The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became subtle following Empress Qingxuan's final sentence.
Everyone's gaze focused once more on Emperor Longteng and Saint Lord Yao Guang.
Light flickered intensely in Emperor Longteng's eyes; he was clearly weighing his options.
Saint Lord Yao Guang took a soft breath. Her gentle gaze turned toward Qingxuan, her voice soft yet clear:
"Qingxuan, is there truly a chance to extend one's Lifespan on the Xuanhuang Continent?"
She asked directly, for this concerned her own path and life, as well as whether Longteng would change his plans.
Empress Qingxuan put away the red emperor burning heaven lotus, her expression turning solemn:
"I wouldn't dare say I'm a hundred percent certain, but the chance is surely much greater than attempting that Heaven-Defying act."
"The Xuanhuang Continent has a complete Great Dao, countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, and many ancient Legacies and Secret Realms."
"I've heard that there are divine medicines there that can increase Lifespan or even allow one to live a second life."
"Even if such divine items cannot be found, the probability of finding the immortal path there is far higher than on the Canglan Continent."
Each of her words was like a heavy hammer striking Emperor Longteng's heart.
Extending Lifespan! divine medicines! Living a second life!
Every one of these terms was filled with a fatal allure!
Emperor Longteng stared intently at Qingxuan, his voice striving to remain steady.
"Fellow Daoist Qingxuan, is what you just said true?"
A deathly silence filled the hall; even the sound of breathing was barely audible.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Empress Qingxuan.
The bait she threw out was too tempting—so tempting that even these mighty figures, who had lived through long ages and were no longer moved by external things, felt their minds waver.
Empress Qingxuan felt the gazes that seemed to pierce right through her, but the smile on her lips remained unchanged.
She turned her gaze to Saint Lord Yao Guang and asked:
"Fellow Daoist Yao Guang, may I ask, are there still any natural treasures on the Canglan Continent that can extend the Lifespan of an Ascension to Immortality Cultivator?"
Saint Lord Yao Guang was slightly taken aback, and then a faint, almost helpless expression appeared on her gentle face.
She shook her head gently, her voice still soft but carrying a hint of fatigue she couldn't hide:
"At our level of cultivation, ordinary items have negligible effects, or even..."
She didn't finish, but everyone present understood.
In the Immortal Ascension Realm, a Lifespan of one hundred thousand years is the limit; this is a fixed fate of heaven and earth that cannot be changed.
Once cultivation reaches this Realm, the essence of life undergoes a transformation, making ordinary longevity-extending Spirit Medicines almost useless for them.
"Exactly."
Empress Qingxuan's voice rang out again, clearly pulling everyone's thoughts back.
"On our Canglan Continent, many Heaven-Defying divine items that might have existed in ancient times have long since vanished."
Her gaze swept over every Ascension to Immortality present, finally landing on the thoughtful Old Man Tian Ji.
"Fellow Daoist Tian Ji specializes in the study of fate and heavenly secrets. You must know better than us that we Ascension to Immortalitys are nourished by the Spiritual Qi of this world, hold the power of a domain, and enjoy a hundred thousand years of Lifespan."
"But once our Lifespan ends or we die unexpectedly, our cultivation, Divine Soul Origin, and even the Laws we've comprehended do not simply vanish into thin air. Instead..."
She paused slightly before uttering four words:
"Returning to the world."
These four words were like a clap of thunder, exploding in everyone's ears!
It wasn't that they didn't know this fact, but rather that no one had ever pointed it out so bluntly!
This was an almost cruel rule of heaven and earth, and one of the fundamentals for maintaining the flow of the Great Dao in this world!
"Precisely because of this,"
Empress Qingxuan looked at Saint Lord Yao Guang, her gaze candid and direct.
"To extend one's Lifespan and break through shackles in this world, there is almost no other way besides performing that Heaven-Defying act."
"And the dangers involved, I'm sure you all have weighed them in your hearts."
Emperor Longteng's expression shifted several times as Qingxuan spoke.
He had indeed intended to downplay the backlash of "Mending Heaven," emphasizing only the temptation of success.
Now that Qingxuan had exposed it, the atmosphere became even more subtle.
"But the Xuanhuang Continent is different."
Empress Qingxuan suddenly changed the subject.
She raised her hand again, the radiance of the red emperor burning heaven lotus swirling around her fingertips once more.
"There, the Great Dao is complete, the Laws are sound, and the world is vast and endless. I've seen with my own eyes mighty figures practicing special Cultivation Techniques whose Lifespans far exceed those of the same rank."
"There are Sects that use secret methods to Cultivate 'Lifespan Fruits' that ripen once every thousand years; consuming one can increase Lifespan by a thousand years."
"And within the Life Forbidden Zones of that continent, there are even divine medicines that allow one to undergo Nirvana and be reborn!"
Her words carried the certainty of someone who had experienced it firsthand, each word striking heavily against everyone's hearts.
She looked at Emperor Longteng and Saint Lord Yao Guang with burning eyes.
"And this red emperor burning heaven lotus in my hand is the best proof. Since I could bring it back, it proves that the passage between the two worlds indeed exists. Though dangerous, it is not a dead end!"
Empress Qingxuan's speech was logical and progressive.
First, she pointed out the despair of extending life on the Canglan Continent and the huge risks of "Mending Heaven."
Then, she depicted the vast possibilities and hope of the Xuanhuang Continent!
Finally, she used the irrefutable physical evidence of the red emperor burning heaven lotus as support.
The hall fell into a long silence.
Everyone was digesting this massive amount of information, weighing two completely different paths.
One was proposed by Emperor Longteng: combining the strength of ten people to perform a Heaven-Defying act in this world, with unpredictable risks.
Once it failed, under the backlash of the Heavenly Dao, likely no one present would be able to escape unscathed.
The other was pointed out by Qingxuan: exploring that extremely unstable void node to travel to a broader but also more dangerous world.
There, there was a more complete Dao, the possibility of extending Lifespan or even living a second life, and the hope of the immortal path.
The risk lay in crossing the passage itself and facing an unknown and powerful alien world.
"Fellow Daoist Qingxuan,"
The previously silent Venerable Bai Yun spoke slowly, his face full of solemnity.
"Though what you say is fascinating, is that void node truly stable?"
"If we truly can reach the Xuanhuang Continent, how can we ensure we won't be besieged by local Cultivators?"
His questions voiced the concerns in the hearts of most people present.
No matter how tempting the opportunity, one must be alive to take it.
Empress Qingxuan seemed to have anticipated this. Unhurriedly, that lazy smile reappeared on her lips.
"Stable? Naturally, it's not stable. After all, it's a passage to another world; it would be abnormal if there were no danger."
Empress Qingxuan's fingertips lightly brushed the petals of the red emperor burning heaven lotus, her tone candid:
"But compared to the dangers of forcibly Mending Heaven, it's at least much smaller."
"As for the attitude of the native Cultivators of the Xuanhuang Continent..."
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, revealing a hint of reminiscence.
"Back then, the Liyang Ancient Clan hunted me down primarily because I took the red emperor burning heaven lotus, which is why we became mortal enemies."
Her gaze swept over the crowd, her tone turning certain:
"Our generation of Ascension to Immortalitys, even on the Xuanhuang Continent, would be Great Emperors of a region, sufficient to start a Sect and establish a foundation."
"As long as we act cautiously and don't take the initiative to provoke those top-tier forces with long-standing Legacies, it won't be difficult to gain a foothold."
"Moreover..."
Empress Qingxuan's gaze fell upon the consistently quiet Emperor Longteng, a meaningful look flashing in her eyes.
"With Fellow Daoist Longteng's strength, even compared to the Peak Great Emperors of the Xuanhuang Continent, he might not necessarily be inferior."
Empress Qingxuan spoke these words with great skill.
She both affirmed Emperor Longteng's strength and indirectly emphasized that even if their group went to the Xuanhuang Continent, they wouldn't be without reliance.
Especially Emperor Longteng's strength—even in that world, he would be one of the top existences.
This sentence wasn't just for Longteng; it was for everyone present.
Especially those who still had doubts about "going to another world" and feared being targeted as "outsiders."
Emperor Longteng remained silent, countless emotions surging, colliding, and intertwining in his eyes, which were as deep as a sea of stars.
His hand on the armrest of the dragon throne tightened unconsciously, faint veins appearing on the back of his hand.
Extending Yao Guang's life was the original intention and core of his plan for "Mending Heaven."
But the "new path" Qingxuan had just thrown out allowed him to see another possibility.
A possibility of going to another world with a complete Great Dao to find a chance to extend life, or even find the immortal path.
This thought burned wildly in his heart like the most intense flame!
But beneath the huge temptation lay equally huge doubts and vigilance.
"Fellow Daoist Qingxuan,"
Emperor Longteng spoke slowly, his voice still gentle but with a bit more inquiry than before.
"Where is the void node you mentioned? What price must be paid to stabilize the passage?"
"If the passage is truly opened, how many people are willing to go along?"
He asked three questions in a row, each pointing directly to the core.
He did not reject Empress Qingxuan's proposal but instead asked "how many people are willing to go along," which in itself already showed his inclination.
He was weighing how much support he could obtain and how strong a force they could form to deal with the unknown situation after crossing if he chose to go to the Xuanhuang Continent.
Once this question was posed, the pressure instantly shifted to the other Ascension to Immortalitys.
The choice became incredibly realistic at this moment.
No matter how great the temptation Qingxuan offered or how beautiful the future she depicted, someone ultimately had to take that first step.
In the various gazes, inquiry, weighing, hesitation, and even an imperceptible trace of expectation intertwined silently.
Who would be the first to stand up?
In that brief silence...
"Hahahahaha!"
A burst of bold and unrestrained laughter suddenly broke the silence in the hall!
Desolate God suddenly stood up, his burly body like a small mountain, making the jade seat beneath him shake slightly.
"I've been cooped up on this Canglan Continent for tens of thousands of years; my bones are about to rust!"
"Isn't it just a void node? Isn't it just fighting? What's there to fear!"
"To be able to Cultivate to this level, which of us didn't come out of a life-and-death struggle?"
Desolate God's statement was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves!
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