Chapter 78: The Thirty-Sixth Heaven

“Your Majesty, this is the Epang Palace.”
Fan Li gazed at the Epang Palace in Zhao Gao’s hand, its size comparable to his Imperial Jade Seal.
He had long known that the Epang Palace was a magical artifact, yet to witness Zhao Gao shrink it and hold it in his palm felt utterly unbelievable.
The original site of the Epang Palace was now nothing but a vast empty field, but if one looked closely, faint lines could be discerned, outlining what seemed to be an ancient formation!
“So, the Epang Palace is merely a facade, concealing the entrance to the formation,” Fan Li mused inwardly.
This formation, once activated, would open the true Imperial Tomb of Qin.
Fan Li asked, “Zhao Gao, what do you intend to do with the Epang Palace?”
“Your Majesty, the Epang Palace was crafted by Xu Fu, the foremost artificer of Great Qin. He offered it to the First Emperor, and now it rightfully belongs to Your Majesty.”
With reverence, Zhao Gao handed the Epang Palace to Fan Li, imparting the incantation for its refinement.
“To think I obtained the Epang Palace so easily,” Fan Li thought, yet he found no joy in it.
If he could not leave the Imperial Tomb of Qin alive, all would be in vain.
Silently, he refined the Epang Palace, stowing it alongside the Imperial Jade Seal.
“Your Majesty, saving the Empress is urgent. I must activate the formation,” Zhao Gao announced loudly.
“Very well.”
Zhao Gao began to weave intricate incantations with his skeletal, withered hands, unleashing streams of black spiritual energy that poured into the formation.
Instantly, the formation responded!
The earth covered by the formation pulsed with talismanic script, glowing and dimming like breathing.
Suddenly!
The ground beneath the formation transformed into a boundless, pitch-black abyss.
Fan Li felt the world vanish beneath his feet; clutching Princess Changle, he plummeted downward.
“I’ve been deceived!?”
Even as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Zhao Gao and the twelve Golden Men falling closely behind him.
The abyssal ground soon returned to its prior state—just barren land, with no sign of the resplendent Epang Palace.
The descent seemed endless.
Fan Li had no notion of how long he had been falling, but he feared that even if they reached the true Imperial Tomb of Qin, he might be dashed to pieces.
As for the princess in his arms, she remained unconscious, her breath weak and scattered.
It felt as though days and nights had passed.
Suddenly, Fan Li sensed his body become lighter!
The darkness around him vanished, and he entered a world of light.
He landed upon a sea of clouds!
Looking out, he saw a vast expanse of pure white, a world of cloud.

Instantly, two characters surfaced in his mind: Immortal Realm!?
He looked down; his feet rested not on earth, but a snowy-white sea of clouds.
Stretching endlessly, this ‘Immortal Realm’ consisted of the cloud sea beneath him and, ahead, a celestial palace!
A true celestial palace—
Not the golden opulence and extravagance of the Epang Palace.
A pure white, sacred palace; with just one glance, Fan Li felt a sense of transcendence and liberation from the mundane.
“Your Majesty, we have arrived.”
“This is the thirty-sixth heaven of Great Qin’s Celestial Palace, otherwise known as the Grand Luo Heaven.”
“Up ahead lies the Hall of Lingxiao.”
Hearing Zhao Gao’s words, Fan Li’s expression turned odd: “Lingxiao… Hall?”
He almost asked if a monkey had ever caused trouble here.
“How do I save her?” Fan Li glanced anxiously at the princess in his arms.
“Behind the Hall of Lingxiao is the Jade Pool. Place Her Majesty within it and her injuries will be healed.”
Fan Li nodded, proceeding into the Hall of Lingxiao.
The hall was empty, not a soul within.
At the center stood the imperial throne, carved with dragons and phoenixes, exuding utmost dignity, clearly intended for the Emperor of Qin.
Fan Li had no interest in the throne, circling to the rear of the hall, where he found a pool of living water, brimming with spiritual energy.
“Is this the Jade Pool?” Fan Li asked.
“Yes,” Zhao Gao explained, “This pool’s spiritual water was brought from a celestial isle across the sea by Xu Fu for the First Emperor…”
Splash!
Fan Li had no patience for further explanations.
The pool’s appearance alone proved its invaluable worth; surely it could do no harm.
He leapt into the Jade Pool with Princess Changle, carefully supporting her body beneath the water to keep her mouth and nose above the surface.
Zhao Gao stood respectfully by, offering no objection to anything Fan Li did.
“It truly works!”
Fan Li drew close to the princess, watching as her cheeks grew rosy and her breathing steadied, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
…
……
Pure Land of Brahmanic Sound.
Qingqiu and the Saint Lord of Golden Virtue returned together, heading straight to see the First Saint Lord.
The First Saint Lord, also known as the Supreme Saint Lord, bore the name Yao Guang.

“Explain yourself. My investigation is not yet finished—why must Fan Li be killed?” Qingqiu strode directly to Yao Guang and demanded.
“Impudent!” The Saint Lord of Golden Virtue secretly rejoiced, but said aloud, “Hierarchy must be respected. Qingqiu, you are merely the Ninth Saint Lord; how dare you speak so rudely to Sister Yao Guang?”
She turned to Yao Guang, “I followed your command to kill Fan Li, but was obstructed by Qingqiu, causing the mission to fail. Qingqiu has defied the Supreme One and deserves punishment!”
Yao Guang, among the ten Saint Lords, was only modestly attractive, barely qualifying as a beauty.
Yet her bearing was exceptional—dignified and noble, inspiring awe in all who beheld her.
Yao Guang gently shook her head, sighing as though she pitied Qingqiu’s actions and was deeply disappointed.
“Sister Qingqiu, if I must kill Fan Li for a reason that cannot be spoken aloud, would you accept it?”
Qingqiu shook her head almost without hesitation: “Our Pure Land acts with transparency; there is nothing that cannot be explained. Unless the reason is sufficient, I will not permit you to kill anyone without cause.”
Yao Guang gazed quietly at Qingqiu, unperturbed.
Her eyes brimmed with compassion, as if she could not bear to blame a child for mischief.
“Qingqiu! Do you wish to make Sister Yao Guang sad? We all trust her—if she says Fan Li must die, then he must indeed deserve death!”
The Saint Lord of Golden Virtue called loudly, signaling to the other Saint Lords present.
“Sisters, what do you think?”
Five more Saint Lords nodded in agreement: “We naturally support Sister Yao Guang.”
Compassion lingered in Yao Guang’s eyes, but at last a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“In that case, I will send…”
“If you insist on killing Fan Li, then I will leave the Pure Land of Brahmanic Sound,” Qingqiu abruptly interjected.
Everyone was stunned.
Across the world, countless female cultivators dreamed of joining the Pure Land of Brahmanic Sound.
Since its founding, no one had ever willingly chosen to leave.
“Heh heh heh?”
The Saint Lord of Golden Virtue sneered.
“Fine, leave then! You’re only the Ninth Saint Lord—we can easily find someone to replace you…”
“Wait!”
Yao Guang raised her hand, interrupting Golden Virtue.
She fixed her gaze upon Qingqiu, still full of compassion for the world's sorrows.
“Sister Qingqiu, if killing Fan Li enables the unification of the three kingdoms of the mortal world, bringing peace among cultivators and allowing the common people to enjoy tranquility, would you still refuse to kill him?”