Chapter 707

Chapter 707: The Return of the Mysterious Pearl

Li Hui returned to the Daxia and headed straight for the Taishan dojo, where he saw flags flying and a golden light radiating from the royal carriage. At the foot of the mountain stood the Empress’s Phoenix Guard, clearly indicating that the Empress was on the mountain.

"Little sister has been waiting for her brother for quite some time!" Wu Zhao, dressed in plain clothes, stood in a pavilion halfway up the mountain.

She didn’t bring any guards, her aura now far surpassing that of her earlier self. At first glance, she appeared dignified and graceful, but there was an underlying authority both in front and behind her. Above her head shimmered a stunning gold and red light, as she carried the fate of the entire Daxia and even Wutu, truly a jewel of immense value, a figure of utmost respect!

From a distance, Li Hui could sense several gazes upon him, all from Traveling Realm Practitioners. These cultivators followed the Empress, presumably for luck to guard against calamities; otherwise, when heavenly tribulations do not arise, there are still human calamities to contend with.

"It seems I should have waited for you to find me; why the rush to come? Aren’t you worried others will say you neglect your authority?" This single remark astonished many; some practitioners wanted to lecture her, but feeling the Empress’s power, they quickly closed their mouths, not daring to act rashly.

"My brother is a true practitioner of the Dao, and Mei Niang would give anything to serve near you. Sometimes I think back on the past and can’t help but regret—if I had followed my brother stubbornly on the path of cultivation, could I have been a concubine and enjoyed this life?" Wu Zhao’s cheeks flushed slightly; she only lowered her stance and spoke heartfelt words when facing Li Hui.

The guards within earshot practically wanted to cut off their ears. Did they hear what they thought they heard? The mighty Empress wanted to be a concubine to a practitioner.

Li Hui chuckled heartily, "Hahaha, character determines fate! Even if you leave with me, in time you will ride the winds and waves, seizing all that power you can! That’s great; you will serve as the Martial Emperor and hold back the raging tide. Once Wutu stabilizes, the people will praise you and pray for your blessings and longevity!"

"Oh? From my brother’s words, is there hope for Wutu to stabilize, and it won’t take too long?" Wu Zhao’s face lit up with joy.

"Look at you, all your thoughts centered on your foundation! Let me ask you, if this beautiful land truly gets established, will you hand it over to Hong’er or return it to the Li family?" Li Hui’s question caused a stir, as the Empress’s presence naturally attracted many eyes, and not just eyes—there were many ears listening.

"Hehe, that needs to wait until the land is established," Wu Zhao responded playfully, causing Li Hui to feel a sense of admiration. Being Empress for a few years wasn’t easy; she had honed her skills well in Tai Chi.

"Return and prepare! Those small vassal states wishing to join the territory must be absorbed! Meet with the envoys from the Barbarian Nation and the Giant Armored Tribe; deal with them while also affecting the overseas Grand Xuan Dynasty—quickly suppress them!" Li Hui did not enter the pavilion. Instead, he rose toward the mountain’s peak, his voice sweeping through like a swift wind, "With the drastic changes in Wutu, I will cut down the ghosts and demonic creatures for you. We need to quickly promote the military’s treasure cabinet talisman formation; the main force of the Demonic Essence World is the Blue Demon, and this small display really isn’t enough."

Many listeners couldn’t help but scoff. The leader of the Heavenly Talisman Sect was indeed powerful; it seemed he had recently faced off with Ancestor Yan Jiao and won several victories. However, no one believed he could single-handedly resolve the current situation on the Wutu Continent. It appeared the Martial Emperor had valued someone who was far too arrogant.

Others doubted Li Hui, but Wu Zhao was truly convinced. She knew she had ascended to the throne thanks to her sworn brother’s support behind the scenes, even altering the Dragon Vein of the Daxia, which allowed her to enjoy power in recent years while her political enemies faced difficulties and couldn’t even sip cool water without it getting stuck in their teeth!

"Little sister will definitely prepare well." Wu Zhao bowed respectfully.

Even though she enjoyed luck as the Empress, there were still times she felt powerless, especially when faced with the calamities of heaven and earth. No matter how hard she worked or how diligently she ruled, she saw the land gradually falling into decline, and the sorrow in her heart was palpable.

Honestly, Wu Zhao had long wanted to consult her sworn brother, but she had searched the Wutu for traces of him to no avail until a month prior when she finally heard news that her brother had returned from overseas and created a new Taishan. Now, the loss of the earth’s vitality was indeed a remarkable feat of her brother.

"Use the Haoyue ship and prepare to return to the palace!" Wu Zhao looked at Li Hui’s back, realizing he had great things to accomplish. Since he asked her to prepare, they could not afford to delay even for a moment.

Li Hui soared higher until he landed on the mountain peak.

Currently, the summit of Taishan was just shy of the Nine Heavens, but since he had returned, it wouldn’t be long now.

On the way back, he sent out Gold and Silver to contact Chongguang’s ghost cultivators. After a while, it would be time to launch an attack; it was time to set Wutu in order. This place was not only his hometown but also his stronghold; wherever he went in the future, it would always be his own cave.

As he sat cross-legged, he felt his mind gradually connect with Taishan, sensing that he had become a pillar of heaven, ready to support the skies of Wutu and even the entire Twenty-Three Great Thousand Worlds. It was a truly strange feeling, one he had never experienced before.

"Good, the Dao Fruit is smoothly integrating with the earth’s core. At the current pace, amazing results will be seen in twenty-one days," Li Hui said, quite satisfied.

He was waiting for someone—Yang Jiuzhen’s return.

He waited for thirteen days, during which Zhuge Yi and Du Miaochan’s messages arrived first, inscribed on a paper crane wrapped in a green light that roughly explained the current situation.

"Oh? They have only managed to secure three Void Riding practitioners. Adding Senior Zhuge, that makes four, while four other Void Riding cultivators remain neutral. Ancestor Yan Jiao and four others are on the opposing side. Two believe my cultivation is weak and insufficient for the task, while the other two rebuked me for offending the Nine-Mystic Continent. Additionally, I have already established enmity with Ancestor Yan Jiao; it’s likely he will come looking for me soon,” Li Hui thought, “The situation isn’t too dire. Senior Zhuge is working to persuade those four neutral cultivators. It just depends on when Jiuzhen returns."

As he pondered, a figure soared upward, overcoming the gale and calamity fire, heading straight for the pinnacle.

"Husband, sorry to keep you waiting," Yang Jiuzhen returned hurriedly, flashing a radiant smile that revealed her pearly white teeth.

Li Hui felt a pang of love and quickly stood to embrace his beloved wife, "Wife, you’ve been through so much. It’s my fault for sending you into danger to retrieve the Mysterious Pearl."

"Hehe, not at all! Look, the Mysterious Pearl," Yang Jiuzhen produced the Mysterious Pearl, releasing a brilliant light that enveloped the mountaintop and showered it with auspicious light.

“Adoptive Father!”

“Master!”

“Owner!”

Yao’er, the embroidered ball, Xie Xuan, Mingming, Zhong Yuan, Jin Feng, Wuchun, Sanxiang, Ma Chunlan, Deng Shuqing, Gu Yuan, Lu Qingchen, Lu Qingying, the Black Mountain Old Demon, and other disciples appeared.

Surrounded by the relentless gale and calamity fire, these disciples, each with exceptional talents and precious treasures, faced the harsh elements with defiance.

"Good, it’s great that you’re back, but you still need to prepare for over a month according to my demands," Li Hui said, filled with joy, while the disciples hurried to congratulate their Master on finding a partner.

Everyone initially thought they would have to retreat for many years, but unexpectedly they were summoned back after just over a year. Knowing that significant tasks lay ahead, they were eager to take action, itching to break through the heavens, unaware that what their Master intended to do was even more fierce than breaking through the skies.