Chapter 135: Encountering the Emperor's Will Again

Walking ten paces, before even leaving the grand avenue, a few heavenly soldiers unexpectedly manifested out of thin air.

Tao Xiao kept his hands behind his back and stamped his foot heavily, the resulting shockwave sending the heavenly soldiers flying and leaving precisely one behind.

At a gesture from Tao Xiao, Ye Sansi immediately charged forward. Unarmed, he actually intended to fight bare-handed against a heavenly soldier wielding a divine spear. Tao Xiao could not help but break out in a cold sweat for him, keeping a close eye on the battle to intervene and save him if things went south.

Ye Sansi took a stride and rushed before the heavenly soldier, stopping just a step away. Seeing all his comrades knocked down, the heavenly soldier showed not a shred of panic. He remained entirely calm and adeptly countered Ye Sansi’s assault...

The heavenly soldier hurriedly retreated three steps and spun around to thrust his spear. Ye Sansi nimbly dodged using the Scorching Feather-Capture Footwork, leveraging his momentum to dart behind the heavenly soldier.

This move proved truly effective. The divine power of the heavenly soldier was drawn out by Ye Sansi and subsequently absorbed. Fearing that draining the soldier's divine power completely would cause him to dissolve into dust, Ye Sansi had no choice but to pull back, whereupon the heavenly soldier collapsed unconscious.

Tao Xiao walked over, clapping his hands, and said, "Kid, not bad at all. The spell you cast is quite formidable, easily dealing with this heavenly soldier..."

Ye Sansi scratched his head, smiling with narrowed eyes, "Big Brother Tao Xiao, don't mention it. With just a single stomp of your foot, all those heavenly soldiers were swept away and knocked out by the shockwave, while I struggled this much against just one. There's nothing impressive about that."

Sensing an opening, the heavenly soldier counterattacked with the shaft of his spear, aiming straight for Ye Sansi's chest. Seeing the attack coming, Ye Sansi employed his Nirvana Flame Hands to deflect its trajectory.

Left with no choice, Ye Sansi shifted his position once more. Deploying the Scorching Feather-Capture Footwork, his body dissolved into afterimages so blurred that his footwork became indistinguishable. This utterly baffled the heavenly soldier, who thrust his spear repeatedly into the empty afterimages without ever touching Ye Sansi's physical body.

When the heavenly soldier grew frustrated from his continuous fruitless attacks, Ye Sansi seized a gap in the soldier's reaction time, shifted directly behind him, delivered a palm strike squarely to his spine, and then unleashed the Soul-Devouring technique.

The pavilions and grand towers rested upon billowing clouds, presenting a deeply comforting sight to behold. From afar, the ethereal mist in the air blended harmoniously with the halls, creating an exquisite, hazy, and illusory beauty.

Astonished by such distant magnificence, Ye Sansi stammered out a question, "Big Brother Tao Xiao, wh-where is this?"

"Where is this? Didn't I already tell you? This is the Heavenly Realm. That expanse ahead is the Heavenly Palace. Next, we shall storm straight into it, locate the Hall of Miraculous Mist, enter the chambers, and coerce the Heavenly Emperor into releasing your friend. Just thinking about it is thrilling."

"Kid, your strength truly exceeds my expectations. Let's press onward and make it a quick battle. Find the Heavenly Emperor sooner, state our terms, and force him to hand over your friend. After all, this is someone else's territory; we cannot afford to linger."

Seeing even Tao Xiao exercising such caution, Ye Sansi knew the Heavenly Realm was far from the mortal world. The immortals and deities possessed vastly superior strength to his own, and the slightest carelessness would result in death. Thus, he knew he had to proceed with utmost care.

Past the great avenue lay a dead end. Standing at the edge and gazing forward, one was greeted by an indescribable, awe-inspiring majesty. Aside from the numerous magnificent palaces built amidst the clouds, a sprawling complex of grand palaces was concentrated in a single expanse...

"I am an emissary of the Heavenly Emperor. State your business to me, and I shall surely convey it."

Ye Sansi shouted aloud, "Senior, a friend of mine named Lin Nian'er was seized by your heavenly soldiers. She is kind-hearted and has never committed any wicked deeds. I fear you have captured the wrong person."

The deity declared, "Captured the wrong person? How could the Heavenly Dao ever err in its actions? You are a demon; the Heavenly Realm should not tolerate your presence here. But considering your deep affection and that your original intentions are pure, depart quickly, and the Heavenly Dao shall spare your life."

Before Ye Sansi could even react, a commotion stirred within the Heavenly Palace, and Tao Xiao hastily reverted to his true form.

"Demon General..." Looking up, one could perceive a half-phantom divine statue, towering and immense, a hundred zhang in tallness, suspended directly above the Heavenly Palace. It spoke in a slow, resonant voice, "Demon General Tao Xiao, what brings you to my Heavenly Realm?"

Showing not a hint of weakness, Tao Xiao's voice echoed across the firmament, "Where is the Heavenly Emperor?"

"The Heavens are the Dao itself. To capture whomever we choose accords entirely with ritual and law. Must I account for it to a monstrosity like you?"

Seeing the fury on Ye Sansi's face, Tao Xiao asked softly, "This divine general is thoroughly detestable. What shall we do?"
Ye Sansi sneered, his eyes fierce, and uttered only a single word: "Kill..."

Ye Sansi raged, "No! Return Nian'er to me, or I will not leave. My life is right here—if you want it, come and take it!"

"You! How dare you defy the Heavens. I shall grant your wish." With that, the ethereal half-phantom statue solidified into a physical entity—a three-eyed divine general who flew closer, wielding a double-bladed tri-pointed spear.

Only by looking up could Ye Sansi take in the full stature of this divine general. That lofty, condescending demeanor was truly repulsive. Ye Sansi shouted in fury, "So what if you are the Heavens? You seized Nian'er without a single word of explanation, completely disregarding the feelings of her friends and family. Is this what the Heavens are? Is this the Heavenly Dao?"

Tao Xiao let out a light snort and dashed straight toward the three-eyed divine general, lashing out with a heavy swipe of his claws. The general raised his halbed to block, but severely underestimated the sheer force of the blow. He was sent flying violently, vanishing from sight.

The divine general excelled at transformation, reappearing behind Tao Xiao in less than a heartbeat to launch a sneak attack with his halberd. Witnessing this, Ye Sansi said nothing, maintaining absolute confidence in Tao Xiao's strength.

Tao Xiao was naturally well aware of the general's every movement, having long since perceived his shift behind him. He simply waited for the strike, determined to show the general the true meaning of biting off more than one can chew.

Hearing this, Tao Xiao felt assured and instantly charged at the divine general.

The general swung his double-bladed tri-pointed spear, hacking fiercely down upon Tao Xiao's neck. Following a flash of light and a resounding crash, the general smiled contemptuously and muttered to himself, "Utterly foolish, not even bothering to dodge. The Heavenly Emperor warned that this Demon General was formidable, but he looks to be nothing special after all."

Yet three breaths later, the general narrowed his eyes, utterly shocked by the scene before him. Having taken such a brutal blow head-on, Tao Xiao was entirely uninjured, while the divine spear in the general's grasp had cracked—though fortunately, it possessed self-repairing properties.

Ye Sansi sneered contemptuously and said, "To hell with your Heavenly Dao! Return my friend immediately, or I shall take your life."

"Take it then! Even if you take my life, you won't fare any better!"

Tao Xiao descended onto the grand avenue as well, walked closer to the divine general, and slowly said, "Laughable. Your Heavenly Realm amounts to nothing more than this. If I lead the demon armies here to flatten the heavenly palaces and courts, I imagine it wouldn't be very difficult..."

A full-force strike from the double-bladed tri-pointed spear landed squarely on Tao Xiao's spine. Little did the general know, the scales upon Tao Xiao's body possessed extraordinary toughness imbued with immense demonic power. The moment the spear tip touched the scales, it was repelled with an even greater counterforce. This time, the spear blade shattered; though it regenerated once more, the three-eyed general clearly could not withstand the impact. His weapon was knocked clean out of his hands, crashing heavily onto the grand avenue.

Ye Sansi walked slowly toward the divine general and placed his foot squarely upon his chest. The general attempted to rise, only to find his body completely paralyzed. His internal divine power refused to obey him and was continuously draining away.

"You monstrosity, release me at once! Such audacity—the Heavenly Dao will not forgive you."

"Young Master Ye, cease this at once!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Ye Sansi turned his head. It truly was her—Nian'er.

Separated for a month, the two of them were finally reunited. Ye Sansi withdrew his foot, and Lin Nian'er hurried over, deeply agitated with tears shimmering in her eyes. "Young Master Ye, how has your journey been? You haven't encountered any danger, have you?"

Ye Sansi instantly intensified the application of his Soul-Devouring technique, and it was evident the divine general was suffering excruciating agony, akin to having his tendons pulled and skin peeled. Sansi was truly enraged.

"Kid, another deity is approaching. I shall finish off this three-eyed wretch first before dealing with the newcomer."

Hesitating for five breaths, Ye Sansi quickly called out, "This deity cannot be killed! Nian'er is still in the hands of the Heavenly Realm. If we slay one of his generals, he might harm Nian'er in retaliation, which would be terrible."

Lin Nian'er waved her hand and said, "Divine General, this Young Master Ye is a friend of mine who has come looking for me with no ill intent. Withdraw for now; I have a few words to speak with him."

"But the Heavenly Emperor..."

"As for my Father Emperor, I shall speak with him personally. This is no concern of yours—withdraw at once!"

Ye Sansi scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, "Danger was naturally present, but fortunately we pulled through safely, and everything went smoothly. But look at who's talking—when I returned to Fangcun, I heard the news that you had been captured. How are you? Are you alright?"

Nian'er bowed respectfully and said softly, "Young Master Ye, Nian'er is fine, everything is well. Thank you for your concern. To think you even made it to the Heavenly Realm..."

"Em-Emperor Nian, I..." The divine general slowly pulled himself up, nursing his injuries.

"Wow!" Ye Sansi exclaimed in shock, "Truly incredible! Nian'er, you are actually a deity, and moreover, the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor! Named... named..."

Seeing the look of utter excitement on Ye Sansi's face, Lin Nian'er covered her mouth and smiled, "Emperor Nian."

"Right, right, right! That is a fine name, truly imposing, but..."

Since Nian'er herself had spoken thus, the divine general dared not say another word. He bowed in farewell, leaped into the air, and departed toward the Heavenly Palace.

Ye Sansi blurted out in astonishment, "Nian'er, you actually are..."

"Hahaha, Young Master Ye, the heavenly soldiers took me because I contracted an incurable illness that penetrated deep into my bone marrow. Though I was aware of it myself, I kept it hidden out of fear that Ling Shuang and Young Master Li would worry. With my mortal lifespan reaching its end, my Father Emperor brought my physical body back, infused it with divine consciousness, and restored my divine power, gradually awakening my memories of my past life as a deity..."

Ye Sansi raged, "More than a decade of father-daughter affection can simply be severed like this? I could have helped you weave this lie, but how could you bear the thought of Uncle Lin never even getting to see his only flesh and blood for the last time? Do you have any idea how excruciating that heartache would be? Yes, you are a deity now, standing high above and able to disregard mortal feelings, but that is your father—the father who bore and raised you! Very well, you say you died of illness, but where is your corpse? You leave behind nothing at all, not even a single keepsake for Uncle Lin to remember you by..."

Furrowing his brow, Ye Sansi spoke slowly, "You have attained divinity now, but what of Uncle Lin? You are his only flesh and blood. Even though your surname is now Emperor, you must never forget that your name used to be Lin Nian'er..."

Hearing these words from Ye Sansi, Lin Nian'er felt utterly helpless. She lowered her head and said, "Mortals and immortals walk different paths. The mortal Lin Nian'er's lifespan has reached its end; she was destined to enter the cycle of reincarnation. What you see before you now is Emperor Nian, daughter of the Heavenly Emperor. Tell my mortal father that Nian'er contracted a strange illness and perished, and this mortal affinity will thus be severed..."

"Young Master Ye, we are friends; just speak your mind directly."

"Ye... Young Master Ye, how could I not feel for my father? He treated me well, and Nian'er knows it in her heart. But the Heavenly Realm has its strict laws and codes. As a deity, if I were to descend to the mortal realm privately, it would bring no benefit to either the heavens or the mortal world."

Ye Sansi turned his gaze toward Tao Xiao. In response to Nian'er's words, Tao Xiao nodded and remarked, "What Emperor Nian says is indeed the truth. Countless factions keep their eyes fixed upon the Heavenly Emperor's daughter. Now that she has acquired divine consciousness, her aura as an imperial daughter has grown even more potent. Should she descend to the mortal realm, numerous forces would undoubtedly converge upon it all at once, plunging the mortal world into absolute catastrophe."