Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin The Crimson-Frost Prefecture was an extremely barren and desolate land in the Zhuo Clan, containing both realms of ice and fire. Some of the areas were dotted with erupting craters, with lava flowing everywhere. There, the temperature was high enough to melt various rare Divine Golds. Crimson crystals of all shapes and sizes could be found at every few steps, like the crystallisation of condensed flames. Furthermore, the vegetation in the area grew bright scarlet and steamed with the Principles of Fire. Deeper inside the area, flames blazed with blue and yellow hues. The temperature was so high that the surrounding space became distorted from the heat. Even those in the Immortal Realm would not dare to step foot here as they would be burned until not even their bones remained. On the other hand, the rest of the areas were filled with endless blue glaciers. There were icicles and ice pillars everywhere. Freezing winds raged violently throughout the year, and the entire sky was white with snow. Furthermore, countless ice sculptures formed from the frozen figures of various living creatures stood tall amidst the tempestuous snowstorm. At the junction where both areas came together, there was a huge rift that stretched endlessly into the horizon where the fire and the ice intertwined with each other. This place was known as the Frost Fire Hell to the world. It was also a natural prison where the Zhuo Clan imprisoned their most heinous Clansmen or greatest mortal enemies. At this moment, an indifferent figure with white hair crossed the endless distance and descended from the sky. Her arrival nearly caused the wind, snow and flames to subside. Thousands of Dao trembled beneath her footsteps, as though she was walking on thousands of worlds and never-ending universes. It was difficult to determine her age from her appearance. Her facial features were beautiful, but her expression was incomparably cold. It was as though there was no other emotion in her. This person was none other than Elder Zhuo Wu. A young figure with a similar appearance followed behind Zhuo Wu. She followed behind respectfully with her hands hanging by her sides. “Greetings, Heavenly Elder, Zhuo Wu.” As soon as Zhuo Wu arrived at this place, numerous members of the Zhuo Clan tasked with guarding the prison hurriedly came forward and respectfully paid their respects. Across the entire Immortal Spirit Civilisation, Zhuo Wu was considered one of the strongest existences who stood at the pinnacle. She had survived through her Third Spiritual Transformation, which meant that her strength was comparable to a Dao Realm expert who survived their Third DecayTribulation-+. Furthermore, she was one of the figures in the Zhuo Clan who held actual authority in the Clan. Her influence could only be described as extremely dominant. Aside from a few Heavenly Elders, there was nobody who could even compare with her. “Ancestor, the murderer who killed Cousin Tianyin is being imprisoned here at the moment.” The figure behind Zhuo Wu respectfully reported. It was none other than Zhuo Ling of the Zhuo Clan, who previously captured Mu Yan. Although she was a direct descendant of Zhuo Wu, the difference in their Bloodline and status was simply too great. If not for the fact that she had captured Mu Yan, she would never have had the chance to meet with Zhuo Wu in the first place. At this moment, she was filled with excitement and anticipation. In her opinion, the fact that Ancestor Zhuo Wu had brought her along to this place was an indication of the Ancestor’s appreciation and acknowledgement of her. On the other hand, Zhuo Wu’s expression was cold and indifferent. She did not say much and simply nodded her head in response. Then, she took a step forward and headed towards the lower levels of the Frost Fire Hell with Zhuo Ling in tow. There was a total of eighteen levels in the Frost Fire Hell. Moreover, the level of torment at each level was different. Only those who had committed the greatest sins would be imprisoned at the lowest level. In general, most of the criminals on the Eighteen Floor could not survive for more than a few days before they suffered a mental breakdown and became mentally impaired. It could be said that once a person was imprisoned on the Eighteen Floor, there was practically no chance for them to see the light of day again. When they finally died, their corpse would then be thrown into a sea of fire and burned completely until not a single trace of their existence remained. At this moment, countless wails could be heard throughout the Eighteen Floor. These sounds resembled the howls of evil ghosts, filled with pain and anguish. Extreme cold and extreme heat were intricately intertwined here. Under such extreme duress, even the strongest Divine Gold would explode and turn into dust in an instant. Hence, it was impossible for the criminals imprisoned on the Eighteen Floor to be weak. Rather, they were generally comparable to Immortal Kings at the minimum. At the place closest to the deepest parts of the Frost Fire Hell was a prison made from millenniums of snow and ice. Blue flames constantly shot out from the four walls and swirled around the confines of the prison, continuously scorching a figure inside. Her bloodstained face was painted with anguish, and her eyebrows were furrowed deeply. However, she seemed very calm compared to the other criminals who were howling in pain. Her lips were pursed tightly, nevertheless. It was none other than Mu Yan, who was imprisoned here after she was captured. She raised her head with some difficulty when she heard the footsteps coming from outside. Her hair draped down around her and stuck to her face, giving her a miserable appearance. “Ancestor, that person is here.” Zhuo Ling stood in front, leading the way with a glance at Mu Yan. Her expression was practically dripping with the yearning to take credit for her accomplishment. Zhuo Wu walked over and stared coldly at Mu Yan from outside the prison. Then, a sneer appeared on her face. “I said this before; I will do whatever it takes to find you. Nobody in this world can save you now. Seeing how you dared to kill my descendant, you should have known that you would suffer the consequences one day. To come this far, you must have fairly impressive talent and courage. It’s a pity that you killed somebody you should never have touched. Now, let me think… How should I go about torturing you?” Standing there, she looked down on Mu Yan. Countless horrifying visions emerged and transformed in her eyes. The Moon was destroyed, the Stars sank into the abyss, and the Great Universes shattered to pieces. Millions of visions appeared in the blink of an eye. She was deducing Mu Yan’s origins to determine whether Mu Yan had the support of somebody on the same level as her. It had always been a concern for her. After all, she believed that the murderous intent she sent after Mu Yan had been neutralised by somebody else. There was a huge possibility that somebody on the same level as her was trying to scheme against her. Why else would they choose to attack the descendant whom she had chosen as her future vessel? Unfortunately, she could not obtain any results from her deduction. She was not very good at the divination and deduction techniques of the Immortal Dao Civilisations. Otherwise, it would have been easy for her to understand Mu Yan’s destiny and capture the figure hidden behind Mu Yan. Mu Yan endured the terrible pain and torture. After seeing that the person who came was none other than Elder Zhuo Wu, she closed her eyes again and ignored Elder Zhuo Wu’s presence as though the other party was nothing but air. She had an overwhelming hatred towards Elder Zhuo Wu. If not for that, she would not have been ruthless enough to murder Elder Zhuo Wu’s most beloved descendant. It was just that Elder Zhuo Wu probably did not remember these grudges she held. After all, she had been regarded as insignificant as an ant at the time of the incident. That fact might remain the same for Elder Zhuo Wu even now. “Ancestor, I suggest that this girl be imprisoned here forever so that she can taste the pain of extreme cold and extreme heat. It is one of the most extreme pains in the world after all. An ordinary criminal will suffer a mental breakdown in several years, and then they will be completely destroyed. Their body will perish, and their cultivation will dissipate. Everything will be reduced to ashes….” While Zhuo Wu was deep in thought, the descendant standing behind her known as Zhuo Ling respectfully made a suggestion with a cruel smile. She glanced at her descendant with a noncommittal gaze upon hearing those words. How could the torture of the Frost Fire Hell count for anything? If the murderer of her descendant was allowed to die so easily, wouldn’t that be going too easy on the murderer? Nonetheless, she had other plans in mind. When she observed Mu Yan earlier, she noticed that the strength of Mu Yan’s physical body could not be underestimated even though both Mu Yan’s cultivation and Spiritual Energy had been sealed. There were no signs of deterioration despite undergoing torture in the Frost Fire Hell. On the contrary, Mu Yan’s body was showing signs that something truly amazing could be produced through repeated refinements. [This girl’s Physique is exceptional. To reach such heights at such a young age, she must have amazing Talent. Looking at her, she might be a good candidate to become a suitable vessel.] Zhuo Wu’s eyes flickered slightly. In the first place, the reason she nurtured her descendants was so that she could cultivate a suitable vessel for her future self. After all, the cultivation method in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation was very unique. They had abandoned their physical body and focused solely on cultivating their Spiritual Energy. For that reason, the lifespan of their physical body was far shorter than the cultivators of other Civilisations. It was for this reason that Zhuo Wu wanted to find a suitable vessel to store her Spiritual Energy and extend her lifespan before the lifespan of her current physical body was exhausted. Nevertheless, there were various factors to be considered. If the physical body was too weak, then it would have trouble accommodating her Spiritual Energy that was as vast as the sea. The physical body might collapse and disintegrate at any time under those circumstances. Needless to say, the most suitable physical body would be the physical body of an individual in the same cultivation realm. But, the physical body of an individual in the same cultivation realm would not be easy to steal. Unable to obtain the best option, she could only make do with the second-best option. Therefore, those individuals among the younger generation with amazing talents and the ability to achieve immeasurable accomplishments in the future became the most suitable vessels in her eyes. All of a sudden, a strange look flashed through Zhuo Wu’s eyes. She fixed her gaze on Mu Yan again and calmly said, “Open your eyes and look at me.” It was impossible for Mu Yan to fight against such power. Even though she wanted to turn away and keep her eyes closed tightly, there was nothing she could do to resist. Zhuo Wu’s words seemed to contain some sort of power that forced her to open her eyes. Her dark golden eyes were strangely beautiful, but there was no focus in them. They seemed rather lifeless at the moment. “Golden eyes containing the Eternal Divine Providence… I thought I was mistaken just now, but it would seem that things have become much more interesting now… To think this person has the Eternal Bloodline… I can’t believe she is a member of the Divine Eternal Clan.” Zhuo Wu secretly mocked in her mind but said nothing on the surface. In fact, her expression remained calm and unruffled. The Divine Eternal Clan was an ancient and special Clan in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, but it was difficult to trace their origins. Outsiders generally called them the Eternal Clan, but they preferred to call themselves the Divine Eternal Clan. That was because they worshipped the Eternal Prime God. They also believed that the entire Immortal Spirit Civilisation was originally created by the Prime God. Be that as it may, it was simply a saying passed down through the generations. There was no record or written account to prove the authenticity of their belief. Despite being one of the oldest Clans in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, the Zhuo Clan had never heard of this God or abide by this belief either. Therefore, they were naturally extremely disdainful of the Divine Eternal Clan. It was just that every single member of the Divine Eternal Clan possessed terrifying strength even though the Clan itself was not large in number. They apparently possessed a Talent known as the Eternal Divine Providence from the moment they were born. The Eternal Divine Providence was a popular name at the time. In fact, the Ancestors of the Zhuo Clan once studied and researched the Talent in attempt to reproduce and control the power. However, they not only failed miserably but also suffered terrible backlash from their attempts. The power was extremely horrifying. No special technique was required to unleash the power. Their Elder could immediately suppress all other powers in the world as soon as the power was activated. At the very least, that was how it seemed to the Zhuo Clan. If they wanted to figure out the Eternal Divine Providence, they would need to crush the Eternal Divine Providence with pure power of an even greater magnitude. It was gruelling for any being to defeat a member of the Divine Eternal Clan if they were in the same cultivation realm. Fortunately, there was always a balance in the world. Although the Divine Eternal Clan’s Bloodline was overwhelming, it was very difficult for them to successfully reproduce and give birth to any children. That was part of the reason why they were so few in number. Even so, they were undoubtedly a dominating Force that could not be underestimated in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. “Since she is a member of the Divine Eternal Clan, it is understandable why she possesses so many secrets.” As the Zhuo Clan’s Heavenly Elder, Zhuo Wu naturally did not fear the Divine Eternal Clan. Even if the Divine Eternal Clan’s current Heavenly Son had dared to kill her descendant, he would have to pay the due price. Although she initially planned to continue digging into the secrets hidden inside Mu Yan’s body, she decided to leave things be for now and keep Mu Yan around for other reasons instead. There had never been a precedent where a member of the Divine Eternal Clan was used as a vessel after all. Besides, the Eternal Divine Providence was so formidable and mysterious that she could not help coveting its power. A moment later, Mu Yan’s confused mind gradually became clear again. She subconsciously took a step back with a wary look in her eye, not knowing what Zhuo Wu had done to her. Zhuo Wu did not seem surprised by Mu Yan’s reaction and continued to speak calmly, “It is not easy for you to get to where you are today. As a person who cherishes talents, I am quite reluctant to nip your growth in the bud. Nevertheless, the crime of killing my descendant cannot be resolved so easily. That is why I will now give you two choices. “The first choice is to be imprisoned here forever, suffering the never-ending torment of the Frost Fire Hell until you turn into ashes. The second choice is to worship me as your Master, and I will leave any past grievances in the past. However, you will have to acknowledge me as your Master and never betray me.” Mu Yan was not the only one who froze in surprise upon hearing those words. Even Zhuo Ling, who was standing by the side, seemed a little dumbfounded. She never imagined that Ancestor Zhuo Wu would suddenly backtrack on the decision. Not only did Zhuo Wu decide to release Mu Yan, but she even offered to wipe the slate clean and accept Mu Yan as her disciple. Be that as it may, Mu Yan quickly recovered from her shock and immediately understood Elder Zhuo Wu’s intentions. Elder Zhuo Wu must have used some kind of trick to perceive the secrets hidden in her body. That was why Elder Zhuo Wu withdrew the previous remark and decided to accept her as a disciple instead. There was bound to be malicious intent in Elder Zhuo Wu’s actions. It was impossible for Elder Zhuo Wu to show mercy on her over some bogus reason like ‘A person who cherishes talents’. Unfortunately, she had no other choice at this point. If she continued to be detained here without ever seeing the light of day again, then her fate would be no different from death. Nevertheless, she could not help feeling conflicted. Even if it was only for ensuring her survival, she was still worshipping her enemy as her Master. “Have you decided?” Zhuo Wu calmly asked again, as though she already knew what Mu Yan was going to choose. Mu Yan lowered her head. Beneath her sleeves, her slender jade hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. “I’ve decided. I choose the second option.” She tried her best to keep her tone calm to conceal the hatred and humiliation bubbling inside her heart. “Haha! I like intelligent people. But, you should never forget that you will share the same fate as this Rune if you dare to betray me. You will explode with a loud bang…” It was hard to tell whether Zhuo Wu’s laughter was filled with joy or mockery. With a wave of her hand, an ancient deep purple Rune flew straight into Mu Yan’s body. Mu Yan immediately felt as though her life was being controlled by the ancient deep purple Rune, and a shadow of despair crept into her heart. … At the same time, inside a magnificent inn in Breeze Ancient City. “According to the many clues I obtained, the greatest challenge and the most important turning point recorded in the life records of the Sovereign Empress should be happening around now…” A young man dressed in long blue robes muttered to himself with a glint in his eye. He could not be considered very good-looking. His appearance was tanned, and he had long slanted eyebrows that gave him a rather heroic look. While he was speaking, the ancient book filled with Chaos Qi in his hand began flashing brightly. He then brought out a strand of slightly rough hair in his other hand. “This is the hair of the innkeeper I took when he wasn’t paying attention. He lives in Breeze Ancient City, so he must have seen the Sovereign Empress with his own eyes before.” A hint of expectation flickered in his eyes. As he spoke, he placed the strand of hair on the top of the ancient book.