In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

However, Li Yuanchang greatly underestimated this "Penglai Immortal Mountain" that exists in history and mythology.

The difficulty of climbing here is far beyond what the eyes can see; the place is too primitive, and there is no path that humans can travel on.

There are many thorns and moss, and one can easily fall and get injured if one is not careful. Even if you carry a lot of ropes, it is not enough to climb.

The island is also home to a large number of venomous snakes and insects.

Sometimes, as you're climbing, a snake will suddenly appear before you, flicking its tongue, or hide in the weeds, its colorful patterns blending seamlessly with the earth, making it impossible to guard against.

Within just half an hour of entering, and before even reaching the top of the mountain, more than twenty people had suffered abrasions, and nine were bitten by venomous snakes, their lives hanging by a thread.

Meanwhile, it was getting dark.

To avoid further unnecessary casualties, Li Yuanchang ordered a halt to entry and said they would discuss it again the next day.

night.

Numerous bonfires were lit on the shore, dispelling the extreme darkness.

The waves crashed against the shore, creating an atmosphere of boundless desolation and emptiness.

"How are they?"

Li Yuanchang looked in a deep voice at his personal guard inside the tent, whose lips had turned blue and who was unconscious.

Among them were people from the high mountain tribes, whose physical fitness was among the strongest in the entire Han Prince's Mansion. However, with just one bite from the venomous snake, their mountain-like bodies collapsed within half an incense stick's time.

"Your Highness, they have taken the medicine and their breathing has stabilized a little."

"I cut open the bite site with a knife and released the venomous blood, but it wasn't completely cleared. I'll have to tough it out from here on out, but it shouldn't be a big problem," Pei Xuan said.

Li Yuanchang nodded, stood for a moment, and then left.

"Your Highness, judging from this, there are no signs of anyone living on this deserted island, and the environment is too harsh. What if we come up empty-handed?" Guo Chao frowned.

Li Yuanchang looked up at the dark, primitive desert island. This was not a place where humans could live for a long time.

Even if it were possible, reproduction would be a problem.

If there were truly immortals living there, it certainly wouldn't look like this.

"I never intended to find anything here. There is no such thing as immortality in this world."

"Once we arrive, the mission is complete."

"But since we're already here, let's go up and take a look."

"Today I was a bit too complacent and careless. I will prepare properly first thing tomorrow morning and go up the mountain again."

"Yes!" Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Li Yuanchang walked along the coast for quite a while before returning to the boat to rest.

That night, he fell asleep unusually quickly and had a strange dream!

In his dream, an immortal touched his forehead, and then the scene changed, and he was carried into Xuanwu Gate by a large army.

Li Zhi removed his imperial crown and knelt to greet him.

Empress Wang, Consort Yin, and Consort Yang, all of whom were heavily pregnant, lined up to pay their respects to Emperor Gaozong.

Immediately afterwards, Li Yuanchang turned around, and there was Li Shimin, his divine might overwhelming, carrying a sword, his dragon-like face grim, leading a constellation of brilliant civil and military officials from the Zhenguan era, as well as an endless army of Xuanjia soldiers, to attack him.

The Rebel King!!

After Li Shimin's angry roar.

"what!"

Li Yuanchang screamed and woke up from his sleep with a start, sitting up abruptly with his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Holy crap, that's so true!

He was panting heavily, swallowing hard. The quiet cabin, the faint scent of her body, and the pale blue light of dawn gradually pulled his consciousness back to reality.

It's almost dawn.

It was all just a dream.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Mingtian asked sleepily, getting up and revealing a glimpse of her bare skin.

"call!"

Li Yuanchang exhaled a breath of stale air, shook his head, and casually picked up a tube top to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"I had a nightmare."

"What kind of nightmare?" Akita asked worriedly.

Li Yuanchang still feels lingering fear when he recalls it, wondering why he had such a dream.

You can't just have random dreams like that.

"It's nothing."

"Get up."

"Hi," Mingtian replied obediently.

Not long after, the guards, having eaten and drunk their fill, were re-equipped.

They peeled off some vines and bark and wrapped them around their legs and hands to prevent snakes from suddenly biting them.

Some of the ropes from the treasure ships were also untied and used as tools for climbing.

Starting at dawn, a group of nearly ninety people ventured deep into the fairy island and began their search towards the top.

The rugged mountain paths and complex, ever-changing jungle made the journey quite difficult.

During this time, Li Yuanchang encountered many rare wild animals, some of which he had never seen before, and even discovered some gold mines on the island!

But they found no so-called immortal cave dwellings, nor any of the heavenly palaces and golden pavilions that were rumored in the Central Plains.

The white mist and cranes were nowhere to be seen.

There is a very strong gap between reality and legend.

Around dusk, Li Yuanchang finally reached the very top of the fairy island.

Here, the sea breeze caresses your face, the golden sunlight shines down, and looking out, you see an endless golden ocean; the scenery is absolutely stunning.

He couldn't help but open his arms and take a deep breath.

"If I retire in the future, it wouldn't be bad to bring my family here to escape the world."

"Retirement? What retirement?" Guo Chao and the others asked in surprise.

"Haha, it means retiring to one's hometown."

"Your Highness, you are still so young, you have a long way to go."

"That's right, as the saying goes, one should strive for even greater heights. Your Highness's future is still bright."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang immediately thought of the dream he had last night.

To reach the next level, one must strive for even greater heights; however, this step is unlikely to be taken lightly.

Since Li Chengqian's incident, Li Shimin had sensed danger beforehand and no longer trusted him as much as before.

It's hard to say whether it was suspicion or simply that Li Shimin had grown old and his considerations had changed.

"Your Highness, there's nothing here at all. It's the middle of nowhere. Are you sure you've come to the wrong place?"

"Impossible, this is the place, unless there's another extraordinary place on Penglai Island." Ji'an said solemnly.

"But there's really nothing here, no immortals have been found. How will the Tang Dynasty explain this to His Majesty?" Everyone was suspicious and worried.

"It doesn't matter," Li Yuanchang said.

"Anyway, I came here on orders and did my best. The rumors are false; what can we do?"

He was actually hoping to find nothing at all. If he really found the so-called elixir, who knew what its ingredients were? If Li Shimin ate it and died prematurely, he would be dragged down with him to be buried alive.

He was thinking about it.

"Report!!"

"Your Highness, there's been a discovery at the military advisor Huangtu's place!"

A guard shouted from the other side of the mountaintop, instantly startling everyone and making their eyes light up.

"A discovery!"

Li Yuanchang said seriously, "What you say comes true, there really is a celestial abode?"

Holy crap, this doesn't make sense!

He hurried over there.