Was this woman before him none other than Xia Mingyue—the Female Emperor who ruled over the billions of miles of Great Xia’s vast territories and held dominion over all living beings beneath heaven?
Even when facing the woman who sat atop the pinnacle of power in the Great Xia Dynasty, Lu Xuan showed not a trace of fear in his gaze.
He stood below, meeting her eyes directly—or to be more precise, looking at Xia Mingyue, who was lounging lazily against the jet-black imperial throne.
After a moment, Lu Xuan slowly raised his hands, inclined his body slightly forward, and bowed in salute. His voice was steady and composed, neither servile nor arrogant, as he spoke.
“Your humble servant Lu Xuan, Deputy Commander of the Black Bird Guard, pays his respects to Your Majesty!”
On the way here, Man Qingqiu had already mentioned a few things to Lu Xuan about the proper etiquette when meeting His Majesty.
Within the Great Xia Dynasty, when standing in the imperial presence, cultivators at the Divine Mansion realm needed only to bow—there was no requirement to kneel in the full kowtow ceremony.
The moment Lu Xuan finished speaking, Xia Mingyue, who had been languidly reclining on the throne, responded immediately. Her thin lips parted, and her voice rang out.
“Minister Lu, there’s no need for such formalities!”
But just as Lu Xuan raised his head to look at the throne once more, his pupils suddenly contracted to pinprick size.
Because just a second ago, the Female Emperor Xia Mingyue had still been reclining gracefully upon the throne.
She had been supporting her snow-white chin with one delicate, soft-looking jade hand, exuding an air of lazy, noble majesty.
Yet in the blink of an eye, Xia Mingyue had dissolved like ethereal smoke—leaving not a single trace behind, as if she had never been on that throne at all.
Witnessing this mind-boggling sight, Lu Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. The hairs on his back stood on end.
This was the first time he had ever witnessed speed that completely overturned his understanding.
After all, from the moment he had stepped into this great hall—
He had quietly locked his divine sense perception onto the Female Emperor Xia Mingyue, never letting his guard down for even an instant.
So every move Xia Mingyue made had been closely monitored by Lu Xuan.
Yet, under such powerful divine sense surveillance, Xia Mingyue had simply vanished right before his very eyes—
Without any warning, without leaving a single trace.
Just as alarm bells began ringing furiously in Lu Xuan’s mind, a gentle yet profoundly authoritative voice spoke.
“Qingqiu, you may withdraw now.”
The words drifted softly through the empty hall—it was unmistakably Xia Mingyue’s voice.
Upon careful discernment, Lu Xuan could tell that the voice was coming from Man Qingqiu’s direction.
His expression remained unchanged, but the corner of his eye casually—and seemingly unintentionally—glanced toward where Man Qingqiu stood.
There stood Xia Mingyue’s figure, right in front of Man Qingqiu.
Behind her, the long train of her jet-black tasseled gown trailed across the mirror-smooth golden-jade tiles.
At the front of that flowing train, Xia Mingyue wore no shoes—her bare jade feet were fully exposed to Lu Xuan’s view.
Her skin was like freshly fallen snow—pure and flawless, without a single speck of dust upon it.
Like a piece of naturally formed, flawless white jade, she radiated an ultimate sense of ethereal elegance and nobility.
The moment Xia Mingyue’s words faded, Man Qingqiu quickly bowed slightly, her expression filled with utmost reverence, and replied softly.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your humble servant takes leave.”
Then, as Man Qingqiu turned to depart—
Her beautiful eyes, as they swept across, landed squarely on Lu Xuan, and a trace of thoughtful meaning flickered within her gaze.
This Lu Xuan is truly interesting. It seems His Majesty holds him in very high regard.
At least, in all the years Man Qingqiu had served by the Female Emperor’s side—
She had never seen His Majesty appear before anyone in such a casual, languid manner.
Within a few short breaths, Man Qingqiu withdrew silently from the great hall, her heart full of doubts.
Instantly, the hall fell into utter silence—so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even the air itself seemed to freeze.
At that moment, Xia Mingyue, not far away, no longer moved with that elusive, ghost-like quality.
Instead, she lifted her bare feet and slowly stepped onto the floor. With each step, it was as if she trod upon invisible lotuses—gracefully drifting toward Lu Xuan.
Yet every step Xia Mingyue took, though seemingly simple and ordinary, contained some mysterious and unfathomable power.
The golden-jade tiles beneath her feet seemed to be separated by an invisible force unseen to the naked eye.
She appeared to be walking on solid ground, yet strolling leisurely through the ethereal void.
The corner of Lu Xuan’s eye remained fixed intently on Xia Mingyue’s feet, his gaze filled with a complex array of emotions.
Of course—don’t misunderstand. At this moment, Lu Xuan had no interest in admiring those exquisitely beautiful jade feet.
What filled his heart was sheer astonishment. What kind of power is this?
The Female Emperor Xia Mingyue before him radiated not the slightest ripple of power from her body—yet she could move freely through the air with such natural ease.
Everything seemed so ordinary, yet carried an indescribable profundity.
It was as though Xia Mingyue had merged with heaven and earth themselves—unbound by its rules, her every movement embodying the very essence of all creation.
At some unknown moment, Xia Mingyue had quietly arrived just a few steps in front of Lu Xuan.
At this distance, Lu Xuan could clearly see the shifting glimmer in Xia Mingyue’s eyes.
A nearly perfect black Mysterious Bird emblem seemed to possess a life of its own—vividly etched upon her pale, smooth forehead.
The black Mysterious Bird was so lifelike, its form constantly suffused with mysterious dark, obscure light.
With every breath, every subtle movement of Xia Mingyue—
The dark light of the Mysterious Bird flickered faintly, giving Lu Xuan the illusion that he was standing face to face with the sovereign of heaven and earth.
As Lu Xuan observed Xia Mingyue, she too was scrutinizing him.
In truth, from the very moment Lu Xuan had set foot in the imperial palace, Xia Mingyue had already seen his appearance clearly.
She was even fully aware of the confrontation he had had with the Inner Attendant Directorate upon entering the palace.
Yet now, with this Lu Xuan standing truly before her—
At a distance of just a few steps—something in Xia Mingyue’s heart, which had lain still and placid for years, quietly stirred with ripples of emotion.
She couldn’t speak for others.
But for herself, Xia Mingyue could guarantee that no one in the palace could hide anything from her perception.
This Lu Xuan’s bone age… is truly around twenty years old.
Twenty years old, and already at the Small Completion stage of the Divine Mansion!
Interesting!
Very interesting!
Such unparalleled martial talent—unseen through the ages—is simply despair-inducing!
Back in her own youth, at the age of twenty—even with the aid of all sorts of heavenly treasures from the imperial treasury—she had barely managed to break through to the Grandmaster realm.
It was only later, after obtaining the supreme ancestral artifact within the royal forbidden grounds—
That her martial cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, shattering one bottleneck after another, soaring ever upward.
Could this Lu Xuan also possess some peerless heavenly treasure—something as miraculous as my royal clan’s ancestral artifact?
Xia Mingyue’s heart churned like surging waves, countless thoughts colliding within her.
Yet her exquisite face remained as calm as a windless lake, revealing not a hint of her true thoughts.
The next moment, Xia Mingyue turned around, her back to Lu Xuan, fully revealing the graceful contours of her figure without reservation.
Her pitch-black, ink-like cascade of hair fell softly behind her, undisturbed by any outside force.
Then, her voice—gentle yet tinged with majesty—drifted once more into Lu Xuan’s ears like a playful breeze.
“Minister Lu, your pacification of the unrest in Mingzhou of the Southern Region was a feat of no small merit. I shall see that you are handsomely rewarded.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan’s expression turned solemn. He shed his usual casualness, every word and action filled with respect.
“Your humble servant dares not accept such praise.”
After all, everyone Lu Xuan had encountered before had been far weaker than himself.
But this utterly enigmatic Female Emperor was, without a doubt, the strongest being he had ever faced since stepping into the world.
When dealing with someone far more powerful than yourself—regardless of their identity—Lu Xuan would always exercise caution, so as not to invite unnecessary trouble.
After Lu Xuan’s words fell, a brief silence settled around them.
Xia Mingyue did not immediately respond.
Instead, she slowly raised her right hand—as white as fine jade—her slender, delicate fingers spreading open.
In that instant, a faint jet-black swirl appeared in the center of her palm, writhing like a nimble little serpent.
That jet-black swirl seemed to be a mysterious passage connecting to some unknown void—strange and profound, putting Lu Xuan on guard once more.
Barely a breath later, astonishment flashed in Lu Xuan’s eyes.
From the void above that swirling black current, a box crafted from black crystal descended slowly, hovering precisely over Xia Mingyue’s open palm.
The black crystal box was not large—roughly the size of two palms placed together.
Its surface radiated a dense aura of heavenly energy, resonating with the jet-black swirl in a way that spoke of unfathomable profundity.
“Minister Lu, not only did you eliminate the White Lotus Nightmare Flower, but you also slew the heretics of the Pure World White Lotus Sect.”
“This is one of the rewards I bestow upon you.”
Before Lu Xuan could even open his mouth, the black crystal box seemed to be drawn by an invisible force—
Without any external influence, it began to tremble on its own.
Then, it slowly detached itself from Xia Mingyue’s control and drifted gently through the air, coming to a halt before Lu Xuan’s eyes.
Lu Xuan fixed his gaze on the box. Faint wisps of heavenly energy were subtly emanating from its surface.
And within that subtle energy, there was something Lu Xuan recognized all too well.
These were the auras of what he had been longing for all along.
The aura of a top-grade heavenly spiritual object.
Was this black crystal box holding a top-grade heavenly spiritual object?
No.
This black crystal box was practically identical to the one Li Chengxing had handed over to him back in Baidao Prefecture.
The only difference was that this one was significantly larger.
Lu Xuan remembered clearly—this black crystal box was no ordinary mortal item.
It was a treasure capable of completely masking even the dense spiritual energy of a top-grade heavenly spiritual object.
And yet now, this very box could not fully conceal the aura of what lay within.
Could it be that what’s inside this black crystal box is something beyond a top-grade heavenly spiritual object?
At the thought of this possibility, a flash of burning heat gleamed in Lu Xuan’s eyes.
“Your humble servant is deeply honored—”
“I truly am unworthy of Your Majesty’s gracious bestowal.”
Even as he spoke these words of refusal, Lu Xuan’s right hand had already—almost unconsciously—reached out and, following his heart’s desire, taken hold of that black crystal box.
When it came to his longing for heavenly spiritual objects, Lu Xuan never bothered to hide his true feelings.
Because these spiritual objects were one of the most critical things for rapidly enhancing his strength.
And what lay beyond top-grade spiritual objects was even more vital.
In a place where Lu Xuan could not see, the corner of Xia Mingyue’s mouth twitched slightly, as though affected by his actions.
This Lu Xuan—truly, he is endlessly amusing.
Since ascending the throne, it’s been a long time since I’ve encountered someone who acts with such unguarded honesty before me.
However, what Lu Xuan desired matched perfectly with what her subordinates had reported.
Lu Xuan had an extreme fondness for heavenly spiritual objects—one might even say a greed for them.
And far from being displeased by Lu Xuan’s greed, Xia Mingyue actually felt reassured.
Greed was fine.
As long as his extraordinary martial power could serve her purposes, she could provide him with as many heavenly spiritual objects as he wanted.
“What this contains is a Cave Heaven spiritual object—Black Spirit Wood. It holds pure heavenly energy, along with a trace of Law force.”
Cave Heaven spiritual object?
What is that?
And this Law force—what kind of existence is it?
Lu Xuan’s brow furrowed slightly—he couldn’t quite grasp what the Female Emperor meant.
But that was fine. He had already gotten the answer he truly needed.
It contained a vast amount of pure heavenly energy.
That was precisely what Lu Xuan needed—large quantities of heavenly spiritual objects, which would bring him an enormous number of system points.
“Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for this heavenly grace!”
Having received his reward, Lu Xuan once again clasped his hands in salute, leaned forward, and bowed deeply—his face brimming with undisguised gratitude.
He couldn’t help it. This Female Emperor Xia Mingyue had given him—
Way too much!
So much that even Lu Xuan couldn’t help but feel genuinely thankful.
Without realizing it, deep in his heart, Lu Xuan had quietly affixed a label to the Female Emperor Xia Mingyue.
What a kind soul!
A truly, truly kind soul!
But Xia Mingyue, standing before him, had no idea she had been tagged with such a title.
Her tone shifted as she spoke slowly.
“Minister Lu, do you know why I summoned you here?”
Lu Xuan frowned in surprise, thought for a moment, then shook his head and replied.
“Your humble servant does not know. I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me.”
“Half a year from now—you will preside over the Great Xia Dynasty’s Martial Arts Tournament on my behalf.”
