The banquet continued, but everyone raised their glasses with utmost respect.
The ape began to offer peaches, presenting the true immortal fruit from the mother peach tree.
When the fist-sized, blood-red peach covered with golden Western Emperor Scripture runes was placed before Li Qingshan, many people in the hall couldn't help but swallow hard.
Li Qingshan only took a small bite before handing the rest to Lin Qingyao beside him. "Senior Sister, your cultivation is about to break through a bottleneck; this will be more useful to you."
Lin Qingyao paused slightly, her fingertips lightly touching Li Qingshan's as she accepted the peach, a faint blush rising to her ears. "Thank you, Junior Brother."
Such a natural and intimate gesture, in the eyes of others, couldn't be clearer about its meaning.
The banquet lasted for half an hour before another latecomer arrived, making Li Qingshan wonder if the two old men had driven a Mazda.
"The supreme human Mighty Figure, Nangong Zheng, has arrived!"
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Even the elders and powerful leaders who were sitting firmly on their thrones all stood up and looked outside.
Even the Great Saint lords suddenly opened their eyes, their gazes gleaming.
The clouds surged like ocean tides, and petals condensed from the Void, each one as translucent as crystal.
A grand avenue paved with shimmering flower petals stretches from the horizon, running straight into the gate of Jade Pool, its fragrance lingering for miles.
At the end of the avenue, Dao Body walked amidst the flowers.
The man was dressed simply in blue, with long, flowing hair. He appeared to be middle-aged, but his eyes held the weight of a thousand years of history.
He didn't have any dazzling divine light or intimidating pressure around him; instead, he exuded the fragrance of grass and trees, as if he had just walked out of a deep mountain forest.
But no one dared to underestimate them.
" Nangong Zheng, he's actually still alive!" The Arctic Ice God Palace murmured softly, her icy blue eyes filled with shock.
"Rumors circulated five hundred years ago that he had passed away, but three years ago he reappeared in the world. Then, along with a group of living fossils from the Eastern Wasteland, he broke into the Bronze Immortal Palace, and since then, there has been no news of him." The Jiang Family Holy Lord said solemnly, "And now he has actually emerged from the Immortal Palace."
"The immortal Nangong Zheng, this title is truly well-deserved."
A murmur of discussion arose within the hall, and even Li Qingshan slightly raised his eyes to look at the figure approaching amidst the blossoms.
Nangong Zheng approached the gates of the Heavenly Palace, he nodded slightly to the Queen Mother of the West: " Your Eastern Exalt, Queen Mother, I apologize for my lateness."
"Brother Nangong's arrival brings great honor to our humble abode in the Jade Pool." The Queen Mother of the West rose to greet him, a gesture of the highest honor.
Elders and powerful figures from all sides rose from their seats and ushered Nangong Zheng into the hall like stars surrounding the moon.
Everyone wanted to know what this Mighty Figure, who had returned alive from the Bronze Immortal Palace, had experienced and what secrets he had witnessed.
Nangong Zheng was led to the jade throne below Li Qingshan. This position originally belonged to an imperial uncle of an Ancient Emperor, but no one objected at this moment.
After taking his seat, he first drank a cup of Jade Pool wine from the Jade Pool, then sighed deeply, "It feels like a lifetime has passed since I was fortunate enough to escape from the Immortal Palace."
That short sentence caused the atmosphere in the hall to freeze instantly.
The Bronze Immortal Palace is the tomb of unparalleled masters, where countless extraordinary talents have been buried throughout history.
Each time it appears, it devours a group of the world's top experts before disappearing without a trace, becoming a mystery.
The fact that Nangong Zheng is alive and well is itself tremendous news.
"Brother Nangong, inside the Immortal Palace," the Ji Family Holy Lord couldn't help but ask, but he didn't know how to start the conversation.
Nangong Zheng hall, finally lingering on Li Qingshan for a moment before he slowly said, "Anyone who wishes to know something, please ask. Whatever I know, I will tell you truthfully."
These words immediately caused a commotion in the hall.
The Queen Mother of the West raised her hand and pressed down, and celestial music rose again. The fairies of Jade Pool danced gracefully, temporarily suppressing the commotion.
But everyone was distracted, their eyes fixed on Nangong Zheng.
Li Qingshan leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.
As Lin Qingyao poured him wine, he asked telepathically, "What does Senior Sister think of this Nangong Zheng?"
Lin Qingyao paused slightly, then replied telepathically, "His aura is as deep as an abyss, his vitality as boundless as the sea; he must be cultivating the ancient Longevity Art. But there's something slightly off about him."
"Oh?" Li Qingshan's eyes flashed with approval.
"It's as if it has undergone some kind of transformation; the old and new auras haven't fully blended yet," Lin Qingyao said softly. "If my junior brother hadn't taught me the method of observing auras, I wouldn't have been able to detect it either."
Li Qingshan nodded slightly and said no more.
Inside the hall, Nangong Zheng had already begun his narration.
"I entered the Immortal Palace with thirteen fellow Daoists from the Eastern Wasteland whose lifespans were nearing their end, all with the intention of making a final stand." His voice was calm, yet tinged with heaviness. "Those thirteen people, you should all recognize them: Jiang Shan of the Jiang Family, Ji Changkong of the Ji Family, Elder Xu of the Yaoguang, and!!!"
Each time he announced a name, a gasp filled the hall.
These people are living fossils who have lived in seclusion in Great Saint. The youngest of them is 2,800 years old, and it is no exaggeration to say that their cultivation level is that of a living fossil at the Great Power Realm.
They disappeared for many years, and everyone thought they had long since passed away. It turns out they had actually broken into the Bronze Immortal Palace.
"Thirteen people entered the hall, but I was the only one who walked out." Nangong Zheng closed his eyes, as if trying to calm his emotions.
The hall was deathly silent.
Thirteen living fossils perished in the Immortal Palace? What a devastating loss!
"Within the Immortal Palace, every step is fraught with danger." Nangong Zheng opened his eyes and continued, "As soon as we entered the palace, a chaotic sword beam descended from the Void. That sword beam was formless and intangible, yet it specifically targeted the cultivator's Dao foundation. Fellow Daoist Jiang Shan was the first to be struck; his Dao Palace shattered, and he instantly disintegrated."
The Jiang Family Holy Lord trembled, his face turning deathly pale.
Jiang Shan was a figure from his great-grandfather's generation, yet he has fallen so tragically.
"Proceeding forward, we encountered the Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Gate. The gate is divided into black and white, signifying life and death. Fellow Daoist Ji Changkong spent three days deducing the outcome and concluded that the white gate held life. However," Nangong Zheng shook his head, "Seven people entered the white gate and never returned."
The jade cup in the hands of the Ji Family Holy Lord shattered with a "crack".
"The remaining six continued deeper, and finally, deep within the Immortal Palace, they came across a stone wall." Nangong Zheng's tone suddenly turned solemn. "On the stone wall, the character 'Immortal' was written in blood. That blood is still wet."
" Immortal Blood?!" someone exclaimed.
"No," Nangong Zheng said in a deep voice, "Before their deaths, the fellow Daoists deduced that it was the blood of Ancient Great Emperor. The blood of an emperor never dries, and its killing intent endures for eternity. Two of them attempted to collect a trace for research, but the moment their fingertips touched it, they turned to ashes."
The entire hall was filled with shock.
The blood of the Great Emperor —to touch it is to die! What terrifying power this is!
As Li Qingshan listened, he couldn't help but sigh. As expected, the saying "stubborn as a Shrouding the Heavens ox" was once again proven true. These Old Gu were indeed bold. The Immortal Two actually wanted to study the blood of the Great Emperor. Very good, very courageous.
Even with his current level of cultivation, he wouldn't dare to easily taint that level of power.
However, Nangong Zheng's ability to get there and emerge alive shows some skill, although he mostly relied on his companions risking their lives to pave the way.
"We bypassed the blood-stained stone wall and finally entered the core of the Immortal Palace," Nangong Zheng said in a low voice. "There lies a wondrous world, with mountains, water, and even traces of the sun and moon's rotation."
"There is a world within the Immortal Palace?" Everyone was incredulous.
"To be precise, it was a secret realm opened up by supreme magical power." Nangong Zheng's eyes flashed with lingering fear. "There, we sensed an aura that surpassed all living beings. Just that aura alone caused the physical bodies of three of us to shatter, and our primordial spirits to nearly dissipate."
"What kind of aura is so terrifying?" asked the Imperial Uncle of the Great Xia Dynasty in the Central Continent, his voice trembling.
Nangong Zheng remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering four words:
" The Ruthless Great Emperor ".
"Boom,"
The hall erupted in chaos.
"Impossible!"
" The Ruthless Great Emperor has been dead for over two hundred thousand years!"
"Is he still alive?!"
Screams, doubts, and gasps of surprise filled the air.
The name "Ruthless Great Emperor" carries a heavy weight; his life was a history of conquest, where he slaughtered his way to the point where no one dared to claim supremacy.
Upon hearing the secrets of the Bronze Immortal Palace, Ye Fan's expression shifted slightly! He had once ventured in, narrowly escaping death, to obtain the Xuanhuang Mother Qi, which he now used to forge his own artifact, the Cauldron of All-Things Mother Qi, but he had never ventured this far.
" The Ruthless Great Emperor," Ye Fan murmured, recalling the Desolate Slave deep within the Bronze Immortal Palace.
The Holy Prince's golden eyes flashed, and he said in a low voice, "I've heard my father mention the Bronze Immortal Palace. It seems to have existed since the end of the Primordial Era. Back then, one of our clan's Great Saint once broke in and never returned."
Nangong Zheng the noise subsided before continuing, "I didn't say he was alive. But that aura was definitely his, unique throughout the ages, and there's no way to mistake it."
"What did you see there?" the Queen Mother of the West asked solemnly.
"We saw it," Nangong Zheng paused, "... the remains of the Ruthless Great Emperor."
Dead silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the celestial music stopped, the dancers halted, and all eyes were fixed on Nangong Zheng, as if to confirm whether he was talking nonsense.
The Ruthless Great Emperor was dismembered?
This is even more unbelievable than hearing that there are True Immortal in the Immortal Palace.
Who can dismember him?
" Nangong Zheng, do you know what you're saying?" the Golden Clan said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with golden light.
"Of course I know." Nangong Zheng said calmly, "There aren't many body parts, scattered throughout that area. Each piece exudes a chilling aura; we dared not approach it at all."
"Around the body parts are marks of a ghost face," he added. "They resembled neither crying nor laughing; they were the mark of the Ruthless Great Emperor, still clearly visible after more than two hundred thousand years."
The expressions on the faces of the people inside the hall shifted rapidly.
If it were just body parts, perhaps it could be argued that it existed in some other way.
However, with the addition of the ghost face mark, it's almost certain that it's the Ruthless Great Emperor himself.
"That's not all." Nangong Zheng paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, before slowly revealing even more alarming news, "We also discovered traces of a divine herb that once took root here, which we believe to be the True Dragon Immortal Medicine!"
Upon hearing the words " True Dragon Immortal Medicine," Li Qingshan's heart stirred slightly.
He naturally knew about this legendary Immortal Divine Medicine, and it should be deep within the Myriad Dragon Nest in the Northern Plains at this moment.
but!!!
Li Qingshan introspected on himself.
Deep within the Bitter Sea, the Divine Phoenix Immortal Medicine takes root beside the Life Spring, its feathers swirling with crimson light, each Yezi containing the true meaning of Nirvana;
The seeds of the Kirin Immortal Medicine floated above the Sea of Bitterness. Although they had not yet sprouted, they were already emitting an auspicious aura, nourishing the entire Bitter Sea.
The most mysterious of all is that Immortal Medicine shaped like a human.
Since he nurtured it with his own body, this divine herb, which was originally on the verge of withering, has actually begun to recover. Although it is still thin and shriveled, its main stem is emitting a faint life force.
"We're still a long way from a full recovery, but at least we've taken the first step," Li Qingshan muttered to himself.
With three Immortal Medicine in hand, his need for the True Dragon Immortal Medicine was indeed not so urgent.
Moreover, the Immortal Divine Medicine possesses a spirit, and forcing it might backfire.
"If an opportunity is presented to me, there's no reason to let it slip by." A profound glint flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes.
He doesn't cultivate the path of severing emotions and desires; he seizes the opportunities that are meant to be seized and obtains the Fortune that are meant to be obtained.
"Unfortunately, the divine medicine has long since vanished, leaving only a pit," Nangong Zheng sighed. "We investigated carefully there and finally came to a conclusion."
He surveyed the crowd and said, word by word, " The Ruthless Great Emperor is most likely in seclusion there, intending to live out his fourth incarnation."
"The fourth generation?!"
"He lived a third life?!"
The screams nearly lifted the roof off the palace.
A Great Emperor's Lifetime is normally only a little over ten thousand years.
Even if one takes Immortal Divine Medicine to prolong their life, they can only live one more Lifetime.
If the Ruthless Great Emperor truly lived a third life, or even attempted to live a fourth, then his lifespan would be frighteningly long.
"He attained Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art, marking his Lifetime; in his later years, he created the Indestructible Heavenly Art, shedding his Divine Embryo and living his second life; he extended his life with the True Dragon Immortal Medicine, gaining his third life," Nangong Zheng slowly recounted. "Afterward, he found the Heaven-defying sacred object, the Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things, intending to forge the ultimate Emperor Weapon, while simultaneously undergoing seclusion to shed his Divine Embryo again, seeking his fourth life."
"But clearly, something went wrong." He finally concluded, "The Emperor's body exploded, and the mission failed."
"Deep within the Immortal Palace, we also sensed the lingering Daoist aura of the Ruthless Great Emperor," Nangong Zheng continued. "That Daoist aura is very unique, possessing both the domineering power of the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art and the ethereal nature of the Indestructible Heavenly Art. We speculate that he may be attempting to merge the two ancient scriptures, forging an unprecedented path."
"Merge the two Imperial Scriptures?" The Queen Mother of the West was moved. "How is that possible?"
"Under normal circumstances, it's impossible," Nangong Zheng nodded, "But the Ruthless Great Emperor is no ordinary person. If he truly lived out his third or even fourth life, he would have had ample time to deduce and experiment."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan inwardly complained.
Nangong Zheng and his group may not have high cultivation levels, but their ability to make up conclusions is top-notch.
It's a real shame that they didn't go into storytelling, given that they could weave such a complete story from just a few remaining traces.
However, he had to admit that some of his speculations were indeed close to the truth.
The Ruthless Great Emperor did indeed stay in the Bronze Immortal Palace, and he did indeed make some arrangements there.
But to think about merging with the Imperial Scriptures and living out a fourth life is an oversimplification.
How could ordinary people fathom the thoughts of that being?
The hall was completely silent.
This deduction was so shocking that it overturned everyone's understanding of the Great Emperor.
If this is true, the Ruthless Great Emperor is probably one of the longest-lived Great Emperor in history, and may even have had some overlap in time with later Great Emperor.
The ironclad rule that the Great Emperor would never meet with each other has probably already been broken.
Just then, Nangong Zheng suddenly turned his head and looked at a spot at the end of the hall.
Ye Fan was sitting there.
"Actually, there's another person present who entered the Bronze Immortal Palace," Nangong Zheng said with a smile. "Young friend Ye Fan, your Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things was obtained from the Immortal Palace, wasn't it?"
Swish,
Hundreds of eyes instantly focused on them.
Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface, stood up, and cupped his hands in greeting. "Indeed, I once entered the Immortal Palace and obtained some opportunities."
His frank admission surprised many people.
"As expected." Nangong Zheng nodded. "Young friend, to have obtained the Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things suggests you've gained the approval left behind by the Ruthless Great Emperor. However..."
He paused, then said meaningfully, "To have formed such Cause and Effect with the Ruthless Great Emperor, I wonder if it's a blessing or a curse."
These words, seemingly out of concern, are actually a veiled attack on the heart.
The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly became subtle.
The Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things is a sacred object exclusively for the Great Emperor, unique since ancient times.
What makes Ye Fan, a mere cultivator, capable of obtaining such a thing? Unless, he has gained the approval of Ruthless's inheritance.
What is the legacy of the Ruthless Great Emperor?