Emperor Changsheng, the Imperial Monarch, and the others stepped back one after another, their gazes fixed intently on the Immortal Emperor Supreme. Emperor Changsheng in particular kept an impassive expression, yet inwardly he felt quite humiliated.
Earlier, he had attempted to claim the Ginseng Fruit Tree in full view of everyone and ended in failure. He had been forced to settle for plucking three Dao fruits, intending to retrieve his Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler before returning to seize the tree.
Yet the Immortal Emperor Supreme had happened to cross paths with him on the road, taking him by the hand and compelling him to return together. Towering and imposing, the Supreme had held his hand as if leading a child—a gesture dripping with ill intent.
Changsheng had originally taken three ginseng Dao fruits and planned to gift one to the Primordial Monarch. Before he could do so, however, the Supreme had already presented her with one of his own.
Furthermore, the Supreme had deliberately withheld a fruit from the Eastern King, dropping a heavy-handed hint that forced Changsheng to part with one of his own fruits to give to the Eastern King.
In doing so, Changsheng had not only lost a Dao fruit, but had also failed to win over anyone.
And now, the Immortal Emperor Supreme was about to claim the Ginseng Fruit Tree before the entire assembly. His motive was blatantly obvious: to proclaim publicly that he still stood above Emperor Changsheng, and that he remained the sole sovereign of all!
Yet the Supreme handled matters with such seamless perfection that while Changsheng was left to suffer in silence, no one could fault the Supreme in the slightest.
The Supreme's bodhimanda unfolded, overlapping with that of the Ginseng Fruit Tree. The collision between the two bodhimandas was perilous in the extreme, yet breathtakingly radiant. Blooms of multicolored mist surged forth, rising like vapor and slowly unfurling into wisps.
The Supreme strolled beneath the Dao tree, allowing its attacks to rain down upon him without penetrating his defenses by even a hairsbreadth.
Placing his palm upon the trunk, he suppressed the tree's tremors with his immense cultivation, using his own Dao attainment to quell that of the ancient tree!
This act of refinement proved astonishingly uneventful. There was no earth-shattering commotion, nor any world-splitting phenomenon; the Supreme carried it out with consummate ease.
Yet the more effortlessly he acted, the more unfathomable he appeared in the eyes of all present.
Before long, the bodhimanda of the Ginseng Fruit Tree ceased its resistance against the Supreme.
"The remaining ten Dao fruits upon the tree shall be reserved for those who render meritorious service," the Supreme said as he walked over with a smile. "During the Tide of the Three Realms, great deeds will surely be achieved. These ten fruits are prepared precisely for those individuals."
A chill ran through the Imperial Monarch and the rest. The Supreme's words served as an unmistakable reminder: I have the power to mold you and guide you to achieve the Dao fruit; should you prove disobedient, I can just as easily elevate others to take your place!
Witnessing this, Emperor Changsheng let out a silent sigh. *The Supreme's majesty remains fathomless, undiminished from years past. Under these circumstances, should I still pursue and eliminate Xu Ying?*
He hesitated briefly. Two Dao fruits were hardly a fair trade for a Supreme treasure.
*The Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler must still be recovered; it is merely a matter of how,* he thought to himself. *Having refined it myself, the ruler has long been bound to me as securely as an impregnable fortress. No matter where it is, I can sense it, and once I reach the outside world, I can simply summon it back. As for Xu Ying, meting out a minor punishment will suffice.*
A moment later, Emperor Changsheng took his leave.
The Immortal Emperor Supreme rose to see him off, speaking with apparent warmth. "Fellow Daoist Changsheng, when I remarked on your petty disposition earlier, it was merely in jest. Do not take it to heart. You must learn to be more magnanimous."
Emperor Changsheng offered his agreement. Departing Wuzhuang Temple, he said, "Your Majesty need not see me off."
He soared into the air to return to the Immortal Realm, his mind churning with indignation. *You want me to be magnanimous? May lightning strike you down!*
Focusing his senses to divine the location of the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler, his heart abruptly seized. He could not sense the ruler at all!
Emperor Changsheng sat cross-legged and mobilized his primordial spirit, channeling his Dao tree and Dao fruit. A weathered plum tree manifested, its roots delving deep into the myriad worlds to sharpen his perception.
The eyes of his primordial spirit burned like blazing torches, piercing through the Three Realms—from the heights of the Immortal Realm to the depths of the Netherworld, everything lay open to his gaze!
Yet he still found no trace of the ruler.
A fine bead of cold sweat broke out on Changsheng's forehead. The Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler seemed to have vanished into thin air. The imprint he had diligently tempered and forged over hundreds of thousands of years had apparently been scrubbed clean, severing all connection!
"My Supreme treasure... Wait. When the Supreme urged me to be magnanimous just now, he must have foreseen this... Magnanimous, my foot!"
Fury flared within Emperor Changsheng. He seethed with an urge to track down Xu Ying and tear him limb from limb, yet remembering the Supreme's methods, he hesitated.
*Fine. Since he told me to be magnanimous, magnanimous I shall be. I won't pursue this grudge for now. That brat Xu Ying took my ruler, but he will have to wield it sooner or later. The moment he activates the treasure, I will strike him down and take it back.*
At this thought, his mind eased slightly. Xu Ying was merely a petty cultivator, a plaything kept by the Supreme. So long as he only knocked the boy senseless without killing him, the Supreme would hardly turn against him over such a trifle.
*Still, how did that boy manage to erase my imprint?*
He was genuinely bewildered. He was a Great Luo Golden Immortal, while Xu Ying's realm was insignificant by comparison. How could the boy have wiped away his imprint?
***
Meanwhile, in the Ziwei Ancestral Court, Nan Ziyan called out from afar, "Your Majesty, the thief Xu is here!"
Upon hearing this, the Last Lord of Ziwei hastily instructed several disciples, "Stash away all our treasures at once! Don't let that thief lay eyes on them!"
The disciples hurriedly tucked every treasure out of sight, eyeing Nan Ziyan's small boat with deep suspicion.
Xu Ying leaped down from the boat and placed the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler before the Last Lord.
At the sight of the treasure, the Last Lord understood his intention immediately. "Ziyan, fetch my lamp."
Nan Ziyan rushed to bring the Taicang Dongzhen Glazed Lamp. The Last Lord raised the artifact, casting a beam of lamplight onto the ruler that incinerated the imprints Emperor Changsheng had painstakingly forged and tempered over four hundred thousand years.
"What a marvelous treasure!" The Last Lord could not help but marvel as he watched the ruler emerge entirely unscathed, its surface gleaming ever brighter and looking good as new. "The craftsmanship of this treasure differs from the methods used to forge Wondrous Realm of Great Luo treasures in ancient times. Could it be a Supreme treasure?"
Having once reached the pinnacle of the Wondrous Realm of Great Luo with unmatched Dao attainment, few had ever surpassed him. Thus, he recognized at a single glance how the ruler differed from his own artifacts.
Suspended in midair, one edge of the ruler bore cosmic gradations marked with strange runic seals, varying from one notch to the next.
The opposite edge depicted an expanse of mountains and rivers that shifted ceaselessly as varying hues of light played across the surface, an endless and wondrous display.
Xu Ying remarked, "It is indeed a Supreme treasure, though I cannot say which Supreme-realm figure left it behind. If Emperor Ai takes a liking to it, I would be willing to trade."
His eyes glinted as the abacus in his mind clicked furiously; he had set his sights on trading for the Last Lord's glazed lamp.
In terms of sheer power, the lamp likely surpassed the ruler, making it far more alluring to him.
The Last Lord shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Xu, the beads from your abacus almost hit me in the face. The glazed lamp was crafted and bound to my own heart and will; why would I want this ruler? To take the fall in your place? Whoever commands this treasure must be immensely powerful—far beyond someone you can afford to cross. That is the sole reason you ran here to fence your stolen goods. If I were to trade with you, that person would set their sights on me instead."
Having his scheme laid bare did not embarrass Xu Ying in the least. He chuckled heartily. "Your Majesty's wisdom is peerless! My petty calculations could never escape your notice!"
The Last Lord sighed. "Had I still been on the throne, someone with a silver tongue like yours would have lost his head long ago. I could never stomach flatterers like you!"
Xu Ying smiled. "Brother Daoist Emperor Ai..."
The Last Lord glared at him. "Call me Last Lord! You come seeking a favor, yet dare call me Emperor Ai?"
Xu Ying smoothly adjusted his address. "Last Lord, the person wielding this artifact is a Great Luo Golden Immortal titled Emperor Changsheng. I heard he snatched the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler in the past. Back then, two Supreme treasures emerged into the world: this ruler, and the Returning Dao Jade Platter. I once came into contact with the jade platter and discovered that its master might not be dead—or rather, not entirely dead."
Back in Weixu, Xu Ying had possessed the opportunity to claim the Returning Dao Jade Platter. Yet sensing that its master still lived, he had abandoned the prize to avoid being ensnared in whatever plot surrounded it.
Now, he feared the ruler posed a similar hazard.
After all, Supreme treasures were exceptionally rare. For two such treasures to surface simultaneously four hundred thousand years ago smelled of an underlying scheme.
Intrigued, the Last Lord probed, "You mean to say the master of the ruler might still be alive as well?"
Xu Ying nodded slightly. "Testing an undying Supreme is perilously dangerous. Emperor Changsheng is a Great Luo Golden Immortal; if the original master were still alive, he surely would have noticed. That is why I cannot say for certain."
His curiosity piqued, the Last Lord fixed his gaze upon the ruler and chuckled. "A Great Luo Golden Immortal? Doesn't the new era cultivate toward the Supreme realm? Walking the old path of a Great Luo Golden Immortal merely shows he lacked the talent to reach the Supreme realm and had no choice but to follow our old road. If he truly had any ability, why would he rely on someone else's Supreme treasure?"
He smiled faintly. "Why would an undying Supreme cast out his own treasure? Certainly not because he had too many lying around."
Invigorated, Xu Ying beamed. "Brother Daoist Empe—Last Lord, how then might we determine whether the master of this treasure is dead or alive?"
The Last Lord smiled. "A simple test would tell."
Xu Ying blinked. "And how should we test it?"
"You want me to test it for you?" the Last Lord retorted with a chuckle. "If I do and provoke that entity, I doubt my current condition would let me survive ten exchanges."
Xu Ying countered, "That Supreme's condition can hardly be much better than Your Majesty's. If he weren't grievously wounded, why would he cast aside his own Supreme treasure?"
Remaining firm in his resolve, the Last Lord shook his head. "Goading me will do you no good. I died once at the hands of a siege by Supreme-realm figures, so I know full well the terror of that new cultivation realm. I must preserve what remains of my useful life to render one final service to the Ancestral Court, not squander it in a senseless clash with an unknown Supreme."
Seeing that he could not sway him, Xu Ying could only put the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler away.
The Last Lord remarked, "Have you ever considered why a Supreme-realm figure would cast out their own treasure? Once you understand that, you will realize that possessing a Supreme treasure is not necessarily a blessing. Meat pies do not fall from the sky—only snares do."
Xu Ying hesitated. "If there truly were a snare attached to this treasure, Emperor Changsheng would surely have noticed."
The Last Lord sneered. "That Emperor Changsheng couldn't even reach the Supreme realm; clearly he is an incompetent fool."
After a moment of indecision, Xu Ying mustered his courage and said, "Brother Daoist Last Lord, there is one more matter that brought me here. The canopy on my imperial carriage has been destroyed twice now. Do you think you could..."
"Out of the question!" the Last Lord cut him off flatly. "Ziyan, see our guest out!"
Nan Ziyan stepped forward at once, smiling. "Celestial Venerable Xu, this way, please."
Xu Ying persisted, "You still have several immortal emperors' tombs left unexcavated; there must be spare canopies inside! Why don't I help you dig them up? I won't ask for any valuable treasures—just whatever scraps you don't want!"
The Last Lord turned a deaf ear to his pleas. Xu Ying had no choice but to board the boat. Only after escorting him beyond the borders of the Ziwei Ancestral Court did Nan Ziyan return.
The Last Lord remarked with a smile, "Ziyan, you are not far from standing atop the younger generation as its strongest. As for that Xu Ying, his entire body is riddled with vulnerabilities and fatal flaws. I fear his doom is not far off."
Nan Ziyan asked, "Why does Master say so?"
"Look at him," the Last Lord explained. "He cultivated the Taiyi Cave Abyss and drew unwanted eyes. An ancient divine soul lurks within his Great Luo Heaven, coiled and biding its time. He has offended Emperor Changsheng, a Great Luo Golden Immortal—tantamount to an old man hanging himself out of weariness of life. On top of that, he stubbornly clings to the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler, practically begging to be ensnared by a Supreme-realm entity. He has death flags planted all over him like an opera performer; clearly he isn't long for this world."
Nan Ziyan said urgently, "I will go warn him!"
The Last Lord sneered, "If you go and the ancient soul inside his Great Luo Heaven senses you, it will take your life on the spot! Stay out of this affair!"
***
Having departed the Ziwei Ancestral Court, Xu Ying intended to take a brief rest at the Little Celestial Venerable's Hunyuan Palace when the Divine Mother's voice reached him. "Immortal Master, Lan Suying left a note for you."
Xu Ying accepted the note and read through it, his expression turning cold as frost. He sneered, "That old dog of an Immortal Emperor truly seeks to harm me!" With a flick of his wrist, he crushed the paper to powder.
Written upon the note was the exact method to merge the ten cave heavens and summon the Taiyi Cave Abyss!
***
Meanwhile, Lan Suying returned to the Immortal Court. Finding an opportune moment, she made her way to the Heling Dugu Palace of the Dou Department to meet Xu Jing. Producing a ginseng Dao fruit, she smiled. "I snatched this for you. Hurry and eat it."
Xu Jing was both astonished and overjoyed. Just as he was about to consume it, a thought struck him, and he asked hastily, "Have you taken one, my dear?"
Lan Suying produced a second Dao fruit, chuckling. "At least you have a conscience. I intended to take mine with you."
Husband and wife exchanged a warm smile.
Xu Jing then thought of Xu Ying and quickly asked, "What about Ying'er? Has he eaten one?"
"He consumed one and still holds five more—far more than the two of us," Lan Suying replied. "Two of them are reserved out of filial piety for us."
Xu Jing said, "Ying'er is truly thoughtful. That means each of us will be able to take two!"
The couple consumed their Dao fruits, refining the medicinal power while chatting about what had transpired at Wuzhuang Temple. Upon learning that every Heavenly Venerable had received a fruit, Xu Jing immediately stood up. "I am the Celestial Venerable of the Dou Department. Father-in-law should grant me a Dao fruit as well; otherwise, it would be an injustice to the Dou Department! I shall go demand one from him!"
Lan Suying laughed. "You certainly know how to work an abacus, but do you think he won't notice you have already consumed a fruit?"
Xu Jing strode briskly toward the door, retorting, "This fruit was given to me by my wife; it has nothing to do with him! I am not fighting for myself—I am upholding the honor of the Dou Department!"
Lan Suying praised him with a laugh, "My lord, your abacus is truly played to perfection!"
Chapter 527