Lu Xuan’s gaze slowly settled on the jet-black bronze hairpin resting in his palm, and his face immediately revealed a trace of barely concealed astonishment.
At first glance, this jet-black bronze hairpin looked utterly decayed, teetering on the very brink of collapse—as if the slightest touch would reduce it to dust.
And yet, strangely enough, this jet-black bronze hairpin still exuded a faint, archaic, and profound aura, making it seem extraordinarily out of the ordinary.
Upon closer inspection, Lu Xuan realized that this jet-black bronze hairpin was none other than the sacrificial artifact once used by Princess Xingyue.
The Seven-Mark Lunar Artifact—the Xuantian Hairpin!
Even in its current state of ruin, the Xuantian Hairpin—being a Seven-Mark Lunar Artifact—still could not fully conceal its naturally profound and esoteric aura.
However, at this moment, Lu Xuan felt somewhat puzzled. He distinctly remembered that this Xuantian Hairpin had ultimately fallen into the hands of the Wen Family.
And yet, here it was, having strangely passed from Wen Fengyuan’s grasp into the possession of this Calamity-Level Aberrant Being.
It seemed that Wen Fengyuan, the progenitor of the Wen Family, must have engaged in a fierce battle with this Calamity-Level Aberrant Being.
Otherwise, this incredibly precious Seven-Mark Lunar Artifact—the Xuantian Hairpin—would never have been reduced to such a dilapidated state.
As a sacrificial artifact, its decline to such an appalling condition was something Lu Xuan understood all too well.
The power of a sacrificial artifact stemmed from the primal essence of heaven and earth contained within it.
And now, this Xuantian Hairpin had clearly exhausted nearly all of its primal essence, degrading it to the level of ordinary mortal objects.
Could it be that Princess Xingyue was dead?
This thought struck Lu Xuan’s mind like a thunderbolt.
Almost in the very next instant, Lu Xuan’s divine sense stirred sharply.
A strand of primordial soul energy, brimming with immense power, surged forth from Lu Xuan’s Spirit Mansion and, in the blink of an eye, plunged into the Xuantian Hairpin.
Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Spirit Mansion True Person (Great Perfection)
Cultivation Methods: Blazing Heaven Saber Technique 5/9 (Evolvable), Near and Far 2/9 (Evolvable), Immortal Indestructibility 4/9 (Evolvable)
Points: 207,660
Please confirm whether the host will consume 50,000 system points to evolve Immortal Indestructibility!
Please confirm whether the host will consume 100,000 system points to evolve Near and Far!
Please confirm whether the host will consume 170,000 system points to evolve the Blazing Heaven Saber Technique.
Detected primal essence of heaven and earth in a sealed state—unable to extract!
When Lu Xuan saw this last line, his pupils contracted slightly, and he murmured softly to himself.
“Not dead!”
Princess Xingyue was actually still alive!
It seemed that Princess Xingyue was likely still in the hands of the Wen Family, though her circumstances were probably far from optimistic.
After all, Lu Xuan had seen with his own eyes how that unfamiliar man had broken all four of Princess Xingyue’s limbs.
So even if Princess Xingyue was still breathing, she was probably barely hanging on by a thread.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that moment, a series of hurried yet orderly footsteps rapidly approached from both within and outside the city, accompanied by the sharp sound of wind being cleaved through the air.
In just a few breaths, atop the ruins of the collapsed city gate—now nothing but rubble and debris—dense clusters of figures emerged.
These figures all emanated a sharp, decisive, and austere aura of slaughter.
Standing at the forefront of these people was none other than Mu Yun, who had left not long ago.
After sensing that the eerie yin mist and white fog over Haoran Mansion’s capital city had dissipated, Mu Yun had led a contingent of Xuan Bird Guards and rushed back toward Lu Xuan’s location with increased speed.
Mu Yun raised his eyes and quickly swept his gaze across the scene around the capital city.
All he could see was scorched blackness—the human structures of the past had vanished entirely.
Even the very ground beneath his feet seemed to have just endured some apocalyptic catastrophe.
Gazing at the pitch-black, scorched earth below, Mu Yun’s eyes instantly filled with overwhelming horror, as if he had witnessed something utterly inconceivable.
Earlier, when Mu Yun had glimpsed this scene from afar while flying through the air, his heart had already been churning with shockwaves.
But now, as he actually set foot upon this charred land, the residual searing heat that clung to the ground pierced his skin like needles.
Mu Yun stood frozen in place, a chill shooting straight from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Only then did he truly comprehend the sheer terror of this power.
“Too strong!” Mu Yun muttered to himself, his voice filled with alarm and awe.
Just what level had Commander Lu’s strength reached?
Mu Yun couldn’t help but silently ask himself.
He had witnessed the methods of Primordial Soul True Persons with his own eyes, yet compared to the scene Lu Xuan had wrought before him, they were no more than fireflies trying to compete with the radiance of the moon.
This single strike from Commander Lu—its power was simply terrifying beyond measure.
Most of what Mu Yun could see—scorched earth stretching for dozens of li in every direction—everything had been reduced to ash.
Could a human martial artist truly forge such a fearsome masterpiece that reshaped heaven and earth and incinerated all in its path?
Mu Yun sighed inwardly, and as he beheld the devastation before him, the doubt and reverence in his heart grew ever stronger.
After today, Lu Xuan’s stature in Mu Yun’s heart had shot up dramatically.
That stature could now rival that of Deputy Commander Zhang Daofeng and Commander Zi Yao themselves.
Mu Yun took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock churning within him.
The next moment, he dared not delay any further. His figure flickered as he dashed toward Lu Xuan’s direction.
Mu Yun quickly arrived at Lu Xuan’s side, then clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow—every movement exuding a reverence for the strong.
Standing straight, his expression utterly serious, Mu Yun slowly spoke.
“Commander Lu, I have already relayed everything from that scene just now to the Commander-in-Chief.”
After speaking, Mu Yun paused, then shifted the topic. He circulated the Gang-Yuan within his body and, using voice transmission, delivered every word with pinpoint precision into Lu Xuan’s ear: “His Majesty has decreed that Commander Lu must spare no effort in investigating the whereabouts of Princess Xingyue.”
Then, a cold glint flashed in Mu Yun’s eyes. “As for the Wen Family…” His tone turned icy, brimming with a dense, murderous intent.
“Kill them all—no mercy!”
These three words, each enunciated with deliberate slowness, carried an overwhelming aura of slaughter and reached Lu Xuan’s ears in their entirety.
“His Majesty, you say?”
Lu Xuan’s heart tightened, and he murmured to himself.
This matter had actually alarmed that Empress?
Lu Xuan slowly lowered his gaze, his thick eyelashes casting a shadow over his cheeks.
Then again, Princess Xingyue’s status was indeed exceedingly noble—she was the Empress’s own younger sister.
Within this vast Great Xia Dynasty, her position carried enormous weight.
Now that such a calamity had befallen her, one could only imagine the towering rage that must have ignited within that Empress upon learning of this.
That thunderous fury was probably enough to make the entire Great Xia Dynasty tremble.
At this moment, Lu Xuan slowly clasped his hands behind his back, his expression calm as still water. A faint breeze stirred the hem of his robe, producing a soft rustling sound.
Meanwhile, the strands of hair that Lu Xuan had neatly tied behind his head rose and fell gently in the wind.
Seeing Lu Xuan lost in thought, Mu Yun knew better than to disturb him. He composed himself and waited quietly by the side.
After all, the Commander-in-Chief’s orders were clear—all Xuan Bird Guards in the Eastern Domain, including himself, were to obey Lu Xuan’s commands without question, and no one was to defy this.
Since it was the decree of that Empress, Lu Xuan naturally had no reason to refuse.
“Commander Mu.”
Lu Xuan tilted his head slightly, his gaze calm as he looked at Mu Yun. “This so-called Wen Family—do you know anything about them?”
Upon hearing Lu Xuan’s question, Mu Yun answered almost without hesitation, as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube, hastily spilling out all the information he had on the Wen Family.
After all, Mu Yun had arrived in the Eastern Domain even before Lu Xuan, and he had already thoroughly investigated the Wen Family down to the very roots.
As the most prominent aristocratic clan in the Eastern Domain, the Wen Family was hardly difficult for the Xuan Bird Guards to dig up information on.
Mu Yun’s expression looked exceptionally grave, his voice steady and forceful.
“Commander Lu.”
“This Wen Family’s progenitor, Wen Fengyuan, is no ordinary man.”
“He was personally enfeoffed and bestowed the title of Duke Rongguo by the late Emperor, a status of utmost reverence.”
“Even more crucially, this Wen Fengyuan is also a martial artist at the Great Perfection realm of the Spirit Mansion stage—his strength is unfathomably deep.”
While introducing the strength of the Wen Family’s progenitor, Mu Yun subtly shifted his gaze sideways and secretly studied Lu Xuan’s face, trying to catch even the faintest flicker of a reaction.
After all, that old monster Wen Fengyuan had already been at the Spirit Mansion Great Perfection realm decades ago, when the late Emperor still reigned.
The power of a Primordial Soul True Person was a terrifying existence capable of suppressing an entire region within this Great Xia Dynasty.
A Primordial Soul True Person could summon a Primordial Soul projection with a mere wave of the hand.
Even the ability to command the wind and rain and shift the clouds and skies was but a single thought away for a Primordial Soul True Person.
Of course, a Primordial Soul True Person still could not achieve the astonishing effect that Lu Xuan had just wrought.
And considering the passage of so many years, Wen Fengyuan’s martial realm was bound to have changed.
Whether that change was for better or for worse, however, Mu Yun naturally had no way of knowing.
No reaction?
Mu Yun couldn’t help but feel surprised, his eyes locked onto Lu Xuan’s face as if nailed there, staring intently.
At this moment, Lu Xuan’s expression was calm as a placid lake—not a single ripple of emotion.
This composed, unruffled demeanor was like a reassuring pill, involuntarily easing the heavy dread that Mu Yun had been harboring toward Wen Fengyuan.
Lu Xuan’s calmness, in Mu Yun’s eyes, was undoubtedly a clear indication that the old undying monster Wen Fengyuan was not even enough to warrant Lu Xuan’s serious attention.
With that thought, Mu Yun’s previously taut nerves relaxed just a little.
After finishing with Wen Fengyuan, Mu Yun’s speaking pace quickened.
Because, within the entire Wen Family, Wen Fengyuan was the only one who made Mu Yun feel despair.
The rest of the Wen Family members were nothing more than paper tigers in front of Mu Yun, a martial artist at the half-step Spirit Mansion realm.
This was also one of the reasons Wen Fengyuan feared death—the vast Wen Family was held together solely by his own struggling efforts.
“Aside from this Wen Fengyuan, there’s also the Wen Family’s patriarch, Wen Lingyun!”
“Wen Lingyun is a martial artist at the perfect completion of the Outer Gang Grandmaster level.”
Mu Yun continued his methodical report. “And there are also several clan elders in the Wen Family who are Outer Gang Grandmasters as well…”
At this point, Mu Yun’s voice abruptly stopped, and he did not continue.
After all, anyone below the Outer Gang Grandmaster level posed absolutely no threat to Mu Yun or Lu Xuan in the coming battles—mentioning them would only be a waste of breath.
Lu Xuan listened quietly to Mu Yun’s account, then fell into brief contemplation.
Within the Wen Family, there was only Wen Fengyuan as a single Spirit Mansion realm martial artist?
If that was the case, then dealing with the Wen Family would be much simpler.
As of now, Lu Xuan didn’t pay much heed to martial artists at the Spirit Mansion Great Perfection realm.
Although Lu Xuan himself was also at the Spirit Mansion Great Perfection realm, his actual combat strength far exceeded his cultivation level.
By Lu Xuan’s own estimation, his strength should be practically invincible within the Spirit Mansion realm.
Unless a half-step Void Penetration True Lord or a Void Penetration True Lord descended in person, no one within the entire Great Xia Dynasty could pose a threat to Lu Xuan.
“Commander Mu, take some Xuan Bird Guards and accompany me to Mingxin Mansion!”
“Yes, sir!”
Mu Yun responded without the slightest hesitation.
After accepting the order, he immediately turned around, and his gaze swiftly fell upon two elderly men clad in red Xuan Bird uniforms.
Mu Yun immediately issued his orders with a stern expression: “Earth Envoys Yunhe and Qingsong, the two of you will lead five hundred Xuan Bird Guards and remain here.”
“See to it that the affairs of Haoran Mansion are handled properly—no mistakes!”
Although all the people of Haoran Mansion’s capital city had met with misfortune, Mu Yun still clung to a sliver of hope.
Even if he had to tear the entire capital city apart, he wanted to set his own mind at ease.
Moreover, the surrounding towns and cities of Haoran Mansion would also need some Xuan Bird Guards dispatched to maintain order.
Without the restraint of the prefectural government, some reckless scoundrels seeking to exploit the chaos, along with bandits and thieves, would surely take the opportunity to run amok and terrorize the common folk.
Upon hearing Mu Yun’s commands, Earth Envoys Yunhe and Qingsong showed not a trace of hesitation or delay. Their expressions grew even more solemn as they replied in unison: “Yes, Deputy Commander!”
They then turned around without delay, moving with swift efficiency as they directed the five hundred Xuan Bird Guards to fan out and hasten toward every corner of the capital city.
Mingxin Mansion Capital!
In one of the most bustling and prosperous districts of the city, rows upon rows of splendid buildings rose one after another.
Among them, a ten-story towering pagoda was particularly eye-catching, its exterior adorned with ornate carvings and lavish decorations, exuding an air of extravagant opulence.
From the pagoda’s windows, the figures of scantily clad beauties occasionally appeared—their graceful forms and alluring glances captivating to behold.
And surrounding these women were always numerous young gentlemen, who carried themselves with an air of refined elegance. Their robes fluttered in the breeze as they held folding fans, chatting and laughing as though they were erudite scholars brimming with literary flair.
This was the most famous establishment of pleasure and indulgence in Mingxin Mansion’s capital—the Floating Life Drunken Dream Pavilion!
And yet, this very day, the Floating Life Drunken Dream Pavilion had welcomed an exceptionally unique guest.
The eldest legitimate son of the Wen Family—the Imperial Consort’s husband, Wen Mochen!
In order to escape his now-insane father, Wen Mochen had made a snap decision. Taking a retinue of servants with him, he had fled the Wen Family in a desperate, headlong panic.
After running nonstop, Wen Mochen finally took refuge in this Floating Life Drunken Dream Pavilion, where he indulged freely in the comforts of the flesh, carousing without a care in the world—as if nothing beyond these walls had anything to do with him.
