Chapter 532 - 177: If I Become the Celestial Emperor in the Future, the Turmoil of Immortal Ascension Island, Utter Betrayal

For the first time in his life, Huangfu Hao felt a chill that permeated his entire being. Before Jiang Lan, he felt as if he were transparent, with no secrets left to hide.

"Master Huangfu, lead the way."

Jiang Lan spoke. He knew Huangfu Hao hadn’t truly given up. Although Li Ran’s appearance had made him stop resisting and retract all his killing intent, he was surely still unreconciled to his fate.

For now, however, he still needed Huangfu Hao to lead the way.

His only chance to turn the tables was deep within the Demon Abyss—the very place where his true body was located.

Huangfu Hao was silent for a moment before saying, as if resigning himself to his fate, "I’ve never been able to figure it out. How exactly do you know all of this? Don’t tell me you can actually predict everything in the future?"

Jiang Lan smiled but did not respond.

Huangfu Hao sighed. "I always thought that the great destiny of the universe was invisible. But on you, I truly see an unstoppable momentum. It is immense, surging like an irresistible tide. Anyone who opposes you will be crushed and devoured by that torrent."

"Master Huangfu, you flatter me. I’m merely skilled in a few underhanded tricks," Jiang Lan said, still smiling.

"No, it’s not the same..."

Huangfu Hao stared at him intently. A look of certainty appeared on his face, which shifted and coalesced like mist. "Legend says that after the calamity of the All Heavens descends, numerous Grand Thousand Worlds will shatter. Balance will be lost, the pure and impure will intermingle, and after countless worldly tribulations, the old order will completely collapse. Then, a new order will be born. In the future, a Celestial Emperor will appear to rule the All Heavens and Myriads of Realms and establish this new order..."

"No one knows who the future Celestial Emperor will be, nor how he will come to be. But the moment he appears, he will be carried by an invincible momentum. Anyone who stands against him will crumble and disintegrate, becoming a mere stepping stone under his feet."

"Before I met you, I always thought this was just a legend. But now, I finally believe it..."

A strange look appeared in Jiang Lan’s eyes. ’I can’t believe Huangfu Hao knows even these secrets.’ However, the protagonist of this era hadn’t even been decided yet; it was far too early to declare that the future Celestial Emperor was about to appear.

"Master Huangfu, could it be that you think I will be the future Celestial Emperor?" he asked.

Huangfu Hao said with certainty, "I don’t know. But you are carried by an astonishing, invincible momentum. Perhaps you can’t see it yourself, but Master surely must know."

Jiang Lan was somewhat surprised. ’I’ve never really given these matters much thought. Besides, the future has already deviated from the one I knew.’

’It’s too early to be thinking about these things now.’

"A Celestial Emperor is never born."

"However, with those words from you, Master, if I do become the Celestial Emperor in the future, you can take some of the credit for it today," Jiang Lan said with a slight smile.

Huangfu Hao fell silent, his thoughts unknown.

"I will lead the way."

A moment later, he began to lead. With the God-Binding Rope on him, he couldn’t break free, let alone try anything else.

Jiang Lan wasn’t worried.

He knew a lot about the plot, but as for the locations of the two Teleportation Arrays on Immortal Ascension Island, he was truly clueless. The original story had never mentioned them at all.

Not long after Jiang Lan and Huangfu Hao left Cloud Gathering Ridge, a torrential rain began to fall. Steam rose as the miasma thickened, and the entire Ancient Primeval Forest was instantly shrouded in a blurry haze.

Amidst the roaring downpour, Jiang Ruxian, clad in white, stood silently on an ancient tree. An invisible barrier seemed to surround her, preventing any rain, mist, or vapor from touching her.

She gazed into the distance, watching Jiang Lan’s figure gradually disappear before finally retracting her gaze.

"It seems I was worrying for nothing."

She shook her head lightly, and with a flash, her figure vanished. ’I thought Jiang Lan was risking his life by coming here, but I never expected he’d even manage to get a Saint like Li Ran to show up. There’s no need for me to worry anymore.’

’I had originally planned to see Jiang Lan one last time before I left, but now it seems that’s no longer necessary.’

According to legend, by the shores of Mengze grew a Heart-Seeking Flower. It had nine crystalline petals, each like a mirror that could reflect a person’s true heart and intentions.

’I don’t know where Mengze is, or if the legend is even true, but this might be the only way to make Jiang Lan believe me.’

’Otherwise, just as Jiang Lan said, I would only be trying to make amends out of a so-called sense of guilt. What right would I have to ask for his forgiveness then?’

「In a town hundreds of miles from Cloud Gathering Ridge」

Ao Yin and Kong Xuan had already rendezvoused with Xiang Xiao, Jin Ming, and the others.

"Where is the Young Master?"

Seeing that only the two of them had emerged safely, a Tributor from the Prime Minister’s Mansion frowned and asked. His gaze turned toward the dark, cloud-covered Cloud Gathering Ridge, his worry palpable.

Xiang Xiao, Jin Ming, and the others also looked worried. They had assumed Jiang Lan had abandoned Ao Yin and Kong Xuan, leaving them to fend for themselves.

But then, they had received orders today to come here and meet the two of them. Yet now, they only saw the two women, with no sign of Jiang Lan at all.

"He’s covering our retreat..."

Kong Xuan’s face was a little pale.

Ao Yin, however, was silent, merely staring quietly toward the distant Cloud Gathering Ridge, her fists clenched tightly.

Xiang Xiao and the others were all startled. They had thought Jiang Lan had a foolproof plan, but who would have thought that he would stay behind alone to cover the two women’s retreat, allowing them to escape safely first.

’Doesn’t that mean he’s in grave danger now?’

Regardless of what they had thought of Jiang Lan before, all of them fell silent now, a complex mix of emotions welling up in their hearts.