Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
A great sensation swept through the Artifact Domain: the royal family of the Qian Zhong Country had been annihilated and its capital destroyed. The domain was immediately plunged into chaos as every minor nation vied for a piece of the pie, hoping to expand their territory. The Xiuyuan Realm and other domains harbored similar intentions, and suddenly, the entire region was seething with unrest.
Wu Tian cared little for these matters. All he knew was that he had finally purged the soft-heartedness from Qin Yuhan.
Over these three days, when he wasn’t instructing Qin Yuhan, little Si’er, Dao Feng, Lan Niang, and Hong Ji, Wu Tian spent his time searching for the Heavenly Eye within the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasure House.
Finally, his hard work paid off, and he found the location of Guanghan Palace.
The palace was cold and desolate, its grounds as white as if covered in frost. The Jade Cinnamon Trees were crystalline and translucent, each one a prime material for crafting jewelry. Before even reaching the palace proper, Wu Tian spotted a Magical Treasure: an axe embedded in the trunk of a Jade Cinnamon Tree.
He knew at once that this was the very axe Wu Gang used to fell the cinnamon trees. The axe itself was made of jade. Legend told of how Wu Gang was punished by the Heavenly Emperor, condemned to the Moon Palace to chop at a cinnamon tree that healed itself the moment it was cut. This endless labor was his eternal punishment. Wu Tian knew the tale; he figured Wu Gang must have resigned himself to his fate, since he at least had a fine axe for the work.
However, Wu Tian had little interest in the axe.
He walked on until at last, a cold, towering palace that seemed carved from diamond stood before him. This was, without a doubt, Guanghan Palace. Though it sparkled with crystalline beauty, it exuded the feeling of an abandoned, lifeless place. Wu Tian stepped inside to find an interior of pure white. There was no gleam of oil lamps, no sign of life—only a cold, desolate, and bone-chilling stillness.
Wu Tian searched the palace and, in a lady’s private chamber, found a small, delicate box crafted from Jade Cinnamon wood. He gently opened it to reveal a silver necklace nestled inside, emanating an extraordinary aura.
"This is... the Heavenly Eye!" Wu Tian recognized it instantly. This was the Heavenly Eye that had once belonged to the goddess Yao Ji before being passed down to Yang Jian.
Excellent.
A smile touched Wu Tian’s lips. The next step, naturally, was to gain the Heavenly Eye’s acknowledgment. As he fastened the necklace around his neck, a flickering light coalesced into a figure before him.
The man was not muscular, yet he possessed an imposing presence that seemed to touch the heavens. His features were handsome, with sharp, sword-like brows and eyes as bright as stars, a sight few could match. A deep sorrow lingered in his gaze, hinting at a life filled with trials and tribulations. His eyes were particularly striking, a vibrant green like willow branches swaying in a spring breeze—gentle and alive—and like the sea under a summer sun, brimming with a pleasant vitality.
"I am the Judicial Heavenly God, Yang Jian," the figure announced. "I left a piece of my heart here. It is a joyous occasion that the Heavenly Eye has finally found a new master. Yang Jian may have passed from this world, but this heart contains the entirety of my combat power. It can strike for you three times."
With those words, the image of Yang Jian vanished into thin air.
Wu Tian nodded slightly. Patriarch Bodhi could act for him three times, and now Yang Jian could do the same. This was a tremendous boon.
After securing the Heavenly Eye, Wu Tian exited the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasure House and the Nine Dragon Ring. As it happened, Qin Yuhan was looking for him.
"I was wrong," she said, her first words direct and firm. "My soft heart is a fatal flaw. If I continue to be like this, I might endanger you in the future."
"It’s good that you understand," Wu Tian replied indifferently. He had used the lives of countless people to teach her this harsh lesson. In his eyes, the price was well worth it.
"I’ll go cook something for you," Qin Yuhan said, turning to leave. The mere thought of her cooking made Wu Tian’s brow furrow.
An Immortal Emperor was, of course, immortal and indestructible. Even drinking poison wouldn’t kill him. However, his sense of taste was fully intact. While Qin Yuhan’s cooking wouldn’t cause him any physical harm, he would still have to endure its awful taste. Realizing this, Wu Tian quickly stepped forward, took her hand, and said, "Why don’t I teach you instead?"
The two of them went to the Imperial Kitchen, and all the royal chefs were summarily dismissed. For half a day, no one knew what transpired inside.
「」
Meanwhile, with the fall of the Qian Zhong Country and the destruction of the Flying Leaf Sect, Wu Tian’s name began to spread. Many factions launched investigations into his background, and naturally, they also looked into the people around him.
For example, they investigated the Zhang family—Dao Feng’s family. The family was currently controlled by Dao Feng’s stepmother. Upon learning that Dao Feng’s master was such a formidable figure, the Zhang family members in the Artifact Domain turned pale with fear. Unsure of what to do, the stepmother suddenly had an idea and shouted, "Go and summon the clan elder!"
The clan elder was the most senior member of the Zhang clan. He loved to wander through mountains and rivers; though old in years, his spirit remained young, often frequenting places of revelry. Finding him would take several days at least.
「」
At the same time, in the Domain of Myriad Demons, the Golden Monkey Kingdom was the ruling power. Yet, the one with the highest authority was not the Monkey King, but the Divine Monkey Great General. The Great General coveted the throne, but his concern for his reputation left him stumped. He feared being branded a usurper. With the Monkey King about to turn eighteen and assume full power, the Divine Monkey Great General was expected to return his military authority.
He was deeply troubled by this until he saw portraits of Lan Niang and Hong Ji among the intelligence reports on Wu Tian. His pupils widened in shock.
"My lord, what is it?" asked his Strategist, an old white ape.
"See for yourself," the Divine Monkey Great General said, tossing the portraits to him.
The old white ape caught them and, after a glance, understood. He sighed. "The resemblance is uncanny. They look just like that woman from back then. It seems they are the daughters she bore for you. I just wonder if they inherited your special eyes."
In the Divine Monkey Great General’s family, each generation was born with unique eyes. These eyes could make an opponent’s movements appear in slow motion. The Great General himself had relied on these eyes to remain undefeated on the battlefield.
"Whether they have them or not, these daughters who’ve suddenly appeared can certainly be of use," the Divine Monkey Great General mused, a cold smile spreading across his face.
In his youth, he had been a carefree philanderer. He had visited the Golden Sword Realm and had an affair with a woman there. When he grew tired of her, he abandoned her. He later heard that she had died but not before giving birth to his two daughters. He hadn’t cared about their fate then. After all, he already had ten sons and ten daughters.
Now, however, the appearance of Lan Niang and Hong Ji revealed their value to him. All ten of his current daughters were already married, but with these two additional daughters, the Divine Monkey Great General hatched a plan. He would present them to the Monkey King, who would soon turn eighteen. Then, he, the Divine Monkey Great General, would become the royal father-in-law. With that status, he would gain even greater power. Furthermore, he would use his authority as their father to command Lan Niang and Hong Ji to ensure no other concubine in the rear palace could bear a child.
The Monkey King had no talent for the Martial Path and was merely at the lowly Third Rank of Foundation Establishment. Thus, once the Monkey King died without an heir, he, the Divine Monkey Great General, could justifiably take control of the River and Mountains.
With this in mind, the Divine Monkey Great General looked at the old white ape and said, "Let us go and bring my two daughters back."
"Yes, my lord." The old white ape nodded. He understood the Great General’s intentions and did not object. To exchange two daughters for an empire was a worthy trade indeed.