The East Sea Appointment (Part Two)

Gently closing her eyes, Lu Yuling absorbed the sapling transformed from the Ice Lotus Seed into her Purple Mansion Spiritual Platform. Her damaged soul was greatly nourished, and the aura she exuded became even more elegant. Even Zhuge Xiang felt a sense of unfamiliarity, as if Lu Yuling had transformed into a lotus flower standing proudly atop a snow-capped mountain, making him dare not profane her.

Opening her eyes, Lu Yuling saw many things. Her soul was nourished, and many Memory belonging to Ice Maiden flooded back. At the same time, Lu Yuling's expression became somewhat strange. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but then stopped herself.

Zhuge Xiang could sense the change in Lu Yuling. Just as he was about to ask, he heard Lu Yuling say, "Alright, let's hurry up. This Fire-Repelling Green Lotus is almost completely withered."

Looking at the Fire-Repelling Green Lotus held in Lu Yuling's palm, it was indeed mostly withered. It had taken a long time to dive into the lava, and with the entanglement of Fairy Ghosts and Monsters, plus Lu Yuling absorbing the branch that was transformed from the Life-Bound Lotus Seed, the Fire-Repelling Green Lotus could not be maintained for much longer.

Nodding, Zhuge Xiang temporarily suppressed his doubts, and the two rose up and flew towards the lava.

Back above, Lin Tian, Su Huayu, Liu Rufang, and Hua Lingsha were all there. Fortunately, Zhuge Xiang had reached the Spell Control Stage and was flying very fast. Just as the Fire-Repelling Green Lotus was about to wither, he managed to break free from the lava and fly out.

After their previous battle with the Cultivator from the Yin Yang Demonic Palace, Liu Rufang and the others were unharmed, but they had all suffered some exhaustion and injury. In addition, Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling had just gone to the bottom of the lava, so the group decided to rest in the Volcano for a while before leaving.

After leaving the Volcano, Zhuge Xiang sat down on the mountainside to meditate. He then saw Lu Yuling standing alone on the edge of a cliff not far away, gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Zhuge Xiang had noticed Ice Lotus Seed Lu Yuling's change in expression and realized that she was clearly preoccupied.

Standing up, Zhuge Xiang walked to Lu Yuling's side, remained silent for a moment, and then broke the silence by asking, "Senior Sister Ice Maiden entered this Hundred Emperors Tomb before, so she should know something about it. Is there anything we should be careful about?"

"The central area of Hundred Emperors Tomb is the burial place of the royal family members who died in the war of the Six Nations. The Dragon Qi is scattered around the Hundred Emperors Tomb' Mausoleum, and it is best to collect it at the place where the Dragon Qi Crystal. Never actually set foot in the burial place of the royal family members," Lu Yuling said slowly after composing herself upon hearing Zhuge Xiang's question.

"Don't be curious about what the burial ground looks like. And don't be greedy for the royal family's burial goods. As far as I know, everyone who entered it died; no one came out alive. Also, the central area of Hundred Emperors Tomb is surrounded by the military camps of the fallen soldiers of the Six Nations. If you want to collect the Dragon Qi Crystal, you must find a way to get through the area surrounded by these soldiers."

Picking up a Tree Branch, Lu Yuling roughly sketched out the terrain of the Hundred Emperors Tomb on the ground for Zhuge Xiang.

The central area is the true imperial mausoleum, the burial place of the royal family, Forbidden Ground that cannot be entered. Surrounding it is a circular area, a protective zone rich in Dragon Qi, a place where Dragon Qi Crystal are collected. Finally, the outermost ring is a guarded area overrun by Zombie and Fierce Spirit transformed from the fallen warriors of the Six Nations.

"So, to collect the Dragon Qi Crystal, we must pass through this outermost area shrouded by Zombie and Fierce Spirit," Zhuge Xiang said, nodding in understanding.

"That's right. If you want to get through this area, you'll have to Divine Ability your own abilities and methods. All the Cultivator entered the Hundred Emperors Tomb's Mausoleum are below the Spell Control Stage. It's impossible for them to force their way into the area guarded by millions of Zombie Fierce Spirit," Lu Yuling nodded in agreement. How to get in and collect the Dragon Qi Crystal depends on each person's skills.

Having gained a rough understanding of the distribution of the Hundred Emperors Tomb, Zhuge Xiang hesitated for a moment, then asked casually, "How is the soul repair going? It seems to be going very well? Your strength has also increased significantly; you're almost at the Spell Control Stage."

"..." Upon hearing Zhuge Xiang change the subject and bring up this aspect, a complex expression flashed across Lu Yuling's face, and she fell silent.

Since Lu Yuling didn't want to say more, Zhuge Xiang didn't press her for details. He simply stood quietly beside her, gazing at the scenery at the foot of the distant mountain. To be honest, this Hundred Emperors Tomb's Mausoleum was a burial ground, black soil, so what scenery was there to speak of?

"Zhuge Xiang, I have something I need your help with. It might be very dangerous. To be honest, I didn't want you to take this risk, but I have no other friends besides you," Lu Yuling suddenly spoke after a long silence, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Zhuge Xiang.

"Is it dangerous?" Zhuge Xiang asked, looking at Lu Yuling with equal seriousness.

"It's very dangerous," Lu Yuling nodded and said seriously.

"Then tell me what reward I can offer? If it's a matter of life and death, I feel that nothing can move me except to offer myself in marriage," Zhuge Xiang suddenly said after a moment of serious consideration.

"Offer yourself in return? No problem." Originally, Zhuge Xiang thought Lu Yuling would talk back and make some jokes. Zhuge Xiang only made this request because Lu Yuling was too serious and he wanted to lighten the mood. But he didn't expect that after thinking for a moment with her head down, she would actually agree.

"You? Are you serious?" Zhuge Xiang was stunned.

"It's fake," Lu Yuling replied seriously. Her answer made Zhuge Xiang laugh and cry, realizing that he had been tricked.

"Alright, stop beating around the bush. What is it? If I can help, I definitely will," Zhuge Xiang shook his head, changing the subject to cover up his embarrassment.

When it came to serious matters, Lu Yuling's expression became much more serious. However, after the joke just now, the atmosphere had become much more relaxed. Looking at Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling said, "You should know that Ice Maiden is being suppressed at the bottom of the East Sea. I would like to ask you for your help to rescue her."

It has to be said that Lu Yuling's words were truly a bombshell. Although Zhuge Xiang knew that the question Zhuge Xiang Lu Yuling raised was troublesome and he was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by her words when he suddenly heard them.

Senior Sister Ice Maiden, a genius rarely seen in a hundred years by the Asura Sect, suddenly Qi Deviation and lost her mind when she was about to break through to the Void Realm. In the end, she was suppressed at the bottom of the East Sea by several Void Realm elders of the Asura Sect. Those were suppressions by Void Realm Great Experts. Although I have now reached the Spell Control Stage, wanting to rescue Ice Maiden? That is nothing short of a pipe dream.

"Do you think I can do it?" It took Zhuge Xiang a good dozen breaths to process the shock of the news before he asked Lu Yuling.

"If it were anyone else, I think it would be impossible, but you have a chance," Lu Yuling said earnestly, looking at Zhuge Xiang. "The two Asura left at the seal by the Sect are not very strong, only equivalent to the Tenth Layer of the True Essence Realm. In addition, to break the seal, all we need is a Dragon Horn."

"Two Asura equivalent to the Tenth Layer of the True Essence Realm? Is that weak? Secondly, Dragon Horn? Do you have a way to obtain them?" Lu Yuling's words left Zhuge Xiang speechless.

Two Asura at the Tenth Layer of the True Essence Realm —are these guards not strong enough? Besides, how easy is it to obtain the horns of a divine beast like a dragon?

"Other places may not have dragons, but the East Sea Dragon Palace has plenty. Finding a young dragon and cutting off its Dragon Horn shouldn't be difficult," Lu Yuling said, looking directly at Zhuge Xiang. Her words were truly breathtaking.

Zhuge Xiang had heard of the East Sea Dragon Palace before. In mortal legends, it was a place where dragons resided in the Immortal Realm. Although he had entered the Cultivation World, Zhuge Xiang knew that true Immortals couldn't exist there, and the dragons of the East Sea Dragon Palace weren't celestial dragons either. But ultimately, they were among the most powerful divine beasts. Could the Dragon Palace be without any powerful beings?

Zhuge Xiang believed that the scale of the East Sea Dragon Palace was far more terrifying than that of the Large Sect like the Asura Sect. If one killed the dragon princes and grandsons of the East Sea Dragon Palace and was subsequently hunted down by the East Sea Dragon Palace, even the Great Qin Empire would not be able to protect itself.

"What exactly happened that makes you so eager to rescue Ice Maiden?" Lu Yuling's proposal startled Zhuge Xiang. Although Zhuge Xiang didn't agree, he didn't rush to refuse her either, but instead asked.

"..." Zhuge Xiang's question made Lu Yuling fall silent. Her exquisite and perfect face showed a thoughtful look, obviously considering whether to tell Zhuge Xiang the whole story. Zhuge Xiang did not rush her to think, but just waited quietly for her reply.

"Do you really need to know?" After a moment's thought, Lu Yuling asked Zhuge Xiang.

"If possible, I hope you can tell me frankly," Zhuge Xiang said earnestly, looking at Lu Yuling. He also wanted to know what kind of Memory she had gained from absorbing the Ice Lotus Seed.

Moreover, Zhuge Xiang has always kept the Truth about Senior Sister Ice Maiden in his heart. After all, he still hasn't completed the task given to him by the Winged Human Race elder at the Asura Sect Headquarters.

"Alright, since you want to know, then I'll tell you the Truth about why Ice Maiden Qi Deviation and why she was suppressed," Lu Yuling said, nodding as she saw that Zhuge Xiang really wanted to know.

Her words startled Zhuge Xiang, who realized to himself that it was indeed true.

Beside her, Su Huayu, quietly meditating, watched Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling standing side by side. She was curious about their conversation, but although she was somewhat willful, Su Huayu disdained eavesdropping on others' conversations. (To be continued...)