The Corpse Collector
"The Empress Dowager is going into seclusion for further study!"
What was discussed in the main hall of Anle Palace is difficult for outsiders to know.
However, after Divine Lord Zhenyuan visited Anle Palace, the Empress Dowager personally issued an edict, which involved the dismantling and relocation of many important array objects, as well as their transfer.
This left Princess Dou, who received the imperial decree, in disbelief. However, Princess Dou was indeed an excellent executor, carrying out the necessary procedures even without understanding the situation.
Zhang Xuezhou arrived at Anle Palace guided to the ground by Divine Lord Zhenyuan, but he left the palace alone when he returned.
Of course, things weren't troublesome for Zhang Xuezhou. Once he stepped into the darkness, Zhang Xuezhou could stir up a storm and leave, and his speed home wouldn't be much slower.
But after he returned to the Zhang residence, Zhang Xuezhou's head began to ache slightly.
"Brother Dongfang!"
The first thing that caught Zhang Xuezhou's eye was Yi Shuo.
Zhang Xuezhou could see the injuries on Yi Shuo's body; most of these were superficial wounds, but some were internal injuries.
Normally, Yi Shuo's kind of injury requires constant rest and recuperation, and it would take about three to six months for the condition to heal.
If one seeks to speed up the healing process, one can choose the Supreme Purity True Technique. Zhang Xuezhou can provide rapid treatment, and a single treatment can heal Yi Shuo completely. However, this also corresponds to the rapid depletion of the body, requiring continuous nourishment and recuperation afterward. Otherwise, it can easily lead to irreparable consequences.
Yi Shuo's injuries are troublesome, but not too serious.
The investigation triggered by Yi Shuo's visit to the Zhang residence is unlikely to be very extensive and is unlikely to implicate Zhang Xuezhou.
What really bothered Zhang Xuezhou was the faint, foul odor emanating from his nostrils.
This isn't the stench of pork or pig excrement, but the stench of a corpse.
And amidst this stench of decay, there was a faint fragrance.
If your nose isn't sensitive, you might only smell a faint fragrance and not a foul odor at all.
In Chang'an City, the only place Zhang Xuezhou could smell this scent was Anle Palace.
If Divine Lord Zhenyuan was not tainted by Sha Qi and was burning incense at the Zhang residence, then only one possibility remains.
"No wonder Divine Lord Zhenyuan didn't take me with him when he left Anle Palace; it turns out he took the Empress Dowager with him!"
Zhang Xuezhou's heart pounded, and he gestured to Yi Shuo.
With the Empress Dowager at Zhang's residence, Zhang Xuezhou had no idea why she had come, so he dared not use his Technique Method.
"The doors of the main hall of Anle Palace are closed, indicating that the Empress Dowager will be retiring for an extended period of time. What kind of agreement has this been established?"
The Empress Dowager, who should have been in seclusion at Anle Palace, appeared at Zhang's residence. This was undoubtedly a feint, and it also had another purpose.
Zhang Xuezhou stood outside the main hall of Anle Palace and chatted with Princess Dou for three hours. After Princess Dou entered the hall, Zhang Xuezhou was Cheng Bushi asked to leave by Cheng Bushi.
Even though Zhang Xuezhou knew a great deal, he still didn't understand everything related to it.
"Master Zhenyuan?"
Zhang Xuezhou called out, and saw that the door to the room where Divine Lord Zhenyuan was located was opened a crack.
"Eastern cultivator, please enter!"
Divine Lord Zhenyuan's calm voice came, and Zhang Xuezhou nodded before striding in.
However, upon entering the room, the smell in Zhang Xuezhou's nostrils suddenly became much stronger.
Inside the room, the Empress Dowager sat on a wooden bench, appearing proper and courteous, but Zhang Xuezhou's heart still pounded.
The Empress Dowager was not wearing a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, but a complete set of jade clothing, which looked as if she were wearing a full suit of armor.
Each piece of jade on the jade suit was made with gold thread, and there was also a piece of spirit jade inlaid at the top. Combined with the spirit jade held in the Empress Dowager's left and right hands, it formed the basis of the Three Talents Formation, suppressing the evil Sha Qi leaking out of the Empress Dowager's body.
However, without a continuous supply of nourishing energy from the mountains and rivers, this kind of spiritual jade formation is difficult to sustain.
A jade robe with a small array wouldn't have made Zhang Xuezhou lose his composure; what truly caused him to lose his composure was that the Empress Dowager had put on the jade robe.
In the current funeral traditions of the Great Han Dynasty, only emperors, top nobles, and others were dressed in jade burial suits after death.
This type of jade burial suit also has another name: 'Jade Burial Suit with Golden Thread'.
"Fellow Daoist Dou has gifted me a complete set of heavy array formations," said Divine Lord Zhenyuan.
Congratulations, Daoist Master, your wish has been fulfilled!
Zhang Xuezhou clasped his hands in greeting. He glanced at the Empress Dowager, but didn't dare to bow directly to confirm her identity. He could only pretend not to recognize her.
"I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Dou to be so magnanimous," Divine Lord Zhenyuan nodded and said, "Your current defensive power should be more than enough, what you lack is the ability to attack!"
"Your journey has been successful, Daoist Master. You will surely achieve great things in the future," Zhang Xuezhou congratulated him.
"Fellow Daoist Dou's lifespan is not far off, and she has also resolved to die, unwilling to continue suffering from this illness," said Divine Lord Zhenyuan. "She wishes to be buried with her husband!"
"What do you mean?" Zhang Xuezhou asked, frowning.
"Fellow Daoist Dou's Sha Qi is difficult to dispel, and she doesn't want to see her husband with such a foul smell. She needs to use the Longevity Fruit Tree to suppress the malevolent Sha Qi!"
"I see!"
Zhang Xuezhou nodded, having roughly understood the matters discussed between the Empress Dowager and Divine Lord Zhenyuan.
The Golden Crow Great Emperor lived for over a thousand years. After his death, his demonic body transformed directly into a zombie, yet he could still relentlessly pursue Divine Lord Zhenyuan using his remaining bodily instincts.
However, if the demonic body of the Golden Crow Great Emperor were buried under the Longevity Fruit Tree, it would be suppressed to the point of being unable to move at all, and the Sha Qi of the corpse would be completely drained away.
Beneath the longevity fruit tree lay piles of White Bone, the remains of many great gods from Heavenly Court.
The Empress Dowager's illness was difficult to cure, and her life force was hard to shake off the death Sha Qi. However, it was not difficult for the body to be drained of its Sha Qi was drained from the corpse.
"My Law Treasure weapon is too light and agile; it can only collect inanimate objects, not living ones; it can only collect small objects, not large ones; it can only collect light objects, not heavy ones; it can only collect simple objects, not complex ones," said Divine Lord Zhenyuan. "This time, I will need your manpower and effort to help me escort Fellow Daoist Dou back and forth!"
"Do I also need to go to Broken Soul Ridge again?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.
"I can't fly that far with my own people. If you could lend me a hand, this journey of twelve thousand miles would be much easier!"
Divine Lord Zhenyuan nodded.
Many plans can't keep up with changes. A month ago, Divine Lord Zhenyuan planned to go to the Yedie River Holy Land to seek help from Daojun. Little did he expect that he would come to Chang'an City with Zhang Xuezhou and solve most of the problems.
What he obtained from Li Shaojun were scattered array items, with array stones of medium quality, which could only be used to construct a simple protective array.
However, the array items that Divine Lord Zhenyuan obtained from the Empress Dowager were all of the highest quality, and some were even complete sets. They were also the top-tier protective array items that Southern Jambudvipa Continent had been developing and improving in recent years.
This grand formation is far better than Divine Lord Zhenyuan had envisioned, and its power after being successfully set up is unpredictable and even gives Divine Lord Zhenyuan the confidence to stand firm and defend himself.
With just this one formation, Divine Lord Zhenyuan can secure his own territory.
But this also corresponds to the price he has to pay.
Some people can turn their backs on you after taking the goods, but Divine Lord Zhenyuan is not such a heartless person. After hundreds of years in the Kunlun Sacred Land, his heart is still pure, and he will always go to help those in need.
In this gamble, the Empress Dowager placed a heavy bet, but she did not place it on the wrong target.