Chapter 526 - 525: “Installment Payment”, Mysterious Alien Species

The arrival of Shi Zixuan took Li Jing by surprise.

With the combined effect of Smoke Eye and Silent Shadow, not a hint of their auras was released.

Blue Phoenix had also concealed its aura.

The cave where the two of them were located was quite far away from the Ancient Ascending Immortal Platform, and no one should have discovered them under normal circumstances.

Seeing Shi Zixuan turning to leave immediately after entering and spotting him, Li Jing couldn’t help but smile, and promptly called out to her.

"Emperor, please stay!"

Shi Zixuan was already at the cave entrance.

She could leave in just a minute if she walked out.

However, someone chose just the perfect moment to speak.

She let out a sigh reluctantly and stopped in her tracks. She turned back, forcing a friendly smile on her face.

"Is there anything Immortal Lord Li has to instruct?"

"Hey! Me, a mere Asked Heaven Realm, how can I presume to instruct an Emperor?

Li Jing replied with a smile.

"But since you, the Emperor, are already here, why not sit down and have something to eat?

Confronted with such a proposal, Shi Zixuan wanted to say that she did not need it.

Ordinary people asking her to stay, considering her status and strength, she wouldn’t usually bother to save face.

But at this moment, it was Li Jing in front of her.

His face might not mean much, but the one behind him was too significant to ignore.

Staring reluctantly at Li Jing’s smiley face, Shi Zixuan had no choice but to turn back.

"Well, it’s rare for Immortal Lord Li to show such hospitality, so I’ll stay and enjoy it."

While speaking, she sat down.

Li Jing was straightforward.

He immediately took out a brand-new set of bowls and chopsticks, filled a bowl with delicious eel rice and handed it to her.

Shi Zixuan took the chopsticks and bowl, looked down at the eel rice in her bowl, and her face turned paler.

Li Jing and Blue Phoenix’s hiding spot was not the best.

However both of them used exceptional methods of concealing their auric presence, they were far away from the Ancient Ascending Immortal Platform where many powerful beings gathered, under normal circumstances, no one would notice their hidden cave.

Shi Zixuan’s discovery was due to her being an undead and Emperor Beiming, who is extremely sensitive to the Malicious Aura.

Li Jing and Blue Phoenix obviously didn’t have this Malicious Aura.

However, an eel, a ferocious creature, was being cooked here.

What’s more alarming is that the dead eel, due to the cooking method, had a resurgence of energy, and the Malicious Aura it emitted was many times stronger than when it was alive.

Looking at the bowl now.

This eel is about the Twelfth Realm level.

Yet what Shi Zixuan sensed was a Malicious Aura on par with the Emperor level.

Ferocious creatures indeed have the Malicious Aura, but this aura is also the most definitive trait of the dead creatures from her Northern Immortal Domain.

It is impossible for a ferocious creature to reach the Emperor Realm.

After all, ferocious creatures act purely on instinct, and there is no logic to them creating an independent world.

Therefore,

Shi Zixuan naturally assumed that there might be an Emperor of the same kind hiding in the cave. She wanted to come and meet him before the spatial anchor opened.

Her Northern Immortal Domain is really not easy.

In terms of strength,

The Northern Immortal Domain, with its many undead, can completely crush the other Three Immortal Realms.

As undead, they have a natural advantage over living beings and other creatures. And being undead, they don’t have the concept of annihilation.

However, most from the Northern Immortal Domain, would instinctively crave for blood upon seeing a living being, and their nature is violent, so very few can come out and roam around.

Take the Ancient Ascending Immortal Platform, where all parties are gathering now, for example.

Compared to the other three realms and Zhong Shen Zhou, very few people came from the Northern Immortal Domain.

It’s not that they don’t have people, but they can’t come.

Under such circumstances,

How could Shi Zixuan not want to see this Emperor who might be the same as her?

But the truth was,

It was Li Jing’s eel rice that attracted her.

Looking at Li Jing with a blank expression, Shi Zixuan really couldn’t imagine how he managed to do this.

Indeed,

If it weren’t for the fact that she saw Li Jing looking dumbfounded when she first entered, Shi Zixuan might suspect that he deliberately attracted her.

She picked up a piece of eel and stuffed it into her mouth, biting down hard.

Seeing her treating the eel like a sworn enemy, Li Jing was puzzled but still laughed and spoke.

"Emperor, how do you find my cooking skills?"

"Not bad."

Shi Zixuan responded, quietly eating her eel rice.

When she said that it wasn’t bad, she was not complimenting him.

Li Jing’s cooking was indeed delicious.

However, at the moment Shi Zixuan didn’t have the mood to savor the taste. She just wanted to quickly finish the bowl of rice and then find an excuse to leave.

Li Jing could see her thoughts and cleared his throat lightly.

"The news about Blue Phoenix and me being here, please keep it a secret, Emperor."

Shi Zixuan looked up at him when she heard this and nodded.

"Rest assured, I’m not a gossip."

As she spoke, she asked curiously.

"Immortal Lord Li, didn’t you say that you weren’t interested in the spatial anchor and didn’t want to join the crowds? Why did you change your mind suddenly and sneak..."

Halfway through her words, she remembered the conversation between Kalan and Li Jing about Fire Phoenix possibly falling in the Ancient Fairyland. Her pupils contracted and she stared at him.

"Are you two planning to enter the spatial anchor and explore the Ancient Fairyland?"

Li Jing shrugged his shoulders, laughing without saying a word.

Blue Phoenix, on the other hand, felt a bit uncomfortable under Shi Zixuan’s gaze and looked at Li Jing.

Seeing that neither of them said a word, and Blue Phoenix was acting like a small wife next to Li Jing, Shi Zixuan’s expression became strange, she said sceptically.

"Immortal Lord Li, have you thought it through? The Ancient Fairyland is a one-way trip, countless strong beings have fallen there over the years, and no one has ever returned."

"You don’t need to worry about that, Emperor."

Li Jing laughed, saying.

"If I dare to go there, it means I have a way to protect myself."

Hearing this, Shi Zixuan immediately became interested.

If it were someone else saying this, she would definitely think the person had lost his mind.

Over the ages,

Countless Emperor-level beings have fallen in the Ancient Fairyland, no one who had entered could come back.

A mere being in the Eleventh Realm saying he had a way to protect himself - who would believe that?

However, the person saying this now was Li Jing, which definitely made it a different story.

After all, the being supporting him could traverse space freely and was also the one who personally destroyed the Ancient Fairyland.

Shi Zixuan wanted to ask Li Jing how he planned to achieve this, but she felt it inappropriate to bring it up abruptly.

Hesitating for a while with a bowl of rice in her hands, Shi Zixuan finally spoke up.

"Lord Li, could you possibly take me too?"

?

Li Jing slowly typed a question mark.

Shi Zixuan’s unexpected request took him by surprise.

Judging whether he should turn her down gently, Shi Zixuan spoke up.

"Take me with you. I can help both of you locate the Fire Phoenix. Having achieved immortality with the Immortal Medicine, I fear no death. If anything happens to either of you during this journey, I can stand in your place. I don’t ask for anything else. All I request is that you take me to the Ancient Fairyland and bring me back afterward."

Hearing her words, Li Jing hesitated.

Shi Zixuan, she’s too honest.

Agreeing to her was akin to having a highly capable Emperor-level worker by his side.

She didn’t have any other demands, merely to be brought into and then taken out of the Ancient Fairyland.

This...

Honestly, it made it hard to reject.

And it wasn’t just Li Jing.

Blue Phoenix was also somewhat moved.

In terms of individual strength...

Shi Zixuan was the strongest among the Four Emperors.

Even without the Immortal Medicine, she had the capability to deal with two people from the Four Emperors alone. The fact that she initially obtained the Immortal Medicine was a testament to her being a powerful force to be reckoned with.

She glanced at Li Jing, wanting to say something but hesitated.

In the meantime,

Li Jing broke the silence.

"I can take you, Emperor, but only you."

"Okay."

Shi Zixuan nodded.

"Furthermore, Emperor, you have to promise me that once we are inside the Ancient Fairyland, regardless of what happens, you will not stray far from Blue Phoenix and myself."

Li Jing spoke up again.

Addressing his concern, Shi Zixuan smiled.

"You’re worrying over nothing. Without you two, I don’t have any other means to return from the Ancient Fairyland. If you two were to separate, I would likely be unable to return."

"That’s settled then."

Li Jing smiled, then extended his hand.

"Emperor, give me your hand."

?

Shi Zixuan slowly typed a question mark, hesitating before extending her hand.

Li Jing took hold of her cool slender hand.

"Don’t resist. I can’t yet superimpose my independent universe and place someone in it forcefully. Emperor, please enter my Little Universe for a moment. This will make it easier for me to bring you back to the Immortal Realm if we encounter a threat I can’t deal with."

Hearing these words, Shi Zixuan raised an eyebrow.

She was a smart woman.

By Li Jing saying this, he had nearly revealed that his ability to assure his own safety in the Ancient Fairyland was related to his independent universe.

Shi Zixuan also had an independent universe, but without this ability.

She had to see it!

Without hesitation, she allowed it to happen.

Spatial Displacement.

The next second,

Shi Zixuan entered the Little Universe with Li Jing, appearing on Canglong Mountain.

Just as she had steadied herself, she felt something and froze in place.

The Charming Spirit...

It was in the Little Universe.

And at this moment, it was right at the foot of the mountain!

With her, was an entity of comparable level, the presence of which made Shi Zixuan feel revulsed.

Endless vitality, beyond profound.

To Dead Objects, such a presence was the natural enemy.

The Dead Objects in the Northern Immortal Domain instinctively became excited when they encountered living creatures or things. There was a reason for it.

All Dead Objects, including Shi Zixuan, who was a living dead, desired to consume vitality, but an excessive amount of vitality was a deadly poison to them.

As an Emperor of Beiming, Shi Zixuan was naturally well-informed.

Without seeing Ling Ling, just from feeling its majestic vitality, she had made a judgment.

That....

Must be a Spirit of Origin.

Oh, God!

In Li Jing’s Little Universe, not only was there an original Demon, but also a Spirit of Origin!

Why wasn’t this boy soaring to the heavens?

Despite resisting the urge to look down the mountain, Shi Zixuan pretended to be unaware and glanced at Li Jing in astonishment. Then she noticed him frowning at the sky.

What was...

Li Jing looking at the sky with such a furrowed brow for?

In his independent universe, could there be something he didn’t know about or couldn’t control?

Instinctively, Shi Zixuan looked up.

Just then, a loud rumble sounded in the sky.

A thick light of pure qi fell from the sky like a missile, hitting her with a force akin to the strike of a thunderbolt.

The sudden turn of events took Shi Zixuan by surprise.

Engulfed in the light of pure qi, Shi Zixuan trembled all over. Then she opened her eyes wide in disbelief.

Original Fortune!

As she also had an independent universe, how could she not recognize it?

No way!

Li Jing’s independent universe had formed its own Heaven and Earth. How come the Original Fortune could descend here!?

With a startled mind, Shi Zixuan was overjoyed.

The massive amount of Original Fortune entering her body led to a significant increase in her strength in minutes.

The Immortal Medicine’s power that had been lingering within her for many years and had not yet been fully absorbed was quickly integrated into her body. This fusion with the Immortal Medicine made her an integral part of the medicine.

She had achieved immortality through the Immortal Medicine.

However, the function of the Immortal Medicine was not limited to this.

In that instant, Shi Zixuan vaguely saw the path to a higher level beyond the Venerable Realm.

But just as she wanted to fully experience it,

The Original Fortune suddenly stopped.

!!!

Shi Zixuan.

Why the heck did it stop?!

That’s not how it’s supposed to work!

Quickly turning her head, Shi Zixuan spoke out.

"Immortal Lord Li!"

Before she could say anything else, Li Jing bowed his hand.

"Congratulations, Emperor."

"..."

Shi Zixuan.

Congratulations for what?

Didn’t she see what was happening?

But facing Li Jing, what can she say?

Clearing her throat, Shi Zixuan asked with a confirmatory tone.

"Immortal Lord Li, it seems that the Original Fortune just now wasn’t fully given?"

"Yeah."

Li Jing nodded and said.

"I made the Will of Heaven in the Little Universe hold it back."

"..."

Shi Zixuan.

That’s why she felt something was wrong!

How could Original Fortune possibly be that short?

With her strength and level, the benefits of obtaining Original Fortune must be great.

The abrupt end, it was indeed because of Li Jing.

This...

Unacceptable!

Without realizing it, Shi Zixuan felt a tightening in her throat.

"Immortal Lord Li, the Original Fortune this time is a great opportunity for me, did you make the Will of Heaven hold it back because you didn’t want me to take this opportunity, or is it harmful to your Little Universe?"

"Neither."

Li Jing responded with a plain tone, saying.

"Considering that you are planning to go to the Ancient Fairyland with me and Blue Phoenix, I think this benefit would be more suitable to pay in ’installments’, which would be good for everyone. Let’s talk about the rest of the Original Fortune when we come back, no hurry."

"..."

Shi Zixuan.

She didn’t understand what "pay in installments" meant.

She had never heard of Original Fortune being held back before.

After all, only an independent world where the Will of Heaven is still asleep and has not become its own world would have Original Fortune, she had never heard of a situation like Li Jing’s.

Because she had never heard of this situation, Shi Zixuan assumed that the descent of Original Fortune would damage the Little Universe.

However, the answer wasn’t that.

Li Jing was just teasing her...

Damn it...

She really can’t stand it anymore!

But if she can’t stand it, what can she do?

Not to mention there’s a Spirit of Origin and an Original Demon underneath.

The Little Universe is Li Jing’s, everything here is up to him.

All Shi Zixuan can do is to merge herself with her independent world to avoid the influence of this place.

Forehead veins throbbing, she suppressed her little temper, and Shi Zixuan said.

"It seems that Immortal Lord Li has his own considerations, I have no objections to this."

Li Jing nodded calmly when he heard the words, and inadvertently took a few glances at Shi Zixuan.

He really didn’t expect bringing Shi Zixuan in would trigger the Original Fortune to descend.

The key is, Shi Zixuan is essentially a person.

She just became a living dead due to the Immortal Medicine.

Living dead, but still a human, right?

However, Little Universe did react to Shi Zixuan, and the rule she received was completely unexpected to him.

The rule she received allowed the creation of Immortal Medicine and the concept of eternal life.

These two rules.

They should only appear if Li Jing brought a finished Immortal Medicine into the Little Universe.

Shi Zixuan being able to complete these two rules indicates one thing.

She only used the Immortal Medicine to achieve immortality, the medicinal power has not been fully absorbed, or she does not have the ability to absorb it, resulting in her being equivalent to a plant of Immortal Medicine.

Without breaking the silence, Li Jing moved his mind and took Shi Zixuan back into the cave.

Only just standing still.

Both of them saw that Blue Phoenix, who did not go into the Little Universe with them, was standing at the entrance of the cave, looking into the distance.

"Blue Phoenix?"

Li Jing unconsciously said.

Shi Zixuan’s eyes lit up, she quickly walked to the entrance of the cave, took a look, and then turned her head to look back.

"The space anchor point has opened."

Accompanying her words, Blue Phoenix turned her head and nodded.

Li Jing saw this and quickly walked to the entrance of the cave.

Gazing out.

The broken Ascending Path on the Ancient Ascending Immortal Platform was emitting a seven-colored light, like an unstable spatial passage continuously twisting and flashing.

Looking at the left and right, none of the people on both sides made a move, they were all floating in the air, staring at the twisting Ascending Path as if facing a formidable enemy, Li Jing turned his head.

"Emperor..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Zixuan spoke.

"This space anchor point opened much earlier than the predicted time, similar situations have happened before. When the anchor point opens ahead of time, it means that very powerful unknown enemies will arrive, and the things that will be sent over this time will be more valuable."

Li Jing raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and said.

"Then let’s just wait and see?"

"Of course we have to wait."

Shi Zixuan nodded, and said.

"At this moment, it’s not feasible to say we want to go past. We might run into the thing that’s about to come out in the anchor point. Besides the danger, the people on both sides will not necessarily let us go in."

After saying that, she exhaled lightly and said.

"I won’t accompany you two here any longer, I am Emperor Beiming, and our Northern Immortal Domain has some people here as well. If I’m not present, it easily invites suspicion, and my Northern Immortal Domain might be suppressed."

As she spoke, she moved and turned into a streak of light, leaving a voice in the ears of the two.

"I may not be able to fight for what’s inside because I have an agreement with Karan, but I don’t necessarily have to help him grab it. You two please act according to the situation. After the unknown enemy arrives, we will enter the space anchor point."

Hearing Shi Zixuan’s lingering words, Blue Phoenix’s beautiful eyes blinked twice, hesitating, she turned her head.

"Li Jing, did you... not tell the Emperor Beiming that the Ascending Path was tampered with and that the space behind the anchor point is an unknown space rather than the shattered Ancient Fairyland?"

"Do you see her leaving in such a hurry? Did I have a chance to tell her?"

Li Jing shrugged.

While his words sounded innocent, a mischievous smile gradually spread across his face.

Blue Phoenix pulled at the corners of her mouth upon seeing this.

Thinking about it, it seemed more beneficial for Shi Zixuan to remain in the dark. Knowing what’s going on might dissuade her from taking the risk to venture forward. She looked at Li Jing with a mischievous smile and didn’t comment on his rather unscrupulous behavior.

Just as she was about to say something, Blue Phoenix suddenly turned around as if alerted by something.

Li Jing also sensed something, staring at the distant spatial anchor point.

Just as the two focused their attention, the twisted and broken Ascending Path suddenly contracted, followed by a "boom" explosive sound.

The explosion directly led to the fragmentation of the surrounding space.

Many people present were caught off guard and were swallowed up by the void.

Seeing this, Li Jing frowned.

At this moment, Blue Phoenix spoke.

"This doesn’t look so good. Compared to the usual opening of the spatial anchor point, it’s probably more than ten times bigger this time."

As she spoke, she murmured.

"We shouldn’t worry too much about the people swallowed up by the void. Everyone here is at least in their Latter Venerable stage, so even if they are not very familiar with the spatial path, they won’t get lost immediately, and they should break through and return from the void soon. What’s worrisome is the unknown creatures that will come across the void this time. Given the big movement at the spatial anchor point, I’m afraid there will be many of them."

Before she could finish speaking.

One by one, the people who were swallowed into the void started to return.

But they weren’t as relaxed as Blue Phoenix had suggested. All of them looked extremely embarrassed.

From a distance, many Venerables were even missing an arm or a leg.

Were they collided with the unknown creatures coming out of the spatial anchor point?

Li Jing found this suspicious.

The next second.

"Gaga gaga gaga gaga" a harsh, unpleasant noise clearly came from the void, where there should be no sound propagation.

Immediately after,

Countless creatures shaped like crows but with blood-red wings, roughly two meters wide, swarmed out of the ruptured void, screaming.

As soon as the strange bird flock emerged from the void, they immediately started attacking indiscriminately.

Every Venerables who had been on guard near the Ascending Path immediately showed their supernatural powers to counterattack.

However, their attacks seemed quite ineffective against the flock of strange birds.

Even a Venerable launching a full-blown attack could only slightly knock down a single strange bird, which could immediately regain its wings and swoop down on the nearest Venerables with a shrill and frantic attack.

No one knew how rugged these strange birds’ bodies were.

Despite not seeing them using any supernatural powers or talents and only barely being able to resist them with half of the Taoist items, many Venerables were attacked by multiple strange birds and caught off guard. Each peck lead to another chilling bloody hole on their bodies.

Some were even torn apart on the spot...

During the latter stage of the Venerables, they were extremely weak in the face of this strange bird flock.

Something was wrong.

The distant sky immediately presented a breathtaking sight.

One after another, multiple Emperors joined forces, unfolding each of their independent worlds that overlapped with the void amid countless phantom projections.

However, this awe-inspiring sight didn’t have much effect.

The strange bird flock rampaging around was completely unaffected by the independent worlds of the Emperors, acting as if they hadn’t been taken into the independent worlds at all.

In such a situation, more than ten Emperors were forced to join the fray.

Various Taoist items were flourishing in a frenzy in no time.

With dozens of Emperors rushing to attack the group of strange birds wielding their Taoist items, the situation was immediately reversed.

But the situation didn’t improve much.

Even when hit by the Taoist items, these strange birds were simply knocked down, but they flew up again after just a while.

Seeing this situation, Blue Phoenix slightly furrowed her brows.

"These strange birds seem a bit odd..."

"Hmm."

Li Jing responded, his eyes locked firmly on the distance.

Normally, seeing such a flock that could push the Venerable stage back, he would feel somewhat excited and then quietly look for an opportunity to steal the advantage.

However, in front of him,

In Li Jing’s view, none of the strange birds had a health bar on their heads, nor was there any essence source shown.

These birds...

Clearly, they were not creatures, nor were they the dead objects commonly found in the Northern Immortal Domain.

Gazing at the distant sky, Li Jing’s eyes gradually turned golden.

Viewing through the Eye of True Vision, he promptly received feedback.

Bloodline supernatural powers.

Blood Crow Assault.

Receiving this feedback, Li Jing was momentarily stunned.

So, the core of these strange birds was the manifestation of bloodline supernatural powers!?

Then where is the thing that’s casting these bloodline supernatural powers?

Subconsciously, Li Jing focused on the large fragments of the void blasted open by the Ascending Path.

Soon,

He saw an almost a non-descript shadow, seemingly merged with the void, deep inside the void.

This shadow was very inconspicuous.

The reason Li Jing could see it was because there was an extra-long health bar above its head.

19611.

This numeral...

It’s above the Venerable stage!

Then he looked at the essence source displayed behind its health bar.

18940234.

At a glance of this numeral, Li Jing couldn’t help but frown.

Above the Venerable stage,

The essence source was even lesser than Kalan and Jin Ritian who were strict to say, still at the Venerable stage, compared to Blue Phoenix, it was about twice as much.

However, Li Jing realized upon rethinking,

The Emperor, isn’t an actual realm,

But derived from having an independent world.

To step into a higher level doesn’t necessarily require having an independent world,

However, having an independent world brings more potential and possibilities than the ordinary Venerables.

Quickly scanning the surroundings, Li Jing promptly located the positions of Xiang Dong and the other three Emperors.

The four of them didn’t join the battle, they were all observing the situation.

More than ten Emperors entering the fray weren’t able to take down the flock of strange birds, so it made sense for them to be cautious.

Once he found the four Emperors, Li Jing began to covet the shadow that was hiding in the void, manipulating the bird flock behind the scenes.

It’s probably because it’s hidden in the void that the Eye of True Vision didn’t provide feedback.

After a slight silence, Li Jing spoke.

"Blue Phoenix, don’t run around. I’ll be back soon."

With that, he stepped into the space he tore open with a wave of his hand.

???

Blue Phoenix.