The Heart Monkey

Long ago, the Emperor was advised to withdraw from the world's affairs.

"It's not that you're bad, it's just that your mindset is outdated. This era no longer needs you!"

The Emperor was puzzled by what the other party said.

But after the red line was drawn to confirm their identities, he went into seclusion in Western Kunlun and never went out again. Even though rumors circulated that the other party had left the Three Realms, the Emperor did not break his vow.

The Emperor no longer exerts control outside, and he has not used his somewhat ruthless Law Treasure and methods for a long time.

A large banner was raised behind him, and the incense that had been burning earlier was relit.

On the banner, countless souls howled and roared, displaying distorted and eerie faces. From beneath these faces, pairs of withered hands would reach out and grab at the body forged from the incense of ten thousand spirits in front of the Emperor.

"This soul will become the master of the Spirit Gathering Banner, and from now on it will be able to accompany Your Majesty every day. Your Majesty will surely be able to discover everything within the soul," the Empress said calmly.

"There's still a bit of a pity about it!"

Looking at Ren Anran's struggling face, the Emperor sighed deeply.

Using malicious means to retain guests is the worst possible solution, but he found it difficult to repeatedly inscribe and deepen the Technique Method mark. Once the mark was removed by Ren Anran, whose strength had increased, he severed all ties with him.

This prompted him to use some underhanded tactics.

The Spirit Gathering Banner can bind the souls of living beings, allowing them to separate from their physical bodies and thus live within the banner.

As long as the Spirit Gathering Banner is kept by the Emperor's side and maintained, the divine soul within the banner almost guarantees longevity.

This is Law Treasure that the Emperor used to imprison his opponents. Its longevity makes enemies wish they were dead, allowing them to recount everything they possess.

Upon hearing the Emperor and Empress mention that Ren Anran could become the master of the Spirit Gathering Banner, the Emperor felt a sense of loss.

"Nothing is ever perfect," the Emperor and Empress said. "Your Majesty's decision to resort to this tactic was out of necessity, but with the power of this supreme deity, Your Majesty should be able to gain something!"

"If even a woman from the Upper Realm can obtain this technique, who knows how many other wondrous techniques exist there?" The Emperor sighed. "That's where Hongjun, the supreme ruler of the human race, resides. Almost everyone there is like a dragon. The vastness and mystery of that world ultimately leave me feeling unsatisfied!"

"Gaining some assistance is already excellent, and Your Majesty should not forget that you still have a reference point for verification!"

You mean him?

The Emperor and Empress mentioned something that reminded the Emperor of his cheap disciple.

What seemed like a fleeting moment to him had actually been nearly ten years.

Ten years is enough to turn a spirited young man into a weathered middle-aged man; if the world is not so smooth, even the living can become the dead.

The Emperor couldn't help but do some calculations with his fingers. When a vague feeling welled up in his heart, he sometimes felt that Zhang Xuezhou was still alive, and sometimes he felt that Zhang Xuezhou was already dead.

This feeling was extremely unpleasant, even making the Emperor suspect that Zhang Xuezhou's soul had been taken and turned into a treasure.

But considering Zhang Xuezhou's physical condition, he leaned towards the possibility of external influences, and with the guidance of "Mr. Ren," the other party should be out of danger.

"I wonder if Cai Ma has found him," the Empress said. "Few of us were able to leave. Cai Ma mistakenly Kunlun, and she is the only one who is not bound by her past vows!"

"Cai Ma's abilities are ultimately somewhat lacking!"

"He's still alive!"

"Alive... who?"

Just as the Emperor was about to respond to the Empress, he saw Ren Anran's body, which was bound by the Spirit Gathering Banner, gradually collapse and begin to break free from the body constructed by the Myriad Spirit Incense. This made the Emperor's eyebrows twitch.

He reached out and grabbed forward, and wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning reappeared in his palm.

As the palm struck down, the Emperor felt a sharp, knife-like sensation surge into his heart.

The strange cry forcefully assaulted his mind.

"Not good!"

The Emperor was obviously not affected by such a small feeling, but what enraged him was that a powerful cultivator had used the Technique Method planted in Ren Anran's eyes.

The opponent launched a tracing attack from a distant point. Regardless of the intensity of this attack, the key issue is that the transmission of force caused the mark to become unstable, even to the point of collapse.

The Emperor struck out with his palm, then abruptly withdrew it.

His face was flushed, and his gaze shifted as he looked at Ren Anran's collapsing body.

"So be it, so be it!"

He tried to reach out and grab Ren Anran, but what he would forcibly grab would likely be a damaged remnant soul. Such a remnant soul was of little value and could not be bound by his Spirit Gathering Banner to communicate normally.

As he watched the body constructed from the myriad spirit incense eventually turn into a pile of incense ash and scatter, he looked up at the dark circle leading to the void. He saw the circle shrinking further and further, turning into a black dot, and finally disappearing.

The feeling of being cut off and no longer connected welled up in his heart. The Emperor stretched out his hands, but in the end, he did not forcefully try to maintain the connection.

"What fate? You're just afraid of being trapped in the void, unable to return, ultimately leading to your soul being separated from your body and imprisoned in endless darkness. Coward!"

A familiar voice rang out, and a monkey head emerged from the Emperor's chest, which made the Emperor's face show annoyance.

"With your abilities, you still want to transcend the Three Realms? No wonder people looked down on you back then," the monkey said, opening its mouth.

"You little monkey..."

"You shrew, shut up! I'm telling you our business; it's none of your concern!"

The emperor and empress had just uttered a single word when the monkey cut them off, which made them slightly annoyed as they looked at the emperor.

"What are you looking at? He is me, and I am him. When I curse you, it's the same as him cursing you. I don't usually call you a shrew because I'm giving you face, but that doesn't mean you're not a shrew," Monkey shouted.

"Shut up, you restless monkey, and go back right now!" the Emperor said angrily.

"I've said things you wouldn't normally dare to say, you should thank me," the monkey shouted. "I've been hoping you could get something useful out of that little girl, and I haven't messed things up with you. I never expected you to be so useless, hesitant and indecisive, and now you're even afraid of your wife. This truly shames me!"

"Damn it... Yao, I'm not like that!"

"Your Majesty has many thoughts; if it weren't for this monkey, I wouldn't have known Your Majesty's mind was so rich!"

The Emperor encountered some problems during his cultivation, which resulted in the formation of something similar to an external avatar. However, unlike ordinary external avatars, the Emperor's avatar possessed True Self- awareness.

The emperor and empress often heard this incarnation gossip, and each time they heard it, they would get angry and leave.

She snorted and stood up, clearly dissatisfied again and unwilling to hear any more embarrassing words from this restless man.

"You shrew, you get angry for no reason, all you do is get angry all day long. You're useless at everything, but you're number one at getting angry!"

"Snort!"

In a flash, a flag was taken from the Emperor and Empress's hands. After waving it, the Emperor and Empress had vanished without a trace, holding the flag.

"Look, you have to scold that woman. A few scoldings and she'll shut up and never bother us again. Since you're having trouble finding your way, let's go get some drinks. Oh, and let's call that featherless crow too. In case we run out of alcohol, we can use him as firewood to brew some wine!"

"Well!"

The Emperor sighed.

Today was already going badly, and this outburst of cursing only made things worse.

Ever since the appearance of this incarnation that reflects his inner thoughts, the Emperor has never had a good day.

If he weren't generally reliable to most people, and if this monkey had stirred things up and revealed all sorts of negative thoughts, his Kunlun Sacred Land would have fallen apart once again.

Even so, it's clear that the other party found it very easy to sabotage the marital relationship.