324: The Empress asks for help!

Just then, Xia Wushi and the other two in the distance suddenly changed their expressions, as if sensing something, and all bowed to Lu Xuan.

"Lu Earth True Immortal, we shall take our leave!"

Before their voices faded, the figures of Xia Wushi and the other two had already vanished into the Void Realm like bubbles, leaving only a wisp of spatial ripples echoing in the hall.

Lu Xuan's eyes moved slightly, and his brow furrowed; he sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching—

"Liang Cheng, Yunqing, you two go out first," Lu Xuan said without turning his head.

Liang Cheng and Lu Yunqing exchanged a glance, then turned without hesitation, transforming into streaks of light and sweeping out of the underground palace.

The moment Liang Cheng and Lu Yunqing's figures completely disappeared from the underground palace, the entire underground palace was suddenly enveloped by a mysterious, profound light.

The Void Realm was like a calm lake into which a stone had been thrown, rippling in layers like water patterns.

A faint, ethereal fragrance quietly diffused through the air in the underground palace.

The scent was subtle, like plum but not plum, carrying an indescribable, cool and elegant charm.

Lu Xuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering on their own in the windless tranquility.

His expression was calm as he quietly watched the Void Realm ahead, the phantom images of the sun and moon slowly rotating in his eyes, as if containing the mysteries of heaven and earth.

"Tap."

A soft sound, like a jade bead falling onto a plate, clear and ethereal, was exceptionally distinct in the silent underground palace.

In the Void Realm, a bare foot, as white and lustrous as jade and exquisitely carved, gently stepped out.

The hem of a profound imperial robe swayed slightly with this step, revealing half of an ankle as fair as snow and skin more exquisite than frost.

Immediately after, a graceful figure gradually emerged entirely from the ink-colored halo.

Empress Xia Mingyue!

Empress Xia Mingyue stood in the air, the wide sleeves of her profound imperial robe gently drifting in the Void Realm.

Her jade feet lightly tapped the Void Realm, and with each step, a phantom image of an ink-colored Mysterious Bird gracefully appeared.

These divine birds elegantly circled around her, the myriad starlight flowing between their wings illuminating her skin like flawless mutton-fat jade.

Especially the Mysterious Bird mark on Empress Xia Mingyue's brow, which glowed with a faint, profound light.

It made her exquisitely beautiful face appear even more serene and ethereal, sacred and inviolable.

However, deep within Empress Xia Mingyue's seemingly calm eyes, there was a subtle ripple that was hard to detect.

When her gaze touched that familiar figure, her long eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

After more than a hundred years apart, the person before her was still as captivating as she remembered...

The most majestic of the Mysterious Birds affectionately rubbed against Empress Xia Mingyue's wrist.

Then, it tilted its head and curiously observed Lu Xuan, even showing a hint of lively naiveté.

"A hundred years no see..." Empress Xia Mingyue's red lips parted slightly, her voice cool and pleasant.

"Lu Earth True Immortal, your demeanor remains unchanged."

Lu Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly, his eyes falling on the Empress.

To be precise, he looked at the black divine bird affectionately circling Empress Xia Mingyue's wrist.

Between the wings of the black divine bird, a brilliant halo of creation flowed.

Wisps of world creation power were faintly discernible at the tips of its feathers.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xuan's eyes could not hide his surprise.

"Daoist Xia..."

At this moment, Lu Xuan's lips curved slightly, "You have truly gained a great fortune."

That black divine bird was clearly a Spirit of Creation—

A Spirit of Creation, that was a creature of heaven and earth that could only be nurtured within the inner world of an Earth Venerable Realm Master!

Lu Xuan was shaken, not expecting this Empress to have truly found a shortcut to Breakthrough to the Earth Venerable Realm Master Realm.

Ordinary Martial Artist who wished to open an inner world and achieve the Earth Venerable Realm Master Realm would typically need at least several thousand, or even tens of thousands of years.

Even a peerless Genius would require at least a thousand years of arduous effort.

Yet, this Xia Mingyue... had only taken a little over a hundred years.

Truly remarkable!

Lu Xuan's eyes blazed with light, and his heart surged with tumultuous waves as he marveled inwardly.

She had actually completely refined that Fell Spirit Ruin World!

That Fell Spirit Ruin Small World at the Earth Venerable Perfection Realm.

If it could be fully converted into Origin power, it could indeed allow someone to open an inner world in a short period of time.

But—how could an ordinary Cultivator achieve this step?

Because every Earth Venerable Realm Master's inner world contained unique Laws.

If an outsider forcibly refined it, it would inevitably cause a backlash from the world's power.

At best, their cultivation would be severely damaged; at worst... the world would collapse, and both body and Divine Soul would perish!

The black divine bird seemed to sense Lu Xuan's thoughts and suddenly let out a clear cry.

Xia Mingyue gently stroked the Mysterious Bird mark on her brow, her lips curving slightly: "Is Lu Earth True Immortal worried that I will suffer Qi Deviation?"

Empress Xia Mingyue's smile was like melting ice and snow, raising the temperature of the entire underground palace by a few degrees.

The black divine bird also flapped its wings joyfully, circling and scattering specks of starlight.

A glint flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes; it seemed this Empress's methods were even more unfathomable than he had imagined.

But how could Lu Xuan have known that Empress Xia Mingyue was able to refine the Origin of another's world without any scruples?

It was all thanks to that Mysterious Bird Cauldron, a Tian Yuan Immortal Artifact Immortal Artifact!

The black divine bird seemed to sense something, suddenly flapped its wings and flew back to Xia Mingyue's shoulder, affectionately rubbing against her cheek.

Empress Xia Mingyue gently stroked the divine bird's wings, and a hint of almost imperceptible tenderness flashed in her cool eyes.

"Compared to you, Lu Earth True Immortal... what are these insignificant methods of mine!"

Before her words finished, a wisp of ethereal fragrance had already drifted to his nose.

Lu Xuan's eyes moved slightly, only to see that Empress Xia Mingyue, who had been in the distance, was now within three feet of him without him realizing it.

The wide sleeve of her profound imperial robe rolled like flowing clouds, inadvertently slipping down to reveal half of a wrist as smooth as congealed fat.

That skin, as warm as jade, glowed with a pearlescent luster under the profound light.

At such close proximity, Lu Xuan could clearly see the Mysterious Bird mark on Xia Mingyue's brow, which was emitting a faint, profound glow.

That subtle, dark halo, seemingly present yet absent, set off Empress Xia Mingyue's exquisitely beautiful face, making her appear even more serene and aloof, inspiring a sense of inviolable reverence.

"Lu Earth True Immortal..." Xia Mingyue's red lips parted slightly, her breath like orchids.

The Spirit of Creation obediently rested on her shoulder, tilting its small head and curiously observing the two of them.

Lu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, showing no intention of retreating.

He met the Empress's gaze calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Daoist Xia has come specifically, I presume not just for old times' sake?"

"You might as well speak directly."

Xia Mingyue's long eyelashes trembled slightly, casting shallow shadows beneath her eyes.

She unconsciously rubbed the delicate golden cloud patterns on the profound sleeve's cuff.

This unintentional small movement made the black divine bird perched on her shoulder tilt its head curiously.

"As expected of Lu Earth True Immortal." Empress Xia Mingyue, seeing that Lu Xuan had guessed her intention, spoke softly in compliment.

Even the black divine bird let out a clear cry in cooperation, as if echoing its master's words.

"I do have something... to ask of Lu Earth True Immortal."

Empress Xia Mingyue paused, then gently raised her jade finger, and a sound-insulating barrier instantly enveloped the surroundings.

The black divine bird also, with understanding, transformed into a streak of light and merged into Xia Mingyue's brow mark.

The Empress Xia Mingyue spoke the last sentence very softly, but every word was clear.

Xia Mingyue looked directly into Lu Xuan's eyes, her fingers under her imperial robe unconsciously clenching—

This Empress, who was decisive in court, now showed a rare hint of nervousness.

As she spoke, a wisp of dark hair slipped from Xia Mingyue's imperial crown, trailing along her fair cheek.

"Presumably, Lu Earth True Immortal is very curious how I refined that Fell Spirit Ruin, aren't you?"

Xia Mingyue's beautiful eyes flowed with a profound light, her voice trembling slightly as if laced with ancient wine, every word entwined with a fatal attraction.

Her jade feet lightly tapped the Void Realm, the wide sleeves of her profound imperial robe spread like butterfly wings, and the Mysterious Bird mark on her brow grew even brighter.

Across from her, Lu Xuan met Xia Mingyue's ardent and mysterious gaze, his profound robes fluttering without wind.

However, Lu Xuan lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, the starlight in his eyes undiminished.

He neither denied nor questioned, simply allowing silence to flow between them.

Lu Xuan wanted to see what this Empress, beneath her feigned composure, truly wanted to ask of him.

"I emerged from seclusion thirty years ago, and the reason for my delayed appearance is entirely due to this item."

Xia Mingyue's voice was like a cold spring seeping through jade, her trailing words carrying a hint of lazy nonchalance.

She suddenly looked up, her star-filled eyes gazing deeply into Lu Xuan's, as if to engrave his image deep within her Divine Soul.

As Xia Mingyue's jade hand gently rose, a profound black light emanated from within her wide sleeve.

In an instant, the entire underground palace trembled, and the Void Realm cracked inch by inch like a mirror.

A pitch-black ancient cauldron slowly emerged from the Void Realm, suspended above Empress Xia Mingyue's palm.

The patterns of heaven and earth carved on its four sides flowed with life, as if alive.

Nine lifelike black divine birds raised their heads and cried out, their wings spreading to stir up ripples in space.

The profound aura surrounding the cauldron permeated like a tangible substance, emitting an aura that greatly astonished Lu Xuan.

"It is precisely because of this item!"

Xia Mingyue's fingertips gently traced the ancient Dao patterns inscribed on the cauldron's body, each stroke lighting up with dazzling, profound light.

The Mysterious Bird Cauldron hovered between them, the Chaos Qi it exhaled illuminating Xia Mingyue's face, making it flicker between light and shadow.

The Mysterious Bird mark on Xia Mingyue's brow actually echoed the totem on the cauldron's body.

Lu Xuan's pupils constricted; he saw the scene of the Fell Spirit Ruin's collapse from back then appearing within the cauldron—

So, for these past hundred years, she had been using this Immortal Artifact, which surpassed the understanding of this Realm, to refine that collapsing Small World!

Lu Xuan's pupils constricted, and his hands, which had been clasped behind his back, quietly clenched.

This was the first time he had witnessed the Great Xia Dynasty's nation-protecting sacrificial artifact—the Mysterious Bird Cauldron—at such close proximity.

Unlike the rumored ten-pattern sun relic, the aura surrounding the Mysterious Bird Cauldron now.

That transcendent aura clearly indicated the extraordinary nature of this item.

In fact, this Mysterious Bird Cauldron before him was not a sacrificial artifact at all.

Instead, it was a Tian Yuan Immortal Artifact Immortal Artifact, surpassing the ten-pattern sun relic and even world treasures!

"Tian Yuan Immortal Artifact Immortal Artifact, Mysterious Bird Cauldron." Xia Mingyue's fingertips lightly tapped the cauldron's body, producing a clear sound like a grand bell, shaking one's Divine Soul.

Every word spoken by Xia Mingyue deeply moved Lu Xuan's heart.

"Tian Yuan Immortal Artifact Immortal Artifact?"

Lu Xuan muttered to himself, his throat unconsciously bobbing.

Although he had never heard these four characters, the single word "Immortal" was enough for Lu Xuan to understand.

This seemingly ancient giant cauldron before him must contain the power of the elusive Immortal within.

Lu Xuan gazed at the Mysterious Bird Cauldron, so close at hand, watching the mysterious patterns constantly moving on its body, and a desire to seize it actually arose deep within his heart.

Immediately after, Lu Xuan gently lowered his hands from behind his back, his fingertips unconsciously curling and extending, and his breathing grew heavy—

If this unprecedented Tian Yuan Immortal Artifact Immortal Artifact could be refined by the System panel, how many System points could it yield?

At this moment, the so-called power of Immortals and the legends of creation power were all illusory in Lu Xuan's eyes.

Only System points were his tangible path to advancement.

As long as enough System points were accumulated, the Immortal Realm that countless powerful Cultivators sought in vain.

In Lu Xuan's eyes, it was merely an easy matter.

However, facing an irresistible temptation, Lu Xuan did not immediately act to seize the treasure without a word.

He suppressed the surging greed, and when he looked up at Xia Mingyue, his gaze was already tinged with ice.

"Daoist Xia, what is the meaning of this?"

"Such a precious treasure, you just place it before me like this, aren't you afraid..."

This woman seemed so casually and nonchalantly holding the supreme treasure, without any hint of vigilance.

No, this woman is truly audacious!

Does she really think that a subtle bit of affection can deter his covetousness for a Tian Yuan Immortal Artifact Immortal Artifact?

Or is it that behind this Mysterious Bird Cauldron lies a hidden, earth-shattering killing move capable of countering him, who is comparable to an Earth Venerable Realm Master at Perfection?

The more Lu Xuan thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

This woman, does she really take me for some kind of upright gentleman?

How dare she produce such a precious item in front of me?

Is she not afraid that I will try to snatch it?

Anyway, Lu Xuan never believed that he was an upright gentleman respected by all.

Moreover, Lu Xuan did not want to be one of these so-called upright gentlemen.

Those were merely shackles that bound oneself!

It was precisely Lu Xuan's unreserved rhetorical question that made Xia Mingyue suddenly break into a smile.

Xia Mingyue's smile was like a thousand-year-old frozen pond suddenly breaking open, and as the golden patterns on her profound imperial robe flowed, the entire underground palace lost its luster.

The shimmering glow at the corner of her eye was even more captivating than the Dao patterns on the Mysterious Bird Cauldron.

"Lu Earth True Immortal..."

The next moment, Xia Mingyue stepped on the spatial ripples with her bare feet, and with each step, an ink-colored Mysterious Bird phantom bloomed beneath her feet.

"I truly did not misjudge you!"

Until the two were but an inch apart, the Mysterious Bird mark on Xia Mingyue's brow suddenly burst forth with dazzling starlight.

Myriad profound lights descended like a galaxy, intertwining between Xia Mingyue's slender jade fingers, illuminating the entire underground palace as if in a dream.

"Buzz—"

With a clear chime from the cauldron, the Mysterious Bird Cauldron, which had been suspended above Xia Mingyue's palm, suddenly shrank, transforming into a delicate and exquisite form.

The nine Mysterious Bird totems on the cauldron's body remained lifelike, but now they no longer emitted a formidable pressure, instead exuding a sense of ancient mystery.

Under Lu Xuan's surprised gaze, Xia Mingyue, holding the miniaturized Mysterious Bird Cauldron, gently pushed it towards him.

"Lu Earth True Immortal... this item was originally prepared for you, so how can there be any talk of seizing it?"

"However, I have something to ask of you, Lu Earth True Immortal..."