The Legendary Son-in-law of the Emperor Chapter 1702 - 1699: Reunion with the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor

Ye Xuan ultimately opted against drinking with the Great Emperor of Nine Universes, choosing instead to head toward the secluded courtyard at the edge of North Street.

He recalled that this specific dwelling once served as the home for Zhang Qingfeng, the acting Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Upon reaching the entrance, the entire layout of the residence was immediately visible to him.

It was a modest space, mirroring the simple homes found in the rural provinces of the mortal realm.

For ninety thousand years, ever since he first stepped foot into the Empty Ancient City, Zhang Qingfeng had made this place his home.

Following Ye Xuan’s later visit and the subsequent departure of Zhang Qingfeng, the former master had returned to the halls of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Nevertheless, the residence remained unoccupied.

Even the Mysterious Battle Saber Emperor, for all his overwhelming might, never possessed the standing to reside here.

By all rights, the withered remnants of the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor should have lacked the qualifications to occupy such a site.

Yet, for reasons known only to him, he remained stationed there.

Ye Xuan observed a figure stooped over in the garden tending to crops and felt a twinge of bewilderment.

Had this individual truly undergone such a transformation, trading his pride for the humble task of farming?

Ye Xuan pushed past the gate and entered the plot.

Sensing his presence, the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor paused his work and moved forward to greet him.

His body still bore the gruesome, jagged scars from the single blade strike Ye Xuan had delivered long ago, the blow that had cleaved him in two.

Those marks served as a constant reminder of unending suffering and misery.

Despite this, the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor stood composed, fixing his gaze upon Ye Xuan as he remarked, "So, you have come."

Ye Xuan swept his eyes across the property, finding no sign of the two remaining Emperor Generals, and inquired, "Where are your kin?"

With a somber look, the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor retreated to a nearby stool and produced a chessboard, setting it out between them. "Shall we test our skills?"

Ye Xuan did not decline and took his seat across from his old foe.

They began to place their stones in a measured silence.

Within moments, the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor found himself stripped of his pieces, suffering a crushing defeat.

He exhaled a long breath, leaving the board untouched, and tilted his head to look at Ye Xuan.

The expression on the face of his lifelong nemesis, a man he had hated with every fiber of his being, was now deeply complicated.

"They have departed. Before they vanished, they secured this sanctuary for me."

The Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor dropped his usual imperial tone, referring to himself simply as "I" rather than his royal titles.

"They cast their loyalty toward the wrong person," Ye Xuan stated with brutal honesty.

The two Emperor Generals under the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor’s command had displayed undying devotion, remaining at his side even beyond their demise.

Ultimately, however, they had been dragged into such a wretched existence.

At these words, the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor offered a wry smile. "Though we are bitter enemies, and you are capable of anything, I must dispute your judgment. They were my Emperor Generals, yes, but they were my brothers first."

"What is the meaning of brotherhood? It is standing shoulder to shoulder until the final breath, never backing away from peril."

"I am fortunate to have called them my brothers."

Ye Xuan offered no response, choosing to remain silent on the matter.

The journey of the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor had certainly been one of immense splendor.

That glory naturally extended to his brothers, who shared in his triumph.

However, the fatal error of the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor had been choosing Ye Xuan as his challenge.

That single choice ensured they would never complete their path to imperial greatness nor cement their names in the annals of history.

"It appears your spirit has found peace," Ye Xuan said with a faint smile.

The Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor sighed heavily, looking at Ye Xuan. "What use is there in clinging to the past? Being confined by you for those three days allowed me to see the truth of many things."

"Speak what is on your mind," Ye Xuan encouraged gently.

The Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor spoke in a leisurely manner: "I have lived my existence failing to claim vengeance against you. The cycle began with me, and it shall conclude with me."

"Furthermore, my life effectively drew to a close the moment I stepped into this Empty Ancient City."

"Death is final, and there is no longer cause to harbor animosity toward you. It only leads to further torture for myself and those I cared for."

"They are gone now, and in that, they found liberation. I shall bear the weight of the remaining agony on my own."

The Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor abandoned his resentment, treating Ye Xuan more as an old confidant as he poured out long-buried memories.

Ye Xuan listened patiently as the fallen Emperor recounted his history.

It harkened back to a distant, grand Ancient Era, where the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor rose from his youth in a Longevity Family, charging forward to claim a legacy of glory and dominance upon the Emperor Road.

Yet, when the time came to struggle for the Tian Ming, he was brought to the brink of ruin, forced to resort to base, underhanded tactics to seize the Emperor title.

Because of this, his claim to the throne lacked the luster of the true greats.

Driven by his own insecurities, he targeted Ye Xuan after ascending, hoping to bolster his Great Emperor status by overshadowing Ye Xuan’s reputation.

Their descent, predictably, was catastrophic.

His entire Longevity Family fell into decline along with him.

"There is one thing I cannot reconcile: how have you survived for so long?"

The Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor finally posed his question. "By my reckoning, the lifespan of a Great Emperor is tethered to the Tian Ming. When the Tian Ming wanes, the Emperor’s time is up. You never bore the Tian Ming, so by what right do you still exist?"

"Is it merely the mechanism of reincarnation?"

The Emperor pondered further, "Even if one reincarnates, there are limits. Ancient texts suggest that even the most powerful Great Emperors who reached their ninth cycle began to lose themselves, becoming hollow shells by the tenth interaction."

This is why reincarnators are often viewed with such disdain.

They are judged for their inability to transcend the natural cycle.

Even a Great Emperor who moves through the Underworld’s Six Paths of Reincarnation might keep his memories, but he is fundamentally weighed down, suppressed by the forces of the universe.

In many ways, reborn figures take different paths, discovering new horrors, but they are no longer who they once were.

Records agree that active reincarnators diminish in stature with each passing life, never reaching the peaks of their former selves.

Most choose this path out of a desperate fear of annihilation.

Yet, it remains a finite game; nine lives are the limit, a tenth is an impossibility.

The Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor knew Ye Xuan existed long before the Ancient Times, yet three vast epochs had unfolded since then—far exceeding ten lifespans. How could he possibly still draw breath?

Ye Xuan stared steadily at the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor, voice cool and calm. "You lack the perspective to understand what the Undying Night Emperor signifies."

"However, I might grant you the opportunity to witness a true legend."

"Do not rush toward your own end, as the Empty Ancient City will ensure you persist; the shifting currents of the future will offer you a different path to exist."

"In time, I will reveal the true nature of the Undying Night Emperor to you."

A brief flash of light entered the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor’s eyes, only to grow dim once more. "I fear my strength will have withered to the level of a common mortal by then."

Unlike the Great Emperor of Nine Universes, the status of the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor had been on a constant decline, exacerbated by the wounds inflicted by Ye Xuan’s blade long ago.

Ye Xuan simply snapped his fingers.

BOOM.

In the following heartbeat, the darkness emanating from the Heavenly Termination Ancient Emperor’s scars began to flow toward Ye Xuan.

That was...

Immortal Profound Power.