Chapter 665: Plan for The Eastern Region, Future Immortal Emperor?

Wang Sheng listened to Qinghua as layer upon layer of figures appeared before him.

They once stood at the summit of the Great Dao, only for it to cast them aside.

Qinghua spoke in his usual steady, calm, and unhurried tone, as if no emotion stirred within him. Yet beneath his composure lay a long suppressed weight of grievance and indignation that had finally been given voice.

Through the shifting phantasm before him, Wang Sheng seemingly saw Ziwei try to hold up a collapsing world, only to fall without regret and leave behind a few faint Dao traces to guide those who would come after. He saw the ancient battlefield where millions of corpses had drifted for hundreds of thousands of years, until even their bones had become nourishment for celestial insects.

He saw the once lofty immortals and deities of the Heavenly Court, now curled into corners, hiding in silence.

There was no wine right now. Otherwise, Wang Sheng truly would have drunk deeply with his supposed uncle-in-law and drowned their sorrows together.

Even now, he still did not know whether Qinghua was male or female, or whether he should be considered his and Mu Wanxuan's senior. Perhaps using gender to define Primordial Beings was shallow to begin with. Considering Qinghua and Mu Wanxuan were both spirits born from the Fusang Tree, "elder brother" suited Qinghua more.

For now, Wang Sheng would think of him as his uncle-in-law.

Yaoyun murmured in admiration, "False spirit merging with memory... That truly sounds unbelievable."

Qinghua smiled. "Your Highness, you were once a remnant soul before becoming a spiritual entity. Now, you're both a living being and a spirit. Is that not just as unbelievable?"

Yaoyun glanced at Wang Sheng with a trace of helplessness in her eyes. Softly, she replied, "I simply benefited from my sword master's kindness."

Wang Sheng smiled and shook his head. "We are on the same side. There is no need to speak of favors."

"

Hmph!

Who says I'm on your side?" Yaoyun's lips curved faintly. "I am the sword and its sword spirit. You are my sword master. That is all."

Qinghua watched the pair bicker with a faint smile and an unexpectedly gentle look in his eyes.

Yaoyun turned back to him. "False spirits within the space's Great Dao should exist opposite to true spirits. Mutual resonance links the two. If the true spirit is extinguished, the false spirit should vanish as well. How can one remain alone?"

Slowly, Qinghua replied, "The Dao and principles involved are quite complex. Ultimately, though, this divine tree simply protected me. The Great Dao is impartial, and the true spirit and false spirit arise from nothingness. We simply give them distinctions to help us describe them.

"The same applies to what we call illusory and reality; we give them meanings based only on what we know. In truth, the Great Dao expresses itself in countless forms, some of which are beyond our comprehension. The true spirit and the false spirit are, at their core, the same kind of existence."

Wang Sheng pondered for a moment. He raised a hand and used his immortal power to draw a straight line in the air before him. "Is it something like this?"

With a flick of his finger, the line turned into a perfect wave. He then marked two adjacent points, one above and one below, and rotated the wave along its horizontal axis.

Yaoyun stared blankly at the image, clearly lost.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Qinghua, on the other hand, clapped his hands and laughed. "Wonderful! This is more vivid than a thousand explanations."

Yaoyun was rendered speechless. Though Wang Sheng finally understood, he wisely chose not to pursue the topic further since she was on the verge of shutting down.

"Your Imperial Majesty, there is something I do not understand."

"Does it concern the arrangements I have made?"

"

Mm.

" Wang Sheng lowered his voice. "I should not speak of this, and I can't interfere with any decision you make. Still, I am worried for my senior sister's safety. May I ask, was it you who set up a grand array here to absorb the death aura?"

"Correct. I created that array myself. I named it the Nine-Extremity Life Reversal. Its original purpose was to reverse life and death, transforming life into death. I used the roots of the divine tree as the formation disk."

Qinghua half-closed his eyes.

"It does more than absorb death auras. Its true function is to merge the Great Dao of Death with my withered corpse. Using death aura, I can refine this divine tree and transform the endless vitality it has accumulated into more death aura, which I can then use to complete my Dao."

Wang Sheng and Yaoyun both felt their hearts tremble.

"Do you think I am too ruthless?" Qinghua smiled bitterly as he looked up at the dense canopy above. "It saved me, yet I plan to destroy it. That is repaying kindness with hatred. It can even be called my biological mother. I took form because it suffered a tribulation, after which it struggled to live a second life. In the end, I'm treating it this way. There is no greater unfilial cruelty, but I have no other choice."

No other choice...

Wang Sheng did not know how to respond. He could only look at the phantasm of the Heavenly Minister before him.

An indescribable majesty surrounded Qinghua as his emotions surged more fiercely than before.

"The immortals and deities of the Heavenly Court upheld the stability of the Three Realms and blessed countless beings, yet traitors slaughtered us. How can I not bear hatred?

"His Majesty the Immortal Emperor sought to break the Three Pure Ones' control over the Heavenly Court and ensure that the Three Realms would flourish forever. However, the Three Pure Ones abandoned him instead, leading to his cruel demise. How can I not resent them?

"I need the power of this divine tree. I have to become stronger than when I governed the Great Dao of Life. Only once I have stood higher than before can I demand an answer from them! I will send those who killed the immortals of my Heavenly Court into eternal silence!

"If the Great Dao has betrayed the Heavenly Court, then I will overturn the Great Dao! If the Three Pure Ones have betrayed His Majesty, then I will go and question them myself! If I do not, how can I face the lingering spirits of my old friends?"

To overturn the Great Dao. To question the Three Pure Ones!

Wang Sheng looked at Qinghua's piercing gaze and felt his emotions surge like a rising tide. Beside him, Yaoyun's eyes had already reddened.

Qinghua breathed a slow sigh of relief. The pressure around him faded, and the sharp authority he had just displayed disappeared completely. He returned to his usual refined and smiling demeanor.

He looked steadily at Wang Sheng and solemnly asked, "Fei Yu, are you willing to walk this path with me?"

However, Wang Sheng was still trying to steady himself. "Emperor..."

Qinghua said firmly, "Even though you used the Malicious-Blood Jade to conceal your heavenly fate, you cannot hide the heavenly fate that you inherited from the Heavenly Court. With it upon you, you are destined to become a key figure in the restoration of the Heavenly Court. Moreover, you carry Ziwei's Daoist heritage, and the thirteenth princess stands at your side. That is enough to win the hearts of the people."

Win the hearts of the people?

Wang Sheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Emperor, are you asking me to step up and rally everyone?"

Qinghua's expression only grew more serious. "Why shouldn't you?"

"

Uh...

"

"After the Immortal Emperor fell, why did the Heavenly Court suffer such a crushing defeat at the hands of those traitors? In truth, it was because we no longer had a leader.

"Emperor Ziwei sought to restore the Heavenly Court, but he came out too hastily. The experts of the Heavenly Court had not yet replenished their primal qi, and there were too few who could shoulder the burden alone. He had to handle everything himself, which eventually led to him being surrounded and slain. But you are different."

Qinghua gazed at the palace within the tree trunk.

"In several tens of thousands of years, Little Qing will fully accept the Great Dao of Life that I have left behind. With my guidance, it will only be a matter of time before she gains a powerful divine ability.

"When I awaken my divine corpse, I will become even stronger than I've ever been at my peak. I can protect you and Little Qing, ensure that she steadily masters the Dao of Life, and raise her to the position I once held.

"With our support, you only have to steadily reach the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm. Afterward, you may raise the banner of the Heavenly Court's restoration, gather its former generals, and strike back at the Immortal Saint Realm!"

Wang Sheng's mind fell into disarray. Hearing "several tens of thousands of years" rendered him speechless.

Yaoyun remained silent beside him. The way she looked at Wang Sheng was gentler than usual, as if telling him that no matter what choice he made, she would stand by him without question as his sword spirit.

"Emperor, I am only a minor sword cultivator. Besides, why can't you take this role yourself?"

Qinghua smiled faintly. "Do not belittle yourself. Tell me, would a corpse with the Great Dao of Death be suited to sit in that position?"

Wang Sheng didn't know what to say.

"Once I wipe out those traitors, I will go to the Three Pure Ones and demand clarity about what happened in the past. There is a chance that I may not even return alive. Fei Yu, why are you hesitating?"

"I..."

Wang Sheng faltered. In his mind rose the image of Earth and the countless familiar figures on it—his family, his teachers, his friends, the many faces of its cultivation world, and the splendid rivers and mountains of the Hua Republic.

In that instant, he understood what he truly wanted; he finally found the answer to the question that had lingered in his heart when he left the thirteen qi planets with his senior sister.

Wang Sheng rose and offered Emperor Qinghua a Daoist salute. "Your Imperial Majesty, I will give everything I have to aid the restoration of the Heavenly Court. Even if I die and my Dao is extinguished, I will have no regrets!"

The confusion in his eyes had cleared, leaving only calm resolve.

"But I only wish to settle all matters here, return home with my senior sister, and spend our lives together until we grow old. I truly cannot carry that banner."

Qinghua frowned slightly. "Do you know how many immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court are waiting for someone like you to appear? The others and I are all old officials of the Heavenly Court. We need new blood. We need a new force capable of leading the Heavenly Court to soar once more."

Wang Sheng met his gaze without hesitation. "Your Imperial Majesty, my forefather was an immortal of the Heavenly Court, and my Daoist heritage comes from the same faction. I am part of it. But I do not desire to command the Three Realms or place such weight upon my own shoulders. I cannot agree to this now, and I cannot leave with you. There are matters I have to handle first."

"What matters?"

Gravely serious, Wang Sheng answered, "I have to guide the cultivators of my homeland safely into the endless space. My homeland is the place where Emperor Ziwei and the immortals of the Heavenly Court once hid. It was undisturbed for many years, but the revival of cultivation there has created many unknown dangers. That is the most urgent matter I have to handle."

Qinghua nodded slowly and smiled. "I did not misjudge you. It is good that you have your own convictions. Since you cannot agree now, I will simply wait for you to come to me of your own will."

A faint sense of unease rose in Wang Sheng's heart.

As expected, Qinghua added calmly, "However, from now on, Little Qing will remain by my side."

Wang Sheng's eyes widened. "Your Imperial Majesty, my senior sister—"

"Do you believe I cannot protect Little Qing?" Qinghua asked, his gaze fixed on Wang Sheng. "Or do you think that her inheriting my mantle is less important than staying with you at this moment?"

Wang Sheng fell silent. He looked at Qinghua but could not refute him.

"When you have resolved your urgent matters, come find us," Qinghua said.

Yaoyun rose and bowed at him. "Your Imperial Majesty, please do not put my sword master in such a difficult position. Hua Qing is like the other half of his life."

Qinghua raised a hand, making a strand of emerald light lift Yaoyun gently back up.

"There's no need for that, Your Highness. My decision is final. Since the Nine-Extremity Life Reversal is already complete, I can take Little Qing away at any time. Fei Yu, I do not intend to trouble you. I have simply resolved to support you as the leader of the Heavenly Court's restoration. Even if your forefather were to come here and plead, he would not be able to change my mind."

Wang Sheng's eyebrows drew tightly together as he stared at the emperor, who had suddenly become unreasonable.

Senior Sister...