Emperor Qianyin and Emperor Fuzhi had gone in together, but only Emperor Fuzhi came out. The moment people outside saw this, their minds jumped to a conclusion.
Emperor Chimei, also from the War God Hall, along with two other mechanists, immediately stepped forward and asked, "Emperor Fuzhi, may we ask where Emperor Qianyin is?"
Emperor Fuzhi's face showed regret. "Emperor Qianyin unfortunately triggered a True Spirit Tribulation during the inheritance trial... she's already dead."
"What?!" The three of them were visibly shaken.
If it had been a normal death, then Emperor Qianyin might still be revived. Her induction into the War God Hall was proof that she'd made great contributions in the past. If she died, the Empire would likely request the Reincarnation Hall to resurrect her.
But to die under a True Spirit Tribulation? There was nothing they could do.
No one had ever heard of someone dying in a True Spirit Tribulation and then being brought back.
"How could she suddenly encounter a True Spirit Tribulation? I was her close friend and never heard anything about this. Emperor Fuzhi, do you have any proof?" One bald mechanist, his face tense, stared hard at Fuzhi.
Emperor Fuzhi turned to look at him. "Emperor Haigong, I was concentrating fully on my own inheritance trial at the time. How could I possibly have paid attention to Emperor Qianyin? By the time I realized anything was wrong, she had already turned to ash."
"So, no proof? Then let me ask you this—did you receive the inheritance?"
"Yes," Emperor Fuzhi nodded.
Emperor Haigong's tone turned colder. "You, a sword cultivator, were competing with Emperor Qianyin. And in the end, you got the inheritance while she died?"
"You must have taken the chance to kill her!"
Emperor Chimei and the other mechanist exchanged glances and found the accusation quite reasonable. They immediately united their stance. "Emperor Fuzhi, please come with us back to the War God Hall."
"If it turns out you were telling the truth, we'll offer you a formal apology."
Standing at the top of the steps, Emperor Fuzhi swept his gaze over the three, then over Zhao Xing. His expression darkened.
"I was able to obtain the inheritance because I dual-cultivate in sword and music. I qualified for it!"
"I can explain to the Ancient Kingdom Alliance, and I can explain to Elder Bowe—but I owe no explanation to the War God Hall."
"Besides, under the Wilderness Exploration Pact, killing is permitted. Even if I did kill her—which I didn't—what could you possibly do?"
"You admit it?!" Emperor Haigong's eyes were icy. "Bowe really is a treacherous schemer!"
Hearing that, a flicker of killing intent flashed through Emperor Fuzhi's eyes. "Get lost. Don't force me to strike!"
A wave of killing pressure surged through the air, a layer of frost forming on the ground beneath them.
Zhao Xing frowned and retreated behind Emperor Chimei and the others.
Emperor Fuzhi might have originated from the Ancient Kingdom Alliance, but he had spent most of his time in the Academy City, because he was Bowe's Follower of the Dao.
What was a Follower of the Dao? Technically, anyone who'd received a scholar's transmission could be called a follower. Originally, it was a loose affiliation.
Over time, however, powerful factions began sending their people to study in the Academy City, treating it as a talent incubator. Once those geniuses became strong, they'd return to serve their original powers.
In return, these factions provided resources for the scholars to conduct their research.
But during the later years of Zhixin's era, the Follower of the Dao system started to change.
Bowe was the first to propose reform. He wanted all followers to pledge allegiance to the Academy City and cut ties with their original factions.
At the same time, he reduced the number of followers and concentrated resources into nurturing a small, elite group.
Their cultivation resources would come entirely from the Academy, and they'd study there for extended periods.
If they performed well enough, they could even inherit all of a scholar's secret arts!
Such radical reforms were obviously controversial. It meant the Academy City was building its own armed force, essentially siphoning talent from other factions. Naturally, the powers of the world resisted.
Even internal voices opposed it, arguing that this would turn the neutral Academy into a partisan power, contradicting its long-standing principle of detachment from worldly conflicts.
Zhixin never approved the reform. But he did allow Bowe to recruit followers from weaker dynasties.
Since the Barren Domain Era began, the Academy's armed strength had clearly grown. And ever since Bowe had absorbed the starry historians, the Follower system's reform had resumed in earnest.
Compared to acquiring the Starry Historians or opening the Transmission Realm Tower, reforming the Follower of the Dao system barely attracted attention.
Bowe was no longer as flashy as he'd been in youth. Though he reduced the Ancient Kingdoms' recruitment quotas, with the opening of the Eighth Law Domain, scholars' powers grew, and so too did the quality of the followers.
Fewer in number, but higher in quality. And the Academy demanded more resources accordingly.
Bowe used the resources gained from Ancient Kingdoms and major factions to raise followers from minor nations. Gradually, he built the first armed faction that fully served the Academy—Emperor Fuzhi was one of them.
Bowe had hidden the God-Making Plan under the guise of the Follower of the Dao system.
He used that project as a way to test the waters. If Emperor Fuzhi died, he still had two more candidates to continue cultivating, in an even more covert fashion.
Zhao Xing didn't know if the three War God Hall members were acting under orders or simply blinded by their own greed.
In any case, Emperor Haigong, Emperor Chimei, and Emperor Xuanyi clearly harbored killing intent and were ready to fight Emperor Fuzhi.
"What a suicidal move. Just don't drag me into this."
Zhao Xing didn't want to provoke Emperor Fuzhi at all. He wasn't particularly close to the three from the War God Hall either.
But the excuse the three chose had escalated things into a conflict between factions. If a fight broke out, how could he stay uninvolved?
"Scholar Feng Chen! Follower of the Dao, Emperor Fuzhi!" Emperor Haigong shouted. "I suspect you of murdering a member of the Empire's War God Hall and endangering the Ancient Dao exploration. Surrender immediately and cooperate with the War God Hall's investigation!"
At the same time, Emperor Chimei and Emperor Xuanyi both sent Zhao Xing a voice transmission:
"Zhao Xing, as an envoy of the military, we order you to immediately return to the outside world and report to Emperor Tianjin."
Zhao Xing had just broken through to the Reincarnation Realm and had Primordial Avatars—he was an expert at running away. They didn't ask him to fight but wanted him to report the situation.
Hearing this, Zhao Xing felt a chill in his heart.
He was now certain that the three—Emperor Haigong and the others—intended to kill for treasure. This wasn't an order from above.
If it were, they would've told him to inform Emperor Zifang or Emperor Mengwu.
Why send word to Emperor Tianjin instead? Clearly, it was either an excuse to summon reinforcements or to get him out of the way.
If he were the one reporting it, it would only lend their story more credibility afterward.
"Emperor Fuzhi is a ten-in-one talent and has inherited a divine artifact. Where do they get the confidence?"
Zhao Xing didn't understand it, but instinctively, he wanted to stay out of the brewing conflict.
He had no plans to summon backup, and he didn't want to stay and get involved either.
"Zheng!"
It sounded like a blade being unsheathed—or like a guzheng string being plucked.
Zhao Xing noticed the space around him turning extremely chaotic. Even the distance-jumping of his Primordial Avatars had become sluggish.
The tension between the two sides had thrown the notes in this Jiao Palace sector into disarray. It was as if the entire Lingluo Realm had been locked down.
Although his teleportation wasn't completely severed, it had been significantly delayed.
Zhao Xing's heart skipped a beat.
Perhaps only he truly understood how terrifying Emperor Fuzhi was.
Emperor Fuzhi was one of the three candidates of the God-Making Plan.
In a real fight, even ten Emperors like Chimei and Haigong wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Now that he couldn't escape, was he really going to get dragged into this?
"Wait!"
Just as things were about to spiral out of control, Zhao Xing's main body and his Avatar rushed between both sides.
This abrupt intervention forcibly stalled the battle that was on the verge of breaking out.
Emperor Fuzhi didn't dare harm Zhao Xing.
Even Bowe himself didn't dare have that thought. Though Fuzhi didn't know the reason, he deeply trusted Bowe's judgment.
But Zhao Xing didn't know this. If Emperor Fuzhi decided to silence everyone, Zhao Xing getting caught in the crossfire would be an unnecessary casualty.
A ten-in-one talent like Emperor Fuzhi wasn't something as simple as one plus one equals two. And now he even had a divine artifact in hand.
The three War God Hall emperors also didn't want Zhao Xing hurt, especially since he was working with Emperor Mengwu. They only sent that order earlier to get him out of the way.
They held in their possession a one-time-use artifact, left behind from a relic site of the Five Emperors Era.
Even if Emperor Fuzhi had miraculously obtained a divine artifact, they were still confident they could take down someone like him, who had little fame.
"Emperor Chimei, Emperor Haigong, Emperor Xuanyi, no matter what, scholars are respected and hold a special status. Even the Empire's law enforcement never lays a hand on scholars," Zhao Xing first tried to reason with the three. "If you must question him, do it after we leave here."
At the same time, his Avatar faced Emperor Fuzhi and advised as well, "Emperor Fuzhi, Elder Feng, Emperor Qianyin has died, and not even a resurrection is possible. Their War God Hall colleagues are just acting out of grief—it's understandable. I believe none of the three Emperors here are after your artifact."
Emperor Fuzhi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Zhao Shennong, for your sake, I'll let it slide—so long as these three stop blocking my path. If they want to question me, they'll have to report to Elder Bowe first."
Seeing that Emperor Fuzhi had backed down, Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief.
But Emperor Haigong wasn't about to let it go. "We wouldn't dare lay a finger on a scholar—but he's not a scholar. He's just a Follower of the Dao!"
"Afraid of being questioned? Clearly, you've got a guilty conscience!"
Emperor Xuanyi barked, "Zhao Xing, leave now. This matter is not something you can interfere in!"
Zhao Xing had no response.
Hell, I want to leave—but I need to be able to get out first!
"Zhao Shennong, save your breath," Emperor Fuzhi said, his gaze sweeping toward the horizon. "They've already laid down mechanisms and arrays all along the Lingluo Realm. They never intended to let me go."
"But your goodwill—I appreciate it."
Zhao Xing wasn't worried about Emperor Fuzhi dying. He was afraid Emperor Fuzhi might kill them.
Either way, this was the Ancient Star-Obscuring Dao Path, and everything was happening on his turf.
"Three Emperors, may I—"
But Emperor Chimei had already lost patience.
He extended his arm, wrapped in chains and crackling with lightning, and swatted Zhao Xing away into the distance.
At the same time, Emperor Fuzhi also acted. With a flick of his finger, sword qi tore through the outer sector of Lingluo Palace, ripping open a path through the sea of musical notes.
The two sides, in a rare moment of agreement, launched Zhao Xing away from the battlefield.
"Wuuuuu~"
A deep horn call rang out. Zhao Xing thought he was hearing the same sound from the twelfth step of the Five-Tone Illusion.
But now, the chaotic music notes stirred the clouds and wind, making it impossible to see what was happening within.
When his True Spirit tried to see more clearly, the sound of the horn made his head pound violently.
The three War God Hall Emperors wanted to kill and seize the treasure, using the Hall's name and trying to exploit him.
Just recently merged with his dark soul-split, Zhao Xing's inner shadow was provoked once again. Upon hearing the horn, his True Spirit showed signs of its 102nd passive tear.
"Mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!"
"If those three dare to strike, they must have a trump card. Now that I've captured strong combat-type plant soldier species, I can just lie low nearby—wait for them to destroy each other, then reap the rewards!"
"The Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone still has one last bit of power. After using up its divine energy, it's now at the critical point where it can detonate."
"Remember that explosion in the Medicine King Realm? The current Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone is like a mega-sized World Heart—boom—and a pile of treasure is mine!"
Countless thoughts swirled in Zhao Xing's mind. Right now, he had the Liyin Tree, Sun-Moon Vine, and Seven Realms True Spirit Bamboo—three battle-type plant soldier species—plus the support-type Black Sky Moon Tree. He even had a Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone as a final trump card.
Armed with deadly weapons, killing intent rose—at this moment, a full third of Zhao Xing's thoughts were fixated on playing the oriole, swooping in to kill and seize treasure.
"Primordial Avatars have scouted the path through Lingluo Realm. The two Mechanist Emperors have laid trap after trap to cover their tracks. This is the perfect opportunity!"
"All that prestige I built during the Dharma Assembly—now's the time to cash in. Once it's in my hands, when we get out, it's your word against theirs. Soul-searching? The Five Venom crew is about to break into the Demigod realm—with that protection, who would dare interrogate me?!"
"Men die for wealth, birds die for food. Morality? If you succeed, you write the history. You define the morality!"
"...Shut up!"
The voices in his mind grew louder and louder. When Zhao Xing finally roared, only then did he manage to suppress the evil intent brewing within.
He looked down and realized, to his horror, that at some point he had already taken the Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone into his hand. His four major Emperor-grade plant soldier species had already been summoned!
Only then did Zhao Xing realize that forcefully devouring the dark soul-split hadn't solved all the aftereffects of the Primordial Avatar.
Even though the dark soul-split was gone, the dark thoughts hadn't vanished. As the number of soul-ripping episodes grew, those thoughts slowly gained independence—and were further magnified by the Shura clan's secret art, Great Dark Heaven.
"Survival of the fittest. You've grown too comfortable in the Empire and forgotten your roots. Five Venom, Gu Luohe, Zuo Qiyu—even Emperor Chixing—aren't their hands drenched in blood, their feet walking over bones?"
"You dare cling to that laughable sense of morality? Weak. Pathetic. And you still dream of proving the Dao and becoming a god—"
The voice from the darkness gradually weakened. The black thoughts in his Sea of Consciousness were completely crushed, but the voice still echoed in Zhao Xing's mind.
"Uphold the Dao, cultivate body and mind… was it my own inner evil, or the cultivation method?"
"I wonder how Zuo Qiyu and Jin Yan dealt with this kind of situation."
Human nature was complicated. Zhao Xing had crushed the evil thoughts by force, but he didn't feel relieved. Instead, a heaviness weighed on his heart.
He didn't leave. But he did put away his internal world and the Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone, then sat down to meditate.
He no longer cared about the fight between Emperor Fuzhi and the trio of Chimei, Haigong, and Xuanyi. He had his own problem to deal with.
"I won't touch Great Dark Heaven again until I resolve this."
Zhao Xing switched to cultivating a different spiritual will technique—Great Dream Swamp.
Great Dream Swamp belonged to the Heart Field methods, a divine ability he had created himself.
It was balanced and harmonious, unlike the extreme nature of Great Dark Heaven.
"Huuu~"
Zhao Xing closed his eyes, and all the Avatars he had in Lingluo Realm slumped into deep sleep right where they were.
Even the Primordial Avatars stationed at Primordial Hill, the Original Realm, and Four Seasons Palace all fell asleep.
Since the Rain Immortal Festival's sacrifice, being captured by Wei Tianchen, then poisoned by the True Spirit Heavenly Toxin, followed by the adventure in the Transmission Realm Tower, taking over the Ancient Star-Obscuring Dao Path, and organizing the Dharma Assembly—Zhao Xing had gone through far too much in a short time. Life-threatening situations, financial crises, constant strain.
Now that he activated Great Dream Swamp in hopes of self-healing his spirit, he immediately sank into dream.
He completely forgot he was in a relic. Forgot that a fierce battle was playing out nearby. Zhao Xing wasn't thinking about anything.
He just wanted a good, long sleep.
He had no idea how long had passed, but eventually Zhao Xing felt as if rain were falling from the sky.
His sensitivity to weather changes stirred him gently awake.
"You're awake."
What greeted him was an incredibly beautiful face.
"Emperor Fuzhi."
Zhao Xing slowly sat up.
Emperor Fuzhi was seated on a stone, with a broken sword lying beside him.
The night around them was pitch black. Mist rolled through the air, and it felt a bit cold. Emperor Fuzhi had lit a campfire in the center, using an unusual type of wood—it emitted waves of fragrant aroma.
"How long did I sleep?"
"Not long. Just three years and five months."
"You... them..." Zhao Xing hesitated.
From the looks of things, the battle was over. If Emperor Fuzhi was here, then he must have won?
"They're right here." Emperor Fuzhi pointed at the campfire.
Zhao Xing was startled. He then saw that the fire was burning the bodies of the three Emperors—but by now only their bones remained.
What a ruthless man. Three Emperor-level figures—taken out by Emperor Fuzhi and even reduced to fuel for a fire!
"What about Elder Feng?" Zhao Xing instinctively averted his gaze and tried to change the subject.
"He's here too." Emperor Fuzhi lifted his pinky finger slightly, revealing a World Ring.
"Want some food? You probably spent a lot of spiritual energy suppressing your inner demon."
Seeing Emperor Fuzhi hand over a skewer of meat, Zhao Xing's expression froze.
"Relax, I'm not that twisted." Emperor Fuzhi took a bite himself. "This is Golden Hao beef—a specialty from the country of Silan."
Zhao Xing didn't hesitate any further. He grabbed the skewer and began devouring it. That nap had been incredible. His thoughts were pure now. The Sea of Consciousness no longer buzzed with noise—and he was starving.
After filling his stomach, Zhao Xing looked at the fire. "You killed them... this won't end cleanly."
"Of course not," Emperor Fuzhi said. "My homeland, Silan, is a tiny nation with only five eras of history. Aside from myself, the king is only at the Lord level. You've probably never even heard of it, right?"
Zhao Xing had definitely heard of it. But he didn't spoil the mood and just shook his head as if in agreement.
"Coming from a small country, if I hadn't become Elder Bowe's Follower of the Dao, no one would know who I am."
"Even now, having cultivated to the Emperor level as a Follower of the Dao, I'm nothing in the eyes of the Empire's War God Hall."
"I tolerated it. I ran. But those three set up numerous formations after entering Lingluo Palace, and they still came after me."
"They had a Forbidden Item in their hands, enough to threaten even a Demigod. I had no choice but to kill them. That's how it went."
Emperor Fuzhi recounted the killings with a calm, detached tone, while Zhao Xing simply listened in silence.
When he finished, Zhao Xing finally asked, "So what do you plan to do?"
What he really meant was—what do you plan to do with me?
Emperor Fuzhi should've left long ago, but instead, he stayed to burn the bones. He clearly had a purpose.
Emperor Fuzhi looked at Zhao Xing. "I do need a favor from you."
"What kind of favor?"
"A fair word."
Emperor Fuzhi said, "I don't need you to cover anything up—just recount the events exactly as they happened."
"How did Emperor Qianyin die?"
"True Spirit Tribulation," Emperor Fuzhi said. "The artifact spirit Xuanyue told me that during the inheritance of the divine artifact, the Eight-Tone Zither, her tribulation was triggered."
"I'll do it," Zhao Xing nodded.
He truly believed that Emperor Fuzhi hadn't killed Emperor Qianyin.
Because, judging by the interface panel, Emperor Fuzhi's cultivation in the Dao of Music was actually higher than Emperor Qianyin's.
Which meant that Emperor Fuzhi had a better chance of inheriting the Eight-Tone Divine Codex from the start.
"Thank you," Emperor Fuzhi tossed over two items.
One was a Restoration Mirror crafted by the Academic City. Its function was to record past events, but it was more powerful than most star mirrors, capable of capturing the ripples of the Dao.
In other words, in replaying battles, it didn't just show vague scenes—every ounce of force and every exchange was clearly traceable.
It looked like Emperor Fuzhi had learned his lesson. While he hadn't recorded Emperor Qianyin's death in time, he did capture the three others using a Forbidden Item and forcing him to retaliate.
The other item was a World Ring.
Inside were four Dongming Flowers—three had withered, one was still alive and had already begun awakening.
Even that partially scorched golden bamboo rod was stored within.
"What is this...?"
"Payment for the favor," Emperor Fuzhi answered plainly.
"That's not necessary," Zhao Xing declined. "All I'm doing is telling the truth. You don't need to pay me so much for that."
"Sometimes, telling the truth comes at a far greater cost," Emperor Fuzhi replied, pushing the items back to him. "Especially in times like this."
Even speaking the truth would mean Zhao Xing was publicly backing Emperor Fuzhi—which might offend certain factions within the War God Hall. Superpowers cooperated, but they also competed, and even stood opposed.
If you went by reason, Zhao Xing was entirely in the right to vouch for Emperor Fuzhi—it was clearly the War God Hall's trio who tried to rob and murder, only to be slain instead.
But if you went by allegiance, wasn't Zhao Xing a citizen of the Empire? Why would he help an outsider?
"Alright, I'll accept it," Zhao Xing said, storing the ring in his internal world. Then, somewhat hesitant, he asked, "Aren't you afraid that once I leave..."
Emperor Fuzhi smiled. "I trust you."
Zhao Xing felt a sudden clarity in his thoughts, his expression softening. "Thank you."
Following the path back, they dismantled all the formations along the way and recorded them.
Together, Zhao Xing and Emperor Fuzhi exited the whirlpool from the jade slate and then returned through Emperor Moxu's secure passage to the initial exploration hall.
At that moment, Emperor Mengwu, Emperor Moxu, and Emperor Xuanying were still seated on their high chairs in the hall, eyes closed and resting.
When they saw only Emperor Fuzhi, Elder Feng, and Zhao Xing emerge, they immediately opened their eyes.
"Emperor Fuzhi, Elder Feng, Zhao Xing—why are there only three of you?"
"What about Emperor Qianyin, and the others?"
The one asking was Emperor Xuanying.
Emperor Fuzhi remained silent. Zhao Xing stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Reporting to the three Emperors—Emperor Qianyin perished during the inheritance, having been struck down by a True Spirit Tribulation."
"As for the other three—"
Since there were others still in the hall, Zhao Xing simply handed over the Restoration Mirror and privately transmitted the explanation to the three Emperors.
Emperor Mengwu's expression grew solemn after reviewing it.
Emperor Moxu and Emperor Xuanying, on the other hand, looked furious.
Three of the War God Hall's military Emperors had plotted to rob a scholar from the Academic City—and had gotten themselves killed in the attempt. This was a massive disgrace.
Emperor Fuzhi hadn't been well-known before this. Apart from his identity as one of Elder Bowe's Followers of the Dao, he had been largely overlooked.
Now, not only had he inherited Lingluo Realm's legacy, but he had also slain three Emperors from the War God Hall by himself—unbelievable.
Without a doubt, this was a deeply shameful incident.
And when it came to shame, there were usually only two options: either admit it outright and preserve some dignity—or completely cover it up, twisting the facts so the outside world never found out.
Before Emperor Mengwu could speak, Emperor Xuanying activated the mechanism beneath his seat.
A flash of barrier light passed through the hall, and the four of them were instantly transported to a separate, enclosed space.
Emperor Mengwu, Emperor Moxu, and Emperor Xuanying, together with Zhao Xing, formed an isolated dimension. Emperor Fuzhi and Elder Feng were left outside.
Then Emperor Xuanying locked eyes with Zhao Xing.
"Zhao Xing, I was asking Emperor Fuzhi. Why did you answer instead? Were you coerced into doing something against your will?"
Even with evidence, if the only witnesses were Emperor Fuzhi and Elder Feng, it wouldn't be very credible within the Empire.
But if Zhao Xing spoke up, it changed everything.
Although Zhao Xing had just broken into the Reincarnation Realm, he had developed the Ancient Star-Obscuring Dao Path, hosted numerous Dharma Assemblies, and built an immense reputation.
If prestige had tiers, Zhao Xing's standing among Shennong would at least be Demigod level. Even among other professions, it would rank at Emperor level.
When one's status is low, their words naturally carry little weight—but in this matter, Zhao Xing could not be ignored. If he spoke in favor of Emperor Fuzhi, then Emperor Fuzhi would be innocent without question.
Conversely, if he said otherwise, Emperor Fuzhi would be dragged down as guilty.
"Reporting to Emperor Xuanying, I was not coerced," Zhao Xing answered.
"Zhao Xing, your cultivation is still low. Are you sure you clearly understood the situation? Could it be you were misled by some illusion?" Emperor Moxu followed up.
His tone was light, but the implication ran deep.
To exact vengeance, a proper reason was required. If Zhao Xing would backtrack, Emperor Xuanying could immediately detain Emperor Fuzhi and avenge his fellow disciple, Emperor Xuanyi.
Emperor Moxu had ties to Emperor Haigong too, so naturally, he sided with them.
These two Emperors jointly applied pressure, hoping Zhao Xing would see things from the War God Hall's perspective—"think it over properly" and not allow them to lose face.
Zhao Xing remained silent for a long while, seemingly deep in thought.
Emperor Mengwu said nothing the entire time, simply listening quietly.
After a long pause, Zhao Xing finally opened his mouth.
"Reporting to the Emperors, I stand by my previous statement and guarantee that it was complete, accurate, and unbiased."
"Very well. With your testimony, the deaths of Chimei, Xuanyi, and Haigong were self-inflicted. A disgraceful humiliation! They deserved it!" Emperor Xuanying said coldly, then left the spiritual space immediately.
Emperor Moxu also gave Zhao Xing a long look before turning to leave without a word.
Only Emperor Mengwu remained with Zhao Xing in the isolated dimension.
"Zhao Xing, do you understand the consequences involved?" asked Emperor Mengwu.
"I do," Zhao Xing nodded.
"And you still stand by your decision?"
"Your teacher is far more tactful—he wouldn't have answered so directly. He would've left some room to maneuver."
"General Meng," Zhao Xing subconsciously reverted to the old title he once used for Mengwu, "my teacher is my teacher—I am who I am."
"You know I not only dare to speak, I also dare to act."
"If anyone wants to retaliate just because I told the truth today, let them come at me!"
Emperor Mengwu looked at Zhao Xing. "Your courage hasn't diminished one bit since back then."
Whether that was sarcasm or admiration, or perhaps both, he didn't press further.
"The Heavenly Master Mansion has already deduced the likely location of a Shennong Cave-Heaven aboard the interdomain ship. You need not get further involved in this matter."
"Showing your face once is enough."
"Especially before the outcome is settled, don't make any public statements."
"Yes."
Zhao Xing understood that Emperor Mengwu meant well, so he nodded in agreement.
"I've heard you study all three schools. This newly found cave is likely a Heavenly Timing School site—interested?"
"A Heavenly Timing School Cave-Heaven? Of course I'm interested!"
Zhao Xing had long been seeking Heavenly Timing School techniques. His current cultivation across the three schools was severely unbalanced.
"Good. Then go find Jingyue and Ji Si."
"Yes."
The conversation ended, and when Zhao Xing came to, he found himself still in the central hall. But Emperor Fuzhi and Scholar Fengchen were nowhere to be seen.
Emperor Moxu and Emperor Xuanying were gone as well.
"I heard that Emperor Xuanyi and Emperor Xuanying were close as fellow disciples. I wonder if he knows the truth. Would he try to avenge his junior?" Zhao Xing silently thought. "Hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
Emperor Xuanying was at the peak of the Emperor Realm and could stand as an equal to Mengwu. As a Mechanist, he was indeed formidable.
But Emperor Fuzhi defied all common logic. If revenge were attempted, it might well be Emperor Xuanying who ended up dead.
"Bowe's god-making plan is moving at lightning speed. Emperor Fuzhi, who's only the third-ranked candidate among the Followers of the Dao, is already this strong. It's hard to imagine what the other two are capable of."
Was Zhao Xing worried that Emperor Xuanying would retaliate?
Even if he were that petty and truly bore a grudge, he was only one person—it didn't represent the War God Hall. And for now, they were still in a cooperative relationship with the Ancient Star-Obscuring Dao Path.
Leaving the central hall, Zhao Xing immediately contacted Ji Si and Jingyue to ask about the Cave-Heaven.
"Grand Shennong, you've returned from the Lingluo Realm? How did it go? I heard the atmosphere inside the hall was tense just now," Ji Si seemed to be looking for Zhao Xing as well.
"There was an accident, but don't ask too much," Zhao Xing waved it off. "Anyway, I gained quite a bit."
And indeed, he had. Three Emperor-grade combat-type plant troops, a Reincarnation-level secret technique—[Great Dark Heaven]—all of which solidified his combat strength at the Reincarnation Realm.
"So, tell me about the Heavenly Timing School Cave-Heaven. How long has it been confirmed?"
"It's been confirmed for three years," Ji Si replied. "But no one's entered yet."
"Why? Still preparing?" Zhao Xing asked.
"It's because the Heavenly Master Mansion only estimates a sixty percent chance that it's a Shennong Cave-Heaven," Ji Si explained. "That uncertainty is what delayed the expedition by three years."
They couldn't even confirm the profession? Only sixty percent? Zhao Xing's interest was instantly piqued. "When will entry be allowed?"
"After discussions between Emperor Mengwu and Emperor Lushan, it was decided that in four months, regardless of further developments, a team will be sent in," Ji Si said worriedly.
"Grand Shennong, this Cave-Heaven is extremely dangerous. My master says the Demigod inside... might still be alive!"