World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 522 - 271: Zuo Qiu, the Truth Behind the Dragon Emperor! (Important Must-Read)

Chapter 522: Chapter 271: Zuo Qiu, the Truth Behind the Dragon Emperor! (Important Must-Read)

Is that Taoist practitioner beside Lord Ashimo, Zuo Qiu, one of the world’s biggest secrets?

Are there really fewer than five people who truly know him?

The mystically intriguing beginning captured Princess Zhi Yan’s full attention.

Zhi Ning said, "In fact, Zuo Qiu is just one of his countless aliases. He claims to be a Disciple of the Dragon Emperor and is now eight hundred years old."

If it were anyone else, they would have gasped aloud by now.

Princess Zhi Yan’s beautiful eyes narrowed because the longest human lifespan in this world had never exceeded one hundred and fifty years.

And those were exclusively from the Dragon Temple.

This Zuo Qiu, however, was already eight hundred years old! If true, that would indeed be a revolutionary secret.

Zhi Ning continued, "From birth, he firmly believed that the Dragon Emperor was not dead and spent his entire life following the Dragon Emperor’s trail. But by the time he made any discovery, he was already old and decrepit. To extend his life, he actually created a whole new practice, known as Taoist techniques. Thus, he became the forefather of the Taoist School."

If Suo Lun were here, he would be utterly amazed.

Because he was thoroughly convinced that Zuo Qiu was a charlatan. All that talk of being the forefather of Taoists and living eight hundred years was fake.

And yet, it all turned out to be true.

Zhi Ning added, "Moreover, he was the first person to truly discover and confirm that the Dragon Emperor was not dead."

With those words, Princess Zhi Yan immediately felt immense danger.

The rumor that the Dragon Emperor was not dead had been speculated for thousands of years. But Zuo Qiu had truly discovered and confirmed this truth.

This was the utmost secret of this world. The Dragon Temple would not allow anyone who knew this secret to live.

Zhi Ning said, "After confirming this, the rest of Zuo Qiu’s life was devoted to a single task, to find and save the Dragon Emperor. And then, he died..."

"Died?" Zhi Yan asked, stunned.

"Yes, died!" Zhi Ning replied. "The Dragon Temple absolutely wouldn’t allow such a person to live in this world. After decades of pursuit, they finally found Zuo Qiu and burned him alive. In an absolutely energy-proof chamber, he was burned to death, and his soul was completely shattered, dispersed into nothingness!"

After finishing, Princess Zhi Yan remained quietly silent.

If all these were true, then this Zuo Qiu was indeed a state secret of global proportions.

But how could Zhi Ning know such a secret?

Neither Zhi Ning nor Princess Zhi Yan were anything more than peripheral figures in the Dragon Temple.

Even someone of Ji Xiuning’s stature couldn’t touch upon such secrets.

Zhi Ning said, "You may wonder how I would know such high-level secrets, right?"

Princess Zhi Yan nodded.

Zhi Ning explained, "Zuo Qiu once lived incognito in the Flame Empire for a time, even serving as the State Preceptor. Back then, his name was Tianchi."

The State Preceptor Tianchi!

Decades ago, he was a man who commanded the world’s attention, a personage of divine standing.

Countless royal and noble families wished to meet him and receive his enlightenment.

Zhi Ning continued, "The current ruler of the Flame Empire was frail and sickly from a young age, but after Tianchi’s treatment, not only did he fully recover, but he also became nearly invulnerable to diseases. Over eight years ago, Prince Ji Min was stricken with a severe illness, lying comatose for over a month. With no remedy, the Emperor of the Flame Empire lamented that if only Zuo Qiu were still there, he would surely be able to cure Ji Min."

Zhi Ning added, "Watching his son nearly dying and in his grief-stricken delirium, the Emperor revealed Zuo Qiu’s miraculous deeds to his queen, regretting his role in cutting short Zuo Qiu’s life. Afterward, fearing that he had revealed the greatest secret in the world, he obtained his wife’s consent and had their daughter Ji Xiuning erase this part of the queen’s memory."

Princess Zhi Yan said, "At that time, Ji Xiuning was not even twenty years old."

"Right," Zhi Ning said, "She is the true prodigy, the treasure of the Dragon Temple, unlike us who are merely the dregs."

Princess Zhi Yan pursed her lips and smiled faintly, with a touch of sarcasm.

Zhi Ning said, "What the Emperor of the Flame Empire didn’t expect was that his son, Prince Ji Min, though always unconscious, heard everything distinctly. Over a month later, Ji Min’s condition mysteriously improved. Then one day, to curry favor with me, he shared this secret. But after telling me, he became terribly frightened, insisting that I must never reveal it, or we would face catastrophic consequences."

Prince Ji Min, that fool, had been fond of Zhi Ning to the point of obsession. To please her, he even disclosed this deadly world secret to her.

Princess Zhi Yan suggested, "Zuo Qiu must have been betrayed by the Emperor of the Flame Empire, which led to his capture by the Dragon God Temple. Otherwise, he might have continued living incognito."

Zhi Ning curled her lip and replied, "Exactly, haven’t you seen how closely tied the Flame Empire has been with the Dragon God Temple for decades? Not like our Rage Wave Kingdom, where we’re less than concubines in the eyes of the Dragon God Temple."

Princess Zhi Yan said, "So Zuo Qiu is dead."

Zhi Ning confirmed, "Yes, he’s dead, dead beyond any doubt."

Princess Zhi Yan remarked, "Aside from you and Ji Min who learned the secret accidentally, only a few Grand Sky Priests in the Dragon Temple and the Emperor of the Flame Empire truly know the secret of Zuo Qiu— and that he’s already dead."

Zhi Ning replied, "Disregarding Ji Min and me, those who really knew about Zuo Qiu and that he’s deceased do not exceed five."