Zhang Chen had already prepared for the worst, including his son, Shun.
Shun had been taken away by the Queen Mother of the West and kept at her side for cultivation. Zhang Chen did not believe the Queen Mother of the West was acting out of kindness; rather, it was a faint but ever-present threat directed at him.
Empress Biyun was consumed with worry and washed her face with tears all day. Zhang Chen sat cross-legged in the alchemy chamber, silently circulating his divine ability.
Zhang Chen pondered in silence. Only after a long while did he finally make up his mind. "I can't wait any longer. I have to take the initiative."
A hundred years flew by.
Inside the alchemy chamber.
Empress Biyun's voice rang out. "The hundred-year term has arrived."
"I broke through five layers this time." Zhang Chen drew a breath and slowly opened his eyes, his voice filled with indifference.
Empress Biyun extinguished the flames in the Elixir Furnace. With a hand seal guiding it, medicinal pills flew out of the furnace and fell into a gourd. "Five layers? That's much faster than before. I just don't know what the Queen Mother of the West will do this time, or whether she has some new trick in store."
"Don't worry. I'll bear everything myself! At worst, I'll kill myself right in front of the Queen Mother of the West. She'll never let me die," Zhang Chen said.
"A powerhouse like the Queen Mother of the West cannot be threatened. Unless there is truly no other choice, you must never play with fire." Empress Biyun's expression changed, and she hurriedly warned Zhang Chen.
"I know. All of West Kunlun belongs to the Queen Mother of the West. Her will cannot be defied," Zhang Chen said.
The two