Chapter 1403: Nineyi Mountain

"Your father?" The Demon Emperor's heart stirred.

Fearing the other party might instantly crush him, the white skeleton named Danzhu dared not keep him in suspense any longer: "It's Emperor Yao, whom I mentioned before. Only past Great Emperors know the whereabouts of the Immortality Elixir. The one I ate was an unripe fruit that fell off the elixir tree prematurely. For various reasons, it never matured, which is why I've ended up in this neither-human-nor-ghost state."

The Demon Emperor frowned. "Since your father was a Great Emperor, why would he give you an immature Immortality Elixir? And you, too, once ascended to the throne; why wouldn't you know its whereabouts?"

As it concerned immortality, he had to be cautious to avoid being tricked.

"Didn't I say that my father was suddenly killed in his later years, without enough time to properly pass on the throne to me? Many secrets were lost then," Danzhu explained. "As for the fruit I ate, my father acquired it by chance in his early years. It was originally just a collectible with no practical use, but later, when I was overthrown and desperate, I secretly ate this item. That's how I managed to survive until now."

"So, to find your father, we just need to break the seals as you said, right?" the Demon Emperor sneered.

"How clever of you," Danzhu quickly explained, seeing the other's displeased expression. "I'm not trying to trick you. It's truly only my father who knows. If you can break the seals and help him escape, it would be a profound act of kindness, like giving him a new life."

"I've been trapped here for so many years and utterly despise Shun. My father, in his time, was a Great Emperor who dominated the world, yet in his later years, he was betrayed and schemed against by his closest confidant. His hatred will far surpass mine. If you help him exact revenge, how could he not be grateful to you?"

"Furthermore, you are also from the White Emperor lineage, which makes you his descendant. It would be entirely reasonable for him to pass the Immortality Elixir on to you."

Danzhu rattled off many reasons in quick succession, then looked at him with an eager expression.

The Demon Emperor said in a deep voice, "Where are these seals you mentioned?"

Seeing his agreement, Danzhu was overjoyed. "The seals were placed by Shun, and I'm not entirely sure of the specifics. However, over these long years, I've replayed the events countless times and formed some theories. And since you previously broke the seal on Taotie, it seems my guesses are likely correct. We can deduce the seals' locations based on the habits of these fierce beasts—Chaos, Qiongqi, and Taotie—as their seals are probably related to their respective characteristics. For instance, Chaos should be in..."

He then elaborated on his theories in detail, adding, "Take me with you. If there's anything uncertain, I'll explain it to you then."

The Demon Emperor pondered for a long time, then suddenly spoke. "There's no need for such trouble."

No sooner had he spoken than he suddenly raised his hand and plunged it into the center of the skeleton's forehead. His hand seemed insubstantial; the hard skull sustained no physical damage and offered no resistance whatsoever.

"You…" The skeleton struggled desperately.

But it was all in vain. Soon, the Demon Emperor withdrew his hand, revealing a pulsating blue light in his palm, like the ghostly will-o'-the-wisps often seen in cemeteries.

At this moment, the blue light struggled fiercely within his palm, yet no matter how hard it tried, it could not escape the confines of the Demon Emperor's hand.

The Demon Emperor sneered, "Isn't this better? I can ask whatever I want, whenever I want."

As he spoke, he clenched his hand, absorbing the blue light.

Wu Liang, watching all this, trembled like a sieve. This was the legendary soul-restraining technique.

Such a method was truly terrifying, for death was never the most frightening thing.

Because in a way, death offered release, but if one's soul were imprisoned and tormented even after death, it would be a fate worse than any description of living hell.

At this point, Crown Prince Jinwu also swallowed, daring not to speak further, and instead inspected the surroundings.

After a while, he said disappointedly, "This fellow's burial offerings are too shabby. I looked around, and it's all common stuff. A few potentially good items seem to have decayed into dust due to the passage of too much time."

Wu Liang thought to himself that it was merely beneath their notice. These two, one the Demon Emperor and the other the Crown Prince, habitually used divine artifacts, and their palace was filled with countless rare treasures, so naturally, they would look down on these burial items.

However, many items here, if taken outside, would still be enough to cause a scramble among cultivators.

"What good burial offerings could a fellow who was overthrown in a coup have?" the Demon Emperor said indifferently. "What do you make of what he just said?"

Noting the testing tone in his father's voice, Crown Prince Jinwu hesitated before saying, "Father, it's still best to be cautious. Even if we truly break Emperor Yao's seal as he said, the other party might be grateful, but when something as precious as the Immortality Elixir is involved, how could he possibly hand it over to us?"

"As for his claim that we share the same bloodline, that's nonsense. Let alone tens of thousands of years apart, even blood brothers can turn against each other for profit."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wu Liang, who was standing nearby—this fellow was arranged by his 'good' second brother to assassinate him.

The Demon Emperor nodded slightly. "Indeed, you haven't wasted my years of cultivation."

Hearing his affirmation, Crown Prince Jinwu felt reassured and continued, "Moreover, the cultivation of ancient Great Emperors is unknown. Once he's free, we might not be able to control him. If he harbors ill intentions then, we'll be in danger."

"Your concerns are not without reason," the Demon Emperor replied. "That Danzhu character clearly wasn't being entirely truthful. He's probably ill-intentioned, and I wouldn't just let him lead me on."

"Father is wise!" Crown Prince Jinwu quickly offered a torrent of flattery.

The Demon Emperor said in a deep voice, "However, if he intends to ensnare me, most of what he said should be true. So, we will go to the places he mentioned, but we must be extremely vigilant."

He knew there might be traps, but the allure of the Immortality Elixir was too great. Even if it was dangerous, he had to try.

"Yes, Father!" the Crown Prince said respectfully.

Wu Liang felt like crying, thinking, *When you immortals fight, can I really stay out of it?*

If nothing goes wrong, I'll definitely be the first to face danger. With ancient Great Emperors and the Immortality Elixir involved, even a nine-lives cat demon like me wouldn't survive such a predicament.

The Demon Emperor walked a few steps away, then suddenly stopped and said to Crown Prince Jinwu, "I understand your thoughts. If we find the Immortality Elixir, I will give you a share. So, let us be of one mind, father and son, and avoid any conflict between us."

Normally, he would never speak so bluntly, but this time, he might be facing an ancient Great Emperor. According to Danzhu, those individuals could ascend to immortality back then, so their cultivation wouldn't be lower than his.

If a great battle were to occur, the outcome would surely be close. It would be troublesome if his son turned against him at a crucial moment.

Weighing all these reasons, he decided to be so candid with his son.

Crown Prince Jinwu, however, was terrified, his face ashen. "Father, your son would never dare to have other thoughts. I will always remain loyal to you."

The Demon Emperor frowned. "This is not a test, so don't overthink it. And what I just said was not empty words; if we find the Immortality Elixir, I will indeed give you a share."

Hearing his sincere tone, Crown Prince Jinwu was instantly overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you, Father! Your son will do his utmost to assist you!"

Yet, his heart remained cold. Born into royalty, how could he easily believe such promises?

Furthermore, even if his father genuinely intended to share, it would only be on the premise that there was more than one Immortality Elixir. But what if there was only one?

Of course, he dared not voice these questions, and his expression was as sincere as could be.

The Demon Emperor nodded in satisfaction. "Then let's first go to the location of Chaos that Danzhu just mentioned."

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a few soft moans sounded, and Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue simultaneously opened their eyes.

Zu An hurriedly ran over, asking anxiously, "What's wrong with you two?"

Some people die, but they don't die completely…

He deeply inhaled the fresh air, his chest trembling.

Confusion, bewilderment—various emotions welled up in his heart.

Where is this?

Then, Shi Yu subconsciously surveyed his surroundings, becoming even more bewildered.

A single dormitory room?

Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room now.

And his body… why was there no injury at all?

With doubts, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally settling on a mirror at the head of the bed.

The mirror showed his current appearance: about seventeen or eighteen years old, and quite handsome.

His former self was a handsome young man in his twenties with an extraordinary demeanor, who had been working for some time.

But now, this appearance looked no older than a high school student.

This change left Shi Yu in a daze for a long time.

Don't tell him the surgery was successful…

His body and appearance had both changed. This was no longer a question of surgery; it was immortal magic.

He had completely transformed into another person!

Could it be… he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror at the head of the bed, placed in a spot clearly bad for feng shui, Shi Yu also found three books nearby.

Shi Yu picked them up and saw the titles, which instantly left him speechless.

"Beginner Beast Tamer's Essential Breeding Manual"

"Post-Natal Care for Spirit Beasts"

"Guide to Evaluating Different Races of Beast-Eared Girls"

Shi Yu: ???

The first two book titles were normal enough, but what was up with the last one?

"Cough."

Shi Yu's gaze sharpened, and he reached out, but his arm quickly stiffened.

Just as he was about to open the third book to see what it was, his brain was suddenly pierced with a sharp pain, and a flood of memories surged forth.

Icefield City.

Spirit Beast Breeding Base.

Intern Spirit Beast Breeder.

Beastmaster?