### Chapter 117: Desolate Heaven Emperor? That’s Our Ace!
In the Purple Origin Celestial Mansion.
Xiao Jing’s solo mission as the messenger caused quite a stir as he returned from the Nine States. Did someone actually defeat him with a single move? And to add fuel to the fire, the Eternal Emperor himself sneaked into their Purple Origin Celestial Mansion over three thousand years ago? The gossip was hard to swallow!
The ruins of the Celestial Mansion spread over hundreds of thousands of miles, and while folks sometimes stumbled in accidentally under lucky circumstances, the last recorded intruder from the Nine States was over twenty thousand years ago!
Within an ancient hall, a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious purple robe glanced at Xiao Jing and asked, “Did he really mention the Purple Origin Secret Realm?”
This wasn’t just small talk! The Eternal Emperor was a figure from the Nine States; what on earth did he want in the Purple Origin Secret Realm?
Xiao Xinghe furrowed his brow, trying to piece it all together. As one of the six mansion lords of the Celestial Mansion, he didn’t have the authority to decide to let an outsider in. Everyone had to agree!
Xiao Jing nodded earnestly, “Patriarch, I heard it with my own ears! At first, I couldn’t believe it…” He paused dramatically, adding, “When I got back, I did some digging, and the diary currently circulating in the Nine States is reportedly his! I have no idea how it got leaked!”
Xiao Xinghe narrowed his eyes. “So you’re suggesting we can understand more by following the diary?”
This was utterly ridiculous! Here was the prestigious Celestial Mansion keeping tabs on some Nine States practitioner’s diary? If news got out, they’d be the laughingstock of the other mansions!
“Patriarch!” Xiao Jing wasn’t backing down. With a serious face, he said, “I think it’s essential! We just need to set up some projection arrays in the Celestial Mansion—it’s extremely simple!”
“However,” he continued after a brief, dramatic pause, “he’s used this diary to manipulate the Nine States, sweeping up all the Celestial Court’s forces in the Mortal Realm!”
Clearly, before returning to the Purple Origin Celestial Mansion, Xiao Jing had done some solid homework. Having witnessed Lin Feng’s strength, he wasn’t taking any chances!
But Xiao Xinghe was still hesitant. As the leader of the Xiao clan, one of the six mansion lords, he couldn’t shake off the innate disdain for the incomplete practitioners of the Nine States.
The Celestial Mansion’s trip back to the Nine States was barely a concession to the relentless pressure from the Celestial Court.
Xiao Jing sighed and tried again, “Patriarch, the Eternal Emperor is far stronger than I imagined!”
“He’s been in the mansion before and knows about the Purple Origin Secret Realm. Don’t you want to know what he’s up to here?”
“Besides, if the mansion returns, this move could strengthen our ties with the Nine States, facilitating our spread of the Dao!”
At this point, Xiao Xinghe’s expression softened a fraction. “Fine! Let’s proceed as you say!”
After some reflection, he solemnly continued, “Also, let the other mansion lords know. We need to discuss who will lead the charge!”
Xiao Jing was elated; he had finally convinced his patriarch! Hearing Xiao Xinghe’s words, he eagerly suggested, “I think it would be best if the mansion lords handled this personally. It’s definitely a win!”
“Such an identity isn’t fitting,” Xiao Xinghe said, pondering. Then he announced his prime candidate: “If we could get the elusive Desolate Heaven Emperor to fight, that would surely be foolproof!”
“And hey, a showdown between the strongest of the Celestial Mansion and the strongest of the Nine States? Now that sounds enticing!”
Xiao Xinghe turned around, fuming, “Enticing? What do you take the Desolate Heaven Emperor for? That’s our trump card!”
“The biggest face-saving card! How could we just throw him into the fray!”
Xiao Xinghe’s anger flared passionately. “He doesn’t step in; the Desolate Heaven Emperor is the invincible being! Without him, we’d have been swallowed by other celestial mansions long ago!”
The various celestial mansions each occupied their own small world. Although they had never appeared in the Nine States, competition among the mansions was fierce!
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Xiao Jing wanted to say more, but Xiao Xinghe cut him off. “Enough! Go and get busy!”
“This is serious. I still need to meet with those old geezers!”
With a reluctant nod, Xiao Jing took his leave.
Over the next few days, projection arrays were set up in the Purple Origin Celestial Mansion.
The other disciples who had originally followed Xiao Jing now saw the Xiao family setting up arrays and swiftly followed suit, deploying similar setups across their territories. This made those clueless celestial practitioners chatter excitedly.
“What’s going on?”
“Why are the Xiao family, Liu family, and Shangqing Palace setting up projection arrays?”
“Apparently, they’re all preparing to watch a diary together!”
“A diary? Whose diary? Is the entire Celestial Mansion gonna be watching it?”
“I heard it’s a diary from a big shot in the Nine States, supposedly the Eternal Emperor, who has some skills…”
“Hah! What a joke! Us celestial practitioners need to watch his diary?”
Many celestial practitioners felt disdain but also found it utterly fascinating. Anything could happen in the cultivation world!
Watching one diary together? That’s a first!
And when news broke that this Eternal Emperor was set to duel the Celestial Mansion Master, it created a massive commotion.
“Let me at him! What Eternal Emperor? I’ll make him pick up his teeth off the floor!”
“Haha! A lousy emperor from the Nine States dares to call himself eternal?”
“Where do I sign up? I wanna represent the Celestial Mansion!”
Many high-ranking celestial practitioners were eager to throw their hats in the ring. To them, with the Nine States’ Dao being incomplete, even an emperor might not stand a chance.
Most still held the same thoughts as Xiao Jing and the others at the beginning.
—-
Central State.
Lin Feng had been holed up in the cave opened up by Zitong for two days until one morning, he received some news from Ye Xi.
Zitong lay beside him, enveloped in black mist. However, through the haze, one could faintly see her delicate, snowy skin.
Beneath the black mist, she was practically bare…
Zitong shyly asked, “What’s up?”
Lin Feng squinted and replied gravely, “Ye Xi has sent word. The interrogation of Jin Han is likely nearing its end.”
It had been a while since Jin Han had been captured.
Zitong’s expression shifted, “Then I’ll go with you!”
With the Three Realms approaching, the return of the Celestial Mansion relics had deeper implications.
Jin Han was a being from the Celestial Realm, and Lin Feng needed to extract more information from him so that they wouldn’t be caught off guard when fate came knocking.
This was crucial.
“Let’s go!”
Lin Feng stood up, straightened his outfit, and decided to go see Ye Xi, who was also in the Central State, so it wouldn’t take long.
His original plan had been to infiltrate the Purple Origin Celestial Mansion and sneak into the Secret Realm, but now that the mansion was returning, he could afford to slow down a bit.
But then Zitong stopped him, saying, “Wait a second…”
With a blush, she hurriedly pulled out a black long skirt and put it on.
A moment later, the two left the cave, transformed into a flash of light, and disappeared into the sky.
