Blown Apart
Things always happen exactly as you fear them.
Zhang Xuezhou was somewhat afraid of the Demon-Revealing Mirror. When he was only ten steps away from the side hall, the Demon-Revealing Mirror actually started to move.
The ancient, stone-wall-like mirror surface instantly became incredibly clear, revealing a world of reflections and the hidden reality beneath.
Zhang Xuezhou felt his Demon Power slowly circulating within his body, and the jade-winged feathers on his arms gradually emerged from his sleeves.
He didn't mind showing off his skills in "Technique Within the Clouds." The new emperor and others would only be curious about Zhang Xuezhou's sorcery, not regard him as a demon. However, being targeted by the Demon -Demon-Revealing Mirror and taking a hit would be fatal. Even Zhu Jiuyin had a sense of awe towards the Demon-Revealing Mirror, let alone Zhang Xuezhou.
"Oops!"
As he moved to retreat, he felt a beam of light appear in the mirror.
How could the speed of an object's movement compare to that of light, a medium? Not to mention Zhang Xuezhou's still-developing Technique Within the Clouds, even if he transformed into Wind and Thunder Wings, it would only achieve a flight speed that breaks the sound barrier.
Zhang Xuezhou's speed was insufficient to evade the Demon-Revealing Mirror, and his control over 'fast and slow' was also inadequate. He felt his body enter the furnace the instant he reacted, with golden light constantly appearing on his body. His physical techniques were the first to resist, followed by a series of evasion techniques.
The Demon-Revealing Mirror possessed extremely complex power, and Zhang Xuezhou felt various evasion effects constantly appearing on his body.
He took three steps back, and just as he was about to brace himself and raise his arms to use his jade wings to get away from Chang'an City and escape the range of the Demon-Revealing Demon-Revealing Mirror, he heard a sound like breaking glass, and the power of the Demon-Revealing Mirror's continuous attack was instantly withdrawn.
Zhang Xuezhou reached out and touched it; the Eye of the Ba Snake he always wore at his waist had shattered into a piece, and the jade-like Eye of the Ba Snake was oozing fluid.
Although Zhang Xuezhou rarely used the Eye of the Ba Snake, this Yao Treasure transformed from the Zhu Shiyin Eyeball did indeed assist him several times.
Why did the Demon-Revealing Mirror unjustly target Dongfang Shuo? Who was in charge of using the Demon-Revealing Demon-Revealing Mirror at this time?
As he pulled the shattered Eye of the Ba Snake from his pocket, the new emperor, who was sitting in the main seat of the side hall, instantly stood up and roared. In a flash, he appeared next to Zhang Xuezhou.
"This has completely ripped Dongfang Shuo's kidneys off!"
The new emperor shouted again, causing Princess Dou, who was only now reacting, to change her expression drastically.
"Lord Dongfang's kidneys are bursting with juice!"
The Zhufu Yan peeked out, and the third person to react came from the side hall.
Empress Wei Zifu quickly covered the eyes of her two daughters. The Empress stood up and looked around, but was quickly pressed down by Princess Dou.
The banquet in the side hall was practically a royal family banquet, with few outsiders invited, except for Zhufu Yan, the minister who came up with the wicked idea, and Zhang Xuezhou, who had just arrived.
Some people stood up, some peeked out, some went out of the hall, and some looked at the demon-revealing Demon-Revealing Mirror that had unleashed its power without them noticing.
"Perhaps Dongfang Shuo was a demon in human form, when..."
Princess Dou pointed at Zhang Xuezhou, but dared not finish saying "He should be executed."
There was much undisclosed information in the court, but the royal family knew some of it. Princess Dou was well aware that Zhang Xuezhou had cooperated with the new emperor to kill Daojun in Mayi, was involved in the Battle of Dragon City, and had even fought a fierce battle half a month ago. The new emperor's entry into the True Self Realm was also very likely related to this.
An emperor whose strength has reached the True Self Realm exerts an unprecedented deterrent effect on the entire royal family, and the ministers who spurred this process must have received unimaginable favor from the emperor.
Princess Dou even speculated that the person involved might become the prime minister or the grand tutor. She was too busy befriending such people to risk clashing with them, let alone the new emperor.
"Your Majesty, it is now your humble servants who are in charge of using the Demon-Revealing Mirror!"
When the new emperor looked at her, Princess Dou felt a sudden tremor in her heart for no reason. For the first time, she bowed her head and addressed him as "your subject," no longer daring to rely on the status of her aunt and mother-in-law.
"What kind of retainer would dare to commit such a heinous act?"
The new emperor shouted, Eye of the Ba Snake he was holding in his right hand made it difficult for him to maintain his anger. He could only cling tightly to Zhang Xuezhou's waist to create the appearance of being wounded.
He couldn't see clearly from a distance, but now that he was next to Zhang Xuezhou, how could he not see clearly?
It appeared that Zhang Xuezhou's kidneys were destroyed, but he only lost a Yao Treasure.
Most Yao Treasure are used in medicine, such as bezoar and rhinoceros horn. Few people can command Yao Treasure, so it is impossible for them to carry Yao Treasure on their person, let alone recklessly bring Yao Treasure close to the Demon-Revealing Mirror.
The new emperor somewhat understood Zhang Xuezhou's previous caution, but Zhang Xuezhou's caution was useless. The closer the distance, the greater the probability that the Demon-Revealing Demon-Revealing Mirror would be drawn by the Yao Qi and unleash its power, even if the Yao Treasure had been repeatedly refined and only a trace of its aura remained.
Although the Demon-Revealing Mirror is said to kill demons, no one says that Demon-Revealing Mirror power is harmless when it sweeps over humans. Whenever someone acts recklessly, the Demon-Revealing Mirror will teach them a lesson. Only Zhang Xuezhou's strong abilities allowed him to avoid trouble himself.
The new emperor thought for a few seconds and figured out the situation. He felt that Zhang Xuezhou might have guessed the situation, which was why he put himself in the situation and led the princess to make a mistake.
Princess Dou returned the Demon-Revealing Mirror to the royal family long ago, and even gave away the Changmen Palace. The new emperor heard that Zhang Xuezhou needed the Demon-Revealing Mirror Demon-Revealing Mirror, so he put Zhang Xuezhou in charge of it. However, Zhang Xuezhou never took charge of the matter, and Princess Dou has not yet fully handed it over.
Injury can be a big deal or a small deal. If someone insignificant is beaten, the matter will not cause any ripples. But if someone of high status is beaten, it is a different story.
"I hosted a banquet for Dongfang Shuo, who dared to humiliate me like this?"
Princess Dou did not respond, but only kept apologizing, which prompted the new emperor to shout angrily.
"Does my aunt pity this man, or does she want me to kill all of Dou's retainers to verify him one by one?" the new emperor said in a deep voice.
"I... I..."
"Mother, Dong Yan, who controls the Demon-Revealing Mirror, isn't even one of our own. Why are you protecting him like this!"
Princess Dou stammered, while the Empress, in a moment of haste, directly revealed the name of the cultivator who controlled the Demon-Revealing Mirror.
"Dong Yan?"
The new emperor frowned.
Dong Yan was Huang Laodao's number one genius and a cultivator he greatly admired. Over the years, he had treated him with kindness and even hosted banquets for him several times.
The other party is exceptionally skilled in manipulation and certainly has the qualifications to control the Demon-Revealing Mirror."
The loss of control of the Demon-Revealing Mirror might not actually be Dong Yan's fault. It's highly likely that Zhang Xuezhou's Yao Treasure has an extraordinary origin and doesn't belong to an ordinary lesser demon. It also exceeded Dong Yan's control, which triggered the forced attack.
"Summon Dong Yan!"
He gave a shout, and the two guards at the entrance of the side hall immediately rushed out.
"Oh, oh, well... Dong Yan is diligently cultivating; he has absolutely no ill intentions towards Dongfang Shuo!"
Princess Dou blushed slightly and tried to explain several times, but the new emperor responded with a soft hum. Princess Dou knew that this matter would not be easily resolved.
If another official had been subjected to the aftershocks of the Demon-Revealing Mirror at such close range, that person would likely be lying dead on the ground.
If Zhang Xuezhou had approached the Demon-Revealing Mirror unaware of the rules, that would have been one thing, but the other party knew the situation and still approached it, which is a different matter altogether.
Originally intended as an internal banquet for the royal family to foster harmonious family relationships, Princess Dou looked around and outside the hall and felt as if she had inexplicably turned it into a trap set by the late Emperor Gaozu.
This is the simplest form of political confrontation, but also the most difficult to withstand.
If she is not careful, Princess Dou could suffer a major setback.
She pondered her control over Huangdi Dao's Daoist trump card, the marriage alliance between her daughter and the emperor, Wei Zifu's two consecutive births of daughters and her new pregnancy, and then looked at the empress's emaciated belly, feeling a chill run through her heart.