While the other Empresses might remain indifferent to the fact that the Divine Empress is the daughter of an Immortal Emperor, for ordinary mortals and cultivators, this revelation was nothing short of earth-shattering.
After all, to them, immortals are already figures of myth and legend.
And even more so, an Immortal Emperor.
No matter how disgraceful the Divine Empress might have appeared before, her identity as the daughter of an Immortal Emperor alone commanded awe and reverence from almost everyone.
However, a question lingered in everyone's mind.
If the Divine Empress is indeed the daughter of an Immortal Emperor, with such an esteemed status, why was she sent to the lower realms?
Could it be that something has happened in the Immortal Realm?
And could it be related to the forbidden zone in the Immortal Realm?
These were reasonable speculations.
After all, there had never been any precedent of immortals descending to the lower realms throughout history.
Let alone the daughter of an Immortal Emperor.
Moreover, they had previously learned through the Haotian Mirror that there was a great terror within the forbidden zone of the Immortal Realm.
If someone were to recklessly enter that forbidden zone, it could spell disaster not only for the Immortal Realm but also for the lower realms.
Though no one knew that Xiao Fan had been summoned by some force within the forbidden zone, they could tell that he initially intended to go there.
Only after realizing what that place was did he temporarily abandon the idea.
But there was no guarantee that Xiao Fan hadn't eventually entered the forbidden zone.
Someone then asked the Divine Empress, "Divine Empress, do you recall why you came to the lower realms? Did something happen in the Immortal Realm?"
At this, even the other Empresses turned their gaze towards the Divine Empress.
They didn't believe Xiao Fan would sever the path to the Immortal Realm and isolate the two realms without reason.
There must have been a motive behind his actions.
Hearing this, Xuanwei tried hard to recall.
This was something she had always wanted to understand.
Unfortunately, much of her memory had yet to be restored.
Just as she was about to give up and wait for her memories to naturally return, a scene suddenly flashed in her mind.
It was darkness—an all-consuming void.
The darkness devoured everything, not even light could escape.
Countless celestial creatures fled in terror, and countless immortals wore expressions of despair.
Everything was disappearing, vanishing into nothingness.
And from that darkness, which even immortals feared, a figure slowly emerged.
As his face became clearer…
Xuanwei suddenly awoke.
Her eyes were filled with fear, unable to believe the memory that had just surfaced.
Could it be that the Immortal Realm had truly been consumed by darkness?
Had it ceased to exist?
Xuanwei's brow furrowed deeply, the memory that surfaced was beyond anything she could have imagined.
The mere thought that the Immortal Realm might no longer exist filled her with an indescribable sadness.
All she had ever wanted was to recover her memories and return to the Immortal Realm.
But now she was being told that the Immortal Realm might already be gone.
How could she possibly accept that?
But what shocked her the most was that the person she saw emerging from the darkness was Xiao Fan!
What had Xiao Fan done?
Could the destruction of the Immortal Realm be related to Xiao Fan?
With these doubts in her mind, Xuanwei gazed at the Haotian Mirror with a solemn expression.
She wanted answers.
Everyone else had been waiting quietly for the Divine Empress's response.
But after a brief moment of contemplation, the Divine Empress's face suddenly changed dramatically.
With unprecedented gravity, she stared intently at the Haotian Mirror.
Everyone thought that the Divine Empress must have recalled some crucial memory.
And it seemed she was not going to give them an answer.
Since that was the case, they had no choice but to continue seeking answers from Xiao Fan's memories.
Inside the Haotian Mirror.
Upon learning that Xuanwei was the daughter of an Immortal Emperor, Xiao Fan was hesitant to continue his unorthodox teaching methods.
However, Xuanwei pestered him daily, insisting that she wouldn't feel comfortable unless he scolded her.
Otherwise, she would start throwing tantrums.
Helpless, Xiao Fan had no choice but to continue catering to her unusual requests.
On this particular day, after berating Xuanwei, Xiao Fan thought she would be satisfied and stop causing trouble.
But to his surprise, Xuanwei suddenly sighed and said, "Master, lately I feel like your scoldings don't affect me much anymore. Why don't you just hit me instead?"
Xiao Fan was dumbfounded.
This request was getting more and more outrageous.
He felt like he was on the verge of becoming a pervert.
Xiao Fan tried to ignore Xuanwei's increasingly unreasonable demands.
But in the end, he couldn't resist Xuanwei's relentless persistence.
She clung tightly to Xiao Fan's leg, pleading desperately, "Master, please hit me! Harder, with all your strength! Don't hold back just because I'm delicate!"
At first, Xiao Fan tried to remain indifferent, thinking that if he gave in this time, Xuanwei would only make more outrageous demands in the future.
But seeing no reaction from Xiao Fan, Xuanwei started to throw a tantrum.
"Master, are you going to hit me or not? If you don't, I'll hit you instead!" Xuanwei threatened, her tone fierce.
Xiao Fan almost laughed in exasperation.
"Insolent disciple! Are you trying to defy your master?" Xiao Fan scolded her sharply.
As soon as Xiao Fan's tone grew stern, Xuanwei's aggression quickly faded.
"Master, please, just hit me! Otherwise, I won't feel comfortable!" Xuanwei switched to a pleading tone, her voice sweet and coy.
Xiao Fan felt completely at a loss.
Fine, fine.
After all, Xuanwei had suffered enough—trapped in loneliness for so many years.
Perhaps this was the cause of her peculiar 'illness.'
Clearly, curing Xuanwei's 'illness' wouldn't be an overnight task.
Hopefully, with time, she would gradually return to normal…
Sighing in resignation, Xiao Fan raised his hand.
*Slap! Slap! Slap!*
"Insolent disciple! If you dare to behave so wantonly again, I will not spare you!" Xiao Fan scolded as he slapped Xuanwei. With each slap, Xuanwei's face lit up with satisfaction.
Just as Xiao Fan was about to deliver the fourth slap, he suddenly felt someone watching him.
Looking up, he found himself locking eyes with someone.
It was a middle-aged man, refined and serene, dressed in simple attire.
Yet, just by standing there, the man seemed to blend harmoniously with the world around him.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, observing Xiao Fan with an inscrutable expression.
Xiao Fan froze, his raised hand stiffening in midair.
He was stunned.
Although Xiao Fan had initially been unsure of this man's identity, as soon as he saw the man's face, he could easily guess.
For the man's features bore an undeniable resemblance to Xuanwei's.
Unless he was mistaken, this middle-aged man was likely Xuanwei's father—the legendary Immortal Emperor.
Xuanwei, oblivious to the situation, clung to Xiao Fan's leg, urging him in a dissatisfied tone, "Master, don't stop! I want more!"
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8