Chapter 125 – Daoist Azure Lotus, His Majesty Has Awaited You for Five Thousand Years

Instance: Ancient Cultivator Tomb, Burial Chamber.

“Time changes everything. Who would have thought the Azure Mystic Puppets that once required multiple deaths to defeat can now be handled with minimal effort.”

“Without even realizing it, I’ve truly grown much stronger than before…”

Lu Chen gazed at the Azure Mystic Puppets he’d effortlessly eliminated within the tomb, his tone filled with reflection.

Recalling his first visit to this instance months ago,

He had been thoroughly schooled by these very Azure Mystic Puppets.

Learning what it meant to be overwhelmed by numbers, discovering how chaotic strikes could defeat even a master.

But now the tables had turned – in just four short months.

The person remained the same, the puppets were still those puppets.

Yet the one giving lessons had become Lu Chen himself!

This is what they call an advanced player returning to the beginner village!

[You killed an Azure Mystic Puppet, gained 35 experience points…]

[You killed…]

“Though the experience is meager, even mosquitoes provide some meat.”

After watching the flashing game panel for a moment, Lu Chen directly exited the tomb.

Outside, the familiar Qi Condensation Stage Corpse Mage immediately ambushed him.

Facing this, the current Lu Chen didn’t even need to act – merely casting a calm glance toward it.

The Qi Condensation Stage Corpse Mage burst into raging purple flames, turning to ashes amid agonized screams.

[You killed Qi Condensation Stage Corpse Mage (Fifth Layer of Qi Refining), gained 70 experience points, Soul Crystal Shard (White)*1]

Without further delay, Lu Chen expertly cleared the remaining Corpse Mages throughout the underground palace.

Then he arrived before the underground tomb gate where Ye Chenglin resided.

As the gate swung open, Lu Chen once again saw that familiar figure.

But unlike the first time, Lu Chen felt something peculiar about this encounter with Ye Chenglin.

If he had to describe it – when Lu Chen first saw Ye Chenglin,

Although the other had become a Corpse Mage, he could still sense humanity emanating from Ye Chenglin.

Yet the current Ye Chenglin, for some reason, had completely lost that quality.

As if what stood before Lu Chen was merely a segment of cold, programmed data.

Not only were his eyes dull, but even his expressions appeared mechanical.

“You… who are you?”

Ye Chenglin watched Lu Chen enter the tomb, asking expressionlessly just like before.

The words remained identical, yet this time Lu Chen felt unprecedented discomfort.

Because previously he could still see confusion on Ye Chenglin’s face, brimming with humanity.

But this time he detected no emotional fluctuation on Ye Chenglin’s face, as if asking merely for the sake of asking.

Like the acting of a third-rate young celebrity, every aspect radiating ‘rigidity’.

As if realizing something, Lu Chen looked at the current Ye Chenglin and said with complex emotions: “…It seems you’re no longer the Old Ye I knew.”

Speaking thus, Lu Chen approached Ye Chenglin.

In response, Ye Chenglin said nothing more, directly rising to launch an attack.

As before, despite having only one arm, Ye Chenglin still executed exquisite Talisman techniques.

Unfortunately, the present Lu Chen was completely transformed from his former self.The Thunder Talismans that once required him to evade cautiously were now something he didn’t even need to dodge.

Smack!

Facing the incoming talisman, Lu Chen casually swatted it away as if brushing away harmless snowflakes.

Seeing that the Thunder Talismans had no effect on Lu Chen, Ye Chenglin immediately attempted to deploy other talismans.

But just as he began to sketch another talisman, Lu Chen’s figure vanished instantly, reappearing right in front of Ye Chenglin.

Gazing at the expressionless Ye Chenglin before him, Lu Chen murmured softly, “Farewell, Old Ye.”

As the words fell, Lu Chen delivered a seemingly gentle palm strike to Ye Chenglin’s chest.

Yet this ordinary-looking palm not only sent Ye Chenglin flying backward immediately but also enveloped his body in purple flames, quickly reducing him to ashes.

[You have defeated the Foundation Establishment Stage Corpse·Ye Chenglin. You have gained 3000 EXP. You have obtained Soul Crystal Shard (Green)1. You have obtained Myriad Talisman True Explanation Fragment1…]

Lu Chen didn’t glance at the game interface, instead casting a profound gaze toward the tomb’s depths, as if he had discovered something.

During his first entry into the instance, he had neither reached the Foundation Establishment Stage nor learned the Azure Lotus Eyes, causing him to miss the fact that one section of the wall behind Ye Chenglin was concealed by a formation.

Now that he had noticed this, he speculated that must be the special tomb requiring the ‘Mysterious Mausoleum Key’ to open…

With this thought, Lu Chen strode directly toward that location.

Soon, he arrived before the peculiar wall.

Before Lu Chen could ponder how to break the formation, his System interface displayed new information.

[You have discovered a new instance·Imperial City Mausoleum. Use the ‘Imperial Mausoleum Key’ to unlock the special instance… Great Yan Imperial Mausoleum.]

Observing the special item in his system inventory that had transformed from the original ‘Mysterious Mausoleum Key’ into the ‘Imperial Mausoleum Key’, Lu Chen fell into contemplation.

An Imperial Mausoleum Key, and one for the Great Yan Imperial City’s tomb at that.

Undoubtedly, his next destination would be the Great Yan Dynasty.

Recalling that the first stop in his game’s main questline was the Great Yan Dynasty, Lu Chen suddenly grew curious about what might unfold in this upcoming instance.

Could there be some mysterious connection between the two?

[You have used the ‘Imperial City Mausoleum Key’. Teleportation array activated…]

As the ‘Imperial City Mausoleum Key’ vanished, Lu Chen found the formation wall before him disappearing, replaced by an eerie black vortex.

Without further hesitation, Lu Chen strode directly into the black vortex…

[Special Instance: Great Yan Imperial City Mausoleum]

[Minimum Requirement: Foundation Establishment Stage Level 1]

[Description: After five millennia of changes, the Great Yan Imperial City has been completely overrun by Immortal Fiends. To protect the final sanctuary of the Great Yan Dynasty, guided by a master, the imperial family retreated to the underground tomb. Except for the last emperor of the Great Yan imperial family·Ji Ling’er, all others willingly became ghost soldiers and generals to resist Gu Xian’s continuous invasions…]

[Note: The special instance will permanently disappear after clearance. Instance rewards depend on completion progress.]

When Lu Chen reopened his eyes, what greeted him was a massive underground palace.

His arrival point was precisely before the main gate at the palace’s periphery.The two ghost soldiers guarding the great gate eerily knelt down upon his appearance, displaying extreme reverence as if they recognized him.

Curious about this, Lu Chen glanced at the panels above the two ghost soldiers.

【Great Yan Dynasty · Eastern Camp Ghost Soldier】

【Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage Fourth Layer】

【Characteristics: Due to special circumstances, these ghost soldiers can resurrect infinitely after death but cannot operate under sunlight】

Ghost soldiers with infinite resurrection?

Lu Chen stared at the two ghost soldiers in astonishment, wondering whether only they possessed this ability or if all ghost soldiers and commanders within the Great Yan Imperial Mausoleum shared this trait.

If all ghost soldiers and commanders could resurrect infinitely…

Then based on what Lu Chen’s Divine Sense had scanned and comprehended.

The combat potential contained within this Great Yan Imperial Mausoleum… would be utterly staggering!

Because within this mausoleum, he could sense the presence of at least ten thousand ghost soldiers.

Not to mention those ghost commanders at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Just as Lu Chen was contemplating his next move, the tightly shut palace gates suddenly swung open.

Soon after, an ancient female ghost general wearing armor, a half golden mask, and four command flags on her back rode a skeletal horse, slowly coming to a stop before the city gate.

Detecting no hostility from her, Lu Chen didn’t immediately attack but instead checked her panel.

【Great Yan Dynasty · Golden Army General · Lan Yan】

【Cultivation: Ghost Core Stage Fifth Revolution】

【Characteristics: The final guardian general of the Great Yan Dynasty, transformed into an immortal ghost general due to special circumstances】

An ancient ghost general at Ghost Core Stage?

Seeing her panel, Lu Chen immediately assumed a defensive stance.

Because a ghost general of this strength could genuinely threaten him in his current state.

However, to Lu Chen’s surprise, after the female ghost general named Lan Yan rode to within five steps of him.

She immediately dismounted and approached Lu Chen on foot.

Then, under his astonished gaze, she removed her helmet and knelt on one knee before him.

“This humble one, Lan Yan, welcomes the return of Azure Lotus Daoist.”

“I pray the Daoist will not take offense at meeting me again in this wretched form of a vengeful ghost.”

Hearing her words, Lu Chen frowned and asked, “You… know me?”

Upon hearing this, Lan Yan seemed to have expected it, calmly replying: “Just as the Daoist predicted a millennium ago, you now remember neither us nor the events that transpired a thousand years ago…”

After a moment’s thought, Lu Chen asked again: “What else did I say before?”

Lan Yan answered: “The Daoist also instructed that if we met again and found you had lost your memories of the past millennium, we should not dwell on such matters, but only speak of what occurred after your departure.”

“Because by then, the Daoist would once again lead our Great Yan Dynasty… out of adversity, just as you did a thousand years ago.”

Hearing this, Lu Chen’s frown deepened.

Though these were but a few words, he could discern numerous implications within them.

For instance, while he appeared to be conversing with Ghost General Lan Yan, he was essentially communicating with his thousand-year-old self.

This trans-temporal method of communication sparked countless possibilities in Lu Chen’s mind.

Though his thoughts were in turmoil, one point became clear to him.

His ancient self was telling him not to seek understanding of what happened a thousand years ago, but to proceed as normal.Because once he learned those things, it might influence the circumstances of a thousand years ago.

Thinking this, Lu Chen decided to trust the judgment of his thousand-years-ago self.

“Lead the way, then tell me exactly what happened here.”

Lan Yan nodded, then put her helmet back on.

“Please follow me, Daoist. Regarding the events of these thousand years later… it’s best if Your Majesty explains them to you personally. After all… Her Majesty has been waiting for you for a full five thousand years.”

Five thousand years…

Hearing this astonishing span of time, Lu Chen found it hard to believe for a moment.

Based on his previous deductions, the Ancient Cultivator Tomb should be at most fifteen hundred to three thousand years removed from his gaming era.

But now it seemed not every Instance shared the same timeline.

Different Instances might exist in vastly different eras.

This was yet another piece of new information.

Led by Lan Yan, Lu Chen soon reached the depths of the Imperial Mausoleum.

Along the way, he quickly observed the layout of the underground Imperial Palace.

He saw that aside from the main hall in the distance, the entire underground Imperial Palace had all four directions—east, south, west, and north—filled with numerous terracotta soldiers.

Moreover, in each of these four directions stood an enormous Eternal Lamp.

Though Lu Chen couldn’t discern the purpose of these Eternal Lamps, judging from their intricate patterns and the unique aura they emitted, they were clearly no ordinary objects, and their placement was certainly not random.

Combined with the fact that all the ghost soldiers and generals, including Lan Yan, possessed undying and indestructible traits, Lu Chen suspected their ability to resurrect infinitely might be closely related to the four surrounding Eternal Lamps.

But whether this was truly the case would only be confirmed after he met the last emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, Ji Ling’er.

Following Lan Yan, Lu Chen soon crossed the plaza before the underground Imperial Palace.

The terracotta soldiers appearing on this plaza each possessed cultivation at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage or higher.

At a rough glance, Lu Chen estimated there were no fewer than a hundred.

As for the four soldiers standing at the very front, their auras had reached the Ghost Core Stage.

From left to right, they were the Saber General, Bow General, Spear General, and Sword General.

Therefore, rather than calling them soldiers, it would be more accurate to call them general statues.

Every time Lu Chen and Lan Yan passed by a terracotta soldier, it would awaken in ghostly form and kneel toward the two.

By the time Lu Chen and Lan Yan reached the entrance of the Imperial Palace’s Great Hall, all the ghost soldiers and generals in the entire underground Imperial Palace had awakened.

This included the four ancient ghost generals at the Ghost Core Stage.

Facing the kneeling ghost soldiers and generals filling the plaza, Lu Chen appeared expressionless on the surface, but inwardly he felt somewhat tense.

After all, this was clearly his first encounter with these people.

Yet they acted as if they had known him long ago.

This severe information disparity made Lu Chen feel like an amnesiac meeting a group of so-called ‘acquaintances,’ giving him an indescribable sense of dissonance.

Thus, the mere hundred-meter path before the Imperial Mausoleum’s main hall felt like the longest road Lu Chen had ever walked.

Fortunately, all questions would soon be answered.

As Lan Yan pushed open the main hall’s doors, a strange Golden Coffin suspended mid-air by four chains immediately caught his eye.

Beneath that peculiar coffin lay a massive pool of blood.Lu Chen carefully observed and noticed that the four chains connected to the golden coffin seemed to align precisely with the directions of the four eternal lamps surrounding the imperial palace.

【Name: Undying Longevity Coffin】

【Quality: ???】

【Effect: ???】

Staring at the Undying Longevity Coffin, Lu Chen found himself momentarily uncertain of what to do next.

Just as he hesitated, Lan Yan directly lit the four lamps in the western part of the great hall.

In the next moment, the other lamps in the hall triggered a chain reaction, lighting up one after another.

It was then that Lu Chen realized this place, which outwardly resembled an imperial palace great hall, was internally arranged like an ancient ancestral shrine, with densely placed memorial tablets lining the walls.

Though the surface appearance suggested a chilling, Yin Qi-filled environment, Lu Chen felt not the slightest hint of cold here.

Instead, he sensed an inexplicable warmth, as if the surroundings were brimming with vitality.

This harmonious coexistence of life and death left Lu Chen feeling somewhat unsettled.

Bizarre. This place was truly bizarre.

Clatter!

Accompanied by the rattling of chains, the previously suspended Undying Longevity Coffin descended smoothly into the blood pool without splashing a single drop.

Immediately after, the crimson blood pool began surfacing with bluestone slabs.

These slabs connected with each other, ultimately forming a path leading to the Undying Longevity Coffin.

Looking at this bluestone path, Lan Yan spoke: “Azure Lotus Daoist, please personally awaken Her Majesty.”

Hearing Lan Yan’s words, Lu Chen contemplated briefly before proactively walking toward the Undying Longevity Coffin.

Soon, he arrived beside the coffin.

Observing the seamless golden coffin before him and the somewhat familiar golden dragon carvings on its surface,

Lu Chen felt he had seen similar patterns somewhere before.

“Azure Lotus Daoist, please drip a drop of blood on the coffin surface.”

Just as Lu Chen was pondering, Lan Yan spoke again.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen immediately drew his Ink Dragon Sword and made a cut on his palm.

Drip…

When his blood fell on the Undying Longevity Coffin, the previously dim coffin immediately began vibrating.

Soon, the golden dragon carving on the surface became vividly lifelike.

Then the tightly sealed Undying Longevity Coffin slowly opened, revealing the figure inside.

There lay a woman who appeared to be in the bloom of youth.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, clad in a red dragon robe with a gilded crown on her head, hands crossed over her chest.

Though she merely lay in the coffin with closed eyes, Lu Chen instantly sensed her dignified and elegant aura.

If Shangguan Yunmeng was an ethereal Fairy detached from the Mortal World,

then the Last Empress of Great Yan now before Lu Chen was the peerless beauty standing at the pinnacle of the Mortal World.

The phrase “capable of overthrowing cities and kingdoms” suited her perfectly without the slightest exaggeration.

Just as Lu Chen wondered what to do next,

he suddenly noticed the eyebrows of Great Yan’s Empress Ji Ling’er, lying in the Undying Longevity Coffin, twitch slightly.

Soon, Ji Ling’er fully opened her eyes.

When she saw Lu Chen beside the Undying Longevity Coffin,

Ji Ling’er’s originally imposing, regal demeanor instantly shattered.

To Lu Chen’s astonishment, she not only sat up directly but also embraced Lu Chen beside the coffin.

Wh-what’s going on?!Ji Ling’er’s sudden ‘throwing herself into his arms’ caught Lu Chen completely off guard.

This was the same Lu Chen who could face Golden Core Stage experts without flinching, who feared no death in any Instance.

Yet now, he found himself utterly flustered by a woman’s embrace.

Firstly, he didn’t know Ji Ling’er, and secondly, he had no idea what was happening.

This embrace truly caught him unprepared.

Just what remarkable things did my thousand-years-ago self do behind my back?!

Before Lu Chen could figure out the situation, Ji Ling’er, who was leaning on his shoulder, spoke words that instantly made him break out in a cold sweat.

“Brother Qinglian, have you come now… because you’re finally willing to marry me?”

What?!

Lu Chen’s pupils contracted, his mind going completely blank.

For a moment, countless classic melodramatic scenarios flashed through his mind.

Cultivators who seduced and abandoned innocent young girls after making millennium vows.

Or mortal women who admired Immortals, waiting desperately for their response, and so on…

He was sweating profusely, truly sweating buckets!

Seeing that Lu Chen hadn’t responded for a long time, Ji Ling’er seemed to realize something. She immediately released him and faced the bewildered Lu Chen with a radiant smile.

“Hehe, Ling’er was just joking, Brother Qinglian. Don’t take it seriously.”

Lu Chen looked at this Ji Ling’er – who had been a noble empress before her slumber but now behaved like the girl next door – and truly didn’t know what to say.

The contrast… was rather extreme.

Just as Lu Chen was sweating profusely, Lan Yan, who was kneeling at the entrance of the Great Hall, couldn’t help but speak up.

“Your Majesty, outside the Imperial Mausoleum…”

“Silence.”

Ji Ling’er turned to look at Lan Yan, her gaze no longer gentle as when she looked at Lu Chen, but instead quite icy.

She seemed displeased by this sudden interruption.

In just one second, a mere second, Lu Chen witnessed what true face-changing meant.

And he understood why Ji Ling’er could become the empress of the Great Yan Imperial City.

The domineering Aura she displayed in that instant made even Lu Chen feel what it meant for imperial authority to brook no questioning.

Ji Ling’er looked at the trembling Lan Yan and said coldly, “Withdraw, and close the doors.”

“No one is permitted to enter unless I say so.”

“…Yes.”

Lan Yan lowered her head, obediently withdrew from the Great Hall, and closed the heavy doors.

When only Lu Chen and Ji Ling’er remained in the hall,

Ji Ling’er’s icy expression immediately vanished, replaced by a gentle smile on her exquisitely beautiful face.

A tenderness that seemed capable of melting anyone.

Making Lu Chen even more flustered.

He had thought he was entering a leveling Instance, but now it seemed… he might have stumbled into a romance Instance!

Something’s wrong, this script feels quite wrong.

Ji Ling’er seemed unaware of Lu Chen’s discomfort, saying proudly, “Brother Qinglian, haven’t I lived up to your teachings from back then?”

“You told me that the way to rule lies in balancing kindness and authority, that an emperor must make subjects respect them but also fear them, because only then can they control the entire Dynasty.”

“Every casual word you spoke, Ling’er has remembered all these years.”

“But do you still remember what Ling’er said back then?”

What?

What did I say back then?

Lu Chen looked into Ji Ling’er’s gaze that seemed almost capable of melting him,

And instantly sensed that something was amiss.Even though it was his first time seeing Ji Ling’er, he could still feel the profound love she held for him.

And this love seemed not merely simple affection, but was mixed with a visible, morbid possessiveness.

Pressure. For the first time, Lu Chen felt an indescribable pressure.

Faced with Ji Ling’er’s undisguised affection, Lu Chen was truly sweating bullets!

The main issue was that he genuinely couldn’t recall what he had said back then!

Aren’t we… meeting for the first time???

(End of Chapter)