Chapter 841: A Mutually Beneficial Cooperation

"The Ice Casket is a famous treasure of the Immortal Emperor of Dahan, and can even bind early-stage Boundless Immortals. Quite the treasure," Xiao Nanfeng murmured. His eyes lit up.

"Let me have a look," Madam Rouge said.

Xiao Nanfeng handed her the Ice Casket.

Madam Rouge examined it. A hint of surprise crossed her face. "How interesting."

As she spoke, she formed a seal with a hand and pressed it against the case. "Let the mirror's reflection dissolve all falsehood. Unseal!"

With a bang, the surface of the Ice Casket shattered like glass, revealing countless cracks. The Ice Casket hadn't actually broken; rather, a special seal had been lifted from the relic.

A powerful burst of cold energy erupted, freezing the entire valley and transforming it into a land of frost. The Ice Casket itself changed shape as it turned into three small blue orbs.

"Are these Enlightenment Grounds that have been conquered?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"That's right," Madam Rouge confirmed. "They're just a fusion of several Enlightenment Grounds, but the method of fusion was so sophisticated that it hid their true nature." Madam Rouge tossed Xiao Nanfeng the three orbs.

Xiao Nanfeng furrowed his brows. "Using Enlightenment Grounds to counter one another—no wonder it was able to confine Saint Lun Hui's yin body and deflect the energy from that pillar of white light. This must be why Gan Qing wanted to purchase the cores of these Enlightenment Grounds."

Madam Rouge nodded. She turned to her surroundings. "This hidden realm is rather interesting, isn't it?"

"Could you examine it for me?" Xiao Nanfeng requested. "The Heavenly Emperor mentioned that the original owner of these black coffins was also someone who opposed the heavens, so he didn't want to interfere with his plans. However, I suspect that the original owner had some hidden schemes in mind. That's why I haven't dared to combine the three coffins. Additionally, Ye Sanshui's ancestral zombie body is also from this hidden realm. He left a message by that altar over there. Please take a look."

Madam Rouge examined the hidden realm for some time, then frowned as she read his message. "He lived through a second era?"

"Indeed. I suspect that, if the three coffins or three ancestral zombies are combined, he may be revived in a third life," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Yu Fuli may be a bit too cautious. Give me the black coffin and the ancestral zombies' blood to study," Madam Rouge instructed.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

Then, the two of them emerged from the black coffin.

Outside, Xiao Nanfeng gave his subordinates specific instructions before leaving the green knoll hidden realm with Madam Rouge.

He was willing to help the Heavenly Emperor search for the primordial altar, but the fact that no one had found it after all these years made him suspect that he wouldn't be able to locate it just by wandering around. Rather than waste time himself, he would instead dispatch his subordinates for a thorough search.

Elsewhere, in Dadong's capital within the green knoll hidden realm, three women stood at the entrance to a hall.

Han Gucheng's avatar returned with Han Bing and landed before the three women.

"Mother, you're really alive! And Second Madam and Third Madam as well!" Han Bing exclaimed.

Gan Qing clapsed Han Bing's hand with a look of relief. "It's good to have you back."

Lin Wanqing and the Immortal Emperor of Dadong also smiled warmly.

"Bing'er's physical body is in Xiao Nanfeng's possession at the moment. Help him construct a temporary one," Han Gucheng instructed.

"Of course," the three women agreed in unison.

"Will you be heading out, Husband?" Gan Qing asked.

Han Gucheng nodded. "My main body will accompany you, but this avatar has matters to attend to." avatars "Take care, Husband!" the three women called out.

Han Gucheng parted from his family and disappeared into the fog. Soon, he found an Enlightenment Grounds and entered it. Quickly thereafter, he located the master of the Enlightenment Grounds.

"Are you Han Gucheng?" the master demanded.

"I want to see your overseer, Saint Lun Hui. There's something I'd like to discuss with him."

"What about?" the master asked warily.

"Just deliver my message. Don't worry about the details," Han Gucheng replied curtly.

The master's expression flickered. In the end, he chose not to engage in combat and used a secret technique to contact Saint Lun Hui.

Before long, the master replied, "The overseer happens to be nearby. Wait here for him to arrive."

"Very well." Han Gucheng nodded.

The master allowed Han Gucheng out of the Enlightenment Grounds. He waited nearby; shortly thereafter, a figure flew over from afar.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

It was Saint Lun Hui's avatar. Several other figures were hidden in the fog to his back, likely his subordinates, and prepared to surround Han Gucheng at a moment's notice.

"What do you want, Han Gucheng?" Saint Lun Hui demanded.

Han Gucheng glanced at the figures hidden in the fog but paid them no mind. He bowed respectfully. "It is an honor to meet you, Saint Lun Hui."

"I have no interest in your honor," Saint Lun Hui replied coldly.

Unbothered, Han Gucheng smiled and replied, "Saint Lun Hui, I know you resent me for opposing you in days past—but even without me, don't you think that Xiao Nanfeng's companion would have caused you equal harm?"

"What do you want?" Saint Lun Hui reiterated.

"The animosity between us stems only from conflicting interests. We don't have a grudge against each other beyond that. I'm reaching out to you with an alliance in mind."

"An alliance? To deal with Xiao Nanfeng?" Saint Lun Hui sneered.

"Xiao Nanfeng is our mutual enemy, and we would attack him regardless. My proposal involves something else."

"Oh?"

"There's a pavilion nearby. Why don't we have a seat and discuss this calmly?" Han Gucheng suggested.

He gestured toward a pavilion atop a mountain peak in the vicinity, which he had had his subordinates build earlier. Near the pavilion, some of his subordinates had even prepared tea.

Saint Lun Hui hesitated for a brief moment, but ultimately agreed out of curiosity.

The two cultivators reached the pavilion and sat down.

Han Gucheng personally poured Saint Lun Hui a cup of tea.

"Hmph!" Saint Lun Hui snorted, but lifted his teacup regardless.

"I assume you've realized by now that the three divine empires within the green knoll hidden realm are all mine," Han Gucheng began.

Saint Lun Hui shot him a cold glance. He had deduced this, though only recently. The Immortal Emperors of all three empires were women—Han Gucheng's women, to be precise.

They had entered the green knoll hidden realm with altered appearances dozens of years ago, so no one had suspected Han Gucheng's involvement until recently.

Saint Lun Hui couldn't help but marvel at how much Han Gucheng had managed to achieve in the span of mere decades.

"In truth, I only became interested in the green knoll hidden realm because I learned that you were seeking something there," Han Gucheng continued, smiling.

Saint Lun Hui frowned. "How much do you know?"

He didn't understand how his secret had been leaked, and was deeply curious.

"Three centuries ago, you once fought against Saint Chi Hai. You forced him out of the green knoll hidden realm—and your objectives haven't been a secret since."

"Chi Hai, that bastard, told you about my plans?" Saint Lun Hui's expression darkened.

That explained everything. So Chi Hai was responsible!

Han Gucheng nodded. "That's right. I know your secret: you've been guarding the primordial altar. You're hoping to gain control over all the Enlightenment Grounds and reclaim the treasures sacrificed to the altar."

Saint Lun Hui sipped his tea. "Continue."

"I initially wanted to compete with you for the treasure, but as you saw, our conflict simply benefited Xiao Nanfeng. You must be as frustrated as I am."

Saint Lun Hui frowned. He indeed loathed Xiao Nanfeng, who had not only stolen his treasures but also killed several of his avatars.

"You went to Dahan's capital to provoke my son into abducting Lan Yaoguang, hoping to recruit him to your cause, didn't you? My son has nothing that would catch your attention save the technique he cultivates, the Frozen Heart's Elegy. You need that technique to achieve your goals, don't you?"

"Did Chi Hai tell you that as well?" Saint Lun Hui demanded.

Han Gucheng neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. "He told me quite a bit, but he's no longer with us. We might as well move on. I'm here to propose a mutually beneficial alliance."

Saint Lun Hui harrumphed. "And what are your terms?"

"I taught my son the Frozen Heart's Elegy, and my mastery of the technique is superior. I'll cooperate with you," Han Gucheng said.

"And in return?"

"I'd like to borrow your primordial altar."

"Oh?"

"The primordial altar has existed for countless years, and the strongest cultivators in all of history have made offerings to it. Among these offerings are rare cursed effigies, one of which I intend to claim for myself."

"You intend to turn yourself into a cursed effigy?" Saint Lun Hui narrowed his eyes.

"Indeed. With the tribulation of the era looming, I, like you, believe that Yu Fuli is doomed to failure. When that happens, all great cultivators will perish. I seek to escape that fate. I intend to transform into a cursed effigy and survive to awaken in another era. I won't be able to exchange for a new cursed effigy from the world away, so my only other recourse is to obtain one that already exists. I'll have the primordial altar help me purge the consciousness of the cursed effigy beforehand. It won't compare to a brand-new cursed effigy, but it's far better than the symbiotic options widely available."

Saint Lun Hui narrowed his eyes. Was Han Gucheng really doing all this in fear of death? That made sense.

"Saint, we'll both benefit by working together. What say you?"

Saint Lun Hui considered this proposal for a moment. He sneered inwardly. Once he got what he wanted, he'd be able to renege on his word and turn Han Gucheng into his pawn. He smiled and replied, "Very well. Let's work together, then."