Birth

The Qionghua Secret Realm.

The Dome Palace remains hidden among the clouds and mist of the mountains and forests, with faint fluctuations in the array recording its former prosperity.

On the devastated Cherry Leech Lake, the fallen giant cherry tree covered the corpse of the Water Leech King with its withered branches. If no one came to visit, this tranquility might last until the end of time and the collapse of the secret realm.

In the seemingly eternal silence, a fair and delicate foot gently stepped onto the edge of the broken bridge corridor.

This is a barefoot girl dressed in palace attire, gazing at the enormous cherry tree and the Water Leech King intertwined in the distance, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

As she pondered, a tall woman appeared beside her.

The woman wore a veil, obscuring her face, but she was tall and slender, dressed in a plain white, elaborate palace-style gown. The white skirt stretched a full zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) behind her, without a single stain.

Pure and noble.

A barefoot girl looks at Cherry Leech Lake:

"Master, that is the Charm God Cherry Tree."

The woman in the white dress remained calm and composed.

"Xu Changtian used the illusion it created to shake you off?"

The barefoot girl gently bit her lip:

"Yes, I was trapped in that illusion with him for over ten years."

The woman glanced at the girl with her deep golden eyes:

"You must resolve the issue of love yourself; I cannot help you with that."

The barefoot girl's voice was very low:

"I'm sorry, Master."

The woman in the white dress had a cold voice, seemingly devoid of any emotion.

"Xu Changtian is somewhat special; not only is he invisible, but he can also influence others. You can't be blamed for this situation."

Tianyan clenched his fist slightly and quickly whispered:

"Master, has Xu Changtian's engagement to Li Qingyan affected you?"

Ordinary, unrecognizable people do not affect others; to deal with them, one can deduce the future of those around them.

But Xu Yuan is like a drop of ink entering a clear pool, and now he is about to turn this pool, which is called the "World Pool," black.

Tianyan itself has been corrupted by Xu Yuan.

Since their separation, she could no longer make excuses.

And it seems that her master is about to follow in her footsteps.

The woman's elaborate white gown fluttered slightly, her body rising into the air, her golden eyes flashing with a breathtaking light.

"Tianyan, I was once curious about the meaning of the pitch blackness that precedes a great calamity. I imagine it should be quite similar to the scene I am seeing now."

"Let's go, take me to the place where Tianrui fell."

"Once we get out, we won't need to hide anymore."

The barefoot girl didn't reply; her slender body silently lifted off the ground and flew deeper into the secret realm.

And she had just gotten up,

In an instant,

A sudden, unexpected sword light swept past without warning.

A gentle breeze swept by, and suddenly, an unexpected change occurred.

The next instant, a thin, almost imperceptible line of blood appeared on her fair neck.

"Laugh!"

The head flew off, and blood gushed out instantly.

Even after decapitating someone, the sword's momentum remained undiminished, slicing the building behind them in two like a laser beam!

Time seemed to stand still.

A handsome man with indifferent eyes stood holding a sword, as if he had always been standing beside the two of them.

In this stillness of time,

The Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master glanced at the man with golden eyes that held a chilling light.

An indifferent yet divine gaze intertwined in the air.

The next moment,

The man seemed to have been struck by a heavy blow; he tried to block with his sword, but failed.

He was sent flying backwards, crashing into a building more than two hundred feet away with a whooshing sound!

The Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master gestured:

"Tianyan, you go out first, leave this to me."

But before he could finish speaking,

Before the smoke even rose, a towering Sword-Ray shot out from the building, cleaving through the void.

The target was not the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master, whose white palace dress fluttered in the wind, but Tianyan, who had just been "resurrected".

The visitor seemed to know very well that he had to deal with the smaller one first.

As the sword's aura swept in, Tianyan's expression hardened, and he uttered a single word:

"Instant."

In an instant, her slender figure appeared several dozen feet away.

Unfortunately, the Sword-Ray didn't pass by; instead, it made a strange sharp angle turn and shot towards her head again.

With no way to avoid it, Tianyan was about to use the Death-Substitution Secret Art again when she saw the terrifying Sword-Ray suddenly explode a foot away from her, turning into specks of white light and disappearing without a trace.

"."

Tianyan exhaled and subconsciously looked at his master not far away.

She was the one who saved her.

However, the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master did not look at Tianyan; his azure golden eyes were fixed on the man in the ruins.

Sunlight poured down,

Clad in white, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, she approached step by step, the spirit sword Clear Abyss in her hand gleaming with a sinister light.

And until this point,

The damage caused by the Sword-Ray and the roar of the building being smashed were only just beginning to be heard!

"Boom--"

Upon seeing this, Tianyan did not hesitate at all. After transmitting her location to her master, she turned into a blur and ran towards the exit, her beautiful eyes filled with deep anger.

She didn't know who the person was, but she knew that only that bastard Xu Yuan would send someone to this place.

Moreover, the man in white and Xu Changtian looked somewhat alike.

As Tianyan ran, his teeth clenched so tightly they made a grinding sound.

"Xu Yuan, you bastard! You're dead next time we meet!"

"."

Feng Jiuxuan watched the graceful figure leave silently, without stopping her any further.

The girl was quite powerful; if he continued to forcefully attack her, he might be injured by the mysterious saint in the sky.

After a while,

"Feng Jiuxuan." Feng Jiuxuan looked at the mysterious saint.

The Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master looked down at him, his voice pure and noble:

"Tianyuan."

After a brief exchange, silence fell.

Two figures in white stood facing each other across the air. One floated in mid-air, her palace dress fluttering, her eyes gleaming with golden light; the other stood on the ground, her sword gleaming with a cold light.

As the atmosphere gradually cooled to freezing point...

Tianyuan suddenly spoke, her emotionless voice softly ringing out:

"Were you deliberately waiting here?"

Feng Jiuxuan holding the sword:

"No."

He was also surprised to run into two people from the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion in this secret realm.

Xu Yinhe had been investigating for so long, and yet he was caught here.

Tianyuan understood immediately, her voice clear and cold:

"It seems the location Xu Changtian gave you wasn't detailed enough."

"."

Feng Jiuxuan remained silent.

My nephew gave me a very vague location, and he's been wandering around this secret place for seven or eight days now.

The herb garden has been abandoned, and the various materials and elixirs in the warehouse have rotted and become unusable.

Aside from finding some Cultivation Method Secret Manual and a Spirit Puppet in the Library Pavilion, they didn't find a single Sumeru Ring.

However, judging from the sage's direct mention of Xu Yuan's name, his nephew must have been hiding something from him.

At least that nephew didn't say that the people in the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion also knew about this.

After a brief silence, Feng Jiuxuan simply and directly:

"Do you know the way?"

"Naturally." Tianyuan.

"Cooperation?" Feng Jiuxuan.

Tianyuan was also very direct:

"I'm only here to retrieve something; there's no point in us fighting here."

Feng Jiuxuan sheathed his sword:

Lead the way.

"."

Twenty days later,

"Achoo!"

A sneeze echoed in the elegant and quaint private room.

Xu Yuan was sitting cross-legged on the bed cultivating, dispersed his Cultivation Method, rubbed his slightly itchy nose, and took out a bottle of elixir from his Sumeru Ring.

The translucent jade bottle revealed the fiery red elixir inside.

Xu Yuan had not seen Li Qingyan since their last meeting.

However, the tall guy probably felt it wasn't right to beat him up as soon as they met, so he sent someone to deliver a bottle of elixir as an apology.

It was specially supplied to the royal family and is very precious.

Its function is simple: it broadens the meridians and has an aphrodisiac effect.

The latter is more effective than the former.

Xu Yuan almost lost his composure when he learned about the effects of the two bottles of Yang Marrow Elixir from the old steward.

Sending this as an apology

Is this a provocation?

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan smiled and shook his head:

"This Li Qingyan has quite an interesting personality."

Having said that, he put the Yang marrow fluid back into his Sumeru Ring and got up to go outside for some fresh air.

He's been very busy these days, busy with his cultivation.

Shame inspires courage.

Wu Yuan cultivates military formations. As long as he cultivates his skills to the Grandmaster as soon as possible, he will most likely be able to restore his husband's authority.

At least I can't stay under her all the time.

The same goes for the Big Ice Block.

The sky was clear and cloudless, a vast expanse of blue untouched by the industrial pollution of its past.

Walking through the palace-like mansion of the Prime Minister's Estate, Xu Yuan could see that there were many more unfamiliar officials in the house.

There were high-ranking officials of the imperial court dressed in purple robes, as well as some minor officials in dark green robes, and even some chamber of commerce presidents dressed in brocade and fine clothes.

These people started acting on the news after the engagement was announced.

People came to pay their respects and bring gifts. Although most of them never actually saw the old man, these people still came in droves.

The amount of money given was a small matter for the Prime Minister's Estate, but the attitude was very important. If everyone else was giving money and you weren't, how could you possibly maintain your position?

As you walk along the stone path to the wetland lake, many people notice Xu Yuan, the protagonist of the engagement, but not many come up to say hello.

After all, the incident of publicly killing the Great Desert prince some time ago has made Xu Yuan's reputation more than just that of a playboy.

If you say the wrong thing, it won't matter if this spoiled brat kills you.

Its good reputation has spread far and wide.

Xu Yuan was quite happy to have some peace and quiet.

However, Xu Yinhe was actually somewhat surprised by how this engagement was handled.

He originally thought it was just a private agreement between the Prime Minister's Estate and the royal family, but he never expected it to be announced to the world.

This is a signal, a dangerous signal.

The imperial court will never compromise on the war in the Northern Border.

Now that the imperial court has made its move, it remains to be seen how those sects will respond.

Based on the information Xu Yuan knew, he felt that the sect would compromise, using delaying tactics to achieve their goal.

Emperor Jiajing's injuries were inflicted by the sect; they must have roughly estimated the time until his Emperor Jiajing.

For ordinary families, marriage arrangements for offspring are of paramount importance, but they still seem somewhat insignificant in the face of imperial power.

Even brothers can turn against each other, let alone a marriage contract.

If the situation drags on until Emperor Jiajing dies and a new emperor ascends the throne, the fragile alliance between the Prime Minister's Estate and the royal family is very likely to break down.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan sighed slightly.

At this time,

A voice suddenly rang in Xu Yuan's ear:

"Changtian, come to the study."

"." Xu Yuan.

The voice belonged to Xu Yinhe. The engagement had been set for more than half a month, and this was the first time he had heard his father's voice since then.

The Inner Court was quiet.

As Xu Yuan approached the study door, just as he was about to knock, Xu Yinhe's voice came from inside:

"Changtian, come in."

Xu Yuan pushed open the door and entered.

The study remained the same, simple yet elegant, with a window overlooking most of the Imperial Capital.

Xu Yinhe sat behind his desk, which was covered with many memorials, some of which had been reviewed and others that had not yet been reviewed.

Upon seeing Xu Yuan enter, Xu Yinhe put down the memorial he was holding.

Xu Yuan nodded and bowed.

"Father, you were looking for me."

Xu Yinhe shook his head and glanced to the side:

"It's not me looking for you, it's your uncle."

Xu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this. He turned his head and, upon seeing the figure in white robes, smiled slightly without realizing it.

"Uncle, you're back?"

Feng Jiuxuan nodded:

"Um."

"Have you found the Sumeru Ring?" Xu Yuan asked.

Feng Jiuxuan gave an affirmative answer:

"Found it."

"Is it time to begin cultivation?" Xu Yuan then asked.

Feng Jiuxuan shook his head, his words were very direct:

"Changtian, do you know someone named Tianyan?"

Xu Yuan glanced subconsciously at Xu Yinhe beside him, only to see his father pretending to be dead while reading the memorial. He forced a nod and said, "I know him, Uncle. How did you mention him?"

"I killed her."

"What?" Xu Yuan's eyes widened slightly.

"He was later resurrected using a secret technique."

"." Xu Yuan.

Seeing Xu Yuan's expression, Feng Jiuxuan snorted coldly and said:

"Next time, tell me about these things in advance. If it weren't for her master being with her, she would be dead by now."

Xu Yuan's mind raced as he carefully considered how to change the subject:

"Uncle, do you mean you encountered the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master in the Qionghua Secret Realm?"

Feng Jiuxuan nodded:

"Yes, she's a very strong woman. I wasn't confident I could kill her, so I cooperated."

Xu Yuan let out a breath:

"Cooperate?"

Feng Jiuxuan stared at Xu Yuan, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"I've been searching for almost ten days in the place you described, Changtian, but I can't find it at all, so I have no choice but to cooperate with the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master."

"." Xu Yuan.

What could he do? Absolutely nothing.

He's not Tianyan; his memories are so hazy he's almost forgotten them all. It's already quite an achievement that he can give a general account.

"Alright."

Xu Yinhe put down the memorial at this moment and spoke:

"Changtian, tell me everything you know about the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion. It seems they intend to reappear soon."

"."

There was a two-second silence, because the amount of information was quite large.

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, quickly took off the Soul Ring, and handed it forward:

"Father, Uncle, ask him. This old man is the Saint Venerable of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion."

"..." The Saint's Remnant Soul.

Silence.

After a while,

Under the watchful eyes of Xu Yinhe and Feng Jiuxuan, a deep, resonant voice rang out:

"Ahem, the information I have is all from ten thousand years ago, it's very complicated, and you probably wouldn't be interested in explaining it. However, I do have some speculations about the reappearance of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion."

As he spoke, a phantom image of a Confucian scholar slowly floated out of the Soul Ring.

Xu Yinhe stared at the remnant soul, his voice indifferent:

"Senior, please speak freely."

The Saint's Remnant Soul remained silent for two seconds, then whispered:

"The Heavenly Oversight Pavilion has always been an enemy of the world. No one in the world wants to see such a force capable of deducing the secrets of heaven exist. Ten thousand years ago, during the great calamity of the Strange Ghost, the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion was weakened and was besieged and killed. Now that they have chosen to emerge, there is only one possibility."

Speaking of this,

Old Man Luo paused, glanced at the two contemporary sages opposite him, and waited for his comedic timing.

Xu Yinhe remained silent.

"." Feng Jiuxuan immediately began toying with the Clear Abyss in his hand.

Old Man Luo's eye twitched.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan coughed lightly and offered his support:

"Old Man Luo, what's possible?"

Old Man Luo smiled slightly upon seeing this, his expression returning to normal.

"The purpose of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion is to ensure the continuation of the human race. The fact that the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion has reappeared at the risk of being besieged suggests that the current Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master is likely unable to foresee the future."

Ten minutes late