A master of comedy!

"Boss Long, please don't blame us for being nosy, but although this Night Wanderer is beautiful, she's a heartless monster who eats people without spitting out the bones. You still have to be careful."

After returning, the Black and White Impermanence tried to persuade him.

Zhou Sheng smiled and thanked him, but didn't seem to take it too seriously.

The Black and White Impermanence could only sigh silently. As the saying goes, even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Zhou Sheng was able to fight back in a desperate situation and outmaneuver Lu Pan to death, which makes him a ruthless person.

But once he was in the arms of a woman, his heroic spirit was somewhat diminished.

The three continued on their way, and before long, another figure appeared on the terrace ahead. The figure had a full head of white hair, was leaning on a dragon-headed cane, but had skin as delicate as a baby's and a beautiful face.

Life and death, youth and old age—these diametrically opposed things seem to have achieved a strange balance in Him.

Zhou Sheng's eyes flickered, and he quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"Junior Zhou Sheng greets Meng Po!"

He already knew the old woman's identity and was genuinely grateful to her.

That so-called "awakening soup" must be extremely precious. According to him, there are only three bowls in total, and even the King of Hell usually finds it difficult to obtain.

But Meng Po used one of the bowls to save him from the torture of having his tendons pulled out by Yama, which was a great kindness that should be remembered.

"Now that you know I am Meng Po, do you dare to drink this soup?"

When Meng Po saw Zhou Sheng, she smiled slightly and waved her sleeve, and a bowl of peculiar soup appeared on the table.

The soup was a rainbow of colors, and it seemed to be alive, flowing and churning in the bowl.

A name immediately popped into Zhou Sheng's mind.

Meng Po soup!
Legend has it that before being reincarnated, the souls of the dead must drink a bowl of Meng Po soup to forget all their memories of this life before they can be reborn.

This is a magical soup that can directly affect memory. According to legend, even immortals banished from heaven will forget everything after drinking it.

However, Zhou Sheng did not hesitate at all, picked up the bowl of soup and drank it all in one gulp.

Gudong!Gudong!
The soup was soft and smooth, with an indescribable fragrance. It didn't feel like it was going down into your stomach, but rather, the moment you swallowed it, it transformed into countless cool sensations that rushed straight to your head.

Zhou Sheng was jolted awake, his eyes momentarily glazed over. Countless lights flashed through his mind like stars. In an instant, he felt as if he were on a nebula, witnessing the changing of the sun and moon, and the transformation of the world.

When he regained consciousness, he saw the Black and White Impermanence looking at him with envy.

As he lowered his head, a shimmering golden light flowed across his soul, giving rise to an indescribable sense of solidity.

After his soul left his body, he always felt that his entire being was floating in the air, about to dissipate. This was only in the underworld. If he were in the mortal world, he would probably vanish into thin air if exposed to a strong wind, a torrential rain, or a scorching sun.

A soul separated from its physical body is like a newborn infant, appearing exceptionally fragile in the vast天地 (heaven and earth).

Only when one cultivates to the sixth level and opens the mind aperture can one's soul be stabilized, allowing one to leave the body and roam freely, fully experiencing the joys and sorrows of heaven and earth.

But after drinking that strange soup, Zhou Sheng felt his floating soul suddenly become much more solid, and he felt a sense of grounded security.

It seems that even if it were to endure the wind and rain of the mortal world, it would remain unmoved.

"This junior, Zhou Sheng, thanks Meng Po for the soup!"

He knew he had gained a great benefit. The cultivation of the primordial spirit was the most difficult, even more obscure and arduous than magical power. Many people could not achieve the requirement of the primordial spirit leaving the body in their entire lives.

Zhou Sheng, even before passing the fifth level, had already laid a solid foundation for his primordial spirit, making it much easier and faster for him to pass the sixth level than others.

This is an immense blessing.

"What you have drunk is called the 'Soup of Awakening'."

Meng Po chuckled and sighed, "You and your master are quite alike. Back then, he drank the soup I brewed without hesitation. Of course, I deliberately put something in the soup, making him suffer terribly..."

When he spoke of the past, a gentle smile appeared on his face. It was as if, after a long period of time, he had suddenly recalled a delightful memory.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng felt even more respect for his master. He dared to drink the soup because he had used the Luoshu (a magic square) to calculate that it was not Meng Po's soup, but a refreshing soup.

This soup is made with the first rays of sunrise from Mount Tai, supplemented with the Taiyin marrow secreted by the cassia tree in the moon palace when it went deep into the void, and the green lotus seeds from the depths of the Yellow Springs, and cooked with the water of the Big Dipper and the Milky Way with karmic fire.

It takes eighteen years to brew a pot of broth, which yields three bowls.

Those who drink this soup will, barring unforeseen circumstances, be able to break through the sixth level in the future, and their chances of successfully transcending the tribulation will be much higher than those of others.

This is not an improvement in physical aptitude, but a transformation in the primordial spirit.

This transformation is not obvious when one is weak, but as one's cultivation continues to improve, the benefits of a powerful primordial spirit will become increasingly apparent.

He knew all this, which is why he dared to drink the soup. But his master didn't have the Luoshu (a magical book), so daring to drink the soup showed he was incredibly bold, risking his life to flirt with girls.

“Xiaoyu also drank this soup back then, but she suffered a lot more than you.”

Meng Po shook her head and smiled, then sighed softly.

"In the blink of an eye, he has become an old man. Thinking back, it was more than fifty years ago."

"...Is there anything you want me to tell my master?"

Zhou Sheng knew that Meng Po's appearance couldn't simply be to bring him soup; she must also have something to say to his master.

He was actually quite interested in the couple's love history.

"When your master caused havoc in the underworld and was in dire straits, I failed to help him. He probably hates me to the core. What else is there to say?"

Meng Po shook her head and said, "Let's set off. The path of Yin Opera is not easy. It's not as simple as you think. Completing your apprenticeship is just the beginning. My only advice to you is..."

"Don't touch 'Exploring the Underworld Mountain.' Your master went mad because of this play."

"If he wants to teach you this play, remember, never learn it."

Zhou Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this. It was "Exploring Yin Mountain" again. He had lost count of how many times he had heard this name.

What secrets are hidden in this play that make so many people reluctant to discuss it?

"I've taken note."

Meng Po nodded, then waved her hand and said, "Go, when you return to the mortal world, cherish the people around you and don't miss them."

Zhou Sheng bowed again, and then continued on his journey with the Black and White Impermanence.

Meng Po stood quietly, gazing at his back, as if she could see the young sorcerer from decades ago, full of ambition as he embarked on his journey home.

"It seems he is not a bodhisattva reincarnated."

After Zhou Sheng's figure disappeared into the distance, a voice suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared beside Meng Po, standing on a lotus platform, dressed in white, wearing the mask of the Emperor of Fengdu, with a mysterious aura and a calm voice.

If Zhou Sheng were still alive, he would recognize that this person was Hua Jiulang, the lord of Ghost City.

"Yes, he and his master are not reincarnations of anyone, but their own selves."

Meng Po sighed.

Besides enhancing the spirit, the "Awakening Soup" has another hidden effect.

That is to awaken the memories of the reincarnated immortals and Buddhas, and allow them to return to their rightful place.

Zhou Sheng, however, did not awaken any memories of immortals or Buddhas, which is enough to show that he is himself, and not... Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. (End of this chapter)