Rebirth as a Willow Tree, building the strongest tribe in all of eternity
Chapter 1629 - 989: Emperor Huanfen’s Request_2

Chapter 1629: Chapter 989: Emperor Huanfen’s Request_2

"Since we’re old friends, why be so formal?" Jiang Hui said.

"Old friends?" Emperor Huanfen was slightly taken aback, then her beautiful face blossomed with a more radiant smile, like the rising sun, "If we consider the mortal world years, Brother Jiang of the Dao and I have known each other for so long, we’re more than just old friends; it’s deep enough to call it a bond that transcends eighteen lifetimes."

After the joke, Jiang Hui waited quietly for Emperor Huanfen to get to the point.

Emperor Huanfen slowly began, "I’ve come this time hoping to visit that Netherworld Underworld space you’ve opened."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hui couldn’t help but show surprise. He recalled that while in the Underworld, Emperor Huanfen had sought opportunities to step out for fresh air; how surprising that shortly after leaving, she intended to return.

Emperor Huanfen explained, "I recently returned to Heaven and discovered a river eroding from future years, its source seemingly an Ancient Underworld. Both are crucial to the Bizarre Clan. Thinking of the Underworld space you’ve opened, also an Underworld, I thought perhaps you might know something about that Ancient Underworld."

"I do know a bit," Jiang Hui admitted, "but it doesn’t seem to have much to do with your desire to enter the Underworld."

"Indeed, not much," Emperor Huanfen nodded, "but I always remember your shelter and life-saving grace. Not long ago, I sent a clone into that Ancient Underworld and found that we might be able to claim it and merge it into your Underworld, potentially making the Underworld space you’ve opened even more perfect!"

Jiang Hui, hearing this, wondered if he had misheard. After confirming multiple times, he fell into deep thought. Emperor Huanfen’s strength had reached the Sacrificial Path Realm and she could move freely in the Underworld. Since she spoke thus, she must have found the feasibility of their integration.

Emperor Huanfen continued, "I wish to enter the Underworld to verify the feasibility of this discovery. If it truly is feasible, when the time comes to counterattack, directly taking the Ancient Underworld could first thwart a plot of the Bizarre Clan."

"I’ll need to think it over."

It’s not that Jiang Hui found Emperor Huanfen’s suggestion nonsense—as a Sacrificial Path Realm entity suggested possible feasibility, there was indeed some feasibility—but whether it could be achieved as Emperor Huanfen said was another question.

Besides, the direction of things had begun to deviate from the original plot.

In the Era of Sacred Ruins, the Ancient Underworld and the Soul River were like enormous dark forces serving the Bizarre Clan, existing as similar world-dominating alliances.

They combined forces to summon the chief priest and initiate a grand gray sacrifice, known as Heavenly Sacrifice, overturning the entire epoch.

Whether it was the Heavenly Sacrifice or the grand sacrifices of crimson blood offerings, the ultimate purpose was not to bury all heavens—that was merely the process—the goal was to revive the Red-Haired Monster.

But now, the Red-Haired Monster had already been revived.

The usefulness of the Ancient Underworld was therefore worth evaluating.

Yet, however worthy of evaluation, it had accrued enormous efforts from the Bizarre Clan. Acting rashly could easily lead to an imbalance between gains and losses.

"Very well, Brother Jiang of the Dao, please think it over."

Emperor Huanfen nodded, then silently drank and ate.

After a while, the woman once again looked at Jiang Hui, "I wonder what Brother Jiang is thinking now?"

"..." Jiang Hui.

"What can I figure out in such a short time?" He said with a wry smile. "Are you eager for an answer?"

Emperor Huanfen nodded noncommittally. "Indeed quite eager, the opportunity must not be missed, for it will not come again. I’ve deduced that the sooner we act, the better. Delays bring changes, and even if there are no changes, it might fall into a disadvantageous position when handled later."

Jiang Hui was intrigued, "Listening to you, if we act now, would the success rate be high?"

If the success rate was high, he might risk it, as high risk came with high rewards, as long as the risk was within bearable limits.

Emperor Huanfen pursed her lips, estimating, "If we act now, the success rate could reach twenty percent."

"What!" Jiang Hui frowned, feeling that Emperor Huanfen was deliberately joking with him.

Emperor Huanfen also sensed the oddity, then immediately added, "Considering the enormous reward, a twenty percent success rate isn’t low; it’s worth trying."

"Forget it," Jiang Hui shook his head.

It’s not that he was worried, but with only a total of twenty percent, and from the way Emperor Huanfen seemed to imply, even this twenty percent success rate might have been exaggerated.

He wouldn’t dare take his painstakingly collected, self-operating Underworld and attempt it.

At the very least, the success rate would need to be above ninety percent.

Emperor Huanfen seemed to have anticipated Jiang Hui’s attitude, just sighed slightly with some disappointment, but said nothing further.

After all, she herself knew it was indeed somewhat forcing.

Regarding Brother Jiang’s value of the Underworld, the success rate needed to be at least over fifty percent to get his agreement.

But in these perilous times, twenty percent was not low.

After some thought, Emperor Huanfen set down her wine cup, "Brother Jiang of the Dao just mentioned knowing some things about the Ancient Underworld, could you share?"

"Of course." Jiang Hui nodded. These weren’t secrets, at least not his.

"Neither the Ancient Underworld nor the Soul River were formed naturally; they are places within the heavens blackened and polluted by mysterious power, intrinsically key to the Bizarre Clan’s great sacrificial rites, crucial to ending epochs."

"In that case, we should pursue what I just mentioned even more!"

Emperor Huanfen couldn’t help but blurt, but quickly reacted; Jiang Hui had just said they were originally key to great sacrificial rites, implying some change had occurred now.

Jiang Hui nodded, "Do you know why the Bizarre Clan sacrifices all heavens and overturns epochs, and why they establish many sacrificial sites across countless universes?"

"Is it related to the Phantom Primordial Ancestor?" Emperor Huanfen said instinctively.

She had once used the Soul River as a medium to attack the Bizarre Clan’s base, intending to directly annihilate the Bizarre Clan, only to encounter three bizarre beings standing at the Sacrificial Path Realm, ultimately failing.

Thus, Emperor Huanfen believed that the Bizarre Clan’s sacrifice to the heavens was for the sake of those three ancestors in strange states who had reached the Sacrificial Path Realm.

Her eyes glanced at Jiang Hui’s expression, but he did not show much emotional change. She was unsure if she was correct, primarily because Brother Jiang of the Dao suddenly raised this question.

It seemed to have deep meaning.

Could it be that Brother Jiang knew the reason for the Bizarre Clan’s actions?

But speaking of it, if she remembered correctly, she seemed to have asked Brother Jiang this question before. What was his answer back then?

She couldn’t quite remember clearly.

It seemed to have been an ambiguous answer.

Could Jiang Hui know the reason?

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist?" Emperor Huanfen was unsure, but Brother Jiang brought up the past again, especially after proposing the merger of two underworlds; it undoubtedly carried numerous implications.

"You are correct, but also incorrect,"

"Could it be that Brother Jiang knows the true reason behind the Bizarre Clan’s actions?" Emperor Huanfen pursued, understanding immediately what Jiang Hui implied with his words.

"Indeed, I know some true reasons, but I cannot speak directly. This concerns significant matters. My knowing is inconsequential, but if you knew, it would definitely attract prying eyes and attention. You need to understand, everything the Bizarre Clan does is to follow the true source of another clan."

"Including the Ancient Underworld, Soul River—everything serves this ultimate goal. The Bizarre Clan schemes through endless ages to find the true origin of the bizarre bloodline."

"The true source?" Emperor Huanfen’s eyes, clear as a spring and as deep as the starry sky, flickered, seemingly finding it difficult to comprehend Jiang Hui’s words.

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand.

The words were familiar to her.

Yet, piece by piece, placed together, they left her completely puzzled.

Weren’t those three Sacrificial Path Realm bizarre ancestries the source of the Bizarre Clan?

Surely not; those three Sacrificial Path Realm entities were also descendants of the clan’s bloodline?!

If that’s the understanding, indeed it aligns with the words, but Emperor Huanfen found it hard to think along those lines.

If the descendants reached an unprecedented Sacrificial Path Realm, what would the bloodline’s source be?

Late stage Sacrificial Path? Perfection?

Surely impossible, was Brother Jiang hinting at something?

Jiang Hui glanced at Emperor Huanfen, "You are exceptionally intelligent and should grasp what I mean; there’s no need to overthink it. The source is not the Phantom Primordial Ancestor; the latter is merely a derivation of the source. But I cannot say more."