The King of Wu laughed heartily, "Human Emperor, your end is nigh."
"Though you see Chen Nan as your pawn,"
"You will never know how terrifying the energy contained within this pawn is."
"A move made cannot be regretted; I hope you do not regret the choice you once made."
He was the first to glimpse the Human Emperor's intent.
Initially, he was uneasy.
But now.
He had a blind confidence in Chen Nan.
"Bai Li Ao Tian, do you know I despise you?" Emperor Qian held his divine sword, "A man should be upright and honorable, not like you, hiding in the shadows and resorting to despicable tactics."
"Enough of your nonsense, take this sword."
He formed a hand seal.
Vast immortal energy surged into the long sword.
The divine sword erupted with world-ending power.
It tore through the void.
And slashed towards the Human Emperor.
The others also joined the fray.
After all, with the Empress's assistance, their injuries had fully recovered.
------
Heavenly lightning descended.
The terrifying heavenly might instantly reduced the Empress's palace to ruins.
Following that.
A faint medicinal aroma seemed to permeate from the highest heavens.
Soon, it spread throughout the Snow Country, refreshing the mind and spirit.
Within the Yan Zhou Cauldron.
A black and white pill, emitting a milky white halo, slowly floated upwards.
The Three Lives Creation Pill.
Nurturing creation.
Never-ending life.
Chen Nan willed it.
The pill landed in his palm.
He then flew out of the Empress's palace.
He saw Ling Yan Ran, Nie Yao, Bai Jie, Chen Jin, and the others who had been waiting for a long time.
"Precious one, take this pill."
Chen Nan placed the Three Lives Creation Pill into his daughter's mouth and channeled his immortal energy to help her dissolve it.
The little girl yawned and sleepily mumbled, "Father, I'm a little sleepy."
Chen Nan reached out, took his daughter from Ling Yan Ran's arms, and whispered, "Father will hold you while you sleep."
He desperately wanted to go to the Human Emperor's Palace immediately.
However.
He wanted his daughter to fall asleep in his arms.
Because he did not know if he would return alive from this journey.
The little girl fell asleep in Chen Nan's embrace with a face full of happiness.
"Take good care of her."
Seeing his daughter asleep, Chen Nan gently kissed her forehead.
Then, he reluctantly handed her over to Ling Yan Ran.
"Brother-in-law, take care!"
Seeing Chen Nan about to leave, a tear emerged in her eyes, "You must both come back alive."
Chen Nan nodded solemnly, "I will."
Chen Jin said, "Sir, I will go back with you."
"Alright."
Chen Nan's soul power enveloped Chen Jin, tearing through the sky and vanishing above the Snow Country.
He flew through the void's dark river at his fastest speed.
Half an hour later.
He tore through the sky.
And appeared above the Human Emperor's Palace.
The Human Emperor City had already become a ruin.
Countless groans and wails of the citizens could be heard from within the city.
In mid-air.
Blood flowed like a rainbow.
Staining the sky red.
The Azure Dragon was severely injured.
Even by parasitizing Ao Lie, it was on its last breath.
A terrifying sword wound had nearly split Ao Lie's dragon body in two.
Emperor Yan.
King Wu.
Emperor Qian.
Stone Emperor.
Emperor Lei.
Emperor Yin.
Great Peng Demon Emperor.
White Tiger Demon Emperor.
Kirin Demon Emperor.
Eight-Eyed Demon Spider.
They were all heavily injured.
Even though the Empress controlled the Great Dao of Life.
She was ultimately not a Saint.
Her strength was insufficient to heal these people's injuries repeatedly.
When Chen Nan emerged from the void.
Everyone's eyes became fervent.
He strode forth, bathed in divine light.
His body blazed with Samadhi True Fire.
He descended like a god.
His appearance was like a lamp lit in endless darkness.
Illuminating the gloom.
Allowing people to see the flame of hope.
Seeing that everyone was still alive.
Even though they were heavily injured.
Chen Nan's suspended heart finally settled.
He looked at the Human Emperor, covered in blood.
A faint smile appeared on his face, "Master, long time no see."
Hearing the word "Master."
Everyone present, except for King Wu and Cao Ru Feng, gasped.
The intense shock made them forget their pain.
They could never have imagined.
That Chen Nan would address the Human Emperor as his Master.
The Human Emperor also smiled, "It seems you had already guessed my identity."
Chen Nan sighed, "Although I guessed your identity, I always hoped my guess was wrong."
He reminisced, "We met in prison."
"I remember when I first entered prison, I was often bullied."
"If not for you, I might have died long ago, right?"
He smiled, "Back then, you insisted I become your disciple, and said you would teach me unparalleled arts."
"You said that once I learned them, I could become a peerless figure among men."
"Even become an immortal, become a god."
"The facts have proven you did not lie."
"I have achieved all that you said."
"But I truly find it hard to accept that the Master I cherished and respected is actually the Human Emperor."
"And that everything you did for me was to seize my body."
"To make me a stepping stone for you."
"This stab you dealt me is truly unbearable!"
The Human Emperor chuckled, "You have risen faster than I anticipated."
"Especially when you forcefully broke into the Immortal Realm; I ultimately underestimated Nan Gong Wan's importance in your heart."
"There is just one thing I am curious about."
"When did you start suspecting my identity, and when did you know I was Wu Shan?"
Chen Nan lit a cigarette.
Few cigarettes remained in his storage space.
The Human Emperor said gently, "Smoking is bad for your health."
Chen Nan looked at the cigarette in his hand, "Yes, back in prison, you also said smoking was bad, affecting health. But..."
"A person lives for a lifetime, they should have some of their own preferences, shouldn't they?"
"Perhaps these preferences affect health, but they bring happiness."
"As for suspecting your identity..."
He exhaled a thick plume of smoke, "After you died, I was always suspicious, no, to be precise, I never understood why an expert like you would die?"
"And why would you be imprisoned?"
"Why did it seem like you vanished into thin air after death, to the point that even I, your disciple, didn't know your burial place?"
"Were you hiding something?"
"Until hell collapsed, and the inhabitants of the eighteenth minor world escaped."
"That's when I learned your other name, Qing Zhi."
Speaking of which.
A immortal mansion appeared in his hand.
"If I recall correctly, this immortal mansion should be called the Qing Zhi Immortal Mansion."
The emerald green immortal mansion stood tall between heaven and earth.
That touch of green diluted the blood mist in the air.
"At first, I thought it was a coincidence."
"But."
"The cultivators in hell said they didn't know where you came from, nor how long you had existed."
"Your appearance in hell was as if you were evading someone's pursuit."
"But..."
"Were you truly escaping from someone's pursuit?"
"Or were you trying to find someone in prison?"
"Until I discovered Wu Shan's physical body in the Yin-Yang Feng Shui formation of Qing Long Mountain."
"Until I buried Wan'er there."
"Until you had someone take away Wan'er's remains."
"At that time, I had a vague premonition."
"The person you were looking for in prison was me."
"You took away Wan'er's remains precisely to lure me to the Immortal Realm."
"Of course, I didn't connect these clues at first."
"Until I encountered the soul of Senior Luo Yuan in the immortal mansion."
"He told me that you treat all beings in the world as chess pieces, and advised me to be wary of those around me."
"I thought carefully."
"Apart from you, my respected Master, who else could have altered the trajectory of my destiny?"