Wu Tian, Si’er, and the little one didn’t head straight back, as it was already dark. Besides, with the Heavenly King’s Order in hand, they ought to pay a visit to the Heavenly King Pond no matter what.
That night, they checked into an inn. Their room consisted of an inner and an outer chamber. The little one and Si’er were in the inner room, supposedly sleeping. But they didn’t fall asleep; instead, they stayed up chatting.
Meanwhile, Wu Tian summoned the "Wu Tian" avatar from within the Nine Dragon Ring.
"The Nine Dragon Ring is indeed a fine place," the avatar commented.
Wu Tian nodded. This was a fact he already knew. With his avatar cultivating in the Nine Dragon Ring, Wu Tian didn’t need to do anything himself. He was effectively in a state of cultivation at every moment.
It won’t be long before the immense power of my Spiritual Power reaches the Seventh Grade. Wu Tian chuckled to himself.
As the saying goes, those who do not plan for the future will find trouble at their doorstep. Although his Spiritual Power was currently low, he remained unbeaten in this region. After all, even if his power was lacking, his cultivation Realm was still intact! Thus, he had no distant worries, but the immediate troubles were very real.
Xiuyuan Country’s power was that of a One-Star country, which could not compare to the Three-Star Heavenly King Country no matter the circumstances. It seemed there was no hope whatsoever.
Qin Country, on the other hand, was a different case. It was also initially a One-Star power. However, due to Heavenly Emperor Xiao Tian’s fondness for Ye Qingxian, he had given Qin Country considerable resources. He allowed it to develop without suppression, letting it attain the strength of a Two-Star power.
Wu Tian smiled faintly. Since I am in Xiuyuan Country, it ought to be the strongest of the Hundred Nations, not any other. The reason is simple... because I feel like it!
「The next morning.」
Wu Tian and the others checked out of the inn. They headed to Tianwang Mountain to see what the Heavenly King Pond was really like. Normally, a palace should have stood atop the mountain—the Royal Palace of Heavenly King Country. However, after the fall of Jin Jian Country, the royal family had relocated to the Royal Palace of the former Jin Jian Country. Of course, this place wasn’t left to ruin. The Heavenly King Pond was still on Tianwang Mountain and naturally required guardians.
As Wu Tian’s party ascended the mountain, they encountered Ye Qingxian on her way down.
The royal families had all gathered the previous night, but Ye Qingxian had chosen not to attend. She preferred cultivating over participating in such insincere festivities. As she descended, her long hair flowed with the morning breeze, mesmerizing everyone she passed. But no one dared to approach, knowing she was the one chosen by Heavenly Emperor Xiao Tian.
Now, Ye Qingxian stood before Wu Tian.
"The pond water is peculiar. Don’t go in," she warned tersely before continuing coldly on her way.
"So scary," Si’er remarked, stunned.
"Not at all," the little one countered, shaking her head. "I find her quite kind. It’s almost like... like her aura is similar to mine."
Si’er certainly didn’t buy the little one’s nonsense. As if Ye Qingxian was her mother or something.
Wu Tian, however, didn’t dwell on it and continued up the mountain. Before they reached the Heavenly King Pond, they were captivated by a storyteller at a tea pavilion midway up the slope.
The storyteller was a very old man with a giant tobacco pipe. His hair and beard were as white as frost, yet he emanated an unfathomable air. Dressed in a long robe, he looked rather scholarly.
A storyteller. On modern-day Earth, he might just be called an author. Wu Tian mused.
In the ancient days of Earth, some teahouses and taverns had storytellers. But the storytellers of the Immortal Emperor Realm were both the same and different. They all belonged to a single sect: the Heavenly Scripture Great Sect. This sect had existed since the time of the Creation Martial Emperor, responsible for recording history and narrating the tales of heroes to the people.
What was their purpose in doing so? No one knew. And neither did Wu Tian.
"Everyone," the storyteller began, "today I will share with you the story of the annihilation of the Heavenless Immortal Domain and how the ruler of the Endless Divine Realm was severely injured by the Empress."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tian paused in his steps, interested in hearing more.
"What’s wrong?" Si’er and the little one asked, noticing Wu Tian’s strange expression.
"It’s nothing." Wu Tian shook his head and simply stood still, waiting to hear the rest of the story.
The storyteller went on to say that after the Endless Divine Realm replaced the Heavenless Immortal Domain, the Empress sought out its ruler, the Undead Martial Sovereign. Their battle lasted seven days and seven nights, and in the end, the Undead Martial Sovereign was left heavily wounded. However, after that battle, the Empress also disappeared.
The storyteller said, "Ages ago, there were only four great Immortal Emperors: the Dao Emperor, the Wutian Celestial Emperor, the Empress, and the Abyss Devil Emperor!
"Those four were universally revered!
"But now, only the Abyss Devil Emperor remains. The Dao Emperor was killed by Emperor Xuan, the whereabouts of the Empress are unknown, and the Wutian Celestial Emperor is also missing, his life or death uncertain."
The Abyss Devil Emperor? Old Devil? Wu Tian smiled bitterly. That old devil used to seek him out for a battle whenever he had the chance. They fought more than fifty times, with victories and defeats on both sides. They were rivals, but they were also friends. The Abyss Devil Emperor had once told him, "Whether in the highest heavens or the deepest hells, only I can defeat you! You... must not be defeated by anyone else!"
Just then, the storyteller suddenly added, "Originally, in the eyes of us storytellers, the Wutian Celestial Emperor had the most potential of the four great Immortal Emperors. You must understand, the founder of the Martial Path, the Creation Martial Emperor, was unparalleled in the Desolate Ancient Era and was the very first Great Emperor of the Human Clan. He left only one thing behind—the Nine Dragon Ring, which ended up in the hands of the Wutian Celestial Emperor... Alas... yet nobody knows why he suddenly vanished."
Hearing this, Si’er whispered, "He was friends with my ancestor! I heard he was very handsome. It’s a shame that as an Immortal Emperor, ordinary paper and ink can’t capture his likeness. It’s truly a pity."
Wu Tian smiled lightly. "You’re very interested in the Wutian Celestial Emperor?"
"Mhm!" Si’er nodded, reminiscing. "When my mother was still alive, she often told my sister and me stories about the Wutian Celestial Emperor. Like how he fought seven great sects all by himself and killed the Black Feather Holy King."
As she spoke the name "Wutian Celestial Emperor," her large eyes sparkled.
Seeing this, Wu Tian chuckled but said nothing. Little did Si’er know that the Wutian Celestial Emperor she so longed to meet was someone she had already met.
"What a pity," the storyteller in the teahouse continued with a sigh. "What a pity that the Wutian Celestial Emperor vanished, and so has the Empress. The latest news says that the Empress died at the hands of the Undead Martial Sovereign. In that battle all those years ago, the Undead Martial Sovereign was injured, and the Empress fell!"
Hearing this, Wu Tian’s entire body shuddered.
The little one saw how much this news affected her father and shouted to the storyteller, "Grandpa, how do you know all this?"
"We storytellers are spread throughout the Lower and Upper Realms, and this news comes from the Upper Realm," the storyteller explained, looking kindly at the little one. "The Undead Martial Sovereign himself once claimed, while drunk, to have killed the Empress."
The storyteller concluded, "Today, the Immortal Emperor Realm is even more prosperous than it was ten thousand years ago, and there are now five great Immortal Emperors. Among them, only two have the distinction of having killed another Immortal Emperor: the Undead Martial Sovereign and Emperor Xuan. While Emperor Xuan killed the Dao Emperor, the Undead Martial Sovereign killed the stunningly brilliant Empress. Because of this, the Undead Martial Sovereign is likely the strongest of the five great Immortal Emperors."