Chapter 1454: One and the Same

"Where is Nan Chao?" Unfortunately, Shun's figure had already vanished before they could press him further.

The group was momentarily speechless. Just then, Yan Xuehen's voice called out, "Quick, come look! There seems to be a map here."

It turned out she had already entered the ancient tomb to investigate, and Zu An and the others quickly followed her inside.

They had initially expected the tomb to be grand, given his past status as an emperor, but upon entering, they found it was merely an ordinary burial chamber.

There were indeed many artifacts inside, but unfortunately, they had long since decayed under the influence of time.

Yan Xuehen was at the central sarcophagus. There were no remains inside, as if Shun had never existed.

Zu An even began to wonder if the man had truly died.

Yan Xuehen was staring at a diagram on the sarcophagus lid. Compared to the other ancient items in the tomb, this simple drawing looked remarkably new, as if it had only recently been made.

There were some characters on the drawing that the three women didn't recognize.

Zu An recognized them as ancient names and read them aloud. Some he had heard before, others he hadn't, but he assumed they were all place names from this world.

One place, in particular, was circled, and it was labeled "Nan Chao."

Upon hearing "Nan Chao," Yan Xuehen speculated, "This map was likely drawn by Shun not long ago. He probably left this clue in advance because of the great changes in the world, worried that he wouldn't be able to wait until we returned to find him. It seems it has indeed proved useful."

Hearing that there was hope for Zu An's puppet curse mark to be lifted, Yu Yanluo also breathed a sigh of relief. A slight smile appeared on her beautiful face as she said, "It seems this Shun is quite a good person after all."

"What good person?" Yun Jianyue scoffed. "This guy didn't deliver on any of his promises. What about the elixir of immortality? He didn't say a word about it. And for Little Anzi's puppet curse mark, we have to make another trip, and we don't even know if it can be resolved."

The others' hearts sank; this possibility was indeed significant.

Zu An, however, remained optimistic. "Haha, at least it's better than having no clues at all. Besides, we've already gathered quite a bit of information about the elixir of immortality. But since the Heavenly Emperor severed the Path of Heaven and Man, it's likely that elixir is not meant for us, so there's no need to worry too much about it."

"That's true," Yun Jianyue agreed. Seeing that he wasn't disheartened, she breathed a sigh of relief.

The group then set off, following the map in the direction of Nan Chao.

Along the way, the women discussed the Path of Heaven and Man. Yun Jianyue remarked, "At first, I thought the Path of Heaven and Man was a tangible road, but from what we saw at Spirit Mountain and on our journey here, it doesn't seem to be the case."

"It feels like it suddenly became two separate worlds..." Yan Xuehen echoed, sharing her sentiment, and she and Yun Jianyue began discussing various possibilities.

Yu Yanluo continuously smiled and nodded slightly. At first, she could understand, but as the other two delved into deeper topics, she could only feign comprehension.

She understood nothing at all, yet she was greatly impressed.

Zu An then discussed the concept of outer and inner worlds from his past life's movies and games with the women. As expected, their beautiful eyes sparkled with wonder, finding his description more fitting and increasing their admiration for him.

Although this guy was a bit lustful and usually carefree, he possessed unexpectedly profound insights...

Meanwhile, Zu An secretly sighed, realizing why emperors in his past life had claimed to be Sons of Heaven. Back then, he thought it was feudal superstition, merely to imbue monarchical power with a fated deterrence over the common people. Now, it seemed they weren't lying at all.

Whether it was Yao of the White Emperor's lineage or Shun and Yu of the Black Emperor's lineage, they were indeed the Heavenly Emperor's bloodline left on earth.

The emperors of the Xia, Shang, Zhou, and even Qin dynasties could, more or less, trace their lineage back to these bloodlines. Therefore, being called "Sons of Heaven" was entirely accurate.

Later emperors naturally adopted this title as well.

And so, the group followed the map, searching all the way, until they arrived at Nan Chao.

It was a vast mountain range with many lakes, a place of beautiful scenery and clear waters.

The group wandered around the area for most of the day but found nothing.

"What exactly did Shun mean? Are we supposed to find some rare treasure here in Nan Chao? Or is there a person or fierce beast that can remove this puppet curse mark?" Yun Jianyue was exasperated.

Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo also looked puzzled, clearly having no clue either.

Zu An, however, had a sudden thought. He finally remembered where he had heard that name before.

He then summoned Mo Xi. Didn't she have a skill called "Farewell at Nan Chao"?

With her honey-colored skin and strapless leather skirt, she exuded a wild beauty.

Her flat stomach and firm, long legs amazed the three women beside her, even though they were exceptional beauties themselves.

Yan Xuehen's heart indeed pounded. Why had he suddenly summoned Mo Xi?

She had seen this woman, who was like a summoned creature, when they were trying to resolve the "Love Stronger Than Gold" curse.

Yun Jianyue was not surprised, having already seen Daji before.

She thought, "This guy is truly a lecher; even his summoned creatures are stunning beauties. Oh, I truly feel for that silly apprentice and the future pressure she'll face."

Yu Yanluo, being closer to Zu An, was naturally less surprised, only curious why he had suddenly summoned her.

Zu An offered no explanation but stared intently at Mo Xi.

Mo Xi's eyes were initially a little dazed, but after she clearly saw her surroundings, she subconsciously tilted her head, her expression somewhat puzzled, as if recalling something.

Then, without communicating with Zu An, she walked independently towards a certain direction in the mountains.

"Follow her!" Zu An motioned to the three women, and they quietly followed behind.

Mo Xi's initial walking speed was slow, but her steps gradually quickened, as she leaped and weaved through the mountain forest like a beautiful female leopard.

Fortunately, Zu An and the others had recovered much of their strength along the way, so they weren't left behind.

As the group wound their way through the mountains, the path suddenly opened up to a valley filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers.

The group was secretly amazed; the primordial energy here was almost comparable to how it felt before the Path of Heaven and Man was severed.

At that moment, a strange sound emanated from ahead. It was somewhat piercing, yet not unpleasantly sharp, and even contained a faint sense of rhythm.

Yu Yanluo and Yan Xuehen clearly shared the same confusion, their expressions troubled.

"That's the sound of silk being torn," Zu An said, looking in Mo Xi's direction, wondering if his guess was correct.

Soon, Mo Xi led them into the valley, where a high platform appeared. Strips of colorful silk hung everywhere, making it seem like a dye workshop.

In the very center, a stunningly beautiful figure shimmered into view. With their cultivation levels, the group quickly discerned what she was doing.

She was tearing pieces of silk beside her, holding them to her ear, listening to the ripping sound, and a look of pleasure appeared on her face.

The ground was already covered with a large pile of torn fabric scraps. Yan, Yun, and Yu's three women wondered if this woman was mad, tearing up silk for fun here.

Could anyone with a normal mind do such a thing?

Suddenly, a chill ran down their spines, making their bodies stiffen, because they had now clearly seen the woman's appearance.

She looked exactly like Zu An's Mo Xi!

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

He gasped for fresh air, his chest heaving.

Confusion, bewilderment, and various other emotions flooded his mind.

Where was this?

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

A single dormitory room?

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

And his body... why wasn't there a single injury?

Filled with doubt, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally settling on a mirror on the bedside table.

The mirror reflected his current appearance: he looked about seventeen or eighteen years old and was quite handsome.

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

But now, this appearance looked like nothing more than a high school student's age...

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

Don't tell him the surgery was a success...

Both his body and appearance had changed; this wasn't a matter of surgery at all, but rather divine art.

He had completely transformed into someone else!

Could it be... that he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror on the bedside table, which was clearly placed in a bad feng shui spot, Shi Yu also found three books nearby.

Shi Yu picked them up, and their titles instantly silenced him.

"A Beginner Breeder's Essential Beast-Rearing Manual"

"Postpartum Care for Pet Beasts"

"A Guide to Appreciating Beast-Eared Girls of Different Races"

Shi Yu: ???

The first two book titles seemed normal, but what was going on 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, a sharp pain shot through his brain, and a flood of memories surged forth.

Icefield City.

Pet Beast Breeding Base.

Intern Pet Beast Breeder.

Beast Tamer?