"What is that...?"

In the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms, the Immortal Mother’s eyes shot open in shock. She looked toward the Eastern Celestial Court, just in time to see a Heaven-Reaching, world-spanning giant hand slam violently into it!

The entire East Pole Celestial Court shook violently, on the verge of collapse. The giant hand was completely unreasonable; it flung the Emperor’s Palace aside and snatched up the utterly bewildered East Pole Emperor from within.

Like snatching a baby chick, the giant hand seized Emperor Qing Hua and vanished without a trace!

The entire East Pole Celestial Court fell silent for a moment, and then... erupted into a tumultuous uproar!

And it wasn’t just the Eastern Celestial Court.

A chill shot up the Immortal Mother’s spine. Emperor Gouchen and the Emperor of Longevity both froze, faces etched with residual terror, their pupils constricting to the size of pinpricks!

"Who... Who was that?!"

Emperor Gouchen spoke with a heavy tone.

"Which Ancient One, which Enlightened One was that? Qing Hua couldn’t even resist before he was captured and taken to some unknown place!"

The Immortal Mother took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in her heart, and said with focused gravity,

"I don’t know. How did Qing Hua provoke a Dao Fruit? This... If the Dao Fruit only captured him as a minor punishment, that would be one thing. But if it was acting in anger and decides to completely eliminate him, we’ll be in big trouble!"

The Four Extremes Emperors, relying on their positions in the Four Directions Celestial Court and allied with the Queen Mother of the Jade Pool, had barely managed to drag Haotian down from the great throne of the Celestial Emperor.

Now, the North Pole Celestial Court has lost its master, and the West Pole Celestial Court its position. If Qing Hua also perishes, the delicate balance will be shattered completely.

In other words, Haotian could ascend to the throne at any moment!

And if Haotian truly returns, reclaiming his title as Celestial Emperor, then every single one of them, without exception, is doomed to perish—to be erased from Ancient History forever!

"I’ll go find Lu Ya!"

Emperor Gouchen’s heart was pounding; he was clearly shaken.

The Emperor of Longevity in the South Pole nodded and said decisively,

"Lu Ya might not be reliable. I’ll go see the Buddha Mother!"

Seeing them both say this, the Immortal Mother nodded.

"We can’t delay any longer. We must stir the great tides and raise the great curtain. With the celestial situation in turmoil, even if Qing Hua truly perishes, Haotian won’t be able to return during this period of Years.

And we can use this period of Years to reforge the Western Celestial Court, or find a Fellow Daoist to temporarily take the position of the East Pole Emperor. Either way, we can still suppress Haotian!"

Hearing this, Emperor Gouchen said decisively,

"Agreed. The Earth Deities are only causing chaos because they’re following Lu Ya’s will. I will request a Decree from Lu Ya to make the Earth Deities riot completely. Let’s raise the curtain ahead of schedule!"

"Now! Immediately! Time waits for no one!" The Immortal Mother’s face was pale. She knew they were already walking on the edge of an abyss. One wrong step, and they would plunge in, to be damned for all eternity!

Gouchen and Longevity each stepped into the stream of Years and departed. The Immortal Mother stood in place for a long time before a bit of color returned to her pale face.

After hesitating for a long while, her gaze turned cold as if she had made up her mind. She too stepped into the River of Time, walking to a point where the flow was broken.

She looked down at the vast, chasm-like rift in time, landed beside it, and called into it.

"We need your help."

A dead silence came from within the chasm, followed by a cold laugh.

"Jasper Pool, now you remember me? You need my help... How laughable! Laughable!"

The Immortal Mother took a deep breath.

"I know you’re still furious, but this is the nature of the struggle for the Great Dao—a constant battle of give and take. You should understand. I had no other choice back then."

"No other choice? Ha!"

From within the chasm of time, the person, clearly incensed, spoke with a frosty voice.

"We had an agreement back then! After we pulled Haotian down, I would rule over all male immortals, you would rule over all Female Immortals, and we would govern the Celestial Court together, with the Four Extremes as our aides... And what was the result?"

The Immortal Mother lightly bit her lip.

"Don’t blame me! You were the one who broke the pact first, trying to seize the half a Dao Fruit borne by the Celestial Court. That’s why we struck you down as well!"

"This is betrayal! Betrayal!" The being at the bottom of the chasm roared.

This was followed by a long silence.

After an unknown amount of time, the being spoke coldly.

"If you want my help, first let me out."

"Fine." The Immortal Mother nodded and, without a moment’s hesitation, walked into the chasm of time. At that very moment...

The dual colors of Yin and Yang erupted, and a divine radiance slammed into the chasm, causing it to tremble ceaselessly. Amidst a violent RUMBLE, the great river surged with a massive tide!

The two principles converged, and all things came into being.

Before long, the Immortal Mother strolled out of the time chasm. Beside her was a decrepit old man, his body tattered and seemingly on the brink of death.

But as he stepped out, a Daoist Crown descended from the heavens, a Profound Robe materialized around him, an ethereal Emperor’s aura emanated from him, and Immortal Music drifted through the air.

"I haven’t walked these Years in a long time," he said faintly. "It seems a lot has happened... Is a single Direct Lineage disciple of the Supreme and a single Shangqing Lineage disciple enough to drive you all into such a panic?"

The Immortal Mother waved a weary hand.

"Don’t make sarcastic remarks. The Western Celestial Court has lost its position, the Northern Celestial Court has a new master, and Qing Hua has been captured by an unknown Dao Fruit. If he too meets with disaster, Haotian will be restored to his throne! When that happens, you and I will both be annihilated, erased from Ancient History!"

"Heh!" The old man in the Emperor’s Robe gave a mocking laugh. "Alright, let’s go. I’m rather curious to see this so-called Profound Yellow for myself."

.........

「Late Qin Dynasty, the thatched hut on Taishan.」

"You dare call me Shangqing one more time?"

Old Nong sat on his recliner, his expression utterly frigid. He ground his teeth in anger, his killing intent palpable!

The North Sea Dragon King and the others were completely stupefied. They stood to the side, shrinking their necks, averting their eyes, and pretending to see and hear nothing.

On the ground, the East Pole Emperor’s Robe was stained with dust, and the Emperor’s Crown on his head was askew, looking as if it might fall off at any moment.

He paid no mind to his image, prostrating on the ground and trembling.

"This lowly immortal has offended you! I... I beg the Supreme Venerable for punishment!"

Emperor Qing Hua was truly bewildered. ’The person before me isn’t the Shangqing Great Celestial Venerable??’

’But that Profound Yellow clearly called him ’Master’!!’

He cried out endlessly in his heart, not knowing how he had inexplicably angered a Dao Fruit. He knew that if he wasn’t careful today, he would likely suffer the same fate as Ziwei!

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan and Zhang Liang stood to the side with strange expressions, saying nothing and just watching silently.

Old Nong sat up from his recliner, the cattail-leaf fan still swaying in his hand. He said coolly,

"You deserve punishment."

Emperor Qing Hua’s expression changed. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, he felt a vast Celestial Vault crushing down upon him.

His face turned deathly pale as he was pressed flat against the ground. His divine body cracked, Emperor’s Blood flowed freely, and the injuries seemed to pierce through all of history!

"Supreme Venerable, have mercy... Supreme Venerable, have mercy!!"

Old Nong indifferently withdrew his gaze and looked at Lu Xuan.

"My good disciple, I’ll leave him for you to handle."

Lu Xuan’s eyes flickered slightly. He stared at Emperor Qing Hua, then suddenly broke into a grin.

He crouched down and said cheerfully,

"Emperor, I have a small favor to ask..."

"It’s done!" Emperor Qing Hua felt the Dao Fruit Killing Intent pressing down on his head and answered decisively.

"Excellent."

.........

「The next morning.」

After bidding farewell to Old Nong, Lu Xuan watched as Senior Brother Zhang led a well-behaved Liu Bang in the direction of Xiaopei.

Lu Xuan turned around, looked at the three True Dragons, and said with a smile,

"The Dragon Maiden is named Ao Xianzhi, correct?"

Ao Xianzhi, who had been gazing at Zhang Liang’s departing figure, snapped back to her senses and quickly bowed.

"Dragon Girl Ao Xianzhi, at your command, Emperor."

Lu Xuan nodded slightly, then changed the subject.

"Ao Xianzhi, you are fated to marry my senior brother, you have earned my master’s appreciation, your character is excellent, your innate talent is remarkable, and your disposition is passable..."

After a pause, he said calmly,

"Are you willing to enter my tutelage as a Registered Disciple?"

As soon as he said this, Ao Xianzhi froze on the spot. Beside her, the North Sea Dragon King and the Dragon Crown Prince were overjoyed, frantically signaling her with their eyes.

She quickly came to her senses and bowed low.

"Ao Xianzhi pays respects to Master!!"

"Excellent."

Lu Xuan smiled.

"Then you shall be the second Registered Disciple under my tutelage..."

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered what he had forgotten. ’It seems I still haven’t performed the crowning for Chong Shanhu?’

Lu Xuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he continued speaking aloud,

"As my disciple, you must undergo ten trials to question your own heart. If you pass them all, you may receive my true teachings. Do you understand?"

"This student understands," Ao Xianzhi bowed again.

"Since you are now my disciple, I shall bestow upon you a Dharma. This technique is called the [Profound Yellow Tribulation Chapter]. If you cultivate it, you must walk the Earth Immortal Path again and re-experience the Nine Tribulations of the Earth Immortal.

With each tribulation you pass, you will gain a Divine Technique. After passing all Nine Tribulations, you will be considered to have passed nine trials. Pass one more trial, and you may officially enter my school."

With that said, Lu Xuan calmly pointed a finger. A divine light containing the [Supreme Tribulation Chapter] flashed and flowed into Ao Xianzhi’s mind. It was as if she had been instantly enlightened; a Profound Dao Rhyme appeared around her, and she was astonished by the terrifying and boundless nature of this scripture.

When Ao Xianzhi came to her senses, her new master was already gone. Only a few words still echoed in the small space around her.

"My lineage meets tribulations head-on and does not shy away from disaster. You must remember this."

"Also, I am borrowing Senior Brother Zhang for a while. After this tribulation ends, it will be time for you two to marry."

After the voice had completely faded, Ao Xianzhi kowtowed heavily three times on the ground before rising.

She said joyfully,

"Father, Big Brother... I have a master!"

The Dragon Crown Prince was all smiles, then he asked with some suspicion,

"But why do I get the feeling that Emperor isn’t from the Shangqing Lineage..."

"Silence!!" The North Sea Dragon King’s expression changed drastically. He warned, "What happened today, bury it in your heart! No, forget it! Do you understand?!"

The Dragon Crown Prince’s pupils shrank. He quickly nodded his assent.

Beside them, Ao Xianzhi stared blankly in the direction Zhang Liang and Liu Bang had gone, a sudden thought occurring to her.

"Big Brother, Father, when Ah Liang and I get married, shouldn’t Master sit in the seat of the [High Hall]? What would Ah Liang have to call Master then?"

The North Sea Dragon King and the Dragon Crown Prince looked at each other, speechless.

.........

「Beneath the Nine Nether.」

"Attaining Upper Grade Immortal... Profound Yellow, you have done very well."

"It is only by your grace, Lady, that I barely managed to attain it."

Lu Xuan smiled and bowed, then nonchalantly drained the cup of Earth Tea in front of him. The weighty aura of the earth’s ley lines around him intensified by thirty percent.

In the brief moment he set down the teacup, he shot a quick glance at the Emperor Earth Deity. His [Form Acupoint] opened silently, recording the Emperor Earth Deity’s essence.

Lu Xuan felt his Spiritual Will surge wildly, completely breaking through the Immortal level to rival that of the Celestial Realms!

The Emperor Earth Deity’s eyes moved slightly, a thoughtful look on her face.

Lu Xuan bowed again and asked with a smile,

"May I ask why Lady has summoned this junior?"

"To catch up, congratulate you, and show you a few things."

The Emperor Earth Deity said with a smile,

"You are my junior. Since you have attained Upper Grade Immortal, it is only right that I give you a gift."

Lu Xuan bowed again.

"A gift from an elder, I dare not refuse!"

The Emperor Earth Deity nodded slightly and extended a slender, jade-like finger, tapping it downward.

"In the Immortal realm, the first half of cultivation is about accumulation. I see you have already pioneered eleven Great Realms ahead of time, so you can appropriately skip this accumulation phase."

As her voice fell, a dense terrestrial power flooded into Lu Xuan’s body. Under this infusion of power, one after another of his Acupoints was violently forced open, evolving into incredibly dense Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands!!

Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands are intrinsically linked to terrestrial power. Now, with the Emperor Earth Deity’s infusion, Lu Xuan’s Cultivation skyrocketed, and his entire being underwent a transformation!!

He let out a low cry, his expression gradually turning solemn. Around his physical soul, the phantoms of over three hundred vast Grotto Heavens appeared.

With the Emperor Earth Deity’s help, all the Acupoints in his body had been pioneered into Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands—and top-tier ones at that!

Before Lu Xuan could thank her, the Emperor Earth Deity smiled again.

"Don’t be so quick to offer thanks. That wasn’t my gift. This is."

As she spoke, she seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still opened her hand.

A divine light erupted.

.........

「Above the Years.」

The old man tossed and turned, growing angrier and angrier the more he thought about it...

Shangqing Great Celestial Venerable...

His eyelid twitched violently. His heart was filled with suffocating frustration, and in the end, he just couldn’t hold it in any longer.

The old man picked up Douluo Palace, strode into Chaos, and stirred up another great wave of turmoil, followed by the bewildered, miserable cry of a certain Lame Daoist.

"Supreme, are you insane?!"

"Indeed, I am!"

(Two Chapters remaining.)