Upon hearing the name “Chunmeng,” the Heavenly Emperor’s face drastically changed.

Lengyuan lowered her eyes and drew in a sharp breath. Originally, she hadn’t planned to reveal Chunmeng’s matter so quickly, but unexpectedly, her earlier actions had been witnessed by the Heavenly Emperor.

Now, for self-preservation, she had no other option.

“Continue speaking,” the Heavenly Emperor clenched his fists, looking at Lengyuan with a grave expression.

“The lady in the forbidden ground has been released by Fu Huan using forbidden techniques.”

…

One cup of tea later, the forbidden ground’s seal was opened.

The Heavenly Emperor hastily stepped through the forbidden ground’s main door. Lengyuan, who accompanied him, quickly followed his steps, and together they entered the inner chamber.

Inside, Chunmeng was resting on the bed, her pale face completely bloodless.

…

Seeing the person on the bed, Lengyuan slightly narrowed her eyes, secretly thinking that it was indeed that woman.

“Chunmeng,” the Heavenly Emperor called out to her.

On the bed, Chunmeng heard the voice and slowly opened her eyes. Catching sight of the person standing beside the bed, fear and panic flashed across her eyes, and she instinctively moved further into the bed.

The Heavenly Emperor remained silent, frowning deeply. He raised his hand, and a beam of light emanated from his palm, enveloping Chunmeng’s entire body.

Lengyuan watched this scene with a tense expression. Only after the Heavenly Emperor had peered into Chunmeng’s primordial spirit and revealed the half soul did Lengyuan’s heart finally relax, and a smile pulled at the corners of her lips.

“Indeed, only half a soul remains,” Lengyuan commented at the opportune moment.

“This Immortal Chunmeng is the sister of Lord Shen of the Underworld. To gain Lord Shen’s favor, Fu Huan used the Phoenix divine power to release half of Immortal Chunmeng’s soul, which is why she lost all her cultivation powers recently,” Lengyuan explained.

After Lengyuan finished speaking, the Heavenly Emperor pondered for a moment. Thinking about Fu Huan’s recent abnormal behavior, his eyes grew increasingly crimson. What angered him most was that Fu Huan had been playing him for a fool.

“Guards!” the Heavenly Emperor shouted.

Several celestial soldiers appeared from the shadows. “What are the Heavenly Emperor’s orders!”

“Execute Fu Huan and Si Qing immediately!” The Heavenly Emperor spoke through gritted teeth. His judgment against Fu Huan and Si Qing left no room for mercy.

He could tolerate anything except someone challenging his authority as the Heavenly Emperor.

If they dared to scheme right under his nose, they had to be prepared to face the consequences.

Si Qing, Fu Huan… good, very good!

“Heavenly Emperor,” Lengyuan suddenly knelt and looked up at the Heavenly Emperor. “Lengyuan has a request.”

“Speak.”

“May I ask if the Heavenly Emperor would allow me to deal with Fu Huan? She stole the love meant for me, and despite my warnings, committed unforgivable crimes. Please, Heavenly Emperor, hand her over to me,” Lengyuan pleaded.

Hearing Lengyuan’s words, the Heavenly Emperor’s lips curled into a contemptuous smile. “Lengyuan, I misjudged you before. I never expected you to be such a ruthless person.”

“However, very well. Compared to your previous reserved and gentle demeanor, I appreciate who you are now.”

“Fu Huan is yours to handle.”

…

Inside the ice prison.

Fu Huan lay on the ground, with the cold air freezing all the wounded areas on her hands and feet. At this moment, she felt nothing but cold.

Soon, a series of footsteps approached from outside.

Shortly after, the ice prison door was opened again.

Fu Huan glimpsed the edge of an enchanting purple skirt, and her expression dimmed further. She heard a cold laugh from above, “Heh, this time, you’ve truly fallen.”

After speaking, a scroll was thrown before Fu Huan’s eyes, clearly displaying the Heavenly Emperor’s decree. Upon seeing the words “execute immediately,” Fu Huan frowned, bit her lower lip, and remained silent.

“Take her away,” Lengyuan waved her hand at Zhu Ling behind her.

Zhu Ling stepped forward, bent down to help Fu Huan up, and led her out of the ice prison.

Fu Huan was surprised to see Zhu Ling helping her, and then heard Lengyuan laugh, “I requested permission from the Heavenly Emperor to handle your worthless life, and he agreed.”

“So now, your life and death are in my hands.”

Fu Huan’s heart jolted, astonished at how quickly events had developed.

Once outside the ice prison, the cold gradually receded from her body, only to be replaced by waves of pain that made her face turn ghastly white. Yet she gritted her teeth, refusing to faint.

Lengyuan walked ahead. Fu Huan, clinging to consciousness, glanced at Zhu Ling, who was supporting her, and smiled faintly. She used her mental energy to transmit a secret message to Zhu Ling: “That red spiral shell is being kept safe by someone for me.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Huan felt Zhu Ling’s hand stiffen.

Indeed, if the Heavenly Emperor discovered that Lengyuan and Tong Yan were plotting against him, none of them would survive.

“Now, if you want to live, do as I say,” Fu Huan transmitted another secret message, then conveyed all her thoughts and requirements to Zhu Ling.

Zhu Ling trembled, and finally, when Lengyuan wasn’t paying attention, she looked at Fu Huan and nodded.

Having received Zhu Ling’s affirmation, Fu Huan relaxed slightly. Although she knew she wouldn’t come to a good end, at least Lengyuan wouldn’t get away with it either.

Everyone would die together if it came to that.

…

At nightfall, Zhu Ling went alone to Qingyang Palace.

In Qingyang Palace, the Heavenly Emperor was sitting in his study, troubled by the day’s events, especially after hearing several reports from the celestial soldiers that there was no trace of Si Qing.

Si Qing…

The Heavenly Emperor’s face darkened. No wonder he had felt a sense of urgency when he first met him. Unexpectedly, Si Qing had some connection to Chunmeng.

But if Chunmeng was Qingzhi’s daughter, why would she know Si Qing?

Wait, there seemed to be something he had overlooked…

The Heavenly Emperor suddenly recalled that years ago in this very Qingyang Palace, Qingzhi’s husband had briefly mentioned they had a son, but Qingzhi had insisted it was a daughter…

A son…

Could it be…

As the Heavenly Emperor’s thoughts grew increasingly troubling, just as he was about to dispatch more people to search for Si Qing, Tong Yan’s voice came from outside, “Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor, immortal attendant Zhu Ling from Cuiling Palace seeks an audience.”

“I will not see her.” The Heavenly Emperor was in no mood to deal with a minor immortal attendant right now.

“This humble servant also has matters to report,” Tong Yan added promptly.

The Heavenly Emperor frowned, impatiently saying, “Enter!”

Tong Yan and Zhu Ling pushed open the door and entered together. They both knelt before the Heavenly Emperor.

“Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor, Cuiling Palace attendant Zhu Ling has important matters to report.”

“Speak.”

Zhu Ling pressed her lips together and spoke tremulously, “Today, everything regarding Supreme Immortal Fu Huan and Lord Shen of the Underworld was part of Supreme Immortal Lengyuan’s scheme.”

“Supreme Immortal Lengyuan has been unrequitedly in love with Lord Shen for a long time, but Lord Shen was deeply in love with Supreme Immortal Fu Huan. Out of jealousy, Supreme Immortal Lengyuan had previously conspired with Youlan True Lord from the Underworld and Third Princess Bing Lian to frame Supreme Immortal Fu Huan multiple times.”

“Including this time with Immortal Chunmeng, the other half of Immortal Chunmeng’s soul has been hidden in Cuiling Palace all along. Today’s events were entirely Supreme Immortal Lengyuan framing Supreme Immortal Fu Huan!”

The Heavenly Emperor leaned back in his chair, and upon hearing these words, his emotions showed little fluctuation. “If that is so, why did you specifically come to tell me this?”

“Because…”

Zhu Ling glanced at Tong Yan beside her, her hands unconsciously gripping her robe. “Because Supreme Immortal Lengyuan ordered this servant to get close to Brother Tong Yan, in exchange for the Heavenly Emperor’s secrets and whereabouts.”

After she spoke, Tong Yan fell to his knees with a thud.

The Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes, looking at the people before him, and suddenly realized that he was the biggest fool of all.

Seemingly in a position of high authority and supreme honor, yet he was being played by those beneath him, one after another!

Enough!

“In that case, execute Lengyuan as well. I want to see who else in this realm dares to harbor ill intentions toward me!” The Heavenly Emperor spoke in anger, then swept his sleeve and left.

Zhu Ling collapsed to the ground and gasped for breath several times.

…

Cuiling Palace.

Lengyuan, who was savoring the fruits of her victory, never expected a group of people to suddenly rush in with the Heavenly Emperor’s decree, taking her away to be executed.

Struggling, Lengyuan was escorted to the Celestial Realm’s secret prison, to be beheaded the next day.

In the prison, Lengyuan grabbed the bars, continuously banging on the prison door, shouting, “Why am I being arrested? Why me? Isn’t Fu Huan the one who deserves to die? What does this have to do with me?”

“Supreme Immortal, stop shouting,” a junior immortal lord approached.

“It was the attendant from your palace, Zhu Ling, who went to the Heavenly Emperor and exposed your crimes,” the immortal lord explained.

Hearing this, Lengyuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Zhu Ling?”

“That’s right, Zhu Ling.”

“Damn it…” Lengyuan clenched her fists, never imagining that she would be tripped up by Zhu Ling.

No, her plan hadn’t succeeded yet; she couldn’t just wait for death.

Wait, doesn’t Si Qing know the life-extension technique?

“Immortal Lord, would you help me with something?” Lengyuan blinked at the immortal lord, and as she did so, she produced a faint wisp of smoke from her fingertips.

As the smoke drifted toward the junior immortal lord, he suddenly lost his mental faculties and became entranced, stepping closer to Lengyuan.

“What does the Supreme Immortal command?” the junior immortal lord spoke woodenly.

Seeing that the junior immortal lord had fallen under her bewitchment spell, Lengyuan smiled slightly. “First, release me.”

“Yes, Supreme Immortal.”

…

Half an hour later, in the lower realm, beneath the Floating Life Tree.

“Si Qing, you are indeed here,” Lengyuan said when she arrived beneath the Floating Life Tree and truly saw Si Qing’s figure.

Si Qing was sitting under the tree, his eyes vacant, surrounded by an aura of desolation and gloom. Upon hearing Lengyuan’s voice, his expression instantly turned cold. He flashed to Lengyuan’s front and reached out to grip her neck.

“Cough, cough…” Lengyuan choked uncomfortably and coughed, pulling out a crystal ball from her sleeve.

Images appeared within the crystal ball.

Looking through the crystal ball, Si Qing saw Fu Huan lying in a snowy area, with iron chains shackling her wrists and ankles. The chains were stained with blood, indicating severe injuries.

“Damn it, what have you done to her?” Si Qing tightened his grip on Lengyuan’s neck.

While in the Underworld, he had heard that the Heavenly Emperor had decreed both his and Fu Huan’s execution. Sensing something was wrong, he had left the Underworld first and come here.

Regarding Fu Huan, he had thought she might be in trouble, but he hadn’t imagined she would be so severely injured.

“Make a deal with me, and I’ll release Fu Huan.”

“Speak!”

“The Heavenly Emperor has ordered my execution. Use your life-extension technique to prolong my life, and I’ll tell you where Fu Huan is hidden. Otherwise, if I die, I’m taking someone down with me!”