Every Gift Comes with a Price Tag
Zhang Xuezhou had to admit that his physical abilities were indeed slightly stronger than those of the Empress Dowager.
Perhaps the Empress Dowager's cultivation techniques were limited, or perhaps her physical strength had been weakened; the Empress Dowager was a step weaker than him.
Being slightly stronger than his opponent doesn't mean Zhang Xuezhou is willing to fight a pointless battle. He doesn't want to fight to the death with a dead man, lest he gain no benefit and get himself into trouble.
This is a contest of skill and strategy destined to begin, but one that will not escalate into a fierce battle.
As the fire rained down, Zhang Xuezhou grabbed a flame bead.
"Similar to a demon core?"
The flame orb burned in his hand, but it didn't scorch Zhang Xuezhou, seemingly harmless because it lacked the Empress Dowager's control.
Zhang Xuezhou blew a breath, and flames roared up.
He can conceal his form in the space of magic, and apart from that, he relies on hand-to-hand combat. This flame bead undoubtedly adds another way for him to strike.
These were remnants from the battle of wits, and became his spoils of war.
Zhang Xuezhou reached out and grasped the Flame Bead several times, deciding that once the flame was ignited, it could be thrown out to serve a one-time purpose.
It's rare to have another method in a contest of skill, and he gladly accepted it.
As the darkness receded, the Longevity Fruit Tree came into view, and Zhang Xuezhou saw a fruit with a faint golden glow quietly hanging on a branch.
Farewell, Fellow Daoist Dou!
Beneath the Longevity Fruit Tree, Divine Lord Zhenyuan was clearly unaware of this contest of magical abilities.
He stroked the newly grown fruit on the longevity fruit tree and couldn't help but bow again.
"Fellow Daoist Dou struggled in the ground; she must have been in great pain. I stomped on her a couple more times to bring her some peace. Alas!"
Divine Lord Zhenyuan let out a long sigh.
People accept death, yet they also fear it.
Divine Lord Zhenyuan had seen off many great gods of the Kunlun Sacred Land, so he was well aware of this contradictory mentality.
He stopped Zhang Xuezhou from provoking the Empress Dowager to question her, and when the Empress Dowager regained her senses after being provoked, he kicked her twice, causing her to die completely.
"A new fruit has grown on the Longevity Fruit tree. Does this mean that the Sha Qi surrounding the Empress Dowager has been completely dispelled?"
Zhang Xuezhou reached out and grabbed it, feeling that the flame bead he was grasping seemed to have a similar effect to the Longevity Fruit.
Normal collapse of one's physical constitution leaves nothing behind, as was the case after the physical constitutions of Emperor Jing and the Prince of Liang collapsed.
Perhaps it was the stimulation from the Longevity Fruit, or perhaps there was some unsolvable mystery involved, but the Longevity Fruit manifested, and the Flame Pearl also appeared and remained in the Empress Dowager's collapsing body.
Longevity Fruit is edible, and Flame Pearls may not only be used for throwing, but may also have benefits when ingested.
Zhang Xuezhou's interest was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask further questions about the Longevity Fruit of Divine Lord Zhenyuan and the Empress Dowager.
"Perhaps it was starving for too long, or perhaps it was unable to absorb the decaying flesh, but its absorption speed this time was indeed very fast. The transformation into a fruit means that the sacrificial offering has been completed!"
Divine Lord Zhenyuan nodded.
He fanned his sleeves back and forth several times, and the Empress Dowager, wrapped in a jade burial suit, reappeared, with countless tiny white roots entwined around the suit.
Compared to the previous stench that was difficult to eradicate, the Empress Dowager's body was now completely free of odor, and even had a slightly pleasant fragrance due to the magic array on her jade robe activated by Lingyu.
The Empress Dowager's long-standing illness was cured, but the other party was gone.
Looking at this woman who had once controlled the Great Han Dynasty, and sensing her relentless pursuit even in the moments before her death, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but sigh.
The Empress Dowager may have been a bit cold-hearted, but even in her last moments, she was protecting her descendants and hoping for the stability of the Great Han Dynasty.
Zhang Xuezhou neither liked nor disliked the Empress Dowager. He simply felt that she enjoyed the best conditions in the Great Han Dynasty and dedicated her life to maintaining Great Han Dynasty, which he considered dutiful. Even though he lacked a close relationship with her, it did not diminish his respect for Zhang Xuezhou.
But this does not mean that Zhang Xuezhou is willing to step into the circle drawn up by the Empress Dowager.
Every gift has a price tag. Gifts given before death are the largest and have the highest price tag, and may need to be repaid at some point, or even at a higher cost.
"Perhaps it's a mark; once the King of Huainan launches a war against His Majesty, the mark will drag me into it. Or perhaps the gift will make His Majesty believe that I bear inescapable responsibility for the Empress Dowager's death, or perhaps..."
Zhang Xuezhou considered several possibilities, but none of them would make him feel at ease.
If the Empress Dowager had given such a gift several years ago, Zhang Xuezhou might have taken the risk under pressure.
He now has a gradual approach to advancing his skills, and he has made choices about priorities, so he won't lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.
Moreover, the harvest of Flame Orbs was also quite good.
After inquiring about Divine Lord Zhenyuan's situation and comparing it with his own, he formed a general judgment in his mind.
"Should we carry the Empress Dowager's body back to Anle Palace now?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.
"I flew for four days, then spent another day digging pits to fill the foundation of the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation, and refined one hundred and forty-four trigram stones. I'm too exhausted to carry anyone back," said Divine Lord Zhenyuan. "If you need to set off, we also need to find some food to fill our stomachs and conserve our energy, otherwise such a long distance will be difficult to endure!"
There seem to be some rabbits around this mountain!
"I don't really like eating large amounts of bland rabbit!"
Food was a major problem in the desolate wilderness. Looking at the empty Broken Soul Ridge, Divine Lord Zhenyuan felt that life in the future would likely be unbearable.
Of course, one good thing was that he obtained top-tier array materials in less than a month, thus creating the prototype of the array in Broken Soul Ridge.
He took out a golden net and tossed it toward the Divine Lord Zhenyuan Fruit Tree.
In the dappled golden light, the net and fruit trees had vanished without a trace, leaving only a pile of charred earth on the ground.
"I used the Li trigram from the Eight Trigrams to make them all leave. As long as no cultivators come to occupy this secret place and make constructions, they shouldn't discover our actions," said Divine Lord Zhenyuan. "There are human settlements three hundred miles away from here. Let's go get some normal food!"
"Alright!"
Zhang Xuezhou nodded.
Perhaps because he was used to the food in Chang'an City, or for some other reason, Divine Lord Zhenyuan disliked catching rabbits and roasting them for food, preferring to fly three hundred miles away to find food rather than eat rabbits.
Zhang Xuezhou considered his remaining time and felt he could use two more days to find food.
Of course, if he could save some time, he could also return to Chang'an City to check the situation and make a further judgment.
The two of them breathed in the wind and rose into the air, swaying and staggering, one after the other.
Divine Lord Zhenyuan led the way, while Zhang Xuezhou followed behind.
"Three thousand miles to the west is the Elephant Bear Kingdom. The Elephant Bear Kingdom was formed by the remnants of the Kunlun people and various tribes. They are skilled in witchcraft and rituals and believe in the Heavenly Emperor. This area seems to be called the Supi Kingdom, which is under the jurisdiction of the Supi Queen. Many people worship the Heavenly Mother Empress. As long as we make a good impression, we will be warmly received," Divine Lord Zhenyuan introduced from the front.
"To be honest, I'm just average in other areas, but my ability to inspire respect through rituals is top-notch!"
Zhang Xuezhou patted his chest.
He used the name of the God of Tur to swindle and deceive people for years, even fooling a group of high -Scarlet Alliance State.
Zhang Xuezhou felt he had plenty of experience in pretending to be a ghost or deceiving people.
For Zhang Xuezhou, encountering similar situations was no challenge at all; he could easily get free food and drinks without any difficulty.