Chapter 2193: The Names of the Nine Emperors

Zhang Xuan’s mind buzzed. He thought of something and said, "Died over forty years ago? How is that possible! Could 'Ling Shen' be a hereditary title? What I'm looking for is... the new Ling Shen!"

Luo Ruoxi and he had only parted a little over a month ago. How could she have died more than forty years ago?Surely he hadn't been spending time with a ghost...

His guess was probably correct: "Ling Shen" must be just a title. When one incumbent falls, the next one takes over and uses the same title.That's why Wuchen was the Emperor Chen Yong, and Liu Yang was also the Emperor Chen Yong.

"Can someone... inherit that title?" Fu Jiangchen was momentarily stunned. "That shouldn't be possible. If such a situation truly existed, the entire God Realm would surely know by now; there's no way there'd be no news...""The entire God Realm would know?" Zhang Xuan grew even more confused and asked, "Is Ling Shen's status very high?"Even if a Conferred God King were replaced, it wouldn't be significant enough for the *entire* God Realm to know, would it?

"One of the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens. Do you think their status is high?" Fu Jiangchen said with a bitter smile.Zhang Xuan froze. "You're saying Luo Ruoxi... Ling Shen is one of the Nine Emperors?"He had long suspected his girlfriend's identity might be extraordinary and her status very high, but he never imagined she was one of the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens!The absolute peak super-powerhouse of the God Realm...This was too shocking!His head swam. Zhang Xuan felt as if he were dreaming. If this were true, it would explain why she had been so adamant about not revealing her identity and why she had initially been reluctant to associate with him.Such a status, even for a successor, was simply too exalted for a mortal from the lower realms to match.

"Yes!" Fu Jiangchen nodded."May I ask... which of the Nine Heavens' Great Emperors is she?"Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.He knew about the Nine Heavens, but not the nine Emperors. He didn't know which Heaven Luo Ruoxi governed, and understanding that would help him find her quickly.

"You don't know?" Seeing that the person before him wasn't feigning ignorance but truly didn't understand, Fu Jiangchen smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Ling Shen is naturally the ruler of Lingyuan Heaven!""Lingyuan Heaven?" Zhang Xuan was startled. He thought of something, and his body stiffened. "You mean... Undying Heaven? Undying Emperor?""That's right!"Fu Jiangchen nodded."This..." Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded.Ling Shen was the Undying Emperor... but the Undying Emperor was clearly dead! He had even seen his tomb in the Firmament!

"Could it be... that after the Undying Emperor died, Luo Ruoxi succeeded him and became the new Ling Shen?"He hesitated for only a moment, then a thought struck him, and he arrived at the most probable answer.Since she was Ling Shen, and the Undying Emperor was also Ling Shen... only this situation could explain it.

"That, I don't know..."Fu Jiangchen paused, a look of embarrassment on his face. He said, "However, it's hard to say. Individuals at the Emperor's level are beyond our casual speculation... Since the Nine Heavens have existed, no Emperor has ever fallen. This is the first time such a situation has occurred, so whether there's a successor, or who that successor might be, no one knows..."

After asking a few more questions and seeing that he didn't know much about the "Ling Shen" of Lingyuan Heaven, Zhang Xuan stopped pressing. After some thought, he said, "May I ask, who are the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens?"

Knowledge about the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors wasn't recorded in books. What he knew was merely superficial, learned from Teacher Mo Yun shortly after arriving in the God Realm. Since the person before him had extensive knowledge of the God Realm, it was a good opportunity to inquire in detail.

"This is no secret; anyone can find out with a little inquiry!"Seeing that Zhang Xuan wasn't asking for anything classified, Fu Jiangchen didn't hold back. He said, "You should already know about the Nine Heavens, so I won't elaborate. As for the Nine Emperors: Great Emperor Yun Chi, who presides over Yun Chi Heaven in the east, possesses the true dragon bloodline, unparalleled in the world. Emperor Fu Meng, unrivaled in valor, controls Gengjin Heaven in the west."

"Lingyuan Heaven, also known as Undying Heaven, is located in the true south of the God Realm. Its ruler is the Undying Emperor, also known as the God of Lingyuan, or simply Ling Shen!""Opposite the south, in the north, is Xuanming Heaven, also called the Xuanming Sea, a vast ocean where even God Kings who enter get lost, never finding its boundaries... Its ruler is Great Emperor Xuanming!""Lieyang Heaven is located in the southeast of the God Realm. Great Emperor Zhuoyang governs the great suns in the sky; wherever he goes, it's like scorching flames, irresistible to anyone.""Jian Shen Heaven in the northeast is the most mysterious place. Its controlled territory isn't vast, yet no other power dares to provoke it. There are rumors that Great Emperor Jian Shen from the Sword Dwelling is among the strongest of the Nine Emperors, with no one capable of resisting him except the one from Zizai Heaven.""In the southwest is Linglong Heaven. I spend most of my time there now. Fairy Linglong is the only female Emperor I know among the Nine Emperors. I've met her a few times, and she has no pretense, earning great respect!""To the northwest of the God Realm is right here, Netherworld Heaven! The Emperor of Netherworld Heaven, the Qiankun Demon Lord, I don't need to introduce him, do I?""These eight heavens guard the eight directions. As for the very center, that's Zizai Heaven. I've never seen what that Emperor looks like, nor have I ever heard rumors about them, or even their title; I dare not discuss it. I only know that their power is unfathomable, and the other eight Emperors all revere them!"

Soon, Fu Jiangchen had introduced all the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors."Great Emperor Yun Chi, Emperor Fu Meng, Great Emperor Zhuoyang..." Zhang Xuan mentally recited the names of the nine Emperors, committing them to memory, and then breathed a sigh of relief.Luo Ruoxi, who called herself "Ling Shen," or the God of Lingyuan, seemed highly likely to be the successor to the Undying Emperor...To confirm this, he would have to go to Lingyuan Heaven as soon as possible.However, Lingyuan Heaven was in the true south of the God Realm, while Netherworld Heaven was in the northwest, a great distance apart. He would probably need a teleportation array to reach it quickly.

"If Alchemist Zhang has no further matters, I shall take my leave!"After explaining the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors, and answering some more questions from Zhang Xuan, Fu Jiangchen finished revealing all the transferable secrets he knew. Only then did he stand up."Thank you, Alchemist Fu, for your candidness!" Zhang Xuan bowed.Regarding matters involving the Nine Emperors, many people were unwilling to speak much. For the person before him to reveal so much was already an act of utmost kindness.

"Alchemist Zhang, you're too kind. At such a young age, you've already reached the High-grade Heavenly God realm and even refined miraculous pills like the Barrier-breaking Pill and the Beauty Pill. Becoming a God King is a certainty for you. Even if I hadn't told you this information, you would have learned it eventually. In the future, our paths will likely cross more and more. This is just a small matter, nothing worth mentioning!" Fu Jiangchen said with a smile.Under normal circumstances, indeed no one would speak much about matters concerning the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors. However, the person before him, whether in terms of strength, potential, or alchemy, was not much weaker than himself. In the future, they would very likely be equals, or even Zhang Xuan might surpass him. Rather than trying to curry favor later, it was better to build a connection now.Providing help in times of need is far better than offering embellishments when things are already good.