Chapter 811: Either You Come Back, or I Go Over

"Senior Sister, we're back!" Lu Yang and his companion announced immediately upon their return to Wen Dao Sect, reassuring their senior sister of their safety.

Their primary goal was to confirm the Grand Master's well-being, proving they had successfully completed the task Senior Sister had entrusted them with.

"You're ten days later than I anticipated," Yun Zhi remarked. "Did something unexpected happen on the journey?"

Yun Zhi was slightly puzzled. Her master had informed her that the Grand Master's situation had been resolved with the Ye City authorities, and he had been released much earlier. So, she wondered why it took her junior brother and his companion ten days to bring the Grand Master safely back to Wen Dao Sect.

Lu Yang was embarrassed to admit that while the Grand Master had indeed been released, he and his companion had not. "Yes, well, there was a slight incident on the way."

Yun Zhi nodded, not pressing the issue. After all, it was quite characteristic of her junior brother's luck for something unexpected to occur on his journey back.

"You've returned at a perfect time," Yun Zhi said. "Immortal Senior, could you please come out for a moment?"

"What is it?" The Undying Immortal's head popped out, resting right on Lu Yang's shoulder, making him appear as if he had two heads.

Yun Zhi opened a wooden box. Inside lay a greenish peach, still attached to a small branch. It resembled a flawless work of art more than a mere fruit. "Is this the fruit from the peach tree-shaped Heaven and Earth spiritual root you mentioned, Immortal Senior?"

The Undying Immortal was astonished by the peach. "You actually found it! I thought it would take at least a thousand years to locate."

"What is that?" Meng Jingzhou whispered, noting Lu Yang's expression, which suggested he was privy to some information. "It's considered a top-tier spiritual treasure. You know the Emperor doesn't have many years left. Senior Sister asked the Immortal if there was a way to extend his life. The Immortal mentioned that in ancient times, there was a peach tree, a Heaven and Earth spiritual root, and its peaches inherently extended life, capable of saving the Emperor."

"Such a thing actually exists!" Even Meng Jingzhou, with his powerful Meng family backing, had never heard of such a treasure. "So, the Emperor can be saved?" Meng Jingzhou's spirits lifted. While the First Prince would make a capable emperor, it was always better to avoid a change in leadership to prevent potential instability.

"It's the right item, but it doesn't look ripe, does it?" The Undying Immortal recalled that mature peaches were pink.

"I believe the same," Yun Zhi confirmed. Receiving the definitive answer, she closed the box. The peach had not been fully detached; the nutrients in the branch were sufficient to allow it to ripen. Therefore, they would wait for the peach to ripen before sending it to the Imperial City.

"By the way, where did you find this Heaven and Earth spiritual root?" The Undying Immortal asked, her face full of curiosity.

At that question, Yun Zhi's expression briefly faltered. She had never imagined that the peach forest back home truly harbored a Heaven and Earth spiritual root. No wonder her hometown had such an unusually abundant spiritual energy; it seemed the Mother-Child River wasn't solely responsible.

"I discovered it by chance," she replied. "That peach tree has already run off."

"Alright," the Undying Immortal conceded with a touch of regret. It wasn't the first time that Heaven and Earth spiritual root had run off.

"There's one more thing, Junior Brother Meng," Yun Zhi continued. "This is a family letter from your home. They also asked me to verbally convey that they hope you'll return for a visit."

"They want me home again?" Meng Jingzhou rolled his eyes. After all the trouble he had caused, he doubted his father would ever forgive him. Unless his father explicitly said he was forgiven, he absolutely refused to go home!

Meng Jingzhou opened the envelope and scanned its contents. The more he read, the paler his face became, and his hands began to tremble. "What's wrong?" Lu Yang asked curiously. "The letter says if I don't go home soon, my father will personally come to Wen Dao Sect."

Lu Yang's expression shifted. "Rather than getting beaten here at Wen Dao Sect," Lu Yang suggested, "I'd recommend going home to face it."

"Senior Sister, can we forbid my father from entering Wen Dao Sect?"

Yun Zhi shook her head. "Our Wen Dao Sect doesn't forbid family members from entering the sect to visit disciples."

Meng Jingzhou deliberated for a moment, then nervously scratched his head. It seemed he had no choice but to return. "Old Lu, you should come back with me," he urged. "If there's an outsider present, my father probably won't beat me too severely."

"Will that really work?"

"Absolutely! My father admires you so much, he even wants you to marry my sister. He'll definitely give you some face." Even if he wasn't sure it would work, his priority was to get Lu Yang to come along.

"Are you serious?" Lu Yang always found Meng Jingzhou's words a bit suspect.

"Why would I lie to you?"

Lu Yang replied earnestly, "Considering how often I lie to you, it's quite normal for you to lie to me twice."

"How can you say that with such conviction?" Meng Jingzhou retorted. "Just tell me, are you coming or not?"

"I'll go," Lu Yang replied. It was a rare opportunity to visit the Imperial City, so he naturally wanted to seize it. His last trip to the capital was as acting Sect Master, where he went straight to the Imperial Palace to meet Emperor Xia and the four other sect leaders of the Immortal Sects. He hadn't yet seen what lay beyond the palace walls.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the Imperial City a sacred place for cultivation. All sorts of cultivators gathered there, creating a vibrant and exciting atmosphere. The most powerful cultivators, the most skilled artifact refiners, and the best alchemists in the cultivation world were all in the Imperial... wait, it seemed they were all at Wen Dao Sect.

"Should we disguise ourselves, though?"

"Disguise what for?"

"Think about it," Lu Yang explained, "you're from the Meng family, and I'm Master Bu Yu's disciple. If we go to the Imperial City together, I'm worried we'll be intercepted before we even reach the city gates."

They exchanged glances, then silently produced masks, transforming their appearances.

Old Ma had already returned to Wen Dao Sect after his family visit in the East Sea. He was pleased to hear that Meng Jingzhou was returning to the Imperial City. However, he soon realized something was amiss. While it was perfectly fine for Meng Jingzhou to go back alone, why was Lu Yang accompanying him? Surely nothing would happen in the Imperial City, right? Old Ma chuckled to himself, dismissing his worries. He was overthinking things; how could anything happen in the impregnable Imperial City, a place teeming with powerful cultivators?

"Excellent! Let's go to the Imperial City, overthrow Emperor Xia, and establish the Great Soybean Dynasty!" The Undying Immortal was also thrilled to hear about the trip to the Imperial City. To celebrate the impending establishment of the Great Soybean Dynasty, the Undying Immortal shed her prison garb, washed and changed into a brilliant yellow imperial robe, complete with a ceremonial crown. Her small face was taut as she earnestly tried to project an air of utmost seriousness. With a grand wave of her hand, she transformed the mental space's prison cell into a palace crafted from immortal stones. The Undying Immortal sat regally on the imperial throne, as if enthroned high above the nine heavens, gazing down upon her sole subject: Lu Yang.

Lu Yang mused that even Goujian, who endured great hardships to achieve his resurgence, hadn't risen as swiftly as the Undying Immortal.

"Your humble subject Lu Yang greets Your Majesty," Lu Yang declared.

"Call me 'Emperor'," the Undying Immortal commanded.

Lu Yang, ever obliging, immediately corrected himself: "Emperor Lu Yang greets Your Majesty!"

"I always feel like something should be embroidered on this outfit," the Undying Immortal mumbled. "Yet, motifs like dragons, phoenixes, or kirins wouldn't adequately convey her true status. Even Little Spirit Ripples and Immortal Kirin combined wouldn't be a match for me; embroidering them on this imperial robe would only diminish its value. So, Second-in-Command," the First Bean Emperor inquired of her Grand Steward, Lu Yang, "what do you think this Immortal should have embroidered on her imperial robe?"

"Your Majesty," Lu Yang reminded her, "imperial robes have historically featured the strongest figures."

The Undying Immortal's eyes lit up with understanding. Immediately, she began to embroider the robe with her thoughts.

"There," she announced, "it's done."

Lu Yang looked closely and saw that the imperial robe was embroidered with images of the Undying Immortal herself and Senior Sister.