How could Ren Xiaoyao not be overjoyed?
His current state...
His Dao Realm Fifth Heaven cultivation had only just begun to loosen.
Originally, entering the Dao Realm Sixth Heaven would still have required a long stretch of time.
The original Two Thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones...
had already greatly shortened that time.
Now, if he could obtain Three Thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones...
Ren Xiaoyao only needed half a month to absorb the spiritual energy within those Three Thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Then he would have absolute confidence...
in entering the Dao Realm Sixth Heaven!
And those Three Thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones...
had all been triggered by Luo Mengxian.
Naturally, Ren Xiaoyao was filled with goodwill toward Luo Mengxian.
However...
after his brief joy...
Ren Xiaoyao also felt somewhat curious.
Luo Mengxian was also a Peak Martial Saint Realm existence.
Moreover, she had mastered advanced martial arts from Qianqiu Pavilion.
What exactly had happened...
to place her in a life and death crisis?
At this moment...
guidance had already appeared in Ren Xiaoyao's mind.
Yet when Ren Xiaoyao saw the information in his mind...
he was greatly puzzled.
Because the information showed...
that Luo Mengxian was located...
within the Imperial Palace in the Capital City.
"Someone in the Imperial Palace could actually place Luo Mengxian in a life and death crisis? Could it be that the Empress has concealed her true strength? It seems I still underestimated this Empress. To become the Son of Heaven, she certainly did not lack methods!"
Ren Xiaoyao silently thought to himself.
It seemed that...
he was not the only one who knew how to hide his strength.
At this thought...
Ren Xiaoyao became even more resolute.
No matter the circumstances...
he could never completely expose his strength to the outside world.
Otherwise...
sooner or later, he would suffer a crushing loss.
Ren Xiaoyao put on the Ghost Face Mask once more.
The Starlight Glazed Robe on his body...
also changed its appearance.
He rode the wind again...
and left the Imperial Observatory.
The Great Gan Imperial Palace.
Before the Empress's bedchamber.
Luo Mengxian and Liu Ruyan appeared here.
They were currently surrounded by countless Imperial Guards.
Yet upon Luo Mengxian and Liu Ruyan's faces...
there was not the slightest fearful look.
Though these Imperial Guards were all Martial Artists of considerable strength...
to Luo Mengxian, a Peak Martial Saint Realm expert...
they were still nothing more than clay chickens and porcelain dogs.
At the forefront of the Imperial Guards stood Shadow Guard Commander Phoenix.
Phoenix's attention was not on Luo Mengxian. Instead, she stared intently at Liu Ruyan and spoke in an icy voice.
"Liu Ruyan, you truly have guts that reach the heavens. Last year, you were thrown into the Heavenly Prison for attempting to assassinate Your Majesty. I never expected that you would dare sneak into the Imperial Palace again today. You truly must be tired of living!"
The reason Phoenix had not paid attention to Luo Mengxian...
was because Luo Mengxian was a member of Qianqiu Pavilion's Inner Cabinet.
Even though Phoenix controlled intelligence throughout Great Gan, she had never heard the slightest news of Luo Mengxian. At this moment, Phoenix only believed that Luo Mengxian and Liu Ruyan were assassins sent by the Demonic Cult.
After hearing Phoenix's words, Liu Ruyan smiled teasingly. "Commander Phoenix, I do not know whether I am tired of living, but you dared point your sword at my Master. I think you will not live long."
"Your Master?"
Phoenix looked toward Luo Mengxian and snorted coldly. "She counts as—"
However...
before Phoenix could finish speaking...
Bang!
Luo Mengxian struck out with a palm through the air.
The attack blasted toward Phoenix.
Before Phoenix could react...
a massive True Essence gale instantly sent her flying.
The strength of this power was simply not something Phoenix could contend against.
Thus, Phoenix flew like a kite with its string cut.
She crashed into the wall of the Empress's bedchamber.
The entire bedchamber seemed to tremble.
Half of Phoenix's body was embedded in the wall.
Only after struggling with difficulty did she break free.
Phoenix naturally looked utterly disheveled. She coughed up blood in great mouthfuls, and her gaze at Luo Mengxian was filled with fear. "Y-you... who are you?"
Phoenix was naturally terrified.
Under the Empress's cultivation...
she had now become a Heavenly Human Realm Martial Artist.
She believed that, even in the martial world beyond the palace, she could be considered at the ceiling.
But now, Luo Mengxian had scattered all her pride with a casual palm strike.
At this time...
the several thousand Imperial Guards also felt chills run down their spines. They knew that their mission was to surround Luo Mengxian, but after witnessing Luo Mengxian's terrifying might, not a single Imperial Guard dared step forward by even half a pace.
They could tell...
that Luo Mengxian before them...
was likely an existence capable of crushing thousands upon thousands of troops by herself.
The Imperial Guards were indeed loyal to the emperor and regarded death as home.
But when facing such a terrifying existence...
they could not help but be afraid.
Luo Mengxian did not answer Phoenix's question. Instead, she gave a cold laugh and looked into the bedchamber.
"Martial Emperor, you truly put on airs. Since you knew this Saintess had arrived, why have you not come out to greet me? Could it be that you think your wings have hardened and that you no longer need to care about Qianqiu Pavilion?"
After hearing Luo Mengxian's words...
Phoenix's heart skipped a beat.
Because she had already guessed that Luo Mengxian was Qianqiu Pavilion's Saintess!
Her expression instantly turned incomparably ugly.
At this moment...
from within the bedchamber...
the Empress's faint voice followed.
"Phoenix, since the Saintess wishes to see me, have the Imperial Guards withdraw. Without my summons, no one is permitted to approach the bedchamber."
"Your servant obeys!"
Phoenix hurriedly withdrew the Imperial Guards.
Afterward...
the Empress emerged from the bedchamber dressed in a black Dragon Robe. Her expression was cold as she stared at Luo Mengxian and spoke.
"Luo Mengxian, although you are now Qianqiu Pavilion's Saintess and hold an honored status, you should not have trespassed into my Imperial Palace late at night. After all, in the Great Gan Land, I still have the final say."
After hearing the Empress's words, Luo Mengxian gave a cold laugh.
"Martial Emperor, now that you have attached yourself to the Huangfu Family, even the way you speak has changed. Are you so certain that the Huangfu Family will win? If you place your bet on the wrong treasure, not only will you fail to keep your throne, you may even die without a burial place."
Upon hearing this, the Empress merely smiled faintly.
"My affairs do not require the Saintess's concern. Besides, I feel that the Saintess's current situation seems to be worse than mine!"
"What do you mean by that?"
Luo Mengxian frowned.
The Empress did not speak.
But a cold laugh came from behind the Empress.
Then, a figure emerged from the bedchamber.
This person wore a black robe, his long hair hanging loose, his face sinister and cold.
He had no right hand. In his left hand, he held a pitch-black longsword, black as ink, from which rolling black mist billowed forth, as though the sword had come from the Nine Nether Hell.
After Luo Mengxian sensed this person's aura...
her expression also turned grim.
Because this person's aura was extremely powerful.
It was actually not the slightest bit weaker than her own.
The Black-Robed Man stared at Luo Mengxian.
"Luo Mengxian, the Saintess of Qianqiu Pavilion's current generation? Then Qianqiu Pavilion's previous Saintess, Luo Mengshen, must have been your sister? My name is Sword Demon. Luo Mengshen severed this right arm of mine back then. Today, that debt should be settled upon your head."
Sword Demon's laughter was sinister.
It carried endless killing intent.
Luo Mengxian's expression remained calm. "Martial Saints in the outside world may indeed be rare, but if you wish to contend against me, I fear you are still not qualified!"
"Good!"
Sword Demon chuckled. "Since the Saintess is so confident, why do you all not Appear and let the Saintess see whether we outside Martial Saints are qualified to contend against her!"
As his words fell...
around the Empress's bedchamber...
figures lurking within the night sprang forth.
In merely one or two breaths...
eight more figures surrounded Luo Mengxian and Liu Ruyan.
As Luo Mengxian looked at these eight people...
her face darkened.
Because these eight people...
were also Martial Saint Realm existences.
When Phoenix saw nine Sage Realm existences...
she felt utterly terrified.
A full nine Sage Realm existences had been lying in wait within the Imperial Palace.
Yet she had not known a single thing about it.
At this moment, Sword Demon also chuckled.
"Luo Mengxian, these eight friends of mine are the Eight Sword Martial Saints of West Shu Mountain. I wonder whether the nine of us joining hands are qualified to deal with you?"
"Empress, you concealed yourself deeply indeed. To be able to invite nine Martial Saint Realm existences at once to deal with me, it seems I had underestimated you before!"
Luo Mengxian's voice was gloomy.
After hearing Luo Mengxian's words, the Empress Shook Her Head.
"These nine were not invited by me. I do not possess such great influence! Moreover, I do not know your whereabouts, nor did I know you would come to the Imperial Palace tonight."
Luo Mengxian's gaze fell upon Sword Demon and the others, and she instantly understood. "It seems the Huangfu Family invited you to act against me?"
Luo Mengxian had already figured everything out.
Wine Daoist also knew her whereabouts.
And Wine Daoist, as Qianqiu Pavilion's Outer Sect Master...
was loyal only to the Pavilion Master of the Inner Cabinet.
Therefore, in the struggle between the Huangfu Family and the Luo Family...
He had remained neutral all along.
Wine Daoist must have revealed her whereabouts to the Huangfu Family.
"Correct!"
Sword Demon readily admitted it. "The Huangfu Family promised us that as long as we got rid of you, they would grant us an opportunity to reach the Through Profound Realm. Naturally, we could not refuse."
The Empress spoke softly as well.
"Saintess, you can see it too. Today's matter has nothing to do with me. I was merely passively dragged into the vortex of conflict between your Luo Family and the Huangfu Family."
"Good! Very good!"
Luo Mengxian let out a cold laugh.
"So you hired Martial Saints from outside to act. That way, even if Qianqiu Pavilion investigated afterward, they would find nothing leading back to the Huangfu Family. And since Sword Demon bears an old grudge against my elder sister, my death would likely be seen as an outsider's retaliation against her, wouldn't it?"
"Correct!"
The Empress admitted it openly.
"After all, Luo Mengshen made far too many enemies outside back then. It is only natural that his enemies would retaliate against you, Luo Mengxian."
"Hmph!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Mengxian snorted coldly. "But even nine Martial Saint Realm experts would not find it so easy to intercept and kill me, would they?"
Even if she faced nine Martial Saint Realm experts at once.
Luo Mengxian still had confidence in her heart.
After all, Luo Mengxian stood at the peak of the Martial Saint Realm, and she had mastered all manner of high-level martial arts within Qianqiu Pavilion. She might not be unable to fight nine Martial Saint Realm experts alone.
But after hearing Luo Mengxian's words, the Empress shook her head. "Saintess, the Huangfu Family naturally knows your strength. Since they decided to eliminate you, they naturally would not leave you any chance of survival."
It was at this moment.
A figure descended from the sky.
It was a man clad in purple robes.
He struck a palm at Luo Mengxian. Sensing the terrifying power within it, Luo Mengxian could not evade it and could only meet the purple-robed man's palm with her own.
Boom!
The two palms collided.
Countless violent Gale Winds were stirred up.
Standing on the ground, Luo Mengxian snorted coldly.
Blood seeped from the corner of her lips.
Beneath her feet.
Slabs of marble shattered one after another.
The ground collapsed, forming a deep pit.
And high in the sky.
That purple-robed figure.
Landed steadily upon the ground.
Only then did everyone see his face clearly.
He was an old man whose face was covered in scars.
His entire appearance was utterly ferocious.
"Through Profound Realm!"
Luo Mengxian stared at the purple-robed elder before her.
Her heart sank straight to the bottom.
She knew.
She truly had no escape from disaster today!
Before you continue