Chapter 84 When a Lie Becomes History

Throughout his years of cultivation, Qiu Wuyin had developed a peculiar hobby, collecting ancient records from cultivators who traveled from the Central Continent. According to those records, the Central Continent was a land overflowing with spiritual energy, with breathtaking scenery and countless cultivation opportunities.

When he was younger, Qiu Wuyin had often asked those cultivators about the Central Continent and even considered traveling there himself. However, every cultivator he questioned had warned him not to go, telling him that the place was far more dangerous than he could imagine.

Those warnings only strengthened his curiosity and his desire to become stronger.

Qiu Wuyin eventually sought guidance from a powerful cultivator and continued cultivating until he finally reached the Nascent Soul Realm. Only then did he dare to travel to the Central Continent.

The moment his feet touched its soil, he immediately understood why people called it a cultivation paradise.

The spiritual energy was incredibly dense.

Unfortunately, before he could even appreciate the scenery, two terrifying auras erupted in the distance.

A clash between two experts had begun.

The pressure alone nearly suffocated him, while the surrounding land was continuously obliterated by their attacks. Qiu Wuyin immediately fled without hesitation, afraid that he would become collateral damage.

Afterward, he traveled through various parts of the Central Continent and encountered one powerful cultivator after another. The deeper he ventured, the more he realized that almost every place contained dangers far beyond his ability to handle.

Eventually, Qiu Wuyin returned to the Western Continent.

It's better to cultivate here than risk his life in that place.

Yet now...

Qiu Wuyin looked at the mysterious black-robed figure before him, his heart pounding.

"I never expected that the person standing before me would actually be the Unseen Emperor."

During his travels through the Central Continent, he had once encountered records concerning this mysterious existence. At the time, he had been ignorant and had even asked several local cultivators about the Unseen Emperor.

Their answers had been dismissive.

They claimed the Unseen Emperor was merely a myth.

There were no reliable records of his appearance, and some even described him as nothing more than a legendary figure whose story was passed down to children.

According to the legends, the Unseen Emperor possessed unfathomable strength and had ultimately sacrificed himself while protecting the world.

Qiu Wuyin had never believed those stories.

But now...

He had no choice but to believe.

The mysterious figure before him possessed strength that completely surpassed his imagination, while his distorted face made his appearance impossible to see clearly.

"So that's why he was called the Unseen Emperor..."

Qiu Wuyin's breathing became heavier.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

If he could gain the protection of such an unfathomable expert, perhaps his own cultivation could advance further. Perhaps, with the guidance or resources of the Unseen Emperor, he might even have a chance to break through his current realm.

Thinking of this, Qiu Wuyin immediately became even more respectful.

“Yes, Unseen Emperor!” he hurriedly replied. “This old man will obey your command and search for every record concerning you!”

Zan Yunxiao calmly nodded.

“Good.”

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the residence.

A soldier rushed into the room and shouted anxiously, “City Lord! Are you alright?!”

The soldier immediately froze when he saw the unfamiliar black-robed figure standing inside.

He had no idea who this mysterious person was.

However, the distorted face and oppressive atmosphere surrounding him made the soldier instinctively feel that something was terribly wrong.

Qiu Wuyin's expression instantly darkened.

“Get lost!” he shouted. “I don't need your help!”

The soldier flinched.

“Yes, City Lord!”

He didn't dare ask any questions. Whatever was happening inside was clearly beyond his authority to interfere with.

The soldier quickly turned around and fled the room.

After the soldier hurriedly left, Qiu Wuyin turned toward Zan Yunxiao and respectfully bowed.

“Unseen Emperor, please forgive my subordinate's rudeness. He did not know your identity.”

Zan Yunxiao merely waved his hand.

“It's nothing.”

Qiu Wuyin secretly sighed in relief before turning around.

“This old man will now search for the records you requested.”

With that, he hurriedly left the residence.

Qiu Wuyin already had an idea of where to look. During his younger years, he had collected several ancient records concerning the mysterious Unseen Emperor. Since he had never expected to meet the legendary existence himself, those records had been left untouched for many years.

Now that the Unseen Emperor had personally ordered him to investigate, he naturally intended to gather everything he possessed.

Meanwhile, Zan Yunxiao remained alone in the residence.

His calm expression disappeared the moment Qiu Wuyin was out of sight.

"Now what?"

He rubbed his chin as countless thoughts entered his mind.

"I need to fabricate some evidence for this fake identity."

"But what kind of evidence should I create?"

"Ancient records? A legendary battle? Maybe some ruins containing my name?"

The more he thought about it, the more complicated it became.

He had created the identity of the Unseen Emperor on a whim.

Now he suddenly needed to build an entire history for it.

"This is troublesome..."

Before he could come up with a satisfactory plan, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside.

Zan Yunxiao immediately straightened his posture and restored his profound expression.

Qiu Wuyin hurriedly entered while carrying several thick books and ancient scrolls in his arms.

Zan Yunxiao's eyes widened slightly.

He looked at the pile of books in Qiu Wuyin's arms before asking calmly, “What are those?”

Qiu Wuyin respectfully placed the books and scrolls before him.

“These are records concerning you, Unseen Emperor.”

Zan Yunxiao froze.

“...What?”

He stared at the pile in confusion.

"My records? When did I have record?"

He slowly picked up one of the books.

His heart was already beginning to beat faster.

Zan Yunxiao opened it and casually read the first paragraph.

His expression remained calm.

His eyes moved to the next line.

Then the next.

His face remained perfectly composed, but internally...

"What the hell is this?!"

His thoughts immediately entered a state of panic.

"I'm screwed."

"I'm completely screwed!"

Zan Yunxiao's mind was in complete turmoil.

"The Unseen Emperor I created on a whim... is actually real?!"

A chill ran down his spine.

He had originally invented the identity merely to fool Qiu Wuyin. His plan had been simple: fabricate a believable history, create some false evidence, and use the identity of the Unseen Emperor to make Qiu Wuyin less suspicious of him.

More importantly, he had intended to use this identity to recruit other powerful cultivators.

But now...

"What if the real Unseen Emperor comes looking for me because I'm impersonating him?"

Zan Yunxiao's expression remained calm beneath his distorted face, but internally he was already panicking.

"I only told Qiu Wuyin to search for records because I wanted time to fabricate a story."

"Who would have thought there would actually be records about this person?!"

He glanced at the ancient books in Qiu Wuyin's arms.

His original plan had completely gone off the rails.

Yet he couldn't reveal his panic.

If Qiu Wuyin noticed even the slightest change in his expression, the entire deception might collapse.

Zan Yunxiao slowly took another breath and maintained the dignified posture of the supposed Unseen Emperor.

"First, I need to figure out exactly who this Unseen Emperor is."

Zan Yunxiao calmly closed the book in his hand and looked toward Qiu Wuyin. Although his mind was in turmoil, his expression remained as calm and unfathomable as ever.

“You may leave for now,” he said indifferently. “I need some time to study these records myself.”

Qiu Wuyin immediately bowed. “Yes, Unseen Emperor.”

He carefully placed the remaining books and scrolls on the table before respectfully leaving the room.

Once the door closed, Zan Yunxiao's expression finally changed.

He glanced at the mountain of ancient records before him and sighed.

“...This is going to take a while.”

He picked up the first book and began reading carefully.

One page.

Then another.

As he continued, his expression gradually became more complicated.

The records contained stories about the Unseen Emperor, descriptions of his mysterious deeds, fragments of ancient battles, and even accounts of his supposed appearance.

Zan Yunxiao's eyes twitched repeatedly as he read.

After a long while, he finally lowered the book and rubbed his forehead.

“Right...”

He stared blankly at the records before him.

“I’m really screwed.”

Meanwhile, outside the room, Qiu Wuyin stood respectfully near the entrance, not daring to leave too far.

He glanced toward the closed door and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"The Unseen Emperor is seriously reading through his own records..."

A sudden thought crossed his mind.

"Could it be because he lost some of his memories after sleeping for so many years?"

The more Qiu Wuyin thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

After all, if the Unseen Emperor had truly existed since the ancient era and had only recently awakened, it was entirely possible that some of his memories had become fragmented over the countless years.

Qiu Wuyin nodded solemnly.

"That must be it."

He suddenly felt even more convinced that his decision to follow the Unseen Emperor was correct. If even such an ancient existence had lost parts of his memories, then perhaps he needed loyal subordinates like himself to help him understand the current era.

With that thought, Qiu Wuyin stood outside the room patiently, completely unaware that the person inside was desperately trying to figure out how a fictional identity he had invented had somehow become a real historical figure.