"Thank you for your concern, Royal Uncle," said the Zhou Emperor with a pale smile. Only he knew the true extent of his injuries—wounds that would never fully heal in this lifetime.
"Zhou Emperor, take some time to rest. I'll handle matters for now," Ji Kong sighed. There was little else he could offer his nephew beyond this gesture.
"Thank you, Royal Uncle," the Zhou Emperor replied gratefully, but a violent coughing fit interrupted him, underscoring just how frail his condition truly was.
"By the way, Royal Uncle... cough cough..." His voice weakened, but he managed to continue. "There are reports that someone from the upper realms has descended to Da Xia."
A somber expression spread across his face. The disparity in power between the upper and lower realms was simply insurmountable. Even a mid-ranking figure from the upper realms could potentially overwhelm Da Zhou entirely.
A few days earlier, intelligence had come from a high-ranking informant embedded within the Da Xia royal court. According to the report, two individuals with auras as vast and unfathomable as divine abysses had arrived. At the very least, these figures were likely half-step human emperors—or even worse, individuals who had already set foot on the emperor's path.
The Zhou Emperor surmised that these upper-realm powerhouses were specifically sent to deal with Da Zhou.
How pitiful it was that their ancestral lineage in the upper realms had completely severed ties, offering no aid in their time of crisis. It seemed Da Zhou had truly been abandoned.
If not for Ji Kong's recent breakthrough to the human emperor realm, the Zhou Emperor would have already succumbed to despair.
"Your Majesty, please rest now," Ji Kong urged. He was acutely aware of the precarious situation Da Zhou found itself in. This was precisely why he had risked his life in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone to acquire the royal-grade medicine necessary for his breakthrough.
Without taking such risks, Da Zhou would already be as good as dead.
Even now, with Ji Kong as a human emperor, the odds were far from favorable. Yet having a human emperor gave Da Zhou a glimmer of hope—a chance that simply didn't exist before.
That very day, news of Ji Kong's ascension to the human emperor realm swept through Zhongzhou Vast Lands like a tempest. In no time, every sacred ground, dao palace, and royal court learned that Da Zhou now had a living human emperor.
The Qingyun Realm had not seen a successful breakthrough to the human emperor realm in countless years.
Almost immediately, representatives from various factions began preparing gifts and traveling to Da Zhou to offer their congratulations. The difference between a faction with a living human emperor and one without was monumental.
At Ye Wang Manor in Da Zhou
"I can't believe it," muttered Ye Chen, his expression clouded with disbelief. "The Battle Emperor of Da Zhou not only survived in this lifetime but also succeeded in becoming a human emperor."
The reborn Ye Chen found himself increasingly unsettled. This lifetime was diverging significantly from his previous one, and these unexpected changes were throwing his plans into disarray.
This disruption was detrimental to Ye Chen's growth. His advantage had always been his foreknowledge—leveraging future events to amass resources and power. Now, with the future becoming unpredictable, his path to supremacy felt far less certain.
"I suppose it won't be long before Da Xia brings its upper-realm allies into the fray," Ye Chen mused. His memories of the past told him that Da Xia's forces were on the brink of launching an invasion against Da Zhou.
"But will this lifetime unfold the same way?" Ye Chen wondered aloud. If Da Zhou was still fated to fall, he needed to act swiftly.
At the very least, he vowed to protect his parents and ensure they survived the imperial conflict.
By all accounts, Da Zhou's destruction seemed inevitable. However, whenever Ye Chen thought of the enigmatic Qin Tian, his certainty wavered.
"Qin Tian..." Ye Chen muttered, his brow furrowing. This mysterious figure seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, disrupting the very fabric of destiny. His mere presence was enough to throw Ye Chen's carefully laid plans into chaos.
On the Loft, Overlooking Da Zhou
"System, how many fate points do I have?" Qin Tian asked, his tone calm as he surveyed the sprawling horizon from atop a lofty tower.
"Master, you currently have 6,300 fate points," the system replied in its cold, mechanical voice.
Qin Tian's lips curled into a faint smile. That amount would suffice to purchase a variety of treasures.
"System, give me the next volume of the Celestial Ascension Body Physique," Qin Tian commanded. He was eager to advance his physique further. Once his Celestial Ascension Body Physique evolved into the Grand Dao Celestial Ascension Body Physique, his body alone would be unstoppable.
"Understood. The second volume of the Celestial Ascension Body costs 800 fate points."
Without hesitation, Qin Tian activated the purchase. To him, 800 fate points was a small price to pay.
"System, upgrade the Dao Heart Demon Seed Art," Qin Tian continued. This technique was among his most powerful assets, allowing him to subjugate even those who had once been favored by the heavens.
Fate children—beings often referred to as the heavens' chosen ones—were notoriously difficult to control. Yet Qin Tian's Dao Heart Demon Seed Art was capable of bending them to his will, showcasing its unparalleled strength.
The sound of a door creaking open broke the stillness.
"Master, the Battle Emperor of Da Zhou requests your presence," Chu Xinyue said softly as she entered the room.
She had recently heard of the Battle Emperor's incredible achievement in ascending to the human emperor realm. Rumors suggested that he had found an extraordinary herb—or perhaps even a true royal-grade medicine—in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone.
While the world speculated that the Battle Emperor's breakthrough was due to his own efforts, Chu Xinyue knew better. It was entirely thanks to Qin Tian's generosity in gifting him the royal-grade medicine.
Chu Xinyue couldn't help but recall Qin Tian's description of the cultivation realms. To her master, a human emperor was little more than a slightly stronger insect.
Nearby, Yi Yi let out a long yawn, stretching lazily before delving into its stash of food.
"This little one does nothing but eat and sleep," Chu Xinyue said with a laugh, watching the small beast rummage through its pile of sparkling stones. She couldn't fathom why Qin Tian treated it so well.
Although she didn't know exactly what her master was feeding the creature, she could sense the immense energy radiating from the stones it consumed. These were undoubtedly treasures of the highest caliber, yet Qin Tian casually used them as pet food.
"Don't underestimate this lazy glutton. Once it matures, it will become incredibly powerful," Qin Tian said with a chuckle, retrieving a radiant red stone the size of a human head from his storage ring.
"Yi-ya! Yi-ya!"
The little beast's eyes widened with excitement upon seeing the stone. It pointed at itself and then at the glowing gem, its meaning unmistakable: I want that.
Qin Tian smiled indulgently. While most would dismiss the creature as a mere glutton, they failed to realize that its cycle of eating and sleeping was the key to its rapid growth in strength.