Zhuang Hongxia recalled the final scene, her eyes also dim.
She had done her best, everyone had done their best, but they couldn't hold out until the arrival of Emperor Zaohua.
She hadn't held out any hope to begin with, but in the end, she was the one who survived, which brought a peculiar sadness.
"Didn't the two seniors engage with those Sky-Shattering clan Immortal Emperors? How did it go?" Chu Yang asked Emperor Qing and Emperor Zaohua.
Emperor Zaohua slapped his thigh: "Alas, don't mention it! They ran, and we didn't catch them!"
Emperor Qing said with lingering fear, "It's probably fortunate that they ran away! Damn it, crossing over a dozen planar barriers at once left me with very little strength!"
Emperor Zaohua also said with some helplessness, "Actually, the main reason is that they were frightened by our sudden appearance, but what's more regrettable is..."
He looked at Zhuang Hongxia and said, "Of your remaining two Immortal Emperors, one is now severely wounded and dying, and the other is only a soul, whom Emperor Qing took back for treatment. When we arrived, their lives were almost extinguished. Conservatively, it will take at least a thousand years, or even tens of thousands of years, to recover."
"So, you are now the last miracle in your world."
Zhuang Hongxia's eyes widened, and suddenly she felt her shoulders become much heavier.
Chu Yang patted her shoulder and said, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just treat this place as your home. If nothing unexpected happens, this world will also face an invasion by the Sky-Shattering clan in two years. If you want revenge, just wait another two years. For us, all humans are compatriots. As long as compatriots are here, anywhere is home."
Zhuang Hongxia nodded, paid her respects to the several Immortal Emperors, and was then led out by Chu Yang.
This was a brand new world, a world she had never encountered before.
As fellow humans, they had actually created such a technologically advanced civilization.
However, she also noticed that the cultivators in this world generally had very low cultivation levels, with the highest being someone who had just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage.
But when she learned that the humans in this world had only been exposed to immortal cultivation for less than a year, she was utterly shocked!
"What a... magical world!"
...
"We're going back now, Great Elder. I'll miss you!"
Shen Yingxue hugged Liu Ruoyi and chuckled.
During her years in the Ten Thousand Glories Palace, Liu Ruoyi had taken care of her most of the time, while Empress Wanhua was often nowhere to be seen all day long.
Liu Ruoyi said disdainfully, "I get annoyed just seeing you. Get out quickly!"
"Great Elder, you're definitely a tough talker with a soft heart. I'll definitely come back to see you in the future!"
"Heh, it's best if you don't come back. Without you, I'll have much less to worry about!"
"Great Elder, I'm really leaving now! If you remain indifferent like this, it will make me very sad!"
Liu Ruoyi pinched Shen Yingxue's cheek and said, "You've lived too comfortably in this world. If you had half the effort of Zhang Xiaohu, your cultivation would be far beyond this point."
"Ah? I've also worked very hard!"
"Your effort is different from Zhang Xiaohu's. He pushes himself to the brink, while you just enjoy the resources here and occasionally attend gatherings of geniuses."
Shen Yingxue pouted, but did not retort.
She deeply admired Zhang Xiaohu from the bottom of her heart. Staying in the Ten Thousand Glories Palace allowed her to enjoy resources and treatment freely; she basically had whatever she wanted. She had consumed several immortal pills by now.
But Zhang Xiaohu chose to go out and fight for himself. Even though his aptitude was not as good as hers, his current cultivation was not inferior to hers at all. She felt that Zhang Xiaohu might advance faster than her.
Liu Ruoyi said earnestly to Shen Yingxue, "Although Empress is the nominal master, I don't think her cultivation strategy for you is correct. She has made your disposition too carefree, like hers. However, talents like you, who carry the hope of a plane, must strive, even if failure means not becoming an Immortal Emperor!"
"This world has reached its limit for you. If you want to become an Immortal Emperor, such a comfortable cultivation environment is not enough. I will be very happy if you return in the future, but I hope that when I see you again, the enemies who invaded your hometown will have been repelled, and you will have already become an Immortal Emperor, alright?"
Shen Yingxue fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
Liu Ruoyi stroked her head, and as she stroked, a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, and she felt a strange reluctance to part.
"Farewell, child. Don't come back to see me unless you become an Immortal Emperor."
Shen Yingxue reached out, wanting to say something, but golden light began to flicker around her body. She was returning.
Zhang Xiaohu, who had been training outside, returned along with her.
Looking at the empty sect, Liu Ruoyi couldn't help but recall Shen Yingxue's days living there. Suddenly, her eyes turned red. Damn it, she had raised someone else's child for a hundred years for nothing!
"Aiya, Little Ruoyi, you can cry too?"
Liu Ruoyi's face stiffened as Empress Wanhua's hand landed on her shoulder, poking her face with her index finger.
She quickly wiped away her tears, "Ahem... Empress, you must have seen wrong."
Empress Wanhua sighed and said, "Why do you always think the path I set for her is wrong? Do you know how fragile her personality was before?"
"Ah?"
"When I first met her, her voice was even an octave lower than it is now. When others spoke to her, she wouldn't dare to meet their eyes..." The Empress recalled and continued, "As someone who has reached this stage, I know very well that one's state of mind is the most crucial factor for a cultivator in the end, even more so than aptitude."
"Look at you, always agonizing over this matter, always getting stuck in a rut. Why do you think your Dao Palace has not yet formed?"
Liu Ruoyi's mouth fell open, and she fell into contemplation.
"I believe state of mind is most important, so I gave her the freest cultivation environment, allowing her personality to grow more resilient, at least not making her prone to excessive joy or sorrow like others. Perhaps I am wrong, but I have walked this path, so I am right. What do you think?"
Liu Ruoyi shook her head, "I don't know, but why Zhang Xiaohu..."
"Everyone's personality is different. For simple individuals like Zhang Xiaohu, forcing a change in their personality would be counterproductive. One's personality largely reflects a cultivator's Dao heart. This kid will definitely become an Immortal Emperor, but in history, have you ever seen an Immortal Emperor who was meek and gentle?"
Liu Ruoyi said blankly, "N... no, I don't know."
"Alas, come! Let's go inside, I'll give you a good lesson!"