1126 Extending Palm Towards the Sun
The alliance leader bowed and respectfully left.
He could sense that the Seventh Prince, who was sitting at a high seat in the main hall, had his gaze on him the entire time.
Therefore, he made no attempt to conceal his emotions, whether it was reluctance, resignation, or ultimately, a composed demeanor—all were fully revealed.
It was only after he left the main hall and walked far away that he stood up straight again and walked toward his residence in the capital with a smile.
When he encountered familiar colleagues on the way, he would greet them gently.
He didn't show any arrogance because of his second stage Nihility cultivation.
From the start to the end, his expression was gentle and refined. When he returned to his residence, he lit an incense and sat there to take out a chessboard, playing it alone.
However, upon closer inspection, past the smoke, there was a hint of innate coldness in the depths of his eyes.
It was like a venomous snake hiding in the stomach of a lamb!
"On the first day I came here, I mentioned the matter of the vessel to the seventh highness. However, at that time, he didn't care… Today, he suddenly summoned me over and raised this matter again…"
A gentle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. This was his instinct. Every time he thought about a problem, he would have a smile on his face.
"The military governor took ten thousand soldiers and Soaring Cloud to Fenghai County… We lost contact with them."
"At this moment, the seventh highness asked me to get the vessel…"
The smile on the alliance leader's face became gentler, and the coldness hidden in the depths of his eyes hid itself even deeper.
He was well aware that Seventh Prince wasn't a simple person. Despite his young age, being born into the imperial family had exposed him to a world of political intrigue, making him naturally astute and shrewd.
Hence, one could never look at the surface of things.
"On the surface, he asked me to get the vessel but he's actually using me as a chess piece. He wants to use me to probe the true situation in Fenghai County so that he can analyze the true reason why the army lost contact."
"He can advance or retreat at will, and can casually push the blame away if something happens to me."
The alliance leader smiled and picked up a chess piece. Even though he hadn't placed it on the board, two pieces manifested on the chessboard.
This scene looked simple, but if a Nihility expert were present, his emotions would definitely be stirred. In this seemingly straightforward movement, there was an almost perfect application and elevation of the laws, surpassing the stage of Illusory and Truth Myriad Transformations.
The Nihility Realm contained the Shattering Thousand Dao, Illusory and Truth Myriad Transformations, Infinite Imagination, and Myriad Laws Returning to One.
"I like the number three."
The alliance leader chuckled lightly.
At the same time, in the Immortal Forbidden Land of Fenghai County, in front of the phoenix hall.
As the door opened, the darkness devoured everything. Not only were Xu Qing and Zi Xuan's figures affected, but their minds also fused into one with the spreading black color.
A scene, whether real or illusory, unfolded before their eyes.
The main hall was silent and empty, as cold as a dungeon.
Only a statue stood in the center, as though it was sealed in a cage.
This statue was of a middle-aged woman. She looked similar to Zi Xuan but clearly wasn't. Her appearance exuded grace, her expression wore a gentle smile, and her eyes radiated compassion. Around the corners of her eyes, there were some wrinkles resembling fish tails, adding a distinct clarity to her countenance.
She lowered her head slightly and looked at her hands.
There was a lantern there.
It was like the most precious treasure in her life.
This lantern was made of purple stone and looked like a blooming redbud flower. On it rested a purple phoenix. Its wings were spread out and it was lifelike.
The instant he saw this lantern, the tearing feeling in Xu Qing's mind intensified. The lost memories surfaced one after another.
He turned and looked at Zi Xuan. He remembered that when he entered this place back then, he had seen some scenes about Zi Xuan. He had seen a woman who looked exactly like Zi Xuan appear under the statue, the door had opened and a man walked in.
He also remembered the conversation in the scene. That man… seemed to be the son of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether!
Everything appeared in Xu Qing's mind, transforming into thunder that rumbled in his mind.
At that moment, Zi Xuan was trembling. She looked at the statue with a sad expression and let go of Xu Qing's hand. She subconsciously walked toward the statue and muttered.
"My dream is a pitch-black world with a lantern."
"It's extinguished. I imagine it should be a blooming redbud with a purple phoenix perched on it."
"This lantern has always appeared in my dream, a dream without light."
"The world in the dream is here."
Zi Xuan's voice took on an ethereal tone in this silent hall. It seemed to have come from time and echoed in this life.
As she walked over, the moment she stood under the statue, the blurry figure that looked exactly the same as Zi Xuan in Xu Qing's memory appeared.
However, the illusory body that appeared this time actually overlapped with Zi Xuan, who was standing there.
She looked at the statue with admiration and bitterness in her eyes.
After that, the scene in Xu Qing's memory appeared in front of him again. The imperial prince's figure pierced through his body from behind and stood in front of Zi Xuan.
The imperial robe adorned with a four-clawed golden dragon, and the swaying nine-bead emperor's crown, emitted a thick heavenly might around the prince.
The prince seemed to have uttered something but Xu Qing couldn't hear him.
He could only see Zi Xuan looking outside, her eyes filled with deep nostalgia and sorrow.
However, this time around, it was a little different from what he remembered.
He heard Zi Xuan's voice.
"I won't leave!"
"Father's decision was wrong. He abandoned his people, abandoned his homeland, and turned the sky above the sky into a holy land. What's the point of living there alone?!"
"In order to survive, he ignored the Wanggu calamity. This ancient sovereign… he's not worthy!"
Zi Xuan looked to be in pain.
When Xu Qing heard these words, his heart stirred.
As for the figure in the imperial robe, he fell silent. After a long time, he stretched out his hand, as though he was trying to make one last effort.
Zi Xuan's eyes showed determination as she shook her head once again.
Finally, the prince's expression turned desolate. He took out a small purple bottle and poured a few drops of liquid from the bottle into the lantern in the statue's hand.
After doing this, he placed the small bottle to the side and silently turned around. His expression was filled with sorrow and a hint of pain.
He walked toward the door of the main hall and passed through Xu Qing, walking further and further away…
As he disappeared, the door of the hall slowly closed.
The entire hall was silent.
Only the fire of the lantern continued to burn, emitting a soft sound. As the flames swayed, the light illuminated the main hall.
Amidst the flames, Zi Xuan's expression was sorrowful. She leaned against the statue and squatted down, crying silently.
The scenes in Xu Qing's memories ended here.
However, this time, it wasn't the end.
Time seemed to have lost all value in this hall. It flowed silently until miserable wails and painful roars rang out from outside.
Blood light spread out.
Cries for help rang out faintly.
As for Zi Xuan, she stood up again and a set of armor appeared on her body. She pierced through Xu Qing's body step by step and walked out of the main hall.
Xu Qing couldn't move and could only watch silently.
After an unknown period of time, the sounds outside slowly disappeared. Zi Xuan's figure returned to the main hall with fatigue and weakness.
Her armor had mostly shattered and her body was covered in injuries. However, she was holding a fish head in her hand.
The moment he saw this head, Xu Qing immediately recognized that it was the head of the Immortal Forbidden god.
With this head in hand, Zi Xuan's figure slowly walked in front of the statue. As she stared at the statue, a hint of gentleness appeared on her pale face.
"Mother, I can only kill that foreign god once. After a few years, It will revive here."
"However, the revived It will no longer possess the high god status. Also, I used the spell you taught me, Mother. In the future, It will die by the hands of Its own kind."
"Unfortunately… I can't see it anymore."
Zi Xuan uttered softly. She wanted to pick up the purple bottle and add some oil to the oil lantern, but she was powerless. In the end, she could only lean against the statue and sit down, slowly closing her eyes.
Her soul flew and scattered.
That lantern was still burning but there was no oil added to it. As time passed, its fire gradually dimmed until it completely extinguished.
The entire hall fell into darkness.
The coldness also descended as the fire disappeared and the outside world fell silent.
Darkness devoured everything.
Time flowed by and years passed. After countless years, the Immortal Forbidden Land suddenly trembled. A sense of revival rose and the roar of a god echoed.
Flesh and blood appeared in the Immortal Forbidden, covering the ground and drowning the halls, including this place.
Another long period passed.
On this day, in this pitch-black hall, a purple circle suddenly appeared in front of the statue. It appeared out of thin air and the instant it appeared, it immediately caused the entire Immortal Forbidden Land to rumble.
A furious roar echoed and a terrifying divine sense erupted from the depths of the Immortal Forbidden, rapidly gathering here.
The instant this divine sense swept over, a hand stretched out from the purple circle and grabbed the extinguished lantern, pulling it into the circle.
This palm appeared to want to grab the purple bottle, but it was too late. Hence, it decisively left. However, it was still a little too late. The divine sense of the Immortal Forbidden god came over with an overwhelming force and ruthlessly collided with the purple circle, colliding with the hand.
The circle collapsed, turning into countless pieces that fused into the endless void.
The palm trembled. Although it still left, the wick of the lantern in its hand fell off and disappeared into nothingness.
Everything was over.
At this moment, the scene disappeared from Xu Qing's vision.
The main hall and the statue also disappeared.
This place turned into ruins again.
It was similar to a dream.
When he woke up from the dream, everything was gone. Only Zi Xuan stood on the ruins similar to a proud winter plum in a quiet valley. Regardless of whether there was anyone watching her, she felt like she was alone in an vacant field.
She looked at the sky with a lonely expression.
After a long time, she spoke softly.
"Let's go back."
Xu Qing silently walked over and walked out with Zi Xuan. They didn't speak on the way until they left the Immortal Forbidden Land.
When they arrived, it was nighttime. Who knew how many days had passed, but it was day time when they walked out.
The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.
Looking at the dreary Zi Xuan in front of him, Xu Qing suddenly shouted.
Zi Xuan turned her head and stared at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing didn't say anything and only asked her to extend her palm.
Under the sunlight, Zi Xuan's palms were distinct, with lines resembling the twists and turns of fate.
"What do you have in your palm?"
Xu Qing asked.
Zi Xuan didn't understand and shook her head.
Xu Qing looked into Zi Xuan's eyes and spoke softly.
"There's sunlight in your palm."
Zi Xuan's eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at her palm. After a long time… she smiled.
