This…
Lu Xuan was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected the Empress to put him in charge of the martial arts tournament.
The tournament determined who got to enter the Spirit Ruins—only the top one hundred qualifiers would be granted access.
However, after the Spirit Ruins manifested in the world, they would remain accessible for only a single year before vanishing once more into the unknown void.
Therefore, each person’s time inside the Spirit Ruins was limited.
The top one hundred competitors would enter in five separate batches.
The top three would be the very first to enter the Spirit Ruins and seek out the celestial treasures hidden within.
Of course, accompanying them would be members of the Great Xia royal family, core figures from the eight great clans, and true disciples of the five transcendent powers.
Within Great Xia’s imperial domain, there were eight great clans: the Wu, Li, Mo, Shangguan, Luo, Tang, Jiang, and Guyue clans!
These were divided into the Upper Three Clans—the Tang, Jiang, and Guyue!
The remaining families made up the Lower Five Clans.
And as for the five transcendent powers—
They were the Daoxu Temple, the Jingxin Monastery, the Jianling Sect, the Xuanyin Celestial Palace, and the Jiyan Sacred Gate.
The first batch to enter the Spirit Ruins would occupy the lion’s share of the year—a full ten months.
The remaining time would be divided among the later batches. The second batch—comprising those ranked fourth through tenth in the tournament—would enter next, along with select elites from the eight great clans and inner disciples of the five powers. They would have one month.
The third batch—those ranked eleventh through twentieth—would enter for fifteen days.
The fourth batch—ranks twenty-first through fiftieth—would enter for ten days.
And the fifth and final batch—ranks fifty-first through one hundredth—would enter for a mere five days.
At first glance, this allocation of time seemed outrageously unfair.
But at least these participants still had the right to enter the Spirit Ruins and scrounge whatever leftovers they could.
In fact, a hundred years ago, the Great Xia royal family had been even more extreme.
Back then, only members of the royal clan, the eight great families, and the five transcendent powers were permitted to enter the Spirit Ruins.
As for everyone else in the mortal world—they weren’t even allowed to know about it, let alone set foot inside.
It was only a hundred years ago that Emperor Tianqi, Xia Ritian—the father of the current Empress—broke with tradition. He gave exceptional martial artists from the secular world a chance to enter the Spirit Ruins and seek out the hidden treasures of heaven and earth.
Though the opportunity was scarce, miracles could still happen.
In this extraordinary world where martial might reigned supreme above all else, there was no room for jokes.
You talk about fairness?
That was pure delusion—don’t even think about it. You’d be lucky if they didn’t sacrifice you to fuel their Ten-Thousand-Soul Banner.
Lu Xuan could guarantee that Emperor Tianqi’s decision must have met with unimaginable resistance.
When fundamental interests were at stake, it wasn’t just the eight great clans and five transcendent powers that opposed him.
Even members of his own royal family would have stepped in to block him.
At the very least, Lu Xuan genuinely admired Emperor Tianqi for having the backbone to push that decision through.
“What’s the matter, my dear minister Lu? Do you have some reservations?”
Empress Xia Mingyue turned around, and in that motion, it was as if wind and clouds surged. Her jet-black hair, like rolling ink, whipped wildly about her—like mysterious tidal waves crashing in the dead of night.
Her enchanting eyes seemed to have been infused with boundless divine light by the gods themselves—sacred, breathtakingly beautiful, yet clear and piercing with an innate majesty.
Her gaze locked squarely onto Lu Xuan, and the pressure in her eyes poured forth like a tangible river of stars.
If you looked closely, deep within the Empress’s pupils, a shadowy black mystic bird would occasionally appear, spinning endlessly in a cycle.
That black bird was wreathed in strange and mysterious energy, as if concealing endless secrets and power. Interwoven with the Empress’s gaze, it only added to her awe-inspiring presence.
Even Lu Xuan, a man of vast experience, was utterly captivated by Empress Xia Mingyue’s stunning beauty.
He sighed inwardly—how could the world hold such a peerlessly enchanting visage?
Even Li Yuran from back in Qingyun County paled slightly in comparison to Empress Xia Mingyue.
Lu Xuan was frozen for only a brief moment, countless thoughts racing through his mind like images on a revolving lantern.
In the blink of an eye, he snapped back to his senses, quickly composing his expression. He cupped his hands, bowed his head, and spoke swiftly yet respectfully.
“Your servant would never dare. Since it is Your Majesty’s will, I will naturally give it my all.”
Having received so many favors from Empress Xia Mingyue, Lu Xuan chose to accept the task.
That task being to oversee the martial arts tournament six months from now.
Seeing that Lu Xuan had accepted, Empress Xia Mingyue’s lips curled upward slightly in his presence.
A glint of satisfaction shone in her eyes, and her voice softened, yet retained its regal weight: “Excellent, my dear minister Lu. With you presiding over the tournament, I can rest easy.”
She gave a slight nod, her gaze carrying a hint of admiration as she slowly looked him over and continued.
“In all these years, you are the first martial prodigy of your caliber I have ever encountered.”
“Within the Great Xia Empire, finding another unparalleled genius like you would be harder than scaling the heavens.”
“The only one who could match you, Minister Lu, would be the founding ancestor of our dynasty.”
As she spoke, Empress Xia Mingyue moved with light, graceful steps, closing the distance until she stood nearly face-to-face with Lu Xuan.
She was tall and elegant, only slightly shorter than him.
At this proximity, they were so close that each could clearly hear the other’s breath.
Lu Xuan could distinctly sense the Empress’s alluring softness lightly brushing against his chest—like a feather’s caress, sending a tremor through his heart.
Gazing at Lu Xuan, who was now inches away, a flicker of something unusual darted through the Empress’s beautiful eyes.
Almost unconsciously, she raised her right hand—her wrist pale as frost and snow, her fingertips shimmering with a faint, ethereal dark light.
She gently tilted Lu Xuan’s chin upward, the motion appearing delicate yet carrying an undeniable force that he could not resist.
Lu Xuan had never expected such a move from Empress Xia Mingyue. He had thought this would be a routine audience between sovereign and subject.
But this sudden turn of events struck him like a thunderbolt, exploding in his mind.
Far from feeling any pleasant surprise, Lu Xuan was filled with alarm. His heart pounded uncontrollably.
In that instant, for the first time, terror flickered across his eyes, which went wide.
His body tensed involuntarily, and strands of profound golden light rapidly radiated from his flesh.
This was the power of his Indestructible Martial Art—manifesting instinctively at this critical moment.
That meant his physical senses had detected unprecedented danger.
Lu Xuan’s eyes suddenly blazed with dazzling purple light, and his form shifted with ghostly speed.
In the span of a single breath, he had already flashed to a spot ten paces away from Empress Xia Mingyue.
So fast was his movement that it was almost instantaneous, leaving only a faint afterimage slowly fading in place.
Empress Xia Mingyue’s jade-white hand remained suspended in midair, still holding the posture of where his afterimage had been.
She lightly shifted her gaze, and the ease in her eyes was instantly replaced by surprise.
A faint pause appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face.
She clearly hadn’t anticipated that Lu Xuan would possess such an extraordinary movement technique.
For a moment, she was caught off guard by this mystical martial art.
What a formidable movement technique!
If she wasn’t mistaken, the moment Lu Xuan executed that move, there had been a trace of law-force woven into it.
The law of spatial power!!!!!
This Lu Xuan—how could he, at barely twenty years of age, have cultivated a movement art to such a profound level?
To actually manifest a sliver of spatial law-force!
Hiss!
Terrifying!
Utterly terrifying!
In that case, her original plans would have to be adjusted on the fly.
Because Xia Mingyue herself hadn’t realized that not only was Lu Xuan unrivaled in martial talent—
He also possessed an almost heaven-defying comprehension, enabling him to push his techniques to such an extraordinary realm.
While Empress Xia Mingyue was astonished by Lu Xuan’s movement art, he, in turn, was deeply shaken by her terrifying strength.
This woman truly lived up to her title as the sovereign of Great Xia.
The moment the Empress touched him, Lu Xuan had sensed a long-forgotten aura of death.
It was that primal instinct of facing real mortality—a wound that even his Indestructible Martial Art couldn’t heal.
A force capable of nullifying his regenerative abilities and erasing him entirely—
Only a martial artist at that level could wield such power.
The Cave Void realm!
The power of a Cave Void Sovereign’s domain law!
This was a terrifying force that could easily shatter the heaven-earth power of the Divine Mansion realm and obliterate one’s divine sense and primordial spirit with a casual flick.
Could it be that the Empress before him was an existence from myth and legend?
A Cave Void Sovereign?
At the thought, Lu Xuan immediately channeled his divine sense throughout his entire body.
He was ready to activate “Near at Hand, Far Beyond Reach” at any moment and flee a thousand leagues away.
He took a deep breath, quickly calming the storm within.
Then, leaning slightly forward with composed elegance, he performed a formal bow, his face unchanging as he spoke steadily.
“Your Majesty, this servant lost his composure just now. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
Seeing this, Empress Xia Mingyue slowly withdrew her right hand. Her gaze returned to Lu Xuan, now tinged with an enigmatic depth.
A faint, ambiguous smile curled at the corner of her lips as she parted them lightly: “No matter, Minister Lu, do not take it to heart. My action just now was merely out of appreciation for talent.”
“Since you have accepted the matter of the martial tournament, I shall bestow another gift upon you.”
Without another word, Empress Xia Mingyue waved her slender hand, and a brilliant black radiance burst forth.
Like a shooting star chasing the moon, it tore through the air and shot straight toward Lu Xuan’s face.
In an instant, a tiny, pitch-black, cube-shaped object hovered steadily before him.
This black cube was no larger than the palm of a hand, yet it was wreathed in threads of dark, swirling energy.
A faint, shifting luster played across its surface, as if it were a bottomless black hole capable of devouring all things.
“This is a Cave-void spirit treasure called the ‘Void Floating Realm.’ Within it lies a severed pocket of space that can draw external objects inside.”
“Minister Lu, there’s no need for me to explain further—I’m sure you understand.”
“Six months from now, do not disappoint me.”
With that, Empress Xia Mingyue’s face instantly regained its sacred, dignified aura. Her expression turned cold as ice.
Her tone was absolute, leaving no room for doubt, as she spoke each word deliberately.
“You may withdraw.”
This time, Lu Xuan was cautious. He first used his divine sense to probe the Void Floating Realm’s surroundings. Finding no aura of danger, he wasted no time and reached out without any pretense.
At this moment, his heart raced with excitement.
The thrill was even greater than when he had received the Black Spirit Wood earlier.
From the Empress’s brief description alone, Lu Xuan could already confirm his speculation.
The Void Floating Realm—wasn’t this exactly one of the things he knew best from his past life?
A spatial artifact that everyone carried!
A storage ring!
This was the ultimate tool for committing arson, robbery, and treasure-snatching!
What Lu Xuan hadn’t expected was that he would one day obtain such a treasure himself.
After quickly gripping the Void Floating Realm in his hand, he bowed once more and spoke.
“Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace!”
His voice carried genuine gratitude, with no reservations.
So this is what it feels like to be kept by a sugar mommy?
Lu Xuan was deeply awed by Empress Xia Mingyue’s sheer generosity.
He had fought tooth and nail in Anzhou for so long, and yet the rewards he’d earned couldn’t compare to the Empress’s casual bestowal.
But gratitude aside, Lu Xuan’s speed in leaving the hall was lightning-fast.
In the blink of an eye, his figure had vanished from the Empress’s sight.
Lu Xuan was afraid!
This Empress was the first person since his emergence whose strength he couldn’t see through at all.
After leaving the palace, he reflected inwardly.
Today’s visit to the imperial palace was the most dangerous act of his entire life—bar none.
He swore to himself that he would never repeat such reckless behavior.
Without sufficient power to protect himself, he decided he would no longer enter the palace to face this unfathomable Empress.
At the same time, the moment Lu Xuan left the hall—
Beside Empress Xia Mingyue, ripples began to spread through the empty air.
Space twisted, and a violet silhouette gracefully emerged from the void.
As the silhouette solidified, a woman stepped forth—her flowing purple robes billowing in the breeze, swaying like a dream.
Her figure was elegant, every line seemingly carved with precision, exuding an air of mystery and aloofness.
“Zi Yao,” said the Empress, “this Lu Xuan is rather intriguing. What do you think?”
