The Chives Are Ripe, Ready for Harvest

Xu Ying's heart pounded violently. The two of them had been cornered inside the Supreme cave abyss by the Immortal Emperor Supreme! "Your Majesty!" Xu Jing cried out in pleasant surprise and hurried forward to pay his respects to the Immortal Emperor Supreme. He then turned to Xu Ying and said, "Ying'er, this is His Majesty the Immortal Emperor! Why haven't you paid your respects yet? His Majesty rescued your mother and took her as his foster daughter—he is a great benefactor to our family!" Xu Ying stepped forward and bowed. "Your guilty subject, Xu Ying, greets Your Majesty the Immortal Emperor!" The tall, elderly man was indeed the Immortal Emperor. With a smile on his face, he looked at the father and son, remaining silent for a long time. Xu Jing and Xu Ying felt deeply uneasy. After a long while, the Immortal Emperor smiled and asked, "Worthy son-in-law, Yanglong Emperor, Taixiao Emperor, and the others have been constantly urging you to succeed the throne. Why have you persistently refused?" Xu Jing adopted a solemn expression and replied, "Emperors Yanglong, Taixiao, and the rest believed Your Majesty had fallen into the Dark Realm and would surely struggle to escape. For the sake of all under heaven, they made arrangements to choose an acting emperor, ultimately selecting your subject. But I believe Your Majesty is the Supreme of the Ninth-Five, endowed with the mandate of heaven, bearing the hopes and aspirations of the common masses. Heaven invariably blesses the worthy; you would certainly turn misfortune into fortune and return safe and sound. Hence, I entered the cave abyss to cultivate, merely to steady the hearts of the Eight Emperors while awaiting Your Majesty's return. In my humble view, while the emperors' intentions in selecting an acting emperor were understandable, they were ultimately shortsighted. Even if an acting emperor were chosen, how could anyone possess Your Majesty's brilliant sagacity and divine valor to reassure the hearts of the people?" The Immortal Emperor Supreme burst into hearty, resonant laughter. After a moment, he said, "You and Xu Ying both have remarkably slick tongues. You speak so well it fills Us with delight." The Xu Ying he referred to was evidently not the present Xu Ying, but Celestial Venerable Xu of old. Back then, Xu Ying spoke with flowing eloquence, thanks to Xu Jing's fine tutelage. The current Xu Ying, by contrast, spewed curses at the drop of a hat, ready to turn hostile and beat people up—decidedly uncivilized. "Worthy son-in-law, during your days cultivating in the Supreme cave abyss, have you made any discoveries?" the Immortal Emperor asked. Xu Jing's face remained composed as he said, "Indeed I have. Within the Supreme cave abyss, your subject often gazed upon the places where Your Majesty comprehended the Dao—solemn, magnificent, and rich with enduring Dao rhymes. I frequently sat by their side to heed their teachings, benefiting immensely." Xu Ying looked on with immense admiration. Hard as he tried, he simply lacked his father's talent for spouting complete nonsense without batting an eye. The Immortal Emperor Supreme strode past the father and son and said meaningfully, "What you have seen is merely the surface of the Supreme cave abyss. Come, I shall show you the true Supreme cave abyss." Father and son exchanged a glance, bracing themselves to follow his lead. This was the first time Xu Ying had observed the Immortal Emperor at such close quarters. He thought to himself, *So this is the fellow who tried to kill me in the Dark Mortal Realm, only to be heavily wounded by my two disciples, Jingming and Ming Wangsun?* In the Dark Mortal Realm, because the Ancestral God had attacked the Emerald Rock Heavenly Dao, the Emerald Rock had retaliated, forcing Xu Ying to undergo zangification to take cover. As a result, the Immortal Emperor had assumed he was dead and had come to harvest him, leading to an encounter between them. Later, when Xu Ying comprehended the Emerald Rock Great Dao, Old Zang Jingming and Ming Wangsun guarded him, wounding those who spied on him from the darkness—among whom was the Immortal Emperor. In an idle moment, Jingming had mentioned this to Xu Ying. Thus, upon seeing the Immortal Emperor now, Xu Ying was sorely tempted to ask, *Have your injuries healed yet?* However, neither Old Zang Jingming nor Ming Wangsun was here, so he had to hold his tongue. The Immortal Emperor was tall and imposing. Though he appeared elderly, he was an immortal after all. Old age was merely the outward facade he showed the world, used to lower others' guard and serving as another weapon in his schemes. He led Xu Ying and Xu Jing back along nearly the same path, passing over immortal peaks large and small as he walked toward the layered Dao realms. "Do you know why I took such an interest in the Dragon Court?" the Immortal Emperor Supreme remarked languidly. "The main reason was this Taicang Cave Abyss. This cave abyss came from Emperor Haocang of the Ziwei Ancestral Court and was originally known as the Haocang Cave Abyss. Inside, it actually conceals eight great Dao realms, each layer's Dao mysteries profounder than the last. "This cave abyss has eight Dao realms in all," the Immortal Emperor Supreme continued leisurely. "It can guide you to comprehend step-by-step, heading straight for the eighth Dao realm. Yet someone tampered with its eighth Dao realm—it was struck until it fractured, leaving its Great Dao flawed." As he spoke, he brought Xu Ying and Xu Jing back before that rift in the cave abyss. Xu Jing's heart skipped a beat. Glancing at Xu Ying, he thought, *The old Immortal Emperor brought us back here just to show that our earlier scheme was completely within his grasp! If he bares his fangs later, I will lay down my life to stall him and give Ying'er a chance to flee.* Xu Ying was astonished. "The Haocang Cave Abyss was cracked by someone's strike? Who possesses such power to crack a Supreme cave abyss?" The Great Dao, spiritual energy, and spiritual power harbored within a Supreme cave abyss were enough to allow one to cultivate to the Supreme realm. Smashing a Supreme cave abyss was vastly more difficult than slaying a Supreme! Yet the Haocang Cave Abyss had actually been cracked by someone; the person responsible must possess truly terrifying strength! "Those capable of damaging a Supreme cave abyss are, of course, Supremes," the Immortal Emperor Supreme said, his expression turning somewhat unnatural. "I used this cave abyss to break through to the Supreme realm. Because the Great Dao was flawed, it left a weakness in another's hands, placing me under their control. However, We have not spent these past six hundred thousand years of cultivation in vain. I have finally comprehended the missing portion of the Supreme cave abyss's Great Dao and cultivated it to perfection. If anyone intends to use the rift in this cave abyss against Us, they will only be crushed to pieces!" His haughty demeanor made Xu Jing's heart tighten. *He truly saw right through my scheme!* Xu Ying, however, remained skeptical. *If he had truly mended the missing Dao of the Haocang Cave Abyss, why would he scheme so painstakingly to seize the Taiyi Cave Abyss?* *His claim that he mended the rift is likely just an attempt to intimidate others,* Xu Ying reasoned. *Or perhaps he only patched the surface, while deep down he knows the rift was never truly fixed. It is nothing more than self-deception and deception of others.* The Immortal Emperor Supreme asked meaningfully, "Worthy son-in-law, during your days in the cave abyss, have you comprehended the Dao methods concealed within this rift?" Xu Jing answered hastily, "Your subject is humbled; I have comprehended nothing." The Immortal Emperor chuckled. "No matter. Take your time, and you will eventually understand. Xu Jing, you may leave first. We have words for Our Imperial Grandson that are not fit for outsider ears." Xu Jing shuddered inside, hesitating. Xu Ying subtly shook his head, signaling for him to go. Xu Jing's eyes darted slightly, and he immediately turned and walked toward the exit, thinking, *The only option now is to inform the Eight Emperors and invite them here! Ying'er together with the eight emperors, including Yanglong and Taixiao, will be enough to face the Immortal Emperor Supreme!* Once Xu Jing was gone, the Immortal Emperor Supreme stood with his back to Xu Ying, staring at the rift in this Supreme cave abyss without uttering a word for a long time. Just as Xu Ying's attention wavered slightly, the Immortal Emperor Supreme's head suddenly twisted around. His eyes fixed eerily on Xu Ying, as if sizing up prey. Xu Ying felt a chill run through him. *Does he want to harvest me right here?* The Immortal Emperor Supreme twisted his head back and slowly turned his whole body around, asking, "Xu Ying, you wouldn't blame Us, would you?" Xu Ying replied at once, "Your Majesty's words are too heavy. Your guilty subject was falsely branded a rebel by the Imperial Monarch. Your Majesty washed away the false accusations and cleared my name—how could I possibly blame Your Majesty?" "It is good that you bear no grudge," the Immortal Emperor Supreme said with a sigh. "Have you still not unraveled the Imperial Monarch's seal? We can assist you with that. Once the seal is broken, you will remember many things—you will remember your past with Us." Xu Ying's skin prickled with goosebumps. He said, "Your Majesty, I can undo the seal myself; I merely have some reservations, which is why I haven't unraveled it yet." The Immortal Emperor Supreme did not press him. Smiling, he said, "Let us not linger here too long, lest your father, Emperor Yanglong, and the others worry. Come, walk ahead of me." "How would your subject dare?" Cold sweat formed on Xu Ying's brow. His eyes darted rapidly as he forced a smile. "How could I dare walk ahead of Your Majesty? That would be a capital offense! Please go ahead, Your Majesty, and your subject shall follow behind." The Immortal Emperor Supreme's expression darkened. "When told to walk in front, walk in front!" Xu Ying had no choice but to walk ahead. He felt a chill seeping steadily into the back of his neck, as if a gaze were burning into his flesh, raising goosebumps despite himself. His eyes widened as he glanced to the left and right. He found himself walking alone through the void of the Supreme cave abyss, while upon the towering immortal mountains on either side, a colossal, ferocious shadow was cast. The shadow was twisted and menacing, brandishing fangs and claws. Like a fiend-god, it gaped open a bloody maw lined with razor-sharp teeth, looking ready to devour him whole! The Immortal Emperor Supreme spoke not a word. Xu Ying could hear no footsteps, no breathing, nor could he even sense the Emperor's aura. Steeling his nerves, Xu Ying suddenly said, "Your Majesty, your subject has crossed the Four Realms Heavenly Tribulation." "The Four Realms Heavenly Tribulation?" The Immortal Emperor Supreme's voice seemed to drift right against the back of Xu Ying's skull. Repressing the sickening discomfort, Xu Ying smiled and said, "Indeed, the Four Realms Heavenly Tribulation. The heavenly tribulations of the Earth Immortal Realm, the Mortal Realm, and the Heavenly Immortal Realm, together with that of the Dark Mortal Realm—that makes four realms. Your subject has already mastered the Emerald Rock Great Dao." The Immortal Emperor Supreme drew slightly back from the back of Xu Ying's head, for at that moment, he felt sharp pricks of pain. Branching, segmented patterns were radiating from Xu Ying's body, silently sprouting in all directions. These bizarre patterns were something he had seen before—in fact, they had once grown upon his own flesh! Back when he was defeated by Old Zang Jingming and Ming Wangsun, he had been affected by the Emerald Rock, and these bizarre patterns had invaded his body, wreaking horrific devastation! Seeing this again, he felt an instinctive urge to recoil. Around Xu Ying, the zang state burgeoned. The branching patterns transformed into wings, brimming with a tremendous power no less formidable than that of this world. Yet this power was resonating with the Dao of the Supreme cave abyss! Xu Ying continued forward, his wide eyes shifting continuously from side to side as he watched the shadows cast on the immortal mountains. "Your subject has comprehended the Heavenly Dao of the Dark Mortal Realm and mastered a power that not even a zang could harness. I call it the Emerald Rock Great Dao." Upon the mountain, a colossal hand shaped like a claw reached out from behind him, against which Xu Ying's shadow appeared utterly insignificant. Xu Ying's eyelids twitched. Quietly priming the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler, ready to lash out at any moment, he declared aloud, "It was with this Emerald Rock Great Dao that your subject slew Emperor Changsheng. I believe the Emerald Rock Great Dao holds boundless potential!" The Immortal Emperor Supreme's voice drifted over, neither too close nor too far: "Is the Emerald Rock Great Dao truly so formidable?" Staring fixedly at the shadow of that clawed hand, Xu Ying asked, "Has Your Majesty's injury healed?" The shadow of the claw froze. Xu Ying's eyes remained wide open. As he walked, he kept his gaze locked onto the shadow of the hand on the immortal mountain, saying, "Your Majesty was wounded by the Emerald Rock Great Dao, and even now, your injuries have not yet healed, have they? So whether the Emerald Rock Great Dao is formidable or not, Your Majesty knows better than anyone." Suddenly, he felt a terrifying murderous aura erupt behind him—chilling, grim, making him feel as though he were plunging endlessly through the dark, falling forever without reprieve! Xu Ying's heart leaped into his throat, yet his outward composure remained rock solid. He had a habit: he often seemed on the verge of having his Dao heart shatter, but when push came to shove, he would instead turn icy calm. Right now, he was utterly composed, his Dao heart clear and lucid, without the slightest panic. He had already prepared all manner of contingencies. The Immortal Emperor Supreme's intention in keeping him behind was sinister from the start—most likely, seeing that the crops had ripened, he could no longer resist partaking in the joy of the harvest. Even if the Immortal Emperor Supreme "devoured" him here, the outside world would be none the wiser. As for Xu Jing, he would likely be silenced soon afterward. After all, officially the Immortal Emperor Supreme was still trapped in the Cosmic Dark Realm, so no one would ever suspect him. Thus, Xu Ying was in mortal peril. To counter this danger, the only way was to make it impossible for the Immortal Emperor Supreme to see through him. Yet, whether it was the Taiyi Cave Abyss, the Ten Great Dao Landscapes, or even his cultivation progress, everything was within the Immortal Emperor Supreme's grasp! One could say the Immortal Emperor was even more familiar with Xu Ying's cultivation progress than Xu Ying himself, and knew Xu Ying's techniques and divine abilities better than Xu Ying did! The only thing he was unfamiliar with was Xu Ying in his zang form! A Xu Ying who had grasped the Emerald Rock Great Dao would inevitably possess divine abilities beyond his knowledge. That these abilities had slain Emperor Changsheng meant their upper limit was a complete mystery to him. The Immortal Emperor Supreme had suffered grave injuries in the Mortal Realm. First wounded by Xu Ying's two disciples, Jingming and Ming Wangsun, then pursued by the Dragon Bell, and subsequently attacked time and again by creatures in the cosmic cesspool, his wounds had only multiplied. His condition was poor, and his cultivation had never managed to recover, which was the very reason he was unwilling to reveal his whereabouts. With his cultivation and strength far from their peak, it would be easy for others to seize an opportunity to strike him down. This was precisely why he hesitated even as he wanted to harvest Xu Ying. Right at that moment, the Immortal Emperor suddenly made up his mind and reached out his hand! Seeing the shadow of the hand stretching across the mountain, Xu Ying's heart froze. *There's no other way. I can only fight to the death!* Just as he was about to strike, a voice suddenly drifted in from outside the cave abyss: "Senior Brother Mingzun, your junior Lou Mingyu has come on our Master's orders to invite you and little brother Xu Ying to meet upon the Great Luo Heaven." The voice was clear and crisp, carrying distinctly into the ears of both Xu Ying and the Immortal Emperor. On the immortal mountain, the shadowy hand shuddered, freezing in place. After a brief moment, the hand's shadow slowly retracted, as though reluctant to let go. "So it is Junior Brother Lou," the Immortal Emperor Supreme's voice sounded from behind Xu Ying. Soon, he caught up, walked past him, and took the lead, remarking at an unhurried pace, "The Holy Venerable is truly worthy of his title, to already know of My return." The voice outside laughed. "The Holy Venerable possesses vast divine powers. He knew of Senior Brother's return long ago. It was only out of consideration for your injuries that he did not summon you." Xu Ying did not dispel his zang form, keeping close behind the Immortal Emperor Supreme. He remained vigilant, daring not let down his guard in the slightest. Only after stepping outside the Supreme cave abyss did he slowly disperse his zang form, exhaling a quiet breath of relief. Outside the Supreme cave abyss, a young man was chatting and laughing amiably with the Immortal Emperor. After exchanging pleasantries for a moment, his gaze settled on Xu Ying, and he smiled. "Junior Brother Xu made a name for himself in the battle at Heavenly Sea Ferry, shaking the world! To think you could master the Emerald Rock Great Dao and become proficient in Emerald Rock divine abilities—you are truly an extraordinary genius seen once in an age! No wonder the Holy Venerable holds you in such high regard and insisted that I rush over with all haste, lest a terrible mistake be made."