Chapter 19: Human Sovereign Jiang, Come Fight!
Hongchen Fairy secluded herself in the Pure Land of the Mortal World and never appeared before others again. However, painters had captured her likeness, and her portraits became highly sought after.
In the end, at the suggestion of knowledgeable individuals, all portraits of Hongchen Fairy were destroyed. Now, they likely exist only within the treasury of the Pure Land of the Mortal World.
Jiang Li was amazed by Hongchen Fairy’s beauty, yet he remained composed. This wasn’t something that could be explained merely by a profound cultivation level, but he himself couldn’t quite grasp the underlying reason.
“Since I am merely an outsider, it would be inappropriate for me to view your sect’s ancestral master’s remains. I ask that the two of you check the tomb yourselves to ensure her immortal body is intact.”
“Human Sovereign Jiang, what are you saying? From the moment you revived the Immortal Tree, you became our sect’s benefactor. How could a benefactor be considered an outsider?”
Unable to refuse Holy Maiden Jingxin, Jiang Li followed them to the resting place of their ancestral master.
The tomb chamber of Hongchen Fairy was incredibly simple, without any decorations. The empty room contained only a single crystal, about the height of a person, at its center.
Inside the crystal, there was nothing. No immortal body in sight.
“To prevent her immortal body from being taken, our ancestral master left behind a seal on the crystal that only she could undo. She must have revived and left on her own!” Holy Maiden Jingxin immediately concluded. “The only question now is whether she has fully regained her memories or is acting purely on instinct.”
“As expected, the one inside the Golden Chamber was your ancestral master!” Although Jiang Li had suspected as much, seeing a true case of resurrection with his own eyes still left him slightly surprised.
“Jingxin, you and Human Sovereign Jiang must go at once to check on Emperor Mengjiang!” Daoist Nun Qingyu ordered. She knew this was what Holy Maiden Jingxin wanted to do, but she couldn’t always let Jingxin make all the decisions—otherwise, where would that leave her authority as the sect leader?
…
The Mengjiang Dynasty bordered the Pure Land of the Mortal World. Otherwise, how could Hongchen Fairy have been found by Emperor Mengjiang during his western hunt after she descended the mountain?
The two quickly arrived at the Golden Chamber, where a woman in red lay in deep slumber.
“It’s really Ancestral Master Hongchen!”
Upon seeing her, Holy Maiden Jingxin immediately felt a deep bloodline connection. Otherwise, even as a woman, she would have found it difficult to resist the overwhelming charm of Hongchen Fairy.
The Pure Land of the Mortal World was home to countless beauties, a tradition that endured through the ages due to two sources of disciples.
One was from elders traveling the world and recruiting girls they favored as disciples.
The other was from the sect’s Immortal Peach Tree. Eating its fruit allowed women to conceive, and the newborns naturally became disciples of the sect.
Hongchen Fairy herself had consumed an immortal peach.
And Holy Maiden Jingxin belonged to the latter group.
“Ancestral Master’s beauty is truly beyond what we mere mortals can compare to.”
Holy Maiden Jingxin was confident in her own appearance, but she wasn’t arrogant enough to think she could rival the one and only Hongchen Fairy across the ages.
At best, she was a once-in-five-thousand-years beauty.
“But why has Ancestral Master remained asleep? When will she wake up?”
“Perhaps Emperor Mengjiang knows the answer.”
…
“This is the situation. This woman is the founding master of the Pure Land of the Mortal World. The only thing we don’t know is whether she has truly been resurrected or if this is merely a body given new life. Right now, she remains in deep sleep, likely because she has yet to fully transition from death to life. Do you know how to wake her?”
Although the Nine Provinces Continent had no recorded instances of resurrection, ancient Immortals had left behind notes describing such cases.
There were only two known ways resurrection could occur.
One was that the soul escaped the underworld and returned to the mortal realm.
The other was that the original soul had vanished, but the body had given birth to a new consciousness.
However, the latter wasn’t truly resurrection in the proper sense—it was simply a new life.
Emperor Mengjiang and the others took a while to process Jiang Li’s explanation before finally reacting.
“Human Sovereign Jiang, you must be joking. Ever since I brought her to the Golden Chamber, I haven’t even dared to touch her, fearing it would be blasphemous. How could I possibly wake her? Sometimes, she wakes up after several months, other times in just a few days. I haven’t been able to figure out any pattern.”
Jiang Li nodded. This answer was within his expectations. He then said to Emperor Mengjiang, “Hongchen Fairy’s presence here is too great a burden, and she is, after all, the ancestral master of the Pure Land of the Mortal World. After discussing it with Holy Maiden Jingxin, we believe that both sentimentally and logically, she should be returned to the Pure Land. What do you think?”
Emperor Mengjiang immediately objected. “Absolutely not! Hongchen Fairy has been here for three years—she’s already accustomed to this place! You can’t just take her away!”
Though he knew Hongchen Fairy had a noble identity and an extraordinary background, he wasn’t willing to simply let such a beauty be taken away before his eyes.
Who knew if he’d ever have the chance to see her again after this?
“I know your rules—when words fail, the strongest fist wins. The strong reign, the weak suffer. Come on then, Emperor Mengjiang, let’s have a match.” Jiang Li had no expectations that these two emperors would be particularly enlightened. A fight? That was the simplest solution.
“Then I must offend you!” Emperor Mengjiang’s voice was low and firm.
“Count me in!” Emperor Wei also stepped forward, standing beside Emperor Mengjiang with great momentum. He had no intention of letting Jiang Li take Hongchen Fairy away either.
So what if she was the ancestral master of the Pure Land of the Mortal World? It was merely one of the six great sects. Their two ancient dynasties had also produced Immortals before. Their heritage was no weaker than that of the Pure Land. Were they not worthy of Hongchen Fairy?
They refused to accept it!
What of the Human Sovereign? They were emperors as well. Did that make Jiang Li inherently superior to them? That he could simply take away whoever he pleased?
What of the Human Sovereign Hall, revered across the Nine Provinces? This time, their two great dynasties refused to acknowledge it!
Zhang Konghu immediately stepped far away to avoid being caught up in the fight. Unlike these two arrogant fools, he had seen Jiang Li in action. The Outer World Demons that had once required enormous sacrifices to defeat—Jiang Li had cut them down like vegetables.
The power of the Mahayana Stage was unfathomable!
Emperor Mengjiang, dressed in luxurious royal robes and wearing a flat-topped crown, held the Starry River Gold Staff in his hand. He pointed skyward, and the Starry River—once concealed by the sun’s brilliance—reappeared in the heavens. Dazzling starlight, infused with boundless celestial power, gathered upon the Starry River Gold Staff. Emperor Mengjiang’s aura soared, as if he were an emperor wielding the cosmos itself!
The national fortune of the Mengjiang Dynasty—Starry River Radiance!
Emperor Mengjiang loosened his suppression over the Great Wei Dynasty’s national fortune, allowing its power to manifest as well.
Not to be outdone, Emperor Wei, clad in robes adorned with tortoise and serpent motifs, wielded the Imperial Jade Seal. The eight inscribed characters—”Mandated by Heaven, Long Life and Eternal Prosperity”—shone brilliantly before twisting into the shape of a Xuanwu. North Ren Kui Water, each drop heavy as a mountain, coiled around Emperor Wei, making him resemble an ancient god who could shroud the sky with a single hand!
The national fortune of the Great Wei Dynasty—Xuanwu, the Water God!
“Human Sovereign Jiang, come fight!”
The two emperors shouted in unison, their minds clear as they armed themselves to the fullest, far stronger than when they had fought Zhang Konghu.
Three breaths later.
Lying on the ground, barely alive, Emperor Mengjiang weakly gasped, “Imperial physician… summon the imperial physician at once…”