Chapter 2696: Joyful Reunion
The Great Luo Immortal Emperor saw Fang Bai, and his heart was full of questions, wanting to wait for Fang Bai to explain.
But when he saw the Hundred Flowers Empress gazing longingly at Fang Bai, her eyes filled with tears, he smiled and temporarily left the place.
He knew, although Fang Bai and the Hundred Flowers Empress were not immortal companions in their past lives, their relationship was more profound than that of immortal companions. Meeting again after a thousand years apart, they would surely have much to say. He decided to give them some time to express their feelings to each other.
"Baihua, it’s been a thousand years, and you’ve only grown more beautiful!"
After the Great Luo Immortal Emperor disappeared, Fang Bai walked up to the Hundred Flowers Empress, took her hands, and gazed affectionately at her face.
The Hundred Flowers Empress sniffed and bit her lip lightly, saying, "A thousand years, and you’re still such a smooth talker!"
Fang Bai laughed heartily, raising a hand to pinch her cheek, saying, "This isn’t smooth talking; it’s the truth!"
The Hundred Flowers Empress stepped forward, leaned sideways, and rested in Fang Bai’s embrace, her right ear pressed against his chest.
"In the past life, whenever you lied, your heartbeat would become chaotic. Now, let me listen..."
With those words, the Hundred Flowers Empress closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Fang Bai’s waist, her face serene.
"What did you hear?"
A moment later, Fang Bai asked with a smile.
The Hundred Flowers Empress remained silent.
"My heartbeat is steady, so I did not lie. In my heart, you are indeed more beautiful than a thousand years ago."
Fang Bai gently combed through the Hundred Flowers Empress’s hair with his fingers, inhaling her fragrant scent, and spoke with a smile.
The Hundred Flowers Empress still did not speak, but Fang Bai sensed a touch of sadness in her heart.
Fang Bai patted her fragrant shoulder and asked, "Shouldn’t we be happy to meet? What are you thinking about that’s making you sad?"
The Hundred Flowers Empress’s shoulders trembled slightly as she wept silently.
Fang Bai held her shoulders, helping her to stand straight. Seeing her face covered in tears, he felt immense pity.
"After your demise was announced a thousand years ago, I rushed to the Emperor’s Palace, hoping to protect your disciples and followers, but I was too late... And your confidantes, I failed to protect them too..."
The Hundred Flowers Empress sobbed.
Fang Bai pulled her back into his arms, comforting her, "Perhaps it was their fated tribulation. How can you blame yourself? You need not feel guilty."
The Hundred Flowers Empress cried, "But... if I had reached the Emperor’s Palace sooner, perhaps I could have saved some of your disciples and followers. If I could’ve reached your confidantes’ residence earlier and joined forces with them, maybe they wouldn’t have fallen..."
Her words grew increasingly sorrowful, continually lamenting and blaming herself.
Fang Bai comforted her for a while, then suddenly took out one of the Bipartite Dual Swords, the silver long sword, and said, "This is your Emperor’s Instrument. I obtained it from an immortal by chance; now it returns to its rightful owner."
"Did you snatch it from that Demon Emperor?"
The Hundred Flowers Empress asked after accepting the silver long sword.
Fang Bai recounted how he obtained the silver long sword and later found the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor in Bluewater Immortal City.
Upon hearing that the Demon Clan Emperor Realm expert who captured herself and the Great Luo Immortal Emperor was the legendary Heaven Devouring Great Emperor from millions of years ago, the Hundred Flowers Empress was incredulous.
"No wonder that Demon Emperor was so powerful. I hadn’t expected him to be the reborn Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor planned to consume our blood for cultivation after turning me and the Great Luo Immortal Emperor into demons. If you hadn’t rescued us in time, we might not have escaped disaster."
The Hundred Flowers Empress did not fear death, but being drained of her blood by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor after falling into the Demon Dao would be a truly humiliating way to die.
As Fang Bai described his fierce battle with the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, the Hundred Flowers Empress’s emotions fluctuated with his account.
"I never expected you to defeat the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor!"
By the time Fang Bai finished recounting, the sadness on the Hundred Flowers Empress’s face had vanished, replaced with indescribable surprise.
"I relied heavily on a few Divine Artifacts; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor!"
Fang Bai stated truthfully.
Though he had advanced to the Emperor Realm, bare-handed, he could at best fight Golden Crow Immortal Emperor, one of the top eight Immortal Emperors of the Immortal Realm, to a draw. Defeating the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was unlikely.
But come to think of it, in the Immortal Realm, assessing a strong man’s power involves not just their fighting prowess but also all the items they can use to aid in battle.
Fang Bai defeating the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor with the help of Divine Artifacts was a testament to his strength.
"Who could have imagined that being reborn would turn misfortune into a blessing? It seems your future cultivation level may surpass your past life."
The Hundred Flowers Empress marveled at Fang Bai’s encounters after his soul rebirth and felt happy for him.
"Your Immortal Residence has been destroyed, and you have only one disciple left. From now on, stay with me in the newly built Emperor’s Palace and contribute to its resurgence!"
Fang Bai spoke to the Hundred Flowers Empress with undeniable authority.
The Hundred Flowers Empress thought of the Hundred Flowers Residence destroyed by the eight top powers and the fallen disciples, a fierce light in her phoenix-like eyes, gritting her silver teeth, "It is the sins of the eight top powers! Very well, I shall go with you to the Emperor’s Palace, and together, we shall destroy the eight top powers to avenge this heart’s resentment!"
Fang Bai and the Hundred Flowers Empress talked for a long while before remembering the Great Luo Immortal Emperor, and so Fang Bai called out with a whistle, and moments later, the Great Luo Immortal Emperor appeared before him.
"We haven’t seen each other for a thousand years. I thought you’d speak for days, nights, and was preparing to go into seclusion for cultivation and wait patiently for you!"
The Great Luo Immortal Emperor said with a smile.
The Hundred Flowers Empress blushed slightly, but Fang Bai laughed heartily, "Whatever we have to say, we can discuss back at the Emperor’s Palace. We can’t just leave you hanging here."
"The Emperor’s Palace?"
The Great Luo Immortal Emperor’s eyes brightened, "Last time we met, you didn’t mention the Emperor’s Palace. Have you rebuilt it since then?"
Seeing Fang Bai nod with a smile, he asked again, "Where is it built? Is it the old site or..."
Fang Bai replied, "The old site of the Emperor’s Palace suffered too much damage, so I chose a new location. Great Luo Immortal Friend, you know of the Heavenly Cave, right? The new Emperor’s Palace is near there!"
The Great Luo Immortal Emperor knew that the Heavenly Cave was a harsh environment but also understood that if utilized properly, it could be a good place to establish a sect. Considering Fang Bai’s unparalleled formation skills in his past life, he naturally had ways to turn it into a Cultivation Holy Land.
"The Tianyin Temple was destroyed by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and almost all the Buddhas and Arhats have perished. I might as well temporarily move to your Emperor’s Palace."
The Great Luo Immortal Emperor was equally shocked when Fang Bai spoke of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, then sighed and spoke.
Though he also wished to rebuild the Tianyin Temple, he was concerned about it being destroyed again by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and with only a few remaining Buddhas and Arhats, rebuilding was not possible in the short term.
"If the Great Luo Immortal Friend goes to the Emperor’s Palace, I’d welcome it!"
Fang Bai, delighted at the success of rescuing the Hundred Flowers Empress and the Great Luo Immortal Emperor, felt joyful that the Emperor’s Palace would gain two more Emperor Realm experts to assist in the future.