Chapter 848: Eerie Temple

Zhao Ruizhi wondered, if he stepped through this immortal gate, would his son's body be the one to achieve immortality? What he truly desired was to achieve immortality himself. Even if it was his own son, he was unwilling to yield such a divine opportunity. However, he quickly realized that this chance for immortality was fleeting. He likely couldn't afford to wait for his true self to arrive and ascend.

It would be better to let this body achieve immortality first. Once out of the secret realm, he could then take the Flat Peaches with him and see if his true self could also ascend. At this thought, he suddenly looked down at the King Qi's manor's loyalists, wondering, "Why should these ants achieve immortality alongside me? Are they even worthy?" Considering that many of them had consumed the Flat Peaches before him, he feared they might ascend first. If he didn't intervene now, it would be too late. He therefore delayed his entry into the immortal gate, turning instead to eliminate the others first.

However, the moment he turned, everything changed. The vibrant scenery of falling petals and fragrant fruits vanished. All colors around him abruptly dimmed. The loyalists of King Qi's manor were no longer holding the large, beautiful Flat Peaches, but rather grotesque, skull-shaped fruits. Meanwhile, other warriors from King Qi's manor walked into the lake with eerie smiles on their faces. The lake, once as beautiful as a sapphire, was no longer; it had turned pitch black, and a ghostly face was faintly visible on its surface. The robust body of the King Qi's manor warrior who first entered the lake withered at a visible rate. Yet, he seemed completely oblivious, still wearing a look of blissful intoxication, which intensified the eerie atmosphere.

"What kind of fiend is this!" Cold sweat broke out on Zhao Ruizhi's body. He instantly realized something was amiss and turned his head, only to find no immortal gate. He was already close to the lake shore himself. His vital energy instantly surged to its peak, and an overwhelmingly powerful aura radiated outwards, shattering the surrounding illusion in an instant.

Just then, he felt an anomaly within his body, as if a black hole had appeared, rapidly siphoning his vital energy. He frowned, immediately using his supreme cultivation to suppress the rampant absorption. Upon internal inspection, he discovered three grotesque flowers growing in his abdomen. Each bud resembled a skull, frantically draining his vital energy, while countless roots spread wildly towards his internal organs. Each root also secreted a fluid, which had clearly numbed his nerves and induced the blissful, illusory sensation of ascending to immortality.

"You're asking for death!" Zhao Ruizhi snorted coldly, immediately unleashing his full power. Every inch of his skin radiated golden light. The three skull-like flowers within him emitted sharp, desperate screams. Their roots writhed wildly, releasing tendrils of black energy in futile resistance. But the Emperor's cultivation was formidable; they endured only for a few breaths before being incinerated to ash by the golden light.

Immediately after, Zhao Ruizhi gestured towards the King Qi's manor warriors, pulling them all back from the lakeside while chanting a mantra: "Awaken!" In this strange secret realm, these men still had some utility; at the very least, they could be used to test various traps, just as before.

The King Qi's manor warriors trembled violently, feeling as if a colossal bell had rung in their ears. The soul-shaking tremor jolted them awake.

"What happened?"

"I thought I was just about to become an immortal."

"Ah, why has this lake turned black?"

"What the hell is this?"

Many noticed the skull-like fruits in their hands and hastily threw them away in fright. What could be more terrifying than holding a skull-shaped fruit? Only holding half of one.

He Li looked at the half-eaten skull-shaped fruit in his hand, covered with familiar teeth marks. He immediately felt a wave of intense nausea and quickly retched to the side, though there was nothing left to expel.

Zhao Ruizhi's voice rang out, "We just experienced an illusion. The Jade Pond and Flat Peaches you saw earlier were all false. I have awakened you, and you are all safe now."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The warriors were profusely grateful, while simultaneously cursing the illusions for their wicked deception.

He Li, however, wore a crestfallen expression. With his level of cultivation, he had already performed an internal inspection and discovered a hideous, skull-like flower growing within his body, temporarily suppressed by a golden light, preventing its further growth. That golden light must have been the Emperor's doing, but He Li knew such suppression was only temporary. Once the golden light's effect waned, the skull-flower would resume its rampant growth. He attempted to force the strange flower out of his body, but no matter what method he tried, it was futile. The flower seemed to have fused with his flesh and blood; unless he was willing to sacrifice his own body, he could not expel it. He instantly understood the Emperor's intention but dared not expose it. He could only gaze at his excited companions with a despondent expression, realizing that sometimes ignorance truly was bliss.

At this moment, Zhao Ruizhi approached the lakeside and, with a cold expression, pressed down with his palm. A colossal golden hand materialized in the air, causing the lake water to instantly boil and rapidly evaporate, revealing the lakebed. All that remained were dry bones—both human and various fierce beasts. Some skulls even bore grotesque smiles, a mix of satisfaction and agony, eerily similar to the expressions on the King Qi's manor warriors' faces earlier. Everyone felt a chill run down their spine, and Zhao Ruizhi was no exception.

If he hadn't fortuitously turned back just then, that strange flower might have already fully taken root within his body by the time he discovered it, making it incredibly difficult to expel. He quickly spread his divine sense, and his brows furrowed instantly. Normally, his divine sense could encompass the entire capital city, but now it could only extend a few dozen meters, clearly suppressed by the unique natural laws of this place.

"Continue exploring forward!" Zhao Ruizhi scanned the area with his divine sense. Finding no traces of any mysterious creatures nearby, he temporarily abandoned his search. The immediate priority was to reach the highest immortal mountain. There stood a magnificent palace, clearly the heart of these three immortal mountains. If any secret treasures existed, they were most likely there.

However, after this experience, his previously buoyant mood was instantly clouded. It seemed unlikely that an elixir of immortality truly lay here. If he had known this, he should have eliminated that bastard Zu An the moment he had the chance! A surge of malicious anger flared within him; he blamed it all on those bizarre peach trees. With a flick of his sleeve, a streak of golden light shot forth, causing the strange peach grove to erupt in flames. Spectral faces writhed and screamed within the inferno, making the onlookers turn ashen. Though the peach grove appeared dense, Zhao Ruizhi's vengeful power was immense. In mere moments, the entire grove was reduced to ashes.

Zhao Ruizhi snorted and turned directly towards the direction Zu An had fled, with the King Qi's manor contingent scrambling to follow. However, it wasn't long before the group halted. The previously lush scenery had vanished, replaced by an endless desert stretching before them.

"Is this another illusion?" He Li swallowed and asked.

Zhao Ruizhi shook his head, "There was a violent fluctuation in spatial elements just now. It seems the space here has recently shifted. What lies before us is not an illusion, but a genuine desert." He frowned subtly. If this were true, he and Zu An might not even be in the same spatial dimension, making it troublesome to pursue him.

"Let's head to the palace at the summit first," Zhao Ruizhi quickly decided. Once on the island, Zu An had nowhere to escape. He would thoroughly explore this secret realm, acquire its inherited treasures, and then slowly settle the score with that brat.

"Achoo!" Meanwhile, Zu An rubbed his nose. "Another beautiful woman must be thinking about me so intensely."

Mi Li rolled her eyes. "More likely, they're wishing you dead."

Zu An offered an awkward smile, admitting that it was entirely possible, especially since he had been intermittently receiving surges of the Emperor's rage.

"Oh, it looks like there's a strange temple ahead," Bi Linglong's voice suddenly chimed in.

Zu An looked up and saw a massive temple about a hundred *zhang* away. Its shape was exceedingly bizarre, unlike any temple he had ever seen. It possessed no hint of sanctity or solemnity; instead, it resembled a crouching monster, silently resting there.