Chapter 1402: Soul Capture
Chapter 1402: Soul Capture
“Your father?” The Fiend Emperor asked, sounding shaken.
Dan Zhu was worried that the Fiend Emperor’s hand would just end his life, so he didn’t dare to keep him in suspense anymore. He replied, “It’s none other than that Emperor Yao I talked about before. Only the emperors who succeed the throne know where these immortal medicines are. The immortal medicine I ate was a fruit that fell prematurely and didn’t mature for various reasons. That’s why I’m stuck in this state that’s neither alive nor dead.”
The Fiend Emperor frowned and asked, “If your father is an emperor, why would he give you an underripe fruit? Furthermore, you rose to the throne in the past too. Why do you not know?” This matter was related to immortality, so there was no way he wouldn’t be careful. He didn’t want to be fooled.
“Didn’t I tell you already? My father was suddenly schemed against in his later years, so he didn’t pass on the throne properly to me at all. Many secrets were lost just like that,” Dan Zhu explained. “As for the fruit I ate, it was something my father stumbled upon in his younger years by chance. At first, it was just treated as a treasure to be collected without any real use, but when I was forced to abdicate and at the end of my rope, I secretly ate it. That’s why I was able to persist until now.”
“So that is why, if I want to talk to your father, there is no choice but to undo the seal the way you said, right?” the Fiend Emperor said with a sneer.
“You really are smart,” Dan Zhu replied. When he saw the Fiend Emperor’s expression become unkind, he quickly explained, “It’s not that I’m trying to deceive you on purpose, but that it really is only my father who knows! If you can undo the seal and free him, he’ll be extremely grateful!
“Besides, I’ve been trapped here for so long that I hate Shun more than anyone else. What kind of status did my father have in the past? He was an emperor who dominated the world! In his later years, he was plotted against by his most trusted aides, so his hatred can only exceed mine. If you help him get revenge, why won’t he be thankful to you?
“Furthermore, you’re from the White Emperor bloodline too, so in a sense, you’re his descendant. It’s reasonable to pass on the undying fruit to you.”
Dan Zhu fired off several reasons in rapid succession. Then, he looked at the Fiend Emperor expectantly.
The Fiend Emperor asked with a dull expression, “Where are the seals you speak of?”
Seeing as he had agreed, Dan Zhu was overjoyed, explaining, “The seal was applied by Shun. I don’t know the exact details, but over the years, I’ve thought about what happened back then countless times and formed some suspicions. Furthermore, you’ve already undone the Taowu’s seal, so those suspicions are most likely correct. Their seals are most likely related to their respective characteristics. For example, the Hundun’s is probably…”
He then told them about his speculations in detail. He added, “Bring me with you. I can explain things if there’s anything that you’re not sure about.”
The Fiend Emperor remained quiet for a while. Then, he suddenly said, “There is no need for all of that trouble.”
As soon as he said that, he raised his hand and thrust it through the center of the skeleton’s forehead. His hand seemed to be intangible; the sturdy skull didn’t receive any damage, and was unable to stop him at all.
“You…” the skeleton protested, struggling frantically. However, it was all futile.
The Fiend Emperor quickly pulled out his hand again; in it was a glowing blue light that resembled the will-o’-the-wisps often seen around tombs. The light in the center of his palm struggled, but no matter what it did, it couldn’t leave his palm at all.
The Fiend Emperor remarked with a sneer, “Isn’t this better? I can just ask you whenever I want.” Then, he closed his palm and the blue light suddenly disappeared.
Wu Liang shook all over when he saw that. It was the legendary Soul Capture skill!
Those kinds of techniques really were too terrifying, because they meant death was never the worst that could happen. Ordinarily, death was a kind of release in its own right. However, if one were restrained and tormented even as a soul, that really would amount to a fate worse than death.
The Golden Crow Crown Prince swallowed with difficulty when he saw that. He didn’t dare to say anything else and instead searched the area around him. A while later, he said in disappointment, “This guy’s burial objects are just too shameful. There are only some ordinary goods. There are a few things that might have been good, but they have already turned to dust after all this time.”
Wu Liang inwardly thought, That’s only because your standards are too high. One of you is the Fiend Emperor, while the other is the crown prince. The things they normally used were all of the highest quality, and the imperial palace was full of treasures. Of course, they wouldn’t care about such burial objects. However, many of these things, if brought out into the outside world, would be enough to make cultivators go crazy.
“What kinds of funerary objects could someone like him who had his throne seized have?” the Fiend Emperor said indifferently. He also asked, “What do you think about what he said earlier?”
Sensing that his father was testing him, after some hesitation, the Golden Crow Crown Prince said, “Father emperor, I believe that you should be careful more than anything. Even if we did what he said and undo that Emperor Yao’s seal, the emperor would be grateful to us, but would he really give us something as precious as an immortal medicine?
“As for what he said about our bloodline being the same, that is even more nonsense. Forget about a few tens of thousands of years, even brothers can turn on each other because of benefits.”
He gave Wu Liang a look after saying that. This guy had been sent by none other his lovely second brother to assassinate him.
The Fiend Emperor nodded and said, “Indeed. You did not waste my many years of cultivation.”
The Golden Crow Crown Prince felt much more reassured when he heard the affirmation. He continued, “Furthermore, who knows how high the cultivation of an ancient emperor might be? if he broke free, we would not necessarily be able to stop him. If he suddenly got another idea for some reason, we would instead be in danger.”
“What you say is not entirely without reason,” the Fiend Emperor replied. “Not only is that Dan Zhu or whatever said unreliable, he s;dp harbors ulterior motives. How could I allow him to do what he wants?”
“Father emperor is wise and brilliant!” the Golden Crow Crown Prince exclaimed, immediately showering his father in praise.
The Fiend Emperor said seriously, “However, if he wants to fool me, most of what he said should be true. So, I will take a look around the places he mentioned. However, we need to remain extremely vigilant.”
They knew it could be a trap, but the temptation of an immortal medicine was just too great. No matter how dangerous it was, he still had to try it.
“Understood!” the Golden Crow Crown Prince said respectfully.
Wu Liang was on the verge of tears. He thought to himself, You deities are about to fight it out, but can I skip out on this one?
If things went as he expected, he would definitely be the first one to face it if they ran into danger. Now that this was related to an ancient emperor and an immortal medicine, even if he had been a cat with nine lives, it wouldn’t be enough.
The Fiend Emperor took a few steps forward, but suddenly stopped and said to the Golden Crow Crown Prince, “I know what you are thinking. If we do find the immortal medicine, I will share a portion with you. That is why we, father and son, should be of the same mind. Do not do anything that involves turning on your own blood kin.”
Normally, he wouldn’t speak so frankly at all, but they could end up facing the ancient emperor. Judging from what Dan Zhu had said, immortal ascension could be possible. The other party’s cultivation wouldn’t be lower than his own. If there was a great battle, it was hard to say who would come out on top. It would be troublesome if his son betrayed him at a crucial moment.
Furthermore, he was a bit regretful that he had let Zu An leave. Those people were only ants in his eyes normally, but now that he was facing a true ancient emperor, they had become a variable. He could need his son’s help to fend them off. As such, he had decided to confide in his son directly.
The Golden Crow Crown Prince was so frightened his face turned ashen. He exclaimed, “Father emperor, this subject would not dare to have any thoughts like that! I will always be loyal to you.”
The Fiend Emperor frowned and said, “I am not testing you; you do not need to think too much of it. Furthermore, what I said was not a lie. If we do find the immortal medicine, I will share a portion with you.”
When he heard the sincerity in his father’s voice, the Golden Crow Crown Prince was immediately moved to tears, replying, “Thank you, father emperor. This subject will do my utmost to assist you!”
Inwardly, however, he felt ice-cold. As someone from the royal family, there was no way he would easily trust a promise like that.
Furthermore, even taking a million steps back and assuming his father really was willing, that was based on the premise that there was extra immortal medicine. What if only a single fruit remained? Of course, he didn’t dare to voice any of those thoughts. His expression was as sincere as sincere could be.
The Fiend Emperor nodded in satisfaction, saying, “Then, we should head toward that Hundun Dan Zhu spoke of.”
…
Meanwhile, on Zu An’s side, multiple groans filled the air. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue both opened their eyes at the same time.
Zu An quickly ran over and asked nervously, “What’s wrong?”