Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"We're here."

They hadn't walked too far.

The two of them arrived in a vast, empty palace hall.

Yang Xiao looked around and saw no one else.

"Wait here a moment. You'll be able to see the Emperor's Weapon Spirit shortly."

The Light and Shadow Guardian gave a faint smile.

He chuckled inwardly. 'This little guy is in for a big surprise in a moment!'

With a hint of smugness, he gave Yang Xiao an instruction and then strode toward the throne up ahead.

Yang Xiao couldn't help but focus his attention and watch.

'Could it be that the Emperor's Weapon Spirit will appear on the throne?'

While Yang Xiao was still pondering this, he watched as the Light and Shadow Guardian unexpectedly sat right down on the throne. In an instant, its form changed.

What was once a blurry, indistinct figure of light grew solid and clear.

It finally transformed into a bald man.

He bore a seventy percent resemblance to Profound Sun.

"Haha, little guy, you didn't expect that, did you? I'm actually the Emperor's Weapon Spirit."

The fellow burst out laughing.

As for Yang Xiao,

he was momentarily stunned.

He turned his head away.

He didn't want the spirit to see the look in his eyes.

He was afraid his sharp, 'I'm looking at an idiot' gaze would hurt the fellow's fragile heart.

Internally, however, he was roasting him. 'As expected of an Emperor's Weapon refined by Junior Brother Xuan Yang. The Artifact Spirit is just like him, possessing a strong idiotic streak!'

"Haha, little guy, are you embarrassed? Feeling a little sheepish that everything you did was witnessed by this Emperor Spirit? It's fine, this Emperor Spirit doesn't mind. However, there's one regrettable thing. Even if you passed the trial of the ninth floor, this Emperor Spirit won't acknowledge you as master, because the Great Emperor is not yet dead!"

At first, hearing the Emperor's Weapon Spirit's words, Yang Xiao genuinely wanted to cover his face and stop listening.

But at the very end,

he actually said the Great Emperor wasn't dead?

Yang Xiao immediately cast all other thoughts aside and asked urgently, "You're saying that Profound Sun—uh, the Profound Sun Emperor is still in the mortal realm?"

"That's right. Although I don't know where the Great Emperor is, I can sense that his True Spirit has not been extinguished. In fact, he has already entered Reincarnation and been reborn as a human."

The Emperor's Weapon Spirit's expression was a mixture of melancholy and excitement.

And Yang Xiao was the same.

'But on second thought, if I was able to reincarnate after suffering such a great calamity, then what about Profound Sun? Perhaps one day, I really can see him again.'

'I just don't know where he is now.'

"So now you understand, right? The Great Emperor still lives, so this Profound Sun Emperor Tower naturally cannot be given to you. However, you're the only person in all these years who has caught this Emperor Spirit's eye. If you agree to one condition, this Emperor Spirit can follow you for the time being. How about it?"

"What condition?"

Yang Xiao couldn't help but ask.

The Emperor's Weapon Spirit smiled. "It's actually very simple: take me to find the Great Emperor's reincarnation. How about it? Extremely simple, right?"

"Fine, I agree."

Yang Xiao didn't hesitate in the slightest over this condition. He also wanted to find Profound Sun's reincarnation, so naturally, he wouldn't refuse.

But seeing him agree so readily, the Emperor's Weapon Spirit grew suspicious.

"You... you're not just pretending to agree now so you can back out later, are you?"

Seeing the spirit's suspicious look, Yang Xiao rolled his eyes again. However, knowing full well that this fellow was just as much of a goofball as Junior Brother Xuan Yang, Yang Xiao patiently replied.

"With an intellect as high as yours, how could I possibly deceive you?"

Hearing this, the Emperor's Weapon Spirit chuckled smugly. "True. How could you possibly deceive someone as clever as me? Besides, this Emperor Spirit only agreed to follow you. If you don't put your heart into finding the Great Emperor's reincarnation, then this Emperor Spirit has no reason to help you, right?"

'How did this guy suddenly get so smart?'

Yang Xiao glanced at him.

In any case, he had never planned on deceiving the spirit, so he nodded.

He said, "However, if you want me to find the Profound Sun Emperor's reincarnation, you should tell me everything about him. For example, where did he fall in his past life, and how? That would at least give me a direction. Otherwise, searching aimlessly will make it very difficult to find him."

After saying this, Yang Xiao grew a little tense.

Because this was his true purpose for entering the Profound Sun Great Emperor Tower.

However, just when Yang Xiao thought he could finally learn some secrets about his past life's death from this fellow, he saw the Emperor's Weapon Spirit awkwardly rub its large, bald head.

It said sheepishly, "Well, um, actually, I'm not too clear on that either."

"You're not clear? How is that possible?"

Yang Xiao was getting anxious.

'I went through so much trouble to get here and meet the Emperor's Weapon Spirit. How can it just brush me off with a simple 'I'm not too clear'?'

"Well, this Emperor Spirit truly doesn't know. Ever since the Great Emperor fell, my memories seem to have become fragmented, as if a piece was cut away. So now, I can only sense that the Great Emperor is still alive. As long as I get within ten thousand li of him, I can find him. But as for the matter of his fall, I've truly forgotten."

The Emperor's Weapon Spirit seemed embarrassed as it explained this to Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao's heart sank.

'It seems those bastards are even more powerful than I imagined. I can't even find a single clue from the Emperor's Weapon Spirit. No wonder that brat Celestial Poison only left me the Ten Thousand Poison Source Pearl and didn't mention a single other thing!'

The more this was the case,

the more fiercely the flames of rage burned in Yang Xiao's heart.

He knew that the deeper he got into this mystery, the more dangerous it felt. But so what if the ones who had schemed against him were powerful?

What's more, they schemed against his disciples, his junior brother, and even his master!

How could Yang Xiao possibly let them go?

'The stronger and more formidable they are, the more determined I am to drag them out into the light. I refuse to believe that the accumulation of three lifetimes is inferior to some petty villains who only know how to plot and scheme in the shadows!'

"Uh, you're not going back on your word, are you?"

Seeing Yang Xiao's expression flicker and darken, the Emperor's Weapon Spirit felt a little insecure and couldn't help but ask quietly.

Yang Xiao shook his head.

"I won't go back on my promise to you. But for now, send me out. I want to think things over and have some quiet."

"You got it."

The Emperor's Weapon Spirit replied cheerfully and pointed a hand.

A beam of light descended upon Yang Xiao, and in an instant, his entire being was outside the Great Emperor Tower.

He returned to the area he had seen before. This place, which looked identical to his old residence in the Nine Yang Celestial Palace, filled Yang Xiao's heart with a sense of nostalgia.

This, combined with his disappointment at getting no clues from the Emperor's Weapon Spirit, made him feel somewhat lost. As if guided by an unseen force, Yang Xiao suddenly walked toward what appeared to be his residence from his first life, the Celestial Fire Hall.

A few moments later, he stood before the Celestial Fire Hall.

A restriction appeared,

blocking his way.

At the same time, as if sensing Yang Xiao's movements, the voice of the Emperor's Weapon Spirit rang out in his mind: "The restriction on the Celestial Fire Hall was left by the Great Emperor himself. Only a unique living being who possesses the Heaven and Earth Origin Fire can enter. Otherwise, not even the Great Emperor himself could get in. Trying to break it by force will only cause the Celestial Fire Hall to self-destruct, so you'd better not—"

But before it could finish,

Yang Xiao took a step forward. As he touched the restriction, a green light flashed from his body, and the barrier that had been blocking him instantly vanished.

Yang Xiao walked right in.

"What the hell? What's going on? How did he get in?"

The Emperor's Weapon Spirit was flabbergasted.

But it didn't know that Yang Xiao, who had just entered the Celestial Fire Hall,

was also staring in utter astonishment.

His eyes were glued to an object before him.

He was utterly shocked. 'How could this thing be here? Could it be... it really is related to my death in my past life? In that case, Chang Xi... did she really...'

Yang Xiao's expression instantly became incredibly grim.