Chapter 323: The Opportunity to Become an Emperor

Beyond the heavens, there are more heavens; beyond people, there are more people; one mountain always towers higher than the next...

This was Hua Changxi's most immediate impression after hearing Yan Zhenzhen's words.

The Kunlun Secret Realm...

Yet another piece of information she had never heard before!

It seemed that every time she felt she had become a top-tier expert in this world, someone even stronger would appear, urging her to hasten her cultivation and improve her strength, endlessly!

Hua Changxi suddenly felt weary of such a 'chase,' feeling as though an invisible force was pushing her forward, never allowing her to stop.

"Changxi~"

Seeing Hua Changxi lost in thought, Yan Zhenzhen nudged her arm with her elbow.

Hua Changxi snapped back to reality and looked at Yan Zhenzhen: "What is it?"

Yan Zhenzhen looked at her: "I should be asking you what's wrong."

Hua Changxi shook her head: "Nothing."

Seeing her like this, Yan Zhenzhen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "Changxi, cultivators must actively engage with the mortal world."

Hua Changxi looked over, her face filled with confusion, not quite understanding why Yan Zhenzhen would suddenly say such a thing.

Yan Zhenzhen looked at her: "A person cannot live only in their own world; they must see others."

Hua Changxi felt somewhat baffled; was Yan Zhenzhen saying she was arrogant and disregarded others?

She might not have undergone much tempering, but she wasn't disconnected from the world either; how could she be living only in her own world?

Yan Zhenzhen said nothing more; words of guidance were such that those who understood would grasp them instantly, while for those who didn't, saying more was useless.

She and Hua Changxi were friends, not master and disciple; saying too much, even with good intentions, could make people uncomfortable.

Friends should pay even more attention to propriety!

Just then, the subdued Nascent Soul cultivators completely calmed down, and the monks from Xiangguo Temple and Dixiu Temple stopped chanting, so Yan Zhenzhen quickly changed the subject: "The demonic nature of those people has been suppressed."

Hua Changxi glanced at Yan Zhenzhen, abandoning the thought of pressing further, and turned to look at the group of Nascent Soul cultivators who had destroyed the protective formation of Qisheng Palace.

Indeed, under the purification and suppression of the Buddhist chants, the black flames on the nascent souls within those Nascent Soul cultivators, who had nearly deviated from the path, were no longer growing.

Suddenly, Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes and asked Yan Zhenzhen in a low voice: "Among those Nascent Soul cultivators who survived, which ones belong to the Imperial Family, which to the Duke Prefecture, and which to the Marquis and Count households?"

Yan Zhenzhen didn't understand why Hua Changxi asked this, but she answered her question nonetheless.

After listening, Hua Changxi fell into deep thought.

She had been mistaken earlier; those who could ignite the black jade lotus petals were not necessarily members of the Asura Sect, as the Imperial Family also possessed black jade lotus petals, and perhaps the nobles did too.

"Two from the Imperial Family died, six from the Duke Prefecture, and fifteen from the Marquis and Count households. With the spiritual energy recovering, these nobles still regard imperial authority as supreme."

Yan Zhenzhen sighed: "There is no other way; who lets the Imperial Family control the most resources?"

Hua Changxi didn't respond; she had discovered a peculiar situation: among the thirty-one Nascent Soul cultivators who participated in blowing up the protective formation of Qisheng Palace and survived, sixteen had both black and white flames ignited within them.

Of these sixteen, two were from the Imperial Family, five from the Duke Prefecture, and eight from the Marquis and Count households.

Were the black and white flames so easy to ignite?

Hua Changxi thought of her own situation; even with a white jade lotus petal, she couldn't ignite the white flame, so why was it so easy for these people?

Furthermore, although those who simultaneously ignited both black and white flames ostensibly belonged to different factions, could they secretly be part of the same camp?

"The Minister of the Heavenly Department has arrived!"

Yan Zhenzhen's voice pulled Hua Changxi back from her thoughts.

Hua Changxi looked over; Wei Zhenjie's expression was not pleasant. He glanced angrily at the dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators who had nearly deviated from the path, then quickly walked toward the chanting monks.

Yan Zhenzhen tugged at Hua Changxi: "Let's go; now that the Minister of the Heavenly Department is here, it's not appropriate for us to keep watching what happens next."

Hua Changxi nodded and was just about to leave with Yan Zhenzhen when she saw Jingliao look in their direction and wave his hand, seemingly asking them to wait for him.

Hua Changxi and Yan Zhenzhen exchanged a glance and stood still.

Immediately, Jingliao said a few words to the monk beside him wearing red robes, then smiled and walked toward the two women.

As soon as he approached, he transmitted his voice to Hua Changxi.

"Changxi, my master is at the Dixiu Temple camp. Since you cannot ignite the white flame, perhaps my master can resolve this."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes instantly lit up: "Really?"

Jingliao smiled and nodded.

The three left the Demon-Suppressing Army camp, and once they were far from the crowd, Yan Zhenzhen asked: "How will those Nascent Soul cultivators be dealt with? What if an uncontrollable situation occurs again?"

Jingliao replied: "The Minister of the Heavenly Department said they will all be imprisoned in the Heavenly Department Prison."

Yan Zhenzhen scoffed: "Will the Imperial Family and the nobles agree to that?"

Jingliao said expressionlessly: "Whether they agree or not, they must; the trouble they caused this time is too great, and failing to provide an explanation is unacceptable."

Hua Changxi stroked her chin: "Is there any way to prevent the Imperial Family and the nobles from acting recklessly?"

Yan Zhenzhen shook her head with a look of helplessness: "It can't be avoided. Do you know that in other places, a single spiritual herb can trigger a bloody battle, let alone the struggle over the Five Sacred Lands?"

"In the past, we only heard of chaos in other places; now, Jingcheng is in turmoil as well."

"Perhaps, this disaster at Qisheng Palace is just the beginning..."

Jingliao added: "Chaos will eventually be brought to order; let us hope the successors of the Four Spirits appear soon to lead everyone in recreating a peaceful and prosperous era in the Four Spirit Realm."

Hua Changxi asked: "Successors of the Four Spirits? The Four Spirits have successors?"

Yan Zhenzhen smiled: "Our realm is called the Four Spirit Realm; the Four Spirits suppress the four directions, and anyone who inherits the will of the Four Spirits is a successor of the Four Spirits."

"You know the Lingguang Hall in southern Jingcheng, right? The Zhu Que Army recruited by Lingguang Hall, in a certain sense, are the successors of Zhu Que."

"Of course, the successors of the Four Spirits that Jingliao speaks of are the destined ones who will one day rule the four great continents, but currently, the four great continents have not yet established contact with the Central Continent, so we likely have a long wait ahead."

Hua Changxi pondered: "The Central Continent cannot pin all its hopes on the four great continents; can't we establish order within the Central Continent ourselves?"

Yan Zhenzhen smiled and patted Hua Changxi on the shoulder: "Changxi, what lofty ambitions!"

Jingliao smiled along with them.

Yan Zhenzhen sighed again: "The foundation of the Four Spirit Realm is actually the Four Great Continents; only on the Four Great Continents lies the opportunity to become an Emperor."

"Without becoming an Emperor, even a deity lacks the power to unify a continent."

Hua Changxi was puzzled: "Why is there no opportunity to become an Emperor on the Central Continent?"

Jing Le replied: "The underlying potential of every realm is limited; the Four Spirit Realm can only provide four positions for becoming an Emperor."

Hua Changxi asked: "Then why can't it be the Central Continent?"

Jing Le looked at her: "When the Four Spirit Realm first formed, there were only the Four Great Continents; the Central Continent emerged gradually later."

"During the Primordial Era, when the Four Spirit Realm underwent its first great extinction, the innate Four Spirits—Zhu Que, Xuan Wu, Qing Long, and Bai Hu—died and transformed, merging directly with the Four Great Continents."

Yan Zhenzhen sighed and took up the thread: "In other words, the Central Continent lacks the profound foundation of the Four Great Continents, for the Four Great Continents possess the legacy left behind by the Four Spirits."

Following their line of thought, Hua Changxi asked curiously: "If I go to the Zhu Que Continent, will I have a chance to become an Emperor? Or must one be native-born on the Zhu Que Continent?"

Hearing this, Yan Zhenzhen and Jing Le stopped in unison, both staring at Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi felt unnerved under their gaze: "What's wrong with you two?"

Yan Zhenzhen suddenly laughed: "Nothing; we just think you are remarkably bold in your thinking."