“The corpse covered in red hair outside is my physical body; it will not affect the Tianyuan Lotus.”

So spoke the Tianyuan True Monarch.

“As expected!”

Upon hearing these words, Lu Changsheng muttered to himself that his suspicions were correct.

He had seen remnants of the Tianyuan True Monarch’s soul earlier and suspected they were connected to the red-haired figure outside.

He even suspected that the other party had intentionally used the red-haired corpse to lure him here.

As if perceiving Lu Changsheng’s thoughts, the Tianyuan True Monarch’s eyes flickered faintly with sorrow, and he sighed, “I suppose, little friend, you are curious as to why this secret realm has taken such a shape?”

“Years ago, after I failed to achieve Divinity Transformation, I managed to escape with my second nascent soul and stumbled upon this secret realm.”

“But my injuries were too severe, and though I attempted body snatching and restart cultivation, I could no longer attain my peak. So I plotted to place myself in deadly peril for rebirth—through a secret technique, I transformed myself into a corpse demon, fueled by the obsession in my heart for revenge.”

“The method, however, was perilous. Fearing my vengeance, my enemies used my daughter’s bloodline as a medium to place a curse upon me.”

“Ultimately, my cultivation failed. My being became tainted by misfortune, and I ran rampant within the secret realm, slaughtering indiscriminately. It was only through the inheritance stele of the Hàorán Sect that I managed, barely, to suppress the misfortune.”

“The vengeful spirits and ghost cultivators you’ve encountered earlier are the people I killed back then, and their spirits were sealed alongside me beneath the stele.”

The Tianyuan True Monarch finished his explanation with a heavy sigh.

The individuals within this secret realm, though considered his retainers, had suffered calamity due to him and were nearly entirely annihilated.

“Transformed into a corpse demon, a bloodline curse…”

After hearing this, Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes.

Inwardly, he mused that Nascent Soul True Lords truly possessed an arsenal of techniques; not a single one of them seemed straightforward.

Yet this matter of bloodline curses intrigued Lu Changsheng, making him more vigilant.

Indeed, given his current circumstances, if someone intended to use divine techniques involving bloodline curses against him, it would be remarkably easy.

“The vast Cultivation World is filled with treasures, secret techniques, and divine skills—defenses against such methods are never foolproof. One must exercise caution.”

Lu Changsheng let out a quiet sigh in his heart and said, “Senior, if the secret realm collapses, will it affect the Tianyuan Lotus?”

“It will.”

The Tianyuan True Monarch replied directly.

“The secret realm is now depleted, interfered with by external forces, and has lost the stabilizing support of the stele. In just a few days, it will completely disintegrate, scattering into infinite spatial fragments that will drift through the Great Void. Even if you are within the Tianyuan Lotus, you will be affected.”

“However, I will make a full effort shortly, expending some of my origin source to send the Tianyuan Lotus out. But as for the specifics, I cannot guarantee; it will depend entirely on yourself.”

So declared the Tianyuan True Monarch.

“Very well, since that’s the case, I shall trouble you, Senior!”

Without further hesitation, Lu Changsheng responded immediately.

Given the current predicament, he could no longer afford to delay.

On one hand, Chu Qingyi’s condition could not wait.

On the other hand, the Heaven-and-Earth Net outside might escalate into a Nascent Soul battle, making his escape exceedingly difficult.

“Since little friend is ready, I shall begin.”

“Within the Tianyuan Lotus are some heavenly and earthly treasures I left behind in years past. Feel free to take them.”

“As for my physical body, once the secret realm collapses, it will naturally be cast into the Great Void. Moreover, outside the secret realm are three Nascent Soul cultivators; I suspect suppressing my depleted physical body will pose no challenge for them.”

Having spoken, the Tianyuan True Monarch let out a carefree laugh, his sorrow-filled eyes seeming to exude a faint sense of release.

Thousands of years of existence for him had been nothing short of torment.

He endured it wholly due to a single lingering obsession.

“Rest assured, Senior, Lu will surely find a suitable inheritor for your legacy.”

“Once capable, I will also seek out information about your daughter and rescue her.”

Holding Chu Qingyi in his arms, Lu Changsheng spoke with a solemn expression.

This promise was not solely motivated by the benefits offered by the other party.

It also stemmed from him, as a father himself, witnessing the other’s enduring thousands of years for his daughter’s sake.

“Very well.”

The Tianyuan True Monarch revealed a gratified smile and gently lifted his palm. Beams of light burst forth, transforming into a dense sphere of five-colored radiance that enveloped Lu Changsheng and Chu Qingyi.

“Whoooo—whoooo—whoooo.”

At the same time, the thick and pure spiritual energy within the Cave Heaven surged toward Lu Changsheng like water, forming a vortex of spiritual energy around him.

From the distant medicine fields, crystalline and fragrant spiritual medicine plants, glowing with radiant luminescence, soared toward him.

These spiritual medicines, cultivated by the Tianyuan True Monarch himself, were all exceptionally rare and precious, of immense value.

“To meet a friend like you after death and see such a pleasing development might be considered a stroke of fortune.”

After completing his efforts, the Tianyuan True Monarch let out a hearty laugh, his faint and blurry silhouette dispersing like scattered sand, dissolving into countless specks of light.

“Boom—”

The entire Cave Heaven quaked violently, as though undergoing massive tremors.

In that instant, Lu Changsheng seemed to share a mysterious connection with the Tianyuan Lotus, sensing that the Tianyuan True Monarch had ordered it to break through the Great Void and head toward the outside world.

As for where it would go, Lu Changsheng didn’t know, nor did he have the time to ponder.

The origin source of the Tianyuan True Monarch’s nascent soul surged into his body, akin to the collapse of a vast ocean, flowing toward every corner of his being, almost causing his physique to rupture.

This power was overwhelming!

Even though it was merely a portion of the nascent soul’s origin source, it was far beyond what an ordinary cultivator could withstand.

Fortunately, Lu Changsheng practiced magical dual cultivation.

Not only had he condensed the Great Dao Golden Core, but he also possessed the physical refinement ability of the Third Order Middle Stage. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to endure this torrent of power within his body.

“Fairy Qingyi.”

Lu Changsheng looked toward Chu Qingyi, who lay in his arms, and gently placed her on the ground, intending to mend her tattered palace gown.

“You… Who… Are you….”

Chu Qingyi’s beautiful eyes remained tightly shut, her exquisitely chiseled face deathly pale, with streaks of blood at the corners of her lips—a sight of poignant tragedy and beauty, reminiscent of a female sword immortal drifting down from the heavens.

She knew she could not resist Lu Changsheng’s actions now.