The elites have emerged, so there's no need to inform the overlord of the Nine Mountains.
This relieved the elder of the Eighth Mountain, who went to investigate the Ten Thousand Mountain Range and saw three Great Emperors standing at the entrance, waiting in a daze. He asked in confusion,
"What are you doing? The elites have all come out, haven't they?"
“We’re waiting for Xu Zhen,” Wu Xi Great Emperor replied helplessly.
The elder of the Eighth Mountain looked around and asked again, puzzled, "Where's Xu Zhen?"
"Xu Zhen rushed in," Wu Xi Great Emperor pointed into the Ten Thousand Mountain Range, looking worried.
"What?!" This really caught the elder of the Eighth Mountain off guard. To think someone would just rush in like that—that's truly impressive.
Unable to do anything else, he had no choice but to wait with the three Great Emperors for Xu Zhen to come out.
Inside the Ten Thousand Mountain Range, due to the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, Xu Zhen couldn't fly and could only walk quickly on the ground, heading towards the central place mentioned by Little Light.
Along the way, there were some great demons nearby, but they didn't block Xu Zhen's path. Either they couldn't stop her, or they had received orders not to interfere.
Xu Zhen's steps were initially hurried, but the closer she got to the center, the slower she walked, until she dared not take another step forward.
She couldn't help but start thinking: What if the center of the Ten Thousand Mountain Range isn't who she thinks it is?
This thought grew bigger and bigger, pressing down on Xu Zhen, making it hard for her to breathe. She stopped her steps, standing at the edge of a lake, lowering her head to ponder.
Her contemplation didn't last too long. Xu Zhen lifted her head, suddenly stepping into the lake, staring directly at the figure sitting in the center. Her breath quickened as she called out,
"Chen Xia?!"
The figure slowly lifted its head, its crimson eyes flickering as it shook its head and denied,
"I'm not Chen Xia."
Xu Zhen was stunned, her expression suddenly turning lifeless. After a moment, she seemed to relax slightly and nodded to the Inner demon, saying,
"You're indeed not Chen Xia. You're his Inner demon, right?"
"Correct," the Inner demon stood up, meeting Xu Zhen's gaze. Its crimson eyes glowed as it said to her,
"The main body can't let go of you, but I have nothing to say to you."
"Where's Chen Xia?" Xu Zhen pressed further, her eyebrows, like twin blades, furrowed sharply.
The Inner demon replied, "He's in a safe place, asleep. He was injured and won't wake up anytime soon."
"How did he get injured? Who hurt Chen Xia?" Xu Zhen's tone sharpened, carrying a hint of killing intent.
The Inner demon looked at her, disdainfully shaking its head, "Why are you so worked up? You can't help the main body anyway. Telling you who hurt him won't make a difference. You can only watch."
The logic was sound, and Xu Zhen had no rebuttal. She pursed her lips, remaining silent for a moment before asking,
"At least let me know how Chen Xia got injured, right?"
"And what good would that do?" the Inner demon replied disdainfully, but it pointed a finger at the lake, causing ripples to spread across the surface, gradually forming a scene.
It depicted a massive city, suspended in the void, with countless star domains forming its walls, facing off against an unknown entity above.
The scene zoomed in, revealing Chen Xia's figure.
Xu Zhen's eyes immediately locked onto Chen Xia.
"Your move isn't aggressive enough. You should take two of his rooks with a big step forward."
"But I can only move one step at a time, Chen Saint."
"Take one first, then take back your move and take the other. You're so slow." Chen Xia instructed.
The opposing saint was confused, not understanding Chen Xia's logic. It seemed that Chen Xia could take back his own moves but not the opponent's.
Xu Zhen couldn't help but smile at this, thinking that Chen Xia was still the same as she remembered.
The scene shifted from daily life to a high point where dark remnants attacked, rushing towards the city walls.
Chen Xia drew his immortal sword, unyielding, and charged into the heart of the dark remnants, his sword intent flaring.
At this sight, Xu Zhen clenched her hands, worrying for Chen Xia.
The lake's imagery depicted the final battle at the front lines.
There were lives lost, and goodbyes said.
Saints perished one after another, and even quasi-Emperors couldn't save their lives. The saints of the Blue Sky Sword Sea returned.
Only Chen Xia remained on the city wall, like a stubborn pine, weathering all the storms.
He never retreated, guarding the wall alone, until the final battle of the final battle.
Four Great Emperors shattered the wall, crashing into Chen Xia.
His body fell abruptly, blood splattering, and his consciousness dispersed.
Xu Zhen's heart tightened, deeply worried as she watched the scene.
Then came the Dao-seeking Ancestral Dragon, becoming a four-path quasi-Emperor, and charging up after a duel with Yan Zi, directly challenging the Heavenly Dao!
What a magnificent sight!
Even Xu Zhen, who was worried, felt a vague sense of pride for Chen Xia.
But Chen Xia clearly didn't defeat the Heavenly Dao. His figure fell again, marking the final clash.
He spat out the Past and Future Method.
The future Chen Xia emerged, clashing with the Heavenly Dao, causing it to fall into a slumber.
And what about Chen Xia?
He fell like a withered petal, disappearing without a trace.
This was the final scene.
Xu Zhen's heart ached terribly, and even her usually cold and proud demeanor couldn't hold back her small sobs.
"That's the whole picture. Chen Xia is now in a safe place, asleep, and doesn't know when he'll wake up. You don't need to worry," the Inner demon said softly.
Xu Zhen nodded slightly, understanding. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve and asked,
"Can I go see Chen Xia?"
"It's best not to. If you go, the karma will attach to that place, and it won't be safe anymore," the Inner demon replied.
Xu Zhen understood and waved her hand, no longer speaking to the Inner demon, turning to leave.
The wind was cold at this moment, and Xu Zhen's heart was filled with guilt. She realized that in places she didn't know, Chen Xia had been so lonely and had to bear such immense pressure.
The wind blew the leaves away.
Xu Zhen looked up, realizing that autumn had arrived. It was time for her to leave.
Being a quasi-Emperor wasn't enough; she would become a Great Emperor.
One path wasn't enough; she would take two, and if two weren't enough, then three.
In any case, she would use all her strength to help Chen Xia become the first person above the heavens and throughout history!