In a garden within the Longteng Imperial Dynasty of the Mid-State.
Exotic flowers and rare herbs vied in beauty, and a spiritual spring gurgled nearby.
Every blade of grass and tree here contained dao rhyme; a mere breath taken by an ordinary Cultivator could slightly improve their cultivation.
In a pavilion in the center of the garden, two people sat opposite each other at a chessboard carved from ten-thousand-year-old warm jade.
On the left sat the Longteng Emperor, wearing purple-gold dragon robes and exuding a majestic aura.
On the right was a woman dressed in pale white palace attire, with a gentle and tranquil temperament.
She appeared to be only in her early twenties, her features refined and ethereal, yet her brows held the clarity and peace of someone who had weathered ten thousand years of vicissitudes, like an orchid blooming quietly in an empty valley.
However, if one perceived carefully, one could detect that although the aura around her was vast as the sea, there was a faint sense of twilight.
She was one of the ten of Ascension to Immortality in the Canglan Continent, the Dao Companion of the Longteng Emperor, and also his former Master, Saint Lord Yaoguang.
At this moment, she was holding a white piece, her fingertips lightly pinching it, placing it silently to stand on equal footing with the Longteng Emperor, not yielding an inch.
"Yaoer, there is new news from the Southern Region."
The Longteng Emperor placed a piece, his voice warm and mellow, breaking the silence in the pavilion.
Saint Lord Yaoguang heard this and raised her eyes to look at him; a flash of realization passed through those eyes that seemed capable of discerning the world's affairs, with no great surprise.
"It is those two girls, Qingxuan and Ling Shuang, who have both gone to the Southern Region, right?"
Her voice was soft and melodious, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, carrying a soothing power.
"Correct."
The Longteng Emperor nodded slightly and pushed a Jade Slip containing a secret report to the side of the chessboard.
"Not only did they go, but it looks like they have both settled down there."
Saint Lord Yaoguang did not look at the Jade Slip immediately, but gently placed a piece, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"Those two... they have been fighting each other for thirty thousand years, neither willing to yield to the other."
"Now, a Gu Han has suddenly appeared in the Southern Region, and she also happens to be a woman, revered as the Yaochi Empress..."
She paused, shook her head, her tone carrying the helplessness and indulgence of an Elder watching a Junior's mischief.
"With Qingxuan's nature of not wanting to suffer a loss, and Ling Shuang's stubborn and direct temper, it would be strange if they didn't run over to 'take a look'."
A hint of a smile flashed in the Longteng Emperor's eyes:
"According to reports from spies, on the day Qingxuan arrived, she was already at odds with Ling Shuang outside the main hall of the Jade Pool Immortal Palace."
"If that Yaochi Empress hadn't stepped in to mediate, I fear they would have started fighting again."
"The Southern Region is now in a state of unrest, feeling both honored and fearful that their old grudges will erupt and cause collateral damage."
Saint Lord Yaoguang listened, the smile on her lips deepening, though there were no ripples in her eyes, as if she were long accustomed to it.
"Let them make their noise. Qingxuan seems casual, but she is actually meticulous and understands propriety best."
"Although Ling Shuang is direct, she is not mindless or reckless. With Gu Han in the middle, they cannot stir up too much trouble."
She changed the subject, her gaze falling on the Longteng Emperor's face, and said softly:
"You specifically brought this up, not just to talk about the 'commotion' between the two of them, right?"
The Longteng Emperor withdrew his smile, his expression becoming serious.
He waved his hand to set up an isolation barrier, ensuring that the conversation in the pavilion could not be leaked, and then spoke slowly:
"I cannot see through this Gu Han."
Images of that day under the starry sky, where Gu Han summoned the Donghuang Bell and casually suppressed Ling Shuang's soul-burning strike, appeared in his eyes.
"Her cultivation is definitely not just at the Early Stage of Ascension to Immortality."
"The grade of that bell is so high that even my dragon soul sword felt a faint pressure; it is definitely not an item from the Canglan Continent."
"The Jade Pool Immortal Palace she established has existed for little more than a year, yet she already has two Elders at the Ninth Level of Undergoing Tribulation under her command, and her Disciples all have terrifyingly solid Foundations..."
The Longteng Emperor's voice lowered, carrying a rare weight and inquiry:
"Most importantly, it is her background; no matter how I investigate... she is as if she appeared out of thin air..."
Saint Lord Yaoguang listened quietly, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing against the warm chess piece.
When she heard "appeared out of thin air," a ripple stirred in the depths of her eyes, which were as calm as an ancient well.
"You mean..."
She spoke slowly,
"They might... not be people of this world?"
The Longteng Emperor was silent for a moment, then nodded:
"Exactly... this is also the point I value most about her."
He looked up at the ethereal sea of clouds outside the pavilion, his voice carrying a hint of sorrow,
"Yaoer, your Lifespan..."
Saint Lord Yaoguang's body stiffened slightly, then returned to calm, though the gentle smile faded a little.
"I have long since viewed life and death with indifference... it is just..."
She looked at the Longteng Emperor, her eyes full of love and a trace of reluctance.
"It is just that I cannot rest easy regarding you..."
The Longteng Emperor tightly grasped her hand resting on the chessboard, a stinging pain in his heart.
He could clearly feel the vitality within his wife's body flowing away at an extremely slow, yet irreversible, speed.
The Lifespan of an Ascension to Immortality is one hundred thousand years; this is the limit.
If one is unable to reach a higher Realm, even an expert of Ascension to Immortality will die and return to the heavens and earth once the one-hundred-thousand-year limit is reached.
His Dao Companion has lived for ninety-three thousand years.
If no miracle occurs, she will reach the end of her life in at most six or seven thousand years.
"Therefore, Gu Han might be a variable."
The Longteng Emperor's voice was resolute, carrying the decisiveness of an emperor.
"She has secrets we do not understand, and treasures and Legacies that transcend the cognition of this world."
"The Mid-State Pact gathers the Ascension to Immortality experts of the Five Regions to explore the mystery of the immortal path together; she will be an indispensable part of it."
"Qingxuan and Ling Shuang approaching her might have their own motives, but to some extent, they are also confirming her value."
Saint Lord Yaoguang patted the back of the Longteng Emperor's hand, her eyes filled with gratification and understanding.
"Do as you think best, but..."
She frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of a reminder:
"Everything must be done with method; do not make enemies for no reason."
The Longteng Emperor nodded solemnly:
"Rest assured, Yaoer, I have my own sense of propriety."
Saint Lord Yaoguang heard this and smiled faintly,
"Forget it, you make the decisions on these matters."
She paused, her gaze returning to the chessboard, her tone recovering its previous gentleness and calmness, yet faintly carrying a trace of hope:
"I only hope that she can truly bring us a glimmer of dawn."
"My time is not much, but if I can see the hope of the immortal path restarting, even if it is just a glimmer, it will be enough."
The Longteng Emperor gripped her hand tightly, an incomparably firm light bursting in his eyes.
"It will certainly happen; the immortal path must open!"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"