Chapter 851: The Gate to Immortality

"Xiquanqiu?" Zu'an was startled. How could he not be familiar with that name? In the secret realm, the Qin Emperor's lingering soul had told him to go to Xiquanqiu as soon as possible, but he had searched through all information channels for clues and found none. Now, by a stroke of luck, he had unexpectedly arrived here.

He immediately realized something and looked at Mi Li anxiously: "No wonder you've been so distracted lately. Is it because you're revisiting an old place?"

A hint of remembrance appeared in Mi Li's eyes: "Seeing familiar things always inadvertently brings back some unpleasant memories."

Zu'an recalled that she had been sealed by the Qin Emperor, and there must have been a fierce conflict between them. On one hand, seeing these familiar places would evoke nostalgic memories of the past, but thinking of the Qin Emperor would likely trigger other negative emotions.

"Have you been here before? Does that mean I can just strut around now?" Zu'an chuckled.

Mi Li rolled her eyes: "You wish. This place was painstakingly managed by successive Qin Kings. Generally, only the Qin King could enter or exit it – not even the empress or crown prince. I only had a slight, indirect understanding of it from my former status as empress and from reading many books. My knowledge is limited; figuring out the path to the island was pure luck. We might not be so fortunate moving forward."

Despite her words, her mood lightened. They had been together for so long; how could she not see that Zu'an was deliberately using that tone to cheer her up? While touched, she also found him rather mischievous – not just his enemies, but sometimes even she wanted to punch him.

"Having you as a guide is certainly better than me fumbling around alone," Zu'an smiled. He then led Bi Linglong forward. Suddenly, an unusual fragrance wafted toward them, and they followed the scent.

Rounding a massive rock, the scene opened up dramatically. A shimmering lake appeared before them, its surface like a captivating sapphire, arguably the most beautiful blue they had ever seen.

All around the lake, vibrant flowers bloomed, and many fruit trees stood, mostly peach trees. Each peach tree was laden with heavy, ripe peaches, white with a blush of red, several times larger than ordinary honey peaches. Their unique fragrance could be smelled from a distance.

"Is this the legendary Jade Pond and Peaches of Immortality?" Bi Linglong's heart pounded. She instinctively stepped forward, unable to resist the temptation. Having recently suffered significant life force depletion from using a forbidden move, her body's natural craving was overwhelming.

Zu'an's brow furrowed slightly. He felt that something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint it.

Just then, a sinister laugh echoed from behind: "You brat, I finally caught you!"

Zu'an's hair immediately stood on end. Even Bi Linglong, who had been walking forward, shivered in fear. They quickly turned back, the terror induced by the voice clearly overriding everything else.

Zhao Ruizhi stood nearby, sneering at them. He hadn't attacked from behind; given his status, he disdained sneak attacks. He wanted to torment them face-to-face, watching them filled with terror, regret, and then begging tearfully.

He Li followed behind him, looking on as if watching a show. "These adulterous lovers," he thought, "have been flaunting their affection, infuriating everyone. Today, let's see how you die."

Zu'an shielded Bi Linglong behind him and asked in a low voice, "How did you get up here?"

The floating islands on either side clearly followed different patterns, which was why he wasn't worried about them seeing how he had crossed.

"Mere I Ching trigram positions," Zhao Ruizhi said proudly. "A bit of deduction is all it takes to figure them out. How could they possibly stop me?"

Mi Li couldn't help but exclaim, "This dog emperor truly is a heaven-sent genius! No wonder he became the most powerful person in this world."

Only she truly understood how profound and complex the patterns derived from the I Ching trigrams were. She hadn't expected him to be able to decipher them in such a short time and then adapt them on the fly to the path leading to the island.

Just then, a death warrior from the Qi King's Residence suddenly exclaimed, "Peaches of Immortality! The legendary Jade Pond Peaches!"

Clearly, they too had now spotted the peach trees by the lake. Thinking of the myths and legends, their eyes reddened. Disregarding the Emperor's authority, they rushed toward the lake, plucked peaches, and stuffed them into their mouths, juice instantly flowing everywhere.

Zhao Ruizhi had also smelled the unusual fragrance in the air, but his mind had been so consumed by hatred for Zu'an that he only now noticed the beautiful lake and the peach grove beside it.

His breathing quickened. While other things might not have elicited such a reaction from him, the legendary Peaches of Immortality were said to grant eternal life.

Although he harbored some doubts, as a person approached old age, the fear of death grew stronger, eventually consuming everything. He wouldn't let go of even the slightest possibility of immortality.

Seeing the Qi King's death warriors frantically eating the peaches, Zhao Ruizhi seethed with silent anger. These things were his; how could these people squander them?

He temporarily ignored Zu'an, thinking that now that they were on the island, killing him would be effortless. It was better to focus on immortality first.

So he took a step and instantly appeared beside the largest peach tree in the grove. This tree was dozens of people thick, clearly extraordinary. He leaped onto the tree, plucked one of the largest peaches, and put it into his mouth.

"Mmm..."

Even though his decades as emperor had accustomed him to all kinds of delicacies, at this moment, he felt a thrilling sensation, as if every pore on his body was trembling with joy.

It was incredibly delicious!

Crucially, a warm current spread through his stomach, and he could even feel the vibrant life force within it.

"It really grants immortality!"

Zhao Ruizhi's pupils contracted slightly, and his expression suddenly became agitated. For years, he had painstakingly searched, sending countless experts across mountains and seas, all to no avail. But truly, heaven rewarded the diligent; today, he had finally found the method for eternal life!

Seeing everyone descend into madness, Zu'an quickly grabbed Bi Linglong and ran: "Go!"

He immediately used the Great Wind technique, teleporting in a nearby direction as they fled.

Their movements didn't escape Zhao Ruizhi's notice, but his mind was now entirely consumed by thoughts of immortality, so he paid no attention to anything else.

If he could achieve immortality, what did one woman matter? Even giving away all the women in his imperial harem would be trivial.

Zu'an sprinted, specifically choosing to dart through dense thickets to conceal their figures.

He didn't know how far they had run, but upon seeing that Zhao Ruizhi hadn't pursued them, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Bi Linglong couldn't help but say, "It seems those really are the legendary Peaches of Immortality from the Jade Pond, capable of granting eternal life. Otherwise, given his temperament, he would never have allowed us to escape unchecked."

Zu'an chuckled: "Who cares whether they're Peaches of Immortality or not? The most important thing is that we're alive right now."

"You're right," Bi Linglong smiled. If one could truly achieve immortality but were killed today, that would be truly infuriating.

Nevertheless, her face was still filled with regret: "Ah Zu, I truly admire you. Faced with something that grants immortality, even an emperor cannot avoid its temptation, yet you treat it as nothing. Few people in this world could do that."

"I'm different from most people." Zu'an didn't know how to explain. He had cultivated the "Primordial Chaos Scripture," making his body not only strong and resilient but also free from illness and misfortune. Furthermore, Qiao Xueying had shared half of the elf's life force with him, and he had also practiced the "Phoenix Nirvana Scripture," which was rumored to grant immortality when cultivated to its peak. Thus, he didn't have such a great desire for eternal life.

However, he immediately thought that while he didn't need it, he had many confidantes. He should have picked some for them to take back. Thinking of this, he felt a pang of regret.

At this moment, Mi Li sneered: "Do you really think those were the Peaches of Immortality from the Jade Pond?"

Zu'an was stunned: "They weren't?"

"Of course not," Mi Li snorted. "The Qin Emperor pursued immortality his entire life but never achieved it. If he had found the Peaches of Immortality, he'd surely still be alive, and I wouldn't be here."

Zu'an realized: The Qin Emperor was dead, so he naturally hadn't found the elixir of immortality. What, then, were those peaches just now?

Meanwhile, by the lake where they had been, after Zhao Ruizhi had swallowed three of the largest Peaches of Immortality, he felt three flowers slowly blooming atop his head.

His heart swelled with joy. Was this the legendary "Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown"?

Legend had it that three flowers atop one's head were the mark of an immortal.

At that moment, strains of ethereal music drifted through the air. Clouds in the sky gathered and dispersed, flashing with brilliant light, as a majestic celestial gate slowly opened.

Innumerable celestial maidens and immortal youths beckoned to him there, and a voice from the unknown whispered that if he walked through that celestial gate, he would officially join the ranks of immortals.

Immortality! To become a true immortal!

Zhao Ruizhi swallowed hard and instinctively walked towards the celestial gate. With each step he took, a floating cloud appeared before his feet, as if the gate were specifically welcoming him.

He ascended the steps, quickly reaching the celestial gate. Just as he extended his foot to step inside, his body suddenly froze.