Chapter 1426: Illusion Heavenly Emperor

Somewhere in the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent.

A majestic city stood tall between two mountains. An endless stream of people constantly travelled to and fro on the main avenue, swarming into the city. The sound of a bustling crowd could be heard everywhere, proving how popular this location was.

On the main avenue stood two people. One was an old man with a stooped figure. He looked kind-hearted and was garbed in black robes decorated with a strange, scarlet eye that almost seemed alive, constantly blinking and giving anyone who saw it the creeps. The other was a robustly built man emanating terrifying fluctuations that caused the void to tremble.

They were none other than the Spirit Eye Other King and Qin Jiujie!

The two of them strolled through the main avenue, walking past the countless individuals who were hustling around. However, even Dukes were unable to sense their presence.

Qin Jiujie wasn't concerned with any of the passersby, but he frowned as he looked at the lively city in front of him. For some strange reason, he felt a little unsettled.

However, he wasn’t sure why.

"Is there an Honored Lord here?" Qin Jiujie asked.

He had paid a significant price to have the Spirit Eye Other King organize a meeting with a Honored Lord of the Origin Reversion Institute. The man had dilly-dallied for half a year before finally setting down his experiments and leaving his lair. The Spirit Eye Other King then led Qin Jiujie to this location, which was completely out of his expectations.

Spirit Eye gave a wry smile. "Can you tell what's wrong with this place?"

Qin Jiujie's gaze flickered with light as he roused his Dual Crowned King powers to inspect the area carefully. He was a peak-level existence on this continent, but he was still unable to see through the mysteries surrounding this area.

No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that whenever he felt that he had seen the essence of things, he would then feel that there was yet another layer hiding beneath the surface.

This entire city was wrapped in an enigmatic aura, and despite standing right outside the city, he was utterly unable to discern what lay beneath.

"As expected from a Heavenly Emperor existence." Qin Jiujie's expression was full of respect. Only they could incite such feelings of admiration and fear within him.

The Spirit Eye Other King continued to walk forward. The void rippled slightly, bringing him directly before the city gates. He then walked straight into the city. Qin Jiujie hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and following suit.

He had betrayed the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin. If he wanted to advance further on the path of cultivation, he would have to board the Origin Reversion Institute's ship.

When he entered the city, it was filled with a sea of people and bogged down by traffic. However, as the two of them walked down the street, he finally sensed that something didn't seem right.

All of the roads, buildings, and people started to fade away, turning illusory.

"Is this an illusion?" Qin Jiujie asked in shock. When he had previously inspected this location, everything looked incomparably real and he couldn't tell what was real and what was fake.

"Everything you saw before was real, including the people that entered this city from the outside. However, once we enter the city, perhaps they no longer exist." Spirit Eye explained with his hoarse voice.

"What does that mean?" Qin Jiujie asked suspiciously.

"Everyone who enters the city is stained with a trace of illusion source origin. If the Honored One wills it, all of them can transform into a strand of illusory will and become a part of the Honored One's body," the Spirit Eye Other King calmly explained.

Qin Jiujie's eyes shrunk. This sort of esoteric power was simply appalling.

"The Honored One..." Qin Jiujie's face was filled with awe.

"The other Heavenly Emperors refer to this Honored One as the Illusion Heavenly Emperor." Spirit Eye waved his sleeve, and Qin Jiujie could see the entire city starting to turn illusory. In its depths was a single ancient and mottled wall. "Heavenly Emperor existences cannot lightly reveal their true bodies. As the previous Grand Palace Master of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin, I'm sure you understand why."

Qin Jiujie nodded. There existed an ancient covenant within the ten divine continents that had been strengthened by the generations of Heavenly Emperor experts from the living races. It was something that even Kings were unable to sense. Only by reaching the Heavenly Emperor Stage could one come into contact with that.

The moment a Heavenly Emperor revealed himself, it would be sensed by all the other Heavenly Emperors. Unfortunately, the Origin Reversion Institute liked to interfere with many things and were seen as the enemies of the Heavenly Emperor powers in the divine continents. In particular, the Academic Federation's Heavenly Emperors were watching out for the Origin Reversion Institute specifically.

Qin Jiujie observed the ancient wall and saw a mural on it.

A magnificent river coursed through it like a gigantic dragon. No one knew just how wide or deep it was, but anyone who saw it would sense how astounding it was. Qin Jiujie could even sense powerful existences within it. After which, he noticed a figure standing atop a precipitous reef within the river.

It was a fisherman dressed in white. In his hand was a fishing rod that was cast into the river. The hook looked ethereal, and who knew just what he was trying to catch.

When Qin Jiujie saw that figure, he could feel an indescribable pressure descending upon him, capable of blotting out the skies. The white-robed fisherman within the mural turned his head at this point, and his warm gaze was directed towards him. Qin Jiujie suddenly saw the world changing before his very eyes.

The roaring river brought with it a warm spray of water that splashed all over.

When he finally snapped out of his daze, Qin Jiujie realized that he was standing on the reef in the large river. The fisherman gave a smile as he greeted him. "Qin Jiujie."

The fisherman looked like a handsome young man, but Qin Jiujie did not dare to show him the smallest amount of disrespect because of that. After all, the figure before him was like a deity. It wasn't that Qin Jiujie had not met a Heavenly Emperor expert before. However, he felt that Heavenly Emperor Qin seemed a little lacking in comparison to the individual before him.

Qin Jiujie deferentially bowed. "Greetings, Illusion Heavenly Emperor."

The white-robed fisherman, no, the Illusion Heavenly Emperor, grinned. "Faceless was working under my orders. You've harmed him to such an extent and still dare to stand before me?"

Qin Jiujie did not defend his ruthless actions but reverently spoke his mind. "Honored One, I will complete the tasks you assign me in an even more satisfactory fashion."

The Illusion Heavenly Emperor stared at Qin Jiujie with amusement. "As expected of someone who controlled the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin for so many years. Your courage and temperament are extraordinary. I feel quite optimistic about you, and you possess strong ambition. This is great. The Origin Reversion Institute adores people like you. Heavenly Emperor Qin, that old man, is already decrepit and has lived for far too long. He has lost all of his vigor and is struggling on death's door. Perhaps he might rot to death very soon."

Qin Jiujie's heart trembled upon hearing these words. Even a Heavenly Emperor existence had essentially confirmed how bad the state of his ancestor was. His heart was filled with complex emotions. Grief, regret, but also relief. The moment Heavenly Emperor Qin fell, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin would lose its radiance. It would fall from the ranks of the Heavenly Emperor powers, and perhaps he would be the one who would bring the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin to a new epoch of glory.

"From today onwards, I'll follow the Honored One's orders," Qin Jiujie said respectfully.

The Illusion Heavenly Emperor grinned and then flicked the fishing rod in his hands. Qin Jiujie saw a mote of dark light fly out of his body, attaching itself to the sharp hook of the rod. It was a single natal facial skin from the Faceless Other King.

However, the facial skin was clearly in bad condition. Even the eyes were tightly shut, as Qin Jiujie had been absorbing and refining it the entire time.

The Illusion Heavenly Emperor then glanced at the pale facial skin that was now in his hand before flicking the rod out once again, snaring a gigantic, ferocious fish from the depths of the river. He then casually attached the facial skin onto the fish's face before tossing it back into the river.

When the giant fish dove back into the depths, Qin Jiujie could sense that the Faceless Other King's stifled aura had begun to recover. That said, he wasn't concerned. The injuries it had suffered had caused it to drop an entire stage, and it would barely manage to remain as a King. Furthermore, both of them were now under the command of the Illusion Heavenly Emperor. When both parties served the same master, there was no advantage of background to speak of.

The Illusion Heavenly Emperor smiled.

"From now on, you will be the Origin Reversion Institute's newest Other King. The Nine Tribulations Other King."

"Thank you, Honored One." Qin Jiujie replied deferentially. This result wasn't out of his expectations as his strength as a Dual Crowned King was significant, even within the Origin Reversion Institute. He could be considered a pillar of the organization now.

However, it was only after receiving the acknowledgment of an Honored Lord that he could feel at ease.

From today onwards, Grand Palace Master Qin Jiujie of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin had fallen.

He was now reborn as the Origin Reversion Institute's Nine Tribulations Other King.