In the distance, Mu Yun was leading several Earth-rank Black Bird Guards, quickly approaching Lu Xuan’s vicinity.
However, when Mu Yun caught sight of Man Qingqiu’s figure, his eyes immediately darkened, and a trace of surprise flickered across his expression.
Because Man Qingqiu’s arrival had truly caught Mu Yun off guard.
Mu Yun knew her identity and background like the back of his hand.
She was one of the current Empress’s most trusted and important ministers, serving as the head of the Plum Blossom Guard, in charge of affairs both inside and outside the imperial palace.
She wielded immense power, and her position at court was of great consequence. No one dared to underestimate her.
At the same time, from what Mu Yun understood, Man Qingqiu’s martial arts cultivation was profound and unfathomable. She was very likely an existence at the perfected stage of the Divine Palace Realm.
With such extraordinary martial prowess, she ranked among the very top experts in the entire Great Xia Dynasty.
And as for Man Qingqiu’s appearance here, Mu Yun did not even need to think twice about it. She must have come bearing the will of that one above.
Most likely, she was here for Princess Xingyue.
Right now, he could only hope that Princess Xingyue was still alive. Otherwise, Mu Yun truly had no idea how that Empress would react.
Of course, Mu Yun was well aware that there were some matters he had no right to inquire into.
Especially when it came to secrets of the royal family—even as the Deputy Commander of the Black Bird Guard, it was not appropriate for him to know too much.
He quickly turned around and gave a low command to the Black Bird Guards behind him.
“Alright, the few of you go seal off the surrounding area immediately. Do not allow anyone to approach Commander Lu’s location.”
After giving the order to the Black Bird Guards, Mu Yun turned and left at once, as if he had not even seen Lu Xuan.
His actions seemed simple, but in truth, they were a wise choice for self-preservation.
Although those Earth-rank Black Bird Guards were extremely curious in their hearts, they all strictly followed Mu Yun’s orders and immediately departed in different directions.
They understood that knowing too much about certain things could instead bring fatal disaster upon themselves.
As for Mu Yun and the others leaving, Man Qingqiu did not pay it much mind.
She moved with light, graceful steps, her gait airy and ethereal, as if each step landed upon the clouds.
Her figure appeared especially mysterious in the void, giving off a sense of transcendence beyond the ordinary world.
Only when she was still several meters away from Lu Xuan did Man Qingqiu stop.
Then, her gaze rippled like water, and her red lips parted slightly. Her voice was as pleasant as a clear spring. “Commander Lu, I trust you have been well!”
Man Qingqiu’s gaze was as gentle as flowing water, yet also somewhat unfathomably deep, as if it could see through everything.
At this moment, a faint, barely discernible smile lingered on Man Qingqiu’s face, making her impossible to read.
Lu Xuan’s eyes were as calm as still water, without the slightest ripple in his expression. He even met Man Qingqiu’s gaze directly and unflinchingly as their eyes met in the air.
Although Man Qingqiu’s appearance had briefly startled Lu Xuan inwardly, in but an instant, he returned to his usual composure. His expression and bearing showed almost no noticeable change.
Lu Xuan gave a slight nod, which counted as a greeting, and then spoke with just the right amount of puzzlement in his tone, unhurriedly asking, “Commander Mei, what brings you here?”
Inwardly, Lu Xuan had actually already guessed Man Qingqiu’s purpose.
But he did not directly point it out. Instead, he asked in this manner, quietly probing without revealing anything.
Man Qingqiu’s beautiful eyes shifted as she subconsciously took in everything around her. The shock in her heart surged like violent waves, and it was difficult for it to settle for a long time.
She truly had not expected that back in the imperial palace, she had misjudged him.
This Lu Xuan was actually a Primordial Spirit True Person at the greater completion stage of the Divine Palace Realm!
Just a short while ago, a terrifying impact force capable of destroying heaven and earth had crossed a distance of dozens of miles and slammed into Man Qingqiu’s perception without reservation.
Just the fearsome aftershock emanating from that white pillar of light alone had been like a heavy hammer ruthlessly pounding against Man Qingqiu’s mind and spirit.
Even Man Qingqiu could not help but feel a thick sense of wariness rise from within.
Judging from Man Qingqiu’s many years of accumulated experience and instinct, such a vast, majestic, and utterly pure force of heaven and earth—
most likely came from that scheming old fox Wen Fengyuan, who had not hesitated to offer up his own divine sense and primordial spirit in order to detonate the heavenly and earthly origin power within a ritual artifact.
At that thought, Man Qingqiu’s elegant brows furrowed tightly. A flash of resolve passed through her eyes, and her steps suddenly quickened beneath her, turning into a dreamlike afterimage as she sped toward the center of the explosion.
By the time she finally reached the destination, the power of the heavenly and earthly origin explosion that had once ravaged the world and chilled the hearts of all who felt it
had vanished completely in the blink of an eye, as if it had never appeared at all.
And to be able to eliminate such a world-destroying force in so short a time—
the person who had accomplished such an astonishing feat could probably only be the unfathomable Lu Xuan before her.
Lu Xuan!
Every time this man revealed his strength, it constantly reshaped Man Qingqiu’s understanding.
Even Man Qingqiu found it hard to believe that Lu Xuan could possess such formidable power.
Man Qingqiu secretly speculated in her heart that if it was as she expected, then that white pillar of light that had shot straight into the clouds just now—
the power contained within it absolutely surpassed the perfected stage of the Divine Palace Realm.
After all, Man Qingqiu herself was an expert at the perfected stage of the Divine Palace Realm, so she was more than familiar with the scope of power at that level.
With her current strength, if she wanted to unleash an attack that surpassed the perfected stage of the Divine Palace Realm, she would have to be wielding an eight-mark lunar artifact or a ritual artifact of a higher grade.
Otherwise, there was simply no way for her to release such a shocking and terrifying force comparable to that white pillar of light just now.
Man Qingqiu took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the earth-shaking shock surging inside her. Slowly, she cast her gaze forward.
There stood Lu Xuan. At his side, there was also a violet flame barrier burning fiercely.
“Commander Lu, I am deeply grateful for your assistance this time and for all the trouble you have gone through. I will certainly report everything I have just witnessed to Her Majesty in full, without omission.”
As she spoke, Man Qingqiu gave a slight bow, and with a steady expression, she continued.
“I traveled all this way precisely under Her Majesty’s orders to welcome Princess Xingyue back to the palace.”
Welcome Princess Xingyue back to the palace?
When Lu Xuan heard this, a strange expression that was hard to detect flashed across his face.
Then, Lu Xuan thought to himself.
Princess Xingyue’s heart had been shattered by Wen Fengyuan’s primordial spirit power.
Although Lu Xuan had immediately eradicated the remnants of Wen Fengyuan’s primordial spirit power, when it came to Princess Xingyue’s heart, there was nothing more he could do.
The person was already gone, so how could there be any talk of welcoming her back to the palace?
After that, Lu Xuan let out a soft sigh and put on a look of regret and guilt. He clasped his hands toward Man Qingqiu and said,
“Ah, Commander Mei, this time it was my negligence. I failed to protect Princess Xingyue, and she lost her life because of it.”
“As for merit or anything of the sort, I feel unworthy of it. I have failed Her Majesty’s trust.”
However, when Man Qingqiu heard the news of Princess Xingyue’s death, there was not the slightest emotional fluctuation on her face.
This discovery instead filled Lu Xuan with doubt and struck him as extremely strange.
Suddenly, a flash of insight streaked through Lu Xuan’s mind like lightning, making him abruptly recall something.
Last time, that member of the Wu family had been crushed by his force of heaven and earth, reduced to a pulp of blood on the spot.
Yet who could have imagined that in less than a few hours, that fellow would come back from the dead and be lively and full of energy again?
Just like that, an ant of an Outer Aura Grandmaster had escaped right under Lu Xuan’s nose.
If the Great Xia royal family had been able to firmly suppress the eight great families for nearly two thousand years, then it was certainly no accident.
Therefore, the Great Xia royal family must possess power even greater than that of the eight great families.
As a member of the Great Xia royal family, Princess Xingyue very likely had the same kind of inconceivable recovery ability as that Wu family member.
Her shattered heart might perhaps recover, her crippled limbs could regain their vitality, and even her damaged meridians and inner channels might heal completely.
Lu Xuan was silently speculating in his heart like this, while across from him, Man Qingqiu seemed to see right through his thoughts at once.
The corner of her mouth curved upward slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. She said softly, “Commander Lu, there is no need for you to worry about this matter.”
“Princess Xingyue’s situation will be handled by our Plum Blossom Guard.”
After hearing Man Qingqiu’s words, Lu Xuan was secretly delighted.
Having someone willingly take over this hot potato was exactly what he wanted.
Lu Xuan let out a long breath, and with a sense of relief in his voice, he answered crisply and decisively, “Fine!”
So without the slightest hesitation, Lu Xuan raised his right hand lightly and waved it forward casually.
In an instant, the layer of violet flame that had been tightly enveloping Princess Xingyue vanished without a trace.
Then, Princess Xingyue’s body floated gently toward Man Qingqiu at a steady and slow pace, as if being tenderly lifted by a mysterious giant hand from the void.
When Princess Xingyue’s body slowly drifted down in front of Man Qingqiu,
Man Qingqiu’s clear, autumn-water-like beautiful eyes actually had faint strands of red light surging and flickering within them, carrying a hint of eerie enchantment.
Next, Man Qingqiu slightly raised her hands, which were as fair as white jade.
At the fingertips of those jade-like hands lingered a layer of faint, dreamlike red mist.
Like soft plum blossom petals, it carried an extremely astonishing aura as it slowly infused into Princess Xingyue’s body.
Under the nourishment of that mysterious crimson mist, Princess Xingyue’s originally bloodless face, which had been covered in frost,
suddenly showed a faint rosy glow, making her look as if she had been granted new vitality and energy.
After doing all this, Man Qingqiu’s movements were elegant and composed, as if she had merely waved her hand casually before lifting Princess Xingyue’s body.
Her control over her power was just right. She neither harmed Princess Xingyue nor caused any fluctuation.
At that moment, the air behind Man Qingqiu erupted with a violent sound as several figures tore through the sky and appeared one after another.
They were the elite members of the Plum Blossom Guard. The Plum Blossom Guard members had appeared silently, clearly having been hidden nearby all along.
These women, dressed in outfits embroidered with plum blossom patterns, had sharp eyes and agile bodies. They steadily caught Princess Xingyue’s body.
Then they stood in orderly formation, waiting for orders. In each of their eyes was deep reverence and obedience toward Man Qingqiu.
Afterward, Man Qingqiu smiled slightly and said to Lu Xuan, “Commander Lu, time is of the essence, so I shall not disturb you any further.”
“We of the Plum Blossom Guard still need to return to the palace and report back to Her Majesty.”
To this, Lu Xuan merely nodded slightly and said in a calm tone, “Commander Mei, do as you please.”
Lu Xuan watched as Man Qingqiu and the Plum Blossom Guard gradually disappeared into the distance, a trace of deeper meaning flashing through his eyes.
Then, Lu Xuan could not help but shift his gaze back to the shocking and horrifying giant crater before him.
In an instant, a look of extreme heartache appeared on his face.
The moment he thought about how that old man Wen Fengyuan had, on the verge of death, unhesitatingly detonated an incomparably precious seven-mark lunar artifact,
Lu Xuan’s heart felt as though someone had grabbed it and squeezed hard.
One had to understand how incredibly rare and precious a seven-mark lunar artifact was. For it to be destroyed just like that—how could Lu Xuan not feel agonized?
That was a massive amount of system points!
Also, the Mysterious Heaven Hairpin that he had previously found on that thing in Haoran Prefecture’s capital, Lu Xuan had also put it back on Princess Xingyue’s body.
Although the Mysterious Heaven Hairpin was a seven-mark lunar artifact, the heavenly and earthly origin power contained within it had long been completely exhausted. It was probably not even comparable to a Chen-grade ritual artifact anymore.
So Lu Xuan simply decided to be a good person and returned the Mysterious Heaven Hairpin to Princess Xingyue.
Just as Lu Xuan was feeling as though his heart was being cut by a knife, a flash of insight suddenly streaked through his mind, as if he had grasped onto something crucial.
His gaze abruptly sharpened.
Wait!
Lu Xuan realized that the Wen family, as the number one great family of the Eastern Region, had a profound foundation. It was impossible for them to have only one ritual artifact.
Even though the seven-mark lunar artifact Haoran Ruler had been detonated, the Wen family’s other ritual artifacts might still be buried underground.
Lu Xuan’s eyes burned with intensity as his thoughts raced rapidly.
Ritual artifacts were treasures made of extraordinarily hard and naturally formed materials. Ordinary external force simply could not damage them.
Only by entering the interior of a ritual artifact with one’s divine sense and primordial spirit could one detonate the powerful heavenly and earthly origin force within it.
With that thought, Lu Xuan became certain in his heart—there were still ritual artifacts beneath the Wen family estate.
Lu Xuan’s mind stirred, and the vast primordial spirit power within his Divine Palace surged forth like raging waves in an instant.
A deep purple gleam flashed through his eyes as he directed this powerful primordial spirit force without reservation into every corner of the Wen family estate.
In an instant, Lu Xuan’s divine sense and primordial spirit fully manipulated the power of heaven and earth, forming it into an invisible yet resilient giant net.
With an all-pervasive momentum, it enveloped the entire Wen family estate.
Every inch of air, every brick and stone, seemed to be within the perception of Lu Xuan’s divine sense, with nowhere to hide.
“Boom!”
A deafening roar suddenly exploded.
The sound was as if a giant who stood between heaven and earth had, with a world-destroying momentum, violently flipped the ground over.
The earth trembled fiercely once more, and cracks spread out in all directions.
Time passed slowly, but Lu Xuan seemed tireless as he continued to release his primordial spirit power without end.
An endless stream of primordial spirit power lifted the ground of the Wen family estate inch by inch, not letting any possible trace of a ritual artifact escape.
Lu Xuan was fully focused on scanning his surroundings with his primordial spirit power, and everything around him was within his perception.
Suddenly, he seemed to catch onto something unusual, and his body abruptly froze.
Then, at an extremely fast speed, Lu Xuan suddenly turned his head, his eyes precisely locking onto an inconspicuous corner on the ground.
In that dirt- and wood-covered corner lay a small bronze round bead, completely still.
The surface of the bronze bead was engraved with ancient and mysterious patterns. Under the dim light, it faintly emitted a layer of subtle, profound radiance.
“This bead?”
Lu Xuan murmured softly, and his face lit up with joy. Without any hesitation, he quickly extended his right hand and grasped at the empty air with his palm.
The bronze bead, which had been lying quietly in the corner, shot toward Lu Xuan like an arrow released from a bow.
