The figure who stepped out from the play of light and shadow was none other than Xu Ying. A smile touched his face, but his eyes were devoid of amusement as his gaze settled on Emperor Changsheng.
The eight emperors of the Nine Heavens cried out in shock. Some looked toward Emperor Changsheng in suspicion and confusion, while others barked at Xu Ying, telling him to stop spouting nonsense. Still others demanded to know how Xu Ying had managed to break into the Supreme cave abyss. For a moment, the place descended into an uproar, clamorous and chaotic.
Emperor Changsheng's expression remained tranquil. Though the white-haired youth had shown a fleeting moment of alarm, he quickly regained his usual composure.
Xu Ying stood opposite him, equally unruffled.
The Yanglong Emperor spoke in a low, heavy voice. "Quiet down, all of you. We will address the issues one by one. Xu Ying, how did you get in here?"
Xu Ying cast a sidelong glance at them and chuckled. "I've seen the seals belonging to each of your realms before. While I haven't undone them, going in and out isn't too much trouble. Of course, I must thank the Imperial Monarch for his nurturing. If not for his forty-eight thousand years of torture, my understanding of seal arts would never have reached this level."
The Yanglong Emperor, the Taixiao Emperor, and the others furrowed their brows, clearly unsatisfied with his answer. Yet Xu Ying was telling the absolute truth. Prolonged illness turns a patient into a physician; it was precisely the art of seals that he had studied the most deeply.
Back in the Ziwei Ancestral Court, when he had helped the Last Lord of Ziwei retrieve his mortal remains, he had used the art of Harmonizing Light and Unifying with Dust to mimic the various seals, seamlessly integrating himself into them. Bit by bit, he had squeezed into the imperial mausoleum and carried out the Last Lord of Ziwei's coffin on his back. Among those who had placed the seals upon the imperial mausoleum back then were the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens.
In fact, the Nine Emperors had played only minor roles in that affair. Xu Ying had devised this technique after receiving inspiration from Foolish Ah Fu's Addition and Reduction Method, which was also an unrivaled marvel—one that had once been used to shatter the brand left by the Imperial Monarch on the Purple Nether Saber.
Naturally, the Addition and Reduction Method was still different from Harmonizing Light and Unifying with Dust. The former broke things apart through incremental addition, whereas the latter was a matter of "if you can't beat them, join them"—or, less flatteringly, jumping into the mud with them.
Still, Harmonizing Light and Unifying with Dust sounded much more dignified.
Xu Ying had used the very same method to infiltrate the Supreme cave abyss. To him, the Supreme cave abyss was merely secured by nine locks on the outside.
And he was a skeleton key that could pick every single one.
The Taixiao Emperor bellowed, "Xu Ying, you are a condemned criminal! It was only by the Immortal Emperor's grace that the manhunt for you was called off. Trespassing into the Supreme cave abyss is already a capital offense! What proof do you have to claim that Emperor Changsheng is the Imperial Monarch?"
Xu Ying smiled faintly, his gaze resting upon Emperor Changsheng. "The Imperial Monarch severs his mental demons, yet Emperor Changsheng has never severed his. Even so, he can absorb the Imperial Monarch's mental demons—presumably because they share the same source. Fellow Daoist Changsheng, the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch just burrowed into your body. Why not sever it and cast it out? Once you cast it out, everyone will know whether or not you are the Imperial Monarch."
The gazes of the emperors shifted toward Emperor Changsheng, their expressions flickering between uncertainty and dread.
The apparition just now had naturally been the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch. The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch had been formed from the individual demonic thoughts severed by the Imperial Monarch, which had fallen into the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain within Weixu.
Many people possessed such demonic thoughts. Severing them to maintain a pure Dao heart was a widespread practice among the powerhouses of the Immortal Realm. Even Mingzun, as the Immortal Emperor, had mental demons of his own.
Because of this, the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain had formed into an alternate Immortal Realm. Most of the Nine Emperors perched high above in the Nine Heavens had also severed mental demons. However, their demonic thoughts contained some of their deepest secrets, so they would never exile those thoughts into the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Valley, lest an enemy obtain them and discover their vulnerabilities. Instead, they usually sealed their demonic thoughts away.
Yet among the Nine Emperors, there was one who stood apart: Emperor Changsheng. Following ancient teachings and never severing his demonic thoughts was a principle he had always upheld. This had long since become an open secret throughout the Nine Heavens.
How could someone who never severed his demonic thoughts accept the Imperial Monarch's demonic thoughts without any resistance, suffering no backlash or fiendish invasion whatsoever? This could only mean that the Imperial Monarch's demonic thoughts were, in truth, the very thoughts severed by Emperor Changsheng!
As they followed this line of thought deeper, a chill crept down their spines.
Even the Imperial Monarch's severing of demonic thoughts might well have been an illusion cast by Emperor Changsheng to deceive his foes!
If anyone had attempted to deduce the Imperial Monarch's weaknesses using his demonic thoughts, they would almost certainly have suffered a disastrous downfall, if not lost their life entirely.
And if someone had used the Imperial Monarch's demonic thoughts to deduce Emperor Changsheng's weaknesses, they would have died without a burial ground!
Connecting this to the Eastern King's rebellion, the assassination of the Primordial Monarch, and the death of the Imperial Monarch, the entire affair suddenly ceased to appear straightforward. Perhaps the Eastern King's rebellion had merely been a pawn on someone else's board.
If Emperor Changsheng had orchestrated the Eastern King's rebellion just so he could use the Eastern King's corpse as a stepping stone to ascend the throne, the sheer terror of it was unthinkable.
And pulling that off was entirely feasible. All one needed to do was unearth a few ancient texts recording Qingxuan's secrets and push them in front of the Eastern King. The Eastern King would handle everything else on his own.
As one of the Nine Emperors, Emperor Changsheng certainly had the opportunity to access ancient tomes concerning Qingxuan.
Furthermore, there was the Primordial Monarch! The Primordial Monarch's lover was Emperor Changsheng, and she had even borne him a son. Yet she had also been exceptionally close to the Imperial Monarch, who frequently visited her estate!
More thoughts flooded their minds. If Emperor Changsheng and the Imperial Monarch were one and the same person, then the Imperial Monarch could effortlessly cater to her preferences and win her heart!
At this realization, the young emperor whom they had watched grow up suddenly seemed unrecognizable.
All at once, the Jiuyou Emperor barked, "Xu Ying, do not spit blood and slander others! Fellow Daoist Changsheng is a young emperor whom we supported and watched grow. The Imperial Monarch was another talent altogether, who met his end at the hands of the Eastern King. The Eastern King's brutal murder of the Imperial Monarch was avenged when Fellow Daoist Changsheng turned the tide and rescued the Immortal Court from peril! His towering merit reaches the heavens—how can an insignificant rustic like you slander him?"
The Qinghua Emperor caught on and hurriedly chimed in, "Indeed! Xu Ying was born with rebellion in his bones, spouting venomous lies! The Imperial Monarch had a clean heritage, with every reincarnation properly recorded. He had nothing to do with Fellow Daoist Changsheng!"
The Luhe Emperor declared, "Fellow Daoist Changsheng is magnanimous, resolute, and kind to others, carrying the demeanor of a true elder. How can a yellow-mouthed brat like you besmirch him with a few flimsy words?"
The Fuyue Emperor snapped, "Shut your mouth, pretty-boy Xu! Kneel down at once and kowtow to Emperor Changsheng to beg for forgiveness!"
The Caiwei Emperor nodded vigorously. "Xu Ying, don't think you can babble nonsense just because you're the Imperial Grandson and an imperial relative! Apologize to Fellow Daoist Changsheng right now! Once Fellow Daoist Changsheng ascends the throne, he might still grant you an office like Protector of the Horses!"
The Yanglong Emperor said, "Slandering Fellow Daoist Changsheng is an unforgivable offense. We request that Fellow Daoist Changsheng execute this villain immediately!"
Amidst the chorus of condemnation, Xu Ying suddenly burst into booming laughter. His voice rang out like thunder, utterly drowning out the emperors' insults. In their severely injured state, the emperors found themselves suffocated by the sheer pressure of his laughter.
Xu Ying swept an arrogant glance over the emperors and laughed. "What a bunch of cowards."
The Taixiao Emperor struggled to push himself up, fuming. "You wretched brat, you dare insult the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens? Today, this old man will tear your mouth to shreds!"
Xu Ying snorted. "You are only terrified that if you expose Emperor Changsheng's true face, he will silence you all by killing you. That's why you want to dump all the blame on me—to buy yourselves time.
"You are grievously injured, and all of you are inside the Supreme cave abyss, where the outside world has no idea what is happening.
"If his true face is laid bare, Emperor Changsheng could slaughter the eight of you old geezers to keep you quiet, and not a soul would ever know!"
The Fuyue Emperor bristled. "Who are you calling an old geezer? Surnamed Xu, you weren't like this before!"
The Caiwei Emperor was also quite indignant. "When you used to come knocking on our doors, you never called anyone old!"
Xu Ying ignored them.
"As of now, you are the meat and the Supreme cave abyss is the chopping block. How pitiable that the eight of you must feign foolishness, naively hoping Emperor Changsheng will spare your lives."
The Quelin Emperor shouted, "Xu Ying, what nonsense are you babbling? Today, this old woman will strike you dead beneath my palm!"
She stirred her remaining magic power, but spat out a mouthful of fresh blood with a retch and slumped awkwardly to the ground.
Xu Ying looked at Emperor Changsheng, who had remained silent all this while, with a faint half-smile. He said softly, "Imperial Monarch, what say you? I only wish to seek some vengeance, that's all."
Emperor Changsheng fell quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "Xu Ying, back when you ascended to the Immortal Realm, I already perceived your extraordinariness. You had a sharpness about you, an ambition to reform Heaven and Earth. Those were things I once possessed, but which I severed and discarded. Because of that, I admired you greatly."
With those words, he confirmed to everyone present that the Imperial Monarch was indeed Emperor Changsheng.
Back then, Emperor Changsheng had been one of the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens, far too exalted to have had any interaction with Xu Ying. It was the Imperial Monarch who had been exceedingly close to Xu Ying during that era.
Emperor Changsheng sighed. "Later, when I received His Majesty's decree to deal with you, I was disheartened for a long time. Yet in the end, I had no choice but to strike you down."
He was referring to when Xu Ying's identity was exposed after undergoing seven consecutive tribulations to cultivate the Undying Spirit. During Xu Ying's seventh descent to the lower realm, the Imperial Monarch laid countless ambushes at the Heavenly Road post stations, finally causing Xu Ying to tumble down into the Yuanshou World. There, he used the Purple Nether Saber to sever Xu Ying's physical body, divide his cultivation realms, and suppress him for forty-eight thousand years.
"Between you and me, there should never have been such bitter hatred," Emperor Changsheng lamented.
"Is that so?"
The Jiuyou Emperor quickly chimed in, "Xu Ying, you were only tortured for forty-eight thousand years! What right do you have to bear hatred toward Fellow Daoist Changsheng? You ought to hate Mingzun! If you have the guts, go seek revenge against Mingzun!"
Xu Ying cast a sidelong glance at him. "Someone like you should watch out during thunderstorms, lest you get struck by lightning."
He had been tortured for forty-eight thousand years. Being dismembered, eaten, dissected, and consumed as immortal medicine had happened two or three thousand times, not to mention the countless times he had been killed and buried.
As the Immortal God, he had rarely been allowed to live out a full ten years. Sometimes, barely a year or two into a life, he would be discovered and dragged off to be refined into longevity pills.
All of this had been courtesy of the Imperial Monarch.
Even pouring out the entire Heavenly River would not suffice to wash away this enmity.
Emperor Changsheng said, "The Eastern King was never my match to begin with, but his ambition was immense. He possessed divine calculation and excelled at deducing the flaws in others' techniques. He was a useful man. Wielded properly, he was a sharp blade capable of sweeping away every obstacle before the imperial throne, delivering me straight to it."
At these words, the eight emperors looked utterly crestfallen, each slumping in despair.
As long as Emperor Changsheng refused to admit he was the Imperial Monarch, it meant he had no murderous intent, and they could keep muddling through. But now that he had openly spoken such words, he likely had no intention of leaving them alive.
Emperor Changsheng continued, "When he began exploring Qingxuan's past, the Jiuyou Emperor taught him a lesson by severing the head of a scapegoat he had procured in the dead of night, warning him not to investigate further. However, that incident only piqued his curiosity. His actions also gave me an idea. Thus, I placed several ancient tomes I had gathered before him."
He smiled faintly. "Among them was the incomplete method Qingxuan created for merging cave abysses. This technique could mobilize the Great Daos of different cave abysses for one's own use—a thing of extraordinary value. When I placed it where the Eastern King could 'accidentally' discover it, the look of sheer delight on his face brought a smile to mine as well. I knew that once his ambition was ignited, it would be impossible to contain.
"Afterward came the eruption of the Three Realms Tide. Influenced by the tidal forces, the Heavenly Dao of the mortal world awakened, the Immortal Realm ferry appeared, and Xu Ying underwent his tribulation in the mortal realm. This aroused the curiosity of Mingzun and Great Luo Heaven, drawing them both down into the mortal world. That finally pushed the Eastern King's ambition to its peak. The opportunity I had awaited for so long had arrived at last. Had it not been for Xu Ying, I would be the most legitimate Immortal Emperor in history aside from Qingxuan."
Emperor Changsheng sighed softly and said, "Still, once I ascend the throne, the positions of the Nine Emperors can all be preserved. I will also need them to join hands with me against Mingzun. It's just that our future cooperation may not be as intimate as before. What do the eight of you think?"
The Yanglong Emperor, the Taixiao Emperor, and the others remained silent. If they refused right now, they would perish on the spot. Yet if they agreed, Emperor Changsheng would undoubtedly harbor ill intentions, seizing the chance while they were severely injured to place them under his control. Whatever methods he used to control them would surely not be gentle.
Xu Ying's expression turned solemn. "Fellow Daoists, the Dou Department is the head of the six departments. It, too, possesses the qualifications to aspire to the imperial throne. As the saying goes, 'appointing talent without shunning kin.' Heavenly Venerable Xu Jing of the Dou Department is abundant in virtue, honest, seasoned, and cares deeply for the common folk. Moreover, he is Mingzun's worthy son-in-law, whose filial piety moves Heaven and Earth! I hereby nominate Heavenly Venerable Xu for Immortal Emperor!"
The Jiuyou Emperor sneered cold-bloodedly. "And after Xu Jing claims the throne, will he pass it down to Mingzun's worthy grandson to succeed him and ascend the grand seat?"
Xu Ying replied with a straight face, "Mingzun's worthy grandson possesses virtue that moves Heaven and Earth and nourishes all living beings. He, too, has the bearing of an Immortal Emperor."
The Jiuyou Emperor sneered relentlessly.
Suddenly, the Yanglong Emperor spoke up: "Since Heavenly Venerable Xu Jing is also qualified to aspire to the throne, then who should be established as the Immortal Emperor requires careful deliberation."
The Fuyue Emperor said, "Fellow Daoist Changsheng is not Mingzun's close kin, after all. A bit of deliberation is indeed necessary."
The Qinghua Emperor said, "I, too, believe deliberation is warranted."
The other emperors caught on and nodded in agreement.
Emperor Changsheng raised an eyebrow, wearing a faint half-smile. "And how do you fellow Daoists propose we deliberate?"
Xu Ying put on an amiable expression and suggested, "Why not settle it like this: you and I will have a duel to the death to decide who claims the throne."
The Taixiao Emperor nodded repeatedly, praising, "A fine proposal! It won't harm harmony!"
"Indeed, indeed!"
The Luhe Emperor, who possessed the fiercest temper of them all, praised, "Too many people have died in the Immortal Court recently. We cannot let more perish. Little Brother Xu's proposal is naturally the best!"
The emperors nodded in succession, voicing their approval.
Emperor Changsheng surveyed the Supreme cave abyss and said, "I have minor injuries and need time to recuperate."
Xu Ying asked, "Are ten days enough?"
"More than enough," Emperor Changsheng replied. "And what of our eight fellow Daoists? How shall we deal with them?"
Xu Ying turned his gaze upon the Yanglong Emperor, the Taixiao Emperor, and the rest. After pondering for a moment, he said with utmost politeness, "Let our eight fellow Daoists maintain the status quo. That way, both you and I remain safe."
The Jiuyou Emperor flared up. "Surnamed Xu, what do you mean by 'maintaining the status quo'?!"
A savage gleam flashed in Xu Ying's eyes. "Make another sound, and I'll make you look lifelike!"
Chapter 590