Checking In for Sixty Years, From Puppet Emperor to Heavenly Emperor – Chapter 74

Ch 74: The Four-Party Alliance

Zhou An left the underground palace and checked the Map of Mountains and Rivers in his mind. There were still a few places in the Phoenix Forest where he hadn’t checked in. He told Hua Wuyue to go back and heal Hundred Flowers Lady first, while he went to check in at those places. Once the entire Phoenix Forest map was lit up, there would definitely be better rewards.

Hua Wuyue was anxious to return and treat her master, so she didn’t ask much before flying away.

Checking in outside the forest was very simple for the current Zhou An, as he could just fly over on his sword. In just half an hour, the entire area was checked in, and he obtained various precious medicinal materials.

The entire Phoenix Forest map lit up, rewarding him with the Li Fire True Scripture, a fire-based cultivation method. According to the system’s introduction, it was a cultivation method practiced by the Crimson Phoenix Emperor, requiring Phoenix blood to achieve great success in this cultivation method.

“No wonder the Queen of Feng Kingdom obtained this cultivation method but has always struggled to achieve great success; it’s because she lacks Phoenix blood. This cultivation method is suitable for Shangguan Rong; I’ll find Phoenix blood later.” Zhou An muttered, mounting his flying sword to return.

While flying over the forest, he saw a group of women arriving at the entrance of the Fire Eye. Judging by their attire, they should be from the Feng Kingdom Imperial Palace.

Leading the group was the Queen of Feng Kingdom, wearing a golden Feng Pao, but her cultivation was still at the Houtian Ninth Level.

The Brocade Guard had sent intelligence that the Southern Five Kingdoms had intentions of invading, so he immediately flew down, landing in front of the Queen.

Six guards immediately drew their swords and rushed forward, surrounding Zhou An, while the other guards protected the Queen in the middle.

Zhou An’s eyes flashed with purple light, and the eyes of these guards also turned purple. Then, they all stood motionless in place.

He walked up to the Queen. This woman looked no more than twenty years old and had a similar temperament to Shangguan Rong. She was also a rare beauty in the world, but there was a hint of sorrow between her brows.

Seeing that all the guards she had brought were unmoving, the Queen knew that she had encountered an Innate Cultivator. Without the slightest panic, she said with a smile, “May I ask what you want, sir?”

Zhou An stared at her, using his Ethereal Demon Eye ability again. This time, the effect was stronger, directly controlling the Queen. Then, he asked, “What plans do the Southern Five Kingdoms have for the Qianyuan Empire?”

“The five kingdoms have formed an alliance, gathering cultivators within their territories, preparing to cooperate with the Sky Devil Sect to attack the Qianyuan Empire. The Azure Dragon Empire in the east and the Ice and Snow Empire in the north will also attack together.

The Emperor of the Qianyuan Empire is too powerful. Everyone is worried that he will defeat them one by one, so they have no choice but to unite and prepare early.” The Queen said expressionlessly.

“When are you planning to act?” Zhou An asked again.

“It’s not yet certain; we’re waiting for a signal from the Sky Devil Sect. Everyone is afraid of the Qianyuan Empire and doesn’t dare to take the lead.”

“What are you doing in the Phoenix Forest now?”

“The Imperial Advisor is refining the Phoenix Swords. Today, I saw a treasure light soaring into the sky, and the heavens showed strange phenomena. The Phoenix Swords should have been completed, so I came to take a look. If we have the Phoenix Swords, our kingdom will also have an Immortal Treasure to suppress our luck,” the Queen said.

Zhou An frowned, thinking about killing the Queen here to create internal strife in the Feng Kingdom, but this would have too little impact on helping the Qianyuan Empire, as the Feng Kingdom could completely choose a new Queen.

He thought for a moment, formed a hand seal, and then touched the Queen’s forehead with his finger. After the cursed seal was imprinted on her forehead, a purplish-black cursed seal was left behind, which quickly disappeared under the skin.

He retracted his Ethereal Demon Eye and flew away as a stream of light.

A few seconds later, the Queen and the guards woke up, looking around at the empty surroundings with nervous expressions.

The Queen frowned, touching her forehead, where a lingering sensation remained.

“Who was he?” the Queen muttered. Thinking of the Imperial Advisor and the Phoenix Swords, she immediately shouted, “Quick, to the Phoenix Underground Palace!”

The group quickened their pace. Zhou An returned to the Qianyuan Empire Imperial Palace and contacted Hua Wuyue, learning that she was in the Hundred Flowers Palace healing Hundred Flowers Lady, so he didn’t disturb her.

He went directly to the Demon Suppression Agency to see Ten Thousand Demons King, finding him standing in front of the Demon Suppression Tower, with thirty-odd Demon Hunters sitting around the tower chanting incantations.

Zhou An flew down, and Ten Thousand Demons King laughed heartily, “Brother, you’ve arrived! I haven’t failed you! These old guys have all been locked inside, and the Greater Demons they brought to Qian Capital have all been captured, leaving none behind.

According to your instructions, I deliberately let Roc and Lian You escape, and Azure Spirit also ran away with them. The others are all inside. Black Sky, A’jiu, and Caiyi also pretended to be caught and went in.

It’s a pity you didn’t see it; how arrogant those Demon Ancestors were when they came, even claiming they would turn Qian Capital into a Demon Capital and the Imperial Palace into a Demon Palace. As soon as the fight started, they were lured into the Four Symbols Formation by Black Sky and the others, and then Azure Spirit ambushed them inside. These guys are still clueless about who did it, thinking it was me, haha!” Ten Thousand Demons King said excitedly.

“Well, it’s good that it’s done. Are you sure the two old demons you let go can bring all the Demon Ancestors and Demon Sages of Qianyuan?” Zhou An asked.

“Definitely. Although we demons usually kill each other, once we become brothers or acknowledge a master, we value that bond more than our lives. This time, so many demons are trapped in the Demon Suppression Tower; their siblings, friends, or masters will definitely come again.

As long as we capture these people again and then force them to acknowledge you as their master, the Qianyuan Demon Realm will respect you from then on. If outsiders want to invade again, they’ll have to think twice about whether they have the ability.”

Ten Thousand Demons King looked excited. Back then, he and Black Sky had advocated unifying the Qianyuan Demon Realm, but it was a pity their brother wasn’t interested in that, so they were helpless.

Zhou An nodded, praising Ten Thousand Demons King for his good idea, and looked at the Demon Suppression Tower covered in talisman formations, asking, “Can it trap so many old demons? Will it be broken through?”

“There are indeed quite a few demons trapped inside this time, but don’t worry. With A’jiu and the others maneuvering inside, plus the Demon Hunters’ talisman formations outside, it won’t be a problem to hold on for a while. Even if something happens, there’s still me and my demon offspring’s Ten Thousand Demons Grand Formation guarding it. These old demons whose magic treasures have been confiscated won’t amount to much,” Ten Thousand Demons King said.

“Good, I’ll leave this place to you. After this crisis in Qianyuan passes, I’ll help you prepare for your tribulation,” Zhou An said.

“Thank you, Brother!” Ten Thousand Demons King revealed a look of joy. His cultivation was already at the peak of the Innate Ninth Level, and he was constantly suppressing his aura, fearing that the Heavenly Path would discover him and send down a Heavenly Tribulation.

Returning to the Imperial Palace, it was already dark. As soon as Zhou An entered the Qianyuan Palace hall, he saw that the Empress was already waiting there. She stood up and smiled, “Welcome back, Your Majesty. Your Subject has already had dinner prepared.” Shangguan Rong came over to pay her respects.

Zhou An still smiled and took her hand as usual, laughing, “Coming home from work and having a wife waiting at home is definitely something countless married men would envy. They’d be thanking the heavens if their wives didn’t nag them when they got home.”

“Your Majesty is saying these inexplicable things again.” Shangguan Rong was already used to Zhou An occasionally spouting strange words.

Zhou An smiled and didn’t dwell on the issue. The two sat down to eat together, without having palace maids serve them, as if they were newlyweds.

Zhou An simply enjoyed having a relaxed chat with the people he loved while eating, setting aside other interests.

Shangguan Rong wasn’t used to this at first. Having grown up in the Shangguan Family, she was accustomed to the traditional hierarchy of elders and juniors. Juniors weren’t qualified to sit at the main table when elders were eating; only descendants with inheritance rights were qualified to sit with the elders.

Moreover, apart from cultivators, women couldn’t sit at the main table either, let alone chat while eating.

Shangguan Rong gradually became accustomed to Zhou An’s relaxed way of eating while chatting, without even needing to pay attention to etiquette, doing whatever was convenient. She even began to enjoy this behavior of taking off her mask.

Therefore, as long as she wasn’t busy, Shangguan Rong would eat with Zhou An, and the two would no longer be just the Emperor and Empress, chatting about things they couldn’t say to outsiders.

After the meal, Zhou An handed her the Phoenix Swords and the Li Fire True Scripture, saying, “Take these and cultivate. Refine the swords as soon as possible; the Method of Sword Control is also inside.

When you have enough strength, you’ll need to sit in the Imperial Palace.”

Shangguan Rong was delighted. She hadn’t particularly cared about Innate Cultivators before, but now that the people around her were becoming Innate Cultivators one by one, with increasingly longer lifespans, she naturally began to feel tempted as well.

Moreover, having encountered powerful enemies several times in a row, she could only hide in the back. She didn’t like this situation, feeling that her life could be taken away by others at any time, so she was becoming increasingly eager to cultivate.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. By the way, for this year’s New Year celebration, the ministers have sent in beauties. Does Your Majesty need to favor them? Your Subject will arrange it for you now.” Holding these items, Shangguan Rong was somewhat impatient to go to her own palace to cultivate, but she still had to arrange things for the Emperor first.

“There’s no need; I don’t have the time for that right now. You brainwash them first; I have important matters to attend to,” Zhou An refused. Although he was indeed somewhat tempted, as they were all fairy-level beauties, he naturally knew what was more important.

“This Molten Fire Pill can improve your physique. Remember to only take it with the Li Fire True Scripture, or it will incinerate your body. If you don’t understand anything about cultivation, ask Shu Yao. Also, the Ethereal Abode has abundant spirit energy; go there to cultivate, so you can ask Shu Yao and the others for guidance at any time,” Zhou An said.

“Understood, then Your Subject will go to the Ethereal Abode now.”

Seeing Shangguan Rong’s impatient appearance, Zhou An smiled and nodded, watching her leave quickly.

He put away his smile and cast the Mystic Light Mirror spell, and a light mirror appeared in front of him, showing Zhou Ling Sha.