C13 Emperor Shun of Yuan

The ironclad soldiers marched with a chilling presence. As the army advanced, people scattered, giving them wide berth. No one dared to challenge the military, not even the warriors. Even a master like Zhang Sanfeng had no choice but to flee in their presence, a testament to the fearsome power of the Imperial Court.

"Do you have a plan, Su Chen?" inquired Zhang Sanfeng.

"No, we'll have to play it by ear."

Despite his profound cultivation, Zhang Sanfeng couldn't help but be alarmed by Su Chen's response. While he was at the pinnacle of Innate mastery, facing an army was another matter entirely. The Yuan Dynasty had its own formidable experts, and even he would struggle to emerge unscathed from the Imperial Palace.

"However, we are not without some assurance of safety," Su Chen added, much to the relief of Sage Zhang, who was well aware of Su Chen's miraculous capabilities.

Bored in the carriage and with Zhang Sanfeng resting in silence, Su Chen sought conversation. "Hey, what's your name, and what's your role in the Yuan Dynasty?"

The officer, Chaqan Temür, responded with neither arrogance nor humility.

"Temür," Su Chen mused. The name rang a bell. Temür, Minmin Temür, Zhao Min, "Is Minmin Temür related to you?" It seemed likely they were connected.

Chaqan Temür was taken aback. "You know my daughter?"

"Wow, you're the Prince of Ruyang!" Su Chen exclaimed, struck by the coincidence.

"Indeed, I am."

"Ah, haha, birds of a feather flock together! Sage Zhang, come see who's here – it's family!" Su Chen called out loudly.

Both Zhang Sanfeng and Chaqan Temür were perplexed. When had the Temür family become in-laws with Wudang? This was news to them.

"Su Chen, please, no more jokes. How could Wudang possibly be allied with the Imperial Court through marriage?" Zhang Sanfeng was utterly skeptical.

"There's no marriage yet, but who's to say about the future? Today, I had a sudden insight and divined that the Prince of Ruyang's daughter, Minmin Temür, and your disciple, Zhang Wuji, are destined for each other." Su Chen struck a pose like a television seer, exuding an air of enigmatic wisdom. He certainly looked the part of a Great Immortal.

Zhang Sanfeng and Chaqan Temür were taken aback. Considering Su Chen's identity, the plausibility of the situation suddenly seemed much greater.

Both Chaqan Temür and Zhang Sanfeng fell silent, though there was a subtle shift in the way they regarded each other.

"Immortal, is there a way to dissolve this marriage?" Chaqan Temür inquired. As royalty of the Yuan Dynasty, how could he possibly marry a commoner? It wasn't just his own opposition he faced; the Emperor himself would never consent. Such a union would surely spell disaster for the Duke of Ruyang's household.

"Why would you want to dissolve it? It seems perfectly acceptable to me."

"But, this..." Chaqan Temür found himself in a quandary. Should he eliminate Zhang Wuji or banish Minmin to the frontier? Yet, the prophecy of the Great Immortal might not be so easily sidestepped. Otherwise, he wouldn't be known as the Great Immortal.

"Are you pondering how to break this marriage?" Su Chen asked Chaqan Temür with a smile.

"Yes," Chaqan Temür admitted candidly. The Temür family absolutely could not enter into marriage with the Wudang.

"It's unavoidable. This is a destiny decreed by the heavens. Besides, the Temür family stands to gain considerably from a union with the Wudang."

"Immortal, could you elaborate?" It appeared to Chaqan Temür that his family was at a loss, so how could the Wudang possibly be at a disadvantage?

"Because Zhang Wuji has an esteemed forefather! Why else do you think I chose to come to the Wudang and not elsewhere? My purpose in this realm is to escort Sage Zhang to immortality. If your families were to be united in marriage, you'd be connected to Immortal Zhang. Tell me, isn't that a boon for your clan?"

Chaqan Temür hesitated, the realization dawning on him that perhaps the Temür family did stand to benefit.

In just a handful of exchanges, Su Chen had deftly steered Chaqan Temür into his pace, leading him down a path of thought from which there seemed no return. Indeed, Su Chen wasn't mistaken—if he could continue his time-traveling ventures, the world of martial arts would surely emerge. How far off could the Immortal Cultivation World be then?

Amidst his internal struggle, Chaqan Temür, alongside Su Chen and Zhang Sanfeng, entered the heart of the Yuan Dynasty's power—the Imperial Palace.

"Welcome," rang out a piercing voice as the grand doors of the palace slowly swung open, revealing two rows of guards standing at attention on either side. Following this display, Emperor Shun of Yuan, Toghon Temür, clad in his dragon robe, strode forward to greet his guests with the poise of a dragon and the grace of a tiger.

"Haha, Toghon Temür warmly welcomes the Immortal. Please forgive my humble preparations," Toghon Temür said with a hearty laugh, bowing respectfully.

"No offense taken, no offense taken. How could I possibly be offended?" The emperor himself had come out to greet him, bestowing upon him the honor due an Immortal. What more could he ask for? So far, Su Chen's encounters with the people of the Yuan Dynasty had left him with a favorable impression. He was almost reluctant to stir up any trouble.

"I'm relieved the Immortal is not offended. The banquet is ready, and I invite the Immortal to join Sage Zhang for a conversation within the Imperial Palace."

Having arrived at the doorstep and received such a cordial invitation, how could Su Chen refuse? Led by Chaqan Temür, Su Chen and Toghon Temür entered the palace, chatting and laughing together. Zhang Sanfeng followed silently behind them, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. As they crossed the threshold, he sensed three powerful auras, each belonging to a warrior at the pinnacle of the Innate, locking onto him.

"May I inquire where the Immortal resides for his cultivation?" Emperor Shun of Yuan asked nonchalantly.

"Ponlai," Su Chen replied, spinning a tale with ease.

"Could it be the same Ponlai Immortal Island that the First Emperor sought?" Toghon Temür exclaimed, his fascination with Ekrifiya culture shining through. He was well aware of the legend of Ponlai Immortal Island.

"Are you referring to Ying Zheng? Yes, he sent someone, I believe the name was Fu, to request the secret to eternal life from me."

"Eternal life," Toghon Temür murmured, his excitement palpable. The quest for immortality was the dream of many emperors, and now it seemed he, Emperor Shun of Yuan, was a step closer to achieving it. "May I ask if the Immortal truly possesses the ability to bestow the art of eternal life?"

"Certainly! Immortality is quite simple. That Fu knelt before my mountain gate for three days. Impressed by his devotion, I granted him a drop of true blood I had. It's odd, though, since Ying Zheng received the Phoenix Blood, he should have lived for thousands of years. Why then has the Ohouprarean Kingdom vanished? Could it be that it was conquered by your Yuan Dynasty?" Su Chen was a master of deception, and he never entertained any doubts.

"How could my Yuan Dynasty ever compare to the Qin Dynasty, which unified six nations? Perhaps the Immortal is unaware that the Qin Dynasty collapsed over a thousand years ago." At this point, Toghon Temür's breaths were heavy, his gaze ablaze with intensity. Immortality! Such is the dream of countless emperors!

"Is that so?" Su Chen feigned confusion, turning to Zhang Sanfeng for confirmation of Toghon Temür's statement.

Zhang Sanfeng, caught off guard by Su Chen's question, was momentarily at a loss. He was somewhat familiar with Su Chen's reputation but still had an incomplete understanding of who Su Chen truly was, and whether his words were factual. When Su Chen looked to him for an answer, he could only nod dumbly.

"Huh, that's odd."

"I see nothing odd about it," Emperor Shun of Yuan declared with conviction. "Xu Fu must have been unable to resist the allure of eternal life, secretly ingesting the Phoenix Blood and, fearing to return to the Central Plains, vanished overseas, never to return." Who could withstand the lure of living forever? If I were Xu Fu, I certainly couldn't have resisted.

Hearing this, Su Chen almost wanted to give Emperor Shun of Yuan a thumbs-up. Xu Fu had indeed done just that, except upon his return, he had lost his sanity and transformed into Sakro, the Emperor of the Gate of Heaven.