Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 323 The Empress Makes a Plea!

Just then, Xia Wushi and the other two in the distance suddenly changed their expressions, as if they had sensed something, and bowed to Lu Xuan in unison.

"Lord Lu Zhenxian, we shall take our leave now!"

Before the words were even finished, the figures of Xia Wushi and the other two had already vanished into thin air like bubbles, leaving only a ripple of space echoing within the hall.

Lu Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, and his brow furrowed. He sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching—

"Liang Cheng, Yun Qing, you two go out first," Lu Xuan said without turning his head.

After exchanging a glance, Liang Cheng and Lu Yunqing turned around without hesitation and transformed into streaks of light, darting out of the underground palace.

Just as Liang Cheng and Lu Yunqing's figures completely disappeared into the underground palace.

The entire underground palace was suddenly enveloped in a mysterious and unpredictable light.

The void is like a calm lake tossed with a stone, creating ripples that spread outwards.
A faint, pleasant fragrance quietly permeated the air of the underground palace.

The fragrance was subtle, resembling plum blossoms yet not quite, carrying a delicate, indescribable cool and refreshing charm.

Lu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering automatically in the still, windless air.

His expression was calm as he gazed silently at the void before him, the illusory images of the sun and moon slowly rotating in his eyes, as if they held the secrets of heaven and earth.

"despair."

A soft sound, like jade beads falling onto a plate, was crisp and ethereal, and was particularly clear in the silent underground palace.

In the void, a bare foot, as white as jade and as if meticulously carved, gently stepped out.

With this step, the hem of the dark imperial robe swayed slightly, revealing half of her snow-white, frost-like ankle.

Immediately afterwards, a graceful figure gradually emerged fully from the dark halo.

Empress Xia Mingyue!
Empress Xia Mingyue stood in mid-air, the wide sleeves of her black imperial robe fluttering gently in the void.

With each light step she took, a phantom of a dark black bird would appear.

The divine birds gracefully circled around her, their wings shimmering with countless stars, making her skin appear as flawless as mutton-fat jade.

Especially on Empress Xia Mingyue's brow, the black bird mark gleamed with a faint, ethereal light.

This made her stunningly beautiful face appear even more aloof and ethereal, sacred and inviolable.

However, beneath Empress Xia Mingyue's seemingly calm gaze lay a barely perceptible tremor.

When her gaze fell upon that familiar figure, her long eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

More than a hundred years have passed, yet the person before me is still just as I remember... I can't take my eyes off him.

The most magnificent of the black birds nuzzled against Empress Xia Mingyue's wrist affectionately.

Then, tilting her head, she curiously examined Lu Xuan, revealing a somewhat lively and naive demeanor.

"It's been a century since we last met." Empress Xia Mingyue parted her lips slightly, her voice clear and melodious.

"Lu Zhenxian, you still have the same charm as before."

Lu Xuan's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked at the Empress.

To be precise, it was looking at the black divine bird that was affectionately circling around Empress Xia Mingyue's wrist.

A dazzling halo of creation flowed between the wings of the black divine bird.

The subtle, wispy power of creation of the world is faintly visible on the tips of the feathers.

Upon seeing this scene, Lu Xuan could not hide the surprise deep in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Xia..."

At this moment, Lu Xuan's lips curled up slightly, "You've certainly been blessed with good fortune."

That black divine bird was clearly the spirit of creation—

The Spirit of Creation is a kind of life that can only be nurtured within the inner world of a Earthly Venerable Realm Lord!
Lu Xuan was shocked. He never expected that this empress would actually find a shortcut to break through to the Earthly Venerable Realm Lord level.

For an ordinary martial artist to open up their inner world and achieve the realm of Earthly Venerable Realm Lord, it would take at least several thousand or even tens of thousands of years.

Even for a peerless genius, it would take at least a thousand years of hard work.

And this Xia Mingyue in front of me... actually only took a little over a hundred years.

That's incredible!

Lu Xuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, his heart was filled with shock and admiration.

She actually managed to completely refine that Spirit Ruins world!

That small world of spiritual ruins, where the Earthly Venerable Realm is at its peak.

If it can be completely transformed into the power of origin, it can indeed allow a person to open up an inner world in a short period of time.

But how could an ordinary cultivator achieve this?
Because the inner world of each Earthly Venerable Realm Lord contains unique laws.

If an outsider forcibly attempts to refine it, it will inevitably trigger a backlash from the power of the world.

At best, it will severely damage one's cultivation; at worst... the world will collapse, and both body and soul will be destroyed!

The black divine bird seemed to sense Lu Xuan's thoughts and suddenly let out a clear and melodious cry.

Xia Mingyue gently stroked the black bird mark between her brows with her jade-like fingers, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Immortal Lu, are you worried that I'll suffer a qi deviation?"

Empress Xia Mingyue's smile was like ice and snow melting away, causing the temperature of the entire underground palace to rise a few degrees.

The black divine bird also fluttered its wings and circled joyfully, scattering specks of starlight.

A glint flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes. It seemed that the Empress's methods were even more unfathomable than he had imagined.

But Lu Xuan never imagined that the reason Empress Xia Mingyue could refine the origins of other people's worlds without any scruples was because...

It's all thanks to that Xuan Bird Cauldron, a Celestial Artifact!
As if sensing something, the black mythical bird suddenly flapped its wings and flew back to Xia Mingyue's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling her cheek.

Empress Xia Mingyue gently stroked the wings of the divine bird with her jade-like fingers, a barely perceptible hint of tenderness flashing between her cool and aloof brows.

"Compared to you, True Immortal Lu... what are my insignificant methods compared to this!"

Before the words were even finished, a delicate fragrance wafted to the tip of my nose.

Lu Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he saw that Empress Xia Mingyue, who was in the distance, was now within three feet of him.

The wide sleeves of the dark imperial robe billowed like flowing clouds, and slipped down unintentionally, revealing half of her fair, smooth wrist.

Her skin, smooth and lustrous like jade, shimmered with a pearly sheen under the soft light.

At such close range, Lu Xuan could clearly see the black bird mark between Xia Mingyue's eyebrows, which was emitting a faint, eerie light.

The faint, dim light made Empress Xia Mingyue's stunning face appear even more aloof and cold, inspiring a sense of untouchable reverence.

“Lu Zhenxian…” Xia Mingyue’s lips parted slightly, her breath as fragrant as orchids.

The spirit of creation perched obediently on her shoulder, tilting its little head and curiously observing the two of them.

Lu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, showing no intention of backing down.

He met the Empress's gaze with a calm expression, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Fellow Daoist Xia, you've come all this way, surely not just to reminisce?"

"You might as well speak frankly."

Xia Mingyue's long eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a faint shadow under her eyes.

She unconsciously stroked the delicate gold cloud pattern on the hem of her black sleeve.

This unintentional little movement made the black mythical bird perched on her shoulder tilt its head curiously.

"As expected of Immortal Lu." Empress Xia Mingyue said softly, flattering Lu Xuan when she saw that he had guessed her purpose.

Even the black divine bird chirped in unison, as if echoing its master's words.

"I do have something to ask of Immortal Lu." Empress Xia Mingyue paused, then lightly raised her jade finger, instantly enveloping the surroundings with a soundproof barrier.

The black divine bird, understanding the situation, transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the mark between Xia Mingyue's eyebrows.

Empress Xia Mingyue spoke those last words very softly, but each word was clear and distinct.

Xia Mingyue raised her eyes to look directly into Lu Xuan's eyes, her fingers unconsciously clenching beneath the imperial robes—

This empress, who was usually so decisive and ruthless in the court, was now showing a rare hint of nervousness.

As she spoke, a strand of her black hair slipped from Xia Mingyue's imperial crown and fell down to her fair cheek.

"I suppose Immortal Lu is very curious about how I refined that Spirit Ruins Land?"

Xia Mingyue's beautiful eyes shimmered with a mysterious light, and her voice trembled slightly at the end, as if carrying the scent of a thousand-year-old vintage wine; every word was imbued with a fatal attraction.

She lightly touched the air with her jade feet, and the wide sleeves of her black imperial robe unfurled like butterfly wings, making the black bird mark between her brows even brighter.

Lu Xuan, facing Xia Mingyue's burning yet mysterious gaze, had his black robes fluttering without wind.

However, Lu Xuan lowered his eyes and smiled lightly, but the starlight in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

He neither denied nor questioned, letting silence flow between them.

Lu Xuan wanted to see what this empress, beneath her feigned composure, truly wanted to ask him for help with.

"I left the pass thirty years ago, but the reason I have not appeared for so long is because of this thing."

Xia Mingyue's voice was like a cold spring quenching jade, with a lingering, lazy nonchalance at the end.

She suddenly raised her eyes, her starry gaze fixed on Lu Xuan's eyes, as if trying to etch his image into the depths of her soul.

With a gentle wave of her jade-like hand, Xia Mingyue unleashed a deep black light from her wide sleeve.

In an instant, the entire underground palace trembled, and the void cracked inch by inch like a mirror.

An ancient cauldron, entirely black, slowly appeared from the void and hovered in the palm of Empress Xia Mingyue.

The patterns of heaven and earth engraved on the four sides of the tripod seem to flow and live like living things.

Nine lifelike black divine birds raised their heads and cried out, their outstretched wings creating ripples in the space.

The mysterious aura surrounding the cauldron was so tangible that it emanated an aura that greatly shocked Lu Xuan.

"It's precisely because of this!"

Xia Mingyue's fingertips gently traced the ancient Daoist patterns engraved on the cauldron, each stroke emitting a dazzling, eerie light.

The Xuan Bird Cauldron hovered between the two, its emanating chaotic energy casting flickering light and shadow on Xia Mingyue's face.

The black bird mark between Xia Mingyue's eyebrows actually complemented the totem on the cauldron.

Lu Xuan's pupils contracted sharply as he saw the scene of the collapse of the Spirit Ruins appearing inside the cauldron—

It turns out that for the past hundred years, she has been using this celestial artifact, which is beyond the comprehension of this world, to refine that small world on the verge of destruction!

Lu Xuan's pupils contracted sharply, and his hands, which had been behind his back, clenched tightly.

This was the first time he had ever seen the Great Xia Dynasty's national treasure, the Xuan Bird Cauldron, up close.

Unlike the legendary ten-patterned sun artifact, it now surrounds the body of the Xuan Bird Cauldron.

That otherworldly aura clearly indicated that this thing was extraordinary.

In fact, the Xuan Bird Cauldron in front of us is not a sacrificial vessel at all.

It is a Celestial Immortal Artifact that surpasses even the Ten-Patterned Sun Artifact and the World's Secret Treasures!
"Heavenly Origin Immortal Artifact, Mysterious Bird Cauldron." Xia Mingyue lightly tapped the cauldron with her fingertips, the clear sound like a great bell, shaking one's soul.

Every word Xia Mingyue uttered deeply moved Lu Xuan.

"A Celestial Artifact?"

Lu Xuan muttered to himself, his throat bobbing involuntarily.

Although he had never heard of these four words before, the word "immortal" alone was enough for Lu Xuan to understand.

The seemingly ancient cauldron before us must contain the ethereal power of immortals.

As Lu Xuan gazed at the Xuan Bird Cauldron so close at hand, watching the mysterious patterns constantly moving across its surface, a deep desire to seize it stirred within him.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Xuan gently lowered his hands from behind his back, his fingertips unconsciously curling and stretching, even his breathing became heavy—

If this Heavenly Origin Immortal Artifact, which he had never seen before, could be refined by the system panel, how many system points could he obtain?

At this moment, the so-called power of immortals and the legends of the power of creation were all illusions in Lu Xuan's eyes.

Only system points are his real stepping stones to advancement.

As long as you accumulate enough system points, you can reach the immortal realm that countless powerful individuals yearn for but cannot attain.

In Lu Xuan's eyes, it was nothing more than an easy task.

However, faced with an irresistible temptation, Lu Xuan did not rush to seize the treasure without a word.

He suppressed his surging greed and looked up at Xia Mingyue with eyes that were now filled with icy coldness.

"Fellow Daoist Xia, what is the meaning of this?"

"Such a priceless treasure, you just place it right in front of me, aren't you afraid...?"

This woman seemed to be holding the precious treasure in such a lazy and casual manner, without the slightest hint of vigilance.

No, this woman is really fierce!

Did she really think that she could suppress her covetousness for the Heavenly Origin Immortal Artifact with just that little bit of affection?

Or is it that the Xuan Bird Cauldron hides a terrifying killing move that can counter him, a power comparable to a perfect Earthly Venerable Realm Lord?
Lu Xuan became increasingly depressed as he thought about it.

This woman, does she really think I'm some kind of upright gentleman?

They actually dared to take out something so precious in front of me.

Isn't she afraid that I'll take it from her?

In any case, Lu Xuan never believed that he was a virtuous gentleman respected by everyone.

Moreover, Lu Xuan didn't want to be one of these so-called virtuous gentlemen.

Those are just shackles that bind them!
It was Lu Xuan's undisguised question that made Xia Mingyue suddenly smile.

Xia Mingyue's smile was like a frozen pool suddenly breaking, and the gold patterns on the black imperial robe made the entire underground palace pale in comparison.

The shimmering glow at the corner of her eyes was even more captivating than the Dao patterns on the Xuan Bird Cauldron.

"Lu Zhenxian..."

The next moment, Xia Mingyue walked barefoot on the ripples of the void, and with each step she took, a black phantom of a black bird bloomed beneath her feet.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

When the two were only inches apart, the black bird mark between Xia Mingyue's eyebrows suddenly burst forth with dazzling starlight.

Thousands of shimmering lights, like a galaxy, fell and entwined around Xia Mingyue's slender fingers, illuminating the entire underground palace in a dreamlike and enchanting way.

"Om-"

With a clear and melodious clang, the Xuan Bird Cauldron, which had been hovering above Xia Mingyue's palm, suddenly shrank, transforming into an exquisite and delicate form.

The nine black bird totems on the cauldron are still lifelike, but they no longer exude awe-inspiring power. Instead, they reveal a sense of ancient mystery.

Under Lu Xuan's astonished gaze, Xia Mingyue gently pushed the shrunken Xuan Bird Cauldron toward him.

“True Immortal Lu…this item was originally prepared for you, so how can you say it was stolen?”

"However, I have a favor to ask of you, Immortal Lu..."

(End of this chapter)