Chapter 1282 Crucial Matter Once Yuan's presence disappeared, Bai Ning immediately regained control over her own body, yet she continued to remain frozen in place, her face filled with shock and disbelief. "What just happened…? Why did my body suddenly…?" she looked at her own hands and tried to fathom what had just occurred, yet she couldn't find an answer even with her vast experience and expansive knowledge. "Elder Sister! What should I do?!" Bai Xutao's desperate cries immediately interrupted her thoughts. She turned to look at him with a frown and responded in a cold voice, "Whatever you are supposed to do. Don't act like this is your first encounter with a Heavenly Tribulation." "B-But I have never encountered one this powerful…" he stammered nervously, swallowing hard as the dark clouds expanded, enveloping the entire sky above them. Bai Ning looked at the clouds and sneered, "You might be on the verge of death after this, but you won't die." And without saying another word, she left him to deal with the Heavenly Tribulation alone. 'Damn it! That fucking bitch is as heartless as ever! Family, my fucking ass!' Bai Xutao cursed at her inwardly before clearing his mind and preparing to deal with the Heavenly Tribulation. Eventually, a bolt of purple lightning struck Bai Xutao, obliterating everything within a 1,000-mile radius around him, and it repeated four times, with each successive strike growing more potent. Bai Xutao utilized all of his life-saving treasures and resources to deal with the Heavenly Tribulation, as he wouldn't be able to survive on his own power— at least not in his current state. Meanwhile, after leaving Bai Xutao alone, Bai Ning tried to search for Yuan, traveling tens of thousands of miles, only stopping when it was her turn to deal with the Heavenly Tribulation. And despite only unsealing her cultivation to Spirit Sovereign, her Heavenly Tribulation was countless times more powerful than Bai Xutao's Heavenly Tribulation, mostly due to her true cultivation as a True Immortal. Each bolt of lightning was strong enough to obliterate a Spirit Enlightenment Cultivator a thousand times, yet all Bai Ning had to do was wave her sleeves, destroying the lightning and only suffering minor injuries afterward. The Heavenly Tribulation only lasted for three strikes before it disappeared, and Bai Ning immediately returned to her search. She also couldn't help but replay Yuan's words inside her mind continuously. "You already know my name." 'What in the world does he mean by that? I already know his identity? No, that's impossible. I wouldn't forget someone like him!' Bai Ning hadn't experienced this level of frustration in a long while. In fact, she had never felt this degree of helplessness in her entire life. And the more she contemplated it, the more her frustration intensified, almost to the point of madness. Meanwhile, Bai Xutao was on the verge of death after his Heavenly Tribulation came to an end. If he thought about how much resources he had used in such a short time, it would probably push him to his death. Instead, he focused on blaming Yuan and cursed at him nonstop. "I swear I will not rest until I find you and make you pay a million times for this humiliation! I swear!!! Ahhhhhh!!!" he cried out in anguish while lying on the ground, his gaze fixed on the heavens. As for Yuan, he found himself back at Dong Ye's cabin after being teleported. "Thanks. I would've been in trouble there if you didn't teleport me away," he expressed his gratitude to Dong Ye. "Please don't thank me, I was simply doing my job." Dong Ye shook his head. And he continued, "Anyway, as expected of you, my liege. I am impressed by how well you played them. They're definitely stomping the ground in anger as we speak." "I wish I could've done more," he sighed. "If you'd done more, you would've killed Bai Xutao at the very least. Honestly, you could've killed him and probably gotten away with it since you hid your identity well— with the slight exception of that hint you gave the woman." Yuan removed his mask, revealing a bittersweet smile. "I couldn't help it. Before I knew it, those words had already escaped my lips," he sighed. "It'll be fine, I think. Even an Immortal Monarch fanatic like Bai Ning wouldn't dare imagine that you are the actual Immortal Monarch." Dong Ye tried to reassure him of the safety of his identity. "Either way, what's done is done," Yuan said. And he continued, "Anyways, now that we are alone, I have something to talk to you about." "Is this related to that crucial matter you mentioned before?" Dong Ye asked. Yuan nodded, and he spoke, "Before that, I must ask you— are you aware that this body of mine is only an avatar created from a portion of my soul?" He figured that someone with a cultivation as high as Dong Ye's wouldn't be influenced by the Celestial Emperor's curse. Hearing his question, Dong Ye silently nodded his head with a smile on it. "I am aware of your situation, my liege," he said. "So you know that my real body is currently located somewhere far away from the Nine Heavens?" Yuan wanted more confirmation. "Indeed. In fact, I have known about it even before we met." Dong Ye confirmed. "Good, then this will speed things up," Yuan said. And he proceeded to tell Dong Ye of his situation on Earth. "A formation keeping the world alive, huh? It must be the work of a Blood Mastiff, as they are the only ones who could possibly maintain such a powerful formation for so long." Dong Ye mumbled out loud. Yuan then explained his current plan to Dong Ye. "If you are looking for a soul belonging to a God Ascension realm Cultivator, the Shadow Realm will definitely house some there, but it's also extremely dangerous there. Unless absolutely necessary, even I wouldn't venture to that grim place." Dong Ye shuddered just thinking about the atmosphere there, as well as the countless immortal souls trapped there since ancient times. "Dangerous or not, I have no choice but to go there, unless you have another idea." Yuan looked at him. "I can think of several other places where you might find that kind of soul, but unfortunately, these places are even more dangerous than the Shadow Realm, so they are out of the question." Dong Ye said. "The Shadow Realm it is then." Yuan sighed.