Chen Lingxi, You Are Not One of the Truth-Seekers

Emperor Daye Ying Xian of the Great Ye Dynasty...

He was the most powerful and accomplished cultivator in the world at that time.

Now he stands on that small boat shrouded in mist, his body hunched over, still extremely old.

His dragon robe was extremely luxurious and exuded majesty, yet it hung loosely on his skeletal frame.

His sparse, withered white hair, age spots on his face, and drooping eyelids made him look neither like a strong man nor a majestic king.

But at this moment, he stood on that misty boat, one hand on the gunwale, his eyes gleaming with golden light, watching Chen Lingxi from afar.

Looking down from a high vantage point.

At this moment, Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged on the small reef, looking up at Emperor Daye.

The method of Qi Observation was still flowing in his eyes. Looking at Emperor Daye, he felt as if a flowing golden flame was silently burning and dancing on the man's body.

As it jumped, the speed of cloud circulation within a radius of several miles slowed down even more.

At the same time, Chen Lingxi clearly sensed that the power emanating from this Emperor Daye seemed to be on a higher level than the spiritual energy within him.

He stood there, Chen Lingxi's spiritual energy, which had been circulating in the Qi Sea Greater Celestial Circuit Cycle, almost stopped. A strong pressure fell on Chen Lingxi, causing Chen Lingxi a deep breath.

Under Chen Lingxi's method of Qi Observation, this seemingly old and withered emperor of Great Li appeared as a deity who had emerged from ancient times.

Chen Lingxi was greatly surprised.

He naturally knew that killing Qi Lian and the Marquis Fengshan would surely provoke a reaction from the Great Li Court.

But he never expected that Emperor Daye Ying Xian would come in person.

Chen Lingxi learned from Sight-Roaming that Emperor Daye was restricted because he did not Dao Foundation Divine-Ability Spirit Item. He had forcibly practiced the Mysterious Brightness Grand Splendor Way Divine Ability Sundial Reversal, and was therefore unable to easily leave the palace covered by the mysterious array, nor could he easily make a move.

But today, Emperor Daye has actually left the palace in person, and even traveled thousands of miles to come to this Heaven Gate Sea!

"It seems that even the imperial court has very few powerful figures like Qi Lian and Marquis Fengshan."

Otherwise, Emperor Daye would not have come in person."

Chen Lingxi pondered in his heart, but remained seated cross-legged on the small reef, unmoved.

He possessed a profound demeanor, and there was no fear in his eyes; instead, a hint of curiosity flashed through them.

The Twin Luminous Mirrors in the Heavenly Total Perception Divine Chamber still shone brightly, and this was Chen Lingxi's source of confidence.

Cloud Prefecture then slowly descended and came to rest in front of the reef where Chen Lingxi was.

Emperor Daye, with his hands behind his back, slowly stepped off the small cloud boat, his steps faltering and his breathing disordered, as if each step had exhausted his strength.

But...

Chen Lingxi could keenly sense that when he placed both feet on the small reef, the entire reef seemed to bear an unimaginable weight, or a terrifying pressure.

The small reef suddenly sank.

It was as if it was bearing a weight it could not bear.

Chen Lingxi remained seated on the reef, raising his eyes to meet the gaze of this extraordinary Emperor of Great Li from afar.

He didn't say a word, but just watched as Emperor Daye took a few steps forward and came to stand in front of him.

To Chen Lingxi's surprise...

Emperor Daye did not make a move. Instead, he took a few steps forward and, just like before, shakily climbed onto another protruding rock, where he sat down cross-legged.

"Chen Lingxi..."

Emperor Daye spoke slowly, his voice aged and somewhat hoarse, yet seemingly filled with some unique and profound power.

Chen Lingxi subconsciously wanted to stand up and pay homage to him, but then suddenly realized what was happening and was surprised.

"This is the Total Perception Divine Chamber. I am not in any danger of death, so I am completely relaxed and have no fear of this Great Ye Emperor."

Even so, though the Great Ye Emperor called me by my name without any magical or Divine Ability involved, I still wanted to rise and pay my respects to him."

"No wonder the Six-Qi True Method says that achieving the Dao Foundation Realm is like ascending to the Dao Platform, looking down upon all living beings in heaven and earth. It is no longer the same level as those below the Dao Foundation Realm."

Chen Lingxi pondered in his heart, his gaze still fixed on Emperor Daye, and said with a smile, "By killing Qi Lian and Marquis Fengshan, I have severed two arms of the court."

"It's not surprising that the sage himself came."

A look of surprise flashed in Emperor Daye's eyes as he said, "Seeing me like this, you didn't suspect anything?"

Chen Lingxi remained silent, still sitting cross-legged.

Emperor Daye's gaze fell on the Thunderlight Sword at Chen Lingxi's waist.

"I originally thought you came from an extraordinary background, perhaps from an ancient sect in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, or even a descendant of the Immortal Clan..."

"But the magic and Divine Ability you use are all plundered, making it impossible for me to guess your origins."

The sea breeze blew between the two, causing Emperor Daye Daye's already empty dragon robe to flutter loudly.

Emperor Daye sighed and said, "You have too many secrets. When you were fighting for the cauldron in Yuan River Prefecture, you unleashed the power of the Twelfth Floor of Qi cultivation. Now, you have killed two of my powerful subordinates in the Heaven Gate Sea."

Chen Lingxi asked with a smile, "So, Emperor Daye came here personally to kill me on behalf of Marquis Fengshan and General Qi Lian?"

Chen Lingxi asked casually.

Emperor Daye slowly shook his head.

He looked Chen Lingxi up and down, seemingly sensing that Chen Lingxi's cultivation had not yet reached the Heavenward Realm: "You have already experienced the extraordinary power of the Twelve Levels of Qi Circulation."

"If you were to wield such power forever, would you care about Qi Lian, or even about Marquis Fengshan?"

Chen Lingxi frowned slightly.

The mysterious person bestowed spiritual light upon him, causing his cultivation level to rise.

Chen Lingxi still vividly remembers that terrifying power.

Just as Emperor Daye said, if he were a cultivator at the Twelve Levels of Qi Circulation, then Qi Lian and Marquis Fengshan, as his subordinates, would seem to be of little importance.

Emperor Daye... was Dao Foundation Realm cultivator, having cultivated to the Dao Foundation Grand Divine Ability. It is likely that the Sundial Reversal has already transformed into Profound Root and is now residing within his Dao Platform.

Even soon after, when the wondrous flower matures, Emperor Daye will be able to cultivate the second great Divine Ability, the Heavenly Decline Method, and thus step into the Dao Foundation Middle Stage.

For someone like him, two Qi Circulation, Eleventh Floor are of little importance.

Thinking of this, Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Qi Lian and Marquis Fengshan are naturally unimportant, but a sage is Dao Foundation Realm figure and naturally possesses majesty."

I doubt you would allow me to offend your authority.

Emperor Daye sat atop the rock, his gaze still calm. He suddenly looked up at the sky and slowly spoke, "Do you know that this Cave Heaven is about to be refined by the True Lord of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm!"

Chen Lingxi remained silent.

"It seems you know." Emperor Daye glanced at him. "Once the Cave Heaven is refined, the hundreds of millions of living beings within will turn to ashes."

The same applies to you and me.

"With such a calamity before us, what dignity does a mere Foundation Dao Foundation Realm possess?"

Chen Lingxi gazed at Emperor Daye, listening silently.

Emperor Daye continued, "In your opinion, you yourself are extraordinary in courage, killing my subordinate Rong Chun, killing that so-called crown prince, and killing thousands of my Silver Bones soldiers, and seizing the Enemy-Slaying Spirit Jade."

Only now do they dare to come alone to this Heaven Gate Sea to kill two of my powerful subordinates, in order to seize the Dao Foundation Realm Inscription and even the complete Cauldron Vessel."

"So you naturally assume that I have come here personally to take your life, given your audacity and your defiance of the imperial court."

"But... I've come here not to kill you, but to bestow a reward upon you!"

Chen Lingxi, who had remained silent until now, showed a look of surprise. "A reward for me?"

A slight smile appeared on Emperor Daye's lips.

He narrowed his eyes, and the golden flames in his cloudy old eyes flickered even more slowly.

With a wave of his hand, this Dao Foundation Realm Establishment cultivator took something out of his dragon robe.

But it is a mirror.

Chen Lingxi immediately thought of a treasure.

That is the Mirror-Listening Cauldron!

A small mirror appeared to be cast in ancient bronze, with many complex and mysterious runes engraved on its back.

These runes are filled with an ancient aura, intertwining to form a mysterious and ancient array.

The mirror surface was smooth, yet it was shrouded in thick fog. This fog churned and swirled, obscuring the mirror, and seemed to reveal an extremely mysterious power within it.

"As expected, this Mirror-Listening Cauldron has been controlled by Emperor Daye from beginning to end."

Chen Lingxi pondered in her heart.

If that's the case...

"The source of my parents' blood feud still lies with this Emperor Daye."

At this moment, Chen Lingxi watched Emperor Daye calmly.

Emperor Daye then gently tossed the mirror aside.

The mirror suddenly levitated, and the thick gray fog on its surface grew even denser.

Emperor Daye's left hand was held together like a sword, and a bright white aura suddenly flashed across his fingers.

That aura was extremely mysterious, causing the circulation of spiritual energy in Chen Lingxi's Qi Sea to slow down even more.

Chen Lingxi a deep breath. "Dao Origin..."

Once one reaches the Dao Foundation Realm, cultivates the Dao Platform, and generates the Profound Root, the spiritual energy in the Qi Sea will be completely transformed into Dao Origin.

This is a higher level of energy, far more powerful and extraordinary than spiritual energy.

But then they saw that Emperor Daye had Dao Origin flowing between his two fingers, and he gently touched the mirror.

In an instant!

The swirling mist on the mirror surface suddenly stopped, then rippled outwards.

As the ripples spread, the thick, grayish-white fog dissipated, revealing the mirror-like surface of this mysterious Cauldron Vessel.

On the mirror's surface, images were shifting and changing.

Chen Lingxi looked down and her pupils contracted.

He saw himself in that image...

He saw his old family home Chen Family Linchuan, the Willow Street Alley where his father lived after he became an official, and the small courtyard in the capital where he had lived for more than ten years.

In the scene, the father Chen Yanzhi, sits reading under a tree while the mother embroiders beside him; the father buys him a string of candied hawthorns after work, and the mother is about to make clothes for him, taking his measurements; upon seeing that he has passed the imperial examination, the father personally pours him wine, while the mother proudly shows off to her close female friends...

The images kept changing.

Chen Lingxi silent, and then she saw her parents being implicated by the Zhong Family, their home confiscated, and imprisoned. She saw them being beheaded by the executioner on the execution ground.

Then the scene changed, and they went to the Criminal Law Bureau, and then to the Baosu Marquis Residence.

In the Inverted Room of the Baosu Marquis Residence, he struggled desperately while the other servants who served him medicine died one after another.

He curled up on the cold bed, enduring excruciating pain in his internal organs, struggling to stay afloat.

The scene in the mirror abruptly ended at that moment.

The ripples on the screen gradually subsided, and thick fog surged up again, constantly churning and completely submerging the mirror surface of the Cauldron Vessel.

Emperor Daye flicked his sleeve slightly, and the dragon robe fluttered, causing the mirror to disappear.

Chen Lingxi frowned and looked at Emperor Daye: "What do you mean?"

Emperor Daye Daye's smile deepened as he shook his head and said, "Do you know how your reflection in the mirror differs from those of the Rebirth Realm and those Truth-Seekers?"

"I used the Mirror Listening Art to calculate those Truth-Seekers. In their past memories, there will never be parents in this Cave Heaven, nor will there be those seemingly ordinary yet heartwarming scenes."

After their memories returned and they remembered their mission, the concept of kinship no longer existed...

Emperor Daye paused slightly at this point before continuing, "Therefore... Chen Lingxi, you are not the Truth-Seekers!"

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow slightly.

The two golden flames in Emperor Daye's eyes continued to flicker, "You and I have both obtained an extremely rare fortuitous opportunity in this Qi-less Grotto-Heaven, and since then you have embarked on the Dao Path cultivation."

Therefore, you must kill Rong Chun, you must oppose my court, and even kill Crown Prince Ying Chi!

"You want... to avenge your parents?"