Witnessing Yan Zaizen's shock and disbelief, the Ruin Emperor nodded internally, as if that's how one should be. The All-Immortal Dragon was a byproduct of a Yaoguai, a royal one at that, which meant it held the Yaoguai's unique characteristics of immortality. While they are often described as immortal beings, it only meant it was exceptionally difficult to kill them.
To end the life of a Royal Yaoguai, one had to shatter them on an existential level. Only a profound master of the Origin Path who could sense, locate, and strike at their True Origin could actually perform such feats. However, how could reaching such a level be easy?
This world may have thousands upon thousands of Heavenly Creation Realm experts, but if you tried to name one such person in the entire Heavenly Origin Grounds, likely only those who've long since moved on from this world would be picked. That person would also likely be the only person to achieve it.
Because of this, they were declared as immortals.
Not only did it have that ability, but it contained the bloodline and physical body similar to the All-Father Dragon, a Celestial Dragon God who was seen as the literal father to the reptilian and serpentine divine beasts in all existence.
A pioneer of the Beastial Path and creator of the Law of Dragons!
It would be as if Xiha, the Heavenly Monarch of the Sirius Titan Law reached eternity, and to all those descendants of his who cultivate that path, they'd be a unique existence on par with Dragons!
How fabulous would that be? How grand?! And yet, very, very few have ever reached that level. Even Yan Zaizen could only admire people of such level.
At least, for now.
"The All-Immortal Dragon…" In a daze, Yan Zaizen seriously pondered on the fierceful and domineering nature of such a creature. Could he be capable of escaping such an existence if he was directly before it? Would only a breath be enough to wipe him from existence?
Taking a deep breath, his mentality became far more vigilant than before. Despite that, he never once thought of reneging on his word. He said a year for one ship and one request - he will do a year. As a sovereign, his word was his bond.
The Ruin Emperor let the information sank within Yan Zaizen's thoughts before continuing, what he said next elicited shock from both Yri and Yan Zaizen, "We're going to fight it."
"...how?" Yan Zaizen immediately responded with a question. To him, fighting an immortal existence was suicide. This was an even worse idea since it comprehended life and death, light and darkness, and fire. It's dragonic body would be nearly indestructible and its stamina immeasurable!
Unsurprised by Yan Zaizen's question, "I've looked into a Celestial Seer and have learned that within the next three thousand years, the All-Immortal Dragon's strength will weaken. Just enough to engage it in battle and steal its blood, likely even it's divine blood." The Ruin Emperor didn't hide his goal and intentions.
He knew killing it was impossible. Even ordinary Royal Yaoguai was impossible to kill, let alone this one. The only remote hope was to take some of its blood. With it, he could create a two-fold, three-fold, or even a four-fold Heavenly Dimension.
In the Heavenly Creation Realm, the number of Minor Heavens established directly correlated with one's strength and the level of their heaven, divided into three: Mortal, World, and Imperial.
However, what many did not understand about the Third Phase was that the number also correlated to the strength of one's Original Law and Path. The more fuel and essence of the heavens it can derive from, the greater its power.
The Heavens were the foundations for the Original.
If a Dragonic Heaven was established, one's law would be even greater and have a unique physical stability unlike any other law. However, divine beasts have absolutely horrible comprehension of the heavens making it nearly impossible. Many of their abilities are derived indirectly from their bloodline.
Yan Zaizen's eyes brightened. He wouldn't mind obtaining a drop of its Divine Blood for his own cultivation. If he did, wouldn't going to hell be a much easier task?
"Have you decided?" The Ruin Emperor asked. It was obvious he was giving Yan Zaizen a choice to withdraw at this time. After all, the task held incomparable danger and one's life wasn't guaranteed, even if he comprehended the Rebirth Law to such a high level.
"I have no misgivings. Shall we begin within the year?" How could Yan Zaizen back down?
A smile formed on the Ruin Emperor's lips, "We will. You have two months of time to make any preparations. You can stay in this palace until then. It has the best cultivation environment and its unaffected by the external laws of the Zones. In here, all laws are equal."
"As for you, in the battle, I hope you can use your heavenly might to lower the casualties of the battle. That is it. You can follow this line to your room."
With that, he waved a hand. A thin line of light formed that seemed to be a guide to a cultivation room. Yan Zaizen nodded and followed along.
To act as a medic within a battlefield was easy enough.
That being said, Yan Zaizen suspected that wasn't all. However, since his prophetic instinct didn't trigger, he didn't bother with it.
He glanced towards Yri to see her completely indifferent. His eyes narrowed slightly and continued onward to the room. When they arrived, it was spacious and truly as described by the Ruin Emperor, all laws, Mortal and World, were on equal footing.
Before he could get a good measure of this room, Yri pressed against his back with her jade hand. Startled, Yan Zaizen glanced towards her and saw that on her face was a little fear. She seemed to want to say something, something the Ruin Emperor shouldn't hear.
Closing his eyes, a powerful wave of Dao Energy surged from his soul into his body. In seconds, the Dao Energy infused with his Heavenly Shrine. The Heavenly Shrine that was white in color changed in a silver-grey, indicating it now embodied the Eight-Floor Heavenly Genesis Realm heavenly might of Spacetime!
A barrier formed between the two as the essence of spacetime was locked away, sealed within, and frozen to all onlookers. To others, Yan Zaizen and Yri were simply standing there, but in reality, time itself was ongoing in a consistent manner.
This barrier was empowered by his Dao Energy and Pure Heavenly Might that exceeded even experts in the Ninth-Floor Heavenly Genesis Realm. Even if Gods wished to peer into this barrier, they would be known in a moment.
Outside, in the main hall, the Ruin Emperor froze for a second. His gaze turned towards Yan Zaizen and Yri's room and frowned slightly. "I...am the ruler of this place...how can my perception be altered?" While he didn't know how it was done, and outward it seems as if nothing was changed, he was the master of this palace and controlled all within, yet his perception of Yan Zaizen's room felt like he entered a quagmire of spacetime.
All methods of senses would be affected and be frozen, sealed in an isolated area within that area, and locked away for all eternity.
It was incredibly odd and surreal.
The best description was looking at the stars. When mortals looked to the skies, what they see was the past, not the present. Despite being in control of this area, it was like what he looked at was the past everlasting.
In fact, with a thought, Yan Zaizen would be able to erase their spacetime 'future' and make the conversation taken place untraceable. To the world, it was as if the conversation had simply never occurred in any observable timeline.
"...I could penetrate it but…" Thinking about it, he decided against it. If the two were lovers and were engaging in acts of coitus, that would be an intrusion of the highest.
"The room is sealed, even if gods and ghosts wished to know what you say, they would have to ask for my permission first." Yan Zaizen informed Yri as he turned to face her.
Yri felt the shift in spacetime and couldn't help but marvel at the display. It took aspects of her time domain and incorporated a uniqueness to it. Yan Zaizen's application and expression of laws were advancing with every passing second. Reassured, she nodded.
"They will never obtain a drop of ordinary blood, let alone divine blood!" Yri said with the most solemn voice, but within it was absolute confidence in her words.
Surprised, Yan Zaizen couldn't help ask, "why?"
Yri took a deep breath and looked directly in Yan Zaizen's eyes, "Because the All-Immortal Dragon...is pregnant!"