238: Half of the original power of the Lingxu land.

Purple Yao gazed silently beyond the main hall, seemingly watching Lu Xuan depart.

After a moment, she slowly bent down, her posture elegant and charming, her voice soft and unhurried as she spoke.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this Lu Xuan's Martial Artist Aptitude is almost demonic, truly a talent seen once in ten thousand years."

"However, his conduct shows none of the usual arrogance of ordinary people; instead, he appears exceedingly cautious."

"In this humble subject's opinion, this Lu Xuan possesses the demeanor of an extraordinary hero!"

"Therefore, Lu Xuan is like a double-edged sword. If Your Majesty can control him well, he will surely bring unexpected surprises."

"Conversely, if..."

Purple Yao did not finish her sentence, but Empress Xia Mingyue naturally understood her unspoken meaning.

Upon hearing these words, Empress Xia Mingyue leisurely bloomed into a faint, knowing smile.

That smile was filled with the composed demeanor of one who reigns supreme, a sense of 'who but I can do this'.

"I didn't expect even you, Purple Yao, to value this Lu Xuan so highly?"

Empress Xia Mingyue parted her red lips slightly, her voice like pearls falling onto a plate, clear and pleasant, yet with a hint of playfulness.

"Interesting!"

The Empress murmured, a fleeting, hard-to-catch meaning flashing in her beautiful eyes.

She tilted her head slightly, as if asking herself, yet also seemingly inquiring of Purple Yao beside her.

"Surprise?"

"I truly want to see how big a surprise this Lu Xuan can bring."

Despite her words, a hint of nonchalance quietly escaped Empress Xia Mingyue's tone.

After all, in Empress Xia Mingyue's view, Lu Xuan's current strength, merely at the Minor Achievement of the Divine Palace Realm, was nothing more than icing on the cake.

It was far from being able to influence the things she intended to do.

After Empress Xia Mingyue finished speaking, her exquisitely beautiful figure once again transformed into specks of profound black light.

In the blink of an eye, Empress Xia Mingyue was already leaning lazily on the Imperial Throne, exuding an innate nobility and majesty.

"Purple Yao, how is your inspection of the Seal in the Northern Extremes going?"

Upon hearing this, a grave expression instantly appeared on Purple Yao's usually cold and indifferent pale face.

She lowered her gaze, her voice like an ancient well, devoid of any emotion, as she slowly said,

"Your Majesty, the Seal in the Northern Extremes is just as you predicted."

"Indeed, there is an inexplicable power from the Outer Realm that is impacting the Restriction set by the Sacred Ancestor."

"Moreover, that power seems to have discovered the weakness of the Restriction set by the Sacred Ancestor."

"This humble subject has already infused the power of the Heaven-Reaching Sacred Crystal into the Restriction set by the Sacred Ancestor."

"With the power of that Heaven-Reaching Sacred Crystal, this humble subject estimates it can hold out for about another year."

"After this time, the Seal set by the Sacred Ancestor will likely be completely destroyed."

"This part of the Great Xia Dynasty's world will ultimately be exposed to the cultivators of the Outer Realm."

Purple Yao's words, as if substantial, continuously echoed and reverberated within the vast and silent main hall.

Until Empress Xia Mingyue, lazily reclining on the Imperial Throne, lightly parted her red lips, completely overshadowing those words.

"Hmph, the weakness of the Sacred Ancestor's Seal?"

"Besides a few of my good Imperial Brothers, who else could know these secrets?"

"The Extreme Flame Holy Gate, the Sword Spirit Sect, the Xuan Yin Immortal Palace, and those few Families, I will not let them off."

Empress Xia Mingyue leaned against the Imperial Throne, her posture lazy, yet her entire being exuded an innate nobility.

In the next instant, her beautiful eyes, like autumn water, suddenly reflected a deep, distant black light.

It was like a black hole devouring the world, capable of swallowing everything before it.

"Back then, I was only one step away from obtaining the Origin of the Fell Spirit Ruin."

"I didn't expect these bastards to detect my intentions!"

Empress Xia Mingyue's voice was low and cold, her words laced with an uncontrollable rage and unwillingness.

Every word seemed to be squeezed from between her teeth, as if she wanted to utterly crush that humiliating past.

As soon as her voice fell, the mysterious Mysterious Bird pattern in the center of Empress Xia Mingyue's forehead.

As if infused with a vibrant Soul, suddenly began to jump and tremble.

In an instant, a deep, rich black light burst forth, dazzling to the extreme, as if it wanted to drag everything around it into the endless dark abyss.

As the black light of the Mysterious Bird pattern shone brightly, the Void Realm before Empress Xia Mingyue gradually rippled with layers of strange waves.

Under Purple Yao's gaze from below, a massive, adult-sized dark black Cauldron slowly emerged from the Void Realm.

The dark black Cauldron floated in mid-air, its entire body tightly enveloped by thick, inky Qi currents, which churned and swirled.

Upon the Cauldron's body, complex and intricate patterns wound their way, appearing as one with heaven and earth, yet also like the order imprinted upon it since the very beginning of creation.

Between those profound patterns, there were also obscure and difficult-to-understand symbols and characters, appearing and disappearing, twisted and interconnected, making one feel dizzy.

"Hmph!"

"How could those bastards have thought that I also kept something up my sleeve back then?"

"Little did they know, half of the Origin power of the Fell Spirit Ruin had already been taken by me into the Mysterious Bird Cauldron."

Empress Xia Mingyue lazily propped herself up, every gesture exuding elegance and nobility.

She slowly extended her right hand, her slender fingers gently stroking the Void Realm, and the Mysterious Bird Cauldron seemed to be summoned by some mysterious power.

In the next second, the Cauldron's body emitted a blindingly dazzling dark black light.

Immediately after, a supremely pure white fluid, like a flowing stream, trickled out from the Cauldron's mouth.

The white stream flowed lightly, without a trace of Impurities, so pure that it made one's Soul tremble.

Then, this white stream drew a graceful arc in the air, slowly flowing towards Empress Xia Mingyue's palm.

Afterward, the white stream leisurely swirled in her palm.

This seemingly aimless rotation, however, invisibly emitted an astonishingly vigorous Qi.

Purple Yao, standing below, had always maintained a detached expression, like a still ancient well, without a ripple.

But the moment that white stream entered her sight.

Her unchanging countenance suddenly lost its composure, her usually calm eyes widening instantly.

They were filled with panic and shock, as if she had witnessed the most incredible thing in the world.

How did Her Majesty do it?

Back then, she was also present and witnessed everything.

Wasn't the Origin power of the Fell Spirit Ruin ultimately retrieved by that wisp of the Earth Venerable Realm Master's remnant Soul?

How could half of the Origin power now be in Her Majesty's hands?

Her Majesty even hid it from me!

Compared to Purple Yao's shock, Empress Xia Mingyue slightly raised her snow-white chin, her eyes steady and resolute.

She quietly gazed at the white stream in her palm, as if this world was already completely within her control.

Back then, if the Mysterious Bird Cauldron hadn't helped her block the attack from that remnant Soul of the Earth Venerable Realm Master, she would have probably perished long ago.

Even so, Empress Xia Mingyue still suffered severe backlash, to the extent that she had been unable to spare her attention to refine this half of the Fell Spirit Ruin's Origin.

But now, Empress Xia Mingyue's internal injuries had fully recovered, and she could spare her attention to refine this half of the Fell Spirit Ruin's Origin.

Of course, her bringing out the Origin of the Fell Spirit Ruin at this moment was specifically for Purple Yao to see.

To be precise, it was for the Sect behind Purple Yao to see.

Because, the true identity of this Purple Yao was not a person from the Great Xia Dynasty, but a cultivator from the Outer Realm.

"Purple Yao, go back and tell your Revered Master that I will certainly accomplish what I promised her."

"Your Snow Moon Sect only needs to help me eliminate the demonic people of the Jingji Sacred Sect after the Great Xia Dynasty appears in the Outer Realm."

Purple Yao had not yet recovered from her shock when, with a flash of black light on the Imperial Throne, Empress Xia Mingyue vanished without a trace, leaving only the empty Imperial Throne.

"Her Majesty's strength is truly becoming more and more unfathomable," Purple Yao murmured, the apprehension in her beautiful eyes as thick as ink!

She was, after all, a Martial Artist at the Half-step Void Realm, infinitely close to the existence of a Void Realm True Lord.

She didn't expect that with her strength, she would be completely unaware of when Her Majesty had left.

Her Majesty, perhaps, had already stepped into that Realm.

Purple Yao slightly raised her head, gazing for a long time at the empty Imperial Throne.

Then, she lightly pursed her cherry lips, and with a gentle lift of her foot, her graceful figure instantly transformed into a bright purple streak of light, vanishing into the Void Realm in the blink of an eye.

Only faint wisps of Spiritual Qi fluctuations remained, slowly dissipating in the air of the main hall.

Celestial Capital Xuan Bird Guard Headquarters!

At this moment, outside the main gate of the Blackbird Guard Headquarters, a scene that made people dumbfounded and felt exceedingly strange was unfolding.

Two elderly men, dressed in red Blackbird Guard uniforms, stood upright on either side of the Headquarters' main gate, one on the left and one on the right.

Moreover, the elderly man in the red Blackbird Guard uniform standing on the right looked particularly anxious.

He was constantly craning his neck, peeking and peering towards the distant horizon, his feet unconsciously shifting in small movements, as if anxiously waiting for something.

The old man's appearance was as if he would be unable to restrain himself and rush out the next second.

Therefore, their peculiar actions caused the Blackbird Guards originally stationed on both sides of the gate to exchange bewildered glances, their hearts filled with doubt.

Crucially, what astonished everyone was that these two old men were no ordinary individuals.

The identities of these two old men were both Vice Directors of the Blackbird Guard: Second Vice Director Mu Yun, and Third Vice Director Li Chengxing.

Therefore, during this period, everyone who entered and exited the Blackbird Guard Headquarters mansion felt extremely surprised.

What the hell!

Which important figure could possibly make two Vice Directors of the Blackbird Guard personally wait at the entrance?

Mu Yun, standing on the left, saw Li Chengxing pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, and couldn't help but show a helpless expression.

"I say, Old Li, is the news you, this Lao Jiahuo (Old fellow), got reliable or not?"

"Don't deceive this old man. This old man has been standing here for an hour, like a monkey, being watched by everyone coming and going."

"Is that Lord Lu currently in Tiandu?"

Li Chengxing heard the doubt in Mu Yun's words, his old face immediately flushed, then his old eyes widened, his beard bristled, and he said with certainty,

"Don't worry, Old Mu, Old Lu is currently in the Imperial Palace, having an audience with Your Majesty."

"Judging by the time Old Lu entered the palace, he should be arriving here soon."

"Of course, if Old Mu, you don't want to wait, then please go back first."

"Presumably, Old Lu won't mind such a small matter."

As soon as Li Chengxing said this, Mu Yun instantly lost his temper, falling silent again, standing there quietly with his eyes closed, resting.

Leave?

That was impossible.

Leaving was not an option.

This Lu Xuan, at such a young age, had surpassed both himself and Li Chengxing, this Lao Jiahuo (Old fellow), in Martial Artist Realm, becoming a Divine Palace Realm existence.

Facing such a situation, Mu Yun naturally chose to shamelessly cling to his leg.

If it were an ordinary Divine Palace Realm Martial Artist, Mu Yun wouldn't be this enthusiastic.

After all, he himself was a Half-step Divine Palace Realm existence, only one step away from the Divine Palace Realm.

However, Lu Xuan, this Divine Palace Realm Martial Artist, was vastly different.

Mu Yun dared to speak his mind in front of everyone.

If nothing unexpected happened, this Lu Xuan would undoubtedly Cultivate to an extremely high Martial Artist Realm in the future.

Perhaps even reaching the level of Lord, it was hard to say.

In Mu Yun's heart, Master of the Xuan Bird Guard Division Zi Yao was an invincible existence.

The fact that he could compare Lu Xuan to Master of the Xuan Bird Guard Division Zi Yao was enough to show how highly Mu Yun valued Lu Xuan.

Li Chengxing seemed to see through Mu Yun's thoughts, and immediately his old face lifted, bursting into hearty laughter.

"Hehehe!"

"Old Mu, I didn't expect you, this usually quiet Lao Jiahuo (Old fellow), to have such thoughts one day."

Li Chengxing's teasing made Mu Yun furious, and he couldn't help but give him a harsh look of disdain.

This bastard Lao Jiahuo (Old fellow), how dare he mock himself?

"Hmph, same to you!"

Mu Yun's face tightened, and he retorted ungraciously, "Old Li, you, who come from a prominent Family, are doing such a thing; what right do you have to criticize this old man?"

After being rendered speechless by Mu Yun's retort, Li Chengxing could only give an awkward smile.

Finally, Li Chengxing tried to use this slightly embarrassed smile to subtly gloss over the topic.

"Old Li?"

"Director Mu?"

"You two returned so quickly from Ming Prefecture?"

The person had not yet been seen, but the voice arrived first!

Upon hearing these words, Li Chengxing and Mu Yun, almost simultaneously, cast their gazes towards a certain spot in the Void Realm ahead.

The Void Realm slowly rippled with a faint wave, and then a faint purple glow flashed and disappeared.

Then, a young, handsome man slowly stepped out from the ripples, each step carrying a natural, unforced feeling.

"Old Lu!"

"Lord Lu!"

Facing Li Chengxing and Mu Yun's excited expressions, Lu Xuan's face remained unchanged; he merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment.