emotions, like ripples on the surface of water.

"But this may not be a bad thing."

"...Good thing?" "As the saying goes, 'out with the old, in with the new.' This world hates monotony, and that's especially true for you."

The voice of the figure gradually softened, becoming increasingly seductive.

"The former owners have all disappeared, which is why you have the opportunity to become the owner of this place, isn't it?"

Zhao Chengxu's heart skipped a beat.

He was used to being admired and praised, and he even felt that he was the protagonist of the story.

But he remained clear-headed; he knew there were people in this country stronger than himself, and more than one. If he wanted to reach the pinnacle, he still needed to accumulate experience and refine his skills.

But if he could truly become the master of this heavenly palace…

Conquering the world will no longer be a fantasy.

Think about it carefully, who is qualified to be the ruler of the Heavenly Palace? Only the supreme god who rules the heavens and earth in mythology, isn't that proof enough that he is the "protagonist"?

"...Why me?"

Although Zhao Chengxu's heart was already fluttering, he had not let his guard down and wanted to know the reason behind it.

"Because you had this dream, a dream about the Heavenly Palace, it proves that you are qualified."

The figure answered.

"Based on my guess, you either have the ancient bloodline of the Kunlun Immortals in your body, or you are the reincarnation of some immortal from countless generations ago."

As he spoke, the other person let out a sigh, seemingly nostalgic.

"Although they cannot avoid decline and death, the immortals always manage to find a way to survive."

"There must have been more than one immortal living in this celestial palace in the past, right? Are there no other people in this world like me?"

The figure smiled and shook its head, offering no reply.

"...No way, it really is just me left..."

Zhao Chengxu took a deep breath.

He suddenly stopped feeling lonely and instead believed it was "destiny".

"Then who are you?"

"Me? I am merely a vague, ethereal spirit, a ghost that wanders day and night within this vast, empty palace, hoping that one day a qualified candidate will be found..."

The figure spoke softly.

Those words contained a deep sorrow, a melancholy brewing over countless years. Zhao Chengxu believed that this kind of emotion could not be acted out.

“I will help you take control of this celestial palace. Promise me that when you officially become the master here, you will remember to liberate me from this boundless loneliness. This is my only wish.”

"Wouldn't that mean I'd be the only one left?"

"No. After you become the ruler of the Heavenly Palace, new gods will naturally emerge. You can grant them the status and rights to live in the heavens, allowing this palace to regain its bustling and glorious state of ten thousand years ago. Everything will be as you wish, and you will be the ruler of this world."

"……I see."

Zhao Chengxu tried his best to hide his inner turmoil and finally nodded.

"So, what do I need to do?"

"The day the Heavenly Palace will appear in the world is very soon. Go to the Kunlun Mountains and find a way to pass the trials there so that you can reach the real Heavenly Palace from the real world."

Upon hearing the location where the Heavenly Palace appeared, Zhao Chengxu felt worried.

"Will this cause a huge commotion? It might attract other curse masters to come and compete for it..."

"I don't understand human affairs, but you don't need to worry."

The figure answered calmly.

"Because the last door to the Heavenly Palace can only be opened by those who have the blood of immortals flowing through their veins."

……

When he arrived at the site where the Heavenly Palace was unearthed within the allotted time, as instructed by the figure, he unsurprisingly encountered two groups of curse masters who had arrived earlier than him—one was an archaeological team disguised as the Kalachakra Society, and the other was a renowned sorcerer. The first emotion that surged into his heart was anger.

Zhao Chengxu had long regarded the Heavenly Palace as his own, so he was naturally very angry that others were eyeing it.

On the other hand, he found these people ridiculous, because no matter how hard others tried, the Heavenly Palace could only belong to him, a descendant of the gods, and they were destined to do nothing but futile efforts.

Zhao Chengxu has always harbored an arrogant side, and this arrogance has only grown as his strength and ambition have increased.

Of course, he didn't lose his mind. Rather than fighting them both alone, he chose to sneak into the town.

Zhao Chengxu possesses the first-class life-limiting technique, "Mist Locks the Silk," which is the most suitable ability for concealing oneself, overcoming the strong with the weak, and plotting in secret.

As long as he doesn't act rashly, even a curse master of the same level won't be able to detect him.

Thanks to "Mist and Smoke", Zhao Chengxu has had a smooth career, having been the fisherman who picked up the snipe and the clam and the oriole who caught the mantis several times.

This time will be no exception. All he wants to do is create discord between the two.

Sorcerers are inherently self-indulgent and willful, like unstable time bombs. It's incredibly easy to incite them to act. Specifically—

……

"I've decided to start today... Preparations are complete. As long as I impersonate someone from the Time Wheel Society and provoke him, killing all his subordinates, that arrogant sorcerer will definitely not be able to swallow this insult..."

In the quiet alley.

Zhao Chengxu was about to carry out his long-planned scheme, and things would unfold as he predicted—

It should be so.

However, he was now lying in a deserted corner, his eyes rolled back, muttering to himself, revealing all his secrets, including his past as an ordinary person, his dream of the Heavenly Palace, his rise from an ordinary person to a top-tier curse master, his ability to secretly manipulate various forces using extremely convenient curses, and his ever-expanding ambition and desires... He laid bare all the secrets deep within his heart.

Two figures were standing in front of him.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the roof tiles, falling on Zhao Chengxu's face, but it couldn't illuminate the faces of the other two, whose features were shrouded in indistinct shadows.

One was wearing military trousers and cloth shoes, the other white boat socks and sneakers. They were a young man and woman in a close relationship; the girl was tightly embracing the boy's arm, clinging to it like a wombat; while the boy…

He was looking down at the unfortunate man at his feet, muttering to himself.

"Sure enough, the Tiger Soul ability has been upgraded. Although it has not yet fully reached the 'Special Grade' level, it is more than enough to deal with ordinary Grade A curse masters."

"Ah. So does that mean we don't need that woman anymore?"

(End of this chapter)