Chapter 1416: Chapter 501: Investiture of the Gods, Five Directions and Five Emperors, Other Shore_2

In the end, only the Saint King remained by his side.

When the last figure of a True Saint left the palace, only Ji Jingqiu and Doumu Yuanjun remained inside, along with the Saint King standing behind Ji Jingqiu.

Doumu Yuanjun turned to look at Ji Jingqiu, completely ignoring the Saint King, and with a slight upward curve of her lips, said:

"World Venerate Ji, do you think this bait is weighty enough?"

"Too much bait might not be a good thing," Ji Jingqiu replied calmly. "It might attract a fish big enough to capsize the fishing boat."

Doumu Yuanjun chuckled and said, "Then let’s wait and see if there’s still a fish in this world that can capsize my Heavenly Court."

"Five Directions and Five Emperors, excluding the Central Heavenly Emperor, do you want the four divisions of the Sea of Realms to fall into infighting, ultimately choosing one victor?"

Ji Jingqiu looked at Doumu, continuing to probe,

"But don’t forget, the God-beating Whip is not in your hands. Even if you fill every position on the Investiture of the Gods, in the eyes of Emperor Yi, who holds the whip, it’s still not enough."

Doumu Yuanjun was indifferent to Ji Jingqiu guessing her intentions. As an emperor, one must eschew tricks from the Evil Domain, so she used only open and aboveboard strategies.

What does it matter if someone guesses her intentions?

In the Sea of Realms, who can refuse the Fruit Position of three Great Dao Ancestors?

"The Fruit Position of Emperor Yi is lost, and he poses no threat." Doumu Yuanjun looked at Ji Jingqiu with sudden amusement and said, "Why not have Taoist Friend Ji eliminate Emperor Yi for me, for the Heavenly Court, and retrieve the God-beating Whip?"

Ji Jingqiu responded calmly, "I desire nothing more."

Doumu Yuanjun looked at Ji Jingqiu for a long time and then laughed,

"Still, let’s just drop it. Emperor Yi is cunning beyond measure, and you may not be his match; any mishap would be undesirable. World Venerate Ji, I have high expectations of you now."

"The things and people I’ve promised you have already been sent to your subordinate God. I’ve also found you a Protector to prevent unexpected events, since your Daoist practice is still low."

"Go, and unify the Netherworld Soil soon."

Ji Jingqiu felt suspicion in his heart. Why did he feel that her attitude towards him was somewhat strange?

When Ji Jingqiu left the palace with the Saint King, a shadow appeared at Doumu Yuanjun’s feet.

"The Silent Annihilation tide has closed again."

Doumu Yuanjun nodded, "Be prepared. Ji Jingqiu is not entirely wrong; the various gates in the Sea of Realms are not so well-behaved and will surely infiltrate to investigate."

"Why do I feel like your attitude toward him is somehow very strange?" the shadow couldn’t help asking, "Is it because of Emperor Yi?"

"Are you referring to Ji Jingqiu?" Doumu Yuanjun counter-questioned, looking into the void. Even though Ji Jingqiu had left, he still couldn’t escape her gaze.

She stifled her smile, her eyes deep and mysterious: "There is something off about him. I originally thought he truly was a being from a hundred eras ago, but the more I interacted with him, the more I noticed that his aura is somewhat similar to that person’s."

"Who?"

Doumu Yuanjun chose silence, and after a long time, she said, "You haven’t met him."

Then, she continued, "Back then, Emperor Yi and the others were always searching for a place, which even included the founder of the Heavenly Court."

The shadow immediately understood and said lightly, "Are you referring to the Other Shore? The legendary Land of All Realms Unifying, the Most Ancient Domain, the source of everything... but that’s just a legend."

Doumu Yuanjun slowly said, "Ji Jingqiu carries the aura of the Other Shore, very faint, and not following common sense, yet it truly exists, which is why I initially mistook it."

"Hmm?" The shadow exclaimed suddenly, "What are you saying?! Have you seen the Other Shore? If not, why do you say he carries the aura of the Other Shore?"

Doumu Yuanjun looked at the shadow, her eyes showing a peculiar glint: "Has no one in your world touched the Other Shore throughout endless time?"

The shadow replied solemnly, "It’s just a legend."

Doumu Yuanjun smiled, offering no further explanation: "Perhaps."

Her gaze remained on the figure of Ji Jingqiu, as if trying to locate some coordinates from him.

Someone once said something that she remembers vividly to this day.

If you lack confidence in yourself, you might as well trust others a bit more.

...

...

In the Inner Universe.

Ji Jingqiu sought a quiet place and privately met with two people and a Sword Light, asking a question.

The Sea of Realms is vast, holding within it boundless universes and heavens and earth.

Could the universe of his past life be hidden somewhere within?

Is there a method to trace the coordinates of the world from his previous life?

"Reincarnation?" Hel scrutinized Ji Jingqiu’s expression suspiciously, "You have a past life? Since when?"

"Ji Jingqiu, if you have the time to search for your past life, why not think about how to see the Other Shore?"

Ji Jingqiu earnestly said, "I have an inexplicable feeling that to see the Other Shore, I need to understand certain things."

...

In response to Ji Jingqiu’s inquiry, Wuzhou suddenly said, "Ji Jingqiu, do you remember that Heavenly Monarch Kong Xiao, who was imbued with your Heavenly Nature?"

Ji Jingqiu nodded slightly, not understanding why Wuzhou suddenly mentioned Kong Xiao.

"Did you know that Hel has always allowed your Buddha Nature to infiltrate her Divinity, not just as sustenance, but as an invisible Tao Struggle?"

Wuzhou stared into Ji Jingqiu’s eyes, aiming to verify something.

Ji Jingqiu remained silent for a moment. He had sensed it slightly since he stepped into becoming a Heavenly King.

Hel’s increasing humanization was not without reason; she constantly used her Heavenly Nature, or Buddha Nature, to infiltrate her Divinity, thus generating more humanity from her Divinity.

It was like a step... a transition from God to Human.

But Ji Jingqiu did not stop it, for he did not consider it a bad thing.

"I understand now."

Just by observing Ji Jingqiu’s reaction, Wuzhou grasped certain truths. However, the one thing he still wasn’t sure about, or rather had a slim hope for, was whether all this was a scheme laid by Mu Shitian.