Then, Lu Xuan shifted his attention away from the system interface and turned his gaze toward Li Chengxing and Mu Yun.
“Old Li, Deputy Commander Mu, since the Mingzhou unrest has been settled, I’ll leave the remaining cleanup to the two of you.”
“I am bound by His Majesty’s decree and must leave Mingzhou as soon as possible to head to the Heavenly Capital and report to the Emperor.”
“Farewell!”
With that, Lu Xuan didn’t wait for their response. The aura around him shifted abruptly.
In an instant, his figure stepped forward and vanished into the ethereal void, leaving behind only faint spatial ripples as he disappeared before everyone’s astonished eyes.
Mu Yun watched Lu Xuan leave so decisively and couldn’t help the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.
She then turned her head slightly and cast a sidelong glance at Li Chengxing beside her. Her voice carried a tone of genuine curiosity as she spoke softly.
“Old Li, Deputy Commander Lu seems quite… different.”
“Could you tell me a bit more about him?”
Meanwhile, after leaving Bifeng Valley, Lu Xuan reached the border of Mingzhou in just half an incense stick’s time.
As for what he’d told Li Chengxing and the others—well, that was just a casual excuse.
Right now, his top priority was to refine that white lotus bronze vessel.
After all, Li Chengxing had already made it clear that this item was his to deal with.
And Lu Xuan’s way of “dealing with it” was simple—just refine it directly.
He had no intention of being foolish enough to hand over such a precious Moon-grade vessel.
Arriving deep within a remote and secluded mountain forest, Lu Xuan scanned the surroundings with hawk-like vigilance.
Then, he raised his hand and waved it through the air toward the cliff face. A surge of immense, overwhelming spiritual power burst forth.
With a dull rumble, a cave several meters high was instantly carved into the rock wall.
Lu Xuan flickered into the cave like a ghost, found a flat spot, and sat down cross-legged.
With a single thought, he spread his formidable spiritual power outward like a tide, meticulously probing every corner within a radius of over a kilometer.
Once he confirmed that there were no other martial artists’ energy fluctuations within that range, he finally relaxed. A flash of purple light darted through his eyes.
He gently raised his right hand and held the white lotus-shaped bronze vessel before his chest.
A seven-pattern Moon-grade vessel… I wonder how many system points it will give me.
Lu Xuan pondered silently. Even his normally calm heart couldn’t help but stir slightly at the thought.
The next moment, without hesitation, he confirmed his decision within his mind—extract the primordial energy from the white lotus bronze vessel.
Extract!
As soon as he confirmed it, the intricate patterns on the surface of the white lotus bronze vessel began to vanish rapidly, visible to the naked eye.
Deprived of those wondrous markings, the vessel’s luster instantly dimmed.
In the end, it became utterly ordinary, looking like nothing more than an old, worn-out bronze object.
After a long while, Lu Xuan casually set the now-dull bronze vessel aside and focused his attention on the system panel in his mind.
——-
Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Divine Mansion True Person
Cultivation Methods: Blazing Heaven Saber Technique 4/9, Spanning the Horizon 0/9 (Evolvable), Undying and Indestructible 2/9 (Evolvable)
Points: 95,660
Host, please confirm whether to consume 16,000 system points to evolve Undying and Indestructible!
Host, please confirm whether to consume 20,000 system points to evolve Spanning the Horizon!
——-
Eighty thousand points!
A single seven-pattern Moon-grade vessel had netted Lu Xuan a full eighty thousand system points.
A brilliant purple glow radiated from his eyes—clearly, he was stunned by such a massive haul.
Even the finest grade of heavenly treasures couldn’t compare to this effect.
After all, the best heavenly treasures he’d refined before had only given him around thirty thousand points.
Lu Xuan forced himself to steady the storm of emotions raging within him, took a deep breath, and quickly concealed his shock.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he fixed his gaze on the two cultivation methods: Undying and Indestructible and Spanning the Horizon.
In a low, firm voice, he uttered two words.
“Evolve!”
As those words left his lips, the surrounding air began to swirl violently around him, forming a raging storm.
An overwhelming aura burst forth from his body. Under the influence of terrifying spiritual power, the very void around him twisted and warped incessantly.
No one knew how long passed.
Suddenly, streaks of mysterious, dazzling golden light burst from Lu Xuan’s body.
The golden radiance was like the sun breaking through the dawn—brilliant, unstoppable.
Centered on him, it spread wildly outward like a tide. Everything it touched was gilded in a sacred golden hue.
Even the dark black brocade robes he wore seemed to merge with that golden light, emanating an ineffable, mysterious aura—as if a Buddha from the highest heavens had descended to the mortal world.
Slowly, Lu Xuan opened his eyes. His expression had returned to perfect calm, like an unfathomably deep pool, utterly still.
The golden radiance that had made him appear divine and majestic receded like an ebbing tide, fading away completely.
His sharply defined features and dark robes were once again revealed.
Divine Mansion Realm — Small Completion!
——-
Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Divine Mansion True Person (Small Completion)
Cultivation Methods: Blazing Heaven Saber Technique 4/9, Spanning the Horizon 1/9, Undying and Indestructible 4/9
Points: 29,660
——-
He had evolved Spanning the Horizon once, costing 20,000 points.
As for Undying and Indestructible, he chose to evolve it twice.
The first evolution cost 16,000 points; the second cost 30,000 points.
Together, the two techniques consumed a total of 66,000 system points.
Finally, he had broken through to the next realm!
Lu Xuan immersed himself in his mind. He could clearly sense the astonishing changes within his Divine Mansion.
The spiritual power that had once filled his Divine Mansion was now denser and more immense. Every strand carried a terrifying, awe-inspiring force.
This horrifyingly powerful spiritual energy was several times greater than what he had possessed before.
Then, he looked deeper into his Divine Mansion, toward the small spiritual figure seated within. Its form had also undergone a remarkable transformation.
The tiny figure, which resembled Lu Xuan himself, had grown taller. The powerful aura surrounding it was now even more robust and vigorous.
The purple energy swirling around the spiritual figure had grown thicker and more profound, almost condensing into liquid form.
“Excellent!”
Lu Xuan muttered to himself, his voice barely hiding his joy.
As he was growing familiar with his newly amplified spiritual power, a faint tremor suddenly came from his chest.
This unexpected change made the joy on his face freeze instantly. His expression stiffened.
Then, his brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of confusion flickered through his eyes.
Her again?
His direct superior—the Commander of the Xuanwu Guard!
With a trace of doubt, Lu Xuan took out his identity token.
The deputy commander’s token floated steadily above his right palm. Its surface flickered with crimson light.
Then, the token suddenly flared with brilliance, and a deep purple beam shot out like an arrow.
That purple light swirled in midair for a moment, then quickly condensed into a blurred face.
The light flickered, and though its features were indistinct, they hinted at the extraordinary nature of the one it represented.
Without any pause, the purple silhouette spoke directly, in a crisp and concise tone.
“Deputy Commander Lu, regarding the Mingzhou matter—were there any unforeseen complications?”
“I received word from the Supervisor of the Celestial Surveillance Bureau that a Primordial Spirit True Person at the Grand Completion stage appeared in Feihe Prefecture.”
“As well as the phantom of a demon beast at the Heavenly Demon realm!”
“Did you encounter them?”
Her voice seemed to come from a distant place, yet it echoed clearly in Lu Xuan’s ears.
He could even sense a hint of urgency in those words.
Still, Lu Xuan didn’t dwell on that. Instead, his focus shifted to the mention of the Celestial Surveillance Bureau’s Supervisor.
How strange…
How did that Supervisor know what happened in Feihe Prefecture?
Knowing about the Primordial Spirit phantom in Feihe Prefecture was one thing.
But that so-called Lion Lord’s phantom—Lu Xuan clearly remembered that he was the only human martial artist in the entire forest.
Interesting!
That Celestial Surveillance Bureau Supervisor seems to be an unfathomable figure as well.
Being so far away in the Heavenly Capital, yet knowing what transpired in Feihe Prefecture, located in the southern Mingzhou region…
It seemed that the Heavenly Capital was home not only to the eight great clans and their extraordinary powers, but also to many other formidable forces not to be underestimated.
At that thought, a complex, elusive emotion stirred deep within Lu Xuan’s eyes.
Then, his expression turned solemn. He gave a slight nod in response to the Xuanwu Guard Commander above, his voice steady and clear.
“Reporting to the Commander, I did indeed encounter the spiritual phantom of a Primordial Spirit True Person from the Pure World White Lotus Sect.”
His answer made the purple light in the air tremble slightly before steadying again.
“And did you—”
This time, the Commander’s voice carried an unmistakable note of eagerness.
But she stopped mid-sentence, as if waiting for Lu Xuan to finish.
Having no reason to hide anything from his superior, Lu Xuan answered truthfully.
“That White Lotus heretic’s Primordial Spirit phantom has already been crushed by me.”
“The Mingzhou rebellion has been completely resolved.”
………
After Lu Xuan finished speaking, the cave fell into a dead, profound silence.
The purple light in the air hovered motionless, as if time itself had frozen.
Far away in the northern region, Zi Yao stood inside a crystal-clear ice cave.
Visible white frost emanated from the cavern, curling in wisps. The ice walls reflected the daylight, casting a cold, gleaming radiance.
At this moment, a clear look of astonishment flashed across Zi Yao’s face. Her beautiful eyes widened, filled with shock, as if she’d just heard something utterly astounding.
The woman beside her reacted the same way—her mouth hung open in disbelief, as if she had been petrified.
Only the purple token in Zi Yao’s hand continued to flicker, its light pulsing faintly in the pure white cave, adding a touch of mystery.
I must have heard that right…
This Lu Xuan apparently crushed the spiritual power of a Primordial Spirit True Person.
He’s a Divine Mansion realm martial artist?
In Zi Yao’s lovely eyes, surprise rippled like waves across a calm lake.
But she quickly composed herself. On her cool, beautiful face, the shock was perfectly concealed.
“Mm, very good!”
“Deputy Commander Lu, your contributions in pacifying the Mingzhou unrest are indispensable. I will report these developments to His Majesty.”
After saying those formal words, Zi Yao changed the subject, moving past the Mingzhou affair.
“You crushed Old Monster White Bone’s Primordial Spirit power. After today, those White Lotus heretics will secretly investigate your background.”
“Deputy Commander Lu, you’d best be cautious. Those White Lotus cultists are masters of concealment. They won’t be easily uncovered by our Xuanwu Guard.”
When Zi Yao mentioned those White Lotus heretics, Lu Xuan was reminded of that old crone—a monster of Primordial Spirit True Person strength.
If there were many such old monsters within the Pure World White Lotus Sect, things could get troublesome.
“Commander, do you know the origins of the Pure World White Lotus Sect?”
To his disappointment, however, the purple light in midair simply shook its head, indicating ignorance.
“Deputy Commander Lu, all you need to know is that the Pure World White Lotus Sect is the Great Xia Dynasty’s mortal enemy.”
“As for the rest, once you reach the Heavenly Capital in the future, you’ll naturally learn everything.”
After speaking those words, the Xuanwu Guard Commander, Zi Yao, cast a thoughtful look at Lu Xuan.
Then, as if from some other place beyond perception, she quietly withdrew the power she had channeled into the Xuanwu Guard token.
The next moment, the dreamlike purple light floating in midair faded gently, like purple smoke brushed away by a breeze—as if nothing had ever happened.
Zi Yao’s behavior seemed oddly evasive, as if she were avoiding Lu Xuan’s question.
The Great Xia Dynasty’s mortal enemy?
Is it really that simple?
Lu Xuan was deeply puzzled by Zi Yao’s response. His brow furrowed slightly.
In his view, Zi Yao, as Commander of the Xuanwu Guard, was one of the most powerful figures in the entire Great Xia Dynasty. She couldn’t possibly be a simple character.
She definitely knew more about the Pure World White Lotus Sect.
Unless—she was deliberately keeping its secrets hidden.
Deep within Lu Xuan’s eyes, a brilliant purple light flickered like dancing flames.
At that moment, a thought crystallized in the depths of his mind, growing clearer and clearer.
Strength is the source of everything!
If his Divine Mansion strength wasn’t enough, then he’d break through to the realm beyond.
Whatever schemes or conspiracies they had—he would shatter them all with sheer power!
