It turns out, they were the main characters.

This was clearly just an excuse. Given Ye Lingxuan's status in the restricted area, everyone believed that she would not lie about such a trivial matter.

Besides, even with the methods used in restricted areas, there are always ways to detect whether someone is lying.

Ye Lingxuan gently stroked Mu Zhian's face with her fingertips. Her slender fingers touched his face with a cool touch, which was as if she was stirring his heartstrings.

She said softly, "Oh, right, let me give Brother Mu a hint."

"Has the Azure Emperor already arrived at the forbidden area today?"

Mu Zhian asked in surprise, "Yao Meng? What's she doing in the restricted area?"

He clearly hadn't revealed his whereabouts... Could it be that Yao Meng sensed the mark on the Green Lotus Ring?

"She came to see Qian'er."

Ye Lingxuan didn't offer much explanation, but simply raised her hand to stroke the boy's face, his beautiful purple eyes seemingly brimming with alluring charm.

So, you see—

She tiptoed and gently brought her alluring pink lips close to Mu Zhian's ear, then spoke softly in the cool, commanding tone she usually used when ordering subordinates:

"Brother Mu, you don't want Sister Qingdi to find out that you're being bullied, do you?"

Where did you learn this NTR-specific term from...? Mu Zhian was taken aback.

The next moment, the golden light of the Lock of Time enveloped the entire palace.

Time stands still at this moment.

Ye Lingxuan pulled Mu Zhian by the hand and led him to the edge of the soft couch. Then she sat down with her legs crossed, her delicate white feet encased in pure white stockings. She swung her boots and secretly sized up the young man.

Mu Zhian had to admit that the girl was indeed becoming more and more stunningly beautiful, and her figure was gradually approaching that of a mature woman, but at this moment she still had the unique innocence of a young girl.

Her fair, dazzling calves peeked out between her boots and skirt, their texture as smooth as ice crystals in the candlelight.

"What's wrong, Brother Mu?" Ye Lingxuan asked, tilting her head in feigned confusion.

Mu Zhian looked away: "It's nothing."

Noticing the boy's gaze, Ye Lingxuan's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile of pleasure.

Through "The Art of Husband Taming," she already knew about Brother Mu's sexual preferences.

Noticing the girl's amused gaze, Mu Zhian coughed lightly and said, "Speaking of which, like you just said, I am a prisoner, right? Is it alright for you to just openly take me out of the cell like this?"

Ye Lingxuan pursed her lips and said indifferently, "Brother Mu can't possibly be a criminal."

"If you want to wreak havoc on the Eastern Continent, it would probably be simpler to just join the Demon Realm than to secretly give people cursed crystals," she said with a smile.

It's not really a big deal for a cultivator at the peak of the Returning to Emptiness realm to join the demon realm.

But Mu Zhian is different... Even ignoring his strength and innate physique, his very existence in the demon realm is enough to give the entire Eastern Continent a headache.

"And no matter what, we can't let Brother Mu suffer in prison," Ye Lingxuan added again.

"Actually, I don't mind too much. It's good to be able to cultivate in peace while in prison." Mu Zhian shrugged.

Ye Lingxuan glanced at the boy: "Isn't it because Princess Yongning can keep you company while she's in prison?"

Mu Zhian shook his head: "I only met Princess Yongning a few times, and I have no relationship with her."

"That's only for now; who knows what will happen in the future."

As Ye Lingxuan finished speaking, she suddenly sighed softly, "But speaking of which, Lingxuan has been under a lot of pressure tonight in order to rescue Brother Mu."

If he hadn't witnessed the Imperial Guards release Mu Zhi'an without saying a word tonight, Mu Zhi'an might have actually believed the girl's lies.

Ye Lingxuan paused for a moment, then continued, "So, Brother Mu, you have to make it up to me."

"What kind of compensation do you want?" Mu Zhian asked.

Ye Lingxuan landed lightly on the table, put her hands behind her back, and came to Mu Zhian. Her melodious voice, with a hint of allure, rang in the bedchamber: "Brother Mu, just keep pleasing Lingxuan until I'm satisfied, okay~?"

……

Ye Qian, as usual, sat in her room meditating and cultivating.

Those in the forbidden area clearly knew about her relationship with Ye Lingxuan, so they always took good care of the girl, giving her many pills whenever she cultivated.

After circulating her spiritual energy through her body for one full cycle, Ye Qian opened her eyes and looked at the fairy in the green dress sitting in front of the bed in surprise. She asked in astonishment, "Master, what brings you here?"

"I got tired of staying in Yaochi, so I came out to relax and also to check on your cultivation progress."

Yao Meng looked at her disciple with a smile in her eyes and said.

Ye Qian thought for a moment, then suddenly asked in confusion, "Could it be that something happened to Brother Mu? But didn't he go to Yuzhou? Could it be that Master went to Yuzhou before and saw Brother Mu with other women... so he's a little upset?"

Seemingly noticing the complicated expression on Yao Meng's face, Ye Qian immediately comforted her, "But Master, you don't need to think too much about it. You only sent Brother Mu to Yuzhou so that he would have the ability to protect himself... It's really nothing."

I never imagined I'd be comforted by my own disciple...

Yao Meng couldn't help but smile: "I came to see you not because of your brother Mu, but because I want to take you back to Yaochi after your sister's inheritance ceremony is over so that you can receive the inheritance of the Heavenly Phoenix Tree."

Ye Qian was taken aback: "But I'm not a disciple of Yaochi, wouldn't doing this be against the rules..."

She knew that the Heavenly Phoenix Tree was the symbol of Yaochi, and almost every Yaochi disciple would receive a legacy from the Heavenly Phoenix Tree... and how much one could receive depended on one's own talent.

"You are my disciple, and you are considered a member of Yaochi, so there's no need to worry about it."

Just then, a deafening thunderous roar suddenly came from the north of the forbidden zone. The place was far away from the forbidden zone, but Yao Meng still managed to detect it immediately.

That was the Tribulation of Elixir.

"Has Luo Tan begun refining the Nine Cauldrons Refining Void Pill?" Yao Meng murmured to herself.

"Does Brother Mu need the pills?" Ye Qian asked.

Yao Meng smiled and nodded, gently stroking Ye Qian's head, her voice soft: "You should focus on your cultivation first. If you have any questions, you can come and ask your master anytime."

"Where does Master plan to go?"

A faint smile appeared in Yao Meng's emerald eyes as she looked in a certain direction of the restricted area and said softly, "Hmm... let's go out for a walk to clear our heads."

……

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of kilometers away in the Yuzhou Imperial Palace, a woman dressed in a snow-white robe stood before a cauldron, within which a blazing fire burned brightly.

The princess stood not far from her. Today, the princess wore a brightly colored cardigan embroidered with plump crabapple blossoms, which perfectly complemented the beautiful and voluptuous princess, outlining her full and firm breasts and slender waist.

The princess's clear, beautiful eyes lingered on the cauldron for a long time before she praised it, saying, "It is said that there is nothing in this world that the Qi Transformation Cauldron cannot refine. Seeing it today, this thing truly lives up to its reputation as the ancestral artifact of Yuzhou."

Ancestral artifacts are weapons painstakingly nurtured by powerful beings at the Dao Integration Realm. It is said that Luo Tan's Myriad Things Transformation Cauldron can even perfectly refine immortal herbs and then produce immortal-grade pills.

Now it seems that such a possibility really exists.

Luo Tan did not answer; at this moment, her attention was completely focused on the cauldron in front of her.

After two hours of refining, although the pill tribulation has passed, she naturally will not relax now in order to maximize the effect of the pill.

Boom...

With a roar, Luo Tan slowly opened his calm eyes.

A perfectly round pill flew out of the Qi Transformation Cauldron and landed in Luo Tan's hand.

"Is he still in the restricted area?" Luo Tan asked.

The princess gave a soft "hmm": "The shielding spell that the spirit dragon placed on him will be lifted when he undergoes his enlightenment tribulation, but if the spirit dragon can reach the Feather Transformation Realm before that, perhaps the problem can be solved."

Luo Tan frowned slightly. If it were so easy to 'ascend to immortality,' then in all of Kyushu, there wouldn't have been only the Azure Emperor and the Palace Master of the Sword Palace who successfully ascended to immortality.

“The spirit dragon is connected to the Great Dao. If she has not communicated with the Great Dao, it will be difficult for her to ascend to immortality,” Luo Tan said, shaking his head slightly.

"That's why he went to the restricted area," the princess said.

"I cannot help Linglong, but the Great Dao Flower in the forbidden zone can help her."

Luo Tan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly paused, looking at the princess with suspicion: "You seem to be treating him a little too well lately...?"

She was worried that the princess might accidentally reveal the relationship between Mu Zhi'an and her.

The wife of the Great Roc Emperor has an extremely close relationship with another man... If this gets out, it will be a real problem.

"Don't worry, I have my own measure."

The princess smiled brightly: "After he successfully attains enlightenment, I will return to Yunzhou to focus on handling government affairs, and wait to take him to Yunzhou for a visit in the future."

Luo Tan was speechless for a moment: "I shouldn't have let you notice him in the first place."

If there were no princess, Mu Zhian would be able to enjoy the innate furnace of the Feather Transformation Realm all by herself after he attains enlightenment.

"Even without me, do you really think you can enjoy the cake all by yourself?"

A playful smile appeared on the princess's face: "I wonder how many people are waiting for him to attain enlightenment."

Luo Tan remained silent.

What a headache! I finally found a man I liked, but his innate ability to act as a furnace for female cultivators means he's destined to be noticed by countless female cultivators.

Seemingly knowing what Luo Tan was thinking, the princess smiled gently: "Actually, you don't need to worry. The one who should really be worried is the Azure Emperor... After all, on the surface, she is married to Mu Zhi'an."

Luo Tan thought about it and realized that it made sense.

She's on the "green" side, so why should she worry about being targeted by those women after Mu Zhi'an's innate furnace is exposed?

The one who should be worried is the Azure Emperor.

"What are your plans next?" the princess suddenly asked.

Luo Tan thought for a moment and smiled, "Thinking about it carefully, it seems that I haven't been out for a while. Tomorrow I will personally go to the forbidden area to deliver the pills to him and also send my regards to the people behind the forbidden area."

……

That night.

The Lock of Desolate Time floated in mid-air, time stood still, and Mu Zhian was lying in bed contemplating life.

Ye Lingxuan nestled in the boy's arms, like a clingy cat.

If the clansmen in the forbidden area saw this scene, they would probably be shocked. The usually aloof and elegant princess of the forbidden area would actually be so affectionate and cuddly in private.

“Sister Lingxuan, will releasing me like this have any impact on your inheritance ceremony?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

However, there was no response for a long time.

Are you asleep?

Although the girl kept saying that she was about to collapse, she is, after all, a reincarnated empress. She shouldn't be so tired that she needs to sleep, right?