Chapter 647: Overseeing the Entire Situation

When Wang Sheng asked whether the coffin contained the remains of Qinghua, Xing'er only smiled faintly at him. After a moment, she answered, "I do not know."

Wang Sheng and Yaoyun were puzzled.

She doesn't know?

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Apricot-Yellow Banner was a supreme treasure, and Xing'er[1] was the spirit it manifested. There was no reason for her to deceive them, nor any need to explain further. Those three words alone were enough to end Wang Sheng's questioning.

Perhaps out of regard for the wooden sword, or because she considered Wang Sheng a fellow guardian of the coffin, she added, "When I was placed here, the coffin was already like this. Emperor Qinghua was certainly the one who ordered me to guard this place, though, and since I chose to follow him back then, I naturally obeyed his command. Anything else lies beyond what I am meant to concern myself with."

Wang Sheng turned toward Yaoyun and remarked pointedly, "Senior, you truly embody the ideal integrity of a spiritual entity!"

Yaoyun snorted softly and acted as though she had not heard him at all.

Xing'er asked, "The one cultivating in the immortal palace above and absorbing the divine tree's source should be the original spirit of this tree and also Emperor Qinghua's former disciple. What is your connection to her?"

Yaoyun replied calmly, "She is his Daoist partner."

Xing'er smiled. "No wonder. Whenever she enters deep meditation, your image always surfaces in her mind. Living beings truly are fascinating. Even after attaining the fruit of immortality, you still dwell on matters of lineage and reproduction."

Yaoyun was at a loss for words.

Wang Sheng laughed casually. "For certain races born powerful within the endless space, perhaps such concerns are unnecessary. We humans are weak by nature, and these instincts are carved into our bones."

"Oh?" Xing'er replied. "While following my previous master, I once witnessed Saint Nuwa create the human race. She clearly endowed you with many divine abilities through the Great Dao of Creation."

Wang Sheng smiled wryly. "Perhaps they were... lost along the way."

He suddenly recalled that the girl before him was a supreme treasure born from a lotus leaf of the Chaos Green Lotus, an existence that had persisted since the dawn of heaven and earth. Her experience and insight far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

"Senior, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course. If I know the answers, I will tell you," Xing'er replied gently, her smile soft and warm, so much like Mu Wanxuan back then.

Back then, his senior sister had still been frail and lacked the vibrant presence Xing'er now possessed.

Earlier, Xing'er had mentioned that supreme treasures should not give birth to artifact spirits since the Great Dao forbade such existence. She had only gained spiritual form by merging with this divine tree.

The original spirit of the divine tree had passed through the Six Paths of Reincarnation and become Hua Qing, who then reincarnated as Mu Wanxuan. That was why they looked so much alike.

Before Wang Sheng could speak, Xing'er added, "Not only have I spent most of my years in stillness, but I rarely emerged. I have only witnessed the outside world a handful of times, mostly during battles."

Wang Sheng found himself momentarily speechless. After all, she made a lot of sense. Supreme treasures were usually stored within spatial artifacts, not carried openly everywhere.

"I spoke out of turn. Did you take part in the war that led to the destruction of the Heavenly Court?"

"Of course. When the Heavenly Court fell, Emperor Qinghua wielded me and rescued many immortals. However, he was already suffering from the Five Heavenly Declines and had little strength left, forcing him to rely solely on arrays. That battle severely worsened his condition." Looking at the coffin, she softly added, "I don't know if he really is in this, but he ordered me to guard this place, which probably has profound intent."

Yaoyun sighed and knelt before the coffin. She kowtowed several times, pressing her forehead to the ground.

"Is she an old acquaintance of Emperor Qinghua?" Xing'er asked.

"No. She is the thirteenth princess of the Heavenly Court and the daughter of Immortal Emperor Haotian," Wang Sheng explained.

Xing'er simply nodded gently.

By the time Yaoyun finished her bows, her eyes were already slightly red.

Wang Sheng gently remarked, "It's not your fault. The truth of that era remains unclear, and it is still too early to decide who was right or wrong. Do not be sad. I will stay by your side and uncover the truth of what happened after the Heavenly Court fell."

"So that's what you wished to ask," Xing'er said. "Back then, I heard several of Emperor Qinghua's subordinates cry out in anger, accusing the Immortal Emperor of abandoning them.

"Emperor Qinghua scolded them and said that even if the Immortal Emperor did not stake everything on one final gamble, the Heavenly Court would still fall, and the Three Realms would return to chaos."

Wang Sheng was puzzled.

If the Immortal Emperor did not make that gamble, the Heavenly Court would still be destroyed? The Three Realms would still descend into chaos?

Yaoyun merely lowered her head and sighed, lost in her thoughts.

Before them stood a coffin that could contain one of the Four Heavenly Ministers and a supreme treasure that they could not take.

All Wang Sheng could do was laugh bitterly a few times. He then cleared his mind and regained his composure. These matters were far beyond what a mere True Immortal could influence. Being able to witness the Apricot-Yellow Banner, a supreme treasure that supposedly existed only in legends, was already a rare stroke of fortune.

If it was not his sword treasure, why covet it? If it was not his Dao of the Sword, why inquire more about it?

"Senior, you didn't bring me here just to strike me three times, did you?"

Xing'er pointed toward Wang Sheng's chest, where the wooden sword had already darted over. "I didn't sense its presence earlier, but when I saw you wearing Xin Yuehu's jade pendant, I guided you here to lend you some aid. Hua Qing, who is cultivating in the palace above, is deeply worried about your safety and fears that you would be in danger. Here, this is for you."

She raised a finger and gently pointed at Wang Sheng. The Apricot-Yellow Banner swayed softly, and a stream of apricot-yellow light flew out from the mist-shrouded surface of the flag. It transformed into a bronze mirror that floated before Wang Sheng. Immortal light then swirled across its surface, quickly forming a clear image.

Wang Sheng saw Mu Wanxuan floating in a pool that looked like a lake, her arms spread wide. Her robes clung to her, and her long hair drifted behind her.

It was a breathtaking sight.

"This is a mirror formed from my true body," Xing'er said. "As long as you remain here, you can use it to observe everything inside and outside the grand array. The divine tree and the surrounding array are connected to me, so they can help you avoid certain dangers.

"If a powerful being attacks you, simply hold this mirror before you. It will protect you twice."

She sounded so casual, yet her every word carried overwhelming weight.

According to her, the mirror could shield him from the attacks of truly powerful experts twice. That made it a consumable defensive supreme treasure, much like a token of death immunity!

Even so, Wang Sheng valued its other ability even more: the power to oversee the entire situation. With a single thought, the image shifted from his senior sister soaking and resting in the immortal palace to a sweeping view that overlooked the entire array.

The mirror was only the size of his palm, yet it displayed every detail without the slightest distortion. After receiving the primordial power of Nuwa's descendant, Wang Sheng's eyesight far surpassed that of ordinary True Immortals. With a single glance, he could take in the entire array.

Many cultivators were cautiously advancing through the outer regions. Most gathered around restrictions that sealed away treasures and medicinal herbs, while others were already locked in battle.

As Wang Sheng searched more carefully, he saw countless skeletons scattered throughout the outer array. In several killing arrays, blood flowed freely, and corpses were piled upon one another.

"How many immortals have already died here?"

Yaoyun whispered, "Only a few ever gain real benefits. Yet everyone believes they will be the lucky ones, never realizing they are merely bones paving the way for others."

Xing'er explained, "Since Emperor Qinghua's disciple has already been found, these restrictions no longer serve any purpose. According to his orders, once Hua Qing fully accepts the Daoist heritage here and absorbs enough of the divine tree's source, I will depart with the coffin.

"When that time comes, remember not to stray too far from the divine tree. I will take both you and Hua Qing away."

Without hesitation, Wang Sheng replied, "Alright."

A heavy weight was finally lifted from his heart.

He had long worried that entering this place had been far too easy and that leaving would invite attacks from all sides.

He had not expected Qinghua to have arranged everything in advance. Now, all he had to do was prevent others from approaching the palace.

"Senior, can you not just seal the array entrance right now?"

"Since Emperor Qinghua did not anticipate that his own disciple would reach this place, he did not leave such an order. I can only act according to the commands he left behind. The immortal palace does not restrict entry to a single person. Anyone who fights through the deadly trials and reaches this place may enter and cultivate there.

"However, that would inevitably reduce the benefits your Daoist partner receives. If you wish to enter the palace and claim Emperor Qinghua's Daoist heritage, you may leave now, pass your jade pendant to someone else, and break through the array once more. Then you would also be able to cultivate inside."

Wang Sheng smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I'll pass. I will stay here and guard my senior sister. Too many inheritances are useless if I can't refine them all anyway."

A sly glint flashed in Xing'er's eyes. "Emperor Qinghua's Great Dao of Life possesses boundless potential. It is said to surpass even the Dao of the Saints."

Wang Sheng silently shook his head. He spread his right hand, and sword intent surged from the tips of his fingers. His Astral, Heavenly Tribulation, Pure Yang, Dual-Polarity, and Dragon-Slaying Sword Intents appeared all at once. Since the Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent within him had been obtained rather than cultivated, it did not manifest at this moment.

Even so, Xing'er still fell silent. She pointed at the Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent. "How did you comprehend this sword intent?"

Wang Sheng made a hushing gesture and pointed upward. Immediately understanding what he meant, she asked no further questions. With the bronze mirror in hand, his journey had not been fruitless anyway. She had nothing else to give him.

Thinking of the situation outside, Wang Sheng prepared to take his leave and use the mirror to observe the entire array.

Just as he was about to depart, Xing'er said, "Those breaking through the array will take a long time to pass the first trial. Outside, the primal qi is mixed with a trace of the divine tree's essence. You should cultivate here for a while; it will greatly benefit you."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

"It is nothing..." Xing'er gazed gently at his chest. "In the future, treat it well. If you encounter treasures that want to strike you, have it speak on your behalf."

Smiling, Wang Sheng clasped his hands. He then felt a familiar wave of pain surge through him.

Yaoyun transformed into Spiritless and floated nearby. Holding the bronze mirror, Wang Sheng turned and flew outward. A faint translucent barrier appeared ahead, and beyond it lay the dense emerald lake.

Before entering, he glanced back, finding a gray death aura seeping from the seams of the coffin. Xing'er had already vanished, leaving only the Apricot-Yellow Banner drifting gently in place.

The wooden sword emerged from his chest, reluctant to leave.

Wang Sheng flicked its tip with a finger and grinned. "Your family background is quite impressive."

The wooden sword hummed and darted back into him, suppressing the Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent on its own. It clearly didn't want to bother with its master.

Wang Sheng sighed inwardly.

His life as a sword cultivator would truly be complete if he could have a sword spirit like Xing'er, who respected her master so thoroughly.

The long-ignored little dragon spirit made the Dragon Sword on his back tremble lightly, faintly making its presence known.

1. The "er" is a variation of "Xiao" or "Little" (name). It is added at the end of a name as a nickname or to soften the name and make it feel warmer. ☜