Immortal of the Ages

Meanwhile, over at the Bound Palace, which was assigned to the Endless Netherworld, there was a small gathering. The War Princess and Netherworld Emperor, along with a handful of her uncles, were all crammed into one of the halls.

The Netherworld Emperor nearly choked on his tea, spraying it out in disbelief. "100 million Immortal Jades?" he exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers. "Why don't you just hold up a passing Immortal while you're at it?"

The War Princess, with a fire in her belly, shot back, "Just cough it up and quit whining, Dad!"

Second Uncle tried to play peacemaker. "That's an Emperor's ransom! Only the imperial treasury can cough up that much. Your dad's got, what, 30 million Immortal Jades at most? Let's not put him on the spot."

And then there was the Lion Duke, trying his hand at reason. "What's a little girl like you gonna do with all those Immortal Jades, huh? It's not like there's a shopping district in the Immortal Asylum you can splurge at."

But the War Princess wasn't having any of it. With a raised eyebrow that could've cut glass, she turned on them. "Daddy's only got 30 million?" she mused aloud. Then, with a sweep of her gaze, she had them cornered. "Fine. Each of you six cough up 10 million, and we'll call it even."

Her imperial uncles' faces turned as dark as a stormy sky, their mouths agape at the unexpected turn. It seemed their attempts at diplomacy had backfired spectacularly.

"Any more lip, and I'll take myself out!" the War Princess thundered, her threat hanging in the air like a guillotine.

The Netherworld Emperor and the rest exchanged glances, their faces as long as a horse's. "Well, my little chili pepper, at least tell us what you need all this money for?" the Netherworld Emperor ventured.

"None of your beeswax," came the snappy retort.

"..." The Netherworld Emperor fell silent.

"Are we doing this or not?" The War Princess stamped her foot, and the whole palace shuddered. Her power, clearly surpassing several of her uncles, was on full display.

With resigned looks, they finally caved. "Alright, alright, we'll pay up!" the Netherworld Emperor relented.

"But I haven't even taken a wife yet," the Lion Duke wailed, the very picture of despair at the thought of his dowry flying out the window.

"Another peep out of anyone, and you're not leaving this room," the War Princess warned, barricading the door with the threat of sheer brute force.

With that, they scrambled together, scraping up just shy of 100 million Immortal Jades. It was close enough, for all intents and purposes.

With a nod from the War Princess, her imperial uncles were finally allowed to take their leave, their pockets considerably lighter. The Lion Duke, looking like a storm cloud had settled over his head, couldn't help but throw in a word of caution, "Make good use of this money, and don't you let any no-good scoundrel sweet-talk you out of it."

He trudged off, the very picture of woe. The War Princess coughed awkwardly, acknowledging the truth in his words. After all, the very scoundrel he warned her about was the one she intended this fortune for.

Soon, only the Netherworld Emperor remained, casting a long shadow in the dim light.

"I'm off then," the War Princess declared with a stiff air, turning to leave.

"In such a hurry to deliver it to him?" the Netherworld Emperor inquired, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

The War Princess paused, turning to face the somber middle-aged man shrouded in shadows. Before she could answer, he ventured softly, "Is Exile Yun treating you well?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she stumbled backwards, flustered. "How did you...?" she stuttered.

"A father knows his daughter," the Netherworld Emperor said with a gentle smile, shaking his head. "You changed after returning from the Heavenly Land... and since Exile Yun hails from there, it stands to reason he's the cause."

"Oh, so you were just guessing?" she muttered under her breath.

"Did he help you awaken your Nine-Tiered Bloodline, showing you kindness?" he probed further.

"It's more than that," she admitted, still visibly nervous.

"More than that?" His gaze deepened, a mix of concern and intrigue.

"Just... don't worry about it. I'll be fine..." she tried to reassure him, her voice steadier. "Dad, no matter what, I'm in a much better place than before, right? I once thought I'd seek death by 18." freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

"I know." He nodded.

"So?"

"Do as you wish. You have my unconditional support," he said, his smile warm and reassuring.

"Aren't you afraid I might be exploited, dragging the Endless Netherworld down with me?" She bit her lip, voicing her deepest fear.

He shook his head. "The thought has crossed my mind, and yes, I've worried. But as a father, I choose to trust my daughter."

"Dad..." Her eyes welled up with gratitude.

He simply smiled, a silent testament to his faith in her. Many parents tended to fret over their children's every move, driven by a lack of trust. But not the Netherworld Emperor.

"Go on," he encouraged.

With a determined nod, her eyes blazing with renewed courage, she felt invigorated by his trust. "Don't worry! These 100 million Immortal Jades are an investment. I'll repay you, with interest, someday!"

With that, she vanished into the shadows, leaving only her determination trailing behind her.

The Netherworld Emperor leaned against the doorway, watching her departure with tears welling in his eyes. "Dammit!" he cursed under his breath. "If only I'd known daughters could drive a man to such despair! The mere thought of some swine eyeing my precious girl is unbearable!"

He clutched his chest, his face turning a shade of purple from sheer frustration.

"Dad, what's wrong?" the War Princess called out, glancing back suddenly.

"Ahem, nothing, my little chili pepper." The Netherworld Emperor waved her off with a cough. "Off you go, to embrace your brilliant destiny."

"You're ridiculous!" she shot back with an eye roll, then turned and disappeared.

Three days whizzed by in the blink of an eye.

Half of the Fate Ocean Realm participants who'd been staying in the Eight Trigrams arena had already taken their leave.

The rankings were still led by the Calamity Seal Purgatory, with the Undead Depths and Rising Sun Inferno trailing in second and third, respectively. The Eternal Sword Prison, meanwhile, was languishing at the bottom.

It seemed to everyone that the Calamity Seal Purgatory was on track to remain the ruler of the Nine Hells for the next decade. However, with the sudden rise of the Immortal Asylum, shifting from a mere referee to the master of ceremonies, the allure of the Nine Hells Conqueror title had somewhat waned.

Moreover, with Yun Xiao still very much alive and kicking, a sense of disillusionment had begun to spread. "Yun Xiao is a freak of nature. If we let him continue his cultivation, we'll stand no chance at all."

"After the beating he took last time, can the Talisman Emperor really just sit back and do nothing?"

The Nine Hells Conqueror, having nearly lost everything, how could he just stand by?

Indeed, the observant ones soon noticed that the arena, which had been under the watchful eyes of the Overseers, Hell Demons, and Devil Generals in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm, was now devoid of their presence.

Only the Fate Ocean Realm participants remained.

"Who called them away?"

"It must have been the Talisman Emperor and the Wick Devil..."

In the hallowed and shadowy halls of the Field Palace, over 200 figures lurked in the darkness, forming a sinister assembly. These individuals, divided into seven factions, were the titans of the Nine Hells, each a pinnacle of existence in their respective domains and nearly all wielding the reins of powerful families.

They were peak existences in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm, a rare breed in the Nine Hells, numbering just over 200. The Sword Ruins alone used to boast nearly thirty such individuals, but that number dwindled with the demise of the Withered Bone Keeper and his Ku Family.

Excluding the Sword Ruins, a staggering ninety-five percent of the Heaven Sanctuary Realm experts were gathered right here. The Calamity Seal Purgatory, Undead Depths, and Rising Sun Inferno each contributed around 40 of these formidable beings. The other hells fell in the range of 20-30, with the Primeval Demon Hell slightly edging out with 34, nearly matching the Rising Sun Inferno.

Among this illustrious gathering was none other than the Phoenix Empress herself, along with the Netherworld Emperor and the Siren Empress. The Leviathan Ravine had a new figurehead, the sister of the Sea Dragon Emperor, known as Ao Yuan, a formidable female dragon demon clad in blue armor.

With such a gathering, it was a given that the Talisman Emperor, Wick Devil, and Pale Revenant were in attendance. The Talisman Emperor, shrouded in gloom, sat in the deepest part of the chamber, his hands resting on the armrests and his head bowed. Ever since the tragic loss of his wife and mother, he hadn't uttered a single word in public, his heart a cauldron of vengeful fury.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The Wick Devil, ablaze with infernal fire, stood at the center, his burning gaze sweeping over the crowd. "We are convened today because I possess a foolproof method to annihilate Yun Xiao in an instant, beyond the reach of the Immortal Asylum's reproach. I seek the collective might of all present to safeguard the original order of the Nine Hells and to exterminate Yun Xiao, the foreign fiend!"

"The collective might of all? What does that entail?" the Phoenix Empress asked.

The Wick Devil's fiery eyes fixed on her as he pronounced each word with grave emphasis, "One-tenth of everyone's blood essence."

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