<h4>Chapter 315: Charm of Heaven''s Bounty</h4>


    Xiao Nanfeng and the Divine Emperor were both looking at the rest of the hidden realm beyond the Yao Pool.


    The mountains and streams were all shaking as though an earthquake had struck the hidden realm. The divine ves suddenly all went crazy, swinging their Immortal relics through the air and even starting to fight each other. In some locations, the fight grew so intense that mes arose around them.


    "How could these divine ves be attacking one another?" Xiao Nanfeng eximed.


    "Someone''s done something to the heavenlyws," the Divine Emperor said.


    "The heavenlyws?"


    "When I caused half of my cursed spiritual power to detonate that year by the Yao Pool and revealed the hidden realm to the heavens, the heavens immediately inflicted a tribtion on the realm. After that, perhaps knowing that the Spirit Emperor would be able to regenerate as a cursed effigy, the heavens then infused the hidden realm with divine energy, transforming it into a prison with divine ves as wardens. These divine ves were responsible for guarding the five ck-fog territories. Because the heavens didn''t have time to actively guard this hidden realm, "heavenlyws" were created to bind the operation of the divine energy in the realm," the Divine Emperor exined.


    "Heavenlyws aremandments issued by heaven, then?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.


    "That''s right. From the looks of it, these heavenlyws are about to be broken."


    "What will happen then?"


    "The divine energy that the heavens left behind will disperse. Before it disperses, however, it''ll do its best to destroy the Spirit Emperor and the shadow cursed effigies. Meanwhile, the divine ves will lose the energy that animates them and copse as well."


    "No wonder Nn Yunhai and the marquises have gathered here. It''s because thergest concentration of Immortal-realm divine ves is here. Once they copse, the Immortal relics and pills that they carry will be avable for anyone to seize. The cultivators gathered here are waiting to im them all!" Xiao Nanfeng eximed.


    "The Spirit Emperor might suffer some bacsh as a result of the brokenws, but given its strength, it''ll surely be able to escape from its prison. It''s sure to try to cause trouble for you then."


    "Let hime! I have treasures by my side and I don''t fear a fight." Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath, then continued, "Why must the Spirit Emperor wait until the heavenlyws are destroyed in order to escape? Why not do what the shadow cursed effigies do?"


    "It''s not like the ordinary shadows, and its main body is guarded by the heavenlyws at all times. Only when the heavenlyws shatter will it have the opportunity to escape."


    "There must have been quite a few people entering this hidden realm over thest tens of thousands of years. Why has the Spirit Emperor only managed to recruit people to destroy it now?"


    "For one thing, the Spirit Emperor must have been exceptionally weak back then and thus unable to suffer the bacsh from the broken heavenlyws. For another, ordinary cultivators would never be able to do anything against the heavenlyws."


    "Where are the heavenlyws?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.


    "Right above the Yao Pool in the sky." The Divine Emperor pointed above her.


    "Oh?"


    "However, ordinary cultivators aren''t able to ess that area at all. The heavens have imposed a restriction on the airspace of this hidden realm. All cultivators who fly above a certain height will suffer disorientation and get lost in the sky until they perish. Thus, even if cultivators manage to make it up into the air, they won''t be able to find the heavenlyws. I don''t understand who was able to dispel or ignore that reaction and find them."


    Just then, a white pir of light descended from the heavens in a plume of dust. Within the pir, a man was holding onto a charm glowing with light. The white pir struck a hilltop. By the time the figure stabilized itself, the pir of light had vanished.


    "Nn Qiankun?" Xiao Nanfeng gasped.


    "A charm of Heaven''s bounty? No wonder he was able to pass through the heavenly restrictions. How did he obtain such a treasure?" the Divine Emperor eximed.


    "What''s this charm?"


    "''There are plenty of regions in this hidden realm on which the heavens have imposed one form of restriction or another, including this one. All sorts of other items are sealed in other ces, and tremendous treasure might well await you. Those who perform meritorious service against the heavens will be granted a charm of Heaven''s bounty and allowed to bypass the restrictions in such a region and pick out the treasures that they desire most. This sort of charm is consumable and won''t be able to be used for too long. Even so, it''s a rare treasure. How did Nn Qiankun obtain one?" the Divine Emperor gasped.


    From afar, as Nn Qiankunnded on the hilltop, a group of cultivators surrounded by radiant light flew over. They bowed respectfully to Nn Qiankun.


    Nn Qiankun addressed them and caused them all to smile in excitement. They thanked Nn Qiankun profusely.


    Then, Nn Qiankun turned to his son, Nn Yunhai. He passed the charm of Heaven''s bounty to him. Nn Yunhai sped it tightly as though it were some priceless treasure.


    Nn Qiankun patted Nn Yunhai on the shoulder, then headed off into the distance and vanished within the thick fog.


    The group of Immortals kowtowed in the direction in which Nn Qiankun had left.


    The crowd eyed the charm of Heaven''s bounty appreciatively before dispersing, each preparing to im as many of the subsequent Immortal relics and treasures as possible.


    Xiao Nanfeng frowned, deep in thought. "Before this, I interrogated a crane spirit and asked about Nn Qiankun''s whereabouts. Apparently, he headed somewhere with my master and Han Bingdie. Could they have gone off in search of these heavenlyws? Why haven''t they returned with him?"


    "Nn Yunhai might have schemed against them," the Divine Emperor said.


    "Oh?"


    "The fact that the hidden realm is quaking implies that the heavenlyws are starting to break, but they haven''t been fully destroyed. Someone is likely stabilizing them and preventing their immediate copse."


    "You think that''s what Master and Han Bingdie are doing?!" Xiao Nanfeng eximed.


    "I do. They likely won''t be able to withstand the karmic cost of their actions."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The heavenlyws are set by the heavens themselves. Those who destroy them are going against divine ordinance and shall be punished by the very heavens. The karmic cost would be immense."


    "Nn Qiankun''s making my master and Han Bingdie take the fall for destroying these heavenlyws?!"


    "It''s very likely."


    Xiao Nanfeng''s face fell. "I have to steal the charm of Heaven''s bounty and have a look at these heavenlyws myself."


    The Divine Emperor seemed to have thought of something. "Very well. I''ll go with you. We need to be quick! We may yet be able to save your master."


    The Divine Emperor stepped into Xiao Nanfeng''s ring.


    Xiao Nanfeng immediately released his qi to form a cloud of fog around himself. He stepped out of the zone of ck fog. If he had done so any earlier, the divine ves in the vicinity would surely have swarmed toward him, but they had been impacted by the splintering of the heavenlyws and were now fighting among themselves.


    He rushed out of the Yao Pool and headed to a secluded valley, but a crane spirit in the air noticed him.


    "There was a strange cloud of fog over there."


    "The Spirit Emperor''s hidden realm is full of fog. What was so unusual about it?"


    "The density of fog varies from region to region, and that patch of fog shouldn''t have been so dense. Furthermore, it was moving rapidly."


    "Where is it?"


    "It headed into that valley and vanished."


    "Are you going blind?"


    The crane spirits, having lost track of their target during their momentary confusion, had no choice but to leave.


    Xiao Nanfeng was exceptionally cautious. He caught a lone crane spirit and interrogated it to identify Nn Yunhai''s approximate location. Then, he snuck over and found him and Qiangwei by a mountain peak.


    Nn Yunhai was grinning at the charm of Heaven''s bounty he held. The charm was cracked in many ces, as though it might shatter at any point.


    "Your Highness, His Majesty really does favor you if he''s giving you such a precious treasure. What did he say?" Qiangwei asked curiously.


    "Father said that the heavenlyws are about to shatter. A frightening tribtion will descend. It likely won''t target us, but just in case, Father had me wield the charm of Heaven''s bounty to protect against any impending danger," Nn Yunhai boasted.


    "The marquises looked very envious," Qiangwei said, smiling.


    "Even if they''re loyal to Father, they''re only officials. As for me, I''m the crown prince. How could they hope topare to me? And you''ll be the princess consort. How could they hope topare to you, either?" Nn Yunhai smiled as his arm curled around Qiangwei''s waist.


    Qiangwei didn''t struggle this time. Her eyes filled with anticipation. "Then I''ll wait for you to fulfill your promise, Your Highness."


    "Don''t worry! Once we get out of here, I''ll ask Mother for you. I''ll be able to establish my own territory then—what if I ask Father for the Xiaonds?" Nn Yunhai asked expectantly.


    "The Xiaonds?" Qiangwei frowned. "That might be difficult."


    "How would it be difficult? Xiao Hongye''s certainly dead, and Xiao Nanfeng must have perished to the Spirit Emperor as well. With the Xiao n dead, who else would the territory go to? The Taiqing Immortal Sect?" Nn Yunhai replied disdainfully.


    Just then, countless bursts of multicolored light headed toward the two cultivators.


    Nn Yunhai and Qiangwei nched. "Who''s there?"


    What they found was arge number of Immortal relics that were swiftly approaching them as they suddenly grewrger.


    "Be careful, Your Highness!" Qiangwei shouted.


    The Immortal relics burst in a tremendous explosion, forming a huge fireball and surrounding windstorm.


    "Argh!" Nn Yunhai cried out from within the explosion.


    "His Highness has been attacked! Marquises, send assistance!" Qiangwei shouted.


    Figures d in light shot toward Nn Yunhai from all directions. Qiangwei, looking the worse for wear, shielded Nn Yunhai as they flew out of the epicenter of the explosion. Their hair was scattered behind their backs, their clothes tattered, but they were both still Immortals and yet alive. However, Nn Yunhai''s right hand was injured and bleeding profusely. He clutched his hain pain.


    "My charm of Heaven''s bounty has been stolen!" Nn Yunhai shouted.


    "It must be Xiao Nanfeng!" Qiangwei eximed.


    Not far away, Xiao Nanfeng could be seen. His clothes were likewise in tatters, but he held the charm of Heaven''s bounty that he had just snatched in his hand. He had seeded.


    He didn''t attempt to strike with his yin body, because his physical body would have been unguarded; he couldn''t allow the gathered Immortals to hold off his yin body and waste time. He had to rescue his master as quickly as he could.


    He rushed into the air.


    "Xiao Nanfeng? He''s still alive? Kill him!" Nn Yunhai demanded.