The Heavenly Emperor of Chu

Chapter 255 The Western Emperor Requests an Audience with the Empress
Soon after, reliable news came from Yaochi: the strange phenomenon of the Supreme Being's recent fall originated from the Immortal Golden Body, the companion of the Western Emperor, who had unfortunately perished.

The news was confirmed, causing an uproar in the world. The lifespan of the contemporary immortal golden body was far too short, only four or five thousand years, which was far from the ten thousand-year limit of the great golden body. Unexpectedly, it had actually perished, confirming the previous conjecture.

With the fall of the indestructible golden body, the entire Yaochi Holy Land was shrouded in mourning, and an indescribable sense of sorrow emanated from it, causing people to feel grief from the bottom of their hearts.

All eyes in the sacred land of Yaochi were fixed on the main hall near the Immortal Pool. The inexplicable sorrow originated from this hall, from the current emperor—the Western Emperor—who lived within it.

The fallen one was the Western Emperor's companion. They met when they were both humble, and through countless hardships and wanderings, their feelings for each other blossomed. In the end, the Western Emperor attained enlightenment, and the two became partners, creating a rare and beautiful story in the mortal world.

They thought things would have a happy ending, that the two would spend their lives together and grow old together. But who would have thought that the indestructible golden body would leave so soon, leaving the Western Emperor alone here.

Inside the main hall, the Western Emperor, dressed in white, looked at the coffin before him, his eyes filled with sorrow, and silent tears streamed down his face.

The entire world was also affected by the Western Emperor's emotions, and endless sorrow filled every corner.

Beside him was a child of seven or eight years old. Although young, his eyes were filled with determination, and his face bore a resemblance to the deceased immortal body. It was clear that he would grow up to be a heroic and valiant man.

"Mother, is this why you released me from the divine source?"

Wu Shi's voice trembled. He hadn't expected that when he awoke again, he would see his father's corpse.

The tall, heroic man from my memory had vanished, leaving only his wounded body lying in the coffin.

"Who exactly is Mother?"

Wu Shi's voice carried a hint of anger. Although he was young, his words were like those of a celestial king, exuding supreme majesty.

He saw numerous wounds, large and small, on his father's body, clearly indicating that he had not died a natural death.

How could someone with an indestructible golden body, whose partner is the current emperor, have so many wounds on his body? Could it be that a powerful enemy has attacked him?
"Ugh!"

The Western Emperor sighed softly, her heart trembling. Wu Shi's words pierced her soul once more, and she could no longer control her emotions. Endless sorrow emanated from her, instantly sweeping across the universe, causing heaven and earth to grieve wherever it passed.

After a long while, the Western Emperor finally composed himself.

"Your father did not die at the hands of foreign enemies. The reason is that he failed in his attempt to reach the ninth level of the Golden Body and was reborn as Nirvana, which exhausted his source of power." The Western Emperor's eyes were filled with self-reproach.

Thousands of years have passed since the last time the Undying Golden Body failed to break through to the Nine Revolutions Golden Body. During these years, the Undying Golden Body and the Western Emperor have lived a loving life together.

They originally thought that the two of them would live like this forever, like a pair of celestial beings, until their lifespans ran out.

But who would have thought that the Undying Golden Body never gave up the idea of ​​breaking through to the Nine Revolutions Golden Body? Instead, as time went by, it gradually turned into an obsession in his heart.

Not long ago, the Undying Golden Body took advantage of the Western Emperor's seclusion to decisively attempt to break through to the Nine Revolutions Golden Body, but unfortunately failed and perished in the backlash.

By the time the Western Emperor realized what was happening, it was too late for regrets; all that remained was a mangled corpse.

"Nine Revolutions Golden Body?" Wu Shi asked with some doubt.

Although he was born a saint, his cultivation was a gift from heaven. He himself was not skilled in cultivation and was unaware of many of the secrets of cultivation.

This was also intentionally done by the Western Emperor and the Undying Golden Body. They hoped that Wushi would have a carefree childhood, and not cultivate for the sake of cultivation, and not understand what happiness is.

"You possess part of your father's physique, so you should know that the possibility of achieving enlightenment with an indestructible golden body is almost zero. Throughout history, only the indestructible emperor has been able to do it."

"The reason why the Undying Emperor was able to successfully attain enlightenment in the past was precisely because of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body. This technique was created specifically for the bloodline of the Undying Golden Body. With each revolution of cultivation, the origin of the Undying Golden Body will become stronger."

"If one can cultivate the Golden Body to the ninth level, even without attaining the Dao, one can obtain complete ultimate combat power and have the potential to break through to the ultimate realm."

"But achieving the ninth level of the Golden Body is extremely difficult. Each attempt is like hanging by a thread, with the possibility of death at any moment. Before this, your father had failed several times and even used the elixir of immortality to barely survive."

"I thought he had given up on the idea of ​​trying to achieve the Nine Revolutions Golden Body, but who would have thought..." Before the Western Emperor could finish speaking, he could no longer control his emotions and was on the verge of collapse.

Who would have thought that a contemporary enlightened being, invincible among humankind, would suffer multiple emotional breakdowns after the fall of his partner?

Such feelings will not necessarily change, even if the sun and moon wither, mountains and rivers turn into seas, and seas turn into mulberry fields.

"The Nine-Turn Golden Body?"

Wu Shi's eyes grew increasingly resolute. He wanted to complete what his father had not finished, to achieve the Nine Revolutions of the Golden Body, and to see the realm that his father had always longed for but had never set foot in.

What kind of cultivation technique could possibly be worth abandoning his wife and children for, something he would do at any cost?

However, Wu Shi did not mention this matter to the Western Emperor. She had already lost one of her husbands and could not allow Wu Shi to go down that path again.

Moreover, Wu Shi also keenly sensed from his mother's words that the Nine Revolutions Golden Body was not unique to his father; there must be other lineages in the world.

Not long after, the Western Emperor buried her indestructible golden body beneath the Immortal Pool. At the same time, she sealed Wushi away again, leaving it for future generations.

With her husband gone and Wushi sealed away by her own hand, the Western Empress had no one left close to her in this world. She began to focus her mind on the path to immortality in the mortal realm, wanting to embark on this legendary path.

Unfortunately, this path was far more difficult than she had imagined. Even after her lifespan in her first life was exhausted, she was unable to achieve much in her research.

After taking the elixir of immortality, the Western Emperor lived a second life, but this time she had a different idea.

"Perhaps I should visit that one and ask him for guidance on the path to immortality in the mortal world?"

The Western Emperor looked towards the southern part of the Eastern Wilderness, where there was a forbidden area. Any creature that had ventured into the forbidden area had never appeared again, and mortals were terrified of it.

However, the Western Emperor knew that the forbidden zone was different from the other forbidden zones. It was the secluded cultivation place of an unparalleled being who had once killed the Imperial Fire Spirit and quelled the turmoil.

Later, he personally went to the Holy Spirit Forbidden Zone and wiped out the entire Holy Spirit Forbidden Zone with a single sword, achieving a feat that would last for eternity, and was revered by the world as the Heavenly Emperor of Nanling.

However, the world knows very little about the deeds of the first incarnation of the Heavenly Emperor of Nanling, the Ruthless Great Emperor. It was by chance that the Western Emperor learned about the childhood of this peerless empress and understood why the empress went on a killing spree in her first incarnation.

Swish!
The next moment, a golden road appeared beneath the feet of the Western Emperor, his supreme imperial might sweeping across the eight wastelands and shaking the universe.

A vast aura soared into the sky, and all living beings in the world sensed it, looking towards the location of the ancient Big Dipper.

"The Emperor is traveling; where is the Western Empress going?"

Some were quite surprised, as the Western Emperor had almost always stayed in the Jade Pool Holy Land since attaining enlightenment, rarely venturing out, let alone making such a grand display. But soon, the world learned that the Western Emperor's destination was the desolate and forbidden land, the secluded cultivation place of the Southern Ridge Heavenly Emperor.

"Will the Western Emperor be granted an audience with the Heavenly Emperor of the Southern Ridge if he wishes to visit him?"

Since the Empress appeared, countless powerful figures have crossed the star sea to come to the ancient star of the Big Dipper, wishing to pay homage to her. Among them are many old relics from extreme forces. The weakest of these people are at the Quasi-Emperor realm, and a considerable number of them have even reached the ninth level of Quasi-Emperor.

But no matter how much these people prayed, no one was able to set foot in the desolate forbidden land and get close to the Empress.

Some people, defying the superstition, tried to force their way into the desolate forbidden land, but they didn't even get close to the sacred mountain before turning into a handful of dust.

"The Western Emperor's visit to the Empress may be to seek guidance on the path to immortality in the mortal world. She will likely be received by the Empress, which is truly enviable."

These powerful figures from the mortal realm have flocked to visit the Empress in search of guidance on the path to immortality. Unfortunately, over the years, none have been known to have ever received an audience with her.

As a contemporary enlightened being and a rare female emperor, the Western Emperor was highly likely to be received by the Empress, which naturally made them extremely envious.

Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness.

A beautiful woman in white walked slowly down the golden road from the heavens. As she approached the desolate forbidden land, she concealed everything as a sign of respect.

"Is this the ancient forbidden land, the Empress's place of seclusion, and also the Daoist temple of the Immortal Emperor in the past?"

The Western Emperor gazed at the endless mountain range before him and murmured to himself.

That mountain range was peculiar; it was lush and verdant with ancient trees reaching for the sky, yet it carried an invisible power that seemed capable of devouring everything and shortening the lifespan of humankind.

Deep within the mountains, nine main peaks loomed in the distance, shrouded in a hazy, ethereal mist that obscured their true forms, making them impossible to discern even for someone of the Western Emperor's cultivation level.

"As expected of an emperor who attained enlightenment through the Chaos Body, his cultivation is far superior to mine," the Western Emperor thought to himself.

Although his physique was not bad, and he was not weak among those who attained enlightenment throughout history, compared with this empress whose talent surpassed that of all ages, he was truly like an ant looking at the blue sky.

However, the Western Empress was not discouraged. If her child could successfully attain enlightenment, his future achievements might not be inferior to those of this peerless empress.

Soon, the Western Emperor cast aside his distracting thoughts and bowed slightly toward the direction of the desolate ancient forbidden land.

"The Western Emperor requests an audience with the Empress!"

Rumble!
As soon as the Western Emperor finished speaking, the mist surged within the desolate forbidden land, and a gray road emerged from the depths, landing at the Western Emperor's feet.

"Thank you, Empress!"

The Western Emperor cupped his hands in greeting, then followed the gray, misty road step by step into the desolate ancient forbidden land.

Upon stepping into the desolate forbidden land, the Western Emperor sensed that the inexplicable power within had grown even stronger. Even a being at the Quasi-Emperor level would likely not be able to withstand it for long.

However, all of this was insignificant to the Western Emperor. Although this power was profound, it could not harm a being at the Extreme Dao Realm.

Continuing along the main road, the Western Emperor soon saw the true appearance of the nine sacred mountains. The sacred mountains were exceptionally majestic, as if they could support the sky and the earth.

On those nine sacred mountains, each grows a unique divine herb. The nine herbs appear to be one, but the fruits they bear are all different, some resembling cherries, some resembling the sun, some resembling the moon, and so on, totaling nine kinds.

"The Nine Miraculous Elixir of Immortality?"

The Western Emperor recognized the origin of the nine divine herbs. Although there were nine herbs, they were actually one. The Empress had separated them using supreme means and planted them on the nine sacred mountains.

Although the Nine Wonders Immortal Elixir was separated, it did not weaken as a result. On the contrary, it was full of vitality and had a strong energy, and its origin was not damaged.

This alone is enough to show that the Empress's cultivation level is astounding.

The Western Emperor withdrew his gaze and continued walking deeper into the desolate forbidden land.

Soon after, a magnificent bronze palace appeared before her eyes.

A celestial palace stretched across the sky, with boundless celestial light descending, seemingly illuminating the endless heavens. Countless celestial laws appeared, as if capable of suppressing everything.

The aura of the Bronze Immortal Palace was terrifying. In the Western Emperor's perception, it was not much weaker than that of himself, a Great Emperor who had attained the Dao through the Innate Dao Embryo.

"A celestial artifact! This is a true celestial artifact! The Empress actually possesses a celestial artifact!" The Western Emperor was astonished.

She sensed the extraordinary nature of the celestial palace before her, far surpassing her own Immortal Tear Green Gold Pagoda. In particular, the immortal aura swirling around the palace confirmed that it was indeed a celestial artifact.

"I never imagined that there was a celestial artifact in the mortal realm that had never been seen before. If word got out, it would probably shake the entire world."

There are only a handful of celestial artifacts in the mortal realm. Apart from the Tianji Chu family, which clearly possesses them, the other celestial artifacts have either been lost or destroyed. There has never been any other person or force that possesses a second celestial artifact.

But today, within the desolate ancient forbidden land, the Western Emperor once again saw a true immortal artifact, perfectly intact without any defects, and its power was extremely terrifying, comparable to that of a peak-stage Dao-proving cultivator.

Chi!
The doors of the Bronze Immortal Palace opened silently, and an unparalleled aura emanated from within, causing the Western Emperor to feel a chill.

The Western Emperor's expression grew increasingly resolute as he walked step by step toward the Bronze Immortal Palace.

When the Western Emperor entered the Immortal Palace, he saw a cold and aloof figure. She was exceptionally beautiful, dressed in a moon-white robe, her curves perfect. However, she wore a ghost mask on her face, revealing only a pair of calm, watery eyes.

There was no aura emanating from the Empress, but simply by standing there, the Western Emperor could not muster the slightest thought of resistance.

"Greetings, Empress!" The Western Emperor came to his senses and bowed to the Empress.

This was the first time the Western Emperor had seen the Empress. She was so stunning that the Western Emperor couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.

"Fellow Daoist Xihuang, please have a seat!" The Empress nodded slightly, without saying much.

In fact, if the Western Emperor's companion were not an immortal golden body, she would not have received him even if the current emperor himself had come.

To her, whether the Western Emperor attained enlightenment or not made no difference, and she would not look at him with any special regard because of it.

"I understand your purpose. If you want to embark on the path to immortality in the mortal world, outsiders can't help you much. You can only rely on yourself."

(End of this chapter)