Chapter 33: You Must Be Very Happy to See Me, Right? (Please Follow, Subscribe, and Vote)

At the Xiyue Sacred Land, thick purple energy obscured the sky and sun, carrying a mysterious, golden hue. The boundless aura of the Dao captured everyone’s attention.

In the sky, countless stars shimmered.

An Emperor! An Emperor has emerged!

Everyone felt their hearts tremble; the vision of an Emperor’s appearance was far too overwhelming.

Outside the borders of the Tianwu Continent, two Wolf Clan Supremes watched the Xiyue Sacred Land with cold eyes.

"Big brother, are we not going?" Ye Yang asked his elder brother, Ye Hen. Both were Supremes of the Wolf Clan.

"No," Ye Hen sneered as he watched the Emperor’s vision over the Xiyue Sacred Land. "The fellows in the Forbidden Zones claimed that Yellow-Head and Gray-Head were killed by the current Emperor, but who knows if that’s true?"

"Yellow-Head and Gray-Head left the Wolf Clan long ago. If the two of us go down there, we’re just scouting the path for those people in the Forbidden Zones!"

Listening to his brother’s analysis, Ye Yang nodded slightly. His brother was right; they could not risk their lives for others. The denizens of the Forbidden Zones were obsessed with spying on the Emperor, hoping to hunt him, yet they were unwilling to act themselves, hence why they sought others to pave the way. They were not fools. While the current Emperor had entered his twilight years, he was still among the most formidable in combat. Of course, if an Emperor were to burn his life force to the absolute limit, everyone would perish!

Right now, who would dare touch an Emperor without absolute certainty? The Emperor might just explode at the slightest contact! Naturally, there were brainless fools who would go looking for trouble, but they were certainly not among them.

"An Emperor in his twilight is still an Emperor. The Forbidden Zones treat Emperors as a grand feast, but if we act, we won't get a share," Ye Hen said coldly. "Heh, perhaps this time the Emperor is the one preparing to hunt us Supremes!"

Hearing his brother's words, Ye Yang gasped. "That... is indeed possible."

When the Emperor ascended years ago, it was mysterious; no one could fathom how he had achieved it. There had been rumors that everyone who had ever seen the Emperor fight was now dead, though Ye Hen and his brother did not know if it were true.

Thinking of this, Ye Hen scoffed, looking at the Emperor’s vision over the Xiyue Sacred Land. "All flash and no substance, pandering to the crowds! What kind of Emperor's vision is this? Isn't it just an old Emperor trying to revive his waning prestige? Ridiculous." Strength was strength, weakness was weakness; creating such displays was merely the behavior of a paper tiger.

"Still, the Master of the Xiyue Sacred Land was once his friend. Who knows what traps lie within? Let's go." Ye Hen stepped forward.

"Brother, are we just going back like this after coming out?" Ye Yang glanced at the Xiyue Sacred Land, feeling unwilling. They had been in deep slumber, and to return now would be a great loss.

Ye Hen shook his head, his eyes opening and closing as divine light bloomed. "Go back? No, we will go hunt for flesh. Do not touch the humans yet; we will eat elsewhere. If the Emperor does not appear, or if he is truly failing, then we will strike at the humans..."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Ye Yang's face. "Excellent! Good!"

***

In the Xiyue Sacred Land, the Emperor's aura permeated the air.

Wu Xian let out a roar, shattering the arm of a Saint-level monster with a single punch. Sensing the Emperor’s aura, he paused, instantly retreating to stand beside the two other Great Saints of the Xiyue Sacred Land. They stared at the six monsters.

The six monsters had also suffered significant damage. However, Wu Xian’s gaze sharpened as he saw the wounds on the three Great Saint-level monsters vanish instantly. His heart skipped a beat, but his brow soon relaxed—the Emperor had arrived!

"Cough, cough." The withered Great Saint, Ji Chun, who had spoken with Ye Bufan earlier, coughed up a mouthful of Saint’s blood. His vitality was fading, and he was nearing death. He looked at the six monsters with a calm gaze, feeling that something was wrong, though he could not identify what. These six monsters gave him a sense of familiarity.

He did not dwell on it, however. His body was exhausted; fighting the monster Great Saints while guarding against the leakage of his own power—lest he accidentally destroy the Sacred Land—left them at a great disadvantage. He was wounded.

Fortunately, the Saint King-level monster had, for some reason, not joined the fray.

Now that the Emperor had descended, the three Great Saints of the Xiyue Sacred Land breathed a sigh of relief. Six monsters were nothing before an Emperor. Yet, they wondered if there were more monsters in the Devil’s Den. The Great Saints could not understand how so many Saint-level monsters had emerged from the depths! Right under their noses, six Saint-level entities had crawled out from the underground lair. It was horrifying. It felt as if mortals had been sitting on a volcano that could erupt at any moment—and they had sat on this "Saint-level volcano" for thousands of years without ever noticing!

This den had been designated a blessed land by the first Sacred Master and the Emperor themselves. How could they have missed the presence of so many Saint-level entities? Could it be that these monsters had only appeared in recent years? Regardless, the Emperor was here, and they need not worry.

The three Great Saints stood guard, watching the six monsters. None of the monsters moved; they were all looking up at the Emperor’s aura. Wu Xian frowned. Why did it feel as if these monsters were expecting something? He looked back and saw the monsters staring at the highest peak of the Xiyue Sacred Land, known as Duxiu, where the Emperor’s pavilion stood. He wondered, *Could they be waiting for the Emperor? Are they not afraid of death? What secret lies here?*

Suddenly, Ji Chun frowned. He felt a flicker of realization, as if a spark of clarity had grazed his mind, but when he tried to grasp it, it vanished, leaving him dazed.

***

On Duxiu Peak, the aura billowed. All the disciples of the Xiyue Sacred Land watched the pavilion.

The pavilion doors slowly opened, revealing the scene within. A wisp of purple energy magnified before their eyes. The interior was simple: a wooden pavilion containing a table, two chairs, and two teacups, from which hot steam rose.

Yet, the chairs were empty.

Everyone was stunned. Strange, was that all? Where was the Emperor? Whose teacups were those? Had someone been drinking tea just now? Or had the first Sacred Master and the Emperor sat there drinking tea long ago, and the cups had remained ever since?

Then, they saw the portrait. It was blurred.

Ye Bufan frowned, staring at the painting. It was familiar—too familiar. He recognized the person in the portrait almost instantly! Even though the painting was blurred, even though the Emperor’s aura covered it like chaos!

But! But! But!

Was this not the man who had killed his elder brother, killed his kin, killed the two Dao-Merging Venerables of the Xiyue Sacred Land, wiped out Su Wan’s entire family, and erased the physical talents of both himself and Su Wan... Li Xuan?!!!

No! No! No! It was impossible! It definitely couldn't be! Ye Bufan frowned, refusing to believe it.

Strange, why was the person in the portrait so familiar?!

Su Wan, Leng Yanshuang, the Xiyue Sacred Master, Su Yao, and the heads of the Su family all stared blankly at the portrait. Though the image was blurred, they all felt a sense of familiarity.

A familiar voice echoed.

"You were all planning to kill me, were you not? Why are you kneeling and begging now?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the disciples of the Xiyue Sacred Land were confused. Where had they heard this voice before?

When the Su Ancestor heard the voice, his mouth fell open, stretching to its limit until it almost split. He blurted out, "Li Xuan!!!"

"Seeing me, you must be very happy, right?"

At some point, a figure in black robes had appeared in the pavilion. He sat on a chair, twirling a teacup with his fingers, his gaze turning to look at them indifferently. It was as if he had been there all along, and they had simply failed to notice!

The steam from the teacup rose steadily, seeming to carry a sense of joy.

Behind him, the aura on the portrait hanging on the wall slowly dissipated. The figure in the painting was identical to the man sitting in the chair!

The figure in the portrait seized their eyes with an overbearing force. In the corner of the painting were a few lines of writing:

*"Gifted to my friend Chen Xiyue. Lost a game of chess, a fish, and a promise ^_^ — Emperor Li Xuanyi"*

The handwriting was sloppy, unrestrained, and free-spirited. At that moment, everyone could feel the joy of the person who had written these words. At the end, there was even a smiling face.

It was as if after he became Emperor, he had gone fishing with a friend, chatted, and then played a game of chess, which he lost—and he hadn't even caught the fish. So, having lost the game and failing to provide the fish he had promised his friend, he left behind a vow instead.

The Emperor!

Li Xuanyi!

Li Xuan!

Exactly the same.