The breeze was slightly chilly, and waves rippled gently. Huo Lishang clearly knew he was facing the greatest crisis of his life.
“I’m not the Night Emperor.”
“How could I possibly be the Night Emperor?”
When these two sentences were spoken, Huo Lishang felt a faint sadness. Under the previous firm declaration that the game was over, this seemed like a denial of self.
Have I really ceased to be the Night Emperor?
He had no time to dwell on such metaphysical questions. With the all-encompassing gaze of the man in feathered robe and star-adorned crown, he bitterly smiled and said, “I also wish I were the Night Emperor, but it can only be a beautiful dream.”
“One year ago, I met the Night Emperor. He asked me to exchange identities with him—he would become me, and I would become him. For a certain period, I truly became the Night Emperor. His concubines, his subordinates, his treasures, and his power were all under my control. Those months were the most dreamlike period of my life—surrounded by beauties, my words carried absolute authority, experiencing unprecedented enjoyment and freedom. I even forgot it was just a game, believing myself to be the Night Emperor. Unfortunately, in the end, I was reverted to my original self…”
Huo Lishang imitated the expressions of each false Night Emperor who had left, delivering his words with vivid emotion.
Only such an explanation could justify all the strange occurrences, pulling off a perfect deception!
After finishing his speech, he suddenly felt disoriented—was he truly the Night Emperor? Could he himself be one of those former false Night Emperors who refused to return to reality, turning into a madman weaving a fantasy of still being the Night Emperor, dreaming of becoming the Night Emperor who exchanged identities with another…
This possibility was low, but not impossible!
Huo Lishang grew increasingly confused, struggling to discern what was real and what was false.
The man in the feathered robe and star-adorned crown slightly nodded: “Didn’t he give you a mask? By wearing it, you could take on the Night Emperor’s appearance, possess his aura, and gain his power?”
“How did you know?” Huo Lishang exclaimed in surprise, half feigned, half genuine, returning from his trance to reality.
He actually knew about the Thousand Illusions Mask!
The man’s lips curled slightly: “So the Night Emperor secretly possesses the inheritance of the Thousand Illusions Immortal Sage. No wonder this technique seemed familiar to me. No wonder you, along with those from Chixia Island and Dongli Island, all gave off the aura of a Night Emperor’s incarnation. Hmph, the Thousand Faces and Myriad Lives Cultivation Method—under it, no one in the world isn’t ‘me.’ If the Night Emperor’s martial arts reach perfection and acquire another unique trait, his future legends would be boundless. However, more practitioners of this technique go mad than achieve success…”
He sighed, then without another glance at Huo Lishang, his figure suddenly shattered like foam on waves, as if everything was now clear in his mind, requiring no further questions.
Huo Lishang stood motionless for a long time, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, his thoughts churning:
“A Celestial Immortal! The person just now was a Celestial Immortal!”
“He actually knew about the Thousand Faces and Myriad Lives Cultivation Method. No wonder he had doubts about whether I was the Night Emperor. I managed to deceive him.”
“Thankfully, with the help of the Life-Saving Immortal Pill and the Night-Flowing Youth Pill, the poison in my body was neutralized, leaving only the suppression of my Dharma Body. If not examined closely, it indeed resembles a strong Outer Manifestation cultivator who has suffered severe injuries…”
Numerous thoughts surged forth, eventually coalescing into one, and Huo Lishang inwardly gritted his teeth: “He actually provoked a Celestial Immortal!”
Only after a few days, he had attracted a Celestial Immortal who hadn’t appeared in the world for countless years!
…
Beside Tianyi Island, aboard the Night Emperor’s ship.
Meng Qi stood by the window with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the blossoms bathed in golden sunlight. Yun Yue was guiding an elderly man in a golden robe into the room.
The old man had jet-black hair, but his skin was yellowish and wrinkled deeply, as if frequently scorched by fire. His eyes drooped at the corners, his eyebrows sparse, yet his pupils gleamed brightly, as if hiding embers within. This was Fan Lishuang, the sect leader of the Jinwu Sect and known as the “Solar Envoy.”
“Greetings to the Night Emperor,” Fan Lishuang respectfully bowed.
After the sect’s decline, the Jinwu Sect had survived by being smooth and adaptable, thriving through harmony. Even though he had cultivated good relations with several Dharma Body experts through helping forge divine weapons, Fan Lishuang dared not show any negligence before the Night Emperor.
Among the Four Marvels, Three Devils, and Five Elders, the Night Emperor ranked within the top six, the strongest below the Immortal level!
Meng Qi turned around, his gaze appreciative, his smile warm: “Master Fan, you’re too kind to visit in person.”
“The Night Emperor’s presence graces our sect. How could I not welcome you?” Fan Lishuang replied with a smile.
After some small talk, the conversation turned serious. Fan Lishuang asked, “Your Majesty, may I know what divine weapon you wish to forge? What materials have you prepared? Our sect must understand the details before we can determine how to proceed.”
“I wish to forge a divine longsword, preferably at the Celestial Immortal level,” Meng Qi said while beginning to take out the prepared materials.
“Celestial Immortal level? That might be…” Fan Lishuang had never forged a weapon of such caliber, and immediately showed signs of hesitation.
Even in the Jinwu Sect’s prime, successfully forging a Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon was a monumental event for the entire sect, as such weapons were rare treasures, achievable only with the perfect alignment of heaven, earth, and human conditions. Without the guidance of a master specializing in forging, even the most knowledgeable experts could only theorize. After the sect’s decline, finding experts capable of forging such weapons was impossible, and even their own confidence had waned.
But before Fan Lishuang could finish speaking, he suddenly paused, as Meng Qi pulled out a broken sword. It burned with illusory purple flames, and with each flicker, it seemed to contain a shattered world. Ancient inscriptions were engraved upon it:
“Li Fire Vermilion Bird.”
“A Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon!” Fan Lishuang blurted out. When it came to appraising divine weapons, he surpassed many Dharma Body cultivators, instantly recognizing its extraordinary nature!
It was a broken Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon, but it seemed to have been nurtured, partially restored, and not completely drained of its power or mystique.
A Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon…Yun Yue, Liushang, and the other concubines never imagined that this fake young master could actually produce a damaged Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon. They had been worried he would plunder the Night Emperor’s treasure trove!
Still reeling from shock, Fan Lishuang saw Meng Qi produce another glowing green blade. Though short, it radiated powerful sword qi, with the characters “Yi Wood” engraved upon it.
Another broken Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon! Fan Lishuang’s mouth hung open, his expression dazed. Today, he had seen two such weapons!
This wasn’t the end. Meng Qi then successively revealed fragments of the Xuan Ming Sword and the Demon God’s Shell.
Fan Lishuang, along with Yun Yue and the other concubines, had become numb, as if it were no longer surprising for him to produce countless fragments of Celestial Immortal-level divine weapons.
He must have looted some divine weapon burial site!
“Is this enough?” Meng Qi playfully asked, handling his treasures with a smile.
Fan Lishuang suddenly felt excitement. He had been forging weapons since childhood, creating countless successful pieces, but never had he worked with materials of such caliber, nor forged a Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon. This was a brand-new experience, a fresh test of his skills.
He calmed himself and pondered for a moment before speaking: “These three broken swords are all Celestial Immortal-level, each possessing their own realm and corresponding laws. We won’t need to add additional materials; we only need to guide and fuse them, which greatly reduces the forging requirements, no longer requiring a Celestial Immortal to oversee the process for a decent chance of success. However, my cultivation is only at the Ninth Heaven, and my abilities are limited. Even with the aid of formations and restrictions, I may still fall short. At that time, I will need the Night Emperor’s assistance to provide power, or else the forging will fail.”
“This requirement is acceptable,” Meng Qi readily agreed. Even if Fan Lishuang hadn’t made such a request, he would have done so anyway, to prevent others from secretly implanting a “backdoor” within his divine weapon during the forging process.
Fan Lishuang continued: “Even so, forging a Celestial Immortal-level divine weapon will be the Jinwu Sect’s first attempt in many years. Perhaps only one success in three attempts is likely, and there’s also the possibility of it degrading to an Earth Immortal-level weapon. Is the Night Emperor willing to take this risk?”
One success in three attempts? Even failure could yield an Earth Immortal-level weapon? That was far more reliable than Yun He! Meng Qi lightly nodded: “To obtain a divine weapon, how can one avoid taking some risks?”
Although his materials could only allow two forging attempts, where in the world could one find a hundred percent certainty?
Seeing the Night Emperor’s willingness, Fan Lishuang’s face involuntarily brightened: “These three Celestial Immortal-level divine weapons correspond to Water, Fire, and Wood elements, while the Demon God’s Shell contains Metal and Earth properties. Combining these four elements, we can forge a divine longsword encompassing all Five Elements. However, these are only the primary materials. Once I return to the sect and consult our scriptures to determine the forging method, I will inform the Night Emperor of the auxiliary materials needed. You can either provide them directly or exchange them for equivalent items from our sect.”
“Once the forging is completed, any remaining materials shall serve as compensation for our Jinwu Sect. Should there be no surplus, you must provide five top-tier treasure-grade weapons of equivalent value instead.”
Most of my collection was destroyed by the Demon Buddha…Meng Qi glanced at Yun Yue and the others, suddenly gaining confidence. He smiled: “No problem.”
After all, I am now the Night Emperor, with a treasure vault at my disposal!
Ah…Liushang and the others had their mouths slightly open, eyes dazed.
He, he actually extended his claws into the young master’s treasure vault!
Should we, should we stop him?
Could we even stop him?
After seeing Fan Lishuang off to the island, Meng Qi smiled as he looked at Yun Yue, Youhu, and the other concubines. Their eyes flickered, once again too afraid to voice any objections.
“Don’t worry, I won’t recklessly use the Night Emperor’s items,” Meng Qi chuckled, shaking his head.
Though it was supposed to be an identity exchange, he wasn’t like the Night Emperor, who could fully immerse himself in the role. No matter how deeply he played the part, he remained himself. Therefore, to truly indulge in the Night Emperor’s treasures would surely bring unease. While imagining such indulgence was unrestricted, actually carrying it out wasn’t his style.
No matter how things change, the “self” remains unchanged!
As he spoke, he slightly frowned. The auxiliary materials required for this forging would undoubtedly be numerous. He also needed to discuss the feasibility of crafting the Multiversal Awareness Sphere with the Jinwu Sect. Combined, these would be a significant expense. What could he use to compensate the Night Emperor?
He didn’t have many items on him!
In a flash of insight, Meng Qi made a decision. Looking at Yun Yue and the other concubines, he said: “I will compensate with divine weapons.”
He pulled from his sleeve a thin, blood-red long knife, instantly filling the cabin with a sinister, bloody aura.
A divine weapon? Truly a divine weapon? Liushang and the others widened their eyes. This fake Night Emperor indeed possessed divine weapons, and was casually offering them in exchange for auxiliary materials!
How could the value of divine weapons be compared to mere auxiliary materials?
Their young master, despite numerous extraordinary encounters, only possessed the Thousand Illusions Mask and the Great Black Heaven Sword as divine weapons!
The Blood-Dripping Divine Knife was too malevolent; he couldn’t release it from its prison…Meng Qi thought for a moment, then sheathed the Blood-Dripping Knife and instead produced the Three Lives Manifest King Wheel, adorned with Buddhist Seven Treasures, and the extremely heavy Mountain-Chasing Whip.
Hmm, the Three Lives Manifest King Wheel had some use for him, so he would use the Mountain-Chasing Whip.
“I’ll use this divine whip as compensation,” Meng Qi declared.
As he looked around, the expressions of Yun Yue, Youhu, and the other concubines had already turned stunned. This person, he actually possessed so many divine weapons!
No top sect could rival him!
Who, who was he?
…
At the edge of the Eastern Sea, misty and hazy, a vast island suddenly appeared, as if shrouded in black shadows.
A few days later, at Huamei Villa, Master Lu received a special invitation:
“On the Winter Solstice, at the edge of the Eastern Sea, the Golden Tortoise Island Banquet—do not be absent.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage