The Great Liang Emperor narrowed his eyes, probably somewhat unaccustomed to how this young man looked now.

But soon, the Great Liang Emperor simply smiled and let it go.

In this lifetime, he had heard countless praises, but after hearing them all, none felt as pleasant as the two sentences spoken by the young man before him.

The Great Liang Emperor looked at the bowl of beef noodles before him, thought for a moment, and said, "There are some things that can be said now, consider it an early warning."

Chen Chao nodded. The end of Nepenthe was not the end of cultivation. One could still advance. Whether it was the Sword Sect's Sect Master, or Daoist Wuyang, or even the two emperors, all had proven this.

Then the question arose: if stepping beyond Nepenthe was extremely difficult yet still possible, then throughout the past years it was impossible for the world to have had no other cultivators step into that level.

If there were such people, why were there no records in the world? Why were they not seen?

These were the doubts most cultivators in the world should have, but Chen Chao knew a little more than they did.

"Crossing beyond Nepenthe is difficult, but it would not be as rare as once in a thousand years. In fact, within this thousand years, there should have been quite a few."

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at Chen Chao and said, "After crossing that realm, they would probably feel that eternal life is within reach, so naturally they would not wish to remain. Therefore, most would so-called cross the Immortal Sea and head overseas."

The Immortal Sea had always been the most mysterious place in the world. That sea lay beyond Ying Prefecture, rumored to be where immortals resided. In recent years, there had been rumors of an immortal descending in Ying Prefecture, causing many to want to investigate. Cultivators were the same. Often, at the final moments of their lives, they would think of crossing the Immortal Sea to reach that so-called abode of immortals.

"So in that case, beyond the Immortal Sea is where cultivators above Nepenthe gather? They cultivate bitterly there, pursuing longevity?"

Chen Chao spoke, as if unveiling the mystery of the Immortal Sea.

The Great Liang Emperor nodded. "Something like that. Those cultivators of the past thousand years, after crossing beyond Nepenthe, would step into that place. Eventually, a few so-called immortal mountains formed there, which are nothing more than sects."

Chen Chao sneered. "And where are the truly transcendent ones?"

In his view, those cultivators above Nepenthe merely had higher realms, but they were essentially the same.

No different from cultivators here.

The Great Liang Emperor shook his head. "There are still some differences. Their original intent was to seek eternal life. Establishing sects was merely to better gather resources. But as time passes, everything changes."

Chen Chao thought for a moment and said, "I suppose that aside from the Immortal Sea, each major sect in the world must also have a few above Nepenthe?"

The Great Liang Emperor nodded. "The Great Dao has myriad paths, and not everyone walks the same one. Some cultivators, knowing there are many overseas experts, gather with the intention of mutual discussion and verification, hoping to rise further through contact. But many others, even after learning of this, do not care. They remain in the world, cultivating quietly, though losing interest in worldly affairs." "Just now, We sensed it lightly. In this Infatuation Daoist Temple, there are several such people. But you need not worry. As long as Infatuation Daoist Temple is not destroyed, these old fellows will not act. The others are about the same."

Like that old monk from Deercry Monastery, many had long suspected he had surpassed Nepenthe, but he simply never liked appearing in the mortal world.

Chen Chao frowned, recalling the destruction of Three Streams Manor earlier. If there had been some old monster in the mountains, the result might not have been him destroying Three Streams Manor, but Three Streams Manor killing him, the so-called Lord Warden Commander.

The Great Liang Emperor said, "This time We took action, the news will spread quickly. Needless to say, these fellows, each one of them, will take note. As long as you are not too excessive, they will not do anything to you. After living for so long, they do not want to die so easily."

The Great Liang Emperor smiled faintly. This time, his strike had been earth-shaking; indeed, he had harbored such intentions.

“But it seems you won’t need Our protection for long. Perhaps the next time we meet, you will already have broken past that realm.”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao with narrowed eyes. It had to be said he truly did see a reflection of his younger self in this youth.

The pair of uncle and nephew did not stay long in the noodle shop. After finishing their noodles, they rose and left.

Afterward, the two walked north together, their pace neither fast nor slow.

“Logically speaking, a cultivator above Nepenthe should be able to live for several hundred years. Yet every family’s historical record can only be traced back roughly a thousand years. Who exactly erased all the things that happened further back?”

Chen Chao had many things he was curious about. He had encountered things long before anyone else ever mentioned them: the mountain within the white mist, the immortal medicine within it, and even later, the divine daughter he saw within that divine mountain, none of these were things of this millennium.

The Great Liang Emperor said, “That concerns matters far deeper. Even We do not fully understand them now, so it is difficult to explain clearly to you.”

“But one thing is certain: that divine daughter you saw, and the first one you encountered, they are definitely not the only two. There are many things you will have to uncover slowly.”

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at Chen Chao and said calmly, “In truth, none of that is very important. Just walk the road beneath your feet as it ought to be walked. When you reach the end, that is enough. Even if heaven and earth change afterward, so be it.”

Chen Chao nodded. Before he could speak, the Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, “Besides, We stand ahead of you. Even if the sky really collapses one day, We will help you hold it up.”

Chen Chao smiled. “If that day truly comes, then I will stand alongside Uncle. Why would I let Uncle shoulder it alone?”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao meaningfully. “But right now, We are throwing the entire demon race to you to deal with. It seems that I, as your uncle, am being rather unreasonable.”

Chen Chao said to himself, “Those who can do more should do more. Uncle can’t toss this matter to anyone else anyway. Who told us all to share the surname Chen? If something happens, we just have to shoulder it ourselves, don’t we?”

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