Chapter 530: 12 Life Palaces

“How incredible. Entering the Fire God Palace will surely lead to a great opportunity.” Hearing this news, countless people were filled with envy.

Although as the successor of the Ten Thousand Ancient Country, Tian Lunhui didn’t necessarily need a heaven-defying treasure, obtaining a great opportunity from the First Evil Tomb was a matter of glory. Since time immemorial, those who seized the great opportunities within the First Evil Tomb were destined to become invincible existences who could intimidate the Nine Realms. Even if they failed to become an Immortal Emperor, they would still become the supreme sovereign of an entire realm!

“Emperor is going to assault the Celestial Tomb!” While many were still envious of Tian Lunhui’s good fortune, an astonishing piece of news spread from the Earth Realm.

“Assaulting the Celestial Tomb! That’s far too audacious.” Upon hearing this news, the expressions of the major figures from the Ghost Race and other clans alike shifted.

“Legend has it that the Celestial Tomb is the final destination within the First Evil Tomb, a place few have managed to enter since the dawn of time. For Emperor to assault it now… this… this is truly the bearing of a Young Immortal Emperor!” someone murmured.

Even an Elder Ancestor from the Ten Thousand Ancient Country couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. “The Ten Thousand Bones Throne has truly raised a remarkable successor,” he said. “To assault the Celestial Tomb with such courage and boldness… it would come as no surprise if he becomes an Immortal Emperor in the future.”

Upon hearing this news, the spirits of countless people sank, especially the geniuses of the younger generation. Emperor’s reputation was already legendary, but his decision today to assault the Celestial Tomb left them deeply shaken.

This was something countless geniuses wouldn’t dare to do. Even successors from Emperor Immortal Gates like Saint Child Ji Que and Prince Ghost Insect, who had already obtained Emperor Artifacts, would not dare to assault the Celestial Tomb. And yet, Emperor insisted on doing just that. How domineering was this? How invincible?

“Emperor will surely become an Immortal Emperor in this generation!” a member of the Ghost Race exclaimed in excitement.

Emperor’s domineering move instantly invigorated many members of the Ghost Race. The Ghost Race had been feeling suppressed and stifled recently, especially since the duel between Xian Fan and Emperor ended in a draw—a result many of them found unacceptable. Now, Emperor’s assault on the Celestial Tomb was more than enough to display his self-confidence. This, in turn, greatly boosted the Ghost Race’s morale, making them believe that the Immortal Emperor of this generation would surely emerge from their ranks!

Aside from the headline-grabbing actions of chosen ones like Tian Lunhui and Emperor, the every move of another immensely powerful lineage, the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom, also drew great attention.

Over the past few days, news about the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom began to circulate. A cultivator from the Wood Realm brought back a message: “The Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom’s Earth Fool Treasure Tree has entered the deepest part of the Wood Realm.”

This news immediately caught the attention of many Great Teaching Territories and Emperor Immortal Gates. In an instant, countless eyes were fixed on the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom’s every move.

“What exactly is the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom looking for this time? They don’t seem to care about any of the treasures, and they appear completely uninterested in the Divine Stone Immortal Medicines. But that makes no sense. They brought the Earth Fool Treasure Tree with them; they must have come for the treasures of the First Evil Tomb.” Even an Elder Ancestor from a Great Sect of the Human Race was analyzing the kingdom’s objective.

“It seems the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom is searching for something,” murmured a Sect Leader who had been monitoring them. “They’ve gone to the Wood Realm, and it looks like their Earth Fool Treasure Tree is going to scour the entire First Evil Tomb.”

In truth, as an Emperor Immortal Gate of the Twin Emperors, the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom had been surprisingly inactive since entering the First Evil Tomb. Logically, they shouldn’t have attracted so much attention.

However, the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom was destined to be extraordinary, especially since they brought the Earth Fool Treasure Tree this time.

There was a good reason why the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom was attracting so much notice, to the point that even all the other Emperor Immortal Gates were secretly monitoring them.

This all traced back to the Earth Fool Immortal Emperor. Rumors of a Longevity Technique had circulated from the First Evil Tomb since a very ancient era. However, throughout the eons, no one had ever seen this so-called Longevity Immortality Technique.

This remained true until the time of the Earth Fool Immortal Emperor. In truth, no one knew for certain whether he had obtained the Longevity Technique from the First Evil Tomb in his youth.

Legend claimed that the Earth Fool Immortal Emperor had very poor aptitude in his youth. Yet, he somehow managed to live through five separate eras, witnessing the rise and fall of five different Immortal Emperors. In the end, even those invincible Immortal Emperors eventually vanished, while he remained alive and well.

What made this even more suspicious was that the Earth Fool Immortal Emperor didn’t seal himself away in a Time Blood Stone like the other Old Undyings. He lived on, continuously, through one era after another. Ultimately, after five eras and the reigns of five different Immortal Emperors, he finally stepped onto the path to the Emperor’s Throne and became an invincible Immortal Emperor himself.

It was precisely because the Earth Fool Immortal Emperor had lived for five eras—and ultimately became an Immortal Emperor regardless of how he survived—that later generations always suspected he must have obtained the Longevity Immortality Technique from the First Evil Tomb in his youth.

However, the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom had always refuted such claims, insisting that no Longevity Technique existed in this world.

Despite the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom’s constant denials, they were never able to dispel the suspicions of later generations.

This time, the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom had even brought the Earth Fool Treasure Tree with them. Moreover, they showed no interest in the Divine Stone Immortal Medicines of the Five Great Realms. They were completely indifferent to these items that everyone else coveted! This led others to suspect that the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom was searching for something specific.

Because of the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom’s strange behavior, many Great Teaching Territories were watching them from the shadows.

Amidst the speculation, someone voiced a bold theory. “Perhaps the Earth Fool Immortal Emperor only obtained half of the Longevity Immortality Technique back then, with the other half remaining in the First Evil Tomb. That’s why the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom brought even the Earth Fool Treasure Tree this time. They must be searching for that other half.”

Although this conjecture sounded ridiculous, many Great Teaching Territories couldn’t help but consider the possibility. And because of this, even more eyes turned to focus on the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom.

If the other half of the Longevity Immortality Technique truly existed, it would undoubtedly trigger a world-shaking, bloody war. At that point, it was feared that even behemoths like the Ten Thousand Bones Throne and the Ten Thousand Ancient Country would join the fray.

The Longevity Immortality Technique was an irresistible temptation not just for ordinary cultivators, but even for an Immortal Emperor.

「In the Medicine Field」

It was impossible to say how much time had passed. Li Qiye finally opened his eyes slowly. With a deafening roar, his eleven Life Palaces were finally retracted.

“Congratulations, you’ve finally opened eleven Life Palaces.” Sitting beside him, Lan Yunzhu said with a smile.

Li Qiye smiled nonchalantly. “Eleven Life Palaces? That’s already in the past. Twelve Life Palaces… now that’s a minor challenge.”

Such words sounded impossibly arrogant. To an outsider, twelve Life Palaces were simply an impossible feat. Anyone who claimed they were going to open twelve would be laughed out of the room, dismissed as either unbelievably arrogant or a complete lunatic.

Lan Yunzhu, however, knew that for Li Qiye, nothing was impossible. She truly believed he could absolutely open the twelfth Life Palace.

“Eleven… that’s a miracle for the ages. Legend says that no more than three people have ever possessed eleven Life Palaces,” Lan Yunzhu said with deep emotion. “With eleven Life Palaces, all other so-called geniuses are nothing but fleeting clouds.”

“You’re wrong about that. In fact, since time immemorial, there have been at least five people with eleven Life Palaces. At least, from what I know, the most famous are Guchun Immortal Emperor and Flying Immortal Emperor!” Li Qiye said with a smile, shaking his head.

“The very first Immortal Emperor and the legendary Flying Immortal Emperor!” Hearing Li Qiye say this, Lan Yunzhu was no longer surprised.

Guchun Immortal Emperor hailed from the Charm Spirit Clan and was the very first being in all the Nine Realms to be called an Immortal Emperor. It could be said that he ushered in a new epoch during the Desolate Era and was once considered the most powerful being in existence.

As for Flying Immortal Emperor, he created a legend of his own—the Feixian Sect! Throughout the ages, the Feixian Sect has shone like a brilliant star, illuminating all of the Nine Realms!

“Alright, Uncle, you’re on a whole other level. Eleven Life Palaces are already old news to you,” Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but say with a laugh. “When you finally open the twelfth, you can enjoy being called the first person in all of history. If you succeed, you’ll be the first person ever to achieve twelve Life Palaces.”

She was genuinely happy for him at the thought of it.

“You’re mistaken. The title of ‘first in all of history’ was claimed long ago,” Li Qiye said, shaking his head with a smile. “Even if I do succeed in opening a twelfth Life Palace, I won’t be the first person to possess twelve.”

“Who could it be? That’s impossible, isn’t it? While legends do claim someone once opened a twelfth Life Palace, it’s always been just a rumor that was never confirmed. Everyone knows that opening a twelfth Life Palace guarantees one will become an Immortal Emperor! But I’ve never heard of any Immortal Emperor possessing twelve,” Lan Yunzhu said, finding his words hard to believe.

“Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor,” Li Qiye slowly uttered the name.

After hearing this name, Lan Yunzhu was left utterly speechless. If there was truly anyone in this world who could have been the first to achieve twelve Life Palaces, she really couldn’t think of anyone else besides Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor.

Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor, the first Immortal Emperor of the Human Race. His name echoed like an incantation throughout the eons, illuminating the Nine Realms.

Perhaps, throughout all of history, only he was worthy of the name “Jiao Heng.” Undefeated his entire life, he swept aside every powerful foe across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands! He was the only Immortal Emperor in all of history to remain undefeated.

It’s true that once a cultivator becomes an Immortal Emperor, it is difficult for them to be defeated; the invincibility of an Immortal Emperor is no empty boast. However, many Immortal Emperors did not have a smooth journey in their youth. None of them managed to remain undefeated during their younger years.

Throughout all of history, only Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor remained undefeated for his entire life. In his youth, no matter what powerful foe he encountered, he simply swept them aside. No one could ever halt his advance!