Meng Po kept watch on Naihe Bridge, gazing deep into the Netherworld as she mused silently to herself, "Beiyin, Dongyue, and Cangwu—the three titans of the Netherworld—have all appeared. And that entity within Samsara, though deceased, is also present, which makes four titans. If this old woman goes to join the commotion, all five titans will be gathered!"
She hesitated for a moment, then decided against joining them.
"The reason I managed to survive the last catastrophe was because I stayed out of the trouble. Those four old rebels want to mutiny, but their lives aren't worth anything. Why should I give up being the mistress of the Nai River just to flee to the ends of the earth with them?"
Thinking of this brought her a sense of relief.
In the realm of Samsara within the Netherworld, a torrent of divine power suddenly surged with explosive force, forming breathtaking patterns across the underworld. The Heavenly Dao of ghosts and gods materialized into primeval Heavenly Dao domains! The collision between primeval divine power and the divine might of the God Kings of the Heavenly Dao world was fleeting, yet exceedingly violent.
At that moment, the divine power pouring from their bodies even surpassed the divine strength accumulated over the past ten thousand years from the incense smoke qi of countless living beings across the myriad heavens and worlds!
The shockwaves generated by the battle between the three primeval God Emperors and the three heavenly God Kings shook the Netherworld, even rippling into the mortal plane and triggering all manner of bizarre phenomena in the mortal world!
Terrifying spectacles broke out everywhere—the earth fractured, mountains thrust up from flat plains, landslides crashed, tsunamis roared, radiant glows burst from the soil, and showers of stars fell from the heavens! However, these anomalies came to an abrupt halt before long, for victory and defeat had already been decided.
Within the Wangxiang Platform, a revived consciousness marveled in astonishment, "The battle ended so quickly? The old fellows we got rid of back then are just as formidable as they were in their prime!"
In the Taishi Great World, ancient, decrepit wills were likewise stirred, rippling restlessly. "Deprived of incense for over sixty thousand years, yet they remain this powerful. The depth of those old fossils' foundation is truly profound..."
"Had we not been crippled in the war forty-thousand-odd years ago, how could those new gods have climbed to power over our heads? Those new God Kings are bound to suffer a disastrous defeat against those old fossils!"
Suddenly, a colossal rift tore through the sky of the Netherworld, slicing cleanly across the heavens. The sky split open, revealing a gigantic eye rolling downward and focusing its gaze upon the realm of Samsara.
Down below, Dongyue, Beiyin, and Cangwu instantly looked up, their gazes flashing like lightning toward that enormous eye. Once the abyssal eye took in the situation at the realm of Samsara, it shut immediately, and the abyss vanished as though it had never been there at all.
"Those old fossils have actually begun taking the initiative to provoke the Immortal Realm. They truly must be tired of living!" A laugh drifted out from the void. "Yet this might not be a bad thing. If the realm under heaven never changes, how could an opportunity ever arise for us to make our comeback?"
On the divine mountain of Kunlun, the Queen Mother of the West looked with an unfathomable gaze toward the depths of the Netherworld.
"The empress within Samsara has not yet revived, meaning the Immortal Realm still has room to maneuver. They certainly will not sit idly by. Can those immortals in the Immortal Realm still sit still? What must come will always come!"
The Queen Mother of the West let out a sigh and murmured softly, "The four titans in charge of the Netherworld have never gotten along. Who would have thought that after dying once, they would actually join hands? I originally intended to seize this chance to make them submit to me, yet the Xu boy beat me to the punch."
The divine maiden furrowed her brows slightly and glanced toward her Jade Pool.
That place was supposed to hold the Jade Pool immortal water accumulated over forty thousand years. Even if slightly diminished, it should have been more than enough to resurrect the four emperors. Yet more than half of the water had been swept away, leaving her plan to subjugate the four emperors completely foiled.
"We primeval deities can no longer engage in internal strife. The time has come to cooperate."
In the realm of Samsara, the surrounding area was a scene of utter devastation. The heavenly gods stationed here to guard the place were either dead or scattered in flight. Enormous corpses lay strewn across the ground—some torn to pieces, others reduced to heaps of ash like burned spirit paper, their deaths truly bizarre. Deep within Samsara, divine power surged as a figure strode forth from its depths.
It seemed as if she traversed the myriad heavens and worlds, making her way forward from realm after realm. At times she took the form of a man, at times a woman; in one moment old, in another an infant, in another youthful.
As she walked, she shifted into a divine dragon, a fierce tiger, a phoenix, and a deity.
Drawing closer to the surface of Samsara, she finally coalesced into a peerlessly radiant woman, ascending slowly and gracefully toward the mirror-like surface of Samsara. The halo of Samsara rose from beneath the earth, standing upon the ground like a bright mirror. The divine maiden emerging from the mirror was none other than the deity who presided over Samsara.
"Xuan Nu, back then the false gods of the Heavenly Dao and the immortals slaughtered and suppressed us. Over forty thousand years have passed; we have returned to life, and you have finally broken free. Regardless of whatever grievances lay between us in the past, today is not the time to bring them up."
Dongyue addressed the Primordial Spirit of Samsara Profound Maiden, "You have not yet revived, but Jade Pool immortal water can restore you. The Queen Mother of the West controls the Jade Pool immortal water. If you go beg her, she will surely demand an exorbitant price, asking for our submission so she can become the sovereign of all gods. Fortunately, there is another person who possesses Jade Pool immortal water."
Great Emperor Beiyin turned to leave, saying, "Xuan Nu, we have forged good karma with you. You know what good karma means, so let us speak no more of our past grudges. Go find the Xu boy yourself. He possesses the Jade Pool immortal water and can help you revive. This is no place to linger; I shall take my leave first."
Cangwu stepped into the darkness and added, "The Xu boy has quite an appetite. You'd better have a daughter."
Before the divine maiden within the Samsara mirror could fully step out, the three of them had already departed.
A moment later, radiant light shone from the mirror of Samsara, and a slender, elegant leg stepped forth. Clad in garments as white as snow, she emerged completely from the mirror. "You three old fossils. It was precisely because of your internal strife back then that I was the first to be taken down by the Immortal Realm. And now you come preaching about good karma?"
The woman walked forward along the beam cast by the mirror. The radiance of Samsara behind her constantly illuminated the path ahead, ascending gradually like a bright moon hanging high in the night sky. The moon followed her silhouette, casting its glow over mountains and rivers.
"The Xu boy... Is it that Xu boy? He once came to the realm of Samsara for the sake of a woman..."
In the Heavenly Dao world, three beams of immortal light suddenly surged from the lower realm, illuminating the surrounding space. Within the light, three God Kings rose slowly.
Xuanyu, Xuanxing, and Xuanchen had all suffered grievous injuries. The instant they clashed with the three titans of the Netherworld, they had known the situation was dire. At the crucial moment of life and death, they had activated their immortal descent talismans and retreated back to the Heavenly Dao world.
Even so, within that brief span of time, they had been severely wounded, almost failing to make it back alive!
Xuanxing said with lingering dread, "No wonder God King Xuanhao was so heavily injured. Those three old fellows are simply terrifying!"
Xuanchen's face was pale. "Those old gods of the past weren't boasting; the primeval ghosts and gods are indeed frightening! For the old gods to have vanquished them back then proves just how horrifying their might was!"
God King Xuanyu suppressed his injuries and said, "Fortunately, we fled quickly. It is just a pity for the heavenly gods stationed to guard Samsara. Had they not bravely sacrificed themselves, we would never have returned alive."
Deeply grieved by the deaths of those heavenly gods, he was about to shed tears in mourning when he suddenly spotted God King Xuanhao's corpse. Several primordial behemoths were crouched over it, gnawing voraciously, having already consumed nearly half of the God King. "Senior Brother Xuanhao!"
The three God Kings were both shocked and enraged, hurriedly driving the beasts away.
The mortal undergoing the tribulation had not only survived it, but had even ascended to the upper realm and slain God King Xuanhao!
The three God Kings examined Xuanhao's corpse with somber expressions. This entire incident left them feeling deeply defeated. Xuanhao had been slain, Samsara had broken free, and an ascender had slipped past them, smuggling himself into the Immortal Realm. This was a catastrophe of a magnitude they had never encountered during their entire rule over the Heavenly Dao world.
God King Xuanyu looked up toward the Immortal Realm and remarked, "The ascender's strength is immense. Even if Xuanhao hadn't been injured, he likely wouldn't have been a match for him. Why on earth would such a monster appear in the mortal world?" Unease flickered in his eyes.
The four emperors of the Netherworld were one matter—they were formidable to begin with, as well as primeval deities of the Heavenly Dao with deep foundations of incense. But for an ascender to possess horrifying strength surpassing even a God King was simply preposterous!
The mortal realm was not the Immortal Realm; how could such a powerful being ever be born there?
Xuanchen asked, "How did the ascender ascend to the Immortal Realm? Without a God King's guidance, it should have been impossible for him to ascend!"
Xuanyu analyzed, "The heavenly gods sent down to the mortal realm carry immortal descent talismans. He must have slain one of them and seized a talisman. By now, he has already smuggled himself into the Immortal Realm."
Xuanxing and Xuanchen looked grim. Smuggling oneself into the Immortal Realm was a capital offense!
While the stowaway would undoubtedly be executed, the heavenly gods responsible for governing the Heavenly Dao world would likely face dire punishment as well.
Xuanyu paced back and forth, then suddenly halted. "Gentlemen, Xuanhao was killed, three of the four Netherworld emperors have revived while the last has broken free, and an arch-villain has spiraled out of control. These matters can no longer be concealed. We must report them upward!"
Xuanxing and Xuanchen nodded silently.
Xuanxing asked in a raspy voice, "However, once the higher-ups lay down blame, it will mean death. Who will take the fall?"
Xuanyu and Xuanchen's gazes simultaneously fell upon God King Xuanhao's corpse.
Xuanxing understood their intention and sighed. "We can only wrong Daoist Xuanhao. Fortunately, he is already dead; otherwise, trying to persuade him gently would have required quite an effort."
"If the Immortal Realm intervenes in the mortal realm, I fear the heavens will change," God King Xuanchen murmured.
God King Xuanyu countered, "It wouldn't be the first time the Immortal Realm has intervened in the mortal realm. Back then, to capture that Xu Ying, didn't an immortal descend to the mortal world as well? Xuanhao worked alongside that immortal to set up the trap and bring him down."
Xuanchen pondered for a moment before asking, "During the reincarnation of Yan Bao'er?"
God King Xuanyu nodded. "I wonder if that immortal ever returned to the Immortal Realm."
"He didn't,"
God King Xuanchen replied. "I remember Senior Brother Xuanhao mentioning upon his return that the immortal wanted to go back, but he had been exiled. Even if he rendered meritorious service, it was merely redeeming his guilt, so he could not return to the Immortal Realm. Xuanhao said that the immortal later traveled to the Yuanshou world, intending to search for an immortal mountain seemingly called Penglai. He knew some inside information about the events back then."
The matter involving Xu Ying and Yan Bao'er had caused a massive uproar, prompting the Immortal Realm to dispatch a banished immortal to quell the chaos. Yet after the banished immortal quelled the turmoil, the credit was claimed by high-ranking figures in the Immortal Realm.
Xuanyu chuckled. "The reason a banished immortal becomes a banished immortal is precisely because he is disliked by those above. Sending him down to the mortal realm was simply out of sight, out of mind. Wanting to return to the Immortal Realm through meritorious service is completely impossible."
In the Yuanshou world, Xu Ying also sensed the abnormal ripple of divine power. However, because it vanished just as quickly as it had arrived, he paid it no further heed. Bidding farewell to Foolish Ah Fu, he set off for Penglai Pavilion.
Penglai Pavilion lay on the shores of the East Sea, far away from Mount Jiuyi. Fortunately, Yuan Qi possessed an immense body. Xu Ying and Chu Xiangxiang sat upon the giant serpent's head as it flew toward Penglai. Accompanied by a fair lady, the journey was far from lonely.
By the time they arrived at Penglai Pavilion, five days had passed. Pavilion Master Lin Tianhua was pleasantly surprised by their arrival and hurriedly invited Xu Ying and his companions to take their seats.
"Brother Xu may not know this, but while our Penglai Pavilion carries the name 'Penglai', we do not actually occupy the Penglai immortal mountain."
After hearing Xu Ying explain the purpose of their visit, Pavilion Master Lin smiled. "Our Penglai Pavilion is quite young—only thirty-thousand-odd years old. Compared to other sects, our Penglai can only be considered newly born."
Xu Ying was unfamiliar with the origins of Penglai Pavilion. Hearing this, he felt puzzled and asked, "If Penglai Pavilion is only thirty-thousand-odd years old, why does it possess an immortal artifact guarding its destiny? How did the founding ancestor of your Penglai Pavilion ascend?"
Pavilion Master Lin shook his head. "The founder of our Penglai Pavilion did not ascend to the Immortal Realm. In today's world, the super heavenly tribulation blocks the path, and the heavenly road is severed, leaving no possibility of ascension. Thus, our founder blazed a new path. Since ascension to the Immortal Realm was impossible, he chose mortal ascension."
"Mortal ascension?"
At these words, Xu Ying and the others were thoroughly astonished. Yuan Qi quickly pressed, "Pavilion Master Lin, we have a bond forged through life and death. You must not hold back! What is this mortal ascension?"
Pavilion Master Lin hesitated briefly, then explained, "Mortal ascension is not true ascension; rather, it is ascending to the Penglai immortal mountain and settling down within Penglai. Back then, our founder stumbled upon the Penglai immortal mountain by chance and discovered that it had already been fashioned into an earthly minor immortal realm, complete with its own Heavenly Dao rules and principles. As long as one passed the minor immortal realm's heavenly tribulation, one could ascend to that minor realm. From then on, one would become an earthly immortal—unbound by heaven, detached from the five elements, carefree and unfettered. It was unimaginably blissful."
Everyone stared with wide eyes.
Chu Xiangxiang had followed Great Emperor Cangwu and was widely knowledgeable, yet even she had never heard of such a wondrous place in this world!
"The Penglai immortal mountain should rightly be called the Penglai Immortal Realm."
Pavilion Master Lin smiled. "Our founder's life on the immortal mountain was no different from living in the Immortal Realm, and even more carefree. Three thousand years ago, when catastrophe loomed, our Penglai founder protected a disciple. When Kunlun emerged, our founder also bestowed a golden talisman. As you can see, though the Penglai Immortal Realm is a minor immortal realm, it is fundamentally no different from the true Immortal Realm."
Xu Ying asked, "Is there a divine maiden skilled in the arts of divination within the Penglai Immortal Realm?"
Pavilion Master Lin shook his head. "I have never been there, so I do not know who resides within. Our founder was a figure from the Great Xia era who stumbled upon the Penglai Immortal Realm thirty thousand years ago. Upon his return, he established Penglai Pavilion. After our founder ascended to the Penglai Immortal Realm, several subsequent pavilion masters from our sect ascended there as well. They are still living in Penglai."
Xu Ying listened intently. To think such an immortal paradise existed in the mortal realm! No wonder Zulong had ordered people to search for the immortal mountains of Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang back then. Zulong had likely heard of the Penglai Immortal Realm's reputation as well. What puzzled him even more was that Foolish Ah Fu had claimed the three immortal mountains of Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang were brought down from the Immortal Realm to the mortal world by Xu Ying himself. If so, did this Penglai Immortal Realm have anything to do with him?
"Then how can one travel to the Penglai Immortal Realm?" Xu Ying inquired.
"The Penglai Immortal Realm has no fixed location. No one knows where this paradise is hidden. However, Penglai Pavilion possesses a ship passed down by our founder; by setting it upon the sea, one can reach Penglai."
Pavilion Master Lin chuckled. "Back then, when Zulong dispatched Xu Fu to sea, the ships he used were replicas modeled after our Penglai Pavilion's ship."
Chapter 314