547: Chapter 547 Where do you rank?

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Xiao Qingxuan smiled faintly, then raised her slender, jade-like hand and flicked her middle finger, releasing a strand of ice-blue true qi.

The seemingly weightless true qi transformed in mid-air into an ice lotus flower the size of a palm.

In the eyes of Princess Lanyi, the ice lotus was very exquisite, making her curious about what kind of cultivation technique had been practiced.

But based on her experience, the more flashy a move was, the more likely it was to be all style and no substance, nothing to worry about.

Watching the ice lotus fly toward him, Wu Chuanqiong couldn't help but frown in confusion.

This move felt soft and weak, appearing to pose no threat at all.

Yet inexplicably, why did he feel a trace of unease deep in his heart?

To be safe, Wu Chuanqiong decided it was better to be cautious, lest he capsize in the gutter.

He pushed his Buddhist internal cultivation technique to the limit, his protective aura erupted, and he threw a punch, preparing to destroy this ice lotus...

But the moment his fist approached the ice lotus, the chill he felt from it caused his heart to plummet to the depths of despair!!

"How is this possible?!"

He was deeply shocked!

He felt like a rabbit that had stumbled into the den of a hibernating giant bear; just as he wanted to run away, that massive bear paw had already descended mercilessly!

The ice lotus instantly released thousands of strands of cold mist, like frosty vines, wrapping tightly around Wu Chuanqiong!

"Princess, save..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his entire body was covered in ice crystals!

With the sound of "crack, crack, crack" as ice ridges formed, within a few breaths, Wu Chuanqiong had turned into an ice sculpture!

Of his entire body, only his eyeballs could still move; his eyes revealed terror, despair, and endless regret!

The air temperature in the entire living room dropped by several degrees!

But colder still were the hearts of Princess Lanyi and her Haitang!

Looking at the "ice sculpture Old Man Wu" beside her, Princess Lanyi's face, which had originally been calm and composed, turned deathly pale in the reflection!

She swallowed with difficulty, her hands and feet turning cold, her breathing rapid.

She turned her head stiffly to look once more at Xiao Qingxuan, who wore an expression of nonchalance, her eyes revealing a hint of "innocence."

Yet she felt as if a great mountain were pressing down on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe!

"Princess Lanti, is this the Martial Arts Grandmaster, the disciple of the Sweeping Monk, that you spoke of?"

Xiao Qingxuan said with some dissatisfaction: "Isn't this a bit of a farce?"

Princess Lanyi's expression shifted between grief and laughter, her composure lost, her heart in turmoil, and for a moment, she didn't know how to speak.

Even if she were unwilling to admit it a hundred times over, she had to face reality!

She had severely underestimated the authenticity of the "rumors"!

This Empress of Western Shu, she really was a Great Grandmaster!!

Only a Great Grandmaster could possibly defeat a Martial Arts Grandmaster in one move!

Thinking that she had actually been playing mind games with a genuine Great Grandmaster...

She was going crazy! How was this any different from walking a tightrope on the tip of a blade!?

But Princess Lanyi couldn't understand!

How could it be possible!? How could a woman in her early twenties have the cultivation level of a Great Grandmaster!?

Could it be that she wasn't Xiao Qingxuan, and the real Xiao Qingxuan had long died when Western Shu fell? Was this woman a fake Empress?!

All sorts of conspiracy theories flashed through Princess Lanyi's mind...

In any case, saving her own life was the top priority right now; she had to change her strategy!

"Your Majesty's martial arts are peerless; it was Lanyi who was blind! I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"

Princess Lanyi knelt down again, but this time, even the Haitang behind her knelt as well; she really couldn't stand anymore!

The cold air in the room was becoming increasingly piercing; Princess Lanyi could resist it slightly, but the Haitang was nearly frozen stiff!

The breath exhaled by the mistress and servant had already turned into white mist!

"Blind?"

Xiao Qingxuan chuckled softly, "I think... it's more like your dog eyes are blind, aren't they?"

"You... Ah!!"

Princess Lanyi let out a miserable scream and rolled onto the ground; her face had been struck by a burst of cold energy, freezing it until it lost all sensation!

Xiao Qingxuan hadn't even moved, just a single thought had been enough to knock her down!

From childhood to adulthood, Princess Lanyi had always been a proud daughter of heaven; when had she ever suffered such humiliation!?

But as soon as she looked up, she was met with that cold, peerless face, and those eyes as icy as an abyss.

The Great Grandmaster-level pressure cultivated from an immortal grade technique was simply not something an ordinary martial artist could imagine!

That sense of oppression from a superior completely shattered Princess Lanyi's proud self-esteem!

She bit her lower lip, unable to say another word of defiance!

"Su Wansha, Yaner, stop eavesdropping and come out."

Xiao Qingxuan called out with some helplessness.

As soon as her voice fell, Leng Bingyan and Su Wansha walked out from behind, their faces showing some embarrassment.

Xiao Qingxuan rolled her eyes at Leng Bingyan; how else would she be so good at gathering intelligence? She loved listening to gossip herself!

They had agreed not to eavesdrop, yet not only did she eavesdrop herself, she even went to get Su Wansha to come and listen at the wall together.

Xiao Qingxuan had actually noticed long ago, she just couldn't be bothered to say it.

Anyway, given the cultivation levels of Princess Lanyi and her group of three, they couldn't possibly detect the presence of the two women.

What she hadn't expected was that Leng Bingyan and the others had actually heard an "interesting" conversation.

"Su Wansha, have your father send a message to the Prince, saying... Princess Lanti came to Baishui City, feigning cooperation, but actually intending to spy on the top-secret intelligence of the Zhenbei Army."

"Master Qi Songyuan of the Academy colluded with his former sect, sending the Sweeping Monk's disciple from the Buddhist Sect, Wu Chuanqiong, to accompany Princess Lanti to the Northern Border with the intent to assassinate this Princess Consort."

"The Buddhist Sect and the Academy are secretly supporting Prince Wus Mansion, intending to act against the Zhenbei Army!"

"We will first detain Princess Lanti and her party, and wait for the Prince to make a final decision on how to handle them."

After Xiao Qingxuan said these few sentences, Princess Lanyi's entire face turned green!

She had sought out Carpenter Lu, but she absolutely had no intention of spying on the Zhenbei Army's secrets!

Wu Chuanqiong was the Sweeping Monk's disciple, and he was just exchanging moves with Xiao Qingxuan, but it had absolutely nothing to do with an assassination!

How did these few events, once spoken by Xiao Qingxuan, turn into such a massive disaster!?

"Princess Consort! We have absolutely no such intention, why must you frame us..."

Princess Lanyi stood up, trying to argue her case.

"Shut up!"

Leng Bingyan directly interrupted her: "I told you earlier, don't try to be clever. You had your own ulterior motives, and now you're pretending to be innocent?"

"If you are determined to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext! I want to see the Prince!"

Princess Lanyi wanted to say more, but she heard a "clang" sound of a sword ringing, and a sword aura passed by her ear!

A few strands of hair drifted down; Princess Lanti touched her ear and found it was wet!?

If Leng Bingyan had been just a little bit more "off" just now, she would have lost an ear!

"Princess Lanti, I am the champion of the Tianwu Grand Tournament; where do you rank?" Leng Bingyan had long been unable to stand this woman.

Princess Lanyi covered her injured ear, gnashing her teeth, but she dared not speak again.

Because she realized that she couldn't even block that sword strike from Leng Bingyan just now!

This woman's strength, even if not a Sword Master, was nearly on par!

"Alright, Yaner, stop playing around."

Xiao Qingxuan said: "Take off the head of this man surnamed Wu and hang it at the vegetable market entrance; as for Princess Lanyi and her Haitang, throw them into the dungeon."

"What!?"

Princess Lanyi was deeply shaken, looking at the women in disbelief.