Big Dipper Pavilion in Action

Phoenix let out a long breath of relief. She was about to continue her report when the emperor asked, "What has Tai'an been doing? Anything unusual?"

The Tai'an Princess?

Phoenix paused, then searched her memory for everything she knew about the princess.

"Your Majesty, all is as usual with the Tai'an Princess. She still hasn't left her residence," Phoenix answered truthfully.

Phoenix respected and feared the princess almost as much as she did Wu Zetian. Her methods were inscrutable, and her martial arts unfathomably deep.

Even now that Phoenix had reached the Grandmaster realm, she did not dare harbor any other designs on the Pavilion Master.

Besides, Phoenix was not the pavilion's only Grandmaster. Shangguan Wan'er seemed to have broken through as well. If they both had, then the Pavilion Master's shadow probably had too.

As for the other seven Star Lords, Phoenix did not know who they were or how skilled they might be. But she imagined they were First-Class Martial Artists at the very least.

"That will be all for today. You may go."

Wu Zetian sounded somewhat weary.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Phoenix accepted the order and slowly withdrew from the hall.

Outside the Divine Capital stood an unremarkable inn, but it concealed far more than met the eye.

Clunk...

A hidden chamber opened. Inside sat an elderly man: Lu Cheng, who had been saved from death.

In the Serpent Spirit headquarters' communications room, Hidden Spirit had secretly interfered with Xiao Qingfang's sword strike, keeping it from hitting a vital spot. After the troops withdrew, Hidden Spirit had secretly taken away the body.

"I... didn't die? Who... are you?" Lu Cheng asked the stranger seated before him.

The man was Hidden Spirit Zhang Bin, also the Big Dipper Pavilion's Tianshu Star Lord. He was only one step