Since there were too many people, Shen Ying and the group took slightly more than half a month to travel through the Nine-Layered Palace Gates. As the Ten-Direction Ship exited through the gates, they heard a load of hustle and bustle.
Huge artifacts were parked all around them. They were in all shapes and sizes – some were in the shape of a huge lotus flower, others looked like chessboards, some looked like immortal seals and yet others looked like immortal ships – just like their own. From far away, they could see immortal figures moving about. The array formation separated them from the inside world, so they could not see too clearly. As they passed by the immortal artifacts, they saw that each one looked better and more glorious than the previous one. The immortal Qi in the air became increasingly strong.
But it seemed that none of the artifacts were as pristinely white as theirs. Their own ship was glowing golden. Compared to the oddly-coloured immortal ships that they passed by, theirs looked way more glorious.
The people atop the other immortal ships also looked like they were here to take part in the meeting. However, it was unclear which country they were from and which emperor they were under. Lonemoon pondered, and realised that there were more than just eight ships. These people clearly arrived earlier than them. From time to time, immortals flew out of the other ships, riding their swords and boarding other immortal ships, as if to have a chat. That was why even though everybody was still moving forward, they were moving relatively slowly.
Once the Ten-Direction Ship appeared, people stopped to stare. Some of them even released their divine perception into the Ten-Direction Ship, as if to check out who was on the ship. Yet, the array formation around the boat blocked these off. At once, many people turned around to look at the ship.
Lonemoon looked in front and pointed at the sky full of immortal weapons. He had not imagined that he would meet with a traffic jam even in the Heavens beyond Heaven. When did they have to wait until? An immortal in white robes rode an immortal crane and flew toward them. There was a crown on his head. He looked like he was an immortal official.
Indeed, the immortal stopped in front of the array around their ship and bowed toward the people on the ship.. In an exceptionally clear voice, the immortal said, “I am the immortal official under the Celestial Emperor. I have come to welcome all of you. I wonder which emperor you are under?”
Without thinking too much about it, he decided not to enter the Ten-Direction Ship for inspection. Instead, he turned around and led them on their way. “This way, please!” For some reason, he felt that the noisy Heavens beyond Heaven had suddenly become a bit quieter.
Lonemoon studied the surroundings Indeed, the divine perception that everybody released onto the ship had all been retracted eagerly. It seemed that Yi Qing’s beating did have an effect on them afterall.
The immortal ship followed the immortal official and flew for another ten or so minutes. This was indeed the Heavens beyond Heaven – the further they travelled inside, the richer the immortal Qi around them felt. All around them, there was acres of immortal land and immortal hills. Compared to the quiet and secluded Emperor Ascension Stage they had been to earlier, this place seemed much richer and more powerful. They could even feel the aura of several immortal meridians.
All the disciples in the ship were both excited and curious as they studied their surroundings. All except… Lan Hua!
From the moment they passed through the Nine-Layered Palace Gates, he stopped speaking. All his years of training as a demon would naturally leave him unaffected by immortal Qi. Indeed, this little bit of immortal Qi was considered nothing to him.
But this was the Heavens beyond Heaven afterall. For all he knew, he would bump into his grandsons, the current Celestial Emperors. Ordinarily, he would not be afraid. But right now, he was trapped in this array formation. Beside him stood a Young Emperor sword cultivator who hated him to the core. He was not even sure he would be able to keep his life, much less defend himself against the Celestial Emperors.
He had been trying to suppress his demonic Qi for the entire journey so that he would be able to find an opportunity to escape, but the sword cultivator they called Yi Qing seemed to really hate him. He kept threatening to kill him for no reason, and treated him like he was a thief who was going to steal something valuable. Yi Qing’s immortal sword would appear under his neck if Lan Hua so much as stretched his leg.
“Boss, this is for you.” He turned and felt something heavy hanging around his neck.
“Eh?” He paused and looked down at the necklace around his neck. Then, he looked up at his good heart, staring right back at him. “This is…”
“Baby gave you this shield,” Shen Ying answered matter-of-factly. “It keeps your fog in check. Don’t lose it – I have to return it!”
Lan Hua was utterly confused, but on closer inspection, he found that his demonic Qi had indeed disappeared. He looked just like an ordinary Earth Immortal. “This… this necklace…” It helps him to conceal his demonic Qi!
Lan Hua’s eyes widened and he looked up dazedly. “You… You are not going to hand me over to the Celestial Emperor?”
“The Celestial Emperor?” Shen Ying paused and answered, “You owe him money?”
“No… No, I don’t.”
“Oh. Then why would we hand you to him?”
“…”
Suddenly, he felt a familiar warmth fill his chest. It was the same feeling he got when Shen Ying offered a fruit to him. The feeling became so overwhelming that his eyes began to feel hot. Something in his chest welled up so that he felt like he was suffocating.
Σ(°△°|||)
That was how… he retrieved another storage bag from inside his robe.
“Immortal pills, weapons, talismans… help yourself to whatever you want. You don’t have to return them to me!”
“… You have more!”
“The last time I went back to Willow Forest, I took some more things.” Afterall, he had been a Celestial Emperor in the past. He was not lacking in material treasures. “What else do you want?”
“Er… Immortal-”
“Immortal stones, right? Here, here, here…” He held back his tears as he retrieved two more small bags from inside his robes. “Here are the immortal stones. There are also some immortal fruits. Take them, take them. Take them all. Please, get away from me. Stop treating me so well, alright?”
“Alright, thank you, Boss!” Shen Ying turned around to walk away.
Lan Hua’s heart felt like it was bleeding. He was trying his hardest to resist the urge to take out the artifact that was dearest to him.
