The two stood in the void, with wisps of cloud flowing beneath their feet, utterly ethereal.
"Your Highness."
The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family offered a jade slip with both hands. It contained the incomplete Void Scripture and three forbidden secret techniques: the Great Void Handprint, the Great Void Technique, and Void Eternal.
Su Yu accepted the jade slip and sent his divine sense into it, examining the emperor scripture and secret techniques within.
Unfortunately, the Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family had yet to break through to the Immortal Platform Second Heaven. The Ji Family's secrecy restriction still remained in his sea of consciousness, preventing him from producing the complete Void Scripture. The emperor scripture in the jade slip contained only the Wheel Sea Scroll, Dao Palace Scroll, Four Extremes Scroll, and Dragon Transformation Scroll. The most important Immortal Platform Scroll was missing.
Moreover, Void Eternal, one of the three forbidden secret techniques, was also incomplete. The other two, the Great Void Handprint and the Great Void Technique, were complete.
The laws of the void were the most fundamental laws of this world, a supreme Great Dao. And the imperial scripture that expounded this Dao most thoroughly was undoubtedly the Void Scripture, written by the Void Emperor.
Su Yu's first understanding of space had come from Swallowed Star. The Space Great Dao was the main focus of cultivation in that world, where cultivation of the Dao of space had already become a complete system. Unfortunately, he could not travel to that great world.
Su Yu looked at the bowing Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family, who was at the seventh minor realm of the Immortal Platform First Heaven. If he cultivated on his own, it would probably be more than a decade before he broke through to the Immortal Platform Second Heaven.
Still, obtaining the incomplete Void Scripture was already quite good. Su Yu waved a hand and asked, "How did the matter go?"
The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family replied respectfully, "Reporting to Your Highness, as you instructed, I have placed a divine sense mark on Ji Ziyue. As for the ring Your Highness mentioned, too little time has passed, and Ji Ziyue has been with Ji Haoyue all day, so I have yet to obtain it. But I guarantee that I will present the ring to Your Highness within one month."
Su Yu nodded slightly. He had instructed the Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family to plant a divine sense mark on Ji Ziyue in preparation for the Bronze Immortal Palace. That Immortal Palace was where Little Moon and Ye Fan had pledged their love.
To be safe, he had not placed a mark on Ye Fan. After all, a child of destiny could not be judged by common sense. Ye Fan might stumble upon some fortuitous opportunity that removed the tracking mark, leaving Su Yu in a bind. Ji Ziyue presented no such problem. Before she married Ye Fan, her fortune would not be too outrageous.
Su Yu continued, "You did well on that matter. There's no need to rush about the ring. What is the Ji Family Holy Lord's attitude toward me?"
"The Holy Lord's attitude is somewhat neutral, but several elders have said they could offer Your Highness protection. However, they believe the Immortal Divine Medicine and the damaged holy weapon should be reclaimed by the Ji Family, and that it would be best to form a marriage alliance with Your Highness."
Su Yu was somewhat surprised. Another marriage alliance. His mischievous side stirred, and he drawled, "A marriage alliance? Interesting. Which jewel of the Ji Family is it? Ji Ziyue seems rather unlikely. It couldn't be Ji Biyue, could it?"
The only woman in the Ji Family whose status was high enough was Ji Ziyue, daughter of the current Holy Lord. But his public identity, Cao Yusheng, was merely a rogue cultivator, making a match with a princess of a Desolate Ancient Family unlikely.
No faction with an Extreme Dao foundation would marry its holy maiden to a rogue cultivator, unless that rogue cultivator had stepped into the Saint realm.
The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family replied respectfully, "Some elders in the family proposed a marriage alliance between Ji Ziyue and Your Highness, but the Holy Lord did not agree. He favors Ji Biyue, and most of the clan elders support it."
Su Yu put the jade slip into the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar and bestowed a small bottle of Divine Spring water from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land upon him.
"This is Divine Spring water from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. Enter the Immortal Platform Second Heaven as soon as possible. Who is your rival in the Ji Family now? Can you ascertain his whereabouts?"
The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family held the jade bottle, excitement on his face. Though he had yet to grow old and still had quite some time before his lifespan ran out, this divine substance was enough to let him advance another step. Su Yu was also going to help him contend for power and profit within the Ji Family.
If he could reach the Holy Lord level, he would even be able to wield the Void Mirror. But that possibility was far too remote.
"Your Highness, I will enter the Immortal Platform Second Heaven as soon as possible and present the complete Void Scripture to Your Highness a day sooner. My greatest rival in the Ji Family is Ji Ming, but he is a blood relative of the current Holy Lord and the son of the Ji Family's only surviving old ancestor. We cannot move against him lightly."
Su Yu frowned slightly. The Ji Family did indeed have a King living in this era, but he did not have long to live and would soon pass away.
Forget it. It's only a casual move on the board anyway. Once the ancient races emerged, Ji Zi, the Void Emperor's only surviving imperial son, would also emerge. The Ji Family's hidden foundations would then emerge from Divine Source to protect the imperial son's Dao.
There was little use in taking charge of the Ji Family now. He could currently wield two Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons, so he did not necessarily need to use the Void Mirror.
With that thought, Su Yu said to the Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family, "If Ji Ziyue leaves the Ji Family, report to me immediately. Also, the people of your branch must not provoke the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body or become his enemies."
The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family bowed and assented. The people of his branch were all Su Yu's forces now, so the opportunity to temper the child of destiny could be left to others.
Chapter 79: Yaoguang's Scheme
In another two years, Ye Fan would enter the Bronze Immortal Palace and obtain the Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things from within.
The Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things was unquestionably among the finest immortal materials of the Shrouding the Heavens era. Mother Qi of All Things alone was comparable to Immortal Gold, and what Ye Fan obtained was its source root.
This was a genuine immortal material, enough to forge an immortal weapon. In a sense, it truly made the whole world his enemy. There was no need for the Red-Haired Immortal Emperor to deliberately stir up conflict; most cultivators who saw such an immortal material would take the initiative to become Ye Fan's enemies, so that the Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things would not gather dust.
Ye Fan forged two Immortal Cauldrons in total during the Shrouding the Heavens era. One was the Cauldron of All-Things Mother Qi, which grew alongside him. The other was forged after Ye Fan embarked on the path of a Mortal World Immortal: he made nine Immortal Gold cauldrons over nine lifetimes, and only by melting the nine-colored Immortal Gold cauldrons together could he forge an immortal weapon.
This alone showed how precious the Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things was. It was unquestionably a supreme immortal material that stood above Immortal Gold.
Su Yu also had some conjectures about this.
The Yellow Dao Immortal Gold, Five Elements Immortal Gold, Seven-Colored Immortal Gold, Daluo Immortal Gold, Void Immortal Gold, Light Immortal Gold, Dark Immortal Gold... These types of Immortal Gold from the Perfect era were enough to serve as materials for Immortal King weapons. The nine-colored Immortal Gold of the Shrouding the Heavens era was clearly far inferior, requiring several types to be melted together to forge an immortal weapon.
He did not know whether the great changes in heaven and earth had weakened Immortal Gold or whether there was another reason. But without a doubt, his Immortal Palace still needed some Mother Qi of All Things to adorn it.
As for the ring on Ji Ziyue, he was not the similar flower the Empress sought, so there was a strong chance he could not summon her.
Though he had no use for it now, that did not mean he would not need it in the future. Nothing could be more fitting than for him, the Empress's inheritor, to reclaim such a divine object.
In April, the skies over the Yan Kingdom were clear. But in neighboring Great Chu, a steady drizzle fell over Ying Capital. Willows swayed throughout the capital, countless branches moving in the fine rain, graceful as they danced in the wind.
The royal palace, surrounded by blood-red walls, was filled with a grim, murderous atmosphere. Maids and guards alike stood in the drizzle, exposed to wind and rain, none daring to break the rules.
A tall female official suddenly fainted and fell. The king of Great Chu, standing at the head of the group, gave her a cold glance without saying a word, and two guards dragged her away.
A glimmer of light flashed from the void teleportation platform at the center of the palace, and a handsome young man in red robes emerged from the void. He was only thirteen or fourteen, with a tall, slender figure, yet waves of dragon Qi surged within him, forming a golden ring around his body. He looked extraordinary, like a divine being.
This was an important figure from Yaoguang Holy Land, someone they must never offend.
The king of Great Chu hurried forward to greet him. His status was exceedingly exalted, and he was said to be the personal disciple of the current elder in charge, placing him above them.
"Greetings, Immortal Master!"
Everyone in the palace knelt at the red-robed man's feet. The young man's gaze fell upon a woman behind the king of Great Chu. She was the queen of Chu, a beautiful woman, especially in two unspeakable places, which were exceedingly magnificent. Her entire being exuded the charm of a mature lady, making her extraordinarily alluring.
"Rise."
After slowly getting to his feet, the shrewd king of Chu noticed where the overseer was looking. How could he fail to understand what the other man wanted?
Generally speaking, the low-ranking cultivators Yaoguang Holy Land sent to administer its kingdoms were mostly people who had fallen out of favor in the Holy Land, and they belonged to the same faction. The previous elder in charge, for example, had brought more than a dozen disciples with him, and those disciples had controlled everything in the thirty-three kingdoms.
Most of these fallen Yaoguang disciples had spent their lives cultivating diligently in the sect. Implicated by their seniors, they had been sent here, which was tantamount to exile.
These Yaoguang disciples often indulged themselves in wanton revelry, losing themselves in the mortal world and surrendering to their desires.
But according to the information he had received, the current elder in charge had been appointed directly by the Yaoguang Holy Lord. He was a genuine Great Power with overwhelming might, and he had come this time for a special reason. The king had not expected even an elite disciple of Yaoguang Holy Land to be so fond of women.
The king of Chu was somewhat delighted. Desire was good. What he feared most was someone who wanted nothing; someone who wanted nothing might very well want his life.
She was only a queen. Even if the man wanted his daughter, he would send her to this lord's bed without hesitation. If he could establish ties by marriage with someone like this...
The handsome youth paid the king of Chu no mind. He flexed his wrist, glanced at the hazy sky, and stepped straight down from the teleportation platform. "The previous elder in charge returned to the sect because he was gravely injured. My master should arrive after some time."
The king of Chu was exceedingly humble. "I shall be ready to welcome the elder in charge at any time. This way, my lord. I have already prepared a banquet in the courtyard."
Then he sent a divine sense transmission.
"My lord, tonight..."
Seeing how readily the king of Chu took the hint, the disciple of Yaoguang Holy Land nodded in satisfaction. He cast a discerning eye over the gathered consorts and princesses as the group headed toward the rear.
The Central Continent was immensely vast, the central region of the Big Dipper Star Domain. Most of its territory was covered by dynasties.
In an unknown mountain range lay a very strange place. Countless rocky mountains stood in a regular pattern. Viewed from high in the sky, they formed a natural arrangement of the eight trigrams.
A thousand mountains rose together, arranged like an eight trigrams diagram. Nature's tremendous power had created this strange sight.
Surrounded by the thousand mountains, the region concealed an extraordinary presence. Mist filled the air, making it profoundly mysterious.
Suddenly, nine strange beasts from Desolate Antiquity, shaped like flood dragons, appeared in the sky. Roaring one after another, they came racing in and stopped before a divine mountain.
All nine beasts were extraordinarily wondrous. They pulled a green-jade-and-silver carriage, its silver surface translucent and shimmering with beautiful light. Five-colored divine radiance curled around it, while scenes of the Four Symbols moved across its body: a true dragon and a Divine Phoenix soared on one side, while a Black Tortoise and a White Tiger roared there. It was wondrous beyond compare.
There was no driver before the carriage door. The carriage remained suspended in the void as a middle-aged man stepped out, his long hair falling over his shoulders. His figure was somewhat lean and frail, and he wore a luxurious robe embroidered with gold thread, giving him a distinguished appearance.
The man in gold took out a piece of divine jade and called clearly toward the mountain wall, "Li Ming of Yaoguang Holy Land has come to pay a visit."
The ancient formation patterns ahead suddenly vanished, and the mountains moved aside to reveal a broad road. All the mist in the mountains disappeared as well.
After a while, the piece of divine jade flew into the mountain of its own accord. Imprinted lines then emerged across the stone wall, forming a strange formation pattern that flashed with white light.
The middle-aged man did not hesitate. He stepped straight into the white light.
This was a grotto-heaven space. It had no magnificent palaces or vast immortal dwellings, only a peaceful pure land with beautiful scenery.
Flowing springs and cascading waterfalls, lush green vines, little bridges over running water, pavilions and small towers-all returned to nature, bearing the charm of a return to simplicity. The presence of the Natural Dao flickered in and out of perception, radiating vigorous vitality.
Deep within a bamboo grove stood several thatched cottages, simple and unadorned. It was like a secluded immortal paradise, enough to leave one lost in reverie and staring in a daze.
Before the cottages, a fair-faced, beardless middle-aged man sat cross-legged on a willow-wood cushion with his eyes tightly shut. Yin and yang Qi circulated above his head, and the Four Symbols and Eight Trigrams were inscribed on his Daoist robe. He looked utterly unworldly.
"I did not expect Elder Li Ming to come in person!"
Chapter 80: Ominous
Li Ming of Yaoguang stood with his hands behind his back and surveyed the scenery in the grotto-heaven. The two were entirely natural with each other, like old acquaintances reunited after a long separation.
Li Ming wore a golden robe, his black hair hanging to his waist. His face was somewhat thin and gaunt, and there was a trace of gloom in his expression. Holy light curled around him, giving him an air of great majesty.
He walked into the bamboo grove and said to the middle-aged man sitting quietly by the thatched cottage, "Might Senior Divine Calculator be at home?"
The man in the blue Daoist robe shook his head slightly, his expression changing ever so subtly. He replied calmly, "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Elder. My master left home to travel far away a year ago. I do not know where he is now."
Hearing this, Li Ming frowned slightly. He sought something of great importance on this visit, something that even concerned...
Now that Divine Calculator was absent, he was somewhat disappointed. This mission was extremely important, and he did not want to botch it.
But he had heard that this accomplished disciple of Divine Calculator was also well versed in divination, his name known throughout the Central Continent...
He slowly entered the thatched cottage and sat opposite the man in Daoist robes. They looked at each other, and a long silence settled over the cottage.
At last, Li Ming could not hold back. "I have come this time for a certain matter..."
"Has Elder Li come for that Source master?"
With his eyes tightly closed and his face expressionless, the man in blue stated the reason for Li Ming's visit. His face was pale and bloodless, and the bones of his fair hands were visible through flesh and skin. Streaks of green Qi also circulated over them, giving them a somewhat eerie appearance.
Li Ming was somewhat astonished. He nodded slightly and said, "It is indeed as you say, Master, but that is only one matter."
"If you have come for the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar, Elder Li, you may go back. The domain of an Ancient Great Emperor is not something a mortal like me can touch."
The moment his words fell, thunder descended between heaven and earth. A massive bolt of lightning struck from the sky, destroying the thatched cottage and leaving a terrifying, bottomless black hole in its place.
Both men had extraordinary composure. One was a Great Power of the Immortal Platform Second Heaven, while the other was a cultivator at the Seventh Transformation of the Dragon Transformation Realm. Neither paid the unusual occurrence any mind.
Li Ming glanced thoughtfully at the scorched earth beside them. This is...