Four of the Five Emperors Dead, Peaches of Immortality in Hand

The Supreme Emperor Haotian himself sealed the High Heaven Treasure Hall...

Yu Tunzhou's thoughts race; something seems wrong no matter how you look at it!

He and An Ruyu quickened their pace, and guided by Luo River Diagram, they crossed one suspended bridge after another, arriving at the end of their journey.

Ahead, the sea of clouds surged, and the outline of a magnificent palace, so majestic it was breathtaking, gradually emerged from the mist. Above the palace gate hung an ancient plaque with the four characters "High Heaven Treasure Hall," revealing its awe-inspiring power.

Standing at the bottom of the hundred stone steps in front of the palace gate, they looked up and could see that the palace gate was wide open!

"The High Heaven Treasure Hall has actually been opened?"

Yu Tunzhou looked grave.

In their original assumptions, this important Heavenly Court should have been heavily fortified and guarded, but now the palace gates were wide open, and there were still traces of battle around, clearly indicating that someone had come here beforehand.

"Someone got there before us." An Ruyu's eyes flickered as she suggested, "Young Hero Guo, why don't we go in and take a look? The High Heaven Treasure Hall is wide open; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we don't retreat now, we can still make it back in time."

Yu Tunzhou quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind and finally nodded, saying:

"If anything goes wrong, evacuate immediately!"

Together they climbed the steps and arrived at the entrance of the main hall.

The legendary High Heaven Treasure Hall slowly unfolded before their eyes, its dome hanging high, its top unseen, as if looking up meant converging with, or rather, uniting with, the blue sky.

The hall was more magnificent and spacious than they had imagined. It was eerily quiet, and even the sound of their footsteps was swallowed up by some invisible force.

"That is..."

Their gazes simultaneously fell upon the center of the main hall.

Several ancient corpses were seen sitting in a circle.

These ancient beings, who have been dead for countless years, still exude a chilling majesty.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze swept over the corpses, then suddenly focused on the very center—

Surrounded by numerous corpses, a young man was sitting cross-legged in the middle!

Yu Tunzhou's pupils constricted sharply.

That face...

With his sharp, slanted eyebrows and high-bridged nose, his face was young and handsome, brimming with vitality, a stark contrast to the surrounding corpses.

But what truly shocked Yu Tunzhou was not these things.

Rather, this face bears a striking resemblance to the Lu Di he brought back from Southern Extreme Heaven —six or seven parts similar!

Just then, An Ruyu's voice suddenly came:

"The Great Emperor Ziwei... that one in the blue-purple wide-sleeved robe is the Great Emperor Ziwei!"

Yu Tunzhou looked up sharply, his gaze returning to the corpse with the bluish-purple robe.

How could it be the Great Emperor Ziwei?!

In the Dragon Gate, he once used the Vajra Bracelet to shatter a projection that resembled the Great Emperor Ziwei. The opponent's every move exuded vast star power and boundless might!

If the true Great Emperor Ziwei has already sat here in solitude for ten thousand years, then who was it that descended upon the Dragon Gate that day?

And who exactly is behind the Divine Capital Xiao Household in the capital?

Before he could fully process this shocking news, An Ruyu's voice rang out again:

"To the right of the Great Emperor Ziwei, the one dressed in a black imperial robe... is the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole of the Thunder Ministry!"

Yu Tunzhou looked on in disbelief, while calling out to Huntian to confirm the identities of the corpses.

He once witnessed the mark left by the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole in the Thunder Ministry. In the final scene of the mark, he was facing the Supreme Emperor Haotian!

According to An Ruyu, the one who personally sealed off this High Heaven Treasure Hall was none other than the Supreme Emperor Haotian.

Haotian killed these beings and piled their corpses in the High Heaven Treasure Hall, then personally sealed the palace.

"... The woman to the right of the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole is the Queen Mother of the West," An Ruyu whispered. "She really did die long ago..."

Yu Tunzhou a deep breath, not bothering to delve into the matter. It seemed that An Ruyu had already guessed that the Queen Mother of the West was dead.

His gaze swept over the other corpses.

Even the Queen Mother of the West, whose status was no less than that of the Five Emperors, died in this magnificent palace. What were the identities of the others?

With An Ruyu's "identification" and Huntian's confirmation, one after another, the once-great Heavenly Court giants became silent corpses in the hall.

Venus Star of Great Whiteness, the Star Lord of Fire Virtue, the Star Lord of Water Virtue...

They were once powerful and influential Three Realms, possessing Tongtian, but now they have died in one place and are surrounded by people.

In the end, Yu Tunzhou had become numb to it all and stopped thinking about the causes of death of these beings, or who had piled their corpses up here.

His gaze was fixed on the young man located at the center of the corpses.

Who exactly is he?

Is he the reincarnation of Haotian, True Spirit?

But that's absolutely impossible!

Because he had already foreseen the manifestation of the True Spirit on Lu Di, besides one being whose Dao was already beyond comprehension, the other was Huang Tian!

Yu Tunzhou suddenly wondered if Huang Tian had also entered the Heavenly Court on this trip.

Just then...

The young man surrounded by corpses opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear, and his expression was calm, as if he had been waiting for them all along.

He glanced at Yu Tunzhou, a slight smirk playing on his lips, his tone carrying a disdain beyond his years:

"Are you the chosen successor of the Daode Lineage? Would you be willing to assist me?"

His voice wasn't loud, yet it resonated throughout the entire High Heaven Treasure Hall, like a great bell, like heavenly music. The oppressive aura contained within it made Yu Tunzhou's heart tremble, as if he were facing not a person, but an entire world.

"Who are you?" he asked in a deep voice.

The young man calmly replied, "I am the ruler appointed by Heaven and Earth, the master of Heaven and Earth, and the master of all living beings."

As he spoke these words, he remained seated, his tone calm and natural, without a trace of deliberate boasting, as if he were simply stating an eternal truth.

That is precisely why they appear so extremely arrogant!

Before Yu Tunzhou could speak, the man turned his gaze to An Ruyu, examining her with great interest as if she were a rare treasure:

"You are under the gaze of more than one deity; this is both a blessing and Curse. Only by submitting to me can you have a glimmer of hope."

"Of course, and you too."

The young man looked at Yu Tunzhou again and smiled faintly:

"If you are unwilling, I will not force you. However, without my protection, you are destined not to leave this Heavenly Court alive."

Yu Tunzhou had been sizing this man up and down for a while, then suddenly sneered, "Having just entered the External Scenery, you already have the right to call yourself the Lord of Heaven and Earth? Which Heaven and Earth, the Inner Heaven and Earth? Your arrogance is even greater than mine."

The smile on the young man's face faded slightly.

At the same moment, both Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu felt a sudden sense of alarm.

The source of this crisis is not that young man, but... this High Heaven Treasure Hall!

The entire hall seemed to be rejecting them; the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, as if an invisible hand was pushing them away.

"Stubborn and incorrigible."

The young man spoke indifferently.

"I originally pitied your talent and wanted to bring you under my command, but I never expected that you would be such a crazy person who couldn't even see his own situation clearly."

"Fine."

"Let them fend for themselves."

At the critical moment, Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu retreated simultaneously, instantly reaching outside the palace gate.

Boom!

As soon as they stepped out of the gate, the palace doors slammed shut with a deafening roar, as heavy as if the Heaven's Collapse!

The man's voice finally came from behind the door, still calm. "When you die in Heavenly Court soon, you will understand how incredibly foolish your decision today was."

Outside the High Heaven Treasure Hall, Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu exchanged a glance.

"This person seems to have seized control of the High Heaven Treasure Hall." An Ruyu pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Young Hero Guo, what do you think is the ultimate goal of Martial Ancestor, the Old Wang, or the person behind the gate who is suspected of seizing the Haotian inheritance?"

Just as Yu Tunzhou was about to ask, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, and he blurted out, "You mean, their goal is to reach the entire Heavenly Court?"

An Ruyu looked at the gate with a half-smile, "If their goal is the entire Heavenly Court, then they must obtain control of the Zhou Heaven Star Battle Grand Formation, even if this person inherits the Heavenly Emperor's legacy."

Yu Tunzhou's expression was serious, and a strong sense of urgency arose spontaneously.

The Martial Ancestor and the Old Wang are one thing.

If the Zhou Heaven Star Battle Grand Formation falls into the hands of others, the entire Heavenly Court will change hands in an instant. Those who remain here will hardly have a good ending, and even escape will be a pipe dream.

"Let's go! To the Imperial Horse Bureau!" Yu Tunzhou said immediately. "We must accomplish our respective goals as soon as possible, and then find a way out. The Heavenly Court Fragment can no longer help us return!"

An Ruyu smiled, seemingly admiring his decisiveness, and took the initiative to say, "Jade Pool is the ascension site of High Antiquity female immortals. There is a huge Ascension Platform there, leading directly to the Central Plains. After we pick the Peach of Immortality of immortality, Young Hero Guo, would you like to go to Jade Pool with me?"

Yu Tunzhou's expression shifted as he recalled how he had once traveled directly from the Southern Extreme Heaven to the Heavenly Court via the Ascension Platform.

Unfortunately, Southern Extreme Heaven is destroyed, so forget about getting a return ticket...

The two said no more and soon found the location of the Imperial Horse Bureau.

The two places are not far apart, only a few covered bridges away. The Pegasus of the past has long since disappeared, leaving only empty stables.

An Ruyu looked around with interest and said, "The layout of the Heavenly Court corresponds to the Great Dao, and everything is carefully planned. But this Imperial Horse Bureau is strange. For some reason, a place for raising horses is so close to the High Heaven Treasure Hall, which is the core. This is simply unimaginable in the mortal world."

Yu Tunzhou secretly guessed that this was probably because the Supreme Emperor Haotian placed the Imperial Horse Bureau not far from the High Heaven Treasure Hall in order to keep an eye on Brother Monkey.

"Go in."

Yu Tunzhou was the first to enter the stable.

Now it's time for Huntian to unleash his power.

Using the Secret Method taught by Huntian, Yu Tunzhou searched for Void passage and finally sensed a barely perceptible Void fluctuation behind a stone trough.

This relieved him.

In Huntian's words, the Peach of Immortality Garden is a vital place in the Heavenly Court, and it must have strict security measures, such as array formations to seal it off.

With their strength, a direct assault would be almost certainly not a chance of success.

And this passage leads directly into the Peach of Immortality Garden.

On the way here, Huntian had been somewhat worried, as the secret passage had long since collapsed, but now it seemed that everything had gone smoothly.

Yu Tunzhou locked onto the location of the secret passage and was about to open it with the special password provided by Huntian. This should have been set up by Brother Monkey when he dug the secret passage. This Void passage itself is almost a method of Nether Passage.

Upon hearing the command, Yu Tunzhou suddenly fell silent.

An Ruyu assumed he was still searching for the secret passage and, having nothing better to do, looked around.

The next moment, Yu Tunzhou suddenly shouted in a solemn tone:

"That old man Haotian's son has no anus!"

An Ruyu's body stiffened.

For once, her usually composed and beautiful face showed surprise and bewilderment, even her faint smile froze, as if she didn't know whether to laugh or hold it in.

The ground cracked silently, revealing the entrance to a deep passage.

Yu Tunzhou remained unfazed, as if nothing had happened, and stepped into the passage.

Behind them came An Ruyu's suppressed laughter.

Laughter, accompanied by the light tinkling of silver bells from the woman's clothes, echoed through the empty Imperial Horse Bureau. The sound was crisp and ethereal. Even without turning around, Yu Tunzhou could guess that someone was laughing so hard they were doubled over, completely lacking any ladylike demeanor.

Once An Ruyu caught up with Yu Tunzhou in the passage, she moved closer to him, tugged at his sleeve, and her eyes lit up as she pressed him to reveal who the master who had opened this secret passage was, noting that he not only hated the Heavenly Emperor so much but was also utterly fearless.

Yu Tunzhou replied irritably, "That's a peerless powerhouse of the Demon Race. If a demoness like you were to be seen by him, you'd be getting a beating from his staff!"

Within the Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth, Huntian scratched his head, and it sounded like...

Why does Fellow Xuandu seem to know your sworn brother?

It never mentioned the specifics of its sworn brother's past to Fellow Xuandu.

But then I thought about it again, and the seventh brother was highly regarded by Laojun back then, and he was deeply connected with the Daode Lineage, so it makes sense.

The secret passage was not long, about a hundred feet.

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but quicken his pace.

Once you obtain the Peach of Immortality, the purpose of this trip to Heavenly Court will be achieved!

He was the first to rush through the gate at the end, where a vast peach orchard came into view.

However, the expected bountiful harvest did not materialize. Large swathes of peach trees withered and fell, their branches charred black, and their bark peeling off, as if they had been burned by a great fire.

He looked ahead and saw not a single intact peach tree, and his heart sank.

Huntian sighed, "The worst-case scenario has indeed occurred. After the collapse of the Heavenly Court, without the nourishment of spiritual energy, these Peach of Immortality trees were not spared either."

Just as Yu Tunzhou was about to regroup, even without the Peach of Immortality, he could still...

"Young Hero Guo, turn around."

Yu Tunzhou turned around reflexively and saw an old peach tree behind the entrance to the secret passage they had passed through. The tree canopy spread out like an umbrella, and a few peaches hung sparsely on the branches. They were green and red, with a dull luster, but they were indeed Peach of Immortality.

Legend has it that the Heavenly Court Peach of Immortality ripen once every three thousand years, and eating them can grant immortality; once every six thousand years, they can grant Changsheng; and once every nine thousand years, they can grant lifespan equal to that of heaven and earth.

An Ruyu looked up at the peaches hanging on the old tree and said with some regret,

"These few Peach of Immortality are probably far from ripe, yet they already embody the last bit of luck and spiritual energy of this Peach of Immortality Garden."

Yu Tunzhou's spirits lifted, and without any hesitation, he directly reached out and took it.

Just then, an old face appeared on the trunk of the peach tree, with cloudy eyes and a hoarse voice:

"No one has come here in ages... Where did you two little kids come from, trying to pick the peaches too?"

Huntian hurriedly said in his Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth, "Fellow Daoist, please mention my sworn brother's name. My sworn brother was quite famous in the Heavenly Court back then. This old tree will definitely give him some face."

Without a word, Yu Tunzhou revealed his Vajra Bracelet and said politely, "The Daode Lineage, please lend me a few Peach of Immortality to help me through this tribulation."

"Um?!"

The old tree's cloudy eyes suddenly widened, and after seeing the Vajra Bracelet shimmering with spiritual light, its attitude changed instantly, becoming extremely respectful:

"So it is a celestial being from the Tushita Palace who has arrived. May I ask, celestial being, what year is it tonight?"

Yu Tunzhou glanced at An Ruyu, who smiled and said, "It has been twelve thousand years since the Human Emperor attained enlightenment."

"Has it been so long..." the peach tree murmured, then respectfully replied again, "After the incident in Heavenly Court, the Peach Garden lost its spiritual energy. Lacking spiritual energy, these peaches are far from ripe. If the Immortal needs them, please take them."

Yu Tunzhou grinned. "No problem, there are enough of them; it'll do."

Before Yu Tunzhou could even make a move, the branches laden with Peach of Immortality bent down on their own, allowing him to pick them.

Yu Tunzhou didn't stand on ceremony and picked them all. He counted them; there were six in total, mostly blue-green. The best one was only blue with a reddish tinge.

"Senior, after the collapse of Heavenly Court, which Immortals and Gods was the last to enter the Peach of Immortality Garden?"

An Ruyu, standing to the side, asked a question.

The old tree pondered for a moment, then said, "It is a female deity, but I don't know who she is; she has concealed her aura."

An Ruyu's eyes flashed with a strange light. "A deity, not a god?"

The old tree nodded. "The difference between the path of Divine Dao and the Immortal Dao is still quite obvious; I can recognize that."

"Taking advantage of the collapse of the sky, she rushed into the Peach of Immortality Garden, picked most of the ripe Peach of Immortality, and even moved some peach trees. Later, the angry rebukes of several emperors came from the Heavenly Court, and she hurriedly fled."

At this point, the old tree sighed.

An Ruyu pressed on, "What did you hear?"

The old tree remained silent for a moment, as if recalling something, before finally saying, "Most of the past events have become blurred. I only vaguely remember countless voices questioning that one in the High Heaven Treasure Hall..."

The old tree branches trembled slightly, and just recalling the past, they could not hide the primal fear that emanated from them.

Yu Tunzhou away the Peach of Immortality and asked Huntian to check their quality. Upon hearing this, his expression became serious.

Based on what he saw in the Thunder Ministry Heavenly Palace, the collapse of the Heavenly Court was most likely the work of the Supreme Emperor Haotian!

But why would the Lord of Heavenly Court want to destroy the entire Heavenly Court?

With such actions, isn't he the one who suffers the greatest loss?

Recalling the scenes he had witnessed in the High Heaven Treasure Hall, countless doubts lingered in his mind.

Now the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole is dead, the Great Emperor Ziwei has also passed away, Goddess Houtu has long since sacrificed herself to create reincarnation...

Including Haotian, four of the Five Emperors have already died!

Only the Great Emperor Gouchen remained, his fate unknown—whether he was dead or asleep somewhere.

As a result, the backgrounds of Divine Capital Xiao Household and the Tantai Household in the capital are questionable.

Who are the Immortals and Gods hiding behind the scenes of Heavenly Court?

That Great Emperor Gouchen?

This is the most likely hypothesis at present.

Fortunately, now that he has the Peach of Immortality, he has achieved his most important goal for this trip.

The huge weight that had been hanging over Yu Tunzhou's heart finally eased a little.

With this Peach of Immortality, he could choose a "good time" to overcome his tribulation.

The External Scenery is no longer an insurmountable barrier.

The lightning tribulation is no longer his fatal tribulation; it may even become someone else's fatal tribulation!

"Young Hero Guo, do you know what kind of divine artifact the Great Yan Imperial Family used to help Ji Yaoyang forcibly break through to the Dharma Aspect?" An Ruyu's voice suddenly rang out.

"A divine object that forcibly breaks through to the Dharma Aspect?" Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but look over. "What is it?"

An Ruyu said softly, "It's said to be a Peach of Immortality."

Yu Tunzhou was silent for a moment, then said, "You mean... the person behind the Great Yan Imperial Family is that female deity who infiltrated the Peach of Immortality Garden to steal the Peach of Immortality and transplant the Peach of Immortality trees back then?"

"Very likely," An Ruyu chuckled. "After this trip to the Heavenly Court, the person behind the Great Yan will probably be exposed."

"What's the meaning?"

"As expected, after this trip to the Heavenly Court, the Great Yan has come to an end."

Yu Tunzhou remained unmoved, after all, considering the time...

This third year is almost over.

"Immortal, I have a favor to ask, and I wonder if you would be so kind as to grant it."

The old peach tree suddenly spoke hesitantly.

Yu Tunzhou out of his daze. "Go ahead and say it."

"Now that Peach Garden is devoid of life, I will die sooner or later if I stay here. I wonder if the immortal could take me away?"

On the peach tree, the old face was filled with hope and pleading.

Yu Tunzhou blinked, "Such a good thing?"

Although we can't expect any more results next time.

However, the Peach of Immortality tree is one of the Spirit Root of heaven and earth. If such Spirit Root can be transplanted into the Inner Heaven and Earth, it will have indescribable benefits for the stability of the Inner View.

"My Inner View is not yet fully developed, so you should enter the Vajra Bracelet first," Yu Tunzhou said.

"Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!" The old peach tree was overjoyed and almost cried tears of joy.