26: Chapter 26 Carrying the Crystal Coffin, She Ascends to the Ninth Heaven!

Sword Immortal Sect, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Broken walls and ruined pillars, the cold wind blew mournfully.

There was no longer a Sword Immortal Sect in this world.

A legend circulated throughout the Tianxuan Continent.

Legend had it that a woman in red riding a white Dragon had single-handedly slaughtered the thirty thousand Disciples and Elders of the Sword Immortal Sect.

As for that "Number One Under Heaven" Sword Immortal Li, he had also vanished without a trace; there was no longer any news of Sword Immortal Li on the Tianxuan Continent.

...

Taihuang Ancient Land.

Taihuang Ancient Land was located to the east of the Tianxuan Continent. Like the Tianxuan Continent, it was a vast landmass suspended in the air, though its size was only one-tenth that of the Tianxuan Continent.

At this moment, in the imperial palace of Taihuang Ancient Land.

The imperial palace gates stood towering and majestic, with many Phoenix Clan Elders already waiting atop the gate.

A heaven-shaking Dragon roar echoed from the horizon, and a majestic white giant Dragon spiraled down. On the Dragon's back, the woman in red sat with a spirited posture, her robes fluttering in the wind, her eyes cold...

The Phoenix Clan Elders standing on the gate tower were pleasantly surprised and began to shout.

"Look quickly, the Imperial Crown Princess has returned!"

"The honorable Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, she has returned!"

"Look, what is that!?"

"Oh, that is a True Dragon! The Imperial Crown Princess... she actually returned riding a True Dragon?"

The giant Dragon landed slowly, stirring up a strong gust of wind.

In the spacious plaza at the palace entrance, as the white Dragon landed, its massive body could barely stand. Under the astonished gazes of the Phoenix Clan Elders, it had to slightly tuck in its tail before it could barely steady itself.

The Phoenix Clan Elders came forward to hold a grand welcoming ceremony for the Imperial Crown Princess's return to the palace.

However, all the Elders noticed that the Imperial Crown Princess's face was expressionless, as if she had no interest in anything at all.

After the welcoming ceremony concluded, Ji Yao called all the Phoenix Clan Elders and royal family members into the main hall of the imperial palace.

Under the puzzled gazes of everyone, Ji Yao brought out the corpse of 'Su Fan', placed it on the red carpet, and then issued an order to the crowd:

"Resurrect him..."

A royal family member walked up to 'Su Fan's' corpse, carefully checked his breath, and inspected his Spiritual Root and Dantian, then looked up and said: "Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, he is already dead..."

In fact, everyone could see that this young man was not only dead, but his body had already gone cold.

Ji Yao looked at the crowd with an expressionless face and then slowly said: "Whoever can resurrect him, the throne shall be theirs..."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in dismay.

Has the Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, gone mad?

This young man is already thoroughly dead, dead as can be; how can he be resurrected?

However, it was clear that the Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, cherished this young man deeply. To resurrect him, she was actually willing to give up the imperial throne. Who exactly was this young man to her...

"He is the ideal partner I have been seeking... I will say it one more time: whoever can resurrect him, the throne shall be theirs. I will never go back on my word!"

Ji Yao said again.

Her cold and pretty face was bloodless, and her beautiful eyes seemed to have lost their light.

Upon hearing that this person was the ideal partner the Imperial Crown Princess had been seeking, the Elders and royal family members were puzzled—why would the Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, take a fancy to a mere young man at the Foundation Establishment Stage? Nevertheless, they feigned agreement, promising to use ancient secret techniques to help the Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, resurrect the young man.

In the following days, they went through the motions of performing some ceremonies, but in reality, it was just for show to satisfy the Imperial Crown Princess.

In the Prayer Hall, in the center of the hall, a giant crystal coffin held the corpse of a young man. The honorable Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, would come every day to gently stroke his face, sitting quietly and muttering to herself, as if she could not go on with her days if she did not see him for even a single day...

Day after day.

In the blink of an eye.

A month had passed.

In truth, Ji Yao knew very well in her heart.

Su Fan could not be resurrected.

However, she was simply unwilling to give up; she could not accept that someone who loved her deeply had left just like that.

Left forever.

In her sleeping quarters, Ji Yao sat withered day after day.

The group of palace maids serving her had secretly cried countless times because of her deep affection.

They found it hard to imagine what kind of young man could have warmed the heart of this ice-cold Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, and what kind of past could have left Her Highness so unable to extricate herself, living her days in sorrow...

A letter.

It had been unfolded for the thirtieth time.

It was found in Su Fan's Storage Pouch.

On the letter was the young man's former handwriting, blood-red; it was clearly a blood letter.

The letter read—

[Yao, my beloved NPC wife:

When you see this letter, I will have already parted with you forever!

When I wrote this letter, I was still a person of the Tianxuan Continent;

When you read this letter, I will have already returned to Earth.

When I wrote this letter, my tears fell together with the blood from my fingertips. I stopped writing several times, fearing you would not understand my intentions.

I love you with all my heart. This single thought of loving you makes me have no regrets, even if I were to face death a thousand times...]

Reading this, Ji Yao could not help but burst into tears. Tears flowed down her stunningly beautiful face like a bursting dam, uncontrollable.

Her slender, delicate hands trembled, and the paper shook with them.

A maid held a silk handkerchief, wanting to come over to wipe her tears, but with a wave of her hand, the maid tactfully retreated.

She let her tears run wild, her hands trembling, as she read the content of the letter once more...

[...Once, you and I walked together in the snow; in this life, that can count as growing old together. How could I not have wished to hold your hand and grow old with you, to watch the seas change into mulberry fields and witness the vicissitudes of the world...]

[How could I not have wished to fulfill the oath with you: 'Only when the mountains have no edges, the heavens and earth merge, would I dare to part from you']

[I also once wished to live out the mundane years with you, respecting each other like guests, presenting the food tray to the eyebrows]

[However, you and I are ultimately not people of the same world]

[After I am gone, you should forget me. I do not know how your life will continue to be written in this simulation]

[However, I love you deeply, and I cannot see you now! Alas! The paper is short, but the feelings are long. There are still thousands of things left unsaid; I can only sing a long song in tears, thinking of you day and night!]

After reading the letter, Ji Yao wailed in grief once again.

A large group of maids knelt on the ground, wanting to serve her but not daring to approach.

A maid stole a glance at the letter from the corner of her eye. When she saw the three letters "NPC", she just assumed they were some strange symbol, part of a secret language shared between the Imperial Crown Princess, Your Highness, and that young man.

Until three months later.

Ji Yao summoned the Elders for the first time, announcing she had an important matter to ask about.

After the Elders gathered, she used her spiritual power in front of them to write the three letters "NPC" in the Void Realm, and then she wrote the two words "Earth" and "Simulation"...

"What does this mean?"

She asked with a solemn expression.

Regarding the special set of symbols "NPC", all the Elders shook their heads, indicating they did not understand.

However, regarding the word "Earth", the Elders unanimously believed it was some space, some continent, or some realm. As for exactly where it was, they had never heard of it, let alone known of it.

As for "Simulation", the crowd also had only a half-understanding, as if it were some kind of trial?

...

After hearing the Elders' answers, Ji Yao's Phoenix eyes flickered, a gleam of light reappearing in them. Looking up at the firmament, she muttered: "Could it be... that his Divine Sense has returned to Earth?"

"Where is Earth?"

"I do not believe that, above the Nine Heavens, no one would know where Earth is?"

...

Thus, a Phoenix Clan woman, riding a white Dragon and carrying a crystal coffin, broke through the clouds and slaughtered her way to the Nine Heavens.

The First Heaven, Immortal Lord Qingli, deceased.

The Second Heaven, Immortal King Suyu, deceased.

The Third Heaven, Immortal Emperor Chiyan, deceased.

The Fourth Heaven, Immortal Lord Xinglan, deceased.

The Fifth Heaven, Immortal Lady Youmeng, deceased.

The Sixth Heaven, Immortal Emperor Canglei, deceased.

The Seventh Heaven, Immortal Emperor Huanyue, deceased.

The Eighth Heaven, Immortal Emperor Yuanhai, deceased.

These masters of the Upper Realm had only one cause of death: they did not know where Earth was.

However, after they died, they would not perish completely; instead, they would fall back into Reincarnation.

The Ninth Heaven, Heavenly Palace.

Upon seeing this red-eyed slaughtering The Demoness, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor panicked and hurriedly said: "Wait, I know where Earth is. Furthermore, you and he have already re-established a connection. Take a look at your Storage Ring; is that spirit rhinoceros golden thread still there?"

Ji Yao's Divine Sense delved into the Storage Ring, and to her surprise, she discovered that her spirit rhinoceros golden thread had actually flown out from the ring...

Accompanied by a flash of golden light, this spirit rhinoceros golden thread then vanished into thin air...

Looking at the Ancient Heavenly Emperor, Ji Yao was full of both shock and joy: "He... is he really still alive?"

The Ancient Heavenly Emperor breathed a sigh of relief and nodded meaningfully: "Yes, that's right, he is still alive..."