The white-haired elder's eyes gleamed with sharp light. "Beat whom?"
"Xu Ying, a newly risen youth, not yet fifty thousand years old," Emperor Changsheng replied. "I have already prepared a dossier detailing his appearance, conduct, mannerisms, as well as his divine powers and Dao methods."
The white-haired elder burst into boisterous laughter and mocked, "Xuan Tiandu, what a useless fool you are. You can't even handle a brat under fifty thousand years old! Mingzun was truly blind to hand Yantian over to you!"
Emperor Changsheng was not angry in the least. "What is your decision?"
"Agreed!"
No sooner had the white-haired elder spoken than Emperor Changsheng gathered his vital energy into a blade, transforming it into a Purple Nether Saber. With a flash of saber light, he sheared the prison cell open.
Purple Qi swirled with metallic clangs, cleanly severing the chains and long hooks piercing the white-haired elder's limbs.
The white-haired elder dropped to the floor. A voice sneered from another cell, "Little brat Changsheng, what kind of person could that old ghost Yantian help you beat with his meager abilities? Come free me instead! Forget beating someone up for you—I can even help you slaughter Mingzun!"
Emperor Changsheng and the white-haired elder shuddered. Neither dared reply to that voice, and both walked out together.
The voice called after them, "Don't go! Mingzun conspired with Jiugong and Taiyuan to move against me! If you let me out, I will promote you to Immortal Emperor Supreme!"
Emperor Changsheng handed Xu Ying's dossier to the white-haired elder. This elder was originally Emperor Yantian, the ruler of Yantian before Emperor Changsheng. Glancing through the dossier, he asked, "Where is this person right now?"
Emperor Changsheng said, "Kunlun Ruins. Sixty percent injured."
Emperor Yantian sprang into the air and vanished without a trace, his voice echoing from afar: "Only sixty percent? I'll beat him down to eighty percent for you!"
Emperor Changsheng exhaled a long breath of relief, leisurely returning to Yantian's Celestial Palace. He thought to himself, *Back in the day, Emperor Yantian was a pinnacle figure among Daluo Golden Immortals. If he makes a move, he can thoroughly cripple Xu Ying. This way, I can finally rest easy.*
Just as he was about to enter the palace, a green-robed man walked toward him and barked, "Are you the one called Emperor Changsheng?"
Emperor Changsheng froze in surprise. "And who might you be, sir?"
Without asking another question, the green-robed man struck directly. Fury flared in Emperor Changsheng's heart: *Did Xu Ying find someone to ambush me too? Does he truly take me for a soft persimmon he can squeeze however he pleases?*
Behind Emperor Changsheng's head, the Great Dao turned like a wheel as his bodhimanda unfolded. Yet in the very next instant, it was blasted through by the green-robed man, a turbulent gust of fist wind slamming into his face.
Twelve Dao wheels spun upon Emperor Changsheng's Great Dao wheel, erupting with myriad divine powers, but the green-robed man breached them with effortless ease, landing a heavy punch square on his face with a resounding thud.
Emperor Changsheng flew backward, his mind still reeling. *How is he so fast? How did he break through my divine powers?*
With a whoosh, the green-robed man caught up, raining down punches and kicks. Emperor Changsheng fought back desperately, but his bodhimanda was utterly useless against this man, smashed through at will. Even his two Dao fruits and one Dao tree could not hinder his opponent in the slightest!
The green-robed man's grasp and comprehension of Dao methods far exceeded his own. In a matter of moments, Emperor Changsheng was battered into trembling dread, seized by the feeling that this enemy was insurmountable.
*Boom!*
His figure went flying, slamming into an immortal mountain and jolting it upward into the air. Suspended rope bridges connected the floating mountains across Yantian's sky; when this peak was knocked aloft, it dragged the neighboring peaks with it.
Both shocked and furious, Emperor Changsheng struggled to take flight, only to find the green-robed man already gone.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He thought, *This must be someone Xu Ying sent to ambush me. But who could he be? Still, he didn't strike with full lethality, only leaving me with minor injuries. That old monster Emperor Yantian won't hold back at all!*
Because Emperor Changsheng was born in a later era, he had never laid eyes on Qingxuan. Though he eventually learned of Qingxuan's deeds, by then all portraits and sculptures of Qingxuan had been destroyed, and most records regarding him had been eradicated.
Consequently, even though he idolized Qingxuan, he failed to recognize Useless Qingxuan when the man stood before him.
His disciples rushed over in haste. Emperor Changsheng waved a hand dismissively. "Master is not in danger. Minor injuries like these will heal after half a day's recuperation."
He rested for less than half a day, and indeed his wounds healed completely.
Yet as soon as Emperor Changsheng stepped out of Yantian Palace, an emaciated yet vigorous old Daoist came walking toward him, a horsetail whisk draped over his elbow.
Emperor Changsheng's heart skipped a beat. Before he could speak, the old Daoist boldly struck, sweeping his whisk with far greater might than when it had hung suspended over Kunlun Ruins!
"Daoist Yuxu!"
Both startled and enraged, Emperor Changsheng resisted with all his might. But the Jade Void Horsetail Whisk in Daoist Yuxu's hand was a Wondrous Realm treasure, equal in renown to a Supreme treasure!
A flurry of tearing hisses rang out as Emperor Changsheng's bodhimanda was breached. Countless strands of whisk hair coiled around Emperor Changsheng's body like chains.
Emperor Changsheng froze in place instantly, not daring to twitch.
The moment he made a move, this Wondrous Realm treasure would slice him to ribbons!
"Pardon the offense." Daoist Yuxu yanked back his whisk and turned to leave.
The whisk strands cut across Emperor Changsheng's body with sharp tearing sounds.
Emperor Changsheng hurriedly looked down, only to see countless shallow cuts across his flesh, though fortunately none were deep. His robes, however, were shredded into thousands of strips, completely ruined!
*Daoist Yuxu was definitely persuaded by Xu Ying to come cause trouble for me!*
Emperor Changsheng's anger dissipated instead. He thought, *He is deliberately trying to ruin my resolve and disturb my Dao heart before the battle. If I throw myself into disarray because of this, I'll be walking right into his trap.*
After healing his wounds, he began contemplating why his bodhimanda had failed to stop either Daoist Yuxu or the green-robed man. *The people Xu Ying recruited are Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits of beings from the Wondrous Realm of Great Luo. Defeating me is tantamount to guiding me. By seizing this opportunity, I can identify my weaknesses and grow stronger! Far from being discouraged, I should thank him.*
Meanwhile, just as Xu Ying stepped out of Kunlun Ruins, a voice called out, "Are you Xu Ying?"
Xu Ying followed the voice and looked up. A white-haired elder stood in the sky above Kunlun with disheveled hair, tattered clothes, and dried bloodstains on his limbs, evidently having endured severe torture.
"I am Xu Ying," Xu Ying said politely. "Senior, how should I address you?"
The white-haired elder laughed. "I am the first-generation Emperor Yantian! Because I rebelled to overthrow Mingzun, I was suppressed in the Five Hells. Xuan Tiandu freed me so I could give you a thrashing!"
Xu Ying was puzzled. "Xuan Tiandu? Who is Xuan Tiandu?"
"The current Emperor Yantian!"
The white-haired elder roared and charged forward, shouting, "A gentleman keeps his word! That boy usurped my throne, but what I promised him must be done!"
His aura raged with overwhelming force. In his bodhimanda burned a blaze of Great Dao fire, within which stood a Dao tree radiating astonishing heat!
Xu Ying planted his foot firmly, deploying his Daluo bodhimanda along with his newly formed bodhimanda to confront this former Emperor Yantian. He immediately realized the opponent's magic power far surpassed his own!
*Boom!*
Xu Ying was heavily knocked flying, but instead of anger, joy welled up inside him. *He didn't break my Leakless Golden Body! Emperor Changsheng found me a fantastic helper to temper my cultivation!*
Emperor Yantian let out a startled gasp. "Not injured? Then I'll ramp up the power!"
Xu Ying resisted with all his might, which only provoked Emperor Yantian's ferocity, making his attacks increasingly brutal.
Xu Ying was pleasantly surprised. *If that Evil Golden Immortal Xiao Lanshan had been this capable, my cultivation would have advanced long ago, perhaps even reaching the Immortal King realm!*
After fighting for half a day, Emperor Yantian could only inflict minor injuries on Xu Ying, unable to wound him severely. Agitated and furious, his offensive grew ever more violent.
Yet after another half day of fighting, Xu Ying remained brimming with vigor, while Emperor Yantian panted heavily, unable to keep up the pace. With his magic power largely spent, he inwardly groaned that things were turning south.
*I just broke out of confinement and don't have a cave abyss to back me, so my power consumption can't keep up. For now, running is the best course. As for what Xuan Tiandu asked me to do, I'll put it on hold—he never specified when I had to beat this boy half to death anyway.*
With that thought, he immediately took off, tearing through the air to flee.
Xu Ying was already extremely close to the Immortal King realm. Hurriedly giving chase, he shouted, "Old scoundrel Yantian, fight another three hundred rounds!"
Pursuing and pausing, fighting and fleeing, Emperor Yantian finally could take it no longer. Battered into severe injury by Xu Ying, he vomited blood, humiliated and enraged.
Xu Ying pursued relentlessly. After several dozen more exchanges, Emperor Yantian begged for mercy: "Young master, little ancestor, stop hitting me! I can't take any more! This old man is just a muddled fool locked away in the heavenly prison! I haven't eaten a full meal in four or five hundred thousand years! In consideration of my old age, please spare me!"
Xu Ying reluctantly let him go.
Emperor Yantian tottered away, a picture of desolation and bleakness.
Watching him depart, Xu Ying waved. "Old senior, feel free to drop by often whenever you have time!"
Emperor Yantian stumbled and quickened his pace to flee.
Xu Ying pondered for a moment, then sank downward into the Netherworld. Instead of rushing to Wangxiang Platform to seek Great Dao Lord Xuhuang, he went to see the Samsara Female Emperor and said, "I would like to ask Dao Brother to help me find a person."
The Samsara Female Emperor asked, "Whom does Young Master seek?"
"Someone from about four to five hundred thousand years ago, named Xuan Tiandu."
***
In the Mortal Realm.
The Immortal Emperor Supreme looked back toward that ancient, dark expanse. Deep within the Mortal Realm, faint flashes of lightning tore through the gloom, continuously crackling around the sacred mountain of the Perfect Dao Sect.
This phenomenon had begun appearing after Xu Ying's tribulation and ascension. At first it had not been particularly noticeable, but over the past month or two, it had grown increasingly violent.
The Immortal Emperor Supreme had investigated it before. The lightning surrounding the sacred mountain branched outward in strange, segmented patterns, snapping through the void in an extraordinarily eerie fashion.
His injuries had yet to heal, and he did not dare borrow Heavenly Venerable Zaohua's cave abyss to recover lest Zaohua seize the chance to tamper with his body. Consequently, despite the bizarre occurrences at the Perfect Dao Sect, he dared not draw too close.
"Mingzun, it is time to move!" Heavenly Venerable Zaohua called out.
The Immortal Emperor Supreme turned around. Moored beside the River of Spiritual Light was a small boat, barely large enough for three people. A person was already on board, a strange figure shrouded in darkness—the Chief Heavenly Craftsman of Qingxuan's era, Daoist Yuji.
Though he had departed the dark Mortal Realm, oddly enough his body remained enveloped in darkness, never exposed, as if a fragment of the dark Mortal Realm had separated to shroud him.
The Immortal Emperor Supreme and Supreme Zaohua boarded the small craft. Daoist Yuji had crafted it from a divine tree in the dark Mortal Realm that had been destroyed during the descent of the Emerald Rock yet remained unrotted, capable of traversing the River of Spiritual Light.
When Daoist Yuji had exiled himself back then, he had found the ferry in the shattered Heavenly Sea and salvaged shipwrecks to piece together a Three Realms Golden Ship, so he knew how to craft a rudimentary ferry boat.
He looked down on the Immortal Emperor Supreme and harbored even deeper hatred for Supreme Zaohua. Originally, he had been unwilling to build a boat for the two of them, but his martial prowess fell far short of theirs. Cornered by them, he had no choice but to craft a wooden ferry.
"Craftsman Yu, you didn't tamper with the boat, did you?" Supreme Zaohua asked, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Shrouded in darkness, Daoist Yuji sneered, "I am on board myself. Why would I tamper with it? If you don't trust me, you are welcome to stay behind."
Supreme Zaohua laughed aloud. "Even if you did, Mingzun and I would have nothing to fear. We are both in the Supreme realm, while you are merely a Daluo Golden Immortal. If you play any tricks, you will surely die!"
Seven days later, Supreme Zaohua and the Immortal Emperor were each clutching a plank of wood, struggling desperately in the River of Spiritual Light. In the distance, Daoist Yuji, shrouded in darkness, stood upon another wooden ferry boat and waved toward them.
Both Supreme Zaohua and the Immortal Emperor were consumed by furious rage. While fighting off the crushing pressure of the River of Spiritual Light, they swam frantically after the boat.
They had still fallen into Daoist Yuji's trap. While on board earlier, Daoist Yuji had abruptly unleashed a Dao weeping, its shockwave throwing their breathing and internal energy into brief disarray.
In that fleeting instant, Daoist Yuji had scuttled the boat and fled, deploying another small craft and abandoning them.
The two swam with all their might. After swimming for more than ten days, Daoist Yuji's boat had long vanished from sight.
Despair crept into their hearts. Struggling in the River of Spiritual Light formed from the Far Ancestor's flesh, they could not die, yet neither could they break free from this torrent born of a ninth-level Dao Realm physique.
They were not alone in the River of Spiritual Light. Countless corpses tumbled within the waters—beings of the eighth level of the Dao Realm who had been trapped to death in this very river.
Just as they were on the verge of abandoning their struggle to drift with the current, they suddenly spotted Daoist Yuji's small boat once more. Hope of survival flared anew, and they swam over with everything they had.
Creeping quietly to the side of the boat, the two leaped out of the river and landed on deck, pinning Daoist Yuji between them front and back. Radiating murderous intent, Supreme Zaohua barked, "Yuji, you tried to take our lives! Today you shall die without a burial place!"
Just as he was about to strike, the Immortal Emperor Supreme hurriedly stopped him: "Martial Uncle, hold! We still have use for him!"
Daoist Yuji stared blankly ahead, looking utterly despondent, and chuckled crazily, "We can't go back... The river is severed! We can't go back!"
Supreme Zaohua and the Immortal Emperor followed his gaze. Ahead, the River of Spiritual Light broke off. In the center was an endless void of darkness, a disruption in space and time echoing with ghostly wails. The only way to reach the opposite end of the river was to cross straight through, but the slightest misstep would see them swept away by chaotic spacetime.
"Heavenly Monarch Shifei!" the Immortal Emperor said, his face turning grim.
"Where is this?" Supreme Zaohua surveyed the surroundings. Suddenly recalling something, his expression shifted drastically, and he blurted out, "The place where the Ancestral God emptied his chamber pot!"
Silence fell over the three of them.
Back then, the Ancestral God had been severely wounded by Qingxuan and others, bleeding in His stool and urine every day, so He had found a place to dump such filth. Seeing how convenient it was, others had also tossed all sorts of unwanted things here—such as friends they found disagreeable.
Regarding this place, the older generation in the Immortal Realm facetiously called it the Cosmic Cesspool.
"Now, only by joining forces do the three of us have any hope of crossing," the Immortal Emperor Supreme said heavily. "Martial Uncle Zaohua, Chief Craftsman Yuji, if either of you harbors malice, the three of us will likely be exiled for eternity! Whether we can return to the Earth Immortal Realm depends entirely on whether we cooperate in good faith!"
Supreme Zaohua and Daoist Yuji nodded silently.
Steering the boat, the three plunged into this Cosmic Cesspool.
***
At the Heavenly Sea Ferry, the ten-day deadline had arrived. The Nine Heavens and Eight Emperors arrived early, and many Heavenly Monarchs and Immortal Monarchs gathered upon hearing the news, awaiting the appearance of Xu Ying and Emperor Changsheng.
The place was already teeming with people. Amidst the clamor of the crowd, an excited voice cried out:
"Junior Brother Xu and Emperor Changsheng are here! Quick! Quick! Bring out the steamed buns I just made! Do any of you want some? I'll share a few hot buns with you—we can dip them in some human blood later and eat them while they're hot!"
Yanglong Emperor, Taixiao Emperor, and the others looked toward the voice, their expressions twisting in sheer terror, their faces turning ash-white as though they had just seen a ghost.
Chapter 595