Chapter 1225: Qinghong Meets Xu Ke

"This... this..." Sun Lu Yuan stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

Fortunately, Li Ping didn't make things difficult for him.

Waving his hand, Li Ping sent a golden light into Sun Lu Yuan's body and said calmly, "From now on, you probably won't be able to return to the Myriad Immortal Alliance. Just stay in our Sacred Dynasty for now."

"After some time, I will arrange for you to return to the Myriad Immortal Alliance with a different identity."

Sun Lu Yuan looked up at Li Ping, somewhat bewildered.

At this moment, Li Ping then showed him the apocalyptic scene of Mo Sha's destruction in Luoyan Prefecture.

As endless dread surged in Sun Lu Yuan's heart once again, he immediately understood the purpose of the golden light he had just received.

It had, surprisingly, erased the mark the Myriad Immortal Alliance had left in his body.

"Tianyin involves too many secrets," Li Ping explained. "If we didn't completely erase an entire prefecture, it would inevitably lead to others tracing clues and investigating."

"Then our Sun family..." Sun Lu Yuan's expression changed dramatically as he suddenly thought of something.

"That will depend on your luck," Li Ping said. "If Tianyin tells the Myriad Immortal Alliance what happened to her, then the Sun family will certainly be implicated. They would completely vanish from the world; no one would be spared."

Li Ping's words turned Sun Lu Yuan's face ghastly pale.

But then he changed the subject: "However, you don't need to worry excessively. Tianyin is formless and intangible; if she doesn't wish to reveal herself, the Myriad Immortal Alliance probably won't be able to find her. Tianyin and the Myriad Immortal Alliance are not on the same side."

"Moreover, the attack I launched before leaving, though it didn't eliminate her, severely wounded her. Tianyin's state was already quite unstable to begin with. Even if she reappears and regains consciousness, she might not remember us."

Although Li Ping said this, it ultimately couldn't put Sun Lu Yuan at ease.

The hidden meaning in Li Ping's words was clear: there was another terrifying entity behind Tianyin, one that even the unfathomable Sacred Emperor of Daqi had to be wary of.

"Damn Xu Yuanxian," he thought, "saying it was just a simple errand. I actually believed your nonsense..."

The thought of being inexplicably drawn into such a matter, not only having all his original plans disrupted but also his entire family implicated, ignited a surge of nameless anger in Sun Lu Yuan's heart.

"This old scoundrel," he cursed inwardly, "is truly worthless, just like the other high-ranking members of the Myriad Immortal Alliance!"

Thinking of the various crises his family would face after his disappearance, Sun Lu Yuan's heart became tangled in knots once more.

And just then, Li Ping spoke again.

"Actually, there's a way for you to return without arousing suspicion," Li Ping said. "As long as you inform the Myriad Immortal Alliance of our existence, you likely won't be punished; in fact, you might even earn a great merit."

Li Ping's voice echoed in the Sacred Emperor's throne chamber.

Sun Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly pledged his loyalty: "How could this humble one betray the Sacred Emperor?"

To his surprise, Li Ping smiled: "I think you've misunderstood my meaning."

"Return to the Myriad Immortal Alliance," Li Ping commanded, "and tell Xu Yuanxian everything about Luoyan Prefecture and our Sacred Dynasty, in full detail. This is an order."

"Huh?" Sun Lu Yuan was instantly dumbfounded. He didn't understand why the Sacred Emperor would suddenly make such an abrupt decision, completely contrary to what he had said before.

"Could it be that he's prepared to go to war with the Myriad Immortal Alliance?" Sun Lu Yuan couldn't help but wonder.

"After you see Xu Yuanxian, say this..." Li Ping slowly transmitted a message to him.

And Sun Lu Yuan's expression gradually became quite remarkable.

Before long, Sun Lu Yuan quietly returned to the Xuanyuan Prime Realm under the escort of Daoist Baihua.

He quickly arrived at the Myriad Immortal Alliance headquarters.

At this moment, inside the Immortal Alliance headquarters, things were somewhat chaotic due to the destruction of Luoyan Prefecture.

But now, no one would have thought that this matter was related to Sun Lu Yuan, a Dao Fusion Guardian.

Thus, Sun Lu Yuan smoothly arrived at the Guardian Hall headquarters and met Xu Yuanxian again.

"You're back? How did the matter I entrusted to you go?" Xu Yuanxian asked, without even opening his eyes.

"Elder Xu, something big has happened."

Sun Lu Yuan seemed utterly terrified, looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.

Xu Yuanxian abruptly opened his eyes.

With a wave of his hand, after setting up numerous restrictions, he then said in a deep voice: "Don't panic, speak slowly and carefully."

Sun Lu Yuan took a deep breath: "I did indeed follow your instructions, Elder, and met Senior Qingfeng at Qingfeng Hall on Myriad Immortal Island."

"The treant named A-Liu has gone completely mad," Sun Lu Yuan continued, "and Senior Qingfeng was willing to leave with me. However, she didn't want to come to the Myriad Immortal Alliance headquarters, choosing instead to go to Luoyan Prefecture..."

Hearing these three words from Sun Lu Yuan, and recalling the recent catastrophe in Luoyan Prefecture, Xu Yuanxian's expression also subtly changed.

"What exactly happened in Luoyan Prefecture?!" he asked in a cold voice, abandoning his usual composure.

"Just as I was about to bring Senior Qingfeng to her destination," Sun Lu Yuan explained, still feeling a trace of lingering fear, "she suddenly became dazed. She mumbled something about 'indeed, few in this world are truly good to me'... Then I felt my body drift, as if I was about to completely vanish from this world."

Xu Yuanxian apparently knew of Qingfeng's habit, and showed no surprise.

"Just as I felt I was about to die," Sun Lu Yuan continued, "a golden figure suddenly descended. And then..."

"He started fighting with Senior Qingfeng."

Sun Lu Yuan projected the image of Li Ping's previous struggle with Qingfeng.

"The power of heaven and earth, be upon me."

The majestic figure in the image softly commanded.

Xu Yuanxian stared intently at the image, his expression gradually turning solemn.

It wasn't until the appearance of that silver needle that he completely lost his composure.

The image abruptly cut off.

"That other senior then took me away," Sun Lu Yuan said, feigning extreme panic. "Only after I returned did I learn that Luoyan Prefecture had been destroyed, and Senior Qingfeng was nowhere to be found..."

"Elder Xu, what in the world is going on?!" he asked in return. "What is Senior Qingfeng's true identity?"

Xu Yuanxian did not answer.

After frowning in thought for a moment, he finally spoke: "The cultivator who saved you, do you know his name?"

Sun Lu Yuan nodded: "He called himself the Sacred Emperor of Destiny. But he didn't converse much with me and quickly sent me back."

"Oh, and Elder Xu," Sun Lu Yuan added, "the small world where that Sacred Emperor of Destiny was located seemed a bit strange..."

Xu Yuanxian, however, didn't pay attention to the latter half of Sun Lu Yuan's sentence. Instead, he murmured to himself: "Sacred Emperor of Destiny."

Sun Lu Yuan didn't interrupt, merely patiently waiting for the other's reaction.

"Don't ask too many questions about this matter," Xu Yuanxian suddenly said. "Just pretend it never happened."

Sun Lu Yuan was stunned.

It wasn't faked.

"Elder Xu..."

Xu Yuanxian raised a hand to interrupt Sun Lu Yuan: "It was my oversight. After so many years, I didn't expect things to have reached such an irreconcilable state."

"I will find an opportunity to compensate you separately," Xu Yuanxian continued. "But this matter must be kept secret." His cold gaze fixed on Sun Lu Yuan.

Sun Lu Yuan shivered and immediately swore to comply.

"You may go back for now," Xu Yuanxian said. "If there are any issues, I will contact you again."

"Remember what I said."

Before he left, Xu Yuanxian did not forget to remind him again.

He hadn't expected that something he thought would be extremely perilous would actually be resolved so smoothly.

While Sun Lu Yuan felt a sense of relief, his heart was filled with a sense of unreality.

"However, that old fellow's reaction," he thought, "was basically within the Sacred Emperor's predictions."

"Irreconcilable state? What exactly does that mean?"

Sun Lu Yuan was completely puzzled.

However, this turn of events not only saved his life but also earned him a favor from Xu Yuanxian. It could be called a pleasant surprise.

Sun Lu Yuan shook his head slightly, temporarily suppressing the gloom in his heart.

"Since I'm at the headquarters anyway," he thought, "I might as well go see Lu'er."

Sun Lu Yuan had a change of thought, and soon after, he arrived in the Derivation Jade Space.

Sun Ang seemed quite surprised and delighted by his arrival. He kept asking questions about this and that.

Sun Lu Yuan explained everything in great detail.

"Lu'er, you've really suffered."

"As long as the family is safe, that's all that matters."

Sun Ang's single sentence made a sudden sense of guilt well up in Sun Lu Yuan's heart.

Feeling too awkward to stay longer, he quickly departed.

Sun Ang, who was actually Li Fan, watched Sun Lu Yuan leave with an unreadable expression.

The conversation between Sun Lu Yuan and Xu Yuanxian naturally fell into his ears, word for word.

The Sacred Emperor's sudden change of mind was also influenced by him.

"Indeed," Li Fan thought, "there are people in the Myriad Immortal Alliance who know the true situation of the Xuanhuang Realm."

"The Xuanhuang Realm is being dismembered, transformed, and merged."

"Xu Yuanxian is one," Li Fan mused, "and Jiang, the Law-Giver, probably is too. However, as subordinates of the Law-Giver, they are undoubtedly on his side."

"They might have already anticipated the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's intervention. However, this is beyond their ability to handle, so they choose to remain bystanders..."

"After all, not everyone has the courage to stand up against the Law-Giver. Even the several Immortal Venerables of the Five Elders Council let it happen."

Li Fan snorted inwardly.

"However," Li Fan thought, "I believe there will still be individuals in the Xuanhuang Realm whose passion is not easily cooled."

Shang Shaojun's figure flashed before Li Fan's eyes.

"What's missing now is an opportunity to unite them."

"Sacred Emperor of Destiny..."

"Now, surprisingly, he's subtly becoming worthy of the title."

The Xuanhuang Realm, this time, surprisingly took the initiative to release Mo Sha to help the Sacred Emperor's clone conceal its tracks. This was something Li Fan had not anticipated.

"While this is certainly related to the clone helping and feeding back to the Heavenly Dao through the Sea of Gloom," Li Fan pondered, "it's more because the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao has been isolated and helpless for too long. Now that such a Sacred Emperor has suddenly appeared, it's as if it has grasped onto its last lifeline."

"With various coincidences accumulating, the evolution of this clone has truly become quite interesting."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, his thoughts rapidly churning.

Although the clone was still under his absolute control, during the period when Li Ping wrestled with Tianyin, with the blessings of golden source energy and the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, the clone's strength had subtly surpassed Li Fan's current capabilities.

This caused a slight deviation in the clone's path forward.

It was like driving a car on a road: Li Fan could still firmly control all the car's functions, but the road itself had changed due to the car's own condition.

"However, for me, it might not be a bad thing."

"The more assistance it receives from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, the more it can force out all the secrets of the Myriad Immortal Alliance, and even the Law-Giver."

"And that Xuanhuang Malevolence," he added. "It's also time to investigate its true nature."

This thought simultaneously flashed through the minds of Li Fan's true body and the Sacred Emperor's clone.

Before long, Sun Erlang and Wang Xuanba arrived in the Sacred Emperor's throne chamber together.

"What is the current situation of the Beast World?" Li Ping first asked Sun Erlang.

"Reporting, Master," Sun Erlang replied. "After personally witnessing the might of our Sacred Dynasty, especially after seeing Xuanba's even more advanced beast technology, the Empress has agreed to surrender unconditionally."

"Currently, their combat power is slowly being integrated," Sun Erlang said in a deep voice. "Although the armies there consist of mere mortals, with three to five years of transformation, they can become a force for our Sacred Dynasty. Moreover, the numerous exotic beasts have, to some extent, alleviated the Sacred Dynasty's resource shortage."

"Indeed," Wang Xuanba praised, "our flesh and blood factories are expected to more than quintuple their efficiency within three years. Furthermore, the Empress truly has unique insights into beast development technology. She's even more skilled than I am!"

After hearing their reports, Li Ping nodded slightly.

He then informed the two of them about the location of the small world where the Xuanhuang Malevolence, also known as Xu Ke, resided.

"You two," Li Ping instructed, "go to this place with Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong. See if you can persuade Xu Ke to return."

"Be respectful in your attitude."

Sun Erlang and Wang Xuanba exchanged glances.

They had previously undertaken errand missions, but this was the first time the Sacred Emperor had been so solemn.

The two brothers dared not delay. They immediately bid farewell to the Sacred Emperor and hurried to the Imperial Small World.

There, they found the Saint Masters, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong.

"What? Xu Ke?"

"Are you sure you didn't mishear?"

Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong froze on the spot after hearing their words.

Then Xiao Qing, losing her composure, directly gripped Sun Erlang tightly, continuously pressing him for confirmation.

"Master said so, so it surely can't be wrong," Sun Erlang replied. "Seniors, will you accompany us on this trip?"

Although Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong had a hundred doubts in their hearts, they couldn't resist thousands of years of longing.

They immediately agreed.

The four set off together and arrived at the entrance of that small world.

"This is..."

"The aura of the Beast Taming Sect's formation," Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong said excitedly.

Their auras became somewhat chaotic. The person they wished to see was right ahead, yet at this moment, they suddenly lacked the courage to take that step.

It was only at Sun Erlang's urging that they entered the small world.

In the lonely world, only a white-haired old man sat alone on the mountaintop.

"Xu Ke!"

Xiao Qing's trembling voice rang out.

The old man's body stiffened slightly, and then he slowly raised his head.

Two figures, one green and one red, were rapidly flying towards him.

Long-sealed memories instantly flooded his mind.

Scenes from thousands of years ago reappeared before Xu Ke's eyes.

However, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong still looked as they did back then.

As for him, Xu Ke, he was already old and frail.

The three stood face to face.

They had a thousand words to say, but didn't know where to begin.

"Sun Erlang."

"Wang Xuanba."

"Greetings, Senior."

However, two voices unceremoniously interrupted the reunion of the three.