237: Xuan Qingzi went to the Southern Frontier

At the same time, in the Tianqi Dynasty's Royal Forbidden Ground.

This area, hidden deep within the Imperial Palace, was shrouded by a natural Spirit Gathering Array and distorted geomagnetism; the transparent barrier formed by the Formation's fluctuations completely blocked all outside prying.

In the center of the Forbidden Ground, an Altar nine zhang high rose from the ground.

The Altar was carved from a single piece of Black Jade, its surface engraved with images of the sun, moon, stars, flowers, birds, fish, and insects; every line was incredibly precise, as if the myriad things of heaven and earth were condensed within it.

Within the winding grooves on the Altar's surface, a mysterious spiritual light flowed slowly, sometimes transforming into the golden trajectories of stars, and at other times into the green patterns of vegetation; a profoundly mysterious aura filled the air, yet it was mixed with a heart-palpitating coldness—the aura emitted when forcibly interfering with fate during the deduction of heavenly secrets.

Master Qing Xuan sat cross-legged on the Black Jade platform at the center of the Altar, his face as pale as a thin sheet of paper, even his lips having lost their color.

His aura was extremely withered, every rise and fall of his chest accompanied by a distinct sluggishness; his wide Daoist robes hung loosely on his emaciated frame, looking empty, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

Floating before him were six ancient xuantian tortoise shells, their surfaces covered in cracks, yet they still radiated a greyish-white luster.

The luster reflected countless distorted lines of light and obscure runes; those runes sometimes merged and sometimes scattered, as if recounting some incomprehensible heavenly secret, yet they remained in a state of chaos, impossible to capture.

Master Qing Xuan's withered fingers dipped into his own Essence Blood, quickly sketching profound Hexagrams in the Void Realm.

His movements were extremely fast, leaving faint red traces wherever his fingertips passed, but every time he reached a critical point in the sketching, his body would tremble violently, and threads of blood overflowing from the corners of his mouth would drip down his chin onto the Black Jade platform, instantly absorbed by the platform's spiritual light.

"Not enough... just a little more..." he muttered to himself, his voice as hoarse as if it had been rubbed by sandpaper, his bloodshot old eyes filled with stubbornness.

In order to find the person "suppressing the Tianqi Dynasty's Luck," he had not closed his eyes for three consecutive days and nights, exhausting more than half of the spiritual power in his body, and even resorting to using Essence Blood as a guide to forcibly deduce the heavenly secrets.

But the other party's Luck seemed to be shrouded in a thick mist; no matter how hard he tried, he could only see a blurry shadow.

Just then, the greyish-white luster on the tortoise shells suddenly flickered violently, and those chaotic runes instantly merged, forming a blurry image—in the image, a dim "Strange Star" was moving slowly, its body surrounded by a strong suppressing aura; although its specific appearance could not be seen clearly, its withered Luck and general position were clearly revealed.

"Southern Border... it's the Southern Border!"

Master Qing Xuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he abruptly raised his hand, his Essence Blood flying out once more toward the tortoise shells.

But just then, the spiritual power within him suddenly recoiled, a sharp pain came from his chest, and a mouthful of heart's Essence Blood sprayed out uncontrollably, landing right on the tortoise shells!

"Pfft!"

The moment the Essence Blood touched the tortoise shells, the greyish-white luster surged, and that blurry image of the "Strange Star" instantly became a bit clearer—not only could it be seen moving toward the central region of the Southern Border, but it could also be vaguely sensed that its direction was exactly toward Daoist Ming Ya's Legacy Immortal Cave!

"Found him! Cough, cough, cough... I finally found him!"

Master Qing Xuan looked like a madman, his withered hands deathly gripping that xuantian tortoise shell displaying the Hexagram; his knuckles turned white from the force, and even his fingernails dug into his palms, the seeping blood intertwining with the luster on the tortoise shell, looking exceptionally gruesome.

His laughter was hoarse and frenzied, echoing in the empty Forbidden Ground, carrying long-suppressed wild joy and intense killing intent.

Below the Altar, the Lord of Tianqi Li Xuan had been waiting quietly.

Dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe with a solemn expression, his heart couldn't help but tighten when he saw Master Qing Xuan coughing up blood, but upon seeing Master Qing Xuan's frenzied smile, he breathed a sigh of relief—at least, it wasn't the worst result.

Seeing Master Qing Xuan staggering as he tried to stand up, Li Xuan immediately leapt onto the high platform and carefully supported him:

"State Preceptor, are you alright?"

Master Qing Xuan waved his hand, allowing Li Xuan to support him as they walked down the Altar.

On a stone table below the Altar lay a translucent white healing Medicinal Pill; he picked it up and popped it into his mouth. The pill melted instantly, and a gentle spiritual power slid down his throat, slowly repairing his damaged Meridians, finally causing his complexion to ease slightly.

"Your Majesty, I have found the person suppressing the Dynasty's Luck."

Master Qing Xuan said in a hoarse voice, the madness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a resolute determination:

"He is heading toward the central region of the Southern Border; looking at the direction, it is highly likely he is going for Daoist Ming Ya's Legacy."

Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat:

"The Mingya Inheritance? If he is already so formidable and still goes to fight for the Legacy, then wouldn't our Dynasty's Luck..."

Before he could finish, he frowned, a look of worry appearing on his face.

"The Hexagram shows that this person's Luck is withered and his aura is dim and lusterless; he is clearly severely wounded."

Master Qing Xuan looked down at the xuantian tortoise shell in his arms, the greyish-white luster on it still flickering:

"But the more it is so, the more we cannot leave him alive. Such a Prodigy, whether good or bad, as long as he threatens the foundation of the country, he is the mortal enemy of Tianqi! This Seat will personally head to the Southern Border to find this person and execute him on the spot!"

Li Xuan looked at Master Qing Xuan's pale face and hesitated for a moment:

"State Preceptor, your injuries..."

" It doesn't matter."

Master Qing Xuan interrupted him, his tone firm:

"This Seat is a Nascent Soul Cultivator; such injuries only require a day or two of quiet rest to heal. Moreover, this matter concerns the Luck of Tianqi; besides this Seat, no one can accurately lock onto his tracks—only by this Seat going personally can we ensure nothing goes wrong."

Li Xuan thought about it and also understood the importance of this matter.

He sighed softly and bowed solemnly toward Master Qing Xuan:

"Many thanks to the State Preceptor for being concerned about the country and its people! I represent the people of Tianqi in thanking the State Preceptor!"

Master Qing Xuan raised his hand to support Li Xuan's arm, his withered fingers trembling slightly from the exertion.

The xuantian tortoise shell in his palm emitted waves of icy coldness, which happened to suppress the surging blood within his body.

"Your Majesty need not be so formal; protecting the Luck of Tianqi is inherently this Seat's duty."

He paused, a hint of calculation flashing in his eyes:

"Since this person is going for the Mingya Inheritance, he is walking into a trap. The interior and exterior of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion are fraught with danger; we can use that perilous place to ensure he has no chance of recovery—even if he can dodge the killing Formations in the cave mansion, he cannot escape this Seat's pursuit."

Saying this, he looked down at the greyish-white spiritual light still flickering on the tortoise shell, his gaze deep:

"However, this Seat's injuries have not yet healed; although I can move, I will need some assistance. Your Majesty can dispatch three thousand Imperial Guards to set out immediately and wait for orders at the periphery of the Southern Border's Nether Crow Cave Mansion. This Seat will head there with the xuantian tortoise shell and will surely be able to accurately determine the person's tracks; at that time, the Imperial Guards only need to restrain the peripheral forces to prevent him from escaping by blending in with the Cultivators."

Li Xuan nodded quickly:

"I will have someone attend to it immediately! It's just that, State Preceptor, various forces are now entrenched in the Southern Border, and the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce is even watching from the side; are three thousand Imperial Guards too few? Should we send more manpower?"

"No need."

Master Qing Xuan waved his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"Too many people would be conspicuous instead. This Seat only needs the Imperial Guards to restrain the peripheral Loose Cultivators and people from various forces, to prevent him from blending in and escaping this Seat's pursuit. As for the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce... they are only concerned with fighting for the Legacy; as long as they don't block this Seat's path, let them toss and turn as they please. Once that Prodigy is found, with this Seat's Nascent Soul Cultivation, I can finish him in an instant; there is no need for too much manpower."

Having said that, he tucked the xuantian tortoise shell into his robes and quickly performed hand seals with his fingertips.

A pale golden rune flew out from between his brows and slowly landed on the Black Jade at the center of the Altar.

The moment the rune merged into the stone surface, the spiritual light around the Altar suddenly brightened, and the originally distorted geomagnetic aura actually calmed down slowly; the flowing patterns also gradually dimmed, as if falling into a deep sleep.

"This Star-Gazing Altar has been slightly damaged due to the forced deduction of heavenly secrets and will be temporarily closed. When this Seat returns, it will be reinforced."

After Master Qing Xuan finished speaking, he turned to look outside the hall.

At this time, the horizon was already turning white, and the first rays of morning light were shining through the clouds onto the Forbidden Ground, plating the cold Black Jade platform with a layer of warm color.

"There is no time to lose; this Seat will set out now."

His voice was still hoarse, but it carried an unquestionable urgency:

"Your Majesty, please wait in the palace for the good news; once this Seat slays that Prodigy, the Luck of Tianqi will naturally return to its peak."

Li Xuan watched his slightly staggering yet still upright back and bowed once more to see him off:

"Respectfully seeing off the State Preceptor! I wish the State Preceptor a smooth journey and a safe return!"

Master Qing Xuan did not look back, only raising his hand and waving.

In the next second, his figure transformed into a pale golden stream of light, breaking through the roof of the hall and galloping toward the Southern Border.

Only a faint trail of spiritual power remained in the air, intertwining with the golden light of the rising sun, yet it carried an unmistakable sense of slaughter, as if foretelling the impending storm of blood in the Southern Border.

Li Xuan watched his departing back, breathing a sigh of relief, yet a faint sense of unease grew in his heart—Master Qing Xuan's condition seemed even worse than it appeared on the surface.

When he supported him just now, he could clearly feel Master Qing Xuan's arm trembling slightly, and his aura was far less steady than usual.

If they failed to catch that person of Luck this time, the State Preceptor would probably be unable to deduce heavenly secrets with Essence Blood again for a short time.

He turned to the guard behind him and said in a deep voice:

"Pass the order to the Commander of the Azure Dragon Guard to personally lead the three thousand Imperial Guards in the Southern Border and fully assist the State Preceptor in capturing the criminal. As for the Mingya Inheritance... set it aside for now! If the State Preceptor has any needs, the Imperial Guards must immediately provide full support without the slightest delay!"

The guard bowed and took the order, turning and quickly departing.

Inside the Forbidden Ground, only Li Xuan remained standing before the Altar, looking at the gradually dimming Black Jade platform with a furrowed brow.

He knew that the fate of the Tianqi Dynasty was now tied to Master Qing Xuan, and also to that "Enemy of Luck" far away in the Southern Border—this storm in the Southern Border was destined to be anything but peaceful.