Chu Yuan could hear the displeasure in Ye Ling’s tone. He bowed to Ye Ling again and said, "I wished to meet the Emperor, but I had no way to do so, which is why I resorted to this method, having Meng Po guide you here."
"I beg the Emperor's forgiveness."
Ye Ling asked, "So, the 'Upper Immortal' Meng Po mentioned is you?"
Chu Yuan shook his head, "No, he is my disciple. He is currently undercover in the Heavenly Court, working for me."
"Although my soul is trapped in the Ten Thousand Underworld Mountains, I am fortunate to have my disciple. I am well aware of the events happening in the Three Realms, and I know of your might, Emperor."
"You were able to break the Heavenly Annihilation Evil Array, so I believe you can also save us from this predicament."
Ye Ling chuckled, "I am very curious now. If those fellows from the Immortal Realm discover you are still alive, and that you have even planted your pawns in the Heavenly Court, what do you think will happen?"
Chu Yuan replied, "Naturally, they will spare no effort to eliminate me."
Ye Ling inquired, "Is it for the Ancient Chaos Bloodline you possess?"
Chu Yuan shook his head again, "No... it is for something more important."
"Something more important?" Ye Ling was quite surprised. "In these Three Realms, what could be more alluring than your Ancient Chaos Bloodline?"
Yuan was currently within Ye Ling's small world, and Ye Ling was very clear about what the Ancient Chaos Bloodline meant to the many Sages of the Immortal Realm.
It was their hope of becoming Emperors!
The Immortal Realm appeared calm on the surface, but Ye Ling could already sense turbulent undercurrents. It was likely that before long, the Sages of the Immortal Realm would not be able to sit still and would come to demand Yuan from him.
And now, Chu Yuan claimed to possess something even more precious than the Ancient Chaos Bloodline. Just hearing this made Ye Ling extremely astonished.
Could there have been another hidden reason back then?
Chu Yuan did not seem surprised by Ye Ling's reaction. He simply bowed respectfully to Ye Ling and continued, "If the Emperor wishes to know all this, then follow me."
With that, Chu Yuan transformed into a faint glow and retreated into the depths of the Ten Thousand Underworld Mountains, disappearing into the forest in the blink of an eye.
Ye Ling did not hesitate and followed. Although his pace was slow, he could traverse great distances with each step, keeping pace with Chu Yuan unhurriedly.
Soon, Ye Ling followed Chu Yuan through the forest and arrived in a vast, open valley.
In the center of the valley grew a towering tree.
Unlike the withered trees outside, this large tree was covered in lush green leaves, and its branches were laden with ripe, crimson fruits.
Its thick trunk was so immense that perhaps a hundred people could not encircle it.
As Ye Ling walked into the valley, he seemed like a tiny pebble beneath a skyscraper compared to the towering tree, utterly insignificant.
Ye Ling looked up at the lush giant tree and exclaimed, "I never expected such a divine tree to exist within these Ten Thousand Underworld Mountains."
The valley was different from the outside. Here, not a trace of underworld energy could be sensed. Instead, it was filled with extremely dense spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy here was so concentrated that it was almost tangible. Just by breathing in the air, Ye Ling felt refreshed.
Ye Ling sighed again, "This place is truly a blessed land for cultivation. One might search the entire Three Realms and not find a place with more concentrated spiritual energy."
Chu Yuan stated, "Emperor, that tree is the Soul-Obliterating Tree. The fruits it bears are the Emotion-Obliterating Dao Fruits. Consuming them will lead to immediate enlightenment and a great increase in power."
"However, these Emotion-Obliterating Dao Fruits absorb a large amount of the Soul-Obliterating Branch's power. Their sap flows with the spiritual energy of the Soul-Obliterating Branch. As one absorbs the Emotion-Obliterating Dao Fruits, they will gradually lose their seven emotions and six desires, becoming a complete puppet."
Ye Ling examined the towering tree before him and remarked, "If what you say is true, then this tree is actually an evil tree."
While consuming the Emotion-Obliterating Dao Fruits could greatly increase one's power, the price was the loss of seven emotions and six desires.
A person devoid of all emotion was no different from being dead.
Chu Yuan continued, "After all, the Soul-Obliterating Tree grew in the Ten Thousand Underworld Mountains, and it was influenced by a large amount of underworld energy from a young age. It is not its fault that it has become this way."
"Emperor, do not be fooled by the Soul-Obliterating Tree's lush appearance. It has actually absorbed all the spiritual energy from the Ten Thousand Underworld Mountains. The withered trees outside are all like this because the Soul-Obliterating Tree has stolen all their nourishment."
"Tsk tsk tsk… it truly is a blood-sucking tree," Ye Ling clicked his tongue. He then looked back at Chu Yuan, "So, why did you bring me here? What do you want me to see?"
"You're not suggesting that this evil tree is something more important than your Ancient Chaos Bloodline, are you?"
Chu Yuan said solemnly, "This evil tree… is my wife."
"Wife?"
Ye Ling was stunned, thinking he had misheard. He stared blankly at Chu Yuan, "Are you sure you're not speaking nonsense?"
This turn of events truly caught Ye Ling off guard.
Chu Yuan replied, "Everything I say is the truth. When my wife was captured by the gods, they intended to drain her blood and destroy her soul."
"Before she died, to prevent those villains from succeeding, my wife forcibly swallowed a seed of the World Tree, causing her body to fiberize and destroying all the bloodlines within her."
"Those villains, in their rage, injected a large amount of underworld energy into the tree my wife had become, destroying her soul. If I hadn't planted her here, she would have long since turned to dust."
As he spoke, boundless anger erupted in Chu Yuan's eyes. His fists clenched, and his body trembled with rage.
If he were not a phantom, Ye Ling might have heard the sound of his bones cracking from being clenched.
He could not forgive the gods for their crimes.
Chu Yuan gritted his teeth, "In the past, my wife and I were open and honest, teaching the gods of the Three Realms divine abilities. We spared no effort in exhausting our vital blood to help them break through, expand their territories, and even defend against the extraterrestrial demons…"
"We dedicated ourselves to the gods, and in return, we were betrayed by them… My wife was ambushed by the gods while she was pregnant, and at that time, I was even helping them fight the Tongtian Clan!"
"Those despicable wretches…" The more Chu Yuan spoke, the angrier he became. Endless resentment filled his chest, even stirring the underworld energy outside the valley!
Ye Ling watched Chu Yuan in silence, unsure of what to say.
Although he had not personally experienced the Primordial Era, nor had he witnessed Chu Yuan's past, just by listening to Chu Yuan's words, he could feel the despair Chu Yuan had endured.
It was truly suffocating.
He had dedicated himself to the gods in his life, fought on the front lines, only to have his wife killed and child taken. Even after death, he was slandered as an ancient evil god that plagued the Three Realms…
The dignified Ancient Chaos God, to have met such an end, Ye Ling did not know how to describe his feelings.
He could only say that the Heavenly Dao was unjust.
But… how could the Heavenly Dao control the gods of the Primordial Era?
After a moment of pause, Ye Ling calmed down and asked Chu Yuan, "So, what do you want me to do?"