Chapter 129: Return to the Tiannan Region
"If the Emperor has something to say, speak directly."
Li Changsheng glanced at the Emperor and spoke indifferently.
"I have prepared a banquet. Divine Lord, let's take our seats first, then we can talk."
The Emperor smiled respectfully.
"Alright."
Li Changsheng nodded.
He had always enjoyed good food, and he wanted to see how the banquet at the pinnacle of power in the Cangqing Realm compared to the spiritual cuisine he had enjoyed before.
"Please!"
As the Emperor spoke, a massive golden pathway extended down from the summit of the sacred mountain. It shimmered with divine light and was wide enough for ten people to walk side by side. Li Changsheng, following the Emperor, stepped onto the golden pathway.
The golden pathway, akin to a modern elevator, carried them smoothly toward the mountain's peak.
"Quite interesting."
Li Changsheng nodded slightly.
With his keen eyes, he had already discerned the true nature of the golden pathway—it was a quasi-immortal artifact. However, it seemed this quasi-immortal artifact was only good for making a grand entrance.
"A mere frivolity, unworthy of serious attention. I apologize if it amuses you, Divine Lord."
The Emperor chuckled.
As they ascended, a shower of flower petals rained down from the sky.
These petals were formed by palace maidens above the Nascent Soul stage, who used their true essence to condense spiritual spring water into the shape of petals before scattering them from above. For those with high cultivation levels, these petals were merely a scenic addition.
But for those with lower cultivation, they were nothing short of a great opportunity.
After several dozen breaths, they finally reached the summit of the sacred mountain.
It was as if they had stepped into a legendary heavenly palace.
At the summit, flocks of cranes danced in the air, and clusters of grand, majestic palaces stood in awe-inspiring splendor. The concentration of spiritual energy at the peak was so high that it had condensed into mist, shrouding everything in a white haze.
Within the palace complex, spiritual ponds stretched one after another.
In these ponds swam fish at the Nascent Soul and even Great Ascension stages. Occasionally, dark shadows would dart out—serpents with dragon bloodlines and a single horn on their heads, already exuding an air of dragon-like majesty.
These powerful beasts, who would have been dominant forces in the outside world, now resided in the spiritual ponds, their ferocity completely subdued, serving as mere decorations.
"Young Master, the South Li imperial family is truly wealthy. Should I extract a bit from them for you?"
"Rest assured, Young Master, I have experience in this matter!"
Li Changsheng had been admiring the celestial scenery when Mo Chengkong's voice suddenly echoed in his ear via a private message.
Mo Chengkong's face was filled with an ingratiating smile. Though he didn't know why Young Master needed so many spirit stones, he knew that the founding of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion was primarily to accumulate wealth.
Judging by the celestial splendor of the imperial palace, the South Li imperial family was undoubtedly rich.
He had recently extorted a hefty sum from the forces that had targeted the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. He felt that even a minor squeeze on the South Li imperial family could yield decades' worth of the pavilion's income.
"No need."
Li Changsheng replied via mental transmission.
Had this been before his breakthrough, he would have agreed to Mo Chengkong's suggestion immediately. After all, the South Li imperial family was so wealthy—what harm would a little extortion do? The fact that he hadn't overthrown them and claimed the throne himself was already a gesture of goodwill.
Unfortunately, spirit stones were no longer useful to him now.
As they took their seats, many palace maidens floated over, placing plates of precious spiritual fruits on the table.
Groups of stunningly beautiful women, who would have been revered as goddesses in the outside world, performed graceful dances. Accompanied by the soft melodies of traditional instruments, it felt as if they were in a celestial paradise.
'In terms of heritage, the Hundred Herbs Pavilion still falls far short of the South Li imperial family.'
Li Changsheng sighed inwardly.
One after another, spiritual dishes were brought to the table. Li Changsheng sampled a few of them and found them indeed superior to the spiritual cuisine outside. Moreover, the banquet used the highest quality ingredients, with most of the meat coming from the most flavorful parts of Great Ascension-level beasts.
After eating and drinking to his heart's content, the palace maidens retreated, leaving only Li Changsheng, Mo Chengkong, and the Emperor in the grand hall.
Li Changsheng looked at the Emperor and spoke directly:
"I've come this time for the Celestial Jades in the South Li imperial family's possession."
"Celestial Jades?"
The Emperor was momentarily stunned but quickly replied, "There are indeed Celestial Jades in the imperial treasury, but the quantity is limited. In the past, when our South Li imperial family could still communicate with our ancestors who had ascended to the immortal realm, we had a fair amount of Celestial Jades."
"But after tens of thousands of years, we can no longer contact our ancestors in the immortal realm. The Celestial Jades they sent down have been mostly used up, leaving only about a hundred or so remaining."
Only about a hundred left?
Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
According to Mo Chengkong, the value of one Celestial Jade in the immortal realm was roughly equivalent to several million spirit stones. However, very few people would exchange Celestial Jades for spirit stones, so the price should be around ten million spirit stones per jade.
If calculated based on his previous simulation cost of ten billion spirit stones per attempt, a hundred or so Celestial Jades wouldn't even cover one simulation.
Seeing Li Changsheng frown, the Emperor's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said:
"Divine Lord, our South Li Imperial Court truly only has that many Celestial Jades left. Even the other sects that once had connections with the upper realm likely don't have much either."
"Over the years, they've also lost contact with the upper realm, much like our South Li imperial family."
Li Changsheng nodded.
"Bring out the Celestial Jades your family has. In exchange, I can cure the poison in your body."
"Thank you, Divine Lord!"
The Emperor's face lit up with joy. As a Human Immortal-level powerhouse, he could normally live for over ten thousand years. At only five thousand years old, curing the poison would allow him to live another five thousand years, and perhaps even break through to the Earth Immortal stage, further extending his lifespan.
As for the matter of the pocket dimension, he didn't mention a word.
Li Changsheng stayed in the South Li imperial palace for three days before leaving with Mo Chengkong.
This time, not only did the Emperor give him over a hundred Celestial Jades, but he also gifted a large batch of precious materials, some of which even caught Li Changsheng's attention. Among them was the demon bone that the Demon Crown Prince had sought.
However, the demon bone was of little use to Li Changsheng, so he gave it to Mo Chengkong.
There were also other items that, while not useful to him, were perfect treasures for Su Qingyu and his disciple, Ximen Xue.
If Mo Chengkong fully refined the demon bone, he could not only fully recover from his injuries but might even advance further.
After leaving the capital, Li Changsheng sent Mo Chengkong back to Pearl City while he himself headed toward the Tiannan Region.
Now that the barrier of the Tiannan Region had been broken, and it had been over a hundred years since he last returned, it was time to go back.
Traveling at full speed, Li Changsheng arrived at the Void Land in three days, only to be informed by Elder Gu that Ximen Xue and Su Qingyu had already left the Void Land and returned to the Su family, apparently because the Su family had encountered some trouble.
Without staying long in the Void Land, Li Changsheng immediately set off for the Su family.