Chapter 734

Chapter 734: Heavenly Emperor Haotian

The mist hung thickly, and a figure traversed through its hue, arriving at a small water bay.

One shadow, two shadows, three shadows—when the last figure arrived, everyone knelt down, surrounding the small water bay.

Suddenly, a grand light and shadow rose within the water bay, scanning the surroundings and declaring, “I have fallen for many years, but I finally await the world’s clash. The heavenly secrets are chaotic, yet I cannot break through the barrier to return to the realm. The sage has died; Haotian shall rise. No matter the cost, I must become an immortal once more!”

“We will surely assist the Emperor in ascending to the thirty-three heavens!”

As the voice faded, Li Hui suddenly awoke, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.

“What’s wrong…” Yang Jiuzhen sensed her husband’s disturbed aura and awakened from her sleep.

“It’s nothing! You go back to sleep; I need to think carefully.” Li Hui rose. He had been recuperating lately, striving to regulate his Yang God by sleeping on time, only to have the nightmare he just experienced.

“How can I sleep?” Yang Jiuzhen sat cross-legged, opening one vertical eye on her forehead to look at her husband.

This vertical eye was not real, but created by intricate Reversed Demonic Patterns, deep and extraordinary, resembling a vertical nine-fold pupil, hiding mysteries within.

Now Yang Jiuzhen’s abilities matched Li Hui’s, though her cultivation lagged a bit, still at the mid-stage of wandering and yet to condense her Yang God.

After carefully examining him for a moment, she took a deep breath and said, “What you saw in the dream is about to happen or is already happening. This is Wutu warning you; it’s a sign of changes in fortune.”

Li Hui replied, “I need to visit that water bay in the dream. You must guard my physical body. When the time comes, immediately guide the righteous energy of heaven and earth into my body.”

“It seems you have made your decision.” Yang Jiuzhen grasped her forehead and unexpectedly dug out the Heavy-Eyed Demonic Eye formed by the Reversed Demonic Patterns.

“What are you doing?” Li Hui was shocked.

Yang Jiuzhen’s center brow oozed blood, but she casually wiped it away, saying, “This Heavy-Eyed Demonic Eye is what I reformed from breaking the Reversed Demonic Patterns, equal to half a Dao Fruit. I just need to meditate for three months to recover. I’ll give it to you for protection; we cannot place all our hopes on the refining of righteous energy.”

“You must take care of yourself!” Li Hui, not one to be overly dramatic, accepted the Heavy-Eyed Demonic Eye and pressed it onto his forehead. A massive light and shadow rose from his body, and his gaze suddenly became blank.

Next, the Yang God exited his body, following the dream’s water bay, disappearing in an instant. When he reappeared, he was already enveloped in mist.

Thick fog obscured the sky!

This fog was profound and heavy, carrying a trace of shocking crimson. No matter where one went, there would always be a hint of red, like an everlasting nightmare that couldn’t be shaken off.

Li Hui raised his hand, attempting to grasp a wisp of mist to observe, but ended up catching nothing. Only a sliver of crimson slipped through his fingers.

“Years of fog, heart and mind in a gap, tainted by Immortal Blood, turned into a secret realm,” Li Hui spoke in astonishment, unknowingly voicing his thoughts. In other words, could this secret realm hear his inner voice?

Suddenly, from deep within the fog, someone spoke: “Indeed, this is the Years of Mist, which creates a narrow gap in the minds of living beings. I once left a trace of Immortal Blood rooted in their hearts, ensuring they will not forget Haotian!”

“Haotian?” A nine-fold Demonic Pattern erupted on Li Hui’s forehead as he looked closely, his heart shaken, saying, “So the true immortal being suppressed by Wan Nest Island is not Erlang Shen, but Heavenly Emperor Haotian!”

“Li Hui, you are currently gaining power in the Wutu Continent. As long as you seize great fortune in the Canglang River battle, you can enjoy peaceful years for hundreds of years. Look at the current pattern of Wutu; in hundreds of years, it will become immeasurable. The thirty-three underground celestial projections will no longer have a chance to rise!” The voice traveled far away.

“You actually know about the Canglang River battle?” Li Hui began to retreat slowly and said, “You clearly suffer under the suppression of Wan Nest Island and Mount Tai, yet you know all the outside circumstances as if you can see through everything. The Emperor’s methods are indeed extraordinary; it seems you intentionally created this dream to draw me in.”

“Hahaha, I can hear the voices of the masses. So whatever you know, I, as Heavenly Emperor Haotian, know it all! The Canglang River battle is significant because it carries the fortune for the hundreds of years to come. Even if it’s a bait from the outside world to incite conflict, consuming the bait can also fill the stomach.” The voice sneered through the mist: “What a pitiful world! Don’t you want to punish those hidden cultivators behind the scenes? There are surely Dark Immortals among them. Since you know the source of Wan Nest Island’s suppression, why not join forces with this Emperor and create brilliance together?”

The voice carried an enchanting tone: “Li Hui! One must have a big picture view in life. Even if some population must be sacrificed, swallowing the Demonic Essence World will surely send them into reincarnation. In their next lives, each will enjoy wealth and glory and even pursue the Immortal Dao. This Emperor guarantees with an Oath that I will hold no ill will and can help you reincarnate to obtain a higher starting point, making you the Crown Prince of Haotian.”

“Crown Prince? Everyone prosperous after reincarnation?”

Li Hui walked forward in a daze, traversing through layers of mist, unknowingly stepping into the crimson haze, standing before a small water bay.

A shadow appeared in the sky, sighing, “Stop pretending! Though you made yourself thoughtless to evade the inspection of heart voices here, how could you possibly be lost with the backing of Wutu’s fortune?”

Li Hui suddenly looked up, his forehead exploding with vision and saying, “Are you really Heavenly Emperor Haotian? Why is there only a shadow?”

The shadow laughed heartily: “Hahaha, I hope you never see me; otherwise, you’ll be scared to death!”

“Emperor, your past dignity remains immortal; the beings of the world regard you with reverence! But encountering such calamity, you are no longer existent. I feel the celestial projections entangled with the present world do not arise from the wishes of the immortal beings, but are influenced by a hidden force. That is why I want to pull the righteous energy of heaven and earth into this place, in order to awaken the true consciousness of the Emperor and have an open and honest discussion with you.”

The shadow coldly responded, “What hidden force? It doesn’t exist at all. If you were to possess all the heavens and worlds, enjoying the blessings of immortals, would you willingly fall to this? The immortals have grievances, hence they wish to rise again!”

Li Hui said seriously: “Indeed, there are grievances. However, the immortals uphold righteousness; their path is profound. How could they be so consumed by greed? If they are so selfish, then I find the ancient calamity of immortals utterly appropriate for exterminating them.”

“Do not measure immortals if you are not one of them!” The shadow stood with its hands behind its back: “We can make a wager. You bet that the immortals uphold righteousness; I bet that the source is selfishness, using the beings of Wutu as the stakes. If you’re willing, I can accept the righteous energy of heaven and earth returning to its source at any time.”

“No! I have no right to wager the lives of the beings, but this life can be temporarily staked.” Li Hui’s eyes sparkled. He was certain that after returning to its source, Haotian should not be in this state before him.

“Boom…” The crimson spread, staining the small water bay ahead. It felt like a long time passed before the shadow suddenly transmitted a message: “Alright, I accept the wager!”