Chapter 982: The Young Emperor's Sensation

Thud!

At these words, Venerable Xin Nie's other knee dropped to the ground. Kneeling on both knees, he stammered nervously, "Young Emperor, this person is highly alert and seems to have gone into hiding. It's difficult to locate them quickly in such a vast world."

His aged face was pale, and cold sweat dripped incessantly down his neck. His heart was pounding furiously.

The ethereal figure before him was none other than the Young Emperor himself! He had painstakingly searched for six months but failed to locate the practitioner of the Void Stream Lightning Force. In response, the Young Emperor had projected his form from Tianzhou, a state away. He had no doubt that even this mere phantom of the Young Emperor could strike him down from across the void!

"I only care about results," the Young Emperor stated coolly. He indifferently raised a finger and touched it to Venerable Xin Nie's glabella. "You failed to find the person in six months, and now they've even achieved minor completion in the Void Stream Lightning Force. What use are you to me?"

"What?!" Feng Xin Nie was stunned. The person had recently achieved minor completion in the Void Stream Lightning Force? As the Young Emperor's phantom moved to strike, the divine halo at the back of his head showed faint signs of shattering, leaving him utterly horrified. He hastily pleaded for mercy, "Young Emperor, please grant me another chance. Minor completion of the Void Stream Lightning Force requires an exceptionally vast amount of lightning energy. This can only be acquired during the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation. Therefore, this person must have recently undergone tribulation! Locating them will no longer be a challenge!"

The Young Emperor's finger slowly receded from his glabella, and he spoke indifferently: "I will grant you three more months. If you still fail to find them, I will personally travel to Taicang Great State!"

Venerable Xin Nie immediately kowtowed, "Understood, Young Emperor!"

Once the Young Emperor's phantom dispersed, Venerable Xin Nie slowly picked himself up, his eyes now burning with a cold, murderous intent. "You almost got me killed by the Young Emperor!" he seethed. "You won't escape now!" Taicang Great State, though vast and home to countless sects, has seen very few individuals break through to the Nascent Soul realm recently. Finding him won't be difficult!

The Continent. Near the Demon Emperor's Court.

Concubine Yunxia sat cross-legged atop a snow-capped mountain. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and smiled as she gazed southward. A black-clad figure was soaring towards her through the air.

"Are you preparing for your tribulation?" Jiang Fan asked, noting the tribulation aura resonating within her. A glance at the Four Seas Demon Emperor, Slave Mind Demon Emperor, and Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master at the foot of the mountain confirmed his suspicions.

"Are you confident?" Jiang Fan asked with concern.

Concubine Yunxia replied, "Having consumed Sister Peiyuan's Ancestral Return Pill, my Heavenly Fox bloodline has advanced to twenty percent. As long as it's not a perilous Boundless Blood Tribulation like yours, there shouldn't be any major issues." Her words indicated a clear sense of confidence.

Jiang Fan took out a set of resplendent embroidered robes and personally helped her don them. "You should wear this too," he said. "Only I am permitted to gaze upon your form."

Concubine Yunxia bit her red lip slightly and murmured, "Thank you, Jiang Lang."

Next, Jiang Fan produced the pain-relief stone and instructed, "If you can't bear the pain, place this in your mouth."

Concubine Yunxia accepted it, her eyes brimming with tender affection. "Heavenly Demon Dew, Ancestral Return Pill, the pain-relief stone... Jiang Lang, you have supported Yunxia every step of the way," she said. "After the tribulation, Yunxia will repay you properly."

Jiang Fan, understanding her implication, felt his thoughts drift. "Proceed with your tribulation," he encouraged. "If it becomes unbearable, I am here." With his three-aperture Nascent Soul physique, he could easily save anyone. Even if Concubine Yunxia's current tribulation proved unsuccessful, her life would not be in danger.

He flew back to stand among the Four Seas Demon Emperors, observing the tribulation alongside them.

Soon, the tribulation clouds began to gather, and a pale bolt of lightning descended with fierce intensity. Normally, Concubine Yunxia's hair and robes would have been instantly incinerated, leaving her in a wretched state. But to their surprise, a white phantom emerged from Concubine Yunxia's body, coiling protectively above her head. It was a colossal, snow-white fox, hundreds of feet long, with an elegant posture and noble bearing. Its nine tails fanned out in unison, forming a splendid canopy that shielded Concubine Yunxia's head. The tribulation lightning struck the canopy, only to be condensed into faint, gentle arcs that flowed harmlessly into Concubine Yunxia's body, nourishing her without causing the slightest injury.

Jiang Fan was stunned. "This is the Heavenly Fox bloodline? It's unbelievably formidable, isn't it?" he muttered. "No wonder Venerable Xin Nie took an interest in her." He had worried that, given Concubine Yunxia was undergoing a second tribulation, the intensity of the lightning would be immense and her chances of success slim. He never imagined that the Heavenly Fox bloodline, enhanced by the Ancestral Return Pill, would be so incredibly potent!

Rumble! The tribulation lightning, as if enraged, unleashed bolt after bolt, but each was effortlessly deflected by the Heavenly Fox's nine tails. Even when more than 150 bolts descended simultaneously, forming a massive curtain of lightning, they were silently and completely absorbed.

When the last trace of tribulation lightning vanished from the sky, Concubine Yunxia stood unblemished, as if she had not undergone any tribulation at all. This sight left the three female Demon Emperors present wide-eyed with astonishment.

"Even tribulation can be this elegant!" Old Dream Demon Emperor whispered enviously.

Jiang Fan smiled as he approached her. "Congratulations, Yunxia," he said. Sensing the dark clouds above them beginning to coalesce into words, he added, "I suspect your title will have to change now."

The dark clouds slowly formed four characters: "Immortal Yunshang."

Relic Pearl Demon Emperor couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. "Even her Daoist title is as beautiful as an immortal's," she murmured. "Surely the Ancient Sage's will is showing too much favor to Immortal Yunshang?" While her own Daoist title, "Relic Pearl of the Vast Ocean," and Old Dream Demon Emperor's, "Old Dream of Jiangnan," were also respectable, both carried a subtle undertone of melancholy, hinting at their tragic destinies. In contrast, the four characters "Immortal Yunshang" exuded only beautiful blessings.

The four Sea Demon Emperors were deeply moved.

Old Dream Demon Emperor gazed at Immortal Yunshang with a complex expression, a bitter feeling in her heart. She cupped her hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Congratulations, Immortal Yunshang. You have a good man. I must take my leave now. Perhaps we shall meet again if fate permits." With those words, she quietly departed towards the south.

Immortal Yunshang watched Old Dream Demon Emperor for a moment, then glanced at Jiang Fan by her side, and a realization dawned on her. "Jiang Lang, please see Old Dream Demon Emperor off."

Jiang Fan nodded, then leaped into the air to walk beside Old Dream Demon Emperor.

Old Dream Demon Emperor looked flustered. "What—what are you doing here?" she stammered. "Go back and be with Immortal Yunshang."

Jiang Fan took out a Demon Infant Fruit. "Sister Old Dream," he began. "A flower once bloomed in my life, though it withered in an instant, its fragrance lingers forever. That kiss, my heart will always remember."

Old Dream Demon Emperor lowered her head. Jiang Fan remembered her; he hadn't forgotten. A sense of relief washed over her. Both of them had brought a corner of the spring wilderness to each other's lives; it wasn't a one-sided connection. All the anxieties that had burdened her heart finally dissipated.

She gathered her courage and gazed into Jiang Fan's eyes. "In your next life, remember to find me sooner," she said. "I won't be any worse than Immortal Yunshang."

Jiang Fan smiled faintly, took her small hand, and gently placed the Demon Infant Fruit into her palm. "First, live this life well," he advised. "Life is long; may this small gift help you journey even further."

Old Dream Demon Emperor's eyes suddenly blurred with tears, realizing this farewell might be forever. She didn't hesitate, accepting the Demon Infant Fruit and saying: "Consider this your betrothal gift for your next life. Remember to come and marry me." With those words, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the mist.

Jiang Fan smiled faintly, then, one by one, saw off the remaining three Sea Demon Emperors. Before their departure, he gave each of them a Demon Infant Fruit. Aside from personal affections, the stronger they became, the more assistance they could offer if the continent ever faced trouble.

Upon returning to the Demon Emperor's Court, Jiang Fan was surprised to find guests had arrived—and they were not strangers.