I tricked you into thinking you had the makings of an emperor, but you actually did it?

Shen Ming continued reading.

The casting site began to crumble under the strain.

The raging fire was out of control, and Jiang Hengyu's clothes on his upper body were burned away. His naked upper body was reflected in the flames, making him look like a burning sculpture.

Even the forbidden creatures in the forbidden zones of life are restless and uneasy.

Eerie light occasionally flashed through the cold mist, and strange dragon and snake shadows appeared and disappeared.

A storm with a sharp, icy edge swept in from afar.

Jiang Hengyu seemed oblivious, his blood boiling and his will burning.

Shen Ming noticed that during this process, the ancestor's aura subtly changed, and he himself seemed to be born like a celestial weapon.

This allowed him to understand many profound meanings and insights of the "Hengyu Jing".

With a loud boom, a beautiful glass lamp was born and floated in mid-air.

This is the Lamp of Life, a combination of phoenix blood and immortal fire, a true treasure of heaven and earth, so beautiful that just one glance inspires longing.

The forbidden zone of life began to riot, and a terrifying entity burst forth from the earth, a giant hand covered with black hair like steel needles breaking through the ground.

Jiang Hengyu put away the Cup of Life, his hands empty, but there was no fear in his eyes.

The next second, Shen Ming was startled because the ancestor was looking in their direction.

This had never happened before. The old ancestor quickly withdrew his gaze, leaving him unsure whether it was a coincidence.

"Heaven and earth are the furnace, all paths are the fire, burning the physical body, igniting the primordial spirit, and building the true self!"

The sound resounded in the forbidden zone of life, and blazing flames erupted forth.

Jiang Hengyu transformed himself into a divine furnace to confront the terrifying giant hand of the forbidden zone's life form.

With a deafening commotion, the giant hand snapped in two, and Jiang Hengyu soared into the sky, his hearty laughter echoing throughout the forbidden zone of life.

Shen Ming's perspective followed the changes, returning to Pingping's side.

In the final moments of her life, Jiang Hengyu rushed back to help her refine the Life Lamp.

Pingping survived and even made it onto the Sky List because of the Lamp of Life.

Jiang Hengyu overcame himself and his inner demons, and ascended to the top of the Sky Ranking with the Hengyu Furnace he transformed into, becoming the most talented Hengyu Emperor.

"A happy ending indeed."

Shen Ming felt relieved.

Unfortunately, real life doesn't stop at the perfect final moment.

After completing one stage, people will pursue the goals of the next stage.

No one knows how much time has passed, but Jiang Hengyu is about to ascend to the legendary Immortal Realm to visit the Heavenly Court.

"Wait for me to come back and I'll take you with me!"

On the day of his ascension, Jiang Hengyu blasted open the Heavenly Gate, left a message for Pingping, and drifted away.

Shen Ming's perspective was cut off at this moment, making it impossible for him to see what the Immortal Realm was like.

After that, Pingping stayed alone in the vast world, waiting for Jiang Hengyu to come and pick her up.

She kept waiting, but nothing came.

Then one day, Jiang Hengyu's voice rang out without warning: "It's all a scam... Don't ascend!"

At first, Pingping didn't recognize the voice.

His voice was low and hoarse, completely lacking the spiritedness of Emperor Hengyu.

After Pingping realized what was happening, the voice disappeared, but it continued to ring out in her later years, consisting of intermittent, unintelligible words.

Upon reaching this point, Shen Ming discovered an endless stream of white light appearing in his consciousness.

He didn't panic; he knew this meant it was over.

The next moment, Shen Ming felt the reality of the world and his own body.

"Shen Ming!?"

The urgent calls of Li Miaozhen and Yunxi reached my ears.

"It's nothing. How much time has passed?"

Shen Ming opened his eyes and found himself and the two women in an ancient and mysterious hall.

Li Miaozhen told him that after he came in, he stood still and no matter how she called out to him, it was no use.

Thankfully, only a quarter of an hour had passed.

Shen Ming's heart remained unsettled for a long time, as if he had experienced a part of life and felt somewhat lost.

"In that era, people didn't discuss the Divine Court and the Immortal Realm, but rather the Immortal World and the Heavenly Court."

"The world back then wasn't as clearly divided into high and low, noble and lowly as it is now. Not everyone was a dragon, but even in remote continents, you didn't have to be subservient to others or grovel."

"It's related to the Heavenly Court; it happened after Emperor Hengyu ascended to the Immortal Realm."

Shen Ming took a deep breath and sorted through this information.

"It's alright, let's begin!"

Yunxi felt relieved, her eyes shining, and she wanted to search every corner.

The three cautiously explored forward. It was an ancient palace, entirely forged from lapis lazuli and dark iron, exuding an aura of power that transcended time.

The hall displays many broken artifacts. Although they have lost their original splendor, they still exude a faint Daoist charm, as if whispering the secrets of the ancient era.

"The restrictions here may not have completely worn off yet, so be careful," Yunxi warned, before putting some bottles and jars into her storage bag.

After passing through a stone gate carved with ancient inscriptions, the three stopped.

It was a magnificent inner hall, inlaid with pearls and crystals. Under the soft light, a crystal coffin floated quietly in the center, emitting a faint glow.

Inside the crystal coffin lay a woman with a serene face, like an ice flower that had been sleeping for a thousand years.

She wore a simple, plain white dress, her face was delicate and serene, her skin was as smooth as jade, and there seemed to be a faint red mark between her eyebrows, as if she still had a breath of life.

“Pingping.” Shen Ming recognized the face at a glance and murmured.

"You have friends in Taikoo?!" Yunxi exclaimed in surprise.

Shen Ming remained silent, his eyes fixed on the inside of the crystal coffin.

His flat body lay quietly, like a tranquil painting that transcends time and space.

There was a familiar object on her chest.

A sacred and somewhat solemn object floats quietly.

The lamp of life seems to possess its own life, its entire body radiating a faint, blood-red light, as clear and translucent as glass.

Transparent energy flowed slowly within the cup, like the essence of life in fresh blood, emanating a deep and intense aura.

The trajectory of the transparent energy resembled a miniature river, flowing from her heart into the cup and then returning to her body along strange patterns, forming an eternal cycle.

"What kind of treasure is this that she has preserved until now?" Li Miaozhen asked.

"Divine Fire Seed!" Yunxi looked at the core part.

There was a burning flame that was faintly visible.

It is extremely small, yet it exudes an incredibly intense aura, seemingly containing boundless power and vitality, which is awe-inspiring.

This is the divine fire that the three of them are looking for!

"Let's go," Shen Ming said.

Li Miaozhen was surprised, and Yunxi exclaimed.

They looked at each other and realized the reason: once the life lamp was removed, the body in the crystal coffin would be reduced to ashes.

She is waiting for her beloved to return.

Shen Ming recounted what had just happened.

After listening, Li Miaozhen's eyes reddened, and Yunxi felt a little sad, but not much.

Pingping's deep affection moved her, but Emperor Hengyu's womanizing ways made her repulsed.

"Alright, then let her wait here."

However, Yunxi was the first to speak, and even though there was still a strong sense of discomfort in her eyes, she still agreed to Shen Ming's request.