Chapter 599: Empress

Chapter 599 -298: Empress

Chu Xuan naturally did not know that Ji Mingyu was engaging in palace intrigue at home. Currently only at the sixth realm, it took him longer than expected to reach Nuwa Palace in the Southern Territory.

Throughout this journey, he witnessed many upheavals caused by natural disasters, strengthening his resolve to end this catastrophe.

Upon arriving at the [True Heaven of Zhu Mingyao], a girl with a sparkling dragon horn on her head, dressed in colorful garments, cheerfully came to greet him.

“Brother Chu, did you come specifically to see me?”

Um, Chu Xuan felt a bit awkward and had to hug Chu Xiang’er first, “That was part of the purpose.”

Come to think of it, he was surprised that Chen Yunqi, the Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect, did not go to join the commotion at the Dao Palace. Although they agreed on mutual benefit through dual cultivation, she seemed somewhat attached to him…

Well, she was also someone who keeps her promises and did not insist on a formal title.

“How did you know I was coming?” Chu Xuan took Xiang’er’s little hand and flew with her towards Nuwa Palace.

“Lord Demon Saint mentioned it, and she’s already waiting for you at the worship hall.” Xiang’er said while affectionately clinging to Chu Xuan’s arm, intentionally or unintentionally pressing against her chest.

“Worship hall?” Chu Xuan was somewhat puzzled, unable to jest about how Xiang’er was becoming increasingly sly.

Nuwa Palace has four levels, and Yunyan generally meets him in the highest Heaven-Mending Hall.

The bottom-level worship hall, as the name suggests, is a temple dedicated to Lady Nuwa. Only first-time visitors need to pay their respects to show reverence, but he has lost count of how many times he’s been here.

Holding doubts, Chu Xuan and Xiang’er arrived at the worship hall.

Yunyan stood before the statue of Nuwa with hands clasped, eyes closed, and head slightly lowered, appearing very devout.

She still wore a long red dress and her long, black hair was tied elegantly, a phoenix hairpin inserted slantingly, her back view alone exuded grace and nobility.

“Xiang’er, you may leave now~” Yunyan’s gentle voice echoed from inside the hall.

Although Chu Xiang’er felt somewhat reluctant to leave, she nodded and whispered to Chu Xuan, “Brother Chu, don’t leave too quickly.”

Chu Xuan patted her small head and agreed.

Then he walked into the worship hall alone, and once inside, the hall doors closed by themselves.

…

For some reason, Chu Xuan felt the atmosphere was subtly different today.

Yunyan maintained her prayer posture in front of the statue, and her presence felt… somewhat different from before?

“Yunyan?” Chu Xuan tentatively called out to her.

The demon saint finally opened her eyes, released her hands, and turned around.

Yet her gaze made Chu Xuan feel unfamiliar; the most noticeable change was the absence of the pervasive pride of the little phoenix, replaced by a calm gentleness.

From her, he felt a remarkable maternal essence, even… divinity.

This made Chu Xuan increasingly tense, “What, what’s wrong with you?”

Yunyan shook her head, gazing at him with a soft, tender look, “What brings you to see me?”

Chu Xuan hesitated for a moment and decided to truthfully state his purpose, “You once mentioned that you might be able to help Jiang Yiyi in the future, saying it was a directive granted by Nuwa from the unseen. Has that time arrived?”

Yunyan shook her head, “It’s already passed.”

Chu Xuan asked in surprise, “What does ‘passed’ mean?”

“That boy surnamed Jiang, in his urgency to save, disrupted the plan from above. Originally, Yunyan could have assisted Jiang Yiyi, but not the living her, rather her sacrificed self.”

“Your conjecture is correct; this was a test set by the Celestial Emperor for the celestial beings. If there indeed existed such a kind-hearted and selfless person, after sacrifice, their soul would be preserved within the celestial decree.”

“Once the objective is achieved in the future, this person would rebuild the immortal form and go even further, possibly receiving immense merit because of their deed to save the world.”

Chu Xuan thought to himself, indeed.

“But now, since the Candle Dragon involuntarily sacrificed itself, it won’t be utterly erased. However, because it wasn’t willing, the future benefits won’t be as substantial.”

Listening to Yunyan elucidating, Chu Xuan felt somewhat conflicted. Jiang Wang’s actions inadvertently interrupted Jiang Yiyi’s path to advancement, and furthermore, brought upon himself accusations.

However, eager to save a life, if Chu Xuan were in his place, he surely couldn’t have stood idly by as Jiang Yiyi faced death.

“Had Jiang Yiyi willingly sacrificed herself according to the plan, Yunyan would have gone to fetch her?” As Chu Xuan spoke, he vaguely sensed something, thus avoided referring to Yunyan as ‘you.’

Yunyan nodded, “With the affinity of the five-colored stone, Yunyan would collect her soul, and then I would mold her a new immortal body.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Xuan grew even more reverent towards the person before him.

He contemplated for a moment and asked, “Since Jiang Yiyi has already been saved, we can only say she didn’t have that fortune. Now, I’m more interested in knowing, what exactly is Heaven planning for salvation?”

Yunyan spoke softly, “In recent years, the Heavenly Court has been busy with a grand task, so occupied that it has little energy to focus on the mortal realm and the underworld.”

“Simply put, they’re searching for a new world.”

Chu Xuan was surprised, “Are they planning to abandon our current world, moving every living creature to that new one?”

But isn’t this, in essence, similar to the backup plan of ‘re-establishing earth, water, fire, and wind’ and reopening a new realm? Or is it that creating a temporary realm is ultimately inferior to an available one?