119: Chapter 119 Ancient Qilin Emperor: Cling to the Thigh, and You'll Become Emperor

Undying Mountain.

Four streaks of light streaked across the horizon, falling into that forbidden zone shrouded in Chaos Qi.

Chu Tianjiao held Xiao Nannan's hand as they landed in the courtyard. After eight hundred thousand years, everything here remained unchanged—the ancient tea tree of enlightenment still swayed gently in the corner, scattering bits of Dao rhythm; the immortal peach tree was rooted by the spiritual pond, with occasional flashes of immortal light; the human emperor banner floated above Undying Mountain, raining down golden light; the Tyrant Blade leaned against the wall, its blade occasionally glinting with light, while the void mirror stood quietly and ancient in the Void Realm.

Everything was exactly as it had been eight hundred thousand years ago.

Except that one figure was missing.

Willow Deity was already standing in the courtyard waiting for them. She was still dressed in a green skirt, her face peerlessly beautiful, with a faint immortal light swirling around her. Seeing the two return, a slight smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

“You're back?”

Chu Tianjiao nodded.

“We're back.”

The Ancient Kirin Emperor also stepped out from the stone house. His two children had already been settled and were still in a deep sleep. He looked at Chu Tianjiao and Xiao Nannan, his eyes carrying a hint of complexity.

“Did you see him?”

He asked.

Xiao Nannan nodded without speaking. Her eyes were still a bit red, but the expression on her face had calmed significantly.

Chu Tianjiao let go of her hand, walked to the stone table in the courtyard, and sat down. Willow Deity sat opposite him, Xiao Nannan sat beside him, and after a moment's hesitation, the Ancient Kirin Emperor also took a seat at the stone table.

The night at Undying Mountain was very quiet. Only the night wind blew past, bringing the rustling sound of the ancient tea tree of enlightenment.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor looked at Chu Tianjiao, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.

“That child... is gone.”

His voice was somewhat raspy, carrying an unspeakable weight.

“I watched him walk out of Undying Mountain with my own eyes.”

Chu Tianjiao looked at him but did not speak.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor continued: “That day, he woke from the Immortal Source and saw that the forbidden zone was once again filled with Supremes. He said that was the Karma you left behind, and as your Disciple, he had the responsibility to settle it for you.”

“I tried to stop him.”

He lowered his head, looking at his own hands.

“I couldn't stop him.”

Xiao Nannan's body trembled slightly, but she remained silent.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor raised his head, gazing into the depths of the starry sky.

“Alone, carrying the human emperor banner and the Tyrant Blade, he entered the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning. Thirty-seven Supremes—he forced twenty into Ultimate Sublimation and killed them with his own hands.”

“After the battle, he transformed into the Dao.”

His voice grew lower and lower.

“I was right there outside, watching. I could do nothing.”

Chu Tianjiao remained silent for a long time. Then he reached out and patted the Ancient Kirin Emperor's shoulder.

“It's been hard on you.”

His voice was soft, yet it carried a heavy weight.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor shook his head and did not speak.

Chu Tianjiao withdrew his hand and looked up at the human emperor banner floating above Undying Mountain.

“Tell me about this era.”

The human emperor banner vibrated slightly, and that raspy voice rang out.

“Yes, Master.”

It paused, seemingly organizing its words.

“Since Master left, this era has experienced too much.”

“After the little master died in battle, Ji Xukong attained the Dao. He is a descendant of the Ji Family, cultivated the Hunyuan Heavenly Scripture, and became an Emperor in a thousand years. The little master met him after leaving seclusion and personally entrusted him with his affairs. During his reign, Ji Xukong lived out a second life and killed seven more Supremes.”

“After Ji Xukong died, the Supremes initiated a Dark Turmoil. The Tyrant Blade and I stepped in and repelled them. But in that battle, new Supremes also woke from their slumber and joined the turmoil.”

“In the years that followed, more Great Emperors were born. Some protected the common people, while others, in their late years, severed themselves to hide in forbidden zones, becoming new scourges. Generation after generation alternated, groups increasing and decreasing.”

“Three hundred thousand years ago, the Nine Great Holy Bodies emerged one after another, suppressing the forbidden zones with their lives. They were of the Holy Body lineage, inheriting the little master's legacy, charging forward generation after generation, using their lives to guard this world. Each of the Nine Great Holy Bodies fought to the death against Supremes in their late years, some taking down one, others taking down two. But they all died in battle as well.”

“Later, Emperor Wushi was born.”

The human emperor banner's voice became somewhat complex.

“That person... was strong. Extremely strong. He lived life after life, deterring the forbidden zones for tens of thousands of years by his power alone. During the years he lived, not a single Supreme dared to emerge. He suppressed the forbidden zones and killed at least five Supremes.”

“After he left, the Azure Emperor attained the Dao. During the Azure Emperor's reign, the forbidden zones were silent. But after he disappeared, his dao marks suppressed heaven and earth. Now, in this world, the strongest one can reach is a Second-Order Immortal Great Power. Third-Order Immortal Dao Severing has not been achieved for thousands of years.”

Chu Tianjiao listened and remained silent for a long time.

The Nine Great Holy Bodies. Emperor Wushi. The Azure Emperor. These names were all familiar to him. They were all stunning existences from the original Shrouding the Heavens. Now, they had all become history.

“How many Supremes are in the forbidden zones now?” he asked.

The human emperor banner was silent for a moment.

“Twenty-seven.”

“Distributed across the six great forbidden zones—the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning, God Ruins, Reincarnation Sea, Immortal Mausoleum, Heaven, and Undying Mountain. Except for the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone, the other six are full.”

“Over these hundreds of thousands of years, new Supremes have severed themselves to enter, and others have been killed by successive Great Emperors. Through the rises and falls, additions and subtractions, the number eventually stabilized at this amount. Twenty-seven.”

Chu Tianjiao nodded.

Twenty-seven Supremes.

Fewer than back then, but still a massive force.

For the current him, it was something that could be handled in the blink of an eye.

But he did not plan to act.

Those people were whetstones left for Ye Fan.

He raised his head and looked at everyone.

“This era is a Golden Age.”

His voice was calm, yet carried a sense of certainty.

“Although the Great Dao of heaven and earth is suppressed, it is because the Azure Emperor's dao marks still remain. Once his dao marks fade, this world will welcome an unprecedented prosperous age. At that time, countless Prodigies will rise to compete for that sole Imperial Throne.”

He paused and looked at Xiao Nannan.

“Ye Fan is the Reincarnation of my brother-in-law.”

Xiao Nannan's body trembled slightly, but she did not speak.

“The position of Great Emperor in this life shall be left for him.”

Chu Tianjiao's voice was soft, yet it carried an indisputable firmness.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor was stunned for a moment, then he smiled.

“As it should be.”

He nodded without hesitation.

“That child, I watched him grow up. For the sake of this world, he didn't even want his life. His Reincarnation deserves to become an Emperor.”

Chu Tianjiao looked at him, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. This old fox was quite perceptive.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor continued: “My two children, Huo Liner and Huo Linzi—let them go and compete as well. If they can win it, that's best; if not, it doesn't matter.”

He looked at Chu Tianjiao, a cunning smile at the corners of his mouth.

“As long as they can get on good terms with Emperor Jiaoheng's brother-in-law, why worry about not being able to become an Emperor in the future?”

Chu Tianjiao was stunned for a moment, then he laughed.

“You old fox.”

The Ancient Kirin Emperor also laughed.

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without being said.