Chapter 594: Love Tribulation (4K)

Disciple is willing!

Zhang Jian rose to his feet, his expression solemn.

He is not afraid of such competition.

Whether it is healthy competition or malicious competition.

The Water Official Emperor, Tianhe True Person, upon seeing this scene, had a complex expression at this moment, but deep inside he felt a sense of relief.

Perhaps because the knot in his heart was finally untied, he, for the first time, gave Zhang Jian a faint smile.

Seeing this, Yu Wang said.

"This could not be better!"

He also said: "Actually, you need not worry either. Although I have only one Dao Lord quota per Yan Ji, I am not unable to continue competing for the remaining public quotas of the Three Sovereigns and Five Elders Assembly!"

"If truly impossible, I can also trade with the other three Holy Emperors, Your Majesty the Emperors, and the elder Emperors. Your Majesty the Holy Emperors, the Emperors have few disciples under this Yan Ji who have the opportunity to impact Dao Lord; perhaps they would be willing to sell!"

Zhang Jian, Tianhe True Person—both of their eyes twitched. Having a method that achieves two goals at once is naturally the best.

However, the two also know that the subsequent purchase is full of uncertainty.

Having come this far, we still must strive to secure one or two, to avoid falling into passivity.

After a slight pause, Yu Wang's expression became solemn.

"But to ensure absolute safety, I will also proactively strive for Dao Lord quotas from other celestial realms!"

In fact, Yu Wang knows that Dao Lord quotas from other celestial realms are probably even harder to obtain than those of the Three Sovereigns Celestial Realm.

Most Dao Lord quotas in the celestial realms are held by the Heavenly Court.

But within the Heavenly Court, the number of ancient immortals and ancient gods is too great.

The difficulty of obtaining them grows exponentially.

As for celestial realms dominated by other ancient Dao traditions, Dao Lord quotas there are even more exceptionally scarce; many ancient realms have already been pre-booked in the previous Yan Ji.

Actually, this state is unfavorable for the evolution of the myriad realms.

But many immortals and gods know this, yet who can ignore the impact on their own interests?

Even if the many human Holy Emperors and sages of the Three Sovereigns Celestial Realm cannot change this outcome, they can only strive to use their wisdom to secure more quotas for human powerhouses.

For example, by developing the Three Sovereigns Celestial Realm.

Or by promoting the emergence of more celestial realms.

……

After the lecture on the Dao ended, Zhang Jian prepared to return to the Ninth Layer of the Central Celestial Realm.

His path has just been determined; he needs a period of time for his Dao Lord body to fully stabilize and to become proficient in mastering its wonders.

Although the Eternal Ice Fortress is somewhat cold, it possesses an Eternal Ancestral Vein, and the light of the sun, moon, and stars of the Zhou Tian is also exceptionally intense, which is greatly beneficial for stabilizing the Dao Lord body.

Moreover, within the Eternal Ice Fortress, something major may recently occur, which he needs to keep an eye on.

Eternal Ice Fortress.

Eternal Heavenly Emperor's Divine Hall—Zhang Jian's form descended from the void, and in an instant merged with his Illusory True Form.

Shortly afterward, Zhang Jian summoned the Ji clan.

Upon seeing Zhang Jian on the Eternal Heavenly Emperor's Divine Throne, Ji Shi was slightly startled, then immediately reacted.

"Emperor! You have returned!"

Regarding Zhang Jian, Ji Shi has always used the address from the Great Xia Dynasty; Zhang Jian is now a Divine Dao Emperor, so addressing him as Emperor is not inappropriate.

As for the Illusory True Form, she usually only calls it "Heavenly Emperor"!

Zhang Jian slightly nodded, smiling.

"This trip has indeed yielded great gains!"

Without waiting for Ji Shi to ask, he briefly mentioned the events in the Three Sovereigns Celestial Realm.

Ji Shi listened quietly, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, unable to contain her joy.

"Emperor, your cultivation has entered the Fifth Step of Taiyi—how delightful, how congratulatory!"

Ji Shi also feels happy for Zhang Jian.

The faster Zhang Jian's cultivation progresses, the greater his chance of achieving Dao Lord status in this Yan Ji.

Zhang Jian said up to this point, paused slightly, then continued.

"Only regrettable that the matter concerning Lady has not been accomplished!"

Zhang Jian refers to the Ji clan chief's refusal to meet him.

He originally hoped to use this to have Ji Shi recognize her ancestors and return to the clan.

But now the Ji clan chief refuses even to see him, let alone discuss other matters.

Ji Cheng is missing, and the Ji clan still bears some resentment toward him, thus unwilling to accept Ji Shi.

Ji Shi's expression froze, the smile on her face slightly fading.

Regarding Ji Shi's attitude, she still feels somewhat disappointed.

But in the end, she still said.

"It doesn't matter; these are merely trivialities!"

"Once the Emperor succeeds in impacting Dao Lord, everything will be readily resolved!"

Zhang Jian slightly nodded, yet felt some guilt in his heart.

However, he also felt annoyed by the attitude of the Youxiong State's Ji family.

What does Ji Cheng's disappearance have to do with him? Even the Mountain Dao Lord could not save him; with his cultivation at that time, how could he have saved Ji Cheng?

The couple chatted a bit more about private matters, and shortly afterward, Ji Shi said.

"Emperor, I have discovered a strange matter!"

Oh?

Zhang Jian's eyes twitched, and he looked over.

The Ji clan then said: "I have discovered that whenever Zi Hua passes by the Eternal Ice Fortress's Nine Heavens Divine Stele, the stele shows some abnormality, and this has happened two or three times already!"

"However, I was worried that the Nine Heavens Divine Stele might encounter an accident, so I did not deliberately investigate!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian immediately furrowed his brows.

The Nine Heavens Divine Stele is the most important item in the Eternal Ice Fortress besides the other four treasures that suppress it.

This is one of the celestial realm's boundary steles, suppressing the stability of the land of the Nine Heavens Realm.

The Eternal Ice Fortress guards this place and also bears the heavy responsibility of guarding this object.

"It seems their fate is somehow related to the Stabilizing Divine Stele!"

Zhang Jian's expression showed some contemplation.

At that moment, Zhang Jian casually asked about the recent movements of Zi Hua and Jiu Ling.

The Ji clan's face showed a helpless expression.

The tendency of Zi Hua and Jiu Ling to cause trouble seems innate; recently, the Bei Zhou Prefecture has been turbulent, with multiple incidents occurring, all pointing to the two women.

The Ji clan has already cleaned up after them several times.

"Moreover, the peach blossoms on their bodies are growing more vigorous, and they have even drawn in a formidable figure!"

As the Ji clan spoke to the end, her face slightly tightened.

"But which immortal god of the Heavenly Court?"

"The Stabilizing Heavenly Lord Min Hua Xianjun of the Tenth Layer of the Heavenly Realm!"

Zhang Jian's mouth corner twitched slightly.

This is indeed a major figure.

Min Hua Xianjun is not only the Stabilizing Heavenly Lord of the Tenth Layer, but also the heir apparent of the Tenth Layer, the legitimate son of the Realm Lord Emperor of the Tenth Layer.

The Central Heavenly Realm's Tenth Layer Realm Lord Emperor is an innate divine being born of the Central Heavenly Realm, having attained the Dao long ago.

His status in the Heavenly Court can be described as high-ranking and powerful, second only to the Six Emperors of Heaven; even when the Six Emperors of Heaven see him, they must address him as Imperial Younger Brother.

And as the heir apparent of the Tenth Layer Heavenly Realm, Min Hua Xianjun is not only of noble lineage, but also possesses extraordinary talent.

He is likewise a Taiyi Great Perfection realm immortal.

Moreover, in the Taiyi Great Perfection realm, his accumulation has already reached a certain level, and he may at any time impact the Dao Lord realm.

If Zi Hua Xianzi provokes this heavenly lord, it may bring disaster upon herself.

By then, even Zhang Jian might not be able to help him.

"In that case, let her cultivate diligently for a period of time before going out again!"

Zhang Jian pondered slightly.

The Ji clan shook her head and said.

"I fear it cannot be done!"

Zhang Jian looked over, and the Ji clan again said.

"That Min Hua Xianjun has been visiting the Eternal Ice Fortress frequently lately; the two of them are likely under the influence of the Red Phoenix Star, or perhaps they have already tied the marital red string of the Old Man Under the Moon!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian's expression immediately turned solemn.

There was something strange in his eyes.

Zi Hua Xianzi is merely a Heavenly Immortal realm cultivator and may not necessarily sense the fluctuations of her own Dao heart.

What level of Dao cultivation does Min Hua Xianjun possess? It is impossible for him not to notice the existence of the marital red string.

If the Taiyi Great Perfection Dao cultivation suddenly becomes tied to the marital red string, would he not fear it evolving into a love tribulation?

Causing his breakthrough to encounter sudden turbulence.

Or perhaps he has sensed Zi Hua Xianzi's fate and wishes to take her away in this manner?

There is also some doubt in the Ji clan's eyes.

Zhang Jian suddenly laughed: "Madam, rest assured, I have my own plans for this matter!"

Upon hearing Zhang Jian's words, the Ji clan's heart felt slightly reassured.

Zi Hua Xianzi and Jiu Ling Xianzi not only possess her Dao seeds, but also relate to fate.

If they are taken by another, then he and Zhang Jian would merely be making wedding clothes for others.

……

Eternal Ice Fortress, Zi Purple Residence.

Zi Hua Xianzi resides here.

Since she acknowledged the Ji clan as her adoptive parent, her and Jiu Ling Xianzi's status in the Eternal Ice Fortress has risen steadily, gradually distancing themselves from the groups of Jade Maidens and Heavenly Maidens, and they have also established their own dwelling in the Eternal Ice Fortress.

All of this has made Zi Hua Xianzi feel joy and sincere gratitude.

After all, without the Ji clan's protection, she might not know how many times she has died.

At this moment, she focuses all her energy on her own cultivation.

Having experienced various incidents over two thousand years, she has realized that the root of all evil lies in her own weakness, so each time she can only passively fall into situations, becoming the target of others' harm.

The Ji clan has already protected her many times.

But she knows she cannot forever rely on them.

Only self-strengthening is the foundation of standing firm.

Just as she was preparing to continue her cultivation, she saw that the restriction at the gate of Zi Purple Residence had been triggered, and a voice from a Jade Maiden came from outside.

"Zi Hua elder sister, the Ji Immortal has ordered you to go to the Nine Heavens Palace once; there are guests from outside who wish to see you!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Hua Xianzi opened her eyes and then transmitted her voice outward.

I know about this matter; let me tidy up a bit, and then I'll go see Elder Sister Ji right away.

Upon hearing this, the figure at the entrance of Zǐzǐ Jū immediately retreated.

Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ found it strange: if the Eternal Ice Fortress had outside guests, they should be received at the Yingxiàn Hall—so why go to Jiǔtiān Palace?

Jiǔtiān Palace is near the Eternal Immortal Prison.

That place, which makes one's blood run cold, is usually avoided even by the immortals of the Eternal Ice Fortress.

However, recently the Jī clan has had several encounters with other immortals here, and Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ did not suspect anything—perhaps Elder Sister Ji simply wishes to meet her privately about something else.

Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ quickly tidied her appearance and then headed straight for Jiǔtiān Palace.

Inside Jiǔtiān Palace, Zhāng Jiān and Jī Shì stood on the palace's upper floors; looking down, they could see a vast plaza.

On the plaza stood a massive, ancient divine stele.

The ancient divine stele was covered in countless intricate patterns, enveloped by a special barrier that prevented other immortals from easily seeing its true form.

Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ's figure soon appeared on the plaza, and she walked toward Jiǔtiān Palace from one side of the plaza.

But as she passed through the plaza, her expression suddenly shifted; her eyes gazed toward the plaza's direction, as if searching for something, with a hint of doubt in her gaze.

Meanwhile, in the sight of Zhāng Jiān and Jī Shì, the towering divine stele faintly emitted a ripple of immortal light, as if calling to Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ, and a resonance of primordial spirits arose between them.

Seeing this, Jī Shì voiced the long-held suspicion in her heart.

"Your Majesty, could Zǐhuá be the artifact spirit of this world-sealing divine stele?"

"Did this boundary stele generate an artifact spirit long ago?!"

Zhāng Jiān glanced at it, black and white divine light flowing around his body as he sensed a thread of qi between Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ and the Jiǔtiān Divine Stele, performing a deduction; moments later, his black and white divine light faded, and the Three Lives Divine Stone hidden deep in his brow vanished.

Zhāng Jiān shook his head.

He had used a portion of the Three Lives Divine Stone's power, but found no past life in Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ—she has only this lifetime since birth.

She is an innate spiritual being naturally born of the Tiānrén clan.

However, it may be fate—her power and that of the Jiǔtiān Divine Stele are naturally in extraordinary harmony, and there is also a unique connection between them.

This connection, Zhāng Jiān has not yet comprehended in the short time available.

He felt something strange in his eyes: this resonance resembled active acceptance of a master, yet it was not quite the same.

"Truly, there are too many wonders between heaven and earth!"

Zhāng Jiān inwardly mused, concealed his secret technique, and then directly exited the great hall with Jī Shì.

In the side hall, Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ saw Zhāng Jiān and Jī Shì appear together, first startled, then quickly bowed.

"Heavenly Lord, Elder Sister Ji!"

The two took their seats respectively, then gestured for Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ to sit down.

On the upper seat, Jī Shì then spoke.

"Younger Sister Zǐhuá, just now the Heir Apparent of the Tenth Heaven Realm, Mínhuá Xiānjūn, arrived at the Eternal Immortal Treasure and wished to see you; thus we wanted to ask for your opinion?"

Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ noticed that Jī Shì's tone was unusually different from before—unusually solemn.

She felt somewhat surprised and cautiously asked:

"Elder Sister Ji, why have you suddenly become so stern? Is it related to Mínhuá?"

Mínhuá Xiānjūn came to see her, but she had not thought much of it.

On the upper seat, Jī Shì glanced up and down at her, then suddenly said:

"Do you know that you and Mínhuá Xiānjūn may already be bound by the Old Man Under the Moon's red thread? Do you know what that means?"

Upon hearing this, Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ's face turned pale.

She of course knew what it meant.

It meant she had already fallen in love.

This is clearly a violation of heavenly laws.

The heavenly court is lenient toward high-ranking immortals—restrictions are not so strict; many immortals are allowed to have dao companions.

But for us low- and mid-ranking immortals, the rules are extraordinarily strict.

Once discovered to have stirred mortal feelings, one may face extremely severe heavenly punishment.

However, Jī Shì's words made Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ feel more surprised than anything.

Being bound by the red thread clearly indicates this cannot be mere one-sided affection.

This made her cheeks flush with an unusual rosiness.

Seeing this, Zhāng Jiān and Jī Shì both shook their heads slightly.

At this point, to still be thinking about romantic feelings—such a nature made them sigh deeply.

Jī Shì then said:

"Not long ago, the Dragon-Subduing Patriarch of Tiānláng Mountain and the Sea-Core Lord of the Wúlàng Sea Domain's Hǎiyàn Palace also wished to see you, but I turned them away!"

This is another two peach blossoms.

Tiānláng Mountain is nothing special.

The Wúlàng Sea Domain's Hǎiyàn Palace is also a superpower.

Not long ago, Zhāng Jiān had seen the Old Ancestor of Hǎiyàn Palace, Hǎiyàn Dàojūn, in the Water Mother Palace.

And he had met the Heaven's Pride of Hǎiyàn Palace, Hǎiwú Dàorén, once by the Jade Pool.

They are all seated on the upper seats.

Hǎixīn Jūn is the younger brother of Hǎiwú Dàorén.

Though his talent is not as great as Hǎiwú Dàorén's, his status is still noble.

Zǐhuá Xiānzǐ was only slightly startled, then her expression returned to normal—clearly, she already knows what matters most.

She thought for a moment and then said.

"Princess Ji, I don't wish to see him for the time being; please ask the Heavenly Sovereign and Princess Ji to decline him on my behalf!"