Time flowed slowly at the bottom of the silent abyss. The Snow Empress sat cross-legged in the stone coffin, her body enveloped by layers of golden Sacred Body. Every wisp of blood energy was as heavy as a mountain, and every surge contained the immense power left over from the Desolate Ancient Era.
She circulated the Azure Emperor Scripture, and the Green Lotus Mark between her brows shone brightly, intertwining with the extreme cold energy on her body surface, painstakingly constructing a new foundation for her Dao under the cleansing of her Sacred Body's origin.
"Boom--"
A sharp pain shot through her, as if ten thousand steel needles were piercing her meridians simultaneously. Snow Empress groaned, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes grew even more resolute.
This is an inevitable process. The Green Lotus Origin represents life, the Ultimate Ice represents death, and the Sacred Body Origin is the bridge between life and death. To Perfect World integrate the three is tantamount to reshaping the physical body and reforging the soul, and every step is accompanied by the crisis of life and death.
Outside, Lin Hao slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through layers of golden light and landing on the figure inside the stone coffin.
"The unification of the three elements requires destruction before construction. You've withstood this first wave of impact faster than I anticipated."
He reached out and pointed, and a gentle stream of light entered Snow Empress's brow, helping her stabilize her collapsing soul.
"Maintain a clear and lucid mind, guide the blood and qi into the body, first temper the limbs and bones, then attack the heart and soul."
Snow Empress did as instructed, guiding the golden essence of her Sacred Body to flow slowly. Every inch of her flesh and bones trembled violently, as if being cast into a furnace for reforging. She could feel that her icy skin and jade bones were undergoing earth-shattering changes—her bones, which were originally as translucent as glass, began to be stained with faint golden patterns; within her meridians, the extreme cold spiritual energy and the vitality of the Green Lotus intertwined, and were forcibly fused by the blood energy of her Sacred Body, forming a new Spiritual Power that was unprecedented, with golden threads mixed in with its icy blue color.
Time passed day by day.
The Snow Empress's body floated in and out of the stone coffin, sometimes Ice Seal like ancient ice, sometimes bursting with life like Green Lotus in early spring, and sometimes shining with golden light like the blazing sun. The three forces competed and merged with each other, waging a long tug-of-war within her body.
Lin Hao stood silently before the altar, his figure as imposing as a mountain, his aura merging with the entire Emperor Burial Abyss. He would occasionally intervene, guiding the Snow Empress when she was about to lose control, but most of the time he simply protected her silently, letting her struggle and transform on the edge of life and death.
This is her path, and she must walk it herself.
While the Snow Empress was undergoing a difficult transformation beneath the abyss, a turbulent situation was already brewing in the outside world.
Eastern Wasteland Storm
Inside the sacred palace of Yaoguang Holy Land, high above the nine heavens.
A young man dressed in white, with a handsome face, walked in slowly. His steps were composed, and he was surrounded by a faint divine radiance. With each step he took, it seemed to resonate with the great Dao of heaven and earth.
Yaoguang Holy Son Ye Chen.
"The Holy Son has arrived." An elder nodded slightly.
Ye Chen bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, elders and holy lord. I have already heard about the Azure Emperor Scripture."
The Yaoguang Holy Lord was an elderly man with white hair and beard, whose eyes seemed to hold the illusion of stars flickering in and out. He slowly spoke, "That mysterious woman was merely at the Dao Palace Secret Realm, yet she managed to make the Azure Emperor Scripture choose its master willingly. The black-clad youth beside her is even more unfathomable, at least at the Immortal Platform Second Heaven Realm. Ye Chen, you are the most talented person in my Yaoguang Holy Land in ten thousand years, and you have now stepped into the Immortal Platform Secret Realm. Now that the Azure Emperor Scripture the world, are you willing to compete for it?"
Ye Chen's gaze was calm. "Although the Azure Emperor Scripture is an imperial scripture, it may not be suitable for everyone. I have already reached the pinnacle of cultivating the Yaoguang Holy Scripture; forcing myself to pursue other scriptures would be unwise. However—"
He changed the subject. "That young man in black has piqued my interest. To severely injure Dragon Transformation Secret Realm with a flick of his finger—such cultivation is rare among the younger generation in the Eastern Wasteland. I'd like to meet him."
"Good." The Yaoguang Holy Lord nodded. "Take the Holy Light Mirror with you. If there's an opportunity, bring back that woman and the Azure Emperor Scripture. If that's not possible, at least you can forge a good relationship."
Ye Chen understands.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Ji Family's Void Hall was heavy.
Ji Hong, the Holy Lord of the Ji Family, held an ancient mirror in his hand. The mirror surface was chaotic, with occasional ripples of void energy. This was a replica of the Ji Family's Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon, the Void Mirror. Although it was not a true Emperor Weapon, it still possessed unfathomable power.
" The Void Mirror's calculations show that the last place those two appeared was on the outskirts of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land," an elder said in a deep voice. "After that, the secrets of heaven became chaotic, seemingly obscured by some kind of force."
" Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land..." Ji Hong frowned. "That's Life Forbidden Zone; even Saint wouldn't dare venture deep into it. Could they have entered the forbidden land?"
"It might not be deep inside; perhaps it's just on the edge," another elder said. "However, to be able to move around near the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land without being devoured by the ominous force, that black-clad youth's cultivation level is probably higher than we anticipated."
"What did Haoyue say?" Ji Hong asked.
"The Holy Son of Haoyue sent word back that he would continue the investigation, but he speculated that the young man in black might come from a reclusive sect or be a descendant of some ancient monster."
Ji Hong pondered for a moment, then said, "Send a message to Haoyue, telling him to act cautiously and not to make enemies easily. Also, notify the clansmen active near the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land to be extra vigilant. The Azure Emperor Scripture great importance, but they must act within their capabilities."
"Yes!"
The Solar Divine Dynasty's reaction was much more intense.
Golden Crow Hall, the Sun God sat atop a crimson-gold throne, with three powerful elders kneeling below him, all of whom were Mighty One from the Immortal Platform Secret Realm.
"Still haven't found it?" The voice of the Sun God was unreadable, but the temperature inside the hall suddenly rose, scorching and distorting even the void.
An elderly man with red hair bowed his head and said, "Reporting to the Divine Lord, those two disappeared without a trace after leaving the Azure Emperor Mausoleum. We searched an area of tens of thousands of miles around but found no trace of them. However—"
"But what?"
"Someone sensed intense energy fluctuations on the outskirts of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, suggesting a battle between powerful figures. Afterwards, the area was shrouded in mist, obscuring even the secrets of heaven."
" The Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land..." A cold glint flashed in the Sun God's eyes. "Issue my decree: the entire Golden Crow Guard is to be mobilized to seal off the outer perimeter of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land for three hundred miles. Report immediately upon discovering any trace of those two. If they resist, kill them without mercy!"
"Yes!"
"Furthermore," the Sun God added, "Let the Tenth Prince emerge from seclusion. It's time for him to gain some experience."
Upon hearing the words "Tenth Prince," the three elders trembled, their eyes flashing with awe.
The Solar Divine Dynasty has ten princes, all of whom are exceptionally talented. Among them, the tenth prince Jin Wuyan, is the most monstrous. At the age of thirty, he has already reached the peak of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and possesses the pure Golden Crow Bloodline. His combat power is comparable to that of an ordinary First Heaven of the Immortal Platform.
The Divine Lord has sent the Tenth Prince out of seclusion, indicating that he will reclaim the Azure Emperor Scripture at all costs.
The Jade Lake Holy Land, the Flat Peach Garden.
The Yaochi Holy Maiden Luo Li, dressed in white, stood beneath a thousand-year-old peach tree. In her hands she held a small, exquisite pagoda, its body ancient and simple, with nine stories, exuding a faint imperial aura—a replica of the Western Emperor Pagoda.
"Holy Maiden, the Holy Mother has decreed that you must depart immediately," a female disciple of Yaochi said respectfully.