Eternal Life as False Emperor

"Tianxingzi? Fellow Daoist?"

The woman seemed to recall something, her gaze suddenly becoming quite strange.

A mix of disbelief, hesitation, and excitement.

Then her figure flickered, astonishingly stepping on the water's surface, swiftly heading towards the leaf-shaped boat, prompting many on the boat to exclaim 'Immortal'!

Before long, she landed on the leaf-shaped boat, standing upright at the bow.

On the small boat, there were only two people, one old and one young.

The elder appeared to be about sixty years old, with white hair but youthful features, bright eyes, though his body was slightly hunched.

Behind him followed a little girl, looking twelve or thirteen years old, with two small round bun hairstyles, appearing very cute.

At this moment, she was hiding behind the elder, cautiously observing the woman.

The woman cupped her hands and said, "Junior Xuan Jizi, greets Senior Tianxingzi!"

"Xuan Jizi?"

Tianxingzi smiled and said, "It seems old man and Xuan Jizi indeed have a fate, even our Daoist titles bear some resemblance."

"Senior Liao Zan, this Daoist title is merely inherited from my master."

"That is also fate, the name 'Tianxingzi' is likewise inherited from my master."

Xuan Jizi cautiously asked, "May I know why Senior Tianxingzi appears here?"

"Junior has heard many fellow Daoists mention that Senior Tianxingzi is skilled in divination, knowledgeable of Yin and Yang, especially adept in calculating destiny and observing astrology."

"In the current Cultivation Realm, it is even circulated that three thousand years ago, Senior Tianxingzi once calculated that Spiritual Qi revival would occur in ten thousand years, why now..."

"Hehehe..."

Tianxingzi laughed softly and said, "This time, old man is not emerging into the world, but invited by an old friend to head to the Capital City, to assist the Great Yu."

"Encountering Fellow Daoist Xuan Jizi here, old man thought you were also invited by that old friend?"

Xuan Jizi's tone was strange, "Assist the Great Yu? Senior Tianxingzi, you are a senior cultivator, why aid a mortal dynasty?"

Tianxingzi shook his head, "Old man also finds it peculiar."

"Years ago, receiving that old friend's invitation, old man did not heed it."

"However, one day while in seclusion, suddenly inspired, old man personally divined to calculate my destiny's direction, unexpectedly pointing to the Great Yu Imperial Court!"

"Afterward, observing the celestial phenomena upon Great Snow Mountain, indeed obtained the sign of 'Five Stars Gathering Kui, Mars Bearing Heaven'!"

"Five Stars Gathering Kui, Mars Bearing Heaven?"

Xuan Jizi asked curiously, "What does this mean?"

"Hehehe..."

Tianxingzi smiled faintly, "This signifies... a sign of great prosperity across the land!"

"The current Emperor Zhengyong, is a once in a millennium wise ruler, also the first monarch of all history!"

"Great prosperity across the land?"

Xuan Jizi's gaze grew strange, recalling the Emperor Zhengyong seen years past.

Lean figure, eyes fierce and gloomy, with a rather extreme conduct.

This type of person as Emperor could still become a wise ruler of an era?

But... what does this have to do with us?

"Senior... What relation does the prospering mortal dynasty have with us?"

Xuan Jizi asked curiously, "The more mortals there are, the thinner the Spiritual Qi becomes; what we cultivators should do is seek hidden places in the world where Spiritual Qi remains, to retreat and diligently cultivate, aiming to break through realms, achieving longevity."

"Pardon my verbosity, why do you instead act counter to this?"

"Moreover, as junior knows, the current Emperor of Great Yu Zhengyong is more foolish and ignorant, arrogant and indulgent, disrespectful to ancestors, leading to chaos across the land..."

Tianxingzi shook his head, "Old man is guided by the hexagrams."

"Worldly matters, what do they have to do with old man?"

"Most importantly, old man once used sect secret techniques to divine, seeking to further deduce the timing of Spiritual Qi revival."

"Yet the answer obtained... was the Capital City!"

"Capital City?"

Xuan Jizi's tone grew even more peculiar, "What about the Capital City?"

"Could it be that Spiritual Qi revival begins from the Capital City."

"Hehehe..."

Tianxingzi smiled faintly, sitting cross-legged and calmly said, "We'll know upon arriving, it only takes three months from here to the Capital City."

"In this time, old man can still wait."

Xuan Jizi, his mind stirred, cupped his hands saying, "If so, then junior shall take his leave."

"Go ahead~"

Xuan Jizi departed, Tianxingzi's gaze suddenly became somewhat peculiar.

"Strange, why does this woman's face seem somewhat familiar?"

"Grandpa~"

Suddenly the little girl tugged on Tianxingzi's sleeve, softly speaking, "That elder sister looks very fierce, Xi'er does not like her."

Tianxingzi patted her small head and smiled, "That elder sister, though bearing evil qi, isn't a person who kills indiscriminately."

"Xuan Jizi, Xuan Jizi... It seems she's someone from the Profound Celestial Dao of thousands of years ago, having some incense money relation with our Dao."

"Sadly, transmitted to now, who knows how many still remain... hmm?"

Tianxingzi suddenly paused, took a good look at Xi'er, then recalled Xuan Jizi's face reading earlier, carefully calculating with hand gestures, his gaze growing increasingly peculiar.

"Strange indeed, why does Xuan Jizi's face reading resemble Xi'er so much?"

"Both have the Red Luan star moving, life charts destined for empress!"

"Grandpa?"

"It's nothing~"

Tianxingzi chuckled, "Xi'er need not worry, your life chart is heaven-ordained, possessing a spirit root yet destined to be an Empress, fate decrees as after the Great Yu."

"Old man shall go take a look, what indeed has happened to this Great Yu to cause celestial phenomena!"

Baiyu City.

In the underground palace, within the quiet chamber.

Zheng Yi sat cross-legged, before him laid an art scroll of jade and glazed color, precisely the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting seized from Elder Fayuan!

Since killing Fayuan, two years have passed, Fayuan's Divine Thought within the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting has finally been completely consumed.

This means that the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting is now a masterless magical artifact, completely available for Zheng Yi to refine.

Taking a deep breath, his hands continuously formed seals, magical power inside him surged, transforming into runes flashing steadily upon the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

A stream of magical power unique to Zheng Yi surged into the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

What is called ritual refining, in Zheng Yi's view, is actually assimilation.

It involves immersing one's magical power aura in the form of runes into different objects, slowly permeating them, and assimilating the most basic particles of the object with one's magical power.

Ultimately, this allows items like magical artifacts to be manipulated as easily as one's own limbs, and their maximum power can be unleashed.

To completely refine a magical artifact, in addition to assimilating it, one must also break through its restrictions.

When refining magical artifacts, cultivators set various restrictions within them to enhance their power.

The number of restrictions represents the grade of the artifact.

After all, the number of restrictions a normal refining material can withstand is limited.

The better the quality of the refining materials, the higher the number of restrictions they can withstand.

Under normal circumstances, an artifact with ten restrictions is a lower-grade magical artifact.

Artifacts with fewer than thirty restrictions are middle-grade magical artifacts.

Artifacts with fewer than fifty restrictions are top-grade magical artifacts.

As for those with more than fifty restrictions, they are top-grade magical artifacts!

The Seven Killings Soul-annihilating Needle in Cui Xiabing's hand, the Netherworld Soul Summoning Banner in Chen Liancang's hand, and the Purple Sun Treasure Armor in Yue Chan's hand all have forty or more restrictions, making them excellent top-grade magical artifacts!

No one knows how many restrictions my Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting might have?

Only after breaking through all restrictions can one completely control the magical artifact as easily as using a limb.

If not completely broken through, there will always be some degree of delay when using it.

My magical power gradually infiltrated the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting, and I also sensed the power of restriction within it.

"One, two, three... Hmm? Fifty restrictions?"

"Top-grade magical artifact!"

"No, there are more..."

Upon careful sensing, the number of restrictions in the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting became more elusive, shrouded by thick mist after reaching a hundred, making it impossible to ascertain the exact number of restrictions.

Zheng Yi's tone grew stranger: "A hundred restrictions?"

"The top of the top-grade magical artifacts!"

"Is there even more beyond this?"

"Could it be a magical treasure?"

"No... If it were a magical treasure, with my current strength, I wouldn't be able to refine it."

"Never mind! Let's refine it first."

"No matter what, this is at least a top-grade magical artifact, which serves as a backup for me now."

Thinking of this, I began to concentrate and start the ritual refining.

Three days later.

The first restriction of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting was finally broken through, my magical power fully poured into the restriction, constantly sensing.

The first restriction marked the initial stage of ritual refining, the preliminary mastery of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

Additionally, some functionalities of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting emerged in my mind.

"I see, this Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting not only serves as protection but also has functions of illusion, trapping people, and even storage."

"The Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting is essentially akin to a Sumeru Mini World!"

"Sadly, only after breaking through the fiftieth restriction can one perceive the Sumeru Mini World."

"The first restriction can barely be used for self-protection."

"Tsk..."

Thinking of this, Zheng Yi gasped coldly.

"Being able to refine a Sumeru Mini World into a magical artifact, what kind of grade is this Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting?"

"Could it be... truly a magical treasure?"

Thinking of now, Zheng Yi's mood grew more excited, and he continued refining.

Magical power continued grinding, and there was no time even for rest, continuously finding ways to break through the second layer of restrictions on the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

Ten days later.

The second restriction within the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting finally loosened, and Zheng Yi rejoiced greatly, continuing to strive hard.

Another ten days later, he finally broke through the second restriction.

Magical power surged, dominating all areas within the second restriction, beginning to count the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

After breaking through the second restriction, its protective function grew stronger.

Keep working hard!

After successively breaking through two restrictions of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting, Zheng Yi seemed to have gained experience, taking only one month to successfully break through the third restriction.

One day, Zheng Yi had a sudden thought.

Spirit insects can be blood-sacrificed to increase the speed and power of refining.

Then... what about magical artifacts?

Thinking of this, he didn't hesitate to spit out a mouthful of essence blood.

The essence blood instantly transformed into a cloud of blood mist, enveloping the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

In Zheng Yi's hopeful gaze, this blood mist slowly permeated into the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting and was absorbed by it.

It can be done indeed!

Zheng Yi rejoiced greatly and spat out another mouthful of fresh blood.

With the assistance of essence blood, the speed of ritual refining of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting was even faster!

The fourth restriction took only ten days to break through.

Then, Zheng Yi increased the speed of consuming essence blood.

Spitting ten drops, twenty drops, and even thirty drops a day.

And the refining speed of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting accelerated rapidly.

Fifth, sixth, seventh...

Until more than three months later, Zheng Yi spat out a hundred streams of essence blood in one go, penetrating the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

The thick blood mist enveloped it, with the remaining magical power in his body also being crazily used, completely surging into the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

The tenth layer of restriction, breakthrough!

And Zheng Yi also mastered the second function of the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

Illusion!