200: Chapter 200 Old Friend, the Immortal Emperor

Within the Undying Mountain.

Chu Tianjiao sat beneath the tree, holding a cup of enlightenment tea that had already grown slightly cool, his gaze falling upon the vanishing light within the Water Mirror. Old Maniac and Ye Fan had already left the Big Dipper Astral Region, heading into the depths of the starry sky.

Xiao Nannan snuggled beside him, likewise watching that empty stretch of starry sky in the Water Mirror. Her gaze held a hint of reluctance to part, but more so, a profound sense of anticipation.

Once her brother left, it might take a few years, perhaps decades, or even longer. But it didn't matter; she would wait. She had waited for eight hundred thousand years; she didn't mind waiting a few more.

"Teacher," she spoke softly.

Chu Tianjiao looked down at her. "Hmm?"

"Should we enter the Immortal Domain soon?" Xiao Nannan said. "To prepare and repair the Immortal Domain in advance for Brother, so that once he has sufficient strength, he can enter directly to Cultivate."

Chu Tianjiao was slightly taken aback.

The Immortal Domain.

Xiao Nannan was right. Ye Fan's current cultivation was still low, but one day, he would grow to the point where he needed to enter the Immortal Domain. That place had a more complete Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, richer Longevity Matter, and a broader space for cultivation. If he prepared it in advance, his brother could avoid many detours when he reached that stage.

Just as he was about to speak, a figure suddenly flashed through his mind.

That figure wore imperial feather robes embroidered with the pattern of a Phoenix rising from the flames. His face was as handsome as a Heavenly God, and his entire body radiated an ancient and mysterious aura.

The Immortal Emperor.

The corners of Chu Tianjiao's mouth curled up slightly.

"Compared to the Immortal Domain, I think we should go see an old friend instead."

Xiao Nannan was startled. "An old friend?"

She looked up, seeing the meaningful smile on Chu Tianjiao's face, and a name flashed through her mind.

"The Immortal Emperor!"

Her voice carried a hint of surprise, a touch of realization, and an indescribable complexity.

The culprit who ambushed her teacher and caused him to "fall," the ancient existence who had lived from the Mythological Era until now, the sovereign who founded the Primordial Era—the Immortal Emperor.

"Indeed, it is him," Chu Tianjiao nodded. "If you hadn't mentioned the Immortal Domain, I would have almost forgotten about him."

He stood up, hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through the barrier of the Undying Mountain to look toward the depths of the endless starry sky.

"Currently, he is not in this Universe, nor is he in the Immortal Domain. He should have entered that place I once visited—the Strange World."

Xiao Nannan's brow furrowed slightly. "The Strange World?"

"Yes," Chu Tianjiao said. "It is a special space between the Immortal Domain and the Mortal world. It contains a small amount of Longevity Matter, but it is far inferior to the Immortal Domain. Back when I was pursuing him, he hid there. Later, I was taken to the Ancient Chaotic Battlefield by the Desolate Tower, and I never paid him any mind again."

He turned around and looked toward the Willow Deity.

"You and Xiao Nannan stay at home. I will go see that old friend myself. I'm going to settle the score from back then."

The Willow Deity sat quietly to the side and nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Go," her voice was calm and gentle. "With your current strength, there are no longer any opponents in this world."

Xiao Nannan also nodded. "Teacher, you go ahead. Senior Willow Deity and I will wait for you at home."

She didn't say much more, nor did she try to stop him.

Now that her teacher was an Immortal King Titan and she herself had stepped into the rank of a Peak Immortal King, nothing in this world could harm them anymore. Their enemies were those of the Weird, the source of darkness across the All Heavens. Compared to those, a mere Immortal Emperor was not worth worrying about.

Chu Tianjiao looked at them, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

He turned and took a single step forward.

In the next second, his figure vanished from within the Undying Mountain.

The Strange World.

Deep within a crack in the Void Realm, a current of chaotic qi slowly surged. This place was far from any ancient life-bearing planets and far from any sphere of influence; it was a forgotten corner.

Deep within this Chaos, a Dao Field was hidden.

The Dao Field was not large, but it was laid out with extreme precision. Layers of Formations isolated the interior from the exterior; even for an existence at the Immortal King level, it would be difficult to discover this place. Within the Dao Field was a Stone Palace, and in front of the palace was a small courtyard where several unknown Spiritual Plants grew, barely maintaining their vitality under the nourishment of the chaotic qi.

At this moment, the Immortal Emperor was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat in front of the Stone Palace, eyes closed as he regulated his breathing.

A faint immortal light swirled around him, the accumulation of his countless years of cultivation. His aura was deep and restrained, like an unfathomable ancient pool. He had lived for an unknown number of lifetimes, his cultivation unfathomably deep, only a step away from becoming a Red Dust Immortal.

But his brow was slightly furrowed.

Over these years, he always felt a sense of unease.

That feeling was inexplicable, yet it constantly lingered in his heart. It was as if something terrible was about to happen, as if some danger was approaching.

He opened his eyes and looked toward the Void Realm above the Dao Field.

There was nothing there.

But his unease grew stronger and stronger.

"Strange..." he murmured. "What on earth is going on?"

He stood up and paced in the courtyard.

In his mind, countless possibilities flashed—was it Emperor Reverence? Had that old fox not died yet? Was it the Willow Deity? Had that existence who filled him with dread found this place? Or was it...

He shook his head, suppressing the unease in his heart.

It couldn't be.

He was hidden in this secret place; no one could find him.

Even if someone came, he was not afraid. He was the Immortal Emperor, a descendant of the Undying Divine Phoenix, the supreme existence who had founded the Primordial Era. His strength was enough to crush any incoming enemy.

The Immortal Emperor took a deep breath and sat back down.

But just as he closed his eyes, a voice rang out by his ear.

"Old friend, it's been a long time."

That voice was gentle, carrying a hint of a smile, as if greeting an old friend not seen for many years.

The Immortal Emperor's body suddenly stiffened.

He opened his eyes and looked in the direction the voice came from.

There, a figure stood with hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips.

Black hair and black eyes, a handsome face, and a gentle temperament. He just stood there, as if he had been standing for a long time, or perhaps as if he had just appeared. No aura leaked from his body; he looked like an ordinary Mortal.

But it was precisely this "ordinariness" that caused the Immortal Emperor's pupils to contract sharply.

At their level, the more "ordinary" someone seemed, the more terrifying they were.

"Chu Tianjiao..."

The Immortal Emperor's voice was low, carrying a hint of complex emotion.

He naturally remembered this person. The Jiaoheng Great Emperor, a Chaos Body who had become an emperor and lived for an unknown number of lifetimes, his strength unfathomably deep. Back then, he had ambushed Chu Tianjiao, thinking the other party would surely die; he hadn't expected that old fox not only survived but was living perfectly well.