The Legendary Son-in-law of the Emperor Chapter 1700 - 1697: Return to Dao Chu Ancient Land

Following the conclusion of their business, Ye Xuan instructed Qiao Xinyu and his followers to return to their respective domains.

As for Ning Fu and Ye Ling’er, they remained by Ye Xuan’s side as a matter of course.

Because Ye Xuan felt uneasy bringing Ning Fu along, he considered sending his sister Ye Ling’er back to Floating Mountain or perhaps the East Desolate, providing her with the liberty to wander as she pleased.

Ye Ling’er had grown weary of the monotony at Floating Mountain long ago. Now, finding a companion of similar age in Ning Fu, the two girls engaged in spirited, girlish conversation.

Though Ning Fu had rarely socialized with peers, the influence of Ye Ling’er brought her out of her shell, and the young pair quickly became fast friends.

Seizing the moment, Ye Xuan ventured alone toward the Dao Chu Ancient Land.

The convergence of the Mystic Yellow Nine Cauldrons had stabilized the Xuanhuang Nine Prohibitions, reversing the strange anomalies that had plagued them.

Even if no obvious correlation existed, the timing of these occurrences was far too synchronized to be ignored.

Disturbed by these unfolding riddles, Ye Xuan sought to uncover the underlying truth.

With the threat posed by the Evil God Sect largely brought into the light, his current priority was to decode the mystery behind the instability of the Xuanhuang Nine Prohibitions.

A thick, oppressive white mist still hung heavy outside the boundaries of the Dao Chu Ancient Land.

Any common Cultivator unfortunate enough to brush against the shroud would instantly crumble into fine dust.

Possessing an extraordinary level of power, Ye Xuan felt no trepidation toward the fog and marched boldly into the Dao Chu Ancient Land.

He arrived at the familiar territory of the Heavenly Bone Forbidden Land.

Employing his previous tactics, Ye Xuan utilized Divine Skills to manifest a White Bone Dharma Form, which allowed him to traverse the treacherous cliffs before eventually touching down near the Broken Bone Cliff.

Broken Bone Cliff is where the body dissolves and the soul is consigned to the Lantern Sea.

Those who dare to plunge from the cliff are promised the total annihilation of their physical vessel, their essence drifting into the abyss of the Lantern Sea.

It was here that Alian, the beloved of the Ming Jing Great Emperor, met her demise many eons ago.

The Ming Jing Great Emperor himself, after ascending to his throne, braved this site in a vain attempt to rescue his beloved. Failing that, he ultimately passed away here, leaving his Emperor Corpse for Ye Xuan to inherit—a final act of fulfilling his duty.

Returning to this site, Ye Xuan found the Emperor’s Shadow of the Ming Jing Great Emperor absent; his essence had long since fused with Alian’s soul to seek reincarnation.

Perhaps fate would allow their souls to reunite in future lifetimes.

Deep beneath the Heavenly Bone Forbidden Land, a dark, ominous power thrummed, sensing Ye Xuan’s presence and threatening to boil over.

Yet, as if dictated by destiny, a boat drifted from the depths of the Lantern Sea exactly as Ye Xuan reached the cliff’s edge.

Stepping onto the vessel, Ye Xuan set out across the water.

All around him, lanterns swayed in an endless, rhythmic dance.

Each flicker of light served as a monument to a lost soul.

In days long past, half of those who dared to enter the Dao Chu Ancient Land would end up forever trapped in this sea.

Standing at the prow, his hands clasped behind him, Ye Xuan gazed toward the ancient city looming at the far end of the Lantern Sea.

The Empty Ancient City.

It stood as the third formidable obstacle within the Dao Chu Ancient Land.

Within its crumbling walls dwelled many ancient entities, both those who had long perished and those who still clung to a shadow of life.

Before long, Ye Xuan arrived at the gates of the Empty Ancient City.

Following the recent great upheaval, the city felt unusually stifling and lacking its former activity.

Ye Xuan did not pause; he made his way directly toward the Old Immortal Store located in the city’s eastern quarter.

The storefront remained firmly shut, forcing him to approach through the rear entrance.

The back courtyard was a place where a perpetual, ghostly drizzle fell from the heavens.

Xuanyue Old Immortal, cloaked in gray robes, rocked slowly in his chair, puffing on a tobacco pipe as he stared into the distance, deep in contemplation.

Ye Xuan’s entrance failed to rouse the old man, who remained locked within his own thoughts.

After dragging a long bench over, Ye Xuan sat directly across from him and tossed a bag filled with Ancient Void Coin onto the old man’s lap.

Startled, Xuanyue Old Immortal looked up, his brow softening. "You have finally arrived."

Watching him with concern, Ye Xuan asked, "What could possibly weigh so heavily on your mind?"

Weighing the bag of Ancient Void Coin in his hand, the old man replied, "A matter of great consequence."

Ye Xuan spoke with steady composure: "The shifts within the Xuanhuang Nine Prohibitions?"

A soft sigh escaped the old man. "The roots of this go much deeper than you realize; even my calculations fall short." Ye Xuan held out his hand.

Rolling his eyes, Xuanyue Old Immortal tucked the coins away with practiced ease and murmured, "Though invisible to precise calculation, a few breadcrumbs can still be traced." Ye Xuan lowered his hand, remarking coldly: "It appears this has nothing to do with the Northern Yao God Warrior." Xuanyue Old Immortal paused, then barked out a laugh. "I’ll offer you this piece of information for free: the Northern Yao God Warrior hasn’t set foot in the Dao Chu Ancient Land for quite some time." Ye Xuan furrowed his brows, narrowing his gaze at the old immortal.

The man snorted, "Do not glare at me! This is no doing of mine—she departed for the Heavenly Abyss Graveyard, hunting for you." Ye Xuan arched an eyebrow: "Even with her memories restored, she knows I am absent from that place. Why search for me there?" "I cannot say for certain," the old man replied slowly. "Perhaps, even with her mind cleared, she still harbors a fixation on you, intending to settle the score once your strength is fully reclaimed." Ye Xuan lowered his voice, asking: "Who currently stands as the guardian of the Dao Chu Ancient Land?" Xuanyue Old Immortal chuckled, "A place so legendary as this—the heart of the Xuanhuang Nine Prohibitions—do you truly believe it cannot hold its own without her?" Ye Xuan met his gaze with a faint, enigmatic smile.

After two deliberate coughs, the old man shifted his tone, his demeanor turning grave: "What news from the world outside?" Ye Xuan updated him on the Nine Tripods Conference and the encroaching shadow of the Evil God Sect.

The old man shook his head, his voice dismissive: "The Mystic Yellow Nine Cauldrons share no direct bond with the Xuanhuang Nine Prohibitions. Such a connection is impossible. The master of the Space-time Eyes behind the Evil God Sect is merely a scavenger, hoping to profit from the chaos engulfing the All Heavens and Myriads of Worlds." "As for the volatility of the Xuanhuang Nine Prohibitions, it is, strictly speaking, nothing more than a coincidental ripple." The old man squinted, flickering between deep thought and hidden knowledge, before asking, "Have you encountered the Desolate Realm Sovereign?" Ye Xuan nodded once. "We crossed paths during the last opening of the Desolate Realm, though our meeting was far from formal." "Keep your distance from her in the future," the old man cautioned, his voice heavy with warning.

Considering the weight of those words, Ye Xuan frowned: "Is she from the Dou Tian Divine Domain?"

The old man was visibly taken aback, searching Ye Xuan’s face with suspicion: "Your intelligence is sharper than I anticipated." He had not imagined Ye Xuan would be privy to the existence of the Dou Tian Divine Realm.

"Not directly of the Dou Tian Divine Domain," the old man admitted, "but she remains tethered to a figure you are well acquainted with." "Youwei?" Ye Xuan’s brow pulled tight.

The old man shook his head once more.

Ye Xuan fell into total silence, for suddenly, everything became clear.

It was the Emperor Burial Lord.

The revelation sent a cold tremor through his heart.

The intelligence provided by Xuanyue Old Immortal was both rare and perfectly authentic, especially given the generous payment of Ancient Coin.

The truth was undeniable.

The Desolate Realm Sovereign and the Emperor Burial Lord were allied? "Was it the Emperor Burial Lord who prompted the Sovereign to gift me the Evergreen Treasure Tree that day?"

He remembered well that the Sovereign had claimed a 'mysterious acquaintance' instructed her to hand over the sacred tree to him.

He had harbored suspicions of the Emperor Burial Lord from the very start.

Yet, because that 'acquaintance' never showed their face, he had lacked proof of the connection.

Most importantly, Ye Xuan felt entirely certain that the Evergreen Treasure Tree he had received bore no hidden malice.