At that moment, the central palace among the nine phoenix palaces, which was in the process of dissipating and decaying, suddenly emitted a purple light.
A similar light also emitted from Xu Qing's storage bag. After that, a jade slip flew out on its own and floated in front of Xu Qing.
This jade slip was given to Xu Qing by Zi Xuan before she left. It contained her protective power.
After it appeared, it shone brightly and reflected the light of the palace in the center.
A blurry figure appeared amidst the purple light spreading out from the palace. It floated in the air and stared into the distance.
Xu Qing's heart stirred.
That figure was none other than Zi Xuan!
However, now that he was close, he noticed that the other party was a little different from the Zi Xuan in his memories. It wasn't the appearance but the temperament.
The figure in front of him seemed to be even colder, as though she didn't have many emotions.
Xu Qing remained silent. After a while, he walked forward.
As he got closer, all the restrictions here seemed to make way for him, allowing Xu Qing to safely walk to the front of the phoenix palace in the center. He took a deep breath and pushed open the gate of the palace that had never been opened in countless years.
The gate silently opened and a pitch-black hall was reflected in Xu Qing's eyes.
There were no lights in the hall and everything was dim. Even the faint light from the outside could not disperse the darkness in the hall.
Xu Qing stood there for a while to get used to the darkness, and then saw the environment of the hall.
The entire hall was empty. There were no chairs at all and there was only a statue standing in the center. The surroundings were empty and emitted endless cold silence.
One could imagine that when the door of the hall was closed, this place was no different from a cage.
Only that statue stood eternally.
This statue was of a woman, and it was not Zi Xuan.
However, her appearance was also beautiful and graceful. It seemed that she had aged gracefully without attempting to conceal the signs of time, as there were faint crow's feet around the corners of her eyes.
Her expression carried a gentle smile, radiating warmth and compassion, as well as a comforting aura that instinctively put people at ease.
In her hands, she held a lantern, cradling it in her embrace as if it were the most precious treasure.
This lantern was very special. It was made of purple stone and looked like a blooming redbud. There was also a purple phoenix resting on it. Its wings were spread out and it was lifelike.
The instant he saw this lantern, Xu Qing's breathing hastened slightly.
It was a life lantern, or more accurately, a lantern sculpture crafted based on the concept of a life lantern.
Xu Qing had never seen it before but he felt a sense of familiarity. The source of that familiarity came from the dream that Fairy Zi Xuan had once told him about.
"I often have a dream. It has been many years… In the dream, it was a pitch-black world with only a lantern."
"It is extinguished, devoid of any flame. I cannot reach or touch it. It seems so far away, yet also strangely close."
"But I imagine it should look like a blooming redbud, with a purple phoenix perched on it, its wings spread wide, as if in full bloom."
"This lantern has always appeared in my dreams, and every time it is extinguished. In that world, there is always darkness without any light."
Xu Qing's expression was a little dazed.
In the past, he thought that this was just a dream that Fairy Zi Xuan had mentioned, until he saw Zi Xuan's figure outside, and until this moment, when he saw this lantern sculpture.
Xu Qing didn't know where the real life lantern was. Perhaps it was in the holy land, or perhaps it had dissipated in the passage of time.
"Zi Xuan, why did she dream of this lantern and why did her figure appear in the purple light outside…"
"What kind of karma does she have with this lantern…"
As Xu Qing muttered inwardly, in this dark hall, Zi Xuan's figure silently appeared beside the statue. She stared at the statue, and her eyes revealed fondness and bitterness.
She then turned to look at Xu Qing. There were some ripples in her cold eyes as she opened her mouth and said something.
Xu Qing couldn't hear it. He only saw that after Zi Xuan finished speaking, her expression changed. Sorrow appeared on her face, and she began to step back continuously. At the same time, a blurry figure emerged from behind Xu Qing and entered the hall, passing through his body.
This scene caused Xu Qing to be shocked. He abruptly turned his head to look at the figure who had passed through him.
That was a tall young man, wearing an imperial robe adorned with a four-clawed golden dragon. He had a nine-jeweled emperor's crown on his head and exuded no visible aura. However, with just one glance, it felt as though one could sense the overwhelming majesty of the heavens.
His back was facing Xu Qing as he stood in front of Zi Xuan and said something.
Zi Xuan shed tears and looked up, gazing at the outside world with a profound sense of nostalgia and sorrow in her eyes. Through her pupils, Xu Qing caught a glimpse of a crumbling sky and a gigantic fragmented face descending from the heavens.
This scene caused Xu Qing to immediately realize that what he was seeing now wasn't real.
It was more like a recording of a past scene!
Just like how Zi Xuan seemed to be looking at him earlier but in reality, she was looking in the direction he was in.
In Xu Qing's eyes, Zi Xuan was shaking her head repeatedly and seemed to be admonishing, while throughout the encounter, the figure in the imperial robe remained silent and extended his hand, as if inviting Zi Xuan to leave this place with him.
