The Old Demon Emperor had not forgotten that his flawless Dao foundation was due to the Qian Emperor, and thus he was extremely grateful to him.
"I always keep my word. From now on, if Emperor Qian ever needs anything, just come to me! As long as I can do it, I will never refuse!" the Old Demon Emperor said solemnly.
The Old Demon Emperor's attitude towards Xu Mo had changed greatly. Although he had also achieved sainthood, putting him on the same level as Xu Mo, he knew that Emperor Qian's strength was terrifying, especially with that formidable furnace that feared no heavenly might. Such power filled the Old Demon Emperor with awe and envy.
Xu Mo nodded. Now that the Old Demon Emperor was also a Saint, he could indeed be useful in the future.
At this moment, the drifting bottle suddenly appeared. It opened its mouth and presented the Crossing Tribulation Mark to the Old Demon Emperor.
"This is..." the Old Demon Emperor was stunned, but the moment he touched the Crossing Tribulation Mark, he understood.
"Thank you, Tribulation Envoy," the Old Demon Emperor said respectfully to the drifting bottle.
However, he was also very surprised that this Tribulation Envoy was following Emperor Qian. He must have recognized Emperor Qian's strength to be by his side, right?
"Mm," the drifting bottle replied in a flat tone, appearing aloof. In reality, it was so excited it was almost crying. This was the normal reaction of a Saint towards a Tribulation Envoy! All Saints showed great respect to Tribulation Envoys, even the Extreme Dao Saints were very polite. How could Xu Mo treat a Tribulation Envoy like a slave?
"Emperor Qian, the Crossing Tribulation is about to descend. Our strength is weak, and we are no match for the Extreme Dao Saints from other worlds. We can only unite and cross together," the Old Demon Emperor said to Xu Mo with a grave expression.
Xu Mo was surprised that the Old Demon Emperor had brought up the Crossing Tribulation. Listening to him, it seemed he knew a lot about it.
"You know about the Crossing Tribulation?" Xu Mo asked.
The Old Demon Emperor nodded. "I do. I have lived for thousands of years, and my footprints are all over the Great Wilderness. I have collected many ancient texts that contain a lot of information about the Crossing Tribulation."
Xu Mo was speechless. No wonder there was so little information about the Crossing Tribulation in the Great Wilderness; it had all been 'monopolized' by this Old Demon Emperor!
"I have the same idea. Including Bai Yue, there are three Saints in the Great Wilderness. It's better to unite than to act alone," Xu Mo agreed to the Old Demon Emperor's proposal. As for the Flood Dragon, Xu Mo had no plans to seek it out, as it was no benevolent creature!
The Old Demon Emperor nodded and then departed to stabilize his realm. He was also preparing for the Crossing Tribulation. He knew a lot and understood how perilous it was. Once involved, it was basically a matter of life and death, especially for a newly promoted Saint like him, the chance of surviving and obtaining immortal destiny was almost zero.
Yet, even so, the Old Demon Emperor had never considered escaping. He was very old, having lived for seven to eight thousand years. Achieving sainthood did not significantly extend his lifespan. Without becoming an immortal or using secret techniques, his lifespan was limited to ten thousand years. If he didn't participate in the Crossing Tribulation, he would only be able to wait for death in the Great Wilderness. By participating, there was at least a glimmer of hope! Cultivators fought against heaven, against earth, and against others. They never feared the Crossing Tribulation!
Xu Mo also left. This trip to the Western Regions had been very fruitful. Not only had he obtained a furnace of Seven Tribulation Heavenly Lightning, but he had also gained the favor of the Old Demon Emperor.
Fan Cheng, upon seeing His Majesty return safely, immediately stepped forward to congratulate him. "Your Majesty's might is boundless, you fear no heavenly tribulation, truly a contemporary myth!"
"Alright, you brat, where did you learn to flatter like this?" Xu Mo chuckled and chided him.
"Uh... those civil officials say it every day, and I just picked it up by listening," Fan Cheng said with some embarrassment. He reflected that he used to be straightforward with His Majesty and wouldn't flatter. After befriending some civil officials and learning some scholarly things, he had been influenced. He decided he couldn't do this anymore and would have to find those civil officials and teach them a lesson! Fan Cheng thought to himself.
Next, Xu Mo carried Fan Cheng back to the imperial capital. Fan Cheng landed, bared his teeth, and twisted his neck. Being carried by the neck by His Majesty during flight was truly uncomfortable.
Xu Mo returned directly to his sleeping quarters. The Seven Tribulation Heavenly Lightning in the Chaos Furnace had now been successfully converted into a mass of imprintless Dao rhyme. It didn't seem like much, but it was more than enough to break through to the Great Saint stage! The drifting bottle was once again ruthlessly thrown into the Chaos Furnace, and it had resigned itself to this fate.
After dealing with the drifting bottle, Xu Mo directly absorbed the imprintless Dao rhyme. Strands of Dao rhyme drilled into his body, impacting the final thin film. Xu Mo concentrated, entering a state of extreme breakthrough, his spiritual power immersed within, constantly attempting to break through.
Time trickled by, and suddenly a 'boom' echoed within his body! The thin film was shattered, like a dam releasing water. Dao rhyme surged out, and Xu Mo's aura continuously climbed. His physical body and spiritual power also strengthened. This was a comprehensive improvement that took a quarter of an hour to complete.
"Hoo..." Xu Mo opened his eyes and exhaled heavily. "Great Saint realm, I've finally arrived!" He felt a surge of joy and stood up to experience the combat power of the Great Saint realm. With a gentle punch, he unleashed the Dragon Emperor's Dao Fist. Nine dragon phantoms manifested, leaving several marks in the air, causing ripples in space itself. Xu Mo retracted his fist, very satisfied. "As expected of the Great Saint realm, the gap between it and the Minor Saint is truly vast. If I were to fight Shan Zu now, I could heavily injure him with a single punch!" With his breakthrough to the Great Saint realm, Xu Mo was filled with immense confidence.
He then released the drifting bottle. Upon emerging, the drifting bottle immediately sensed the change in Xu Mo's aura and was stunned, speechless for a long time.
"You... How did you become a Great Saint!?" the drifting bottle exclaimed in shock. It had only been confined in the furnace for an hour, and Xu Mo had become a Great Saint upon its release? What kind of terrifying cultivation speed was this? No wonder he wanted to lock it away and not let it watch; was he performing some kind of evil sacrificial ritual?
"Naturally, it's thanks to my talent," Xu Mo said with an unchanged expression. The drifting bottle didn't believe it at all. "Even if your talent is exceptional, you couldn't have this cultivation speed. You must have used some kind of strange method, right?"
"Why do you, a bottle, need to know so much?" Xu Mo stared at it with an unfriendly gaze. The drifting bottle immediately shut up. It was very sensible and quickly asked Xu Mo what he needed it for. Seeing the bottle's compliance, Xu Mo nodded with satisfaction.
"You just said that gaze was the Heavenly Dao? Which Heavenly Dao, Earth's? Or the Great Wilderness's?" Xu Mo asked with a solemn expression. The drifting bottle replied, "Of course, it's the Heavenly Dao of this universe. Earth, the Great Wilderness, or any other remote world, all belong to this universe!"