Chapter 1523: The Emperor's Sword

All powers within the royal court were alarmed. The elders in the ancestral land's secret realm opened their eyes, asking, "Another divine artifact has appeared?" Their eyes radiated a fervent glow. What did a divine artifact mean? Even the Demon Imperial Family back then only possessed one divine artifact, the Sun-Shooting Bow. The number of divine artifacts in the entire world was truly scarce; each possessed immense power, capable of even altering the balance among various forces.

The Grand Elder's heart stirred, and he was about to go investigate, but the Second Elder beside him stopped him, saying, "Forget it. How many more times can your remaining lifespan endure such commotion? No matter how powerful a divine artifact is, it can't prolong our lives." The Grand Elder realized he was right. They relied on dormant states in special places like the ancestral land to slow the decay of their lifespan. Each time they ventured out, it consumed a significant amount of it. They had just gone out yesterday. If they went out again today... Alas, they were old. Their bodies couldn't handle such frequent exertion.

"The Second Elder is right. I'll send someone from outside to investigate the situation first," the Grand Elder said. In their secluded meditation places, there were always servants waiting outside for instructions. After the exact situation was clear, they would decide whether or not to make a move to seize the artifact, which would also save some lifespan.

"Don't call me Second Elder!"

"Alright, Second Elder."

The Elf King, who was looking in a mirror in his royal residence, suddenly changed his expression. He looked up in the direction of the sword qi, then vanished from his spot, reappearing moments later near the imperial palace. Also appearing were Peacock Ming King and Little Golden Peng King. Other powerhouses like Hu Qianxiao also rushed there upon hearing the news, but they were all stopped by imperial palace masters. Only the three kings, due to their special status, were allowed to enter.

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, Zu'an retrieved the Tai'a Sword. When it had just broken through to the Immortal rank, the sword gleamed with cold light, appearing impossibly sharp. Now that it had broken through to the Divine rank, its cold gleam had completely receded, returning to its initial ancient and substantial feel. A mystical divine light swirled around the sword, faintly revealing the phantom of a dragon. It also exuded a vast pressure; though merely a sword, it felt as heavy as mountains and rivers.

Mi Li's excited voice rang out: "I never thought I would see Tai'a in its full glory again one day." Zu'an turned his head and nearly got a nosebleed. Mi Li, in her excitement, had stepped out from behind the screen. Her attire was extremely revealing, and her delicate, smooth, snow-white skin was dazzling. She resembled the youthful girls of his previous life who wore tank tops and hot pants in summer. Coupled with her mature temperament, one could faintly perceive the majesty of mountains and the splendor of rivers in her. In truth, Zu'an had often seen bikinis in his previous life, so such attire could hardly be called revealing. But it depended on the comparison. Normally, Mi Li wore strictly formal, fully-covering attire, so this sudden exposure had a strong visual impact.

Mi Li raised her phoenix eyes, stretched out a hand, and drew a nearby piece of clothing to wrap around herself. "Have you seen enough?"

"No!" Zu'an's eyes were somewhat fervent. He didn't know why, but his vital energy was surging violently, and all sorts of chaotic thoughts were rushing into his mind, including that of master-disciple relationships like Yang Guo and Little Dragon Girl, and another phrase that came to mind: "defiling one's master and ancestors."

Mi Li sensed his gaze, which felt almost substantial, and her skin reacted. Her face immediately showed a hint of discomfort. "You've been continuously using the White Lotus True Fire for a long time, staying in front of the furnace to forge the divine weapon. This has made your vital energy much more active than usual. Quickly compose yourself."

Zu'an's heart jolted. He had previously absorbed Mr. Bat's cultivation, which already made his internal energy surge violently. After a night of "deep cultivation" with the Little Demon Queen, he had finally managed to barely suppress it. However, just now, while forging the divine artifact, he expended countless efforts, causing the suppressed energy to become chaotic again. Moreover, with the divine sword just emerging and being impacted by its power, he felt a surge of violent urges, an overwhelming desire to vent them.

To distract him, Mi Li's gaze shifted to the Tai'a Sword in his hand. "Do you know what capabilities Tai'a possesses now that it has returned to its peak?"

"Can its 'Path of Might' domain directly affect Earth Immortals now?" Zu'an's eyes lit up. He mused that since the suppression domain was so effective at the Heaven rank, it might not be impossible to deal with Earth Immortals at the Divine rank.

Mi Li shook her head. "While the 'Path of Might' domain's power has indeed doubled and has no usage limit, Earth Immortals all possess their own domains, and none of them lack exceptional willpower. Trying to defeat them purely through pressure is fundamentally unlikely to succeed." Seeing Zu'an frown, she continued, "You needn't be disappointed, because the 'Path of Might' domain is merely a secondary function of the Tai'a Sword."

"Oh, then what's its most powerful function?" Zu'an was somewhat excited. If the 'Path of Might' domain was already so formidable, what else could it do?

"It makes your sword strikes more powerful," Mi Li replied.

Zu'an looked puzzled. Couldn't any weapon of decent quality achieve that effect? Seeing his expression, Mi Li knew he had misunderstood and explained, "The Tai'a Sword is the Sword of the Son of Heaven. It wields the power of the land and rivers. The higher your status, the closer you are to an emperor, the more you can draw upon the grand momentum of the world's mountains and rivers for your own use, and the greater the power of this sword strike will be. Currently, as the Demon Regent, you are second only to one and above ten thousand in the demon race. Coupled with your noble title in the human race, you can just about unleash Tai'a's power. Of course, if you were an emperor, the power unleashed would be even greater."

"Wielding the land as a sword?" Zu'an looked at the long sword in his hand, not without some astonishment. How immense would the power of such a sword strike be?

"I'm going to try out my new home," Mi Li said. She was unaccustomed to appearing before him so disheveled, especially with his rippling muscles having a strong impact on her. "You've almost gathered all the materials I need to reshape my physical body. I also need to go into a deep slumber now to recuperate and prepare for that day." Without waiting for Zu'an to try and stop her, she transformed into a streak of light and entered the Tai'a Sword. The sword hummed and vibrated, clearly cheering for her entry.

Zu'an looked puzzled. "Haven't I only collected two types of materials? She hasn't even told me about the third, yet she seems so certain I'll find it." Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly sensed a surge of vital energy outside. Zu'an grabbed the Tai'a Sword and shot into the sky. At the same time, three figures appeared nearby: none other than the Grand Elf King, Peacock Ming King, and Little Golden Peng King.

"What wind brings all three of you here today?" Zu'an eyed them coldly, clearly sensing their ill intent.

Peacock Ming King and Little Golden Peng King simultaneously fixed their gazes on the sword in his hand. The Grand Elf King, however, focused on Zu'an's bare upper body, frowning. "His face is rather plain, but those muscles... they really don't fit the standard of a handsome man."

"From what realm is this divine artifact?" Little Golden Peng King asked, his gaze no longer as calm as before, filled with longing.

"This sword is called Tai'a, my companion for many years. Why, Little Golden Peng King, do you wish to try it?" Zu'an said blandly.

Although the Grand Elf King disliked Zu'an's heavily muscled physique, he still shifted a bit closer to him, making it clear that in a fight, he would side with his advantageous son-in-law.

Little Golden Peng King's heart tightened. "The Regent jests. We merely came out of curiosity, with no intention of seizing it." Of course, if they had found the divine artifact in the hands of a weakling, they wouldn't have hesitated to kill for it. But Zu'an was truly unfathomable; his achievements from last night alone made him seem immeasurably deep. Now, with an additional divine weapon, who would dare act recklessly? "Could it be that he held back last night?" This thought simultaneously arose in the minds of the three kings. Looking at the half-naked man before them, they suddenly felt his presence grow even more imposing.

Peacock Ming King also smiled. "With that kind of sword qi just now, I thought something had gone wrong at the imperial palace. Since it's in the Regent's hands, then naturally there's no issue." He secretly pondered. He had heard Kong Qing mention that Nan Wu seemed to have some connection with him. Now that she couldn't become the Crown Princess, perhaps he should try a different approach?

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they all took their leave, promising to help him deal with the aftermath and send away all the various people who had rushed there upon hearing the news. Zu'an's expression was odd. He only felt his vital energy surging intensely and really wanted to unleash a sword strike to test the power of the Divine-ranked Tai'a. Unfortunately, these guys gave him no opportunity whatsoever.

***

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace of the human capital, the Human Emperor Zhao Hao, who was in seclusion, suddenly opened his eyes and looked north, muttering to himself, "Another divine artifact has appeared?" That was within the demon territory. The demon race gaining another divine artifact was truly not a blessing for his dynasty. Thinking of this, his mood instantly soured. He directly called out beyond the door, "Little Wenzi, why haven't Sang Hong and Zu'an's delegation returned yet?"

Eunuch Wen's respectful voice came from outside the door: "It seems Lord Sang and his delegation have been delayed by some matters."

Zhao Hao let out a cold snort. "First demon spies, then fierce beasts rampant, then mountain bandits rioting somewhere... All sorts of delays. Do they take me for a fool? Send word to him: he has ten days to return to the capital, or he need never return!"

He took deep breaths of 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 dorm room? Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room now. And his body... why was there no injury whatsoever?

Filled with doubt, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally resting on a mirror by the bed. The mirror showed his current appearance: around seventeen or eighteen years old, and quite handsome. But the problem was, this wasn't him! His former self was a handsome young man in his twenties with an extraordinary demeanor, who had been working for some time. Now, this appearance looked like that of a high school student...

This change left Shi Yu in a daze for a long time. Please don't tell him the surgery was successful... His body and face had both changed; this wasn't a matter of surgery at all, but rather immortal arts. He had completely transformed into another person! Could it be... that he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror by the bed, which was clearly placed in a spot with bad feng shui, Shi Yu also discovered three books nearby. Shi Yu picked them up and saw the titles, which immediately left him speechless:

* Essential Beast-Rearing Handbook for Novice Breeders* Postnatal Care for Companion Beasts* Guide to Evaluating Beast-Eared Girls of Different Races

Shi Yu: ???

The titles of the first two books were relatively normal, 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, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his brain, and a flood of memories surged forth: Icefield City. Companion Beast Breeding Base. Intern Companion Beast Breeder. Beast Tamer?