Chapter 549 - 548: The Empress "Resigns", The Mysterious Black Land

As the effect of the stone tablet manifested, a piece of text slowly appeared.

It was clear at a glance.

Although Xiang Dong’s journey back this time was not smooth and delayed for two days, eventually he managed to find someone capable of translating the ancient text on the stone tablet.

The translated text was now before their eyes.

The other party was quite considerate.

Using a secret method, they had imprinted the translated text into the Picture Recording Stone.

Upon examining the translated text, Li Jing, Blue Phoenix, and Jin Ritian were calm.

The translation was essentially consistent with their prior guesswork.

The stone tablet, in essence, was a tombstone.

It commemorates many valiant strong ones from the Ancient Fairyland who sacrificed in a great catastrophe. It didn’t detail what specific thing brought the catastrophe, only mentioning that the threat came from the void space.

This part.

Not only had Li Jing speculated about it beforehand.

Apart from Xiang Dong, who carried the stone tablet back, everyone else even personally witnessed the fight between the Human-shaped Fruit and the Void Dark Spirit from the void space.

Going back and forth like this.

It was no different from Xiang Dong making a wasted trip.

Even if Li Jing and the others had not seen the Human-shaped Fruit and the Void Dark Spirit.

The ancient text on the stone tablet, once translated, could at least verify someone’s speculation.

But now...

Truthfully, it doesn’t carry much significance.

Seeing everyone looking at the translation on the stone tablet with calm faces, without anyone being surprised or looking grave, Xiang Dong slightly furrows his brows and speaks softly.

"Brother Li, you’re truly prophetic. From this translation, we can definitely conclude that the destruction of the Ancient Fairyland is related to external threats, and the source of the threat comes from the void space, where, according to our understanding, no lifeform should exist."

Upon hearing this, the three gaze at the solemn-looking Xiang Dong, and Jin Ritian breaks the silence.

"Elder Xiang, you... should have realized by now. A lot has happened in the two days after you left."

As he speaks, he casually pointed to Lingling and Xiaocai, who was hugging and biting into a Spirit Fruit at the table.

Seeing this, Xiang Dong instinctively lowers his gaze.

Initially, he hadn’t paid much attention.

He had seen Lingling before.

But right after...

He realized something was wrong.

On the table...

Why were there two Linglings!?

After a slight pause, he then realized that there was not two Linglings on the table, but another Spirit of Origin.

Which one this was.

Without thinking too hard, he could guess.

Li Jing and the others...

Had successfully found the Spirit of Origin living in the Ancient Fairyland after he left!

Looking at the three in disbelief, Xiang Dong was about to speak when Li Jing beat him to it.

"The stone tablet translation is quite valuable. However, before this, we had basically concluded that the cause of the Ancient Fairyland’s destruction came from the void space."

?

Xiang Dong.

He was not foolish.

A guess is a guess.

A conclusion is a conclusion.

There’s a distinction between the two.

When Li Jing said they had already reached a conclusion,

It implied that before his return, they had encountered some things that could be directly linked to the threat from the void space as corroborating evidence.

If he’d made a wasted trip, Xiang Dong didn’t care much.

The crucial point was.

What exactly had Li Jing and the others encountered while he was away?

Subconsciously, he sent an inquiring gaze to the three of them.

Seeing this, Li Jing raised his hand.

"It’s quite troublesome to explain in detail. Brother Xiang, I’ll directly share my memory with you."

Xiang Dong nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

Li Jing, accordingly, pointed at Xiang Dong’s forehead.

Immediately, a surge of information flooded into Xiang Dong’s mind.

A lot had indeed happened these two days.

Thus, there were many issues that could be deduced.

So much information poured into his mind that Xiang Dong had a hard time digestively it all at once, and he had to meditate on the spot to digest it.

...

Approximately ten minutes later.

Xiang Dong opened his eyes, speechless.

The memory that Li Jing provided was very detailed.

It even included what they had eaten over the past two days.

All signs indicated that his trip to the Immortal Realm was indeed in vain.

As previously stated.

Having a wasted trip is not something incredibly hard to accept.

However, what he missed was simply too much.

He could not imagine.

How in just two days, Li Jing and the others had such a tortuous and exciting experience?

Not only did they have experiences, but they also gained quite a lot.

Jin Ritian obtained the Eternal Elixir, achieving an immortal body.

Blue Phoenix and Shi Zixuan "comforted" Xiaocai and each obtained a seed of the Life Tree.

When it comes to Li Jing.

He outrightly snatched and deceived, obtaining a mature and intact Immortal Medicine from Deceiving the Heavens.

Not only did he refine and achieve immortality, but he also wandered through the usually required thousand-years refining process of becoming the emperor with the help of the medicine’s power.

He achieved it all at once.

He had a domain, and he also had the ability to open the Law Heaven and Earth.

Unbelievable!

Too f*cking unbelievable!

Xiang Dong could not accept it.

Every person has their own fate, and he wouldn’t envy anyone with his personality.

But everyone else got benefits that would make anyone in the Immortal Realm jealous, and he was the only one who ran back without gaining anything. This was simply unbearable.

Seeing Xiang Dong sitting there silently and retreating into his own world, Li Jing couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

After all, it was at his suggestion that Xiang Dong returned to the Immortal Realm to translate the stele.

Although staying might not necessarily result in any gains, it would certainly be better than missing out.

While hesitating whether to say anything, Xiang Dong took a deep breath and sighed.

"Alas, this is destiny!"

Having said that, he looked over at the others.

"So, what do we do next?"

Li Jing was slightly taken aback by the question.

Considering how easily Xiang Dong had adjusted his mood, Li Jing hesitated a bit and then spoke up.

"As far as the present is concerned, the goals for my trip have been achieved."

He continued to speak.

"Since things have reached this point, I may as well tell you the truth. In addition to the Fire Phoenix, I came here mainly because the Big World’s Heavenly Taoist found me and asked me to verify if the threat of the Void Human-shaped Fruit exists in the Broken Ancient Fairyland."

Upon hearing Li Jing’s words, Xiang Dong looked unusual.

On the other hand, Jin Ritian’s eyes widened in surprise.

Li Jing had previously mentioned that he would ask the Charming Spirit to take action when necessary.

So from the very beginning, they had some guesses in their hearts.

But they had never imagined that the Big World’s Heavenly Taoist would be the one behind all this.

This is...

This is quite impressive!

Li Jing’s approach is a bit adventurous!

The Big World’s Heavenly Taoist!

This is not a common occurrence.

The reason why the Big World is called the Big World.

Is not only because of its vast size, but also because countless Mini Worlds exist around it.

If the Big World no longer exists, many Mini Worlds will not be spared either.

One world’s destruction often affects its surroundings.

Take the Nast God Domain as an example.

The destruction of the Ancient Fairyland indirectly led to the disappearance of the Nast God Domain.

Since ancient times.

There has been a saying that the Big World is the origin of all the Mini Worlds.

Controlling the Will of Heaven in the Big World that includes the Immortal Realm...

Think about it.

Think about it carefully.

Blue Phoenix had seen the Big World’s Heavenly Taoist beforehand and knew about the latter’s request, so she wasn’t surprised.

Over here.

Li Jing continues to speak.

"My goal has been completed, and even ’exceeded’ a bit."

In his words, he pointed at Xiaocai on the table indicating that she was the "extra" gain, and then continued speaking.

"Apart from confirming whether the Deceiving the Heavens individual had died due to being swallowed by the Void Human-shaped Fruit, I have no other objectives. This goal is not easily achievable. Since Elder Xiang, Brother Jin and Sister Shi have come here mainly to find a way to the Return to Origin Realm, we should focus on this next."

Hearing what Li Jing said, both Xiang Dong and Jin Ritian nodded in approval.

Just then,

The beam of light enveloping Shi Zixuan gradually dissipated. When she opened her bright eyes, she asked surprisingly.

"Xiaolizi, who on earth are you? Your background is... honestly, a bit frightening..."

With Shi Zixuan asking this question.

Xiang Dong and Jin Ritian instantly showed concerned expressions.

Qingfeng, too, looked over, focused.

Under everyone’s gaze, Li Jing gave a subtle smile.

"To be honest, I am not someone with a significant background. I only have a slight connection with the Heavenly Tao of the Big World at most. I am just a mundane ascender from the Blue Star, not someone’s ’protegé’ or whatever you imagine."

With such a response from him, people like Qingfeng were all in disbelief.

In Li Jing’s case,

They hadn’t seen anything ordinary about him.

Not to mention the rest,

He entered the anchor point channel as someone from the Eleven Realms and blinked into the Thirteen Realms naturally becoming an Emperor.

If you say this is all because of luck...

Nonsense!

Of course,

Whether they believe it or not is their business.

Li Jing wouldn’t care much.

He had said everything he needed to say. There was nothing he needed to argue about.

At this point, having the cultivation of an Emperor, there was no need for him to bother explaining anything.

Li Jing stood up after sighing deeply.

"Now that our elder sister is done, we should get ready and try to start our exploration."

Upon hearing this, Qingfeng, Xiang Dong, and Jin Ritian also stood up.

Shi Zixuan did not move and looking up, she said,

"You guys continue the journey, I will not get involved."

?

Li Jing.

???

Qingfeng and the other two.

Meeting the gaze of these four, Shi Zixuan gave a shy smile.

"To tell you the truth, my path is already clear, but that may not necessarily suit you all."

Li Jing raised his eyebrows at Shi Zixuan’s words.

Shi Zixuan’s words clearly meant that she had found a way through the Original Fortune to continue her cultivation and to ascend.

Without much thought, Li Jing gave his regards.

"Congratulations."

Qingfeng and the others similarly offered their congratulations.

Regarding the path to the Return to Origin Realm, no one in the Immortal Realm has understood it yet.

The limit of the Immortal Realm is the Venerable.

There is no path beyond that.

And now, Shi Zixuan has her path clear.

This is her personal chance and outcome, others can only envy.

As she said,

The path she sees may not necessarily suit everyone.

Upon receiving the congratulations, Shi Zixuan beamed happily. She raised her teacup in a toast to Qingfeng and the others, saying,

"I sincerely wish you all a smooth journey in finding your own paths. The Ancient Fairyland is extremely dangerous. Please be careful on your journey."

Then, she turned to look at Li Jing,

"If you encounter any difficulties, you can find me. However, I should go back to the Immortal Realm for now. I’m no longer suitable to be Emperor Beiming. The emperor’s position needs to be formally resigned for the Northern Immortal Domain to choose a new emperor. I cannot just leave my position as an emperor without giving my old colleagues an explanation."

Li Jing nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

With Shi Zixuan no longer part of the team, they lose a strong combat power.

But the current situation is different from before.

He is now an Emperor.

Given his ability to easily defeat any of his peers, having one more or less of Shi Zixuan doesn’t matter.

If it comes to a point of need to pull her in, she might still be at risk.

Since she has already seen the path to a higher level, there is no need to drag her into this adventure.

...

A moment later.

The team, now "deprived" of Shi Zixuan, returned to the shattered Ancient Fairyland. The four of them paused, looking left and right along with Xiaocai.

The Deceiver who had been swallowed by the Void Human-Shaped Fruit didn’t take advantage of their absence to change anything.

This was good news for their journey.

Although it was still uncertain whether the Deceiver was alive or dead.

But if he was still alive,

He obviously couldn’t hide and make a move while taking care of himself.

After pausing for a moment, Li Jing let Xiaocai lead the way.

Next,

Their goal was to find a breakthrough to the Return to Origin Realm.

But as to where they should go specifically, they had no clue.

Given these conditions.

Rushing into the Earth Realm, where Xiaocai didn’t dare to venture alone, is certainly more reliable than aimlessly wandering around.

...

Almost two hours later.

Under Xiaocai’s guidance, Li Jing and the others arrived near a tranquil black continent.

Unlike the scorched earth continent they’d seen before.

This large tract of land was truly, authentically black.

The earth itself was black, not turned black by some factor.

Similar to the scorched earth land, this black land was devoid of any signs of life, covered by no green whatsoever.

From afar.

The entire landscape, painted in shades of black, laid out bare in front of them.

Compared to the scorched earth, this sight warranted more caution.

One of the black soil’s main characteristics.

Undoubtedly, it’s fertile.

Places with black soil typically harbor diverse flora and fauna.

A vast black land devoid of anything, it seemed quite strange.

After observing the black soil land suspended in the void from a distance, Li Jing withdrew his gaze and glanced at Xiaocai on his shoulder.

"Can you make anything out of this place?"

Xiaocai blinked and said.

"There’s nothing here that instinctively repulses me. But there’s a strong, concealed life energy that lingers here, as if some mighty being is sleeping beneath. Yet, I can’t pinpoint where this strong life force is coming from."

The others, including Blue Phoenix, turned to look at her upon hearing her words.

Li Jing’s brow furrowed slightly at Xiaocai’s description.

Xiaocai, as the Spirit of Origin, represented the beginning of life for an entire realm, and was very sensitive to life energy.

Life energy described by her as "extraordinarily strong" and untraceable, was certainly not simple.

After exchanging glances, Li Jing spoke up.

"Does anyone else see anything?"

In response to the question, everyone shook their heads.

Seeing this, Li Jing waved his hand to summon Flying Sword Blue Edge, which had already transformed into a Taoist Item.

"Step back. Let’s save time."

???

Xiang Dong.

’Saving time’—it’s a plain and simple concept.

But what did Li Jing mean by pulling out a Taoist Item when he didn’t even know what lay inside this black land?

Blue Phoenix and Jin Ritian, both well-acquainted with his acting style, immediately understood what he was planning.

"Let’s go."

Jin Ritian, pulling Xiang Dong back, retreated without further ado.

Blue Phoenix followed them.

Next.

As Xiang Dong looked confused, Li Jing silently raised his sword. His Universe Field and Law Heaven and Earth simultaneously appeared behind him.

"Clang!"

"Roar!"

A resonating sword cry accompanied by dragon roars echoed through the heavens and earth.

Flying Sword Blue Edge shot Li Jing high into the sky, morphing into a giant, extraordinarily fierce sword shadow.

Within the Universe Field.

Li Jing’s Law Heaven and Earth reached out and grabbed the sword shadow, lifting it above its head.

Then.

The sword shadow surged upwards without end.

"..."

Xiang Dong.

Li Jing’s "big move" seemed somewhat inexplicable.

But as the continuously expanding sword shadow loomed, Xiang Dong probably realized what he was up to.

This.....

Since it was not confirmed what exactly lay inside the black land, wouldn’t such reckless action be inappropriate?

As he was thinking.

Li Jing’s Law Heaven and Earth made a downward slash with the sword.

The transformed Flying Sword Blue Edge was a class apart from before.

As the fearsome sword shadow began to descend, the fierce sword qi had already slashed open space, distorting the void ahead and tearing through the black soil land.

Following that.

"Boom!" A deafening explosion echoed.

Suddenly, even before the main sword shadow had properly landed on the black land, the entire fragmented continent exploded explosively like a lit barrel of dynamite.