Chapter 374: Ling Tianzun

“The Blade of Ruthlessness…”
Chen Xiao’s brows furrowed slightly, his expression shifting rapidly.
The Seven Treasures of the Dao, the Gate of All Wonders, and the City of Living Beings, along with the Mirror of Reincarnation—these three were things he had encountered before, so he could deduce them.
But if this Qi Tian Jue was a fragment of the Blade of Ruthlessness, then he should be able to figure it out as well. Yet earlier, Chen Xiao had no clue at all.
Mo Xian simply watched Chen Xiao quietly, without saying another word.
Suddenly, Chen Xiao waved his hand, pulling Qi Tian Jue back into the Heavenly Map. Smiling, he said to Mo Xian, “Let’s go, Xianxian. Time to meet your mother-in-law.”
With that, Chen Xiao took Mo Xian’s hand.
“Xiao… you…” Mo Xian stared at him blankly, confused.
“What’s wrong with me? I didn’t grow flowers on my face, did I?” Chen Xiao instinctively touched his own cheeks.
“Regarding that Blade of Ruthlessness, don’t you need to use the Mirror of Reincarnation and the Gate of All Wonders to deduce more?” Mo Xian asked, somewhat dazed.
“Why deduce it?” Chen Xiao shrugged. “If you say it was the Blade of Ruthlessness before, then it is. If I were to deduce it again, that would mean distrusting you, denying the source of your Dao.”
“Hmm…” Mo Xian’s face turned slightly red.
…
The Heavenly Realm was infinitely vast—even Chen Xiao couldn’t fully grasp its extent, as it was a world created by the Immortal Lord of Eternal Life.
Tianxia, Zheixian, and Wenxian were the three well-known continents in the Heavenly Realm, the lands inhabited by the beings of the heavens, or the gods of the universe. Each of these continents was as vast as a galaxy in the universe.
At the heart of governing these three continents lay a place called Lingdu. In ancient times, the Heavenly Realm was ruled by nine Heavenly Lords, who were the supreme rulers. After their downfall, the core of governance shifted to this so-called Lingdu.
The ruler of Lingdu was a formidable being named Ling Tianzun. As for Ling Tianzun’s strength and exact capabilities, Chen Xiao still couldn’t deduce them.
After all, Chen Xiao’s own strength was still too weak. Although he had obtained fifteen Emotion Runes and the power of the Mirror of Reincarnation had expanded again, without it, his strength was at most on par with that of an ordinary Heavenly Lord. If he encountered a more powerful one, he wouldn’t be able to match them without the Mirror of Reincarnation.
There were also different ranks among Heavenly Lords. Like the nine Heavenly Lords of ancient times, and Ling Tianzun, who stood at the pinnacle of their ranks.
The Heavenly Lords Chen Xiao had met before, such as Yue Zhi Tianzun, were merely ordinary ones. Even Yue Zhi Tianzun had become a Heavenly Lord only because of her father, the Immortal Lord Ling Yue,’s guidance.
“Could it be that Ling Tianzun is the one behind creating this Heavenly Map?”
Within Chen Xiao’s mind sea, the Gate of All Wonders emitted wisps of wondrous energy, continuously cleansing his thoughts and sharpening his consciousness.
At the same time, under the influence of this wondrous energy, Chen Xiao’s mind began to deduce rapidly. Though he hadn’t entered the realm of wonder yet, his mind carried a trace of that essence.

Guided by the celestial map, that heart of the celestial map, or rather Chen Xiao’s mother, was located in Lingdu. And Lingdu was precisely the domain of that Spirit Supreme, someone Chen Xiao had to be wary of.
But now, there was Mo Xian. At her current level of cultivation, she had already condensed the Source of the Dao into tangible runes—the Dao runes. Judging by the standards passed down through ages, she was now at a level surpassing even the Supreme Lords, akin to the old man Li Shu who was by Hu Yan Jue Luo Fan Xiao’s side.
However, it was uncertain whether a Supreme Lord was stronger or weaker than an Immortal Lord, as the destructive power varied depending on the Dao runes formed—after all, each had its own specialty.
The Immortal Lord had grasped the laws of life and death, becoming a terrifying existence capable of controlling the fate of all things and even the creation and destruction of rules. Although his realm was only that of a Divine Lord, the countless divine techniques he developed using these laws of life and death were beyond even the reach of ordinary Supreme Lords.
It’s easy to imagine how formidable those beings in the celestial orbits must have been from the very beginning—beings who had grasped the ways of life and death and turned them into the core of their Dao. No wonder even the Seven Treasures of the Dao could be shattered.
Moreover, countless chaos disruptions had passed since their appearance, and who knew to what extent they had grown? With their cultivation refined to the second level, they could no longer be described by ordinary laws of life and death.
As for Yu Hua, although he too had grasped the laws of life and death, after the great chaos disaster, the celestial orbits became obscured, preventing him from perfecting those laws. The new rules born from the Heavenly Marks were also incomplete—how could they compare to the complete laws of life and death in the primordial world?
Along the way, Chen Xiao devoted half of his mind to analyzing various gains and losses, while the other half accompanied Mo Xian to explore the landscapes as they headed toward Lingdu.
Lingdu did not lie on the three continents of the celestial realm but floated above the endless seas beyond them, like an island in the sky.
This island that ruled the celestial realm, Lingdu, covered only millions of miles square. In the mortal world, it would be an infinitely terrifying giant island, but in the vast celestial realm, it was merely like a grain of sand.
This island of Lingdu seemed to embody the essence of heaven and earth. From millions of miles away, Chen Xiao could already sense its overwhelming spiritual energy.
Chen Xiao activated the Eye of Reincarnation and clearly saw the true form of Lingdu—it was entirely green, as if carved from jade. There were no protective arrays outside Lingdu, but the island itself was an invincible, unsurpassable ultimate weapon.
One after another, summoning thoughts continuously emanated from the island, constantly calling out to the celestial map hidden in Chen Xiao’s mind. These summoning thoughts came from the heart of the celestial map.
“Mom, I’m here…”
Chen Xiao held Mo Xian’s right hand, sweating slightly from extreme excitement and tension.
Mo Xian seemed to sense his emotions, and gentle, peaceful voices emanated from her mind, soothing his turbulent state of mind.
“Thank you…”

Chen Xiao let out a long sigh and spoke gratefully. In such a situation just now, if Mo Xian hadn’t intervened in time, he might have ended up like Po Wang—filled with heartfire that would burn him to ashes and destroy his soul.
Mo Xian shook her head, remaining silent, with only a calm smile on her face.
“Lingdu… Back then, I was also here where I obtained the Key of Life, which completely changed the course of my destiny.”
After a while, Mo Xian spoke softly.
“It was all just arranged by Senior Yu Hua,” Chen Xiao said, shaking his head. Mo Xian being able to get the Key of Life was entirely due to Yu Hua’s manipulation at that time. Mo Xian and Xi Xi were raised by Yu Hua himself. His original desire for immortality had turned into deep affection for these two granddaughters, and he placed all his hopes on them.
“A person’s destiny isn’t something that can be truly controlled,” Mo Xian nodded and said.
“The saying ‘plan things with others, but let fate decide the outcome’ is exactly that,” Chen Xiao said, letting out another long sigh with self-mockery. “I used to long to break free from my destiny and take control of it… Now it seems how ridiculous that was. My destiny has always been in my own hands—always has.”
Then, the two exchanged smiles.
In an instant, they were thousands of miles away, with Lingdu Island appearing before them.
Although Lingdu Island covered only about a million square miles, it was home to the most powerful beings in the entire celestial realm—many divine lords. Though divine lords were not common in other parts of the celestial realm, they were not rare here in Lingdu either.
At that moment, a scorching aura emanated from Lingdu Island, and soon a fiery red light arrived before Chen Xiao and Mo Xian.
It was an old acquaintance—Divine Lord Lieyang.
“What brings you to Lingdu?”
As soon as Divine Lord Lieyang saw Chen Xiao and Mo Xian, he frowned slightly. In fact, he had sensed Chen Xiao’s aura before appearing.
“Chen Xiao, I believe your name is Chen Xiao, right? Divine Lord Yue Zhi wants your death and is always trying to get rid of you. It’s extremely dangerous for you to be here now.” Saying this, Divine Lord Lieyang glanced at Mo Xian. Although Mo Xian’s demeanor had changed drastically, he wasn’t sure if she could protect Chen Xiao here in Lingdu.
Unlike Divine Lord Yue Zhi, Divine Lord Lieyang was a direct subordinate of Divine Lord Lingtian, while Divine Lord Yue Zhi was the daughter of the Immortal Lady Lingyue. In terms of status and rank, she far surpassed Divine Lord Lieyang.
“Uh…”
Chen Xiao was stunned. He hadn’t expected Divine Lord Lieyang to say such things. However, he also understood Divine Lord Lieyang’s temperament—fiery in urgency but usually very gentle.
“We’re here just to meet Divine Lord Lingtian,” Mo Xian said, as Chen Xiao handled everything.
“Meet Divine Lord Lingtian?” Divine Lord Lieyang frowned slightly. “Divine Lord Lingtian entered seclusion not long ago.”
“Seclusion?” Chen Xiao was taken aback.

“Let those two come to the Crystal Palace.” Suddenly, a voice appeared in the thoughts of the Sun Emperor.
“Yes.” The Sun Emperor quickly bowed.
“I’ll take you to Spirit Emperor right away.” The Sun Emperor frowned slightly, filled with confusion.
“Elder Sun, I wonder whether it was Spirit Emperor or the other immortal lords who ordered the pursuit of Mo Xian?” Chen Xiao suddenly asked.
“Spirit Emperor… Since the establishment of the Spirit Capital, he has withdrawn from worldly affairs. Everything in the Spirit Capital is managed by the other four emperors… As for the order to pursue Miss Mo Xian, it was given by Immortal Lord Ling Yue.”
As the Sun Emperor spoke with Chen Xiao, he was extremely cautious, not putting on an airs of an emperor. It wasn’t just because there was Mo Xian, whom he couldn’t see through at all, but also because of the strange aura emanating from Chen Xiao himself, which he couldn’t underestimate.
“I see… So, Spirit Emperor is being sidelined by the other four emperors or immortal lords?”
Chen Xiao began to quickly deduce things. Everything about Spirit Emperor was too mysterious, and his current level wasn’t enough to figure it all out.
At that moment, the Sun Emperor led Chen Xiao and Mo Xian into the sea, heading deep beneath the waves.
“Chen Xiao, Mo Xian…” Suddenly, outside the Spirit Capital, on the sea surface, a dark green figure appeared. Her gaze was filled with hatred.
“Mo Xian, if it weren’t for Spirit Emperor’s protection, you would have died in my hands long ago. And that Chen Xiao, a mere insect, dared to make me look so embarrassed…”
The eyes of Moon Orchid Emperor glowed with intense green light, and her poisonous aura even poisoned the surrounding laws.
…
“Spirit Emperor is inside this palace?”
Chen Xiao stood outside a palace entirely carved from crystal, his expression extremely complex. The aura of the Heavenly Map Heart flowed out from within continuously.
Another possibility arose in his mind.
“That’s right. This Crystal Palace is Spirit Emperor’s true bedroom… I’m afraid you’re the first and only man to set foot here since ancient times.”
The Sun Emperor said with a wry smile.
“The only man to set foot here?” Mo Xian blinked, somewhat puzzled.
“Ah, you’ll know once you go in.” With that, the Sun Emperor stopped moving.
Chen Xiao’s determination grew stronger. He took Mo Xian’s hand and stepped into the Crystal Palace.
Inside the Crystal Palace, everything seemed to be carved from crystal, yet they formed a harmonious whole. These crystal objects were of all kinds, seemingly constantly changing, never monotonous.
In the palace, graceful maids stood on both sides of the corridor. When they saw Chen Xiao enter, they showed surprised expressions.
“What’s wrong with the palace master today? He’s allowed two men into the Crystal Palace. Usually, it’s extremely difficult for men to even approach the Crystal Palace, let alone enter it.”
These maids all had considerable cultivation levels. After seeing Chen Xiao, they began to communicate secretly through their minds.
“Xiao…”

Mo Xian couldn’t help but feel worried. But when she saw Chen Xiao’s sorrowful expression at that moment, she began to understand.

In a spacious yet elegantly designed hall, a woman in white sat opposite a handsome man. Each of them held a teacup, from which a faint aroma of tea wafted out.

The woman in white appeared to be in her early twenties. Though not as beautiful as Mo Xian, she was still extremely striking, with an air of grace and luxury that Mo Xian lacked.

The young man sitting across from her was none other than Hu Yan Jue Luo Fan Xiao, who shared the same interests as Fu Yun.

“Fan Xiao has remembered what Sister Ling said,” they said as their conversation came to an end. When Chen Xiao and Mo Xian entered, they only heard Fan Xiao’s last words.

“You… finally came…”

The woman in white, Ling Tianzun, slowly raised her head upon seeing Chen Xiao arrive and spoke in a trembling voice.

“I’m here, Mom.”

Chen Xiao could no longer hold back his emotions—sorrow, happiness, grief—everything he wanted to express turned into tears that streamed down his face.

His body even froze in place, unable to move. Yet his mind, even his soul, leaped out of his body, ready to be guided back to the Dao and rejoin it.

But Chen Xiao managed to break free from the Dao on his own. All of his thoughts and soul rushed toward the woman in white—the one he had thought about day and night, his mother.

Indeed, Chen Xiao’s mother was the nominal ruler of this heavenly realm: Ling Tianzun.

At that moment, the emotional runes in Chen Xiao’s mind glowed brightly. The rune of love emitted a soft red light, infecting the other fourteen runes as well.

The rune of perseverance, derived from breaking illusions, shattered suddenly and merged with the other fourteen runes, making them even stronger.

Chen Xiao’s soul took physical form and threw itself into Ling Tianzun’s arms, crying bitterly.

Does a soul have tears?

Can a soul weep?

At that moment, tears flowed from Chen Xiao’s soul—tears of the soul!

Mo Xian, who had been by Chen Xiao’s side, was moved by his mixed emotions of sorrow and happiness and couldn’t help but shed tears as well.

Even the still-dazed Hu Yan Jue Luo Fan Xiao couldn’t help but wipe the corners of his eyes.

When the Dao grieves, all living beings grieve.

“Child, you’ve suffered enough.” Ling Tianzun waved her hand lightly, and without any visible action, Mo Xian and Hu Yan Jue Luo Fan Xiao saw Chen Xiao’s soul and body rejoin as one. Their positions hadn’t changed at all.

What kind of cultivation was this?

After all, Mo Xian, who had gathered the Source Sound Rune and was considered supreme, couldn’t even detect Ling Tianzun’s move. What kind of power was that?

Chen Xiao didn’t care about any of this. His mother’s embrace was what he had longed for but never could have had. Now, his wish had come true. In fact, he would rather stay in his mother’s arms forever, even if it meant the end of reincarnation, the destruction of the Dao, and the disappearance of chaos—none of it mattered to him.

Without desires or thoughts, yet filled with great desires and thoughts. Suddenly, Chen Xiao jumped out of Ling Tianzun’s arms, fiercely wiping the tears and… well, snot from her face with her sleeve, before pulling Mo Xian over. “Mom, this is the daughter-in-law I found for you. Are you satisfied?” Ling Tianzun blinked a few times, exchanged a glance with Mo Xian, then nodded blankly. “Satisfied, satisfied. Now I’ve really made a profit—not only have I got my son back, but I’ve also gotten a daughter-in-law…” As if counting something in her mind, Ling Tianzun kept muttering calculations. “Um…” Seeing Ling Tianzun like this, Mo Xian didn’t know what to say, but Chen Xiao smiled. Indeed, Chen Xiao’s father, Tian Ming, had once said that his mother, Xueye Shuixing, was a shrewd calculator who would consider the gains and losses of everything. Wasn’t Ling Tianzun’s expression exactly like what her father had described?