Then Xiao Ping'an went to Ziwei Star, intending to move some of its people to the Big Dipper. At this time, the human race was flourishing on Ziwei Star.
To his surprise, he discovered that Ziwei Star now had a forbidden zone called the Immortal Mausoleum.
In later generations, the Immortal Mausoleum was a famous Life Forbidden Zone on the Big Dipper. It contained countless ancient stone steles. Legend had it that immortals were buried there and that it had fallen from the Immortal Domain.
Xiao Ping'an had planned to take a few steles, but he sensed more than a dozen terrifyingly vigorous blood Qi presences within. More than a dozen Dark Supremes were lurking inside, leaving him speechless. Ziwei Star was so terrifying at this time, with so many Dark Supremes hiding in this one forbidden zone alone. Presumably, they had accumulated there over the Mythological Era and the Ancient Nether Era.
He had originally wanted to pay them a visit, but to his surprise, he found them all sleeping in their great tombs, paying him no attention whatsoever.
He then spent some time contemplating the steles there before leaving.
Xiao Ping'an next went to the Heaven-Reaching Ancient Star, where he was surprised to find that the Divine Ruins were located at this time.
The Divine Ruins were likewise a very mysterious Life Forbidden Zone. Legend had it that they too had fallen into this world through a crack in the Immortal Domain.
In later generations, this dark forbidden zone would also move to the Big Dipper.
Xiao Ping'an thought it over and felt that the distribution of these dark forbidden zones was quite reasonable.
After all, Xiao Ping'an had also heard of some Life Forbidden Zones unknown to later generations. Perhaps they had been reduced to flying ash in the great war at the end of the Mythological Era, or perhaps they had met that fate in the divine war at the end of the Ancient Era.
Or perhaps, because of great changes in heaven and earth, they had simply become unsuitable as forbidden zones.
Come to think of it, this was hardly strange. After all, at this time, neither the Primordial Ancient Mine nor the Undying Mountain had been discovered.
Even Burial Heaven Island, known as Heaven, had yet to be discovered by the Dark Supremes of later generations.
Xiao Ping'an remembered that Heaven seemed to be a mysterious place cut from Mount Tai.
He wondered whether Heaven had fallen into Emperor Venerable's hands.
After attacking Kunlun on Earth, Emperor Venerable had occupied it. Mount Tai was a primordial divine mountain as important as Kunlun, so presumably he would not have let it go either.
After Xiao Ping'an made some deductions, he still did not know where the Heaven Forbidden Zone was at this time.
After making a round of the places, Xiao Ping'an returned to the Underworld.
Xiao Ping'an had just returned to the Underworld when he saw Yongsheng and got a fright.
"Yongsheng, how did you... how did you turn into a pretty little girl?" Xiao Ping'an looked at Yongsheng and felt a headache coming on.
"When you praise me like that, you'll make me blush." The black-haired little loli in a short red dress put on a shy expression.
In truth, the black-haired little loli was anything but shy. He was beaming from ear to ear, looking utterly delighted.
His big eyes blinked, and his black hair shone, smooth as silk.
Seeing that his other self had taken on this appearance, Xiao Ping'an's face darkened.
"What happened to you?" Xiao Ping'an asked. "You were perfectly normal before I left the Underworld. How did you suddenly end up looking like this?"
"Look at your eyes darting around. Anyone can tell you're captivated by my beauty." Little loli Yongsheng opened his eyes wide and stared at Xiao Ping'an.
Yongsheng was definitely doing it on purpose. Xiao Ping'an wanted nothing more than to kick him over.
Seeing Xiao Ping'an's dark face and that he was about to lose his temper, the black-haired little loli finally put away his cheeky grin.
Then he explained what had happened.
"You're saying you dug up a female corpse here that might have been a True Immortal, and after devouring her origin, you turned into this?"
"Yes, that's exactly what happened."
Xiao Ping'an grimaced. "What's going on? Is this Underworld really so sinister?"
"I originally hoped you would cultivate here and become an Acquired Chaos Body, evolving from an ordinary Supreme into a Heavenly Venerable and laying a solid foundation for your eventual transformation into a true Chaos Body."
"But looking at you now, I really don't know what to say."
"Could some evil spirit or monster have taken up residence in you?"
"You were a perfectly good man, so why did you suddenly decide to become a little loli?" Xiao Ping'an's head was full of question marks.
"I don't know either!"
"Anyway, I've already devoured and refined all the strange origin contained in that corpse. It gave my cultivation a considerable boost and took me a long way down the path toward a Chaos Body," Yongsheng said.
"Then can you change back?" Xiao Ping'an asked.
"Of course I can, but I prefer looking like a little loli." Yongsheng smoothed his lovely hair and threw Xiao Ping'an a flirtatious glance.
Xiao Ping'an turned his head away. "Take care of yourself."
He warned Yongsheng that if anything felt wrong, he should sooner give up the origin than turn into a woman.
This was his own body of faith. He did not want people to discover one day, to their astonishment, that his body of faith had turned into a woman who specialized in eating men.
The very thought sent a chill through him and raised goosebumps all over his body.
Although little loli Yongsheng now had immortal skin and jade bones, wore a red dress, and held a red Heaven-Encompassing Ribbon, making him look truly quite good, Xiao Ping'an had no interest whatsoever.
He was not even interested in treating her as his daughter.
Xiao Ping'an then entered the Yellow Springs to comprehend a way to live a fourth lifetime.
One day, the old turtle stationed on the Tyrant Body Ancestral Star, or rather, Quasi-Emperor Xuanwu, hurried to the Underworld and requested an audience with Xiao Ping'an.
After living a new lifetime, he had sealed himself away for a long time again.
Once Xiao Ping'an had lived a new lifetime, he too had undone his seal and cultivated to the Quasi-Emperor realm.
Xiao Ping'an knew that this old turtle would have considerable fortune and opportunities in the future. Not only would he find the Black Tortoise Divine Medicine, he would also become a powerful Ancient Emperor Xuanwu.
Although he would hide in the Undying Mountain and live all the way to Ye Fan's era, he would rely on his racial talent to remain asleep, never once unleashing a Dark Turmoil.
He could be called a kind old turtle, so Xiao Ping'an treated him very well.
After Xiao Ping'an emerged in this era, he encouraged the old turtle to boldly set foot on the Starry Sky Ancient Road, venture into the starry sky, and seek opportunities of his own.
He hoped that one day the old turtle could also become someone who proved his Dao.
The old turtle was very loyal.
But on this day, he came rushing to find Xiao Ping'an.
"Xuanwu requests an audience with Overlord Heavenly Venerable!"
The old turtle's immensely resonant voice echoed at the entrance to the Underworld and soon reached Xiao Ping'an's ears.
Sensing the old turtle's urgency, Xiao Ping'an frowned. He did not know what urgent matter could have made the usually steady old turtle so anxious.
A flash of purple light ushered the old turtle into the Netherworld Soil and brought him before Xiao Ping'an.
The old turtle now looked like a young Daoist, though his face somewhat resembled a turtle's head. His appearance was indeed hard to describe.
Fortunately, he generally looked kind and benevolent, and his odd features had not spoiled his countenance.
"Xuanwu, is something urgent?" Xiao Ping'an asked.
"Heavenly Venerable, I found it! I found the treasure you asked me to look for," the old turtle said excitedly.
Seeing Xiao Ping'an's puzzled expression, the old turtle continued, "The Black Tortoise Divine Medicine, the one you mentioned, Heavenly Venerable. I found traces of him."
"What? Xuanwu, the Immortal Divine Medicine?!" Xiao Ping'an was startled too.
He had not expected the old turtle to have such a fortuitous encounter and actually find the legendary Black Tortoise Divine Medicine. He had been thinking that this divine medicine was famous in later generations, yet in this era, he had never heard of anyone obtaining it, or even finding traces of him.
He had long been deeply suspicious, suspecting that this divine medicine must be living in some special place.
Remembering that the divine medicine had remained in Ancient Emperor Xuanwu's hands in Ye Fan's era, he had sent the old turtle out to try his luck.
He truly had not expected the old turtle to be so lucky.
There was no time to lose. Xiao Ping'an immediately rose and left the Underworld with the old turtle.
Soon, under the old turtle's guidance, they arrived at a divine land amid the chaos. It was covered in densely packed Dao patterns. Though naturally formed, they were unquestionably ultimate Dao formation patterns on the level of Great Emperors and ancient emperors.
With Nine Secrets: Zu at his command, Xiao Ping'an passed through the densely packed formation patterns with ease.
A world like an immortal paradise appeared before the two of them.
Divine mountains rose here, towering and magnificent. A mysterious presence drifted faintly through the air, along with what seemed to be a faint trace of longevity.
Strange flowers and exotic plants grew everywhere, and even the fragrance of Immortal Divine Medicine seemed to permeate the air.
There was even Divine Spring Water here, a very fine vein of it that could be used to nourish Immortal Divine Medicine.
He had not expected the old turtle to discover such a divine land.
Every kind of Immortal Divine Medicine contained different laws of longevity. Though only the first one consumed could allow a person to live a new lifetime, and subsequent doses could not do so, they still had some effect, extending one's lifespan and allowing one to comprehend new laws of longevity.
Xiao Ping'an very much wanted to obtain the Black Tortoise Divine Medicine as well.
"This old one did not take the Ginseng Fruit you gave me, Heavenly Venerable, yet I somehow lived a second lifetime on my own. I've been thinking ever since about how to repay you."
"Now that I've found this divine medicine, I can give it to you, Heavenly Venerable," the old turtle said.
"There's no need to be so polite. I believe you'll have a glorious future."
"Once we have the Black Tortoise Divine Medicine, you can use it as much as you wish in the future too."
"In any case, it can mature once every four or five thousand years. Over time, the amount accumulated will be astonishing," Xiao Ping'an said.
"Thank you, Heavenly Venerable." The old turtle was deeply moved.
This was a place at the Cosmic Frontier, where boundless chaos churned.
Ordinary beings did not dare come here at all, and even ordinary Saints would most likely perish if they did.
Only a Quasi-Emperor like the old turtle could come here with some assurance of safety, without worrying about being swallowed by some inexplicable monster.
The chaos sea at the Cosmic Frontier constantly gave birth to wondrous treasures, drawing many heaven's chosen to explore it.
The old turtle could be considered one such lucky genius.
Not only had he discovered this treasure land, he had also successfully crossed the densely packed Dao patterns, entered alive, and left alive.
Xiao Ping'an led the old turtle toward the place where the breath of life was strongest.
He walked as though taking a stroll, needing to pay no heed to the terrifying divine patterns of the Great Dao or worry about being ground away by the chaos.
"Heavenly Venerable, I noticed that space and time seem to be shaking here. It feels as though that mysterious place inexplicably changes its position, making it very hard to determine exactly where it is," the old turtle said.
After careful deductions, Xiao Ping'an soon pinpointed the mysterious place.
He was already adept in the arts of time and space, able to sever time with one hand and space with the other. Deducing coordinates in space and time was precisely what he did best.
He traced runes of time with his left hand and runes of space with his right, then gently pressed them toward the chaos ahead.
Heaven and earth immediately rumbled there, and a pitch-black passage appeared.
It was like a black hole, seemingly able to devour everything in heaven and earth.
Xiao Ping'an took out his Overlord Heaven Bell. After a moment's thought, he also took out the bone blade and held it in his hand. Then he entered with the old turtle.
Rumble.
The terrifying thunder within shook heaven and earth. Xiao Ping'an's first impression was that it was even more violent than when he had proved his Dao and become an emperor.
That terrifying thunder could threaten Xiao Ping'an.
Crack! Crack!
Bolt after bolt of terrifying lightning came at them, threatening to shatter heaven and earth at any moment. Xiao Ping'an immediately activated Nine Secrets: Ba, forcibly severing the thunderbolts before devouring and refining them.
He had already survived this kind of heavenly tribulation. It might be able to injure him, but it could no longer take his life.
Chaos Thunder surged in waves. Each searingly intense bolt was like a galaxy, powerful to the extreme.
In the outside world, a single bolt would have been enough to destroy swaths of galaxies, reducing their stars and Saint Spirits to flying ash.
Fortunately, this was amid the chaos at the Cosmic Frontier. Naturally formed Dao patterns concealed all traces from the workings of heaven and also prevented the terrifying thunder from reaching the outside.
This extraordinarily terrifying Chaos Divine Thunder was the highest grade of thunder tribulation found in heavenly tribulations.
This place actually contained such terrifying thunder. He wondered what kind of treasure it would give birth to.
He also wondered how Ancient Emperor Xuanwu of later generations had managed to get the Black Tortoise Divine Medicine out of here.
"Chirp, chirp..."
Just then, the cry of a Phoenix suddenly rang out.
In the sea of rolling thunder, Phoenixes were soaring about, one after another.
Every one of them glittered brilliantly, as though cast from divine metal. Terrifying thunderbolts struck them without leaving a scratch.
They were like incomparably powerful Saint Spirits.
They looked at Xiao Ping'an and the old turtle as though they did not exist, giving them an exceedingly haughty glance before flying into the thunder.
These Phoenixes of nine colors had all been born in this sea of thunder.
Phoenix cries rose and fell throughout the sea of thunder.
Phoenix after Phoenix soared freely through the terrifying sea of thunder.
Xiao Ping'an saw that there were Phoenixes of nine colors in all.
His eyes blazed as he forced his gaze through the sea of thunder and saw the truth beyond it.
An enormous Phoenix Nest stood there, emanating an utterly mysterious presence.
The Phoenix Nest was built from one enormous piece of Phoenix Wood after another.
Countless mysterious presences transformed into Phoenixes that soared through the air.
"Could this be the Phoenix Nest that the Undying Heavenly Emperor found in later generations and gave to his wife, the Undying Heavenly Empress?" Xiao Ping'an was startled.
"Shouldn't this place have given birth to the Divine Phoenix Immortal Medicine? How could it be the Black Tortoise Divine Medicine?"
Xiao Ping'an could not help feeling puzzled. Those Phoenixes were not real Phoenixes; they had been born from the Phoenix Nest.