Chapter 32: The Mad Monarch of the Southern Realm

Bing Muer and her companions descended the mountain.

“Little Princess, you seemed quite shocked when you woke just now. Why was that?” Elder Hua asked Bing Muer with genuine concern.

A gentle smile slowly unfurled across Bing Muer’s exquisite face. “Elder Hua, the Heavenly Fire Curse that was within me has vanished. My Profound Ice Technique has broken through directly to the ninth level!”

“What did you say?” Elder Hua’s aged form trembled violently.

The reason her stepmother cast the Heavenly Fire Curse into her body back then was out of jealousy—Bing Muer’s talent in the Profound Ice Technique was so extraordinary that she had left her own daughter, the eldest princess, far behind. The Profound Ice Technique was the hereditary martial art of the Southern Domain Prefecture, a symbol of the purity of their bloodline. The faster one advanced in the Profound Ice Technique, the purer the ancestral blood.

Fearing that the Southern Domain Lord would come to value Bing Muer once more, her stepmother secretly implanted the Heavenly Fire Curse in her when she reached the fifth level, stifling further progress.

From then on, Bing Muer’s Profound Ice Technique stalled at the fifth level, never advancing, while her stepmother sowed discord, causing the Southern Domain Lord’s attitude toward Bing Muer to grow ever colder.

“Little Princess, was it Young Master Chen’s dish of spicy fish that shattered the Heavenly Fire Curse?” Elder Hua’s voice trembled with emotion.

“Yes,” Bing Muer nodded. “After eating that dish, the power within my body became so vast that the curse couldn’t withstand it—at last, it shattered, completely gone.”

Elder Hua burst into hearty laughter. “Wonderful! Who could have imagined that Young Master Chen would bestow such a tremendous blessing upon you? It’s truly marvelous.”

The long-standing knot of frustration in his heart finally dissolved, replaced by the bright clarity of a cloudless sky.

How wonderful! With the curse broken, not only did the Profound Ice Technique soar, but it leapt four levels at once, reaching the ninth. There were only ten levels in total. One more breakthrough and she would attain perfection.

The little princess’s talent for the Profound Ice Technique was indeed remarkable! This time, Young Master Chen truly granted her a stroke of great fortune.

“Congratulations, Little Princess!” Mu Wanqing, Baili Song, Huangfu Meng, and Nangong Ba all stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

“Thank you!” Bing Muer’s joy made her cheeks glow like peach blossoms.

“Little Princess, why not take out the painting Young Master Chen gave you? Perhaps it holds yet another stroke of great fortune,” Elder Hua said, his face full of expectation.

But Bing Muer shook her head. “Elder Hua, Young Master Chen told me to look at the painting only at a critical moment.”

“Very well,” Elder Hua said, restraining his curiosity with effort.

Bing Muer paused, then changed the subject. “News of the Demon Emperor’s tomb has spread throughout the Southern Domain. All the great powers will surely go. The Demon Emperor was a figure of legend—his tomb must hold unparalleled fortune.”

Elder Hua’s eyes gleamed. “Very true, Little Princess. Those powers won’t care whether entering the tomb will cause some calamity. They seek only their own opportunity.”

Mu Wanqing added, “Even if the Demon Emperor’s tomb brings disaster, it will surely be within Young Master Chen’s grasp—he is a sage, and must have foreseen it.”

She had long since become utterly devoted to Chen Changsheng.

“Wanqing is quite right,” Baili Song nodded. “Since we are all pieces on Young Master Chen’s board, why not seize the chance and venture into the Demon Emperor’s tomb? If fortune favors us, we might also gain a rare opportunity.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

Indeed, they should brave the Demon Emperor’s tomb. With everything under Young Master Chen’s control, what was there to fear?

Bing Muer and Elder Hua had originally come to White Emperor City to hunt down the Blood Demon Patriarch’s soul. Now, however, Chen Changsheng had already subdued it. All that remained was the Demon Emperor’s tomb.

Instead of returning to the Southern Domain Prefecture, Bing Muer and Elder Hua chose to stay temporarily in White Emperor City with Nangong Ba.

Not long after, word that the Demon Emperor’s tomb lay deep within the Hundred Thousand Mountains swept through the Southern Domain. Clearly, someone had deliberately seized this moment to spread the news.

The legend that the tomb was in White Emperor City had proven false. How could such a place conceal a tomb worthy of the Demon Emperor?

The true location was the Hundred Thousand Mountains!

In an instant, the entire Southern Domain was in turmoil.

Winds gathered, clouds surged, and the strong assembled from all directions.

“The Demon Emperor’s tomb was always a secret. It was rumored to be in White Emperor City, but now, suddenly, the news breaks that it lies deep within the Hundred Thousand Mountains,” Bing Muer said, her expression cold. “Undoubtedly, this news was released by my father. He may be the only one in the Southern Domain who knows the tomb’s whereabouts.”

Elder Hua sighed deeply, his disappointment profound. “The Lord is clearly creating an opportunity for the eldest princess. He cares nothing for the risk that the Demon Emperor’s tomb may bring calamity, only for sending people to seize its fortune. If disaster truly strikes, what becomes of the millions of lives in the Southern Domain?”

Bing Muer’s face darkened. “For the sake of the eldest princess, my father has truly lost his mind. Fortunately, everything is already within Young Master Chen’s control.”

“Indeed, we owe much to Young Master Chen. Otherwise, the Southern Domain would truly face catastrophe this time.”

“Elder Hua, let’s go. Let the City Lord of White Emperor City, along with Baili Song and Mu Wanqing of the Skycloud Sect, join us in seeking out the heart of the Hundred Thousand Mountains,” Bing Muer said, beckoning to Elder Hua.

She firmly believed that all of them were pieces on Young Master Chen’s board, and so must stick together.

…

The Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Southern Domain covered a vast expanse, ancient trees towering overhead in dense, luxuriant forests. This was a land of great peril, inhabited by countless primeval beasts—even peak Dao-transforming experts dared not enter lightly.

Deep within the mountains, the air was thick with an ancient aura, and grotesque peaks and strange stones abounded.

“The reason there are so many ancient beasts here is surely linked to the Demon Emperor’s tomb. All these monsters may well be demon beasts!” someone exclaimed.

“It’s astonishing—the Demon Emperor’s tomb really does lie deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains!”

“In ages past, the Demon Emperor was a mighty power. His tomb must contain treasures beyond compare and perhaps even the opportunity to transcend and become immortal.”

A great multitude of flying vessels converged upon the Hundred Thousand Mountains, sent by all the great powers of the Southern Domain.

Who would willingly miss the chance to explore the tomb of such a legendary being?

Mu Wanqing, Baili Song, Nangong Ba, Huangfu Meng, and the others traveled aboard Bing Muer’s luxurious ship, flying straight toward the heart of the mountains.