The Underground Palace

"Like the Emperor?"

A soft, almost sighing laugh echoed in the silent cave. Li Qingyan's eyes were fixed intently on Xu Yuan.

"Are you saying that Father Emperor intends to eliminate your Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion and then have Second Brother repeat the path they all followed?"

"Good question, I don't know."

"." Li Qingyan.

Xu Yuan relaxed his hands behind his back and laughed, "I've only met the current emperor a few times since I was a child, and I don't know anything about his character. What I said just now was all from Li Zhaoyuan's perspective."

A cryptic smile played on Li Qingyan's lips:

"So you think Second Brother is willing to stake his entire life and fortune on Father Emperor's whim?"

"Moreover, when it comes to making deals with sects, my elder brother seems to have an advantage. After all, the State Preceptor is my elder brother's nominal sword master, and he even spent three years in the Sword Sect in his early years."

Xu Yuan nodded slightly and asked:

"What you said makes sense, but besides that, does Li Zhaoyuan have any other options?"

"."

A moment of silence,

Li Qingyan shook his head, looking bored.

Xu Yuan then said in a low voice:

"Your mother is a palace maid and not the eldest son. Your second brother wants to ascend the throne, and every step he takes is a gamble with his life. This time, he is gambling that your father's attitude towards my Prime Minister's Mansion will change."

"It seems he's probably made the right bet. Now, it's time to see how my dad will respond."

Establishing connections with sects is not something that can be done overnight.

In other words, Li Zhaoyuan most likely began his preparations more than ten or even twenty years ago.

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan composed himself, his serious expression vanishing, and chuckled.

"However, personally, I would prefer to see our fathers and the rest of the family walk this path together to the end, rather than handing it over to the next generation."

After a brief pause, Xu Yuan whispered:

"And then fulfill their romance from back then."

"Romantic?" Li Qingyan murmured with interest.

In the dark cave, Xu Yuan's bloodshot eyes flickered:

"A romance that lasts until death for the same ideal."

"."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan remained silent, supporting herself on her knees as she slowly rose from the cold stone surface.

A figure in a crimson dress stood ramrod straight in the dimly lit cave, her voice calm and serene.

"This cave seems quite large. I'll go take a look around."

"However, you can find such romantic princes in picture books; there should be many stories like that there."

"."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan smacked his lips and clicked his tongue.

She was slightly annoyed by the princess's mood-ruining remarks.

After a moment's pause, Xu Yuan stroked his chin, looked at her slender back, and smiled:

"You have so little confidence in your father?"

"."

Li Qingyan did not stop, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness of the cave.

After a while,

A soft, ambiguous laugh came from afar, followed by her clear, gentle voice:

"As the son of Lord Xu, I believe you, my consort, should know very well what power tastes like."

After she finished speaking, all that could be heard was the sound of her footsteps receding into the distance.

"."

Xu Yuan frowned, but then sighed softly when he saw the Sumeru Ring on his fingertip.

Girls are definitely cuter when they're a little more sentimental.

In his previous life Xu Yuan had never seen any grand scenes, but even a tiny department of a dozen or so people would engage in office politics for a few cents of power, constantly scheming against each other and even going so far as to put people in jail.

If a small, run-down department in a private company with a dozen or so employees is like this, how much more so is this supreme imperial power?

Even a puppet emperor like Emperor Xian of Han in his previous life could find ways to stage a coup and seize power. No emperor, past or present, would tolerate the loss of imperial power if there were even the slightest possibility of it slipping through their fingers.

If Li Yaoxuan were to relinquish this power for his ideals, he wouldn't be an emperor; he would transcend to become a saint.

However, as things stand, neither of the old men has achieved this yet.

Li Yaoxuan needed the royal lineage to continue, and he didn't want the Li Xingtian family to die out in his generation.

And his father also had followers who had followed him for most of his life.

In our humble beginnings, we shared the same ideals and goals.

When we meet again at the summit,

The surrounding scenery has changed.

This kind of romance,

It's highly likely that it can only appear in picture books.

Li Qingyan went out to explore a way out, while Xu Yuan stayed in place to recover his Source Qi.

The Source Qi that Li Qingyan injected into Xu Yuan's body only had a protective function; the depletion of his own Source Qi still left his body somewhat weak and depleted.

However, Xu Yuan didn't care.

I'm rich.

The power that came with being in charge of the Northern Border of the Prime Minister's Mansion allowed him to eat his fill of greasy food.

The precious pills he wouldn't even dare to consume while playing games in his previous life are now counted by the bottle in his Sumeru Ring.

Inside the cave, no one knew how much time had passed; the only sound was the occasional dripping of water from the stalactite peaks.

The moment Xu Yuan saw that she, dressed in a red robe, had returned to his side at some point.

They come and go without a trace, without making a sound.

Perhaps one day after they get married, they'll be visiting brothels, and while he's having fun, the princess will be sitting next to him watching, and he won't even know it.

Wow. Thinking about it that way is actually a bit scary.

Composing himself, Xu Yuan asked with a low laugh:

"You're back so quickly? You've found a way out?"

"No."

Li Qingyan shook his head, his phoenix eyes showing a hint of seriousness. "This doesn't seem to be a cave, but rather an Underground Palace."

"Underground Palace?"

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, subconsciously muttered something, and then asked, "Two hours have passed. Even if this Underground Palace is huge, with Qingyan's Will Soul strength, you should be able to find a way out, right?"

Li Qingyan pointed to the inner wall of the cave:

"Your Highness, you can find out for yourself by Will Soul."

"."

Xu Yuan stretched out his gaze, and his Will Soul then emerged from his sea of consciousness, searching for the surrounding area.

The next moment, under Li Qingyan's gaze, Xu Yuan's brows furrowed little by little.

After circulating the Cultivation Method, his eyes will gain a certain degree of night vision.

However, in absolute darkness, this night vision ability would be weakened to the extreme. Will Soul is more like the exploration of infrasound from a previous life, which will directly project the surrounding environment into the mind, unaffected by the brightness of light.

However, at this moment, the instant his Will Soul touched the inner wall of the cave, it became weak and powerless as if it had fallen into a state of stagnation.

Moreover, the tranquil cave walls were devouring his Will Soul.

A very subtle feeling.

If Xu Yuan hadn't become accustomed to the invasion of the Charm God Spore during his dual cultivation with Su Jinxuan, he wouldn't have been able to detect it so immediately, even with his Innate Soul Body.

"."

In the silence, Xu Yuan silently got up and walked towards the stone wall to the side. Standing close to it, he slowly raised his hand and gently stroked the wall.

The wall wasn't cold to the touch; it was fuzzy and slightly damp.

Is this vegetation?

"Splash--"

A burst of crimson flame suddenly ignited, instantly dispelling the darkness within the cave.

Holding the blood flame in his hand close to the eerie vegetation that covered the cave walls, Xu Yuan stared intently. He saw a slight rustling sound, and then the vegetation near the flame seemed to move away as if it were alive.

The blood flames moved away, and the vegetation climbed back.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan used the firelight in his palm to look around.

Then,

He suddenly realized that the spacious cave was covered with a layer of unknown vegetation, both on the floor and the inner walls.

It appears brownish-red.

It looked somewhat eerie under the illumination of the blood flames in his hands.

Withdrawing his hand, the blood flames dissipated, and the cave instantly returned to darkness.

Xu Yuan let out a breath and walked back to sit down next to Li Qingyan.

The spot where they were sitting was the only "pure land" in the area; the vegetation in this area must have been eaten up by the spatial turbulence they brought with them when they teleported there.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice:

"Qingyan, do you know what this fungal carpet is?"

Li Qingyan's two slender fingers caressed the Sumeru Ring:

"There aren't many plants in this world that can shield Will Soul, and there are never any reddish-brown plants among them. It must be unique to this Underground Palace."

"Unique?"

Xu Yuan murmured, then grinned, "Then we'll be rich! This brown fungal carpet is a brand new material. When we get out, we'll bring some samples to my Fourth Sister, and then find someone to mine it. Maybe she can come up with something amazing."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan's expression gradually turned strange.

Just kidding.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan spread his hands, and the smile in his eyes faded.

The immense profits from discovering a brand-new material in this extraordinary world are indeed astonishing, but all of this comes with a prerequisite: that the two of them can get out first.

Upon witnessing the eerie brownish-red fungal carpet, Xu Yuan suddenly remembered something, something he had almost forgotten.

His fortune is a full 3 points high.

The power of cultivation is not apparent when one stays at home, but the benefits of high fortune are only revealed during random teleportation events.

Previously, I was teleported directly from the Qionghua Secret Realm to the perilous Cherry Leech Lake; this time, I guess I've been teleported to some other dangerous place again.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan glanced sideways at the beautiful and ethereal Li Qingyan beside him and sighed.

It seems this "chest-bound princess" has rather low fortune.

Hmm. Missing Treasure Hunter for N+1 days.

Seeing that Xu Yuan had stopped speaking, Li Qingyan then quietly recounted what she had seen and heard while exploring the Underground Palace:

"Although this Underground Palace is intricate and complex, it shows obvious signs of human intervention, and is very likely an ancient tomb, or a maze set up by our predecessors."

"Qingyan."

Xu Yuan suddenly interrupted, pointing to the cave ceiling above. "Could you try to break through here directly?"

In the novel "Cangyuan," destroying the terrain is prohibited, but in reality, it is allowed.

A maze? What kind of maze?

Just drill right through!

Li Qingyan smiled slightly upon hearing this.

The next moment,

"Bass!"

The blade at his waist was instantly drawn, a flash of fire streaking through the darkness, and the sharp tip pointed sharply at the cave ceiling above.

"Buzz--"

The blade rang out crisply, and a gust of wind spread out from Li Qingyan as the center.

As the red sleeves landed, a small, round hole suddenly appeared, bottomless, yet devoid of sunlight.

Sheathing his sword, Li Qingyan said crisply and decisively:

"I have already tried it. This Underground Palace is very deep, and I cannot be sure how far it is from the surface."

Xu Yuan looked at the hole in the ceiling and hesitated slightly:

"Try attacking a few times in a row?"

"."

Li Qingyan didn't reply, but gently placed a finger between her rosy lips, gazing into the dark, deep cave. "Shh."

Xu Yuan frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes.

It seems there's something strange in this Underground Palace.

In thought,

Xu Yuan stared intently, his Will Soul probing outwards.

But in the next instant, a burly, humanoid black figure darted out from the darkness with lightning speed!

The humanoid shadow appeared abruptly, undetectable by Will Soul and without making a sound.

The speed was very fast, and with the enhancement of the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique, Xu Yuan was able to barely see the opponent's movement trajectory.

In other words, this speed should be like a tortoise crawling in Li Qingyan's eyes.

As Xu Yuan had imagined,

A flash of fiery red light illuminated the dark cave, and the attacking figure was instantly cleaved in two in mid-air, crashing to the ground beside them with two loud thuds from the momentum of the attack!

Li Qingyan did not stop what she was doing. She slightly raised her jade hand, and two crimson sword shadows shot out, pinning the figure that had been split in two to the ground. Pointing at the two lumps, she said softly:

"My lord, take a look."

"."

The light emitted by the crimson flames allowed Xu Yuan to see what was attacking him.

It was indeed a humanoid creature; he could even vaguely make out the blurred features on its face.

It was cleaved in two by Li Qingyan's blade, but strangely, even after being split in two, no blood-like substance flowed out. Instead, thousands of tiny fleshy tentacles appeared.

It extends from the broken end, struggling and rustling as if trying to reconnect the severed body.

Xu Yuan felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively stood up.

He turned to look at Li Qingyan, his lips twitching.

It's giving me a creepy feeling. Just how low is this woman's luck? Could it be that she dragged him here?

The Dead Silence Underground Palace, a level 90 outdoor instance.

"."

Seeing Xu Yuan's reaction, Li Qingyan frowned slightly and asked in a clear voice:

"Your Highness, do you know what this strange thing is?"

Xu Yuan's mind raced, and he licked his lips. "Mmm."

Li Qingyan smiled upon hearing this.

Get up,

Raise your hand,

The two crimson swords embedded in the monster immediately emitted a dazzling red light!

Scorching flames erupted, and the monster that had been trying to connect with the body was instantly devoured.

In the embers of the flames

Li Qingyan walked up to Xu Yuan in her boots, her eyes crinkling with a gentle smile, and said softly:

"In that case, Your Highness, could you tell me what this strange thing is?"

"Know."

Xu Yuan uttered two words, staring intently into Li Qingyan's eyes, and said in a very solemn tone:

"Li Qingyan, our Prime Minister's Mansion's residence has records of information about this Underground Palace in our top-tier internal documents. If you want to survive, don't doubt anything I say."

"."

Li Qingyan narrowed his crimson eyes, remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly and said solemnly:

"Well, since the Prince Consort has said so, I naturally have no doubts."

Hearing this promise, Xu Yuan felt a slight sense of relief.

To be honest, he was genuinely worried that this opinionated princess with a strapless top would try to be unconventional in a place like this.

Li Qingyan pressed down on the hilt of the knife and asked softly:

"Judging from your expression, Prince Consort, this must be quite troublesome?"

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan pointed to the charred ground and said:

"This is Strange Ghost, a monster with vigorous vitality and extremely high infectivity. Before that thing was infected, it should have been a human cultivator."

He paused for a moment,

Xu Yuan then pointed to the fungal carpets that could shield and devour the Will Soul:

"Those must be the Black Death Fungal Mat of the Strange Ghost Strange Ghost, providing them with the Source Qi and flesh for regeneration."

After listening carefully, Li Qingyan asked the question that concerned her most:

"Your Highness, according to the intelligence from your Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion, are there Strange Ghost in this Underground Palace stronger than myself?"

"Have."

Xu Yuan answered decisively, "And far stronger than you are now. The strongest Strange Ghost is among the best of the First-Grade Mortal Shedding."

Silence followed.

Li Qingyan's beautiful face was cold and aloof, and she gripped the hilt of her knife with a slight tightening.

Xu Yuan smiled gently and said:

"Of course, you don't need to worry too much. As long as we don't make too much noise, that thing won't wake up."

Before the words were finished,

"Boom!!!!!!"

A deafening roar, accompanied by a tremor as if the earth were collapsing, came from the depths of the Underground Palace, making it difficult for anyone to stand up straight.

After the tremor, came the force of the punches that spread along the intricate passageway.

The biting wind made their robes flutter loudly.

In silence,

Li Qingyan glanced in the direction the sound came from, then looked at Xu Yuan, and gestured with her lip in the direction the noise came from.

What should we do now?

"."

Xu Yuan licked his lips and tentatively asked:

"This is... the Barbarian King?"