Above the Cloud Summit.

The soul within the firelight continued to crumble and reassemble, cycling endlessly.

Such spiritual torment was unbearable even for an Immortal Venerable, let alone No-Face, who was merely at the Golden Core Realm.

She couldn't even scream. Her voice had been sealed, making it impossible to roar and vent her agony, which only doubled her pain.

So when No-Face saw Xu Lai arrive, her tormented, twisted face was like a death row inmate seeing a sliver of hope. She slapped her hands against the prison of flames, desperate to get his attention.

"Speak."

The moment Xu Lai spoke, No-Face felt she could talk again. All her arrogance from that afternoon was gone.

She knelt on the ground, weeping as she begged, "Xu Lai, I was wrong! I beg you, be merciful and let me go!"

"That's not what I want to hear," Xu Lai frowned.

"Unless you promise to free me... otherwise... I'll never tell you!" No-Face's voice trembled.

She was afraid. After spending around twenty hours in this fire, unable even to kill herself, she was on the verge of collapse. But the thought that this was only the beginning forced her to threaten Xu Lai.

Although No-Face didn't know why Xu Lai and the three-year-old child wanted to know about Jing Ke's plans and whereabouts, it was—

A bargaining chip!

A chip that would allow her to negotiate on equal footing, one she had to grasp tightly.

However, contrary to her expectations, Xu Lai said indifferently, "Then there's no need for you to speak."

No-Face's soul shuddered, and she shrieked, "Xu Lai, you can't do this to me! I can be your servant! A servant at the Golden Core Realm! Taking me with you would earn you great prestige!"

Golden Core?

Heavenly Dao, who had appeared behind Xu Lai, curled its lips in disdain. A Golden Core was nothing. Never mind the First and Second Divine Generals of the Heavenly Court, who were both at the Quasi-Emperor Realm. Even it, Heavenly Dao, located in a remote corner of the Universe, knew that every maid in Xu Lai's manor was a peerless beauty, either a Goddess from the Celestial Clan or a Saintess from a Dao Orthodox Sect, each one a woman of immense talent.

But that was many years ago.

Five years ago, Xu Lai had suddenly dismissed them all and secluded himself within the Heavenly Court, leading to widespread speculation in the Immortal Domain about what had happened to The Supreme Emperor.

Except for a select few, hardly anyone would have believed that the great Supreme Emperor was actually on Earth, playing the role of a doting father.

"Supreme Emperor, use the Soul Searching Technique," Heavenly Dao suggested cautiously.

The Soul Searching Technique!

It was a Divine Skill that could be performed by high-level cultivators to view all of a target's memories, including fragments that were forgotten or sealed away. Of course, it came with a significant side effect. The one whose soul was searched would almost certainly be left an imbecile.

No-Face panicked.

But Xu Lai said, "No."

No-Face felt a flicker of relief, knowing that her 'Jing Ke' bargaining chip still had some use, but then...

She heard Xu Lai continue, "Would an imbecile still care about this cage?"

Heavenly Dao froze. Goosebumps erupted all over its body. Truly worthy of the man who had ascended to the throne by stepping over a mountain of corpses. So ruthless and decisive. It was clear he didn't care about Jing Ke; he just wanted No-Face to suffer inside the candle flame prison, fully sane and aware. The Emperor's word was law. If Xu Lai declared one hundred thousand years of Soul Lighting, then it would be one hundred thousand years. Not a single second less.

"..."

If No-Face had initially been relieved that Xu Lai wouldn't search her soul, she was now gripped by a chilling terror upon realizing his true intentions.

With a quivering voice, she said, "You're a devil! You're not human!"

"I'll leave her to you."

Xu Lai clasped his hands behind his back, preparing to leave the clouds. My wife is still drinking her porridge in the living room. Holding her hand while watching the snow fall outside sounds much more interesting than lingering here with a child and a soul.

"Yes," Heavenly Dao responded, nodding quickly. It knew it would have to use some unconventional methods now.

No-Face shivered uncontrollably.

She knew all too well how terrifying this three-year-old child was and the countless ways it could torture her.

She cried out anxiously, "I'll talk! Xu Lai, don't go! Jing Ke is on Earth to find the Quasi-Emperor's Tomb!"

There's a Quasi-Emperor's Tomb on Earth. He already knew this. The Phantom Beast from Mount Zijin, the one he'd had for dinner, once tried to trade this very secret for its life. In the end... it still became a meal on his plate.

Hearing this, an uninterested Xu Lai waved his hand. "Take her back to Mount Fu."

"..."

No-Face was dumbfounded. That was the Quasi-Emperor's Tomb! The tomb of a being surpassed only by the greatest in the universe, filled with countless Cultivation Techniques and treasures! Why is Xu Lai so indifferent?

"Inside the Quasi-Emperor's Tomb is a treasure, possibly the key to the Nine Kings' Palace! He came to Earth to find that key!" No-Face revealed the second bombshell, clenching her teeth.

She didn't actually know about the Nine Kings' Palace, having only stumbled upon this information through sheer, dumb luck.

Xu Lai finally stopped. "Are you... sure?"

The Nine Kings' Palace. Legend claimed it was built by nine beings of the Emperor Realm. It was the undisputed forbidden ground of the Immortal Domain, countless times more dangerous than the Samsara Sea, which was also a forbidden zone. One Emperor per epoch. In the last hundred epochs, aside from Emperor Guimu who had died before its gates fifteen epochs ago, Xu Lai had heard nothing else about the Nine Kings' Palace.

An evil dagger. A pawn on Earth. A man named Jing Ke. All looking for a key to the Nine Kings' Palace. And this key was supposedly hidden inside the Quasi-Emperor's Tomb.

But Jing Ke clearly said he would wait *in* the Nine Kings' Palace for the Ji Family to give him an explanation. Why would he need to look for a key? Xu Lai rubbed his brow.

At that moment, a light flickered in Heavenly Dao's eyes. It spoke softly, "Among the Moon Clan, the surname of the Moon King's Royal Clan is Ji. They migrated to the Moon later on..."

Xu Lai gave Heavenly Dao a glance but said nothing.

Heavenly Dao's expression remained unchanged as it lifted its small, innocent-looking face. "Supreme Emperor, I only just learned of this. I definitely wasn't hiding it from you."

"Mhm."

Xu Lai nodded. But inwardly, he was thinking, 'So, this little Heavenly Dao isn't as innocent as it seems. It's hiding plenty of secrets.'

"Supreme Emperor, I suspect Jing Ke may have some connection to the Moon..." Heavenly Dao volunteered, "Let me investigate this matter!"

"You?" Xu Lai looked at it with a half-smile. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."

"I will not fail to live up to your expectations, Supreme Emperor!"

Heavenly Dao knelt on one knee in a formal gesture, cupped its fists, and showed its utmost respect.

"Supreme Emperor..." Hearing the little boy call him The Supreme Emperor again and again, No-Face felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She said in disbelief, "There is only one Supreme Emperor in the Immortal Domain! Xu Lai, you... you're... Emperor Qingfeng?!"

No-Face couldn't believe it. The number one person in the Universe had come to this remote, insignificant star system and was even living incognito on Earth.

She shouted hoarsely, "You're lying! You're not The Supreme Emperor! You can't be!"

Suddenly, No-Face thought of something. A vicious light flashed in her eyes as she said sinisterly, "If you truly are the Supreme Emperor, then I wonder if you know about the life-saving trump card Jing Ke left for me!"

"Oh?" Xu Lai's interest was piqued. "Let's see it."

Heavenly Dao's ears perked up. It was completely bewildered. Why would No-Face reveal her trump card? A revealed trump card is no longer a trump card.

"Below Mount Fu... upon my body..." No-Face's voice was barely a whisper.

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