Chapter 77: Timeless Ages, Four Lives of Shaohua

Chapter 77: Timeless Ages, Four Lives of Shaohua

“Just a self-destructive move. The Empress never really cared about those people. The bond from back then can’t extend to the present.”

Xiao Zicheng, the old sage and gatekeeper, spoke up. He had shaken off his previous half-dead state, successfully extending his life with the help of the Immortal Phoenix Heart left by Shaohua, and returned to his peak.

It must be said, the Undying Heaven Emperor was a treasure trove. The Phoenix Heart was comparable to an Elixir of Immortality, and the body was not only an excellent material for refining magical artifacts but also a top-tier ingredient for cooking, with feathers that could be used to make clothing.

Of course, Shaohua had returned the Devouring Heaven Demon Cauldron only after consulting the Fierce Human Empress, not acting on her own.

Then, she used her great power to channel a sliver of her divine consciousness back, casually showing off her culinary skills—how about a taste of the Devouring Heaven Demon Cauldron stewed with Immortal Phoenix meat?

When the Fierce Human Empress opened her cauldron and saw the stewed meat glowing with five colors of light, even her exquisite, immortal face couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise.

Shaohua smiled, her lips curling in a knowing grin, keeping her skills and reputation hidden.

The feeding was a success!

As the saying goes, when you owe someone, you’re at their mercy. The Fierce Human Empress had nothing to say.

In fact, she never cared about the Devouring Heaven Holy Land. She had never paid attention to those people, only leaving a legacy in that village long ago.

She didn’t care how they treated her legacy, indifferent to their heinous deeds and the countless curses they received.

To her, the only thing that mattered was waiting for that one person to return. Even immortality was merely a byproduct to allow her to wait indefinitely.

Now, with the Devouring Heaven Demon Cauldron lost and the Supreme Imperial Weapon no longer suppressing it, it wouldn’t be long before the Devouring Heaven Holy Land faced a united attack.

But while the Fierce Human Empress didn’t care, Shaohua did.

She had been secretly suppressing the Devouring Heaven Holy Land, preventing those people from causing chaos, given her deep connection with the Fierce Human Empress.

However, she hadn’t expected those people to be beyond redemption. Once she “died,” their true nature was exposed, stirring up unrest in the Celestial Dipper.

Since that was the case, she couldn’t blame herself for a small punishment, using Ning Fei’s hands to retrieve the Devouring Heaven Demon Cauldron.

Afterward, Shaohua left enough Immortal Essence Liquid for the gatekeeper to keep an eye on Ning Fei, planning to bring him back when the time was right, sealing both of them away for the future.

This era wasn’t the time for him to achieve enlightenment.

Moreover, once he achieved enlightenment, he wouldn’t be able to seal himself away again. He couldn’t just cut himself off after that.

Shaohua even considered leaving him for the golden age over 200,000 years later, which would certainly be more interesting.

Leaving the Ancient Prohibited Lands, she took one last look at the Celestial Dipper before her figure vanished, returning to the Kunlun Mountains, which had transformed into her own form.

The four Elixirs of Immortality were all placed here, with her family of three sleeping in the Immortality Cultivation Grounds, accompanied by the Nine-Aperture Divine Stone.

The Immortal Metal Divine Embryo and the Carefree Vessel continued to develop on the Other Shore of Myth, protected by the Spirit Treasure Killing Formation.

The Wayfire Lamp was naturally lent to Ning Fei for protection, requiring no divine power to activate, capable of unleashing astonishing power on its own.

The Heavenswallow Bangle was left at Five-Finger Mountain, suppressing the Undying Daoist’s soul.

As for the Feather Ascension Banner, which faintly emitted an ominous aura, it was discarded into the Primordial Chaos Domain, along with the Karmic Cycle Sea, Karmic Cycle Lake, and Soulforce Abyss, to refine and suppress the Undying Daoist’s body.

The bell’s sound echoed gently, and a palace made of Phoenix Wood stood in the clouds. This was the house Shaohua had built by dismantling the Phoenix Nest, moving her two disciples and their parents here.

Keeping them close brought peace of mind.

Next, she needed to deal with her own issues.

In the battle with the Undying Heaven Emperor, the old bird had burned its essence, and she had also sacrificed half of her life, showing no hesitation or restraint.

It was only because she had just lived through her third life, with her vitality at its peak, that she didn’t face a major problem.

She had truly aimed to kill, which was why she fought so fiercely, already anticipating the appearance of the Immortal Bell and choosing to confront this extraordinary immortal artifact head-on.

Even though the Immortal Bell forcefully resisted, the Undying Heaven Emperor’s body still exploded, the Immortal Platform shattered, and only the soul managed to escape, also suffering severe injuries.

Normally, a shattered soul that escapes would only face the fate of dissipating, but Shaohua believed that the Undying Heaven Emperor would not fall so easily. One day in the future, they would meet again.

"This strike cost them tens of thousands of years of life!" Shaohua gestured with her hand, sighing softly. "Alas, most of their life force is gone now."

To strike the enemy, one must first strike oneself—truly a case of both sides suffering heavy losses.

It wasn't about burning their essence to unleash potential, but rather sacrificing half of their lifespan to borrow power from the mysterious void. Only through her deep understanding of the laws of time and space could she achieve this.

At that moment, she felt as though she had truly touched the river of time, almost reaching the realm of immortality.

"Fortunately, this life was gained from the Elixir of Immortality, so the fundamental essence remains unharmed. Now, I don't need to worry about that old undying bird anymore. The fourth life is within reach!" Shaohua then chuckled softly.

She was very confident about the fourth life. With the accumulation from her first three lives, she could naturally cultivate a thread of eternal immortal essence, transform the divine embryo, and live another life.

The Fierce Human Emperor had also done this, but something must have gone wrong, leading to some errors.

She had to learn from these mistakes and strive to avoid any accidents.

As for the path ahead, she had some ideas.

In this life, she had less than ten thousand years of lifespan left. Ten thousand years was very short, and she needed to seize every moment.

Who made her choose such a difficult path? In her third life, she had already embarked on a unique journey.

It wasn't just the path to immortality or the so-called path to becoming a transcendent being.

The path was the process of enlightenment and realization;

The Dao was the elevation of one's own beliefs;

The Law was the evolution and exposition of the Dao, the method of enlightenment;

The Technique was the concrete manifestation and external display of the Law, the means to protect the Dao.

Unlike many who firmly believed in invincibility in their current life, Shaohua's Dao was: Sincere Will Eternal Dao.

To summarize it in one word: "Sincerity."

Sincerity is the way of heaven, and the pursuit of sincerity is the way of humanity.

The Divine Radiance Sutra she created was actually an exposition of her Law. By entering the divine realm and opening the Yellow Court Inner Realm, she could comprehend the past, present, and future, forming an inner world and thereby manifesting several secret techniques as protective means.

My thoughts are the divine light, my thoughts are ever-present, my thoughts are fleeting, my thoughts define my existence.

There was no doubt that her Dao and Law were exceedingly profound, with lofty aspirations.

It was precisely because of this that she became trapped in her first life.

It wasn't until she lived her second life in reverse, with all the dust settling and the light of truth emerging, that she finally attained the great Dao, and from then on, she could truly be called invincible in the world.

"My Law, my Dao, my path."

Shaohua seemed to glimpse a corner of the future. The path to immortality would not be peaceful, and there would be even longer and more arduous journeys ahead, paths stained with blood.

The road to immortality was long and arduous, with countless bones paving the way to kingship. It was destined to be very difficult.

But as long as she was alive, she would continue to move forward, facing any terrifying enemies that might come her way with equanimity.

The clash of myriad paths, the bloody journey—since it was destined to be cruel, she must break free and stand at the pinnacle.

Even if not for herself, she had to do it for the people around her. She had to keep moving forward, all the way to the end of the path, to the summit of the mountain!

Shaohua sat alone in the hall, a divine sword resting on her lap. She sorted through her path, Dao, Law, and Techniques, surrounded by various wondrous phenomena that encompassed the universe, both illusory and real.

A divine bell hung in the air, occasionally ringing and showering divine light, making the woman below seem even more ethereal and dreamlike.

Tens of thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the mortal world, the name of the Eastern Emperor was gradually mentioned less often. Many outstanding figures began to emerge, and some had even declared their intention to vie for the imperial throne.

"Clang~~~~~~~~"

A bell resonated through the ages.

Beauty fades, but Shaohua remained unchanged. She had lived through her fourth life.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end