Chapter 300: The Heavenly Emperor's Hometown

Chapter 300: The Heavenly Emperor's Hometown

The young boy delivered the letter to Ning Xiaochiao and left without another word.

Ning Xiaochiao brought the envelope to his nose and inhaled, catching the faint, elegant fragrance of orchids—a scent familiar to him, one that belonged to Madam Silver Pool.

Madam Silver Pool possessed the Ice Soul Cold Cicada Heart Palace, a natural allure that exuded an innate fragrance. She also adored bathing with Purple Orchid Petals, leaving her skin imbued with a delicate orchid aroma, utterly unique.

Opening the letter, he found elegant handwriting:

"Young Master Ning, thank you for your care these past few days. They have been the happiest I’ve had in ten years. Please forgive me for not meeting you in White Dragon City. After much deliberation, I’ve decided to return to the Imperial City first. Rest assured, I will not reveal your secrets to anyone.—Yue Minghua."

"Yue Minghua" was the name Madam Silver Pool bore in her youth, once a beauty whose fame spread across the land. Countless talented men had pined for her, longing day and night, some even falling ill from unrequited love.

She had been a legendary woman, shrouded in mystery, her actions baffling to all.

Once the purest and most beautiful fairy in the world, peerless in talent and transcendent in beauty, she had fallen into disgrace, becoming a woman known to all as promiscuous.

Ning Xiaochiao turned the letter over and found two lines of poetry written in small script:

"Where does this fleeting life find drunkenness?

I dare not forget the bond with you."

"So she’s returned to the Imperial City..."

"That’s for the best. Right now, the Cloud Marquis, the Crown Prince, and Mu Honglai all want me dead. Her returning to the Imperial City makes her safer." Ning Xiaochiao tucked the letter away.

As for Madam Silver Pool, Ning Xiaochiao couldn’t bring himself to dislike her. After all, everyone had the right to choose their own path.

As for her claim that she had no choice in the matter, Ning Xiaochiao didn’t dwell on it too much—he, too, had many things beyond his control.

The voice of the Heavenly Emperor's Blade spoke up: "Ning Xiaochiao, now that we’ve left the Imperial City, we can search for the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace. Once we find it, we’ll surely obtain the ancient treasures left behind by the Heavenly Emperor. Once your cultivation advances by leaps and bounds, returning to the Imperial City will allow you to dominate effortlessly."

Ning Xiaochiao said, "The only clue we have is that the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace lies in the direction of the 'Central Palace.' But where exactly is the Central Palace? The Heavenly Emperor’s cultivation was profound—he could perceive the heavens and earth, gaze upon the cosmos, his wisdom as deep as a god’s. How did he view the earth as a Nine Palaces diagram?"

Just imagining the earth as a diagram was awe-inspiring.

The Nine Palaces originated from Mystic Gate Arts, a profound metaphysical art used to deduce the past and future, uncovering the mysteries of time and space. Without decades of study, it was impossible to grasp its profundities.

Ning Xiaochiao didn’t have decades to spend deciphering Mystic Gate Arts. Finding the legendary Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace seemed all the more distant.

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade said, "It’s simple. We’ll seek out the Heavenly Emperor’s descendants. They must have studied Mystic Gate Arts. With their help, locating the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace will be twice as easy."

"The Heavenly Emperor’s descendants?" Ning Xiaochiao was astonished.

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade said, "Although the Heavenly Emperor has already become a god, he still has family. These people have lived on this land for generations, never leaving, guarding the relics left by the Heavenly Emperor. Back then, the Heavenly Emperor's Family was extremely powerful, revered across the continent. Even superpowerful figures from beyond the Yulan Empire came to pay homage. However, after ten thousand years, many misfortunes occurred, and even the once-mighty Heavenly Emperor's Family declined, vanishing without a trace in the Yulan Empire."

Ning Xiaochiao said, "After such a long time, it's likely the Heavenly Emperor's descendants have all died out."

"No, the Heavenly Emperor's descendants definitely haven't died out. Absolutely not. They must have hidden themselves away, cutting off contact with the outside world to focus on cultivation." The Heavenly Emperor's Blade spoke, though not with complete certainty.

Ning Xiaochiao said, "Everyone knows the Heavenly Emperor's homeland lies within the Yulan Empire, but very few know its exact location."

"Cold Star Lake," the Heavenly Emperor's Blade said.

Ning Xiaochiao frowned slightly. "What kind of place is Cold Star Lake?"

He had studied the Yulan Empire's geographical records, memorizing its mountains, forests, and deserts, yet he had never heard of Cold Star Lake.

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade explained, "Long ago, a star fell from the sky, creating a massive lake. The lake is shrouded in Freezing Energy, and even in summer, its waters remain piercingly cold. Many Martial Artists believed treasures lay within and dove into its depths to search. But without exception, they all perished in the lake."

"When the Heavenly Emperor was young, he too dove into the lake and retrieved a piece of Celestial Iron from its depths, forging it into a peerless blade."

Ning Xiaochiao had heard this legend before—it was said to be the origin of the "Heavenly Emperor's Blade." He hadn’t expected the story to be true.

"Head north, and you will surely find Cold Star Lake. Find the lake, and you will find the Heavenly Emperor's homeland," the Heavenly Emperor's Blade said.

Though the blade couldn’t recall the lake’s exact location, it had an innate sense of things in nature connected to itself.

Ning Xiaochiao was eager to obtain the drop of Divine Blood left by the Heavenly Emperor—a single drop from a god, capable of refining his essence and elevating him beyond the mundane. Only by obtaining it could he break through his limits and achieve a top-tier innate physique.

To evade his enemies, Ning Xiaochiao rode the Double-headed Stone Beast, sticking to remote mountains and treacherous paths. As he journeyed north, he cultivated the Eighth Level of 'Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.'

After absorbing large amounts of Nine-Colored Profound Water, the Small Red Dragon had coiled around Ning Xiaochiao’s wrist and slept. On this day, it finally awoke, its scales gleaming with crimson light, auspicious clouds forming above its head, its body noticeably plumper. Its strength seemed to have grown significantly.

The Small Red Dragon yawned, exhaling Nine-Colored Divine Light, then flew down and landed, hopping twice before shrinking back to its original size.

"Roar, roar, roar!" it cried at Ning Xiaochiao, demanding to know why they had already left the Imperial City.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the Small Red Dragon, shaking his head repeatedly. "You still have the nerve to cry out? When I truly needed your help, you were fast asleep. The moment we shook off the enemy, you woke up. I seriously doubt you were pretending to sleep."

The Small Red Dragon stood on its hind legs, dazed for a long moment before letting out another series of whimpers.

"Crying won’t help. I can’t return to the Imperial City for now. If I want to reunite with Xiao Ling’er, it’ll have to wait until I find the Heavenly Emperor’s Divine Palace." Ignoring the dragon, Ning Xiaochuan pressed onward, traversing mountains and valleys as he journeyed north.

---

Imperial City.

Deep in the dark underground world lay a bone-chilling Freezing Pond, its surface emitting wisps of white mist. Within the haze, pale skeletal remains could be seen floating on the water.

Tap, tap. Footsteps echoed.

Madam Silver Pool walked forward, clad in a black robe with purple trim along the sleeves and collar. Her delicate features and slender jade-like legs were accentuated by a silver hairpin, which chimed softly with each step she took.

"Huang Chenzi, paying respects to the City Lord."

Her gaze was reverent as she knelt halfway by the edge of the Freezing Pond, her long black hair cascading to the ground.

Splash— The pond’s waters stirred, and the Freezing Energy coalesced into a glowing orb the size of a basin. Within it, a tiny humanoid figure seemed to hover.

A commanding voice emanated from the orb. "Yue Wuyang and the Crown Prince joined forces to deal with Young Master Chuan, yet you intervened and rescued him?"

"The City Lord’s cultivation reaches the heavens, and his wisdom is unparalleled. Nothing in this world can escape your notice." Madam Silver Pool’s voice was as melodious as a mountain stream or the song of an oriole, serene yet ethereal.

The voice in the orb responded, "Not so. There are matters in this world even I do not know—such as Young Master Chuan’s true identity. You fled the Imperial City with him and spent many days together. Surely, you must know who he really is?"

Madam Silver Pool’s expression remained unreadable, her lips parting slightly. "Young Master Chuan is no ordinary man. He is extremely guarded against me. This servant… does not know his true identity."

Heh heh. A cold laugh echoed from the orb, the voice turning sharp. "Do you know how terrible the consequences of betraying me are?"

An overwhelming pressure descended upon Madam Silver Pool, as if the stars of the heavens were crushing down on her. The ground beneath her knees cracked instantly.

"This servant… would never… dare betray the City Lord… cough…"

Beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead, her face turning deathly pale as she spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Freezing Energy receded like a tide, and the voice spoke again. "Your injuries are quite severe."

"Just minor wounds. There’s no need for the City Lord to concern himself." Her voice was weak.

"Where has Young Master Chuan gone now? Why have you returned to the Imperial City alone?"

Madam Silver Pool replied, "Young Master Chuan is cunning and meticulous, leaving no room for error. He remains deeply wary of me, so I was unable to uncover his whereabouts. Thus, I returned empty-handed. I beg the City Lord to punish me."

"Hmph, Young Master Chuan is quite the figure. Even with Yue Wuyang, the Crown Prince, and the Lingyi State Preceptor joining forces, they couldn’t keep him. If we can subdue him and bring him into Dark Emperor City, I intend to have him fill Tianchenzi’s position. Since he’s already agreed to become Qi Ming’s master, I believe he’ll still visit Qi Tian Marquis House. I’ll give you one more chance. If you fail to recruit him, I’ll have to intervene personally," the voice from the glowing orb said.

Madam Silver Pool was shocked. "My lord knows... that Ming’er has become his disciple?"

"Didn’t you say I am omniscient? Indeed, I know everything about Qi Tian Marquis House," the voice replied.

A chill ran down Madam Silver Pool’s spine. If the Necropolis Lord truly had complete knowledge of Qi Tian Marquis House, then both her and Qi Ming’s lives were entirely under his control.

"Understood," Madam Silver Pool said, her eyes filled with deep unease, yet she had no choice.

She could never defy the Necropolis Lord’s will. In his eyes, she was merely a pawn to manipulate Qi Tian Marquis House.