Chapter 49: Chapter 2384 Hei Lou Lan Returns
Within the Predicament, on the 5th floor 32nd step, where Zhan Bu Du left off, a body sat motionlessly.
It was the body of Reckless Savage Demon Venerable, from the 3rd floor.
The body was upright and sat straight as if the passage of time and the decay of death had no effect on it.
Its body still shone with a bronze shine, it looked like a perfectly healthy human, except for the emptiness in its eyes.
If Zhan Bu Du were here, he would notice that the once devoid of life eyes seem to hold a tiny glint.
What seemed like ashes began to descend onto the body, Reckless's body absorbed the ash and all the tattoos merged to form a deep black tattoo that spread across his whole body.
The tattoo was not just a simple image, the arm of the tattoo traced the arm of Reckless and the leg traced the leg.
His entire body was outlined by the tattoo, with minor exceptions, stretching to cover the fingers the tattoo looked more like claws, same for the legs, his head was encapsulated within a tattoo of a tiger's head, with the mouth outstretched to reveal his face.
It looked very similar to when Hei Lou Lan assimilated with the Dark Capital Strength Totem Biao form.
In fact, on Reckless's back were the tattoo image of 6 wings and on his shoulder were the top half of 2 tiger heads.
Indeed, it was an upgraded form of the Dark Capital Strength Totem.
The Supreme King Totem!
Reckless's body used the ashes to form the Dark Capital Strength Totem and the rest of his totems as nourishment resulting in the Supreme King Totem!
His body now exuded an aura that would suffocate Rank 7s from just looking at him.
A soul then appeared and was thrown into the body, along with Will and, a Rank 8 Aperture.
At first, the body seem to reject all these foreign items, naturally, but as soon as everything was in, the body was forced to take steps toward the Chaos.
It turns out that the last 32 steps mirrored the first 32.
The first step resulted in Lightning washing the body of any impurities.
The second, involved Fire to strengthen the Soul.
The third, used Wisdom to generate more thoughts, at this point the eyes of Reckless began to become clearer.
Finally, the Body was thrust into Dream Realm after Dream Realm.
The consciousness inside the Body was confused at first: "Who am I? Where am I?"
Staring at the mirror revealed sharp eyes dark as night; ambition shone in them, the hair was long and silky black.
It was certainly a fair maiden.
"Is that me?" The consciousness asked.
She touched her face, it felt familiar.
"Hei Lou Lan come out." A women's voice called out.
Almost instinctively the consciousness called out: "Mother?"
The Dream ended.
Before the consciousness could gain awareness of her surroundings, she was tossed into the second Dream Realm.
This time she was sitting at a table with beautiful women beside her and a handsome figure at the head of the table.
"Hei Lou Lan what's wrong you've hardly touched your food?" The women asked.
The consciousness thought to herself: "Hei Lou Lan? Is that my name?"
Still trying to figure things out she was cautious: "I'm fine I'm just not very hungry,"
But she was interrupted by the male figure: "Did you eat some snacks before dinner? You know we told you not to."
His stern voice caught her off guard and she shirked back in fear.
Seeing this the female figure reprimanded the male: "Tsk, see what you've done you've scared her, she's only 14."
The female figure smiled and patted "Hei Lou Lan's" head: "Sweetie it's okay to have snacks but remember to eat them after dinner, after all, dinner is important if you want to grow up."
Finding a reasonable alibi, the consciousness went with it: "Sorry father and mother I won't do it again."
The woman smiled and continued ruffling her head and the man just nodded his head.
Suddenly, the scene dissolved, and the consciousness returned to reality, this time a bit more aware: "Am I having Dreams? Is my name Hie Lou Lan? Were those my parents?"
Before she could think of more questions, she was thrust into another Dream Realm.
Again and again, she went through Dream after Dream.
She dreamt of the times she spent with her parents, the fond places they traveled to, and all the wonderful sights and sounds.
But by the 5th step this "Hei Lou Lan" seemed to feel that something's wrong: "Why is it that whenever one of these Dreams end, I'm filled with nothing but sadness?"
Her answer soon came in the 6th step where she experienced the loss of her mother and everything that led up to the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
Exiting this Dream Realm, made Hei Lou Lan pant in disbelief, anger was once again ignited in her heart.
"Hei Cheng! Fang Yuan!" she roared out.
She was then thrust into the 7th Step, she experienced life under Fang Yuan and all the pain she had to go through until she met Giant Sun Immortal Venerable and Longevity Heaven, she even relived up to the fateful moment she was killed.
Waking from this Dream, made her investigate her body.
"This is not my body!" She quickly realized that she was in some other body, a male one at that, but she also realized: "But this is my aperture, but I should be dead but I'm not, was I revived?"
At this moment a voice sounded out: "Technically you're not revived."
"Who said that?" She looked up.
It was the Heavenly Spirit!
Not wasting time, it said: "You are Reckless Savage's final arrangement."
Before she could ask questions, he continued: "Relax, I know you think that this would be some ploy to use you against the others or some nefarious means, it's not, you are not reborn but remade! With Reckless Savage as the base, mixed with your physique, gave birth to the body of a half-otherworldly demon, combined with a soul that was not rebirthed but reforged makes you a Quasi-otherworldly demon! [1]"
There were so many things she wanted to ask, what's the catch? why her? what does Reckless hope to achieve? Is she trapped in this body's appearance?
"I can tell you have a lot of questions, but most will be addressed once you go through this 8th Dream."
Without waiting for her approval, the Heavenly Spirit launched her into the 8th Dream.
Inside, it was the same empty space that Reckless had met Fang Yuan in.
But this time he was waiting for her.
"My successor I see you have a million questions on your mind so let's cut the pleasantries and begin, first why did I pick you? Simple you had a Great Martial True Physique."
That was it?
She was picked not due to any potential he saw in her personality or any compatibility between them it was purely for her body?
Hei Lou Lan had never been one to care for appearance and such but somehow hearing this from Reckless made her really irritated.
He continued: "Second, I don't need you to do anything, you can take my word that I am not using you to revive myself. Why? Because I don't want to!"
This answer was just as shocking as the last!
Don't want to?
How many people pursued a path to the living and would give to have a chance to make a comeback? And here this man said he won't revive because he doesn't want to?
"Why?" Hei Lou Lan asked.
"Simple, I never cared for status, money or the likes, sure a real man has to have a woman and success and of course these," He pointed at his bulging biceps: "But what I live for is a good fight, I want a good old simple brawl, a contest of strength, not some giant political scheming. I hate what it become out there these 4 Venerables are maddeningly cautious and if I challenge one the other three will use that to their advantage. So, I'm not going to play their games instead they'll play mine. I've set it up so that this contest will give benefits to two people, Giant Sun and Fang Yuan!"
Fang Yuan!
Hearing that name brought out the anger and competitiveness in her: "Why him?"
Reckless laughed: "Because he has the potential to be the strongest opponent, I'll ever be able to face!"
Hei Lou Lan's face was in a constant state of shock she thought to herself: "O heaven why did you allow this idiot to be a Venerable."
Here was the whole world trying to fight for their place in the world and this man was willing to topple everything just so he can fight the strongest?
Life truly was laughable.
As Hei Lou Lan wryly smiled to herself: "Anyway, you don't have to fear me using you as a revival plan, I have no interest in it, besides I'm sure you want to change that body to your original appearance," he looked disgusted as he said that.
"I can?" she asked.
"Yup, the final tribulation you will go through is a mini chaotic one, it will force all the different components to merge together. Right now, my body still rejects your aperture, will, and soul. After all, it's a Venerable body. But the Chaos should completely melt it all down and reforge into one new whole, and officially making you a quasi-otherworldly demon."
Hei Lou Lan had several other questions that Reckless was more than happy to talk about.
Not many knew but Reckless was a notorious chatterbox and loved to talk more than anything.
Which for once was a good thing.
"I noticed that the new body continues an enhanced version of the Dark Capital Strength Totem."
"Correct," he responded: "I call it the Supreme King Totem contrary to popular belief, I was not born with the Great Strength True Martial Physique, although I always admired and greatly desired this physique. [2] What a pity Fate had decreed I would not be born as one."
This wasn't a huge obsession for Reckless, but it was enough to be a regret of his.
He continued: "But then how did I acquire it now? Simple, I used your body."
This caused Hei Lou Lan to spit out the liquor she was drinking into a fine mist.
That's right!
The ashes scattered onto the body were Hei Lou Lan's ashes!
Brushing past that Hei Lou Lan asked: "You said you're giving Fang Yuan an advantage I assume it's this Grotto Heaven but before that, I want to ask what advantage did you give Giant Sun?"
Hei Lou Lan wanted to know as she wanted to naturally help her ancestor, who had been nothing but kind to her, even using a Rank 8 move on her to alleviate the pressure of Effort Gu.
"Well that's simple, it's you."
[1] A quasi-otherworldly demon is something I invented, different from half-otherworldly Demons, it comes from being completely separated from the world, angering Heaven, but it's not complete as there is no otherworldly Dao Marks, also these quasi-otherworldly demons are less complete than half-otherworldly demons, but the quarter-otherworldly demon seemed weird so quasi it is.
[2] Yes I know the OG made references that held a high probability towards Reckless having this physique, but it was never explicitly 100% confirmed that he has the physique, there was only 1 mention in Chapter 2113, of how 'rumors' say Reckless posses the Physique which it goes on to state that "no one can confirm nor deny". So, this I guess is one of the major retcons this Fan Edition will take, Reckless did not have the Great Strength True Martial Physique despite everyone's belief.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
zulbucks
zulbucks Much to unpack in this chapter which makes it real exciting moving forward.
I've always liked how driven Hei Lou Lan is and I want that to be displayed more.
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