t
“The River Styx can stop the yao from crossing en masse, but if the demons want to invade, they have no such restrictions. Also, humans are smack dab in the middle of yao and demon territory. If a battle really starts, we’ll face attacks on both sides.”
Su Yiyun sighed, then noticed that Ye Zichen’s aura was growing like crazy. “Yezi!”
Ye Zichen didn’t know what was going on either. All he could do was close his eyes and direct his expanding energy through his meridians.
Boom!
In just a few breaths of time, he went from a seventh stage to an eighth stage earth supreme. Furthermore, he showed no signs of stopping after. On the contrary, his growth only sped up.
The peak of the eighth stage.
The peak of the ninth stage.
A first-stage sky supreme.
Second-stage.
….
He grew as if someone had injected him with growth hormones, breaking through one stage after the other.
Su Yiyun watched from the sides, frozen in place. In just an hour, Ye Zichen had advanced all the way from a seventh-stage earth supreme into a fifth-stage sky supreme…
Boom!
He broke through again.
He was now a sixth-stage sky supreme.
It was only after this final breakthrough that the mad surge of energy mellowed.
Ye Zichen opened his eyes. Even he felt somewhat baffled.
“Yezi, you….” After witnessing this bizarre series of breakthroughs first hand, Su Yiyun’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “What just happened to you?”
“I don’t know either,” said Ye Zichen in befuddlement. At first, he thought he’d reached great success with his dharma body technique, but when he looked inside himself, he found that his dharma body was still incubating, just like before. His dao of the five elements showed no signs of a breakthrough either. He had no idea why his strength had just skyrocketed like that. “Was it the Xuan-Yuan Sword?”
As soon as the words left his lips, Emperor Hades walked back into the room. When he saw the bottles of alcohol scattered across the floor, he knit his brows. Su Yiyun hurriedly cleaned them up.
Emperor Hades looked at Ye Zichen next. “A sixth-stage sky supreme?”
From his tone, the emperor seemed a little disappointed. “The energy of breaking the Xuan-Yuan’s Seal only strengthened you that little? And here I thought you’d break all the way into the diviner level.”
“You broke the seals?” asked Ye Zichen.
Emperor Hades nodded. “The seals are broken, but Xuan-Yuan Xiang needs some time to absorb her newly unsealed power. Leave the Xuan-Yuan Sword here for now. Once she wakes up, I’ll return her to you.”
“Alright.” Ye Zichen nodded.
“I solved the problem with the Xuan-Yuan Sword. All I have to do is wait for my old friend.” Emperor Hades’ expression sank. He swished his sleeves and took his place upon the throne. “Yiyun, go to the palace gates and greet our distinguished guest.”
“Emperor Hades, an honored guest is paying a visit, so I’ll…” Ye Zichen wanted to excuse himself, but Emperor Hades shook his head and laughed.
“No need. You can just stay here. You’ll meet this person sooner or later anyway, so you might as well stay here and listen.”
“Yessir.” Although he didn’t know what Emperor Hades meant, Ye Zichen obediently remained behind.
The secondary palace was incomparably quiet. Emperor Hades looked scrupulously ahead. Ye Zichen sat the same way, with his hands on his knees.
Before long, the gates swung open with a bang. Su Yiyun returned to the main hall, but this time, Xue Mo and a man who looked roughly the same age as Emperor Hades were following him.
The man wore long green robes with a crown on his head. He looked like a king.
As soon as he entered, this new arrival looked Ye Zichen up and down, then took the first seat on the right side of the room.
As soon as he sat down, he said accusingly, “Gong Yan, aren’t you being awfully petty?”
“How so? You’re well within your rights to refuse. Great Emperor Xue Yang, how can you accuse me of pettiness right off the bat?” said Emperor Hades, feigning confusion with a chuckle.
Ye Zichen’s expression shifted. This was Xue Yang? And Xue Mo’s father….
Based on his presence, he was no weaker than Emperor Hades.
At around the same time, Xue Mo noticed Ye Zichens’ transformation. Her pupils constricted, and she dashed up to him. “How did you become so strong all of a sudden?”
“Shh, I’ll tell you later.” After reminding her to keep quiet, Xue Yang glanced back at Ye Zichen, then said, “Don’t play games with me. Go on then, who else are you in contact with? If the Sea of Innocence is the only one cooperating with you, there’s no way I can agree.”
“Ol’ Man Xue, when are you going to correct your poor temper?” Emperor Hades sighed. “Of course I won’t make you go into danger all on your own. What would you say if I was also working with the Four Directs Palace…?”
“Bi’an?”
“What, don’t you believe me?” Emperor Hades chuckled, and a golden scroll suddenly appeared in the air.
Emperor Hades gestured to it, and Xue Yang grabbed and opened it. It instantly projected the image of a cold, handsome man in imperial robes.
The man said, “My Four Directions Palace is willing to form an alliance with the River Styx.”
That was all he said, and he didn’t sound particularly happy about it, either. Even so, Xue Yang shook his head and laughed despite himself. “Gong Yan, I’m starting to admire you.”
Emperor Hades didn’t ask him what he meant by that. Instead, he re-summoned the golden scroll, set it down beside him, and arched his brows. “So, Great Emperor Xue Yang, what do you think? Will you form an alliance with the River Styx?”
Instead of answering directly, Xue Yang narrowed his eyes and asked, “Is the Situation with the Yao that bad?”
“Of course,” said Emperor Hades. “Otherwise, do you really think I’d invite you here?”
“What do you think our odds of success are?”
“This isn’t a matter of odds. EIther we succeed and everyone lives, or we fail and everyone dies.”
“Have you talked to the others yet?”
Emperor Hades shook his head. “Not yet.”
Although their discussion seemed awfully vague, everyone present could roughly understand what they were getting at.
Xue Mo stroked his chin. Then his gaze landed on Ye Zichen. “This is….”
“Ye Zichen, the Yellow Emperor’s reincarnation, the wielder of the Xuan-Yuan Sword, and the current owner of the Yao-Sealing Pagoda.”
Emperor Hades revealed everything about Ye Zichen without the slightest restraint. Xue Yang’s gaze instantly contorted, and Ye Zichen’s eyes widened.
What was going on?
Why had Emperor Hades told him all that? Ye Zichen didn’t know what to do. For now, all he could do was smile drily and nod at Xue Yang.
But then Emperor Hades tossed yet another bomb.
“In the future, he might very well become your son-in-law. How about it? I’m letting a future father and son meet in advance. Shouldn’t you thank me?”
“….”
Ye Zichen and Xue Yang both fell silent.
Xue Mo, however, looked baffled. She looked between her father and Ye Zichen. Emperor Hades… He’s… not talking about me, is he?
