Chapter 315: Charm of Heaven's Bounty

Xiao Nanfeng and the Divine Emperor were both looking at the rest of the hidden realm beyond the Yao Pool.

The mountains and streams were all shaking as though an earthquake had struck the hidden realm. The divine slaves suddenly all went crazy, swinging their Immortal relics through the air and even starting to fight each other. In some locations, the fight grew so intense that flames arose around them.

"How could these divine slaves be attacking one another?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"Someone's done something to the heavenly laws," the Divine Emperor said.

"The heavenly laws?"

"When I caused half of my cursed spiritual power to detonate that year by the Yao Pool and revealed the hidden realm to the heavens, the heavens immediately inflicted a tribulation on the realm. After that, perhaps knowing that the Spirit Emperor would be able to regenerate as a cursed effigy, the heavens then infused the hidden realm with divine energy, transforming it into a prison with divine slaves as wardens. These divine slaves were responsible for guarding the five black-fog territories. Because the heavens didn't have time to actively guard this hidden realm, "heavenly laws" were created to bind the operation of the divine energy in the realm," the Divine Emperor explained.

"Heavenly laws are commandments issued by heaven, then?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"That's right. From the looks of it, these heavenly laws are about to be broken."

"What will happen then?"

"The divine energy that the heavens left behind will disperse. Before it disperses, however, it'll do its best to destroy the Spirit Emperor and the shadow cursed effigies. Meanwhile, the divine slaves will lose the energy that animates them and collapse as well."

"No wonder Nalan Yunhai and the marquises have gathered here. It's because the largest concentration of Immortal-realm divine slaves is here. Once they collapse, the Immortal relics and pills that they carry will be available for anyone to seize. The cultivators gathered here are waiting to claim them all!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"The Spirit Emperor might suffer some backlash as a result of the broken laws, but given its strength, it'll surely be able to escape from its prison. It's sure to try to cause trouble for you then."

"Let him come! I have treasures by my side and I don't fear a fight." Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath, then continued, "Why must the Spirit Emperor wait until the heavenly laws are destroyed in order to escape? Why not do what the shadow cursed effigies do?"

"It's not like the ordinary shadows, and its main body is guarded by the heavenly laws at all times. Only when the heavenly laws shatter will it have the opportunity to escape."

"There must have been quite a few people entering this hidden realm over the last tens of thousands of years. Why has the Spirit Emperor only managed to recruit people to destroy it now?"

"For one thing, the Spirit Emperor must have been exceptionally weak back then and thus unable to suffer the backlash from the broken heavenly laws. For another, ordinary cultivators would never be able to do anything against the heavenly laws."

"Where are the heavenly laws?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"Right above the Yao Pool in the sky." The Divine Emperor pointed above her.

"Oh?"

"However, ordinary cultivators aren't able to access that area at all. The heavens have imposed a restriction on the airspace of this hidden realm. All cultivators who fly above a certain height will suffer disorientation and get lost in the sky until they perish. Thus, even if cultivators manage to make it up into the air, they won't be able to find the heavenly laws. I don't understand who was able to dispel or ignore that reaction and find them."

Just then, a white pillar of light descended from the heavens in a plume of dust. Within the pillar, a man was holding onto a charm glowing with light. The white pillar struck a hilltop. By the time the figure stabilized itself, the pillar of light had vanished.

"Nalan Qiankun?" Xiao Nanfeng gasped.

"A charm of Heaven's bounty? No wonder he was able to pass through the heavenly restrictions. How did he obtain such a treasure?" the Divine Emperor exclaimed.

"What's this charm?"

"'There are plenty of regions in this hidden realm on which the heavens have imposed one form of restriction or another, including this one. All sorts of other items are sealed in other places, and tremendous treasure might well await you. Those who perform meritorious service against the heavens will be granted a charm of Heaven's bounty and allowed to bypass the restrictions in such a region and pick out the treasures that they desire most. This sort of charm is consumable and won't be able to be used for too long. Even so, it's a rare treasure. How did Nalan Qiankun obtain one?" the Divine Emperor gasped.

From afar, as Nalan Qiankun landed on the hilltop, a group of cultivators surrounded by radiant light flew over. They bowed respectfully to Nalan Qiankun.

Nalan Qiankun addressed them and caused them all to smile in excitement. They thanked Nalan Qiankun profusely.

Then, Nalan Qiankun turned to his son, Nalan Yunhai. He passed the charm of Heaven's bounty to him. Nalan Yunhai clasped it tightly as though it were some priceless treasure.

Nalan Qiankun patted Nalan Yunhai on the shoulder, then headed off into the distance and vanished within the thick fog.

The group of Immortals kowtowed in the direction in which Nalan Qiankun had left.

The crowd eyed the charm of Heaven's bounty appreciatively before dispersing, each preparing to claim as many of the subsequent Immortal relics and treasures as possible.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned, deep in thought. "Before this, I interrogated a crane spirit and asked about Nalan Qiankun's whereabouts. Apparently, he headed somewhere with my master and Han Bingdie. Could they have gone off in search of these heavenly laws? Why haven't they returned with him?"

"Nalan Yunhai might have schemed against them," the Divine Emperor said.

"Oh?"

"The fact that the hidden realm is quaking implies that the heavenly laws are starting to break, but they haven't been fully destroyed. Someone is likely stabilizing them and preventing their immediate collapse."

"You think that's what Master and Han Bingdie are doing?!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"I do. They likely won't be able to withstand the karmic cost of their actions."

"What do you mean?"

"The heavenly laws are set by the heavens themselves. Those who destroy them are going against divine ordinance and shall be punished by the very heavens. The karmic cost would be immense."

"Nalan Qiankun's making my master and Han Bingdie take the fall for destroying these heavenly laws?!"

"It's very likely."

Xiao Nanfeng's face fell. "I have to steal the charm of Heaven's bounty and have a look at these heavenly laws myself."

The Divine Emperor seemed to have thought of something. "Very well. I'll go with you. We need to be quick! We may yet be able to save your master."

The Divine Emperor stepped into Xiao Nanfeng's ring.

Xiao Nanfeng immediately released his qi to form a cloud of fog around himself. He stepped out of the zone of black fog. If he had done so any earlier, the divine slaves in the vicinity would surely have swarmed toward him, but they had been impacted by the splintering of the heavenly laws and were now fighting among themselves.

He rushed out of the Yao Pool and headed to a secluded valley, but a crane spirit in the air noticed him.

"There was a strange cloud of fog over there."

"The Spirit Emperor's hidden realm is full of fog. What was so unusual about it?"

"The density of fog varies from region to region, and that patch of fog shouldn't have been so dense. Furthermore, it was moving rapidly."

"Where is it?"

"It headed into that valley and vanished."

"Are you going blind?"

The crane spirits, having lost track of their target during their momentary confusion, had no choice but to leave.

Xiao Nanfeng was exceptionally cautious. He caught a lone crane spirit and interrogated it to identify Nalan Yunhai's approximate location. Then, he snuck over and found him and Qiangwei by a mountain peak.

Nalan Yunhai was grinning at the charm of Heaven's bounty he held. The charm was cracked in many places, as though it might shatter at any point.

"Your Highness, His Majesty really does favor you if he's giving you such a precious treasure. What did he say?" Qiangwei asked curiously.

"Father said that the heavenly laws are about to shatter. A frightening tribulation will descend. It likely won't target us, but just in case, Father had me wield the charm of Heaven's bounty to protect against any impending danger," Nalan Yunhai boasted.

"The marquises looked very envious," Qiangwei said, smiling.

"Even if they're loyal to Father, they're only officials. As for me, I'm the crown prince. How could they hope to compare to me? And you'll be the princess consort. How could they hope to compare to you, either?" Nalan Yunhai smiled as his arm curled around Qiangwei's waist.

Qiangwei didn't struggle this time. Her eyes filled with anticipation. "Then I'll wait for you to fulfill your promise, Your Highness."

"Don't worry! Once we get out of here, I'll ask Mother for you. I'll be able to establish my own territory then—what if I ask Father for the Xiao lands?" Nalan Yunhai asked expectantly.

"The Xiao lands?" Qiangwei frowned. "That might be difficult."

"How would it be difficult? Xiao Hongye's certainly dead, and Xiao Nanfeng must have perished to the Spirit Emperor as well. With the Xiao clan dead, who else would the territory go to? The Taiqing Immortal Sect?" Nalan Yunhai replied disdainfully.

Just then, countless bursts of multicolored light headed toward the two cultivators.

Nalan Yunhai and Qiangwei blanched. "Who's there?"

What they found was a large number of Immortal relics that were swiftly approaching them as they suddenly grew larger.

"Be careful, Your Highness!" Qiangwei shouted.

The Immortal relics burst in a tremendous explosion, forming a huge fireball and surrounding windstorm.

"Argh!" Nalan Yunhai cried out from within the explosion.

"His Highness has been attacked! Marquises, send assistance!" Qiangwei shouted.

Figures clad in light shot toward Nalan Yunhai from all directions. Qiangwei, looking the worse for wear, shielded Nalan Yunhai as they flew out of the epicenter of the explosion. Their hair was scattered behind their backs, their clothes tattered, but they were both still Immortals and yet alive. However, Nalan Yunhai's right hand was injured and bleeding profusely. He clutched his hain pain.

"My charm of Heaven's bounty has been stolen!" Nalan Yunhai shouted.

"It must be Xiao Nanfeng!" Qiangwei exclaimed.

Not far away, Xiao Nanfeng could be seen. His clothes were likewise in tatters, but he held the charm of Heaven's bounty that he had just snatched in his hand. He had succeeded.

He didn't attempt to strike with his yin body, because his physical body would have been unguarded; he couldn't allow the gathered Immortals to hold off his yin body and waste time. He had to rescue his master as quickly as he could.

He rushed into the air.

"Xiao Nanfeng? He's still alive? Kill him!" Nalan Yunhai demanded.