An Immortal Touched My Crown and Bound My Hair to Grant Eternal Life; the Imperial Court's Remnants Bow in Thanks for Imperial Grace!

"What?!"

"The Kunwu Mirror?!"

At those words, the entire hall fell into deathly silence.

Mu Chiyu asked, "Are you confident?"

Su Linxian smiled. "Of course."

Mu Chiyu nodded slightly, then turned toward the Grand Elder.

"Fetch the Kunwu Mirror."

Just four short words.

Yet they exploded like a thunderclap in the Grand Elder's heart.

The old man's hand trembled slightly around his walking stick.

"Your Highness..."

"The Kunwu Mirror is the foundation of the Imperial Court. It must not be moved lightly."

"For millions of years, we of Immortal Mountain have guarded it, awaiting the day the Immortal Ancient Imperial Court rises again."

"But now..."

He did not finish.

But everyone understood what he meant.

The Kunwu Mirror was the last symbol of the Immortal Ancient Imperial Court's reserves!

Mu Chiyu watched him quietly.

"If the evil energy of heaven and earth within the Imperial Throne cannot be dealt with, our Primordial Imperial Court has no future."

After a moment's silence, the Grand Elder lowered his head.

"This old man understands. Sorry for the trouble, Guardians, but please lend your aid."

"We dare not disobey the Goddess's command." Lu Wu lay before the Imperial Throne, that eerie mass of black light reflected in his silver eyes.

"However, retrieving the Kunwu Mirror will take some time."

"Please remain at Immortal Mountain for a few days, Emperor Lord."

Su Linxian smiled.

"No matter."

"There's no hurry."

Lu Wu nodded.

The Grand Elder bowed to Su Linxian.

"Emperor Lord, please follow this old man."

Su Linxian left with Mu Chiyu and Yu Yao.

The farther they walked, the weaker the ominous aura emanating from the Imperial Throne became.

The silvery-white aurora appeared once more.

Those ancient runes, dormant for countless ages, lit up again.

Once they had gone.

Kai Ming slowly opened his eyes, folded his six pairs of tattered crimson wings, and gazed at the mass of black light.

"Lu Wu."

"Are we truly going to hand over the Kunwu Mirror?"

"That is..."

Lu Wu said, "Kai Ming."

"Do you think the Imperial Court today is still the Imperial Court it once was?"

Kai Ming said nothing.

Lu Wu raised his head toward the sky and continued.

"After the Immortal Ancient era ended, the Imperial Court collapsed."

"The mighty warriors who once followed the Imperial Court into battle across the Myriad Heavens disappeared one after another. The Imperial Court no longer has the final say in this world."

"The Ten Great Emperor Clans rose, and those who came after us took command of heaven and earth. Besides..."

"You saw that Emperor Lord's strength yourself."

"He has not reached the Divine Emperor realm, yet his strength is no less than that of the Imperial Court's former God of War. His future achievements are beyond measure."

"If that lord truly wished to take the Kunwu Mirror, what could we do?"

"Come. Let's fetch the mirror."

Kai Ming said helplessly, "The times truly have changed."

The two primordial beasts lay before the Imperial Throne, as though keeping watch over an age that had already passed.

The Immortal Mountain tribe.

It lay hidden deep within the silver divine mountain.

There were none of the grand palaces outsiders imagined here, only rows of simple stone houses.

The stone houses were built against the mountainside.

Their walls were covered in ancient runes.

Despite the countless ages they had weathered, those runes still emitted a faint silver glow.

At the center of the tribe, an ancient silver tree held up the vault of heaven, an undying aurora flowing among its branches and leaves.

When Su Linxian stepped into this place.

Figures came running out of the stone houses.

They were a group of children.

Dressed in simple animal skins, they ran barefoot along the stone-paved paths.

"Grand Elder?! You're back!"

"Did someone force their way onto the mountain just now?"

"Was there a big battle?"

"We can fight too!"

The children crowded around the old man, all talking at once.

A smile appeared on the Grand Elder's face.

"Everything is all right now."

Then he turned to make introductions.

"This is the Emperor Lord."

"And this is Her Highness, the Goddess of Time from our Imperial Court of old."

In an instant.

All the children fell silent.

Their eyes widened.

Every gaze settled on Mu Chiyu.

The Goddess of Time?!

To them, that title belonged to a time far too distant.

She was a being recorded in their tribe's ancient books-the Goddess of the Immortal Ancient Imperial Court!

Mu Chiyu stood quietly, her hair and long dress stirring in the wind.

She seemed like a deity who had stepped out of an ancient painting.

Cool and noble, beyond desecration.

"We pay our respects to Your Highness!" As all the children crowded around her.

Outside the crowd.

A boy of about eight or nine remained still.

He was a little taller than the other children his age, with two beast markings painted on his face and a string of animal bones around his neck.

The boy stared at Su Linxian beside her, then walked toward him step by step, clenching his fists.

"You're the one... who forced your way onto our Immortal Mountain."

"What happened to my father and mother... was that your doing too?"

"You invader!"

Hm?

Su Linxian looked at the child before him.

[Ding...]

[Name: Xiao]

[Physique: primordial god-devil physique · half-awakened]

[Realm: Illuminating the Ruins Realm]

[Age: eight]

[Status: bloodline origin dormant, in a half-awakened state]

Su Linxian narrowed his eyes slightly.

An eight-year-old at the Illuminating the Ruins Realm... These children of the Imperial Court's remnants truly had impressive talent, every one of them.

Special divine physiques were exceedingly rare throughout the Myriad Heavens, and the primordial god-devil physique was one of the ten strongest physiques in the Myriad Heavens.

Legend had it that this physique first appeared in primordial times, naturally bearing the powers of both gods and devils, becoming god or devil with a single thought.

Cultivated to its pinnacle, the flesh could tear apart rivers of stars, and the soul could suppress countless ages.

He had never expected to encounter it here, on this declining Immortal Mountain...

"Interesting." Su Linxian watched him for a while, then smiled.

"What's wrong, little fellow?"

At that moment.

"Xiao!"

A startled cry rang out.

A middle-aged couple's expressions changed drastically.

The woman rushed forward and grabbed the boy.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Her face was pale.

"The Emperor Lord came to Immortal Mountain to help us resolve our calamity. Don't be disrespectful!"

The man beside her seized Xiao's shoulders and forcibly pushed his head down hard!

"Xiao! Apologize to the Emperor Lord this instant!"

Though his head was forced down, Xiao's back remained straight.

There was no fear in his dark eyes, only defiance.

Watching this, Su Linxian suddenly found himself amused and clicked his tongue.

"The little fellow has some backbone."

Hearing this, the man hurriedly lowered his head.

"Emperor Lord, my son is young and ignorant..."

Su Linxian waved a hand. He was not angry; he simply found the boy rather interesting.

Just then.

"Dad! Let go of me!" Xiao suddenly broke free of his father's grip and raised his head, his little face flushed red.

"I won't accept this!"

His voice was not loud.

Yet it rang through the entire tribe.

Everyone froze.

They all turned to look.

"Is that... Xiao?!"

"What's going on?!"

Xiao declared, "I want to challenge you!"

Everyone's expressions froze instantly.

The next moment.

"Pfft."

Yu Yao could not help bursting into laughter. She crouched down and looked at Xiao, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Little fellow, do you know what you're saying?"

"Challenge my master?"

"You haven't even grown all your hair yet. Have you even been weaned?"

Mu Chiyu also looked over, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

At those words, Xiao's face flushed crimson.

"I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Yu Yao giggled, even more delighted.

"Eight years old and already at the Illuminating the Ruins Realm. Yes, you're certainly stronger than ordinary children."

"But... do you know who's standing in front of you?"

Xiao did not answer. He clenched his fists.

"I want to try!"

The children around them stared wide-eyed, looking from Xiao to Su Linxian, their little faces brimming with excitement.

The adults of the tribe exchanged glances, their faces full of worry.

Su Linxian grinned and spoke slowly, his tone casual.

"Little fellow, I admire your courage."

"Give it a try."

Silence fell over the crowd.

All the adults of the tribe froze, their mouths slightly open.

"What?!"

"The Emperor Lord agreed?!"

Leaning on his walking stick, the Grand Elder hurried forward, anxiety filling his cloudy old eyes.

"Emperor Lord! To lower yourself to spar with a child... surely that would be inappropriate..."

"It's fine." Su Linxian waved a hand and smiled at Xiao.

"Come."

Su Linxian walked into the clearing at the center of the tribe and stood with his hands behind his back, his aura contained, like a stone monument without an inscription.

The lotus platform of his Divine Emperor foundation slowly revolved within his sea of consciousness. He merely stood there, doing nothing, yet the flow of energy throughout heaven and earth seemed to revolve around him.

Xiao drew a deep breath.

He clenched his fists and assumed an ancient, unadorned fighting stance.

An eager fighting spirit surged in his pitch-black eyes, while the mottled markings on his cheeks shimmered beneath the aurora.

"Roar!"

He abruptly activated the Immortal Ancient Method.

"Celestial Elephant Force!"

Boom!

The phantom of a savage, primordial elephant burst from his body, towering several dozen feet high and shimmering with purple-gold light. It raised its head and roared at the heavens, its four feet pounding the ground as it charged into Su Linxian with overwhelming brute force!

Its might far exceeded what the Illuminating the Ruins Realm should have allowed!

Su Linxian said, "Oh?"

"Not bad power."

The savage elephant abruptly stopped three feet in front of Su Linxian!

As though it had struck an invisible wall, it shattered inch by inch, its light exploding!

Gritting his teeth, Xiao used that explosive force to surge forward, his little fist clenched as he punched toward Su Linxian's chest.

Su Linxian raised a hand and casually blocked.

Thump!

Fist met palm with a low, muffled sound.

Su Linxian did not budge.

The recoil flung Xiao backward. He rolled several times across the stone-paved road before steadying himself, then sprang up and charged again, his punches and kicks raining down on Su Linxian.

Every punch carried the full strength of his Illuminating the Ruins Realm cultivation, and every kick bore combat instincts utterly at odds with his age.

Su Linxian handled him with effortless ease, remarking casually.

"Good strength."

"Make your left punch a little faster."

Xiao paused, then instinctively followed his advice.

The instant he threw his left punch, it was indeed faster and fiercer than before!

"Your footwork is too chaotic. Your weight isn't steady over your right leg."

Xiao gritted his teeth and adjusted. His footwork immediately grew steadier, and his fighting style became increasingly apparent!

The children nearby cheered Xiao on with all their might.

"Xiao! Keep going!"

"Beat him, Xiao!"

Watching this, the adults of the tribe immediately understood and smiled helplessly.

The Grand Elder also breathed a sigh of relief, stroking his beard as he smiled.

"The Emperor Lord is giving Xiao guidance..."

"Hehe, this child is truly fortunate to have earned such a great lord's appreciation."

This Emperor Lord was far more approachable than they had imagined.

He clearly possessed cultivation at the peak Emperor Realm and the capabilities of a Half-Step Divine Emperor. Moments earlier, he had been fighting the Imperial Court Guardian Beast in the heavens, yet now he was crouching on the ground, sparring with an eight-year-old child and earnestly guiding him. Such magnanimity inspired admiration in many hearts.

[Ding! The Imperial Court survivors' favorability has greatly increased. Congratulations, Master, on receiving a reward of 100000 Villain Points!]

A few exchanges later.

Xiao suddenly stopped.

He backed away two steps, his chest heaving and his head drenched in sweat.

His pitch-black eyes remained fixed on Su Linxian for a long moment before he spoke.

"You won."

"Not fighting anymore?"

"I'm out of strength," Xiao admitted honestly.

Ever since he was little, he had been several times stronger than children his age, but for some reason, his stamina was absurdly poor.

"Xiao!" His parents rushed forward, their faces deathly pale.

The woman grabbed Xiao's arm, while the middle-aged man dropped straight to his knees.

"Forgive us, Emperor Lord! Our child knows no better and has offended you. Please punish us!"

Su Linxian paused, then chuckled.

"Am I really that frightening?"

He walked over and reached out to help the middle-aged man up.

"Get up."

Then he turned toward Xiao and beckoned.

"Come here."

Xiao's parents trembled all over, their faces growing even paler.

The woman dared not release Xiao's arm, and even her voice shook.

"Emperor Lord..."

Su Linxian smiled gently.

"Don't be nervous."

Xiao pulled free of his mother's hand and strode up to Su Linxian.

He tilted his head back, his eyes full of confusion.

"What for?"

"To grant you a fortuitous blessing."

Su Linxian raised his hand and gently placed it on Xiao's head.

A thread of Emperor Power flowed from his palm into Xiao's body.

That power was gentle and rich, like the warm spring sun, flowing along Xiao's meridians through every limb and bone.

The next moment.

Boom!!!

Purple-gold divine radiance shot skyward from Xiao's body.

The light was so dazzling that it bathed the entire tribe in brilliant purple and gold!

"Aaargh!!!"

Xiao roared in pain. In that instant, his eyes changed, the left turning purple and the right gold, both swirling with an ancient, sacred light.

His aura also surged at that moment, climbing all the way from the Illuminating the Ruins Realm to its peak, then into the Fengwang Realm... and the peak of the Fengwang Realm!!

Rumble!

The sounds of clashing weapons, armored steeds, and murderous battle cries rang through the sky.

An enormous phantom took shape in the heavens.

It had three heads and six arms, half god and half devil, one face majestic as heaven and another hideous as a demon. Purple-gold god-devil energy wreathed its body as it towered over a thousand feet tall, looking down over the entire tribe like a demon god that had stepped out of the primordial era.

Meanwhile.

At the summit of Immortal Mountain.

Lu Wu and Kai Ming were working together to retrieve the Kunwu Mirror.

Suddenly, both enormous beasts shuddered and looked up into the depths of the sky at the same time.

Kai Ming exclaimed, "What is this?!"

"What's going on?!"

Lu Wu's pupils abruptly contracted.

"A manifestation of the Primordial God-Devil Physique?!"

"How is this possible? Someone within our Immortal Mountain has awakened the Primordial God-Devil Physique!!"

Within the tribe.

Everyone prostrated themselves on the ground.

The children lay facedown, their little bodies trembling beneath the pressure of the purple-gold divine radiance, while the adults looked on in horror!

The Grand Elder gazed up at the thousand-foot god-devil phantom, disbelief surging in his cloudy old eyes.

His beard shook violently with excitement, and his lips trembled!

His voice was hoarse to the extreme, and only after a long while did he squeeze out a few words.

"Th-this..."

"An immortal stroked my crown; with my hair bound, I received eternal life... What a blessing the Emperor Lord has bestowed upon Xiao... what a heaven-shaking blessing!!"

After all, the Primordial God-Devil Physique was the very physique possessed by the Imperial Court's God of War in ages past!!

Hum.

Su Linxian withdrew his hand.

Looking down at the little boy standing there with one purple eye and one gold eye, he said mildly.

"This child has a good temperament."

"The Primordial God-Devil Physique is rather special. It cannot be activated without an outside force."

"So I took the liberty of awakening it ahead of time."

Xiao was staring blankly at his hands.

Purple-gold light flowed over those little hands, with strands of purple and gold god-devil energy weaving between his fingers.

Spiritual energy surged through his body like a river, and he felt an unprecedented ease and comfort from head to toe!

It was as though he had spent his entire childhood walking with an invisible mountain on his back, and now that mountain had suddenly shattered, leaving him so light he felt he might float away!

Xiao's parents knelt on the ground, overwhelmed with gratitude.

"Thank you, Emperor Lord! Thank you, Emperor Lord!"

Thud!

"Everyone, kowtow in thanks for the Emperor Lord's grace!"

The Grand Elder struck his walking stick hard against the ground, bowed deeply to Su Linxian, then dropped to his knees with a thump!

"We of Immortal Mountain shall remember the Emperor Lord's kindness for generations to come!"

Around them, the adults of the tribe, and even the children, knelt one after another.

"We..."

"Thank the Emperor Lord for his grace!!"

[Ding! The survivors of the Primordial Imperial Court have submitted completely!]

[Congratulations, Master, on receiving a reward of 300000 Villain Points!]