Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 734: A Shallow Pond Crowded With Turtles

Lu Fan could never have imagined, not even in his dreams, that with his physical form destroyed, his troubles would only multiply.

From that moment, he shouldered the blame for calamities like the incense offerings, the slaughtering of the imperial family, and the murder of the Divine Imperial Son. Divine Dawn, both in identity and the image of justice, truly had the upper hand.

Yet, the encounter with the Divine Imperial Son served as a grim reminder to Yun Xiao.

This time, though the Divine Imperial Son hadn’t hidden his intentions, at least he had shame. But he imagined encountering someone shameless, who would think nothing of killing a man or taking a woman.

In places where laws and morals held no sway, human nature often faltered. Once someone grasped transcendent power, few could restrain themselves from dominating others.

"Lu Fan’s essence is the Chaos Soul, now the Chaos Emperor Lotus. His physical body may be destroyed, but he remains a great threat…"

Thankfully, the danger of the All Life Empress Gu was resolved!

Yun Xiao no longer needed to worry incessantly for the common folk; his mind considerably eased.

"As long as he lives, peace and joy are but distant dreams."

"Devil Eye, now that Lu Fan is wounded and in disarray, along with a large group, can you locate them?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"I’ll try."

An elderly one-eyed man approached, his form shifting and transforming into a massive dark red eyeball that hovered in the void of the sky.

This eyeball, bleeding red light, swept across the heavens with solemn grace.

Soon after, its pupil contracted swiftly, and the one-eyed man hurriedly reported to Yun Xiao, "Lu Fan and his party have left the Stellar Spring of Life and returned to the Great Dao Celestial Realm."

"Keep a close watch on them," Yun Xiao commanded.

"With his body destroyed, what could he possibly do back in the Great Dao Celestial Realm?" Divine Dawn asked, frowning.

"His plan to devour all the souls of the mortal realm has failed, and staying here serves no purpose. His first choice must be to return to the Celestial Court…" Yun Xiao paused, "Of course, it's likely that within the Celestial Court, there remains something that could help Lu Fan catch his breath."

"Do you think we can defeat him now?" the War Princess asked.

Yun Xiao, with a profound look, responded, "Previously, we had no choice but to engage him head-on for the sake of all the beings in the mortal realm. From what we observed in the battle between Lu Fan and the Divine Imperial Son just now, had we rashly engaged, both of you would surely have perished. My spirit is a little stronger than yours, so I might have escaped."

"Why has Lu Fan grown so powerful?" Divine Dawn asked, baffled.

Yun Xiao could not reveal to her that the Chaos Soul had now bared its fangs, and the one controlling Lu Fan was likely no longer the former Chaos Sovereign.

The Chaos Soul was engaged in a battle of life and death; it would be more surprising if it weren't formidable.

He simply shook his head and said, "Let's just say, this is his true level of power."

"Can we actually fight him now?" the War Princess asked in frustration.

"Act according to the situation. If we meet on a narrow path, we must fight to the death. If there's a chance to use another's hand against him, let's not foolishly force a confrontation," Yun Xiao advised.

A regular opponent would be manageable. But this was the Chaos Soul, transcending even the mightiest Immortals of this world!

However, it was also like a creature trapped in a tortoise shell, barely clinging onto life. How else could the Divine Imperial Son have backed him into such a corner?

Regardless, Yun Xiao and his group still turned back toward the Great Dao Celestial Realm, pursuing their foe.

This time, a life or death verdict was to be decided...

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Beneath the Heavenly Palace, the flames of the Celestial Sourcecore raged fiercely.

"We've arrived."

The several-hundred-meter-wide Chaos Emperor Lotus gently spun amidst the blazing furnace-like flames.

Its spirit, once violent and wild, had calmed but now bore a chill, somber, and sinister air.

Even the celestial women who worshiped him felt a tremor of fear.

"Zhao Shi..."

On the petals of the Chaos Emperor Lotus, a face appeared, ancient and ethereal. Its golden-black eyes looked down, scrutinizing the group of celestial maidens.

At this moment, they seemed of little value. Without a physical body, it could no longer feel the pleasures of the world, left only with emptiness and cruelty.

The nourishment and rebellion of these women had indeed greatly aided the Chaos Emperor Lotus. But they were the legacy of Lu Fan, not of the Chaos Emperor Lotus...

The Chaos Emperor Lotus found them troublesome yet did not dispose of them, for it was, like in its past life, a progenitor of spirits, reveling in the worship of many souls.

Even now, it seemed far too diminished in scale.

"Rebirth is but a rise from the east, a return to infancy, where a few hurdles are too minor to stir the waters," the Chaos Emperor Lotus declared, its voice resonant yet hollow, smoothing the inner creases of worry in the hearts of Empress Zhao and the other celestial maidens, calming them thoroughly.

Now, with only the spirit left to engage in love, they had no choice but to remain composed.

"My lord, please command me," Empress Zhao, the motherly figure among them, bowed deeply, still infatuated and docile.

"You too can control the void passage. Open the lower half; I need to enter the Celestial Sourcecore," the Chaos Emperor Lotus instructed.

"My lord, are you planning to refine your spirit with the heartfire of the Celestial Sourcecore?" Empress Zhao asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes," the Chaos Emperor Lotus responded evenly.

It regarded the group of celestial beauties and mused softly, "The destruction of the physical body is not without its benefits. The mortal coil is merely a shackle for the spirit, more hindrance than help... It's time to fully recast the Chaos Emperor Lotus."

"We wish our lord great success in his divine endeavor, and may your virtue be complete."

The group of beauties remained utterly respectful, their hearts full of reverence, believing wholeheartedly that after this ordeal, the Chaos Emperor Lotus, having shed flesh and severed mundane ties, would return to its peak—a state even mightier than when it had consumed the souls of the living through a mortal body.

This was the culmination of over 20 years of dormant influence and indoctrination by the System, perfectly aligning with Lu Fan's spirit to lay the foundation for rebirth. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision, but a painstakingly arranged plan for rebirth!

"None can prevent our lord from defying the heavens and ruling for eternity...!"

The group of celestial maidens, with eyes full of fervent devotion, prostrated themselves fully, the fire of adoration burning in their gaze.

"This celestial step is like a shallow pond, crowded with turtles, indeed a strenuous first step."

The petals of the Chaos Emperor Lotus unfurled, the soulfire upon them burning ever more intensely.

"However, the advantage is clear—there exists no cultivator mighty enough to threaten me, ensuring safety..."

With the body gone, what more could one do?

The Chaos Emperor Lotus, aglow with blazing black and gold soulfire, made the flames of the entire Great Dao Celestial Realm tremble and wail.

Then, through the void passage, it descended into the deepest reaches of the Celestial Sourcecore.

"Chaos descends, unrivaled in all the universe!"

Empress Zhao and the others, hearts wild with fervor, faces bright with joy, cried out in worship.

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With a resounding crash, the Azure Rain Sword Vessel touched down upon the Heavenly Palace.

Yun Xiao, Divine Dawn, the War Princess, and Devil Eye emerged from within.

Cao Shuo, Gu Suwan, and Yue Yin—three mature beauties—approached to meet them.

"Is everything arranged?" Yun Xiao asked Cao Shuo.

"Within the boundaries of the Heavenly Palace, there's no one else left. The celestial army has been temporarily dispersed," Cao Shuo replied.

"What reason did you give?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"I told them that you and the Seventh Princess were to engage in a life-and-death battle with Lu Fan, to prevent accidental injuries. I ordered all the Immortals in the Great Dao Celestial Realm to stay indoors and hide," Cao Shuo explained.

She was clever enough to know that Yun Xiao wanted to avoid any unnecessary contact between the people summoned by the ancestral summoning edict and the general populace, to keep the narrative under control and shift the battle towards the Chaos Soul.

And to keep a low profile himself.

Lu Fan and the White Emperor were natural enemies. So strictly speaking, Yun Xiao’s actions weren’t so much exploiting others as they were hiding himself before a third-party threat emerged.

This was truly watching the tigers fight from the mountain!

Since the conflict in the Heavenly Palace began, everyone wanted to watch from the sidelines, and so far, Yun Xiao had gained the most from it. But this was only temporary.

The effects of the ancestral summoning edict and what it might provoke were still uncertain.

And the risks that Lu Fan, now the Chaos Emperor Lotus, might take in such a desperate situation were also unknown!

"Where is Lu Fan?" Cao Shuo, concerned for the people, asked anxiously.

"The All Life Empress Gu is dead, and Lu Fan's plan has failed. He has now fled into the center of the Celestial Sourcecore, brewing who knows what disaster," Yun Xiao said, his expression grim.

"And the Divine Imperial Son...?" Cao Shuo asked.

"Cut down by Lu Fan, unfortunately," Yun Xiao shook his head.

Divine Dawn and the War Princess, hearing this, were beyond speechless.

The most shocking part was that Cao Shuo believed it completely, exclaiming, "Damn, that Lu Fan is too strong... But he's truly stirred up trouble now. The force behind the White Emperor and imperial family won't let this rest, I expect a major figure will soon arrive to send him to his demise."

No sooner had she spoken than at the spot where the White Emperor had perished, a massive colorful teleportation celestial formation took shape instantaneously, then started to absorb power from the Sacred Emperor Barrier to activate, its colorful radiance illuminating the land.

"Are they here already?" Yun Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

The power of this ancestral summoning edict was fiercer than he had imagined.

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