Chapter 2208: Entering the Spirit God Palace Slots

The idea flashed through his mind but was quickly discarded.

An Emperor, the supreme powerhouse of the God Realm, might be misunderstood by others—that's acceptable, as it's just speculation and no one would dare spread such rumors. But to impersonate one? News would spread easily. If his true identity were discovered, it would be tantamount to challenging their ancient, unshakable authority!

Unless one's power was truly on par, such an act would almost certainly lead to annihilation.

It would be like someone in his previous life secretly carving a jade seal and impersonating the Emperor—a capital crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Besides, if he were to impersonate someone... who would it be?

The Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens each had their own name and unique abilities. Previously, when Conferred God King Qi Meng misunderstood him, Zhang Xuan had specifically asked Qi Ling'er about it, learning that Qi Meng had mistaken him for the Spirit God...

Now that he was on their territory, impersonating one of them... that would truly be courting death.

If it were Luo Ruoxi, it might be fine, but if not... he'd be in deep trouble.

"Furthermore, impersonation would only allow him to interact with Conferred God Kings. But if he were an Emperor, once questioned, his deception would surely be exposed..."

The disguise token Luo Ruoxi had given him, which even fooled bloodline detection, was only effective for deceiving ordinary people. An Emperor would undoubtedly see through his disguise at a glance.

Others might not know the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens, and even Conferred God Kings could make mistakes, but how could the Nine Emperors themselves not recognize their peers?

He couldn't risk meeting an Emperor, and even a Conferred God King would expose his deception with a single question... So, this so-called disguise was utterly useless.

After pondering for a moment and realizing there was no good solution, Zhang Xuan rubbed his aching temples. He then looked at the guard in front of him, hesitated, and said, "To be honest with you, I... I have some matters I wish to discuss with the Undying Emperor. Do you know of any way to meet him?"

"Meet the Emperor? We, too, wish to see His Majesty... unfortunately, our strength is too low; we can't! Perhaps only Conferred God King powerhouses are truly qualified!"

The guard shook his head.

As citizens of the Nine Heavens, who wouldn't want to personally see the Emperor and hear his teachings?

But if everyone were to meet him, the Emperor would do nothing else; he'd simply be exhausted from meeting people.

"Then... what about entering the Spirit God Palace?" Zhang Xuan asked. "As the pillar of a major power, it's impossible for him to stay in the Spirit God Palace all the time, never coming out or meeting anyone, right?"

"The Spirit God Palace can be entered, but it's not easy. Aside from being summoned by the Emperor, almost no one can enter on their own... Even the disciples of the three great clans are only qualified to enter and gain insights for one night if they achieve the 'first' rank!"

The guard explained.

"The 'first' rank, gaining insights for one night?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"The Phoenix clan's most powerful ability is Undying Nirvana, but this ability is unique to the Undying Heavenly Phoenix lineage. Since His Majesty the Emperor has no direct descendants, he permits other Phoenix clans to hold a competition every hundred years, selecting the most outstanding junior to enter the Undying Lava Pool for comprehension. Those who can grasp the true meaning of immortality will see their cultivation and status soar, making it highly possible for them to break through to God King level in a short time!"

Envy flickered in the guard's eyes.

"Undying Lava Pool?" Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment. He asked, "Wasn't that... said to have been destroyed decades ago?"

He had heard Zhuo Feng mention it. It was reputed to be the God Realm's best body-refining ground, but it had been destroyed and couldn't be repaired, which was why he had gone to the Moon-Clear Pool instead.

"Whether it's broken or not, I don't know," the guard replied. "However, even if destroyed, the spiritual energy and laws it contains should still be there. Moreover, within the Spirit God Palace, the layout and other elements bear traces left by the Emperor. Going there to gain insights would certainly be of great help to one's cultivation."

The guard said.

Zhang Xuan didn't refute him.

The higher one's cultivation, the deeper their understanding of the Heavenly Dao. For someone at the Emperor's level, every casual action held infinite profoundness for others, enough to immerse oneself in for a lifetime.

Just like Master Kong... the numerous relics he left behind on the Master Teacher Continent are still being studied and comprehended by countless people, leading to increasingly powerful cultivation.

Even if the Undying Lava Pool was destroyed, merely entering the Spirit God Palace to gain insights for one night would undoubtedly be of immense help to his cultivation.

"That's right... if I can enter the Spirit God Palace, I might have a chance to see Luo Ruoxi... that's better than asking anyone else!"

Suddenly, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist.

He needed to inquire about the Undying Emperor, but asking anyone else was unreliable and could easily lead to unnecessary trouble, unless... he could enter the Spirit God Palace!

Entering there might allow him to find her and learn her exact situation.

With this thought, he could no longer hold back and asked, "This 'first' rank among the three great clans you mentioned, does it require a competition? How is it conducted?"

"Of course, it requires a competition!" the guard nodded. "You've arrived at a very opportune time; the centennial competition begins in exactly five days. At that time, each clan will select their ten most outstanding disciples to compete, and only the one who achieves first place will be qualified. As for the specifics of the competition, I'm not clear, but it's been the talk of the town these past few days, and many people know about it."

Zhang Xuan understood. He asked a few more detailed questions and finally grasped the situation.

With only one spot available to enter the Spirit God Palace every hundred years, it naturally attracted countless hopefuls. However, the assessments and competitions held by the three great clans were exceptionally rigorous, and the spot was not easily obtained.

Firstly, one had to be no older than thirty and possess a cultivation level of at least High-tier Heavenly God.

Although the Phoenix clan possessed a powerful bloodline, allowing for rapid progress if pure, this single requirement alone could still bar countless individuals.

Not everyone was a prodigy like Zhang Xuan, capable of achieving certain breakthroughs in just a few breaths.

Secondly, there were extremely high demands on bloodline purity and comprehension ability; otherwise, the opportunity could easily be wasted.

Although the guard couldn't specify the exact content of the assessment, it was clear that only candidates with exceptionally high cultivation, character, and comprehension would pass.

And once selected, the winner would directly enter the Spirit God Palace, potentially even... meeting the Spirit God!

"These days, the three great clans should all be recalling their disciples who are cultivating outside, in preparation for the internal clan selections!" the guard concluded.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

In the God Realm, countless disciples from various forces leave each year to undergo trials in different regions. Naturally, a centennial event like this would call all these scattered disciples back.

He asked a few more questions, and the guard answered everything openly. Once the guard left, Zhang Xuan began walking towards the city.

Although Spirit Origin Imperial City floated in the air, it didn't feel unnatural at all; on the contrary, it was no different from a city on the ground. As he strolled through it, continuing to gather information, Zhang Xuan pondered, "Phoenixes, as divine beasts, are like the Dragon clan of Cloud Chi Heaven—many of their disciples who cultivate outside wouldn't recognize each other. I wonder if I could create a false identity, just like with Luo Tianya before, infiltrate one of these clans, and then find a way to compete for that sole spot?"

An idea emerged.