Category: A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

Chapter 177: The Heaven-Grade Pill Secret Realm Incident, An Encounter at the Treasure Pavilion

“Heaven-grade pill secret realm?” Luo Xue paused slightly. “Is it… the Nangong clan’s?”

“Hmm? Aren’t you here for the secret realm?”

The innkeeper was surprised and looked at Luo Xue again.

Luo Xue wasn’t concealing her peak Foundation Establishment cultivation. That’s why the innkeeper assumed she, like other cultivators, had come to the Sacred Land after hearing about the Heaven-grade pill secret realm.

Luo Xue took out two standard spirit jades and placed them on the counter, pushing them towards the innkeeper. These were treasures refined from spirit stones, similar to Qi Condensation Pills, but purer and with fewer side effects.

In the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, these were hard currency.

The innkeeper pocketed the spirit jades and said,

“This Heaven-grade pill secret realm, it was originally only for members of the Nangong clan. You should know, the ancient clans are, after all, ancient clans, always acting arrogantly… ahem, I digress. Anyway, under normal circumstances, outsiders can’t enter.”

Luo Xue nodded. This was consistent with what she knew.

Earth-grade pill secret realms were easier to deal with. Some cultivators, with enough resources, could buy entry from the Nangong Sacred Land… although in recent years, due to a certain someone, the quotas for Foundation Establishment secret realms were almost impossible to sell.

But the Heaven-grade pill secret realms, which produced Heaven-grade pill energy, were firmly controlled by the Nangong clan.

“So, there was an accident?” Luo Xue raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Indeed, three days ago, the secret realm suddenly collapsed, and almost all the Nangong clan disciples inside are trapped, their fate unknown.”

The innkeeper lowered his voice.

“But this secret realm can only accommodate cultivators below Core Formation. Those at Core Formation or above might cause the entire secret realm to collapse upon entering.”

Luo Xue understood.

The Nangong clan’s Foundation Establishment disciples were trapped inside, unable to leave through the gate.

Because of the realm restriction, only Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter, and the Nangong clan naturally wouldn’t risk their own disciples.

Therefore…

The Nangong clan opened the secret realm, allowing outside cultivators to enter, to rescue their trapped disciples.

The conditions they offered didn’t require much thought from Luo Xue. It was most likely the Heaven-grade pill energy.

“On the path of cultivation, one must always seize opportunities. Once a Heaven Core is formed, any faction would value them greatly. It’s practically a one-way ticket to success.”

The innkeeper couldn’t help but add, a hint of envy in his eyes.

But it was just wishful thinking.

Heaven-grade pill energy wasn’t something just anyone could merge with. Besides competing with other cultivators, one also needed the approval of the will within the Heaven-grade pill energy.

If one’s aptitude was insufficient, even swallowing the Heaven-grade pill energy directly wouldn’t help.

“So that’s how it is…”

Luo Xue touched the token in her pocket. She had originally planned to use it to sneak in, but now it seemed unnecessary.

Heaven-grade pill secret realm… Luo Xue had also heard of it in the nine provinces and four domains. The two ghost cultivators back then wanted to stand out in the Heavenly Cluster Sword Tomb, a Heaven-grade pill secret realm, which was why they risked obtaining the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle.

In the nine provinces and four domains, Heaven-grade pill secret realms appeared only once every few thousand years. They must be incredibly valuable here in the Ancient Demon Lands as well.

It seemed… she had a reason to go now.

The innkeeper, seeing Luo Xue’s slightly dazed expression, knew what she was thinking and sighed, saying in a worldly tone,

“Little guest, it’s not easy to become a Heaven-grade pill cultivator… Not to mention this secret realm, even if there were no problems, the Nangong disciples inside are not to be trifled with…”

“Really?”

Luo Xue scratched the back of her head. When she listened to Nangong Mian’s boasting, she had the impression that the other Foundation Establishment disciples weren’t that strong.

“The resources enjoyed by Nangong disciples are on a completely different level from us ordinary people.”

The innkeeper seemed eager to give this naive little girl some advice.

“For example, you’re still looking for an inn in the Sacred Land, while even the most down-and-out Nangong disciple, as long as they can prove their identity, can directly stay in the most luxurious Treasure Pavilion in the Sacred Land.”

“Really?”

Luo Xue raised an eyebrow, a hint of joy in her eyes.

This Treasure Pavilion… why did it sound so familiar…

“Of course, why would I lie to you? Everyone here knows that the Treasure Pavilion is a property of the Nangong clan.” The innkeeper said. “Little girl…”

“Can I use this token?”

Luo Xue took out the token Dugu Xue had given her, which was imprinted with her soul and the alias “Nangong Jiao,” and placed it on the counter.

“Of course, the Nangong Token… wait…”

The innkeeper’s eyes widened, and he looked at Luo Xue with a dumbfounded expression.

What was going on?

Was the young mistress of the Nangong clan deliberately messing with him?

And… hadn’t he just badmouthed the Nangong clan?

The innkeeper broke out in a cold sweat.

“As long as it works,” Luo Xue breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, “such a good deal, after visiting eighteen inns.”

She hadn’t expected the token to be useful here, not for entering the secret realm.

“Thanks, boss.”

Luo Xue took out another spirit jade, tossed it to the innkeeper, and turned to leave.

“This…”

The innkeeper held the spirit jade, a bit at a loss.

This girl was different from the Nangong disciples he knew…

Those ancient clan disciples were always arrogant and haughty, rarely well-mannered.

“Truly… rare.” The innkeeper put away the spirit jade and sighed.

…However, this was actually the innkeeper’s prejudice.

Well-mannered disciples of ancient clans wouldn’t come to such a place, and even if they did, they wouldn’t reveal their identities.

Only those arrogant dandies who relied on their family backgrounds would constantly flaunt their Nangong surname, making them memorable to others.

After leaving the inn, Luo Xue took out the map, intending to find the Treasure Pavilion.

Then she noticed that there were quite a few peak Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby, probably here for the Heaven-grade pill secret realm.

Luo Xue had initially thought that although the Nangong Sacred Land wasn’t as developed as the Imperial Capital, there seemed to be more cultivators here.

Now it seemed that it was just because of this incident.

“Treasure Pavilion… oh right, there’s one here, a bit far.”

Luo Xue found the Treasure Pavilion’s location on the map, but… the more she looked at its marker, the more familiar it felt.

She put down the map, thought carefully for a moment, then slapped her forehead.

“Damn, it’s Shangguan Yu’s place!”

Indeed, it was the mysterious organization run by Shangguan Yu in the caged world, spread throughout the nine provinces and four domains, mainly involved in intelligence gathering and selling magical treasures.

Such a large organization naturally wasn’t run by Shangguan Yu alone. Luo Xue later learned that the Treasure Pavilion actually belonged to Liu Lian, Phoenix Venerable’s servant, so it could also be considered Phoenix Venerable’s property.

And in the Ancient Demon Lands, the Treasure Pavilion was a property of the Nangong clan…

There had to be a connection…

“Well, Phoenix Venerable is on good terms with me, it’s not a big deal to use her place…”

Luo Xue felt relieved and headed towards the Treasure Pavilion marked on the map.

…

“The accident in the secret realm… it’s not entirely my fault…” Nangong Mian said with a pitiful expression. “No, it has nothing to do with me! I wasn’t even in the secret realm!”

“It’s true that it’s not your fault, but we can’t blame the other elders either, can we?” Nangong Ling glanced at Nangong Mian and sighed softly.

This incident indeed had nothing to do with Nangong Mian… but unfortunately, with such a serious accident, the protectors outside the secret realm had to take some responsibility.

And this responsibility ultimately fell on Nangong Mian, the weakest among them.

Although she wasn’t punished according to clan rules, she was forbidden from entering any secret realms for a hundred years.

…Although Nangong Ling felt that this was a deliberate act by the clan elders, who had long wanted to find a reason to stop Nangong Mian from plundering the secret realms.

With her invincible strength at the Foundation Establishment Realm… the other disciples couldn’t gain any experience or resources.

However, this ban wasn’t without its benefits. At least, Nangong Mian didn’t have to be confined within the Sacred Land and could go out.

Nangong Ling felt guilty. If she hadn’t pushed the position of protector onto her sister, the clan elders wouldn’t have had a reason to punish her.

It was too late for regrets now.

Nangong Ling could only compensate Nangong Mian by bringing her to the Treasure Pavilion to choose some items.

Although the Treasure Pavilion was a Nangong clan property, it didn’t mean that clan disciples could just take whatever they wanted. They still had to pay, just with a discount.

“What exactly happened?”

Nangong Ling’s expression turned serious. It had been a while since the incident, and the elders were still helpless.

Besides allowing outside Foundation Establishment cultivators to enter, trying to find a way to break the secret realm, they had no other options.

If they failed, not to mention the loss of ten strands of Heaven-grade pill energy, more importantly, the hundred or so peak Foundation Establishment disciples within… might all die in the secret realm.

This was an unacceptable outcome.

Nangong Mian was one of the few who had witnessed the entire incident.

“At the time…”

Nangong Mian recalled carefully and said slowly,

“I was arguing… I mean, chatting with a few elders, when the gate of the secret realm suddenly became unstable, and then it exploded. Oh right, before the explosion, I seemed to have sensed sword intent…”

“Sword intent?” Nangong Ling was slightly stunned. “Was the accident caused by a sword cultivator? But… sword cultivators who can manifest sword intent only existed in the ancient era…”

“I don’t know.”

Nangong Mian shook her head.

They had arrived at the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, and the sharp-eyed manager, seeing Nangong Mian and Nangong Ling, immediately put on a welcoming smile, walked out from behind the counter, and greeted them.

“Ladies Nangong, how have you been?”

Nangong Mian’s reputation preceded her. Although her image wasn’t very good…

The other woman in the wheelchair was even more extraordinary. The renowned War God, Nangong Ling, had single-handedly defeated the legendary otherworldly demons, keeping them out of the Great Thousand Worlds.

It was because of this that she suffered irreparable soul injuries, her legs crippled.

“We’re fine, very well.” Nangong Mian became excited upon entering the Treasure Pavilion. “Manager, what good stuff do you have here? Bring them out, let me take a look!”

“This…”

The manager hesitated, glancing at Nangong Ling. He didn’t act immediately.

Nangong Mian’s reputation… was a bit… problematic. Was it safe to bring out the most valuable treasures of the Treasure Pavilion before her?

“Bring them out, I’ll exchange them with my accumulated points.”

Nangong Ling smiled gently at the manager.

If the Nangong clan hadn’t officially announced Nangong Ling’s achievements, it would be hard to imagine such a gentle woman being called “War God.”

“Yes, yes… please wait a moment, I’ll have someone prepare a private room for you.”

The manager nodded and bowed repeatedly, just as he was about to turn around, he saw a small, sneaky figure lurking near the Treasure Pavilion, seemingly peeking inside.

He frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed.

The two Nangong ladies were here, he couldn’t let them see such an unseemly sight.

Soon, Nangong Mian and Nangong Ling were led inside.

After some time, the manager returned to the counter and saw that the sneaky little figure had approached.

She looked ordinary… not like a member of an ancient clan, and her behavior was so suspicious…

The manager was a bit displeased, but the customer was always right, so he stood up patiently and asked,

“Customer, can I help you?”

“Can… people stay here?” The small figure asked a strange question.

“…The Treasure Pavilion is a place for selling heavenly materials, earthly treasures, magical artifacts, and spiritual artifacts. It’s not an inn.”

The manager’s brow twitched. Where did this girl get the idea that the Treasure Pavilion was an inn?

“I also thought so… but someone told me that I could stay here with a token.”

The small figure scratched her head and took out a token, placing it on the counter.

“This one, can I?”

The manager found it both funny and annoying. The Treasure Pavilion wasn’t an inn, what token could let her stay here… Holy crap, a Nangong Token!

“Mi-, Miss Nangong Jiao, of course you can…”

The manager forced a smile.

Chapter 176: Nangong Sacred Land, Heaven-Grade Pill Secret Realm

“Good sister, just let me go!”

Nangong Mian pleaded with a pitiful expression, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at the serene woman.

The woman in white sat in a wheelchair, her eyes half-closed, ignoring Nangong Mian.

“Look, I’m about to break through to Core Formation, so you have to let me go to the clan’s Core Formation secret realm, right?”

Nangong Mian pleaded. “Even Sixth Granduncle said that there are ten strands of Heaven-grade pill energy in this secret realm, and I’ll only take two or three…”

“Only?”

The woman in white opened her eyes, a helpless expression on her face.

“Xiao Mian, you’ve already consumed over ten strands of Heaven-grade pill energy and still haven’t achieved Enlightenment Core Formation. Even with our Nangong clan’s wealth, we can’t afford to let you continue like this.”

Even within the Nangong clan, Heaven-grade pill energy wasn’t easily obtained.

Core Formation cultivators who formed a Heaven Core, with the support of the Nangong clan’s resources, were almost guaranteed to reach Soul Transformation, and even had a high chance of reaching Ascension.

This was a considerable force. The core fighting strength of the ancient clans were Soul Transformation and Tribulation Immortal cultivators. Sea Crossing Realm cultivators were the clans’ foundation and wouldn’t be easily deployed.

Nangong Mian had consumed over ten strands of Heaven-grade pill energy, yet still hadn’t formed her core. In the eyes of the Nangong clan, this was equivalent to losing ten potential Ascension Realm combatants.

But Nangong Mian’s actions… didn’t violate the Nangong Sacred Land’s rules.

She hadn’t deliberately wasted the Heaven-grade pill energy, nor had she sold it. She had earnestly refined it into her body, but simply hadn’t formed her core.

But everyone knew that Nangong Mian cultivated the Desolate Extinction Scripture, a peculiar inheritance that could only achieve Core Formation through enlightenment. More Heaven-grade pill energy was useless.

To Nangong Mian, Heaven-grade pill energy that couldn’t be used for Core Formation was just a more valuable resource.

In this situation, only Nangong Mian’s older sister, Nangong Ling, could restrain her.

After all, the fearless Nangong Mian, besides the Empress, only Nangong Ling could control her. It wasn’t appropriate for others to intervene.

“Over ten strands… I’ve already wasted, oh no, absorbed that much?”

Nangong Mian was also shocked upon hearing this number. She hadn’t even counted.

Nangong Ling glanced at her, closed her eyes again, and said softly,

“I said no, it means no.”

“Good sister…”

“Even calling me ‘good sister’ won’t work.”

“Then, bad sister…”

“If you continue, I’ll send you to the imperial palace,” Nangong Ling said slowly. “I heard Madam is back and is looking for someone to serve the Empress. I think you’re quite suitable.”

“No, no, that’s too much…”

Hearing this, Nangong Mian instinctively shrank back.

She couldn’t do anything against her sister, Nangong Ling, and as for the Empress… she was terrified…

But why was Madam back… could it be because of Xue Meimei?

The entire Great Qin Immortal Dynasty knew about the little princess’s disappearance, and the Nangong Sacred Land had naturally also received the news.

Even Nangong Mian, who had interacted with Princess Xue, was questioned, but of course, they couldn’t get anything from her.

Nangong Ling had already made arrangements and was about to depart for the imperial palace to become the little princess’s teacher.

But before she could leave, the little princess disappeared, and the plan was put on hold.

Because of this, Nangong Ling had some free time, not having to run around for clan affairs.

Otherwise, as the youngest Tribulation Immortal in the clan, Nangong Ling was very busy and wouldn’t have the time to watch over Nangong Mian, preventing her from causing trouble.

“But… Big Sister, just staying at home, I can’t form my core.” Nangong Mian said with a bitter face. “Enlightenment Core Formation, enlightenment, I need a place to… enlighten, right?”

Nangong Ling pondered for a moment, not denying it. “That’s true, but this enlightenment… is mysterious and unpredictable. Even the ancient texts have few examples, it’s difficult to find any guidance.”

It wasn’t that no one had achieved Enlightenment Core Formation from ancient times to the present, but there were no detailed records.

In the ancient texts, there might be just a simple sentence: a certain person, at a certain time and place, achieved Enlightenment Core Formation. That was all.

Moreover… few cultivators who achieved Enlightenment Core Formation could break through their bottlenecks. Their achievements were similar to those who formed a Heaven Core, and reaching the Saint Realm through this method was even more unlikely.

“But we can’t just do nothing just because there’s no guidance, can we?” Nangong Mian said, “I have to go out, I have to experience things, I have to compete with others in secret realms…”

“Spare me, just tell that to Sixth Granduncle,” Nangong Ling rolled her eyes at Nangong Mian. “I think you just want to go out and cause trouble again. Do you know how many times Third Granduncle’s lineage has complained about you?”

“I’m doing all this for cultivation, for cultivation…” Nangong Mian said guiltily.

“You were the one who insisted on cultivating this inheritance. I believed in you and shielded you from the clan’s warnings, and the result… is an invincible Foundation Establishment cultivator who can’t break through to Core Formation.”

Nangong Ling sighed softly.

She knew very well that Nangong Mian’s Enlightenment Core Formation might take hundreds, or even thousands, of years, perhaps requiring a special opportunity.

Or perhaps…

She would never succeed.

Forever stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment, until her lifespan ran out.

Nangong Ling, at the Tribulation Immortal Realm, with a lifespan exceeding an era, naturally didn’t want to see her younger sister grow old before her.

And for the Nangong clan, an invincible Foundation Establishment disciple who couldn’t advance was also a headache.

She could live for a thousand years, tormenting all the Foundation Establishment disciples for a thousand years!

Piling resources on her would only make Nangong Mian more invincible at Foundation Establishment, but she would still be just a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Nangong Ling suddenly regretted agreeing to Nangong Mian’s request. If her sister hadn’t taken this path, perhaps… this wouldn’t have happened.

“…Big Sister?”

Nangong Mian still had an innocent expression, looking up at the slightly dazed Nangong Ling like a pitiful puppy.

But this pitiful puppy was the nightmare of all Foundation Establishment Nangong disciples…

“You definitely can’t go to the Core Formation secret realm. The granduncles have given me strict orders. If I let you in again… it would be too embarrassing.”

Nangong Ling said helplessly. “As for going out for training… you’ve had enough experience, haven’t you? Don’t tell me you want to go to the southern barbarian lands? That’s not a place for Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

Although she had heard that the tribes in the southern barbarian lands had recently been united, and even His Majesty was willing to go there for a southern tour, it shouldn’t be as dangerous as before.

But… tens of thousands of years of unrest couldn’t be resolved so easily.

The southern barbarian lands, although nominally a part of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, were actually vast, almost two-thirds the size of the dynasty.

However, most of it was a forbidden zone, a death trap even Sea Crossing Realm cultivators didn’t dare to enter.

And most of the barbarian tribes were demons.

Not humans with demonic bloodlines, but true demons.

Most of these demons were bloodthirsty and violent, some even enjoyed eating the flesh and blood of cultivators. Even if they had some intelligence, it was difficult to communicate with them.

And there were constant blood feuds and wars between the tribes.

Just who had the ability to unite them… Nangong Ling was also curious.

“Southern barbarian lands… Don’t worry, I definitely won’t go there.” Nangong Mian shook her head vehemently. “At least not until I reach Nascent Soul. Without Nascent Soul, it’s too dangerous…”

Nangong Mian wasn’t stupid. How could a Foundation Establishment cultivator without any tribal background survive in such a place? They would just be food for the demons.

“…Let’s talk after you form your core.” Nangong Ling raised an eyebrow, then suddenly thought of something. “By the way, you just want to go out, right?”

“Yes, staying at home is so boring! I’m dying of boredom!” Nangong Mian nodded repeatedly, looking at Nangong Ling hopefully.

A mischievous smile appeared on Nangong Ling’s lips.

“In that case, the Heaven-grade pill secret realm that’s opening soon…”

“Hmm?”

Nangong Mian’s ears perked up.

Could it be that her sister had suddenly become kind and was allowing her to enter the secret realm?

“—You can be the protector for Sixth Granduncle’s lineage.” Nangong Ling said with a smile.

“Huh?”

Nangong Mian was stunned.

Pro-, protector?

What did a protector do… A protector was just a guard!

Usually, when entering a secret realm, the protector would stay outside, to prevent accidents and protect those leaving the secret realm from being attacked.

Of course, for Foundation Establishment and Core Formation level secret realms, the Nangong clan didn’t need to fight against outsiders. The competition within the secret realm was between disciples of different lineages.

Except for Nangong Mian, this unusual case, the competition within the secret realm was a good place for training and cultivation.

And since they were all from the Nangong clan, the so-called protector was just an excuse for a few old geezers to gather and relax. Theoretically, they weren’t needed…

And if Nangong Mian became the protector, not to mention the boredom of guarding, she would also… have to face the old geezers from the other lineages.

When she plundered the secret realms before, she had offended all the Foundation Establishment disciples, including those from Sixth Granduncle’s lineage. These old geezers were just looking for a chance to punish her.

For Nangong Mian to be the protector was like walking into a trap.

“So?”

Nangong Ling asked with a smile.

“…Can I refuse?” Nangong Mian put on a pitiful expression.

“Of course,” Nangong Ling nodded, “then just stay home these next few days, don’t go anywhere. I’ll take you to the ancestral land later. Didn’t you want enlightenment? The ancestral land should be a good place for that.”

“Sister, my dear sister, you can’t force your little sister like this!” Nangong Mian said with a mournful face. “I’m your sister, how can you be so cruel?”

Enlightenment in the ancestral land was even more absurd. What kind of place was the ancestral land? It was another death trap, filled with purgatory flames. Otherwise, why would the Nangong clan leave?

It was said… that an ancient divine beast had died there, and its resentment lingered to this day.

“Are you going or not?”

Nangong Ling asked cheerfully.

She was originally supposed to be the protector for Sixth Granduncle’s lineage in this secret realm. Now, having the chance to send Nangong Mian instead, she was happy to be free.

Moreover, those old geezers would probably be delighted to see this…

As for Nangong Mian’s own opinion, it wasn’t very important. Just consider it a lesson for her.

“It’s not like I have a choice…”

Nangong Mian’s expression drooped dejectedly.

“Then it’s settled.”

Nangong Ling snapped her fingers and pushed her wheelchair towards the inner room.

Nangong Mian sighed and followed, pushing her wheelchair.

“Heh… how long has it been since you pushed my wheelchair like this?” Nangong Ling let go of the wheels and placed her hands on her lap dignifiedly.

“I don’t remember, it should have been a few years.” Nangong Mian said.

“You were so small back then,” Nangong Ling said softly, “although you’re still about the same now.”

“Sister!”

Nangong Mian pouted in dissatisfaction.

Her height had always been a sore spot. Only the little princess was shorter than her.

“Aren’t I, unable to stand, even shorter than you?”

Nangong Ling smiled faintly, gently touching her paralyzed legs.

She had suffered a severe soul injury before, and the lasting effect was that she could never use her legs again, not even reshaping her body could heal it.

“…”

Nangong Mian didn’t speak, just silently looked at Nangong Ling.

“Promise me,” Nangong Ling whispered, “don’t give up, okay?”

“I’ll be waiting for you, on the other side of time.”

“…Okay.”

…

A week later, Nangong Sacred Land.

The Nangong clan wasn’t exactly reclusive, and the Nangong Sacred Land wasn’t exclusively for Nangong clan members.

Actually, the Nangong Sacred Land was similar to the Imperial Capital, a massive city built and managed by various factions, with many cultivators from all over, and other factions also had bases here.

Although not as prosperous as the Imperial Capital, it was still quite lively.

Although Luo Xue’s previous location was only a five or six-hour flight away from the Nangong Sacred Land, and for a Nascent Soul cultivator with a flying sword, it would only take a short while, unfortunately, Luo Xue couldn’t even fly, only able to use movement techniques to travel.

Furthermore, the mountains were full of dangers, and she had to take detours to avoid some forbidden zones.

Therefore, when Luo Xue approached the Nangong Sacred Land, an entire week had passed.

Luo Xue was fully prepared. She first changed her appearance to that of the ghostly girl—mainly because her other disguises were too easily seen through—then took out the commonly used currency and prepared to find a place to stay.

She wouldn’t make the same mistake she made in Ghost Demon Pass.

However…

“Fully booked? Why?”

Luo Xue stared at the innkeeper of the eighteenth inn she visited.

“Sigh, you wouldn’t know,” the innkeeper sighed, “it’s all because of the recent Heaven-grade pill secret realm…”

Chapter 175: News of the Peerless Summit Sect, Luo Xue’s First Disciple 

Furthermore, after interacting with Dugu Xue, Luo Xue discovered that she wasn’t lacking in cultivation aptitude.

On the contrary, Dugu Xue possessed a cultivation aptitude that amazed even Luo Xue, at least not much inferior to her own.

Even before embarking on the path of cultivation, Dugu Xue’s meridians were already quite smooth, her affinity for spiritual power was high, and she could even sense spiritual energy.

“I… can’t cultivate.”

Dugu Xue’s expression turned melancholic.

“When I was ten, Father also gave me some cultivation techniques, but I couldn’t cultivate them.”

She raised her hand and said softly, “Every time I was about to cultivate my first strand of spiritual power, it would be completely eroded by some kind of power, making it impossible to continue.”

“Hmm?” Luo Xue frowned slightly. “What kind of power?”

Dugu Xue thought for a moment, then transmitted the image in her mind to Xue Ling.

Xue Ling projected the image.

After carefully watching it, Luo Xue understood what was going on.

It was… the will of withering.

Basically, all spiritual power couldn’t resist the erosion of the will of withering, let alone the weak spiritual power of someone just starting to cultivate, like Dugu Xue.

Under this restriction, Dugu Xue’s path of cultivation was effectively severed.

However…

There was a solution to this.

Perhaps this was where Luo Xue differed from the Immortal Emperor.

Since Dugu Xue’s weak spiritual power couldn’t resist withering, she could choose another path—to accommodate it.

Coincidentally, Luo Xue possessed the modified Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, also known as the Fengyin True Scripture, which could integrate the will of withering. The requirements for cultivating it weren’t high, only a pure Yin body was needed.

Dugu Xue was a descendant of the Snow Maiden bloodline. In terms of Yin constitution, there was probably nothing colder than the Snow Maiden bloodline in this world.

“I have a cultivation technique, you can try it,” Luo Xue looked at Dugu Xue, “but whether it will work… I’m not sure.”

“If you can embark on the path of cultivation, finding a way to save your life… might not be impossible.”

What the Immortal Emperor couldn’t do was because Dugu Xue was just a mortal.

In this situation, many techniques and methods couldn’t be used. Even if he wanted to strengthen her Snow Maiden bloodline to save her life, he would need another descendant of the Snow Maiden.

“Ah, Big Sister Luo, are you… taking me as your disciple?”

Dugu Xue covered her mouth, her face filled with surprise.

“It’s just a cultivation technique, not taking you as a disciple.” Luo Xue waved her hand.

Actually, neither True Person Fengyin nor Phoenix Venerable valued this modified inheritance much. After all, the true True Phoenix Inheritance wasn’t so simple…

Without the True Phoenix bloodline, even with the technique, it was useless.

Hearing this, Dugu Xue’s eyes teared up, and she looked at Luo Xue and said softly,

“Big Sister Luo, do you think Xue’er is not worthy of being your disciple…”

“No, you misunderstood. I’m only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, I can’t teach anyone.” Luo Xue smiled wryly. “Besides, it’s just a cultivation technique. Compared to the things I took from the imperial palace, it’s not that valuable.”

“It’s precisely because Big Sister Luo is only at the peak of Foundation Establishment that it’s even more amazing. You can freely enter and leave the imperial palace… Even Soul Transformation or Ascension cultivators might not be able to do that.”

Dugu Xue blinked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “So, Big Sister Luo, will you take me as your disciple?”

Seeing Dugu Xue’s hopeful gaze, Luo Xue realized something.

So this little girl’s tears were just an act, she just wanted to be her disciple.

“Since you insist, then… fine.” Luo Xue sighed. “Let me think, which lineage should you join…”

Come to think of it, Luo Xue herself didn’t have a master.

She should have had two: her convenient mother, Luo Huaxin, in her previous life, and Phoenix Venerable, whose attitude was quite strange.

However, although they were close to Luo Xue, neither was willing to acknowledge her as a disciple.

It seemed Luo Xue only had one sect inheritance.

Falling Flower Peak of the Peerless Summit Sect…

A strange expression appeared on Luo Xue’s face.

“What’s wrong, Big Sister Luo?”

Dugu Xue stared at Luo Xue, a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

She really wanted to become Luo Xue’s disciple, even though Luo Xue’s current strength was only slightly higher than the maids’.

“Nothing, just thinking about something.” Luo Xue exhaled. “I don’t have my own inheritance. If you want to be my disciple, you can only join my sect.”

“Okay, no problem,” Dugu Xue nodded, then asked, “Which sect is Big Sister Luo from?”

Dugu Xue was curious. She knew Luo Xue was probably a reincarnated cultivator.

But even after reading almost all the books in the imperial study, she couldn’t find any information about Luo Xue’s sect.

“Falling Flower Peak of the Peerless Summit Sect,” Luo Xue scratched the back of her head. “Well… you probably haven’t heard of it. It’s…”

“Ah!” Before Luo Xue could finish, Dugu Xue exclaimed, “Big Sister Luo, you’re from the Peerless Summit Sect? Really?”

“…Huh?”

Luo Xue was stunned.

Could there be a sect with the same name here?

“An ancient sword cultivation sect, completely destroyed after the end of the ancient era. It’s said that their disciples used ‘severing a celestial river with a single sword’ as their entrance examination…”

Dugu Xue recited, then added,

“I read about it in ancient texts. The stories inside are like fairy tales, so I remember quite a bit.”

Luo Xue was silent for a moment. She realized that this Peerless Summit Sect and the one she knew seemed to be connected.

The ancient era…

Luo Xue had heard this term more than once recently, and it had a deep connection with the caged world.

It seemed that everything in the caged world was related to the ancient era.

What exactly happened in the ancient era, to create the nine provinces and four domains?

“Could it be that Big Sister Luo, you are…”

Dugu Xue covered her mouth, a terrifying possibility occurring to her.

Could Big Sister Luo be an old monster from the ancient era…

But even if she was, Big Sister Luo looked very young now.

“That might be another misunderstanding.”

Luo Xue said, seeing what Dugu Xue was thinking.

She rubbed her temples, thinking about how to explain, when Dugu Xue sat up from her lap.

Xue Ling helped Dugu Xue stand up, and she walked to Luo Xue with some difficulty.

“Please accept me as your disciple, Master.”

Dugu Xue knelt down, and Luo Xue was about to help her up.

Dugu Xue, having just recovered from the torment of the will of withering, couldn’t withstand such exertion.

But Dugu Xue raised her hand and stopped Luo Xue.

“Big Sister Luo, oh no… Master, I want to join your sect. This is the proper etiquette, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Luo Xue’s eyes flickered, and she retracted her hand.

Dugu Xue smiled faintly, then performed the formal three bows and nine kowtows, and finally said again,

“Please, Master… accept me as your disciple!”

The white-haired girl’s expression was filled with determination. This was the first time Luo Xue had seen such a resolute look in Dugu Xue’s eyes.

“I accept,” Luo Xue said softly, “From now on, Dugu Xue belongs to the Falling Flower Peak lineage of the Peerless Summit Sect, under my tutelage.”

“Master.” Dugu Xue blinked and asked with a smile, “Am I… your first disciple?”

“I suppose… so…”

Luo Xue said hesitantly.

This “first disciple” title wasn’t very impressive.

Now, it was time to verify her earlier guess.

Luo Xue transmitted the modified Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, also known as the Fengyin True Scripture, to Xue Ling, who then relayed it to Dugu Xue.

Since Luo Xue didn’t have a jade slip for the inheritance, she could only use this cumbersome method.

After receiving the inheritance, Dugu Xue, urged by Luo Xue, immediately started cultivating without hesitation.

Since Dugu Xue had tried cultivating before, condensing her first strand of spiritual power was easy.

And this time, the will of withering within her body didn’t erode this spiritual power, nor did it merge with it, but coexisted with it.

If the will of withering was a monster, and spiritual power was a little rabbit, this time… the monster didn’t notice the rabbit hopping at its feet.

It worked.

Dugu Xue opened her eyes in surprise. She hadn’t had much hope. Even her father, the Immortal Emperor, couldn’t find a suitable cultivation technique for her, but Master had succeeded on her first try.

“Master, I… am I… a cultivator now?”

Dugu Xue was so excited that she was almost speechless. She sensed the spiritual power flowing within her body, a feeling she had never experienced before.

Wherever the spiritual power flowed, the parts of her body previously ravaged by the will of withering began to heal, and her seemingly frozen body gradually thawed under this warm current.

And what Luo Xue saw was another scene. Dugu Xue, having just embarked on the path of immortality, instantly crossed three levels, reaching the mid-stage of the Post-Heaven Realm.

She would probably be ready to break through to the Innate Realm by tomorrow…

Thinking of how much effort she had put into reaching the Innate Realm, Luo Xue couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.

“Cultivate diligently, it’s good for your body.”

Luo Xue rubbed Dugu Xue’s hair. This little princess, who looked so similar to her, although technically her disciple, seemed more like a younger sister.

Dugu Xue nodded vigorously and sat down again, intending to continue cultivating.

“By the way, Little Dugu, I have to go out for a bit. I probably won’t be back for a while.”

Luo Xue slapped her forehead, almost forgetting the important matter. She still had to go to the Nangong Sacred Land.

“You can continue cultivating the Fengyin True Scripture. Xue Ling will protect you. If there are any problems, just send me a message.”

Xue Ling was a Soul Transformation expert. As long as Luo Xue wasn’t in the imperial palace or a similar restricted area, she could receive messages.

“Master, are you going to the Nangong family?” Dugu Xue asked.

Dugu Xue also knew their current location, marked by Xue Ling, and she had seen the nearby Nangong Sacred Land.

“Yes, I want to go there. There should be a Core Formation secret realm there, I want to try it.” Luo Xue nodded, her face flushing slightly.

As a master, she was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment. With Dugu Xue’s talent, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to catch up.

If her disciple’s cultivation surpassed hers, it would be embarrassing…

Dugu Xue thought for a moment and signaled Xue Ling to take out something.

Xue Ling immediately took out a token and handed it to Luo Xue.

“This is…”

Luo Xue took the token, saw the Dao inscriptions carved on it, and felt a burning sensation upon touching it.

“A clan token of the Nangong Sacred Land, it might be useful to you, Master.” Dugu Xue smiled. “It was given to me by the Empress. She said every prince and princess receives one.”

“Does it have any identification?”

Luo Xue frowned slightly and asked.

What if it was used to prove her identity as the little princess…

“Don’t worry, Master, it’s just a blank token,” Dugu Xue shook her head. “Because I haven’t embarked on the path of cultivation yet, I can’t leave my soul imprint on it.”

“If Master is going to the Nangong Sacred Land, this token will be very convenient.”

“Wouldn’t it be suspicious for an unknown Nangong clan member to suddenly appear with a token?” Luo Xue, always cautious, asked a few more questions.

“No, there are more than a hundred thousand Nangong clan members, they can’t possibly remember everyone. As long as the token has the owner’s soul imprint, even if they don’t recognize the person, they can only assume it’s some unknown branch family member.” Dugu Xue replied.

“If that’s the case, it does seem quite useful.” Luo Xue accepted the token. “Thank you, Little Dugu.”

Hearing this, Dugu Xue’s expression turned serious.

“Master, you should have the demeanor of a master. You should say, ‘Disciple, you’ve done well.’ Saying ‘thank you’ is too casual!”

“Ah…”

Luo Xue opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

This was her first time being a master, and Dugu Xue’s words stunned her.

Seeing Dugu Xue cover her mouth and giggle, Luo Xue instantly realized that she had been teased.

“You little girl…”

Luo Xue sighed and reached out to knock on Dugu Xue’s head.

Dugu Xue stuck out her tongue playfully, then immediately started cultivating seriously, making it impossible for Luo Xue to do anything.

After leaving the oppressive imperial palace, Dugu Xue seemed much more lively.

This… was good.

Luo Xue’s gaze towards Dugu Xue softened, and she glanced at Xue Ling before turning and flying towards the Nangong Sacred Land.

Only after Luo Xue left did Dugu Xue secretly open her eyes, looking in the direction she had gone.

Dugu Xue rested her chin on her hand, her eyes half-closed, a happy smile on her lips.

The morning light shone down, casting a sacred glow on the earth.

“Xue Ling, do you think… living like this… isn’t so bad?”

Chapter 174: Aptitude Upgrade, Resisting Withering

Dugu Xue was still very weak, practically on the verge of death.

She didn’t stay awake for long, her eyelids growing heavy, and soon she fell asleep again in Luo Xue’s arms.

Luo Xue held her gently, a faint smile on her lips.

But her expression quickly turned serious.

She hadn’t gone through all this trouble to escape the imperial palace just for a leisurely outing…

Many things weren’t convenient within the palace; there were too many powerful cultivators.

The Great Qin Imperial Capital was one of the places with the highest concentration of powerful cultivators in the Ancient Demon Lands. Soul Transformation cultivators were everywhere, and Nascent Soul cultivators were common.

Actually, outside the Imperial Capital, there were also ordinary mortals and low-level cultivators, and Nascent Soul cultivators were still considered old monsters.

Compared to the caged world, the Ancient Demon Lands weren’t that different, just seemingly stronger because there was no upper limit to cultivation.

Besides this, and the difference in population and territory, the caged world wasn’t inferior.

If the nine provinces and four domains had the same environment, the forbidden area lords and the ancient beings wouldn’t be limited to the Soul Transformation Realm.

Luo Xue even suspected that they had the potential to reach Tribulation Immortal and above.

It was just that the nine provinces and four domains were a land of scarcity, barely able to support a few peak Soul Transformation cultivators, let alone those at Ascension or Tribulation Immortal.

“Oh right, where are we now?”

Luo Xue took out the map she had prepared, intending to determine their location.

But just then, Xue Ling reached out and took the map.

“Hmm?”

Luo Xue was stunned, then saw Xue Ling point to a location.

“You’re saying, we’re currently… here?”

Luo Xue asked tentatively, and Xue Ling nodded slightly in confirmation.

“Hmm…”

Luo Xue looked at Xue Ling. Although she knew puppetry, Xue Ling was a Soul Transformation puppet…

Incredibly powerful, there weren’t many like her, even in the Ancient Demon Lands, let alone the nine provinces and four domains.

Therefore, Luo Xue probably didn’t know much more about Xue Ling than Dugu Xue did.

At most, because she knew puppetry, she could control Xue Ling for a short time…

However, Xue Ling felt strange to Luo Xue. Although she wasn’t sentient, she still had some autonomy, not completely following orders.

How to describe it…

Like… a not very smart AI…

Perhaps one day, Xue Ling would also develop sentience like an artifact spirit.

Thinking of this, Luo Xue took out the Snow Blade given to her by Concubine Min.

When giving it to her, Concubine Min had already severed the connection between them, and now the Snow Blade completely belonged to Luo Xue.

She could use it as an ordinary spiritual artifact, or refine it into her natal spiritual artifact.

Because the Snow Blade’s artifact spirit seemed to like her…

Holding the Snow Blade, Luo Xue could feel a sense of joy from it, like a child.

Luo Xue just gently stroked it, and the Snow Blade flew up, circling around her.

Soon, the Snow Blade’s spirit found the place it wanted to be.

It quickly styled Luo Xue’s waist-length hair, then turned itself into a hairpin, nestled among her white hair.

“This…”

Luo Xue was speechless. She had never seen such a clearly sentient artifact spirit.

She conjured a mirror, which showed her true appearance—actually, a disguise created with the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art.

Because Luo Xue’s face had been changed to resemble Dugu Xue’s by either the Empress or the Immortal Emperor…

Unable to find a way to restore it, Luo Xue could only resort to this method.

“Well, it’s from Imperial Concubine Min after all, her hairstyle is much better than my own messy attempts.”

Luo Xue couldn’t help but smile wryly and dispelled the mirror.

Even a weapon was better at styling her hair than she was…

Luo Xue composed herself and started examining the map.

It was a very detailed map, drawn on “Universe Cloth,” even the mountain ranges and the distribution of various factions were clearly marked.

Luo Xue just had to look at a certain location, and the corresponding information would appear in her mind.

Luo Xue couldn’t help but think that if she had such a map when she was wandering in the Demon Abyss…

But that was impossible.

Universe Cloth wasn’t a common item. It was usually used to create secret realms. Using it to make a map was a luxury only the imperial family could afford.

Any random item in the imperial palace was a top-tier magical treasure, but Luo Xue was worried that taking too many would arouse suspicion, so she hadn’t taken much.

“Now… so, we’re this far from the Imperial Capital?”

Luo Xue was a bit shocked. This teleportation had taken them almost one-third of the way across the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

If they had gone in another direction, Luo Xue would have ended up in the vast and dangerous Endless Sea.

This was partly due to the spatial collapse after breaking through the restriction, and also because Luo Xue, worried that the power wasn’t enough, had used most of Xue Ling’s strength for the teleportation.

“Around here… hmm?”

Luo Xue looked at the map again and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar place.

—The Nangong Sacred Land.

“It’s less than ten thousand miles from our current location… about six or seven hours by plane, practically next door in this world.”

Luo Xue frowned slightly, lost in thought.

There were three main reasons for her leaving the imperial palace.

First, to find a Core Formation secret realm. Her cultivation had been at the peak of Foundation Establishment for a while now, and she should start preparing for Core Formation.

Even having seen Nascent Soul cultivators treated like nothing in the imperial palace, Luo Xue still felt that she should progress steadily, there was no need to rush…

The Eternal Withering Body wasn’t a good thing. Being surrounded by withering, for a living being, was like purgatory.

Second, to find the caged world.

Since there were records of the Ancient Demon Lands in the nine provinces and four domains, and there were also powerful demons from the Ancient Demon Lands appearing in the caged world, there must be a passage between the two.

Unfortunately, Phoenix Venerable hadn’t been willing to say anything, only repeating her duty as a Gatekeeper.

The last reason, and also the most important one, was…

To find Senior Sister Li and stop her from running around using her face…

Luo Xue knew that Senior Sister Li was only doing this because she thought Luo Xue wouldn’t come to this world.

After all, she had also had the same thought in the post-apocalyptic world…

If she appeared before Senior Sister Li, they could clear things up.

Luo Xue exhaled and opened the panel, which she hadn’t used in a while.

She was instantly shocked.

[Current Realm: Foundation Establishment (Peak)]
[Survival Points: 6580]
[Poison Resistance: 100]
[Strength: 100]
[Soul: 100]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Extraordinary Talent (Next Stage: Peerless Aptitude)]
[Divine Ability Aptitude: Barely There (Next Stage: Extraordinary Talent)]
[Obtained Law: Space-Time Sword Intent]
[Currently Possessed Laws: Sword Intent of Withering, Sword Intent of Space-Time]

So many survival points…

Luo Xue opened the record and saw a long list, making her gasp.

They were all from her escape from the imperial palace.

“All Ascension Realm and Tribulation Immortal…”

Luo Xue broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a chill down her spine.

This was thanks to the large-scale restriction within the imperial palace complex, which suppressed the power of cultivators within, even the guards.

Many abilities that could be used outside, such as Divine Sense detection, teleportation, and even some law-level powers, were suppressed within the imperial palace.

If not for these restrictions, with the various abilities of Soul Transformation cultivators and above, if just one snuck in, the weaker members of the imperial family would be in great danger.

This had actually made things easier for Luo Xue, who was at Foundation Establishment. And during her time as a princess, she had thoroughly explored the entire imperial palace, except for a few forbidden areas.

Although, to Luo Xue, the imperial palace was her home…

Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly, and Luo Xue didn’t see any records of Sea Crossing Realm cultivators in her survival point log.

This meant that there weren’t any Sea Crossing Realm experts in the imperial palace, as rumored. That “Wei” was probably just close to that level.

With so many survival points, Luo Xue maxed out all her basic attributes, reaching the limit of 100.

Including physical resistance, magical resistance, technique strength… etc. All of her basic attributes reached the peak, the level of a peerless genius.

After maxing these out, she still had over 3000 survival points left, and her divine ability aptitude was also upgraded to the next level, “Extraordinary Talent.”

However, she couldn’t reach “Peerless Aptitude” yet, which required 10,000 points.

The improvement in her basic attributes was obvious to Luo Xue.

Now, all her attributes were at their theoretical maximum, enough to crush opponents of the same level just with her stats.

Even if there were one or two peerless geniuses who could match her in a few aspects, they couldn’t compare overall.

But…

The “Extraordinary Talent” divine ability aptitude didn’t seem to bring any changes to her talent. Luo Xue looked carefully, but her pupils were still just Double Pupils, not a qualitative change like from Calamity Poison Body to Eternal Withering Body.

“Perhaps it requires some conditions to trigger…”

Luo Xue pondered and could only come to this conclusion.

The evolution of the Calamity Poison Body wasn’t necessarily the Eternal Withering Body. It was because she was in the Blood Sea, filled with the will of withering.

Luo Xue guessed that a high-level divine ability aptitude required certain conditions to trigger, perhaps encountering something, or learning something.

Without meeting these conditions, there wouldn’t be any effects.

However, even without the Double Pupils evolving, Luo Xue’s comprehension of divine abilities should now be on par with Li Guijiao’s.

Li Guijiao was truly a once-in-a-millennium genius. It was only because she was from the Peerless Summit Sect, which specialized in swordsmanship, that her talent for the four arts and divine abilities wasn’t discovered.

Otherwise, with her talent, she would be more than qualified to be a “Holy Maiden” of the Peerless Summit Sect.

“Judging by Imperial Concubine Min’s attitude towards her, Senior Sister Li should be doing quite well in this world, right?”

Luo Xue thought of this, a smile appearing on her lips.

“Ugh…”

Just then, a painful moan came from her arms.

Luo Xue looked down, frowning slightly.

Dugu Xue’s face was twisted in pain, even in her sleep.

A strange power surged within her body, struggling to resist the encroaching withering, but it couldn’t completely stop the erosion.

At the same time, Xue Ling approached, her cold hand resting on Dugu Xue’s forehead.

The strange power seemed to be strengthened, suddenly pushing back the withering.

But… the traces left by the withering couldn’t be healed.

And the residual will of withering continued to torment Dugu Xue.

The strange power should be the technique cast by the Immortal Emperor, maintained by Xue Ling’s power, a temporary solution to prolong Dugu Xue’s life, keeping her on the verge of death.

But the Immortal Emperor didn’t understand withering. Although he could sense its presence, he couldn’t perceive it like Luo Xue could.

Luo Xue sighed, rubbed Dugu Xue’s hair, and sent her spiritual power into Dugu Xue’s body.

The residual will of withering was still stubbornly resisting the strange power. Dispelling it would take a lot of effort, and during this process, Dugu Xue would be in constant pain.

Of course, this was the Immortal Emperor’s method.

Luo Xue had her own.

Gentle spiritual power flowed through Dugu Xue’s unopened meridians, and the will of withering it touched vanished completely within a few breaths.

A healthy flush returned to Dugu Xue’s pale face, and the pain finally subsided.

“It seems… it’s still somewhat useful.”

Luo Xue sighed and looked at her own spiritual power, which was a strange purplish-red.

She had chosen to cultivate the modified Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture from True Person Fengyin, a technique related to the will of withering, which was why her spiritual power was this color.

Because it was related to the will of withering, it could dispel the residual withering.

However… Luo Xue had to bear the burden herself.

“Luo… Big Sister Luo…”

Dugu Xue woke up and opened her eyes weakly, seeing Luo Xue’s serious expression.

She quickly learned what had just happened from Xue Ling and grabbed Luo Xue’s hand, slightly agitated.

“Big Sister Luo, don’t do this… You didn’t have to save me. I’m already dying, I don’t want to drag anyone else down…”

“…It’s not dragging you down.” Luo Xue shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Just then, Luo Xue suddenly thought of something and asked,

“By the way, Little Dugu, why didn’t you choose to cultivate? Embarking on the immortal path would at least make you feel better, lessening the pain and torment.”

For a mortal to withstand the struggle between the Immortal Emperor’s technique and the will of withering, surviving until now was already a miracle, requiring incredible willpower.

Luo Xue had only realized after meeting her that Dugu Xue possessed such strong willpower, even stronger than her own.

Chapter 173: Night Sky

Wei didn’t speak, but looked deeply at Imperial Concubine Min, then glanced at his surroundings.

Unfortunately, the spatial collapse caused by forcibly breaking through the restriction had almost completely destroyed the Snow Palace, erasing all traces.

Although Wei could now use a retracing technique, due to the spatial collapse, the retracement would be blank.

There were many restrictions within the imperial palace, especially below the Sea Crossing Realm, almost to the limit. Even Divine Sense couldn’t extend for more than a few miles.

But this was unavoidable. Otherwise, any Soul Transformation cultivator could sneak in and spy on the imperial family.

The imperial family wasn’t just composed of powerful cultivators. There were also mortal girls like Princess Xue, and many imperial descendants were only at Foundation Establishment or Nascent Soul, not particularly strong.

“Your Ladyship, allow this subordinate to escort you to the Imperial Daughter’s palace,” Wei took a deep breath and said, “Her Highness’s room should be… more comfortable for you.”

A complicated look flashed through Concubine Min’s eyes, and she nodded slightly.

“As you wish.”

Indeed…

Wei’s expression turned serious.

Imperial Concubine Min probably already knew about the princess’s disappearance.

In that case, Wei knew that there was no need to investigate the cause and process of this incident.

What if he actually found something…

The priority now was to find Her Highness.

After a few maids helped Concubine Min leave the Snow Palace, Wei pondered for a moment, summoned a guard, and gave his orders.

“From today onwards, the Imperial Capital will be locked down, and the news of Princess Xue’s disappearance will be spread.”

“Yes.” The guard accepted the order, then hesitated and asked, “Master, should we issue a wanted notice?”

“No, just spread the news.” Wei said in a deep voice. “The imperial palace will deny this and claim that Princess Xue’s old illness has relapsed and she needs to rest.”

“But Master, with all due respect, if we do that…”

The guard wanted to ask more, but Wei raised his hand and stopped him.

“Just do as I say, don’t ask too many questions.”

Wei’s expression was grave. He knew that this matter was far more complicated than he could handle.

From now on, he could only act in secret.

Wei pondered for a moment, then said,

“Inform Ling Nuoxin, have her use the underground intelligence network to search for Princess Xue’s whereabouts.”

Even so, Wei was still uneasy and added,

“Contact the Winterfrost Empire and the Nine Heavens Sacred Land, ask them to help search. If Her Highness went to their territories, they can look after her.”

Princess Xue was important to the Immortal Emperor, but to other factions, she was just a mortal.

If they could exchange a mortal for a favor from the Great Qin Immortal Emperor, they would be happy to do so.

After giving these orders, Wei waved his hand, dismissing the guard.

He stood guard outside the Imperial Daughter’s palace, silent and unmoving, like a statue lost in thought.

At this juncture, if anything happened to Imperial Concubine Min, it would be a disaster.

…

“Are you here to tell her about… that?”

“…”

The etiquette official didn’t speak, her head lowered. The Empress sat beside her.

Today, the Empress wasn’t admiring the wildflowers in her courtyard, but had returned to her room.

Perhaps she had lost interest, or perhaps she wanted a change of pace. The Empress was always unpredictable, and the etiquette official was used to it.

Compared to the simple courtyard, the room was even simpler, with just a plain bed and an ordinary dressing table, hard to believe this was the Empress’s bedroom.

“I already know.” The Empress said slowly. “This is her choice, I don’t need to stop her.”

“But…” The etiquette official sighed. “It’s still hard to let go.”

“Wei is handling it well, there’s no need for me to intervene.” The Empress said softly. “If you can’t let go, then return to the Nangong Sacred Land. Perhaps they will go there.”

“Why?”

The etiquette official looked up in surprise.

“Why… heh, it’s just… a possibility.”

The Empress was noncommittal, her gaze casually drifting towards the window, seemingly in the direction of the southern barbarian lands.

On the southern tour.

…

The Immortal Emperor finished reading the message from the imperial palace word by word and slowly closed his eyes.

“Xue’er, is this your choice…”

The Immortal Emperor knew that whether it was the Empress’s arrangement or the stand-in’s scheme, it couldn’t be without Dugu Xue’s own will.

Xue’er was just a pawn, only slightly more important because of his love.

The Immortal Emperor had told Xue’er that he was going on a southern tour to find a way to save her life, but he knew that it would be very difficult.

The Snow Maiden bloodline was actually a very powerful ancient bloodline, almost on par with the Nangong clan.

It was only because of their unique illness that they had declined to their current state, with only a few descendants remaining.

“Your Majesty, are you… returning to the palace?”

The guard beside him asked cautiously.

“No.” The Immortal Emperor opened his eyes, staring straight ahead. “Continue as planned, proceed with the southern tour.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

The guard bowed and left, leaving the Immortal Emperor alone in the room.

As if remembering something, the Immortal Emperor took out a letter he had received during his southern tour.

He didn’t know who sent it, and it couldn’t be traced, but the envelope itself was very ordinary, containing only a single sheet of paper.

However, the Immortal Emperor guessed that it was probably sent by the Empress.

What was her purpose…

The Immortal Emperor opened the envelope. He had already read this letter, but he couldn’t help but read it again.

Because the contents were simple.

Just a portrait.

The Immortal Emperor took out the paper and placed it on the table.

It was a portrait of a young girl.

The girl stood with her back to a monstrous beast in the barbarian lands, her head slightly turned, her delicate profile unforgettable.

But even more striking was the girl’s cascading white hair.

“Luo Xue…”

The Immortal Emperor stared at the portrait silently.

So similar… incredibly similar…

To Xue’er, it was almost unbelievable…

Was Nangong Ziluan… trying to tell him something?

…

Not long after, a supposedly top-secret message spread throughout the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

—The imperial palace was attacked, and the beloved Princess Xue had disappeared.

Although the imperial palace claimed it was a rumor, that Princess Xue was just unwell and couldn’t appear in public…

But…

With so many talented individuals within the Immortal Dynasty, through various clues and deductions, the truth was gradually revealed.

Everyone believed that the little princess was truly missing.

Almost all attention was focused on this, ignoring another important piece of information: the matter of the Snow Palace and Imperial Concubine Min.

Wei knew that such a serious incident within the imperial palace couldn’t be hidden, unless they killed all the maids and guards.

Therefore, he deliberately spread the news of the little princess’s disappearance, while officially denying it, creating the illusion of trying to cover it up.

With the subtle guidance of the underground intelligence network, all attention was focused on the little princess, preventing the situation from escalating further.

Now, the entire Great Qin Immortal Dynasty was searching for the little princess, even several ancient clans were alerted.

And the Imperial Capital, closest to the imperial palace, because of this incident, attracted many cultivators from outside, causing various problems, like a butterfly effect, creating chaos.

And the Immortal Emperor’s southern tour continued, unaffected by the turmoil in the palace.

No one knew his attitude towards this matter, not even those accompanying him.

The southern tour to the barbarian tribes… was truly important to the Immortal Emperor, even his most beloved daughter had to be put aside for now.

…

Meanwhile.

“Fortunately, it was a smooth landing…”

Luo Xue, hanging from a tree branch, breathed a sigh of relief. Below her was a bottomless abyss.

Unfortunately, there was a problem with this random teleportation.

To be precise, it was a bit… too powerful.

Unlike the carefully prepared teleportation formation in the Imperial Daughter’s palace, the hastily constructed formation and Xue Ling’s assistance had resulted in this… slightly precarious situation.

“Big Sister Luo, are… are you okay?”

Dugu Xue, carried by Xue Ling, finally found Luo Xue, her face filled with worry.

Dugu Xue’s situation after the teleportation wasn’t much better, but because she was being carried by Xue Ling, she wasn’t in danger.

A Soul Transformation puppet could naturally fly.

And Luo Xue hadn’t even mastered sword-riding yet, let alone flying.

“I’m fine for now, but if you don’t get me down, I might not be.”

Luo Xue looked up at the branch she was hanging from, which seemed about to break.

It couldn’t even support her light weight…

“Xue Ling, quickly save Big Sister Luo!”

Dugu Xue’s face paled, and she quickly urged Xue Ling to help.

Xue Ling silently broke the branch and lifted Luo Xue with one hand, like a handbag.

Luo Xue: “…”

This was not a graceful posture!

Fortunately, there was no one else around.

Xue Ling carried Luo Xue and Dugu Xue to the top of the cliff and put them down.

“Phew…”

Luo Xue breathed a sigh of relief, then saw Dugu Xue swaying, barely able to stand, and quickly went to support her.

“Little Dugu, are you okay? Could it be the teleportation formation…”

Luo Xue frowned slightly, wanting to use her spiritual power to check Dugu Xue’s condition.

“No, it’s not… Big Sister Luo, don’t worry, it’s just my old illness.”

Dugu Xue forced a smile, but Luo Xue could see from her trembling lips that she was in pain.

“What… illness do you have?” Luo Xue asked softly.

“It’s… complicated…”

Dugu Xue’s expression turned melancholic, then she relayed all her information to Luo Xue through Xue Ling.

After reading through Dugu Xue’s information, Luo Xue was silent for a moment, then sighed.

“You’ve truly… suffered…”

Dugu Xue’s condition was similar to ALS, but thanks to the Immortal Emperor’s technique, she hadn’t been completely paralyzed yet, just unable to walk on her own.

The main cause was her Snow Maiden bloodline. This enviable ancient bloodline had become Dugu Xue’s curse.

Honestly, Luo Xue couldn’t do anything about this illness.

If it were the will of withering threatening her life, perhaps she could intervene slightly, but in this complicated situation…

Luo Xue could only try her best to find a place Dugu Xue liked and bury her there.

After all, even the Immortal Emperor, the ruler of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, couldn’t do anything about it. How could Luo Xue have a solution?

Xue Ling casually created two stone stools, and Dugu Xue slowly sat down. She needed to rest.

After leaving the imperial palace, Dugu Xue’s mood seemed to have improved, and she looked at her surroundings with curiosity and joy.

Perhaps she thought it was fortunate to see different scenery before her death, instead of being confined within the oppressive palace walls.

Luo Xue sat down opposite Dugu Xue, Xue Ling guarding them.

The two girls and the puppet sat in silence.

Dugu Xue’s eyes soon drooped with exhaustion.

She leaned slightly against Luo Xue’s shoulder, a familiar fragrance reaching Luo Xue’s nose, her white hair falling into Luo Xue’s lap.

Soft snores echoed as Dugu Xue fell into a deep sleep, a faint smile on her lips.

Luo Xue looked down at her, this pitiful girl finally free from her cage, but with little time left.

She gently lifted Dugu Xue’s head and placed it on her lap.

In her sleep, Dugu Xue’s smile seemed even more blissful.

Luo Xue didn’t want to disturb this rare moment of peace. Her anxiety subsided slightly, seeing Dugu Xue’s sleeping face.

“Sleep well, rest well…”

As the sun set and night fell, Dugu Xue woke up again, opening her eyes to see Luo Xue’s gentle gaze.

“Big Sister Luo…”

“Shh,” Luo Xue placed a finger on Dugu Xue’s lips and whispered, “Listen.”

Bright moonlight shone down from the sky, countless stars twinkling like breaths in the boundless night sky.

Faint chirping insects filled the quiet night, a scene Dugu Xue had never seen before.

Dugu Xue stared at this beautiful scene, her mouth slightly open, trying to find the words to describe it.

She leaned against Luo Xue, her gaze fixed on the sky, and murmured softly,

“It’s… so beautiful…”

Chapter 172: The Power of Restrictions, Escape from the Imperial Palace

Meanwhile, within the Imperial Daughter’s palace.

When Wei arrived with two other guards, many guards were already on alert, some monitoring the interior of the palace.

“What’s the situation?” Wei asked in a low voice.

“Forgive me, Master, but…” the guard in charge of the Imperial Daughter’s palace hesitated, then continued, “we still haven’t found any trace of the little princess, not even a single clue.”

Wei’s face darkened.

“Take me to see.”

“This way, Master.”

The guard quickly led Wei to the little princess’s bedroom.

The other two Tribulation Immortal guards remained outside, on alert.

Along the way, Wei asked the guard several questions, but received no answers.

There were no signs of intrusion in the Imperial Daughter’s palace. The little princess seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Wei’s expression was grave. Ignoring the guard’s repeated apologies, he entered the little princess’s bedroom.

Upon entering, Wei sensed the residual aura of an explosion.

The entire room was almost unrecognizable, especially the princess’s bed, which was shattered, as if someone had deliberately tried to erase all traces.

Wei walked over and squatted down beside the destroyed bed.

“What is this… why does it look like… a formation?”

Wei frowned. Since there were no true formations in the Great Thousand Worlds, he wasn’t sure.

But if it was a formation, with the limited understanding of formations in this world, how could it make the little princess disappear?

Being able to construct a Foundation Establishment level formation didn’t mean one could construct any formation at that level. The formation structures in this world were quite simple, like explosive or spirit-gathering formations.

More complex formations couldn’t be constructed.

Within the princess’s room, Wei could only see traces of an explosive formation, nothing else.

“Master, have you… found anything?”

The guard beside him asked cautiously. The entire palace was worried about the little princess’s whereabouts, hoping to find some news quickly to avoid incurring the Immortal Emperor’s wrath.

“I’m… not sure.” Wei exhaled, thinking to himself, “It’s a pity… only those at the Sea Crossing Realm or above can forcibly bypass the restrictions within the imperial palace and use retracing techniques.”

Actually, Wei’s strength wasn’t truly at the Sea Crossing Realm, as rumored, but half a step into it, stuck between Tribulation Immortal and Sea Crossing.

He could easily defeat ordinary peak Tribulation Immortal cultivators, but against a true Sea Crossing Realm expert, Wei was no match.

Currently, there was only one person above the Sea Crossing Realm in the imperial palace.

…The Empress.

“I can’t ask her…”

A hint of bitterness appeared on Wei’s lips.

The entire imperial palace was under the Empress’s control. She definitely knew about this.

And the fact that she hadn’t appeared could only mean one thing.

The Empress didn’t want to get involved.

Perhaps…

A rebellious thought crossed Wei’s mind.

Could the mastermind behind this be… the Empress…

It was simple. For the little princess to disappear into thin air, it had to be a powerful being who controlled the Law of Space.

Coincidentally, the Empress did have someone like that beside her…

Of course, even if he considered this possibility, Wei wouldn’t dare to investigate.

The relationship between the Empress and the Immortal Emperor was already tense, and Wei was clearly on the Immortal Emperor’s side.

If he gave the Empress any leverage at this time, the Immortal Emperor would be fine, but he would suffer…

Wei pondered for a moment, then said, “Who were the last people to enter the Imperial Daughter’s palace?”

The guard thought for a moment and said,

“The palace maids who delivered Her Highness’s meal. Master Wei, you mean… they did it?”

The guard’s expression was tense. If it was the maids, then they, the guards at the palace gate, couldn’t escape responsibility.

After all, they were the ones who let them in…

“Not necessarily,” Wei didn’t jump to conclusions, he was always cautious. “Bring them here, I want to question them one by one.”

Wei didn’t think it was likely that the maids were involved. They were just minor cultivators, their cultivation not even at Foundation Establishment. They couldn’t do such a thing.

However, a routine questioning was still necessary.

“Yes, Master.”

The guard immediately bowed and left, hurrying to contact the Madam in charge of the palace maids.

Wei sat alone in the room, his gaze sweeping over the furnishings, gradually reconstructing the little princess’s life here.

Even though the room was almost unrecognizable, through some details, Wei could still make some deductions.

Although it wasn’t as good as a retracing technique, he could still find some clues.

“Strange…”

Wei frowned deeply.

No matter what, he couldn’t form a clear picture in his mind.

He was using his memories of Princess Xue, whom he had known since childhood, to reconstruct the scene, but there was a strong sense of incongruity.

The “Princess Xue” in his memories wouldn’t live in a room like this.

It should be more… lively?

The current room felt heavy and oppressive, like a cage, not like a sixteen-year-old girl’s room.

As Wei was lost in thought, the guard hurriedly returned.

“We found them, Master Wei.”

Hearing this, Wei could only put aside his vague thoughts for now and stood up.

“Where are they? Take me there.”

The guard hesitated, then said,

“They are currently… serving Imperial Concubine Min’s meal.”

“Which Imperial Concubine? Just bring them out.” Wei said without hesitation. “The matter of the little princess is of utmost importance. I’m sure the Imperial Concubines will understand.”

“If they don’t, I’ll help them understand.”

As the Immortal Emperor’s personal guard, rumored to be a Sea Crossing Realm expert, although he always acted like an ordinary guard, no one dared to treat him as one.

In a sense, Wei’s presence represented the Immortal Emperor.

At critical moments, Wei’s authority was considerable.

“It’s… Imperial Concubine Min.” The guard’s expression turned troubled. “Can we really just… bring them out?”

Wei’s expression froze, and he coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness.

“If it’s Imperial Concubine Min… then let’s wait, let’s wait…”

Imperial Concubine Min was different from the other imperial concubines…

Even Wei didn’t dare to act on his own. He had to ask His Majesty.

“Then what should we do now…”

The guard asked.

“Let’s wait there,” Wei sighed. “The Imperial Daughter’s palace remains under lockdown, seal off all exits.”

“Yes, Master.”

The guard left, leaving Wei alone in the princess’s bedroom.

Wei took one last look at the room, almost destroyed by the explosive formation, his gaze darkening.

“Just how many things…”

He didn’t stay any longer and left.

…

Luo Xue’s conversation with Concubine Min wasn’t long, just a few minutes.

Concubine Min also knew that Wei was nearby, monitoring, and might barge in at any moment.

Although she didn’t know how Luo Xue had bypassed the tight security, she was certain that Luo Xue’s strength wasn’t enough to contend with Wei.

If they continued their sentimental reunion, they might not be able to leave.

Therefore, after giving Luo Xue the Snow Blade, Concubine Min immediately urged her to leave.

She even placed Luo Xue’s hand in Dugu Xue’s, as if afraid that Luo Xue wouldn’t take Dugu Xue with her.

Luo Xue’s expression was slightly helpless, but she quickly regained her composure.

She knew that a Sea Crossing Realm expert couldn’t be so easily fooled. The maids who had last seen the little princess would definitely be questioned.

And these maids… would definitely include Luo Xue.

Luo Xue knew that with Wei’s strength, the incident at the Imperial Daughter’s palace wouldn’t delay him for long. They had to leave quickly.

She still had the teleportation formation for escaping the palace, which could send them far away, although the destination was random.

Unfortunately, she had already given the carefully prepared teleportation formation to the maid named Xiao Lan. The formation she currently had wasn’t powerful enough to take them beyond the Imperial Capital.

It would have been enough if she hadn’t planned to take Dugu Xue with her.

But now…

Luo Xue looked at the Soul Transformation puppet, Xue Ling, beside her. It seemed there were some things she could try.

Thinking of this, Luo Xue immediately started setting up the formation, her dazzling movements stunning Dugu Xue, while Concubine Min watched silently.

After Luo Xue finished, Concubine Min said,

“As expected, you also possess the ability to use formations.”

“Of course, I was sent by Luo Xue.”

Luo Xue emphasized her own name. Senior Sister Li was truly amazing, using her name and face to do so many things…

However, if not for Li Guijiao paving the way for her, Luo Xue wouldn’t have gained Concubine Min’s trust so easily and escaped this vortex.

“Come here, Little Dugu, it’s ready.”

Luo Xue waved at Dugu Xue.

Dugu Xue quickly had Xue Ling carry her on her back, and they stood together at the center of the formation.

Xue Ling stood near the formation’s core, resonating with the barrier runes, amplifying the power of the teleportation formation, sending them even further.

With Xue Ling’s Soul Transformation strength, not to mention escaping the Imperial Capital, they might even accidentally leave the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty…

The runes of the formation gradually glowed, enveloping the petite figures.

Concubine Min sat on the bed, not crying, her gaze fixed on them.

She knew this was probably her last time seeing her daughter, there would be no chance to meet again in this life.

Just then, the teleportation formation flickered and trembled, its light unstable, as if it was about to collapse.

“This is…”

Luo Xue’s pupils constricted. She seemed to have missed something.

“It’s a restriction,” Concubine Min seemed to have anticipated this and said calmly, “The restriction within the imperial palace can limit the use of exit Dao inscriptions.”

Luo Xue knew that restrictions existed in the Ancient Demon Lands, but just like how the people here couldn’t understand formations, she also couldn’t understand restrictions.

Coincidentally, Concubine Min was an expert in using restrictions. With just her Nascent Soul cultivation, she had once broken a restriction above the Soul Transformation level.

Only those at the Sea Crossing Realm or above could break through the imperial palace’s restrictions, but Concubine Min, as a member of the imperial palace, had some authority within the restrictions.

Coupled with her ability to manipulate restrictions, breaking through these limitations wasn’t a problem.

However…

It would cause some commotion.

Concubine Min extended her hand, and countless golden Dao inscriptions appeared, swirling and dancing around her hand like moths.

The surrounding space began to collapse, while the formation where Luo Xue and the others stood stabilized.

“Goodbye, Xue’er.” Concubine Min, after inscribing the last Dao inscription, looked at Dugu Xue again, tenderness and sadness in her eyes. “Hopefully… we’ll never meet again.”

A white light flashed, and the teleportation formation vanished, taking the figures with it.

At the same time, the Snow Palace began to tremble and collapse, countless bricks and tiles falling, even Concubine Min’s room wasn’t spared.

Concubine Min slowly closed her eyes. She hoped to be crushed to death at this moment.

But…

It wouldn’t happen.

The falling debris froze just as it was about to hit Concubine Min, and Wei’s figure slowly appeared.

His expression was grim as he looked at the surrounding ruins and the unconscious maids, his breathing quickening.

Just a little bit closer…

Wei had a feeling that he was close to something.

He had rushed over the moment he sensed the Snow Palace’s restrictions being broken, but he was still too late.

“You’re late.”

Concubine Min said without looking up.

“This subordinate apologizes for his tardiness, please forgive me, Your Ladyship,” Wei bowed his head. “May I ask, did Your Ladyship see the culprit’s appearance?”

“Are you questioning this Palace?”

Concubine Min looked up slightly at Wei.

Her tone was calm, but firm.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Wei lowered his head even further, but his tone remained respectful yet assertive. “But this matter concerns… the safety of the imperial palace. This subordinate is just doing his duty.”

He didn’t mention the little princess’s disappearance, afraid that Concubine Min would do something unpredictable upon learning about it.

But at the same time, Wei also knew that the complexity of this matter was far beyond his ability to handle.

“I didn’t see anything.”

Concubine Min said impassively.

“Your Ladyship, are you sure?”

Wei looked up, frowning slightly.

“If you don’t believe me, you can search my soul.” Concubine Min pointed to her head. “Or… use torture on me.”

Chapter 171: Miss Guijiao Reappears, A Final Farewell

When Luo Xue projected her true appearance, Concubine Min’s expression didn’t change.

She didn’t even glance at the projection, just stared intently at Luo Xue.

After a moment, Concubine Min slowly said,

“Many people know her. This doesn’t prove anything.”

Luo Xue’s heart sank, a headache coming on.

What was going on?

This “Luo Xue”… was known by many people?

So, this person who appeared out of nowhere… was running around using her face?

Luo Xue hadn’t anticipated this. She had thought only a few people knew “Luo Xue.”

What should she do now?

Although Concubine Min seemed a bit… unhinged, it was because of her excessive concern and worry for Dugu Xue, her daughter.

But Luo Xue’s current identity was that of an unknown person, claiming to be sent by “Luo Xue,” which was very suspicious.

Concubine Min had lived in the imperial palace for a long time, but before entering the palace, she had also survived in the chaotic southern barbarian lands. She wouldn’t trust Luo Xue so easily like the naive Dugu Xue.

Seeing Luo Xue’s hesitation, Concubine Min’s eyes narrowed, and a technique formed in her hand, reaching towards Luo Xue.

“Little girl, reveal your true face…”

Concubine Min’s gaze was firm. No one could use her daughter.

“Mother Concubine, don’t…”

Before Dugu Xue could stop her, Concubine Min’s technique hit Luo Xue.

It wasn’t an offensive technique, but a restrictive one, forcibly stopping Luo Xue’s spiritual power circulation.

Even weakened, a Nascent Soul cultivator could easily suppress a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator like Luo Xue.

Luo Xue tried to resist, but her spiritual power was completely unusable.

The effects of the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art were fading, her true appearance gradually revealed.

Luo Xue didn’t know what she would look like after the disguise was undone.

Would it be her original appearance, or the appearance of Princess Xue?

But either way…

It would be troublesome.

“What should I do…”

In her panic, Luo Xue saw Xue Ling beside her.

A puppet with Soul Transformation strength, although it looked human, it wasn’t sentient and only followed its master’s commands.

Dugu Xue definitely didn’t have time to give any commands, she hadn’t even realized what was happening.

If that was the case… there was only one option left.

At this critical moment, Luo Xue slowly closed her eyes, and at the same time, a spark of life appeared in Xue Ling’s eyes.

Controlling a puppet with her soul, success!

Dugu Xue’s command to Xue Ling was to trust Luo Xue, which meant that theoretically, as long as Luo Xue knew puppetry, she could control Xue Ling.

Luo Xue hadn’t considered this before. She could see that Xue Ling was Dugu Xue’s good friend and didn’t want to take her away.

But now… with no other choice, Luo Xue could only take this risk, and thankfully, she succeeded.

Her soul struggled to control this Soul Transformation puppet, even her body could barely withstand it, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.

If she continued for much longer, Luo Xue’s soul might collapse.

Controlling a Soul Transformation puppet at peak Foundation Establishment was too much of a strain.

But fortunately, what Luo Xue had to do was simple: just stop Concubine Min.

Just as the restriction was about to reveal Luo Xue’s true face, Xue Ling’s powerful spiritual power erupted, forcibly breaking Concubine Min’s technique.

“What!”

Concubine Min looked at Xue Ling in shock, then at her daughter, Dugu Xue.

Seeing Dugu Xue’s confused expression, she realized that Xue Ling’s intervention wasn’t Dugu Xue’s command.

Then…

Concubine Min looked up at Luo Xue.

Before her was a thin, ghostly girl, her face pale and sickly.

Luo Xue couldn’t help it. Her Thousand Faces Cultivation Art had mostly faded, and it was impossible to maintain the maid disguise, so she could only temporarily use Senior Sister Li’s classic look.

Luo Xue silently apologized to Senior Sister Li for using her face again, then looked at Concubine Min and said seriously,

“Imperial Concubine, let me explain…”

“There’s no need.”

Concubine Min waved her hand.

“Hmm?”

Luo Xue was stunned. Again?

So unreasonable?

“I… believe you.”

A complicated expression appeared on Concubine Min’s face as she looked at Luo Xue.

“Huh?”

Luo Xue was stunned again.

What was going on? She hadn’t even started making up… or rather, explaining…

“Luo Xue… is she well?” Concubine Min stared at Luo Xue, but unlike her earlier scrutiny, her gaze now carried an uncontainable emotion. “Did she send you to take me away?”

“…”

Luo Xue was silent for a moment, surprised by Concubine Min’s sudden change in attitude.

Unable to understand Concubine Min’s thoughts, she remained silent to avoid any mistakes.

Dugu Xue was still looking at Xue Ling, wondering why she had suddenly acted. Could it be that she had gained sentience?

But she had never heard of an ancient puppet gaining sentience…

“It was just a misunderstanding, I apologize.”

Concubine Min, thinking that Luo Xue was angry and silent because of what happened earlier, stood up, supporting herself against the bed, and bowed deeply to Luo Xue.

Luo Xue was surprised. An imperial concubine’s status was so high that even imprisoned in the Cold Palace, she didn’t have to bow to anyone except the Empress and the Immortal Emperor, let alone such a deep bow.

This showed that Concubine Min was truly apologizing to Luo Xue.

But why?

“Imperial Concubine, please rise,” seeing Concubine Min’s unsteady steps, Luo Xue quickly went over to help her up. “I’m just curious, why did you suddenly believe me…”

“…You don’t know?”

Now it was Concubine Min’s turn to be stunned. She stared at Luo Xue’s face and reached out to touch it.

“This face…”

“…Hmm?”

Luo Xue frowned slightly.

What was wrong with this face?

“It seems you really don’t know.” Concubine Min suddenly smiled. “You must be the owner of this face. When I first met Luo Xue, she looked exactly like you do now.”

“…Huh?”

Luo Xue’s mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

She couldn’t even count how many times she had been stunned today.

She suddenly realized something terrifying.

“Many people know Luo Xue, but not many have seen her like this, so… I believe you.” Concubine Min’s eyes flickered with reminiscence and sorrow. “Little girl, can you tell me your name?”

Luo Xue hesitated for a moment, glanced at Dugu Xue, then said,

“My name is Li Guijiao. You can call me Guijiao, Your Ladyship.”

Luo Xue was now 80% sure that this so-called “Luo Xue” was probably her dearest Senior Sister Li Guijiao…

If it was just her appearance, Luo Xue might still think there were other possibilities.

But if she also used the ghostly girl appearance… honestly, the remaining 20% was just Luo Xue being cautious.

After all, the ghostly girl was Senior Sister Li’s signature look. Luo Xue had only used it frequently in the post-apocalyptic world because she wouldn’t encounter Senior Sister Li there.

However, Luo Xue didn’t mind Senior Sister Li using her appearance.

After all, she had done the same…

“What a strange name,” Concubine Min’s face paled slightly. Her weakened body, coupled with not having used any techniques for a long time, made her feel tired. “Did Luo Xue send you to take me away? Or…”

Concubine Min looked at Dugu Xue, and Luo Xue also looked over.

Dugu Xue was still confused.

She didn’t understand why her mother and Big Sister Luo were fighting just now, and now they had suddenly reconciled.

Big Sister Luo also seemed to be hiding her identity, changing her name and appearance…

How strange.

Confused, Dugu Xue just blinked innocently and shrank back slightly under their gazes.

“Mother Concubine, you talk…”

“If you’re here to take me away, then forget it.” A bitter smile appeared on Concubine Min’s lips. “This is my own choice, I don’t blame anyone.”

“May I ask… what’s your relationship with… Luo Xue?”

Luo Xue couldn’t help her curiosity and asked.

Dugu Xue also perked up her ears, wanting to know what kind of relationship Big Sister Luo, who didn’t even know herself, had with this person.

“There’s nothing to hide,” Concubine Min said softly, “She’s my… savior. But it seems she wasn’t trying to save me, she just mistook me for someone else.”

“…”

Luo Xue looked at Concubine Min’s snow-white hair and suddenly realized something.

“Anyway, don’t worry about me.” Concubine Min smiled sadly, reached out, and rubbed Dugu Xue’s hair. “If you can… take her away from this bottomless vortex. That’s all I wish for. As for the price…”

Concubine Min took out a small, snow-white dagger from somewhere and handed it to Luo Xue.

“This is my natal spiritual artifact. It’s useless to me now, useless to the imperial family… Take it, it won’t be a burden.”

“This…”

Luo Xue looked at the snow-white dagger, hesitating whether to take it.

She hadn’t intended to take Dugu Xue away. The “Princess Xue’s” disappearance had already caused chaos in the imperial palace. With Dugu Xue present, things could be stabilized.

If Luo Xue also took Dugu Xue away, she would truly be missing…

At that time, the entire Great Qin Immortal Dynasty… would be her enemy.

Luo Xue looked up at Dugu Xue.

Dugu Xue also looked up slightly, staring at Luo Xue with a somewhat dazed expression.

And when their eyes met, a smile involuntarily appeared on Dugu Xue’s lips.

“Little Dugu, do you want to leave with me?” Luo Xue asked softly. “After this, I’m afraid… it will be difficult to return to the imperial palace.”

Dugu Xue’s expression froze, and she looked at her mother, a hint of sadness and reluctance in her eyes.

But after a moment, Dugu Xue’s gaze turned firm.

“I do.” Dugu Xue replied seriously, looking directly into Luo Xue’s eyes. “Not because of Mother Concubine, not because of you, but because… I want to.”

Dugu Xue wasn’t naive. She knew her father loved her, but this love only brought her pain and restrictions.

Before her death, Dugu Xue didn’t want to have any regrets.

She could be Mother Concubine’s Xue’er, Big Sister Luo’s Little Dugu, and her own Dugu Xue, but she didn’t want to be Princess Xue, the little princess of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

Concubine Min looked at her daughter, a hint of reluctance in her eyes, but also a flicker of relief.

Staying in the imperial palace, this bottomless vortex, would only harm Xue’er.

Both the Immortal Emperor and the Empress were chess players.

And Concubine Min and Princess Xue were just pawns on their board.

The fate of a pawn was never in its own hands.

Even if there was temporary favor, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t be abandoned.

“In that case, I’ll go with you.”

A faint smile appeared on Luo Xue’s pale face. She reached out and took Concubine Min’s natal spiritual artifact, also taking on Dugu Xue’s responsibility.

The moment she held the snow-white dagger, a bone-chilling coldness permeated Luo Xue’s body.

But this coldness wasn’t harmful, but rather comforting. Luo Xue could feel her soul being cleansed.

Not only that, but Luo Xue could also feel the emotions of the spiritual artifact in her hand, a faint sadness.

“What’s its name?”

Luo Xue asked.

Unlike magical artifacts, all spiritual artifacts had artifact spirits, which could grow through nurturing and even fight independently to a certain extent.

Concubine Min’s natal spiritual artifact was probably around eighth-grade. Normally, artifacts of this level could only be used by Nascent Soul cultivators and above, but spiritual artifacts were different.

They would adjust themselves to their master’s cultivation level, lowering the requirements for use and maximizing the master’s combat power.

An eighth-grade spiritual artifact could even be used by those at the Ascension Realm, or even Tribulation Immortal and above.

“It’s called Snow Blade,” Concubine Min said slowly. “I’m entrusting it, and her… to you, Miss Guijiao.”

Concubine Min took Luo Xue’s hand, then placed Dugu Xue’s small hand in hers and patted it gently.

Dugu Xue, as if realizing something, blushed and turned her head away shyly.

Luo Xue raised an eyebrow, feeling that this scene was a bit strange…

Was this really entrusting her daughter to her care?

Why did it feel a bit like…

“And, one last thing,” Concubine Min lowered her eyelids, her voice weakening, “Please give Luo Xue a message for me.”

“Tell her… Min’er won’t be returning.”

Chapter 170: The Imperial Daughter Disappears, A Diversionary Tactic

Near the Snow Palace.

A man dressed as an ordinary guard sat cross-legged in a small pavilion, his eyes closed, seemingly meditating.

Although this man looked no different from other guards in appearance and attire, the surrounding people looked at him with reverence.

If Luo Xue were here, she would recognize him.

He was the palace guard who had taken her to the imperial study, the Immortal Emperor’s personal guard, the legendary Sea Crossing Realm expert.

No one knew his real name, and he called himself “Wei.”

Normally, the strength of a Sea Crossing Realm cultivator was enough to carve out a territory in the Great Thousand Worlds. For example, the Grand Elders of the southern barbarian tribes were all at the Sea Crossing Realm or above.

Even the Immortal Emperor had to treat experts of this level as equals when forming alliances.

But Wei served the Immortal Emperor loyally.

What was even more puzzling was that when interacting with members of the imperial family, Wei didn’t put on airs as a Sea Crossing Realm expert, but acted like an ordinary palace guard.

Some said it was because the Immortal Emperor had once saved Wei’s life, others said that the Immortal Emperor held some leverage over him, and there were even rumors of an unspeakable relationship between them.

But Wei never explained. He simply stayed loyally by the Immortal Emperor’s side, unchanged for tens of thousands of years.

Because of this, no one knew the truth.

“Master Wei, the maids delivering food to the Snow Palace have arrived.” A guard beside him said respectfully. “The guards at the gate have stopped them. Please go and inspect them.”

Wei opened his eyes and nodded slightly.

He stood up and walked towards the group of maids.

Although Wei didn’t sense any killing intent from them, he still intended to carefully inspect them, just in case.

“That Sea Crossing Realm expert… he’s coming!”

Dugu Xue quickly transmitted her voice to Luo Xue.

If Wei used his Divine Sense, he would see through Luo Xue’s current cultivation level and discover her presence.

With a bit more careful sensing, even Dugu Xue and Xue Ling’s presence would be exposed.

“…Understood,” Luo Xue’s eyes narrowed, and she secretly formed hand seals. “Now!”

At this critical moment, Luo Xue activated her backup plan.

“Boom!”

A loud explosion suddenly rang out, echoing through the surroundings.

The loud bang instantly startled the already tense guards, who looked towards the source of the sound in shock.

“The Imperial Daughter’s palace!”

Indeed, at this juncture, an explosion had occurred in the Imperial Daughter’s palace.

The scale of the explosion wasn’t large, just shattering some of the glazed tiles on the palace roof.

However, an explosion occurring in the Imperial Daughter’s palace at this time was very strange.

Wei looked towards the Imperial Daughter’s palace, frowned slightly, then relaxed, as he sensed the scale of the explosion.

“Just some noise, nothing serious.”

Wei summoned a few of his personal guards, intending to send them to investigate.

But just then, a guard rushed over and told Wei something even more shocking than the explosion.

“The little princess… is missing!”

“What!”

Wei immediately stood up.

“The moment the explosion happened, the guards immediately entered the palace to check, but the little princess was gone.” The guard quickly explained.

The explosion itself wasn’t a problem. After all, these important imperial palaces had a level of protection that could withstand an attack from a Sea Crossing Realm cultivator. What kind of explosion could damage the palace walls?

But the little princess was His Majesty’s most beloved daughter. If anything happened to her, when His Majesty returned from his southern tour…

His wrath would be unimaginable!

Moreover, the little princess had just been assassinated not long ago…

“Zhao Qing, Shi Handong, you come with me to investigate.” Wei quickly made arrangements, there was no time to waste. “The rest of you, stay here and guard, don’t make any mistakes.”

“Yes, but these maids…”

The guard hesitated.

Wei briefly sensed their auras, still not detecting any killing intent or hostility, and waved his hand.

“Let them in, don’t waste any more time.”

Then, he paused and added,

“Remember, don’t let them gossip. Imperial Concubine Min shouldn’t be worried about the little princess.”

“Yes.”

The guards immediately bowed in acknowledgement.

Then, Wei, along with two other powerful guards, rushed towards the Imperial Daughter’s palace, afraid of any irreversible accidents happening to the little princess.

The other guards, after checking the food, signaled for Luo Xue and the others to enter the Snow Palace.

With Xue Ling’s help, dealing with these guards, whose strength was around the Soul Transformation Realm, wasn’t a problem.

“Wow, Big Sister Luo, how did you do that?”

Dugu Xue asked in surprise, patting her chest, still a bit scared.

She hadn’t seen Luo Xue do anything, yet Wei was forced to leave.

“Just… a little trick.”

Luo Xue said concisely, not daring to elaborate.

They were still near the Snow Palace, with many guards watching them closely.

Compared to the Imperial Daughter’s palace, the security here was even tighter and more blatant.

When Luo Xue was in the Imperial Daughter’s palace, to avoid disturbing her rest, the guards weren’t allowed to enter.

But within the Snow Palace…

There were Soul Transformation guards everywhere.

Even within the imperial palace, most Soul Transformation guards were high-ranking commanders, but here, they were treated as ordinary guards. This showed Imperial Concubine Min’s importance.

“That explosion just now? But…”

Dugu Xue frowned slightly, still puzzled.

The reason Luo Xue didn’t explain was… because this was originally intended for Dugu Xue.

When she left the Imperial Daughter’s palace, she had already set up both an explosive formation and a teleportation formation.

When activated, the teleportation formation would randomly send the maid disguised as Princess Xue to a distant location, while also undoing the effects of the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art.

The purpose of the explosive formation was to destroy the traces of the teleportation and slumber formations, and more importantly, to create a diversion.

To prevent Wei from investigating the explosion site too quickly, Luo Xue had taken the risk of activating her backup plan just as the maids were about to enter the Snow Palace.

As for how this backup plan would be used against Dugu Xue…

If the negotiation with Dugu Xue failed, Luo Xue would also activate the formations, making Princess Xue disappear from everyone’s sight, forcing Dugu Xue to continue as Princess Xue.

Then, she would hide as a maid for a while, and finally, use the exit formation to leave the imperial palace.

As for where the poor maid chosen as a stand-in would be teleported to, Luo Xue couldn’t guarantee.

She had chosen a distant location, a place they couldn’t return from easily.

This plan wasn’t perfect, but it was the best Luo Xue could do under the circumstances.

She had even been considerate enough to try and talk to the real Princess Xue first, instead of directly using her backup plan.

It was fortunate that she had done so. Otherwise, she would have truly harmed this innocent and pitiful girl.

Dugu Xue looked at Luo Xue’s serious expression curiously, unable to understand, then gave up and started looking forward to seeing her mother.

As they went deeper into the Snow Palace, the number of guards decreased.

By the time they reached Concubine Min’s room, there were no other guards.

Security was tight, but they had already passed through so many checks. If an enemy could reach this point, more guards wouldn’t make a difference.

Next, there was no need for Luo Xue to act.

Xue Ling appeared, simply and crudely using a large-scale hypnosis technique (physical) on all the maids.

The maids didn’t even react, their eyes rolling back as they collapsed.

But before their bodies hit the ground, Xue Ling moved them to an inconspicuous location, piling them together.

Luo Xue couldn’t help but feel sorry for the palace maids.

Those she had exiled before were fine, after all, there weren’t many dangers within the Imperial Capital.

But these… if they were discovered…

Luo Xue pushed these thoughts aside and looked at the door to Concubine Min’s room.

Dugu Xue was still apologizing to the maids until Xue Ling pushed open the door, and she nervously approached.

“Creak…”

Perhaps because the Snow Palace had been unoccupied for many years, the hinges were rusty.

The first thing she saw was a head of snow-white hair, but it looked withered and yellow due to lack of care.

Concubine Min sat on the bed, her back to the door, staring blankly at something.

Perhaps to her, even the Snow Palace was no different from the Cold Palace.

“Mother…”

Seeing this, Dugu Xue burst into tears.

Hearing this voice, the white-haired figure trembled slightly, and Concubine Min turned around in disbelief, seeing Dugu Xue.

A deep, bloodline resonance surged within her, and Concubine Min’s lips trembled.

“Is that you, Xue’er…”

“It’s me, Mother Concubine.” Dugu Xue slowly walked over and gently leaned into Concubine Min’s arms. “I’m… your daughter…”

“Xue’er…”

Concubine Min subconsciously stroked Dugu Xue’s hair, but the next moment, as if remembering something, she pushed Dugu Xue away and said in a low voice,

“Why are you still here! Xue’er, why haven’t you escaped yet!”

“Mo-, Mother Concubine?”

Dugu Xue was at a loss, tears still lingering in her eyes.

“Go quickly!” Concubine Min said anxiously. “Go find Luo Xue, only she can save you…”

“Luo Xue?” Dugu Xue looked up blankly in Luo Xue’s direction. “…Big Sister Luo?”

What was Mother Concubine talking about…

How did she know Big Sister Luo? Did she recognize her during their previous meeting?

But if that was the case…

What was going on now?

Dugu Xue was confused.

“You’ve seen her?” A look of excitement flashed across Concubine Min’s face, then quickly turned to anxiety. “Is she… in the imperial palace now?”

Dugu Xue opened her mouth, about to reveal Luo Xue’s presence, but Luo Xue quickly transmitted her voice, stopping her.

“Don’t say anything, this is a misunderstanding, I’ll explain later.”

Luo Xue hadn’t expected Concubine Min’s obsession to be so strong, wanting her daughter to escape the imperial palace no matter what…

What exactly had happened in the imperial palace, to make Concubine Min so terrified?

“She… I don’t know.” Dugu Xue’s gaze flickered, and she lowered her head slightly. She wasn’t good at lying, her face flushing slightly. “I’ve… only met her.”

“I see.”

A melancholic expression appeared on Concubine Min’s face.

“Cough…”

Just then, Dugu Xue suddenly started coughing, her face turning pale.

Xue Ling immediately stepped forward, skillfully holding Dugu Xue, and gently channeled spiritual power, activating the restriction the Immortal Emperor had placed on her.

After a while, an unhealthy flush returned to Dugu Xue’s face, and she recovered slightly.

“Xue’er, your illness… it hasn’t been cured?”

Concubine Min’s hands trembled as she cupped Dugu Xue’s face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hearing this, Dugu Xue panicked.

“Mother Concubine, I’m sorry…”

She was truly sorry. Her mother was so worried about her, yet she was thinking of giving up…

In Luo Xue’s vision, Dugu Xue wouldn’t be able to withstand the withering for much longer.

But with the Immortal Emperor and Xue Ling desperately trying to prolong her life, it could still be delayed for a while, although the process would be very painful.

Dugu Xue had come here prepared to die. She had planned to find a secluded place to die alone after seeing her mother.

But after meeting Luo Xue and seeing her mother again, Dugu Xue suddenly didn’t want to die anymore.

In this world…

There was still her mother, who cared about her, and Big Sister Luo, who was trying her best to help her. How could she betray their hopes?

Dugu Xue couldn’t make that choice.

“Silly child, it’s Mother Concubine who’s sorry.”

Concubine Min suddenly calmed down, reaching out to wipe away Dugu Xue’s tears. “Perhaps from the very beginning, I shouldn’t have…”

She suddenly paused, looked up at Luo Xue, her smile fading.

“Who are you?”

Luo Xue had been standing there silently, watching this reunion, without saying a word.

“I was… sent by Luo Xue.” Luo Xue said softly, a strange feeling in her heart.

She was the real Luo Xue, yet she had to say she was sent by… Luo Xue.

This feeling was truly bizarre.

“Really?”

A sharp glint appeared in Concubine Min’s eyes, and finally, she showed the demeanor of an imperial concubine.

She looked at Luo Xue scrutinizingly, and Luo Xue realized that Concubine Min wasn’t weak, at least at Nascent Soul or above.

Such strength might be unremarkable in the imperial palace, but it was enough to crush the current Luo Xue.

“Of course.”

Luo Xue nodded, her appearance shifting, revealing her true form.

“This is what she looks like.”

Chapter 169: Big Sister Luo and Little Dugu

After sensing the mysterious mortal, most likely the real Princess Xue, Luo Xue stopped.

Just like in the imperial study, Luo Xue couldn’t see her with her naked eyes.

Some strange technique was blocking her perception. The reason Luo Xue could sense her aura was because of her sharp senses and because she had encountered it before in her bedroom and remembered it.

If it were anyone else, even if they sensed this aura, they wouldn’t think that someone was concealing themselves nearby.

However, being unable to see her didn’t mean Luo Xue was helpless.

Luo Xue’s innate talent was Double Pupils, which enhanced all pupil techniques and could even see through illusions.

Furthermore, the Mystic Dark Eyes she had learned before weren’t lost with the Eternal Withering Body. She could still use them.

She slowed down, her eyes gradually filling with a blood-red color, her pupils pitch black, a faint second pupil overlapping within.

“Mystic Dark Eyes… Soul Vision!”

In Luo Xue’s eyes, everything was covered in a faint blood mist, and all beings with souls became visible.

“Found her…”

Luo Xue’s pupils constricted, and she looked up, her gaze falling on a seemingly empty spot.

She could clearly see Princess Xue being carried by a humanoid figure without a soul, heading towards the imperial kitchen.

“So this is Princess Xue?” Luo Xue looked on silently. “The aura of withering is almost tangible, about to consume her completely…”

In other words, Princess Xue was dying.

Thanks to her previous Eternal Withering Body, even after losing it, Luo Xue was still one of the few in this world who could see the aura of withering.

This was a mysterious sense. Without having personally experienced withering, even the Immortal Emperor didn’t have this ability.

As for those who had…

Few survived.

And the moment Luo Xue turned to look at Xue Ling, who was carrying Xue’er, Xue Ling immediately sensed the gaze and turned to meet Luo Xue’s eyes.

Xue’er was startled. She looked up and saw a maid staring intently at her, a strange red light emanating from her eyes.

“An… intruder?”

Xue’er shivered and hid behind Xue Ling.

She was a mortal and couldn’t sense Luo Xue’s pupil technique, only feeling that her gaze was terrifying.

After all, it was a pupil technique used by ghost cultivators, naturally intimidating to living beings, especially since Xue’er had no cultivation.

But Xue Ling didn’t move, just quietly staring at Luo Xue.

Xue’er peeked out, about to ask Xue Ling what was going on, when she received a message from Xue Ling.

“What!” Xue’er’s eyes widened. “You… you’re saying, she’s the current Princess Xue?”

Xue Ling’s perception was very sharp, and as a puppet, its senses were different from a cultivator’s. It didn’t rely on sight or aura to judge a person.

It analyzed subtle movements and behavioral patterns, like a precise machine.

By analyzing Luo Xue’s movements, Xue Ling quickly identified her.

“What is she planning…”

Xue’er suddenly felt nervous. Although she had been secretly observing Luo Xue, they had never met before.

She knew what being a stand-in meant and felt guilty, so she had always asked Father to treat Luo Xue as her.

Although Father agreed readily, Xue’er knew that the chances of him keeping his promise… were slim.

He was the Immortal Emperor of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, not just her father.

However…

Why was she here, disguised as a maid?

Xue’er couldn’t understand.

“Xiao Lan, you’re slacking off again!” Just then, another palace maid’s voice came from behind Luo Xue. “Hurry up and prepare Imperial Concubine Min’s dinner! If we’re late, our heads won’t be enough!”

Luo Xue’s crimson pupils faded, and she turned around and replied,

“I know, I’m coming.”

With that, Luo Xue returned to the imperial kitchen.

But before leaving, she transmitted her voice towards Xue’er.

“Princess Xue, I know you’re watching me. If you want to see your mother, Imperial Concubine Min, then follow me.”

It was easy to understand. Luo Xue had already learned that Concubine Min had left the Cold Palace.

And at this time, even in her weakened state, Xue’er still wanted to leave the imperial study.

Besides wanting to see her mother, there was no other possibility.

“How… did she know?”

Xue’er was shocked by the message from Xue Ling.

From her previous observations, she hadn’t seen any signs of Luo Xue discovering the truth.

But today, this stand-in, appearing in a different form, had clearly pointed out her existence, and even knew that she was here to see her mother.

Xue Ling couldn’t answer Xue’er. As a mindless puppet, it could only analyze based on fixed patterns.

Xue’er couldn’t understand and didn’t know whether to trust Luo Xue.

But now…

It seemed she had no other choice but to follow.

“Let’s go, let’s follow her.”

Xue’er made up her mind and signaled Xue Ling to follow Luo Xue.

Xue Ling immediately followed, silently moving not far behind Luo Xue.

…

“Yo, Xiao Lan, you’ve become much more skilled, no longer so clumsy.”

The lead palace maid teased Luo Xue, who just nodded and continued preparing the food.

Preparing spiritual food required specialized cultivators. Luo Xue, disguised as a maid, could only help with simple tasks like sorting ingredients.

Luo Xue had lived in the post-apocalyptic world for a long time, so this kind of work wasn’t difficult for her.

Xue’er, hidden from everyone’s view, watched Luo Xue intently, amazed.

If not for Xue Ling’s reminder, she wouldn’t have connected this silent maid with the stand-in for Princess Xue.

“Wow, what did you do before?”

Xue’er asked, her voice transmitted to Luo Xue by Xue Ling.

Luo Xue paused, not knowing how to answer.

From her brief interaction with Princess Xue, Luo Xue was certain that she wasn’t part of the scheme.

Putting aside her identity as an imperial daughter, this girl was just a pitiful child, suffering from illness since birth.

Even so, she was still filled with curiosity and longing for the world, her occasional questions filled with childlike innocence and cuteness.

After Luo Xue explained her intentions, Princess Xue didn’t hide anything, telling her everything.

The stand-in arrangement was made by the Empress. She didn’t understand why, but she still complied.

Her mother’s imprisonment in the Cold Palace was the Immortal Emperor’s order, supposedly to protect her.

Even Xue Ling’s existence, Xue’er told Luo Xue about it directly.

“A puppet from the ancient era…”

Luo Xue was slightly surprised. This was her first time seeing a puppet in this world.

However, due to the lack of puppetry inheritance in the Ancient Demon Lands, this powerful puppet could only act on instinct, which was a bit of a waste.

Xue’er’s honesty caught Luo Xue off guard.

She had expected their meeting to be a confrontation, about the stand-in situation and her desire to escape this role.

She would return as Princess Xue, and Luo Xue would find a way to return to the nine provinces and four domains.

If Xue’er refused, Luo Xue had other plans.

But now it seemed…

The matter of the stand-in had nothing to do with Xue’er’s own wishes.

In Xue’er’s current condition, let alone returning as Princess Xue according to Luo Xue’s original plan, it was uncertain if she could even survive the next few days.

Some power was helping Xue’er resist the withering, but Luo Xue could see that her mortal body couldn’t withstand it for much longer.

“What… should I call you?”

Xue’er’s voice suddenly became hesitant, and Luo Xue could almost imagine the blush on her delicate face.

“My name is Luo Xue.”

Luo Xue replied softly.

“The same name as me! Then I’ll call you Big Sister Luo!” Xue’er seemed relieved, her tone lighter. “My name is Dugu Xue, well… you should already know that.”

The imperial family’s surname was Dugu, and her given name was Xue, so it was indeed the same name as Luo Xue.

This also meant that most of the nicknames for Luo Xue… like Sister Xue’er, Xiao Xue, Ah Xue, etc., were the same as Xue’er’s.

“In that case… you should be younger than me, so I’ll call you Little Dugu.”

Luo Xue, who had been tense, finally relaxed slightly because of Dugu Xue’s presence, a smile appearing on her face.

Anyone facing such a cute girl who called them “Big Sister” would feel a sense of affection.

Nangong Mian was like this, and so was Luo Xue.

“Xiao Lan, what are you smiling about?”

The head palace maid leaned over and teased.

“I… just thought of something happy.” Luo Xue said vaguely.

“Don’t be too happy yet. We’re going to the Snow Palace soon. Smiling carelessly will be punished.”

The head maid’s expression turned serious.

“Okay.”

Luo Xue nodded slightly.

“Are Xue Ling and I just going to sneak in with you like this?” Dugu Xue asked nervously.

“You can’t. Neither can I.” Luo Xue replied. “The security at the Snow Palace is the tightest. There will definitely be powerful cultivators guarding it. We all risk being exposed.”

“Then what should we do…”

Dugu Xue was troubled. Her original plan was simple: come to the imperial kitchen, find the maids delivering food, and sneak in with them.

But in Luo Xue’s opinion, this was unlikely to work.

Even Luo Xue could sense the Immortal Emperor’s protective spell, and in the Snow Palace, where even flies couldn’t enter… how could it be effective?

As for Luo Xue herself, neither of her cultivation levels matched that of a palace maid.

Even the head maid’s cultivation wouldn’t exceed Foundation Establishment.

This was for various reasons and couldn’t be easily changed.

Therefore, if she disguised herself as a maid, Luo Xue would likely be discovered.

“However, I have a plan.” A smile appeared on Luo Xue’s lips. “Something I originally intended to use on you, ahem… anyway, it can solve this problem.”

“Hmm?”

Dugu Xue blinked.

What did she mean by “something I originally intended to use on you”…

But Big Sister Luo was so amazing. No matter the situation, she always had a plan!

“Xiao Lan, it’s time to go.”

The head maid urged, looking at Luo Xue with slight dissatisfaction. Why was Xiao Lan so distracted today?

However, she didn’t suspect anything. Everyone had their off days.

So the head maid just reminded Luo Xue to focus, so she wouldn’t be scolded later.

Luo Xue nodded, indicating that she understood.

Soon, the group of maids set off for the Snow Palace with the food.

This group of maids was originally responsible for serving the little princess, and since Imperial Concubine Min’s return to the Snow Palace, the imperial palace had been in chaos, and there was no time to assign a dedicated group of maids.

Therefore, to avoid any further complications, they were also responsible for Concubine Min’s meals.

However, the palace guards didn’t expect…

That the biggest complication would be the assassinated little princess herself.

Luo Xue had Xue Ling and Dugu Xue follow the maids closely. This way, Dugu Xue’s unusual aura wouldn’t be easily detected.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered patrolling palace guards, but seeing the maids’ uniforms and their direction, they didn’t stop them.

The security at the Snow Palace was already the tightest, and the guards didn’t dare to delay the maids’ work. Everything related to Imperial Concubine Min was extremely sensitive at this time.

Therefore, Luo Xue and Dugu Xue easily avoided the patrols and arrived at the Snow Palace.

Just then, Dugu Xue transmitted her voice to Luo Xue.

“Big Sister Luo, be careful… Xue Ling says there’s a Sea Crossing Realm cultivator nearby.”

Sea Crossing Realm…

Luo Xue’s expression turned serious.

This was much stronger than she had anticipated.

The realm pursued by the forbidden area lords in the nine provinces and four domains was only Soul Transformation. After Soul Transformation came Tribulation Immortal, and above Tribulation Immortal was the Sea Crossing Realm.

It seemed the top combat power in this world was between Sea Crossing and Saint… lower than Phoenix Venerable’s quasi-emperor level.

She just didn’t know if the Immortal Emperor had Saint level strength.

“Xue Ling also said that if we get any closer, we might be discovered…”

Dugu Xue was nervous, not for herself, but for Luo Xue. If they were both exposed, things would become very troublesome.

If that happened… Luo Xue would be in great danger.

Chapter 168: Escape from the Palace, The Meeting of the True and False Xue’er

The sudden fire in the Cold Palace diverted the attention of countless guards, and coupled with the recent assassination attempt on the Imperial Daughter, the entire palace was in chaos.

These consecutive events made people suspect that there was a problem within the palace.

Although the fire in the Cold Palace was quickly extinguished, it still burned the entire palace down.

Imperial Concubine Min, who had been locked in the Cold Palace, was secretly taken out and temporarily housed in her previous palace.

However… this “secret” clearly wasn’t very secret.

As if deliberately arranged, the news of Imperial Concubine Min quickly spread.

The guards and maids in the palace whispered amongst themselves, causing unrest.

Although Luo Xue remained in bed, the entire Imperial Daughter’s palace was under her control, countless surveillance formations surrounding it.

She was waiting for dinner time. Only then, with the strict security of the Imperial Daughter’s palace, would maids enter.

When a group of maids carrying food entered the palace, Luo Xue’s spirits lifted slightly.

At the same time, she heard the maids, although their heads were lowered, communicating secretly through spiritual power.

“Hmm?”

Luo Xue’s curiosity was piqued. She had set up many formations in the palace, including eavesdropping formations that could even intercept voice transmissions.

The maids were only at the Spirit Condensation Realm, while Luo Xue’s formations were at the Core Formation level. Eavesdropping on their conversation was easy.

“…”

After listening for a while, Luo Xue frowned deeply.

Besides some idle chatter and discussions about the sudden fire in the Cold Palace, the maids also mentioned Imperial Concubine Min.

Luo Xue then learned that Imperial Concubine Min’s imprisonment in the Cold Palace had been a secret until the fire exposed it.

Now, Imperial Concubine Min was near the Imperial Daughter’s palace. Her original palace was next to Princess Xue’s. After all, they were mother and daughter, so it was understandable for them to live close to each other.

“Why at this time…”

Luo Xue frowned slightly, just as she was about to ponder further, the maids arrived at her door and knocked gently.

“Your Highness, it’s time for dinner.”

“Bring it in.”

Luo Xue said softly, her voice weak.

She was still playing the role of the injured Princess Xue.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maids’ respectful voices echoed, and they gently pushed open the door.

After the maids entered, Luo Xue slowly sat up in bed, looking tired.

As she expected, all the maids carrying the food were at the Spirit Condensation Realm. No one stronger entered.

After all, they had to be wary of outside invaders and spies within the palace. Princess Xue was the victim of the assassination attempt, and if possible, they would even replace the maids with mortals to prevent further accidents.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. Even the weakest maids in the imperial palace were at the Spirit Condensation Realm.

Luo Xue sat on the bed, a small table with exquisite food placed before her by the maids.

“Please enjoy your meal, Your Highness. We will wait here until you’re finished.”

The maids stood respectfully, their heads lowered, not looking at Luo Xue.

Looking directly at the little princess while she ate was disrespectful. They were professional palace maids and wouldn’t make such a mistake.

This was exactly what Luo Xue had planned. She picked up her chopsticks and slowly started eating.

The surrounding formations silently activated, the maids’ senses gradually being blocked, their vision also slowly freezing, but they didn’t notice.

After Luo Xue finished eating, the maids were temporarily trapped in an illusion formation, losing their awareness of the real world.

“Time to work.”

Luo Xue stood up and looked at the maids, a troubled expression on her face.

“Why are they all so… well-endowed… Is there no one who’s a bit smaller, flatter?”

Luo Xue muttered inwardly, her gaze scanning the maids.

Luo Xue was only 1.5 meters tall, and with her… average development, it was difficult to find someone similar among the palace maids.

In the end, Luo Xue could only choose one who was relatively close, but even she was over 1.6 meters tall, her slightly developed chest something Luo Xue couldn’t match.

“Fine, you’ll do.”

Luo Xue took a deep breath, carefully pulled the maid onto the bed, and used the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art to disguise herself as the maid.

With a reference, Luo Xue’s disguise skills were quite reliable.

In a short time, Luo Xue transformed into an almost identical copy of the maid.

After changing into the maid’s clothes, even her own mother wouldn’t be able to tell the difference just by looking.

Next was…

“Sorry, I can only make you a temporary stand-in for the stand-in…”

Luo Xue glanced at the maid apologetically and used the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art on her.

The Thousand Faces Cultivation Art was a special technique. Since it could be used on herself, it could naturally be used on others, just requiring a higher level of proficiency.

Transforming the maid into Princess Xue consumed a lot of Luo Xue’s energy.

Fortunately, the final result was passable. Although it wasn’t a perfect disguise, it was enough as long as no one looked too closely.

Luo Xue set up a slumber formation on the bed. Once activated, the person lying on it would sleep soundly.

And Luo Xue herself inconspicuously blended into the group of maids, then deactivated the illusion formation, and finally, using Princess Xue’s voice, completed the final step of her plan.

“Alright, I’m going to rest now, you can all leave.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maids replied in unison, almost making Luo Xue think that her illusion formation had failed. How could these maids recover so quickly after she just deactivated it?

But when Luo Xue looked at them, she saw a lingering daze in their eyes. The effect of the illusion formation hadn’t completely worn off; they were just reacting instinctively.

However, the maids didn’t suspect the “Princess Xue” on the bed at all.

They quickly tidied up the room and left with the food trays, completely unaware that one of them had been replaced.

Luo Xue walked at the back of the group. The maid she chose was relatively quiet and hadn’t participated in the gossip with her colleagues on the way here, which saved Luo Xue some trouble.

The more one spoke, the more likely they were to be exposed.

All the maids, their heads lowered, walked out of the palace.

The security in the imperial palace was currently limited. The checks on maids entering the Imperial Daughter’s palace were very strict, but there weren’t many checks on those leaving.

Luo Xue stealthily looked around. Powerful auras were everywhere.

The patrolling guards were all at least at the Nascent Soul Realm, their strength unfathomable to Luo Xue.

However, their expressions were filled with anxiety.

“Just an assassination attempt on the Imperial Daughter shouldn’t cause this much commotion. It seems the strange fire in the Cold Palace is the true source of the unrest…”

Luo Xue pondered, then looked at another, even more luxurious and grand palace not far from the Imperial Daughter’s palace. It was the “Snow Palace,” Imperial Concubine Min’s residence, although it had been vacant for over a decade.

The security around the Snow Palace was even tighter than around the Imperial Daughter’s palace, which meant that Imperial Concubine Min’s importance was indeed much higher than that of her, the stand-in.

However, Luo Xue was mistaken. Even the real little princess wasn’t as important as Concubine Min.

The news of the fire in the Cold Palace had reached the Immortal Emperor even before the assassination attempt, and it was the Immortal Emperor himself who had ordered Concubine Min to be taken out of the Cold Palace.

“Fortunately… now… I should find a chance to go to the imperial study.” Luo Xue’s eyes flickered. “I’ll bring back my… Princess Xue before the next meal.”

The longer she waited, the more variables there would be. Luo Xue didn’t want to take too many risks.

The maids, carrying the food trays, nervously walked towards the imperial kitchen.

The imperial kitchen was located in a remote corner of the palace complex, the servants’ area.

Now, all the guards were concentrated near the Cold Palace and the Snow Palace, so security around the imperial kitchen was lax.

Upon returning to the kitchen, the maids all breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions relaxing.

“Xiao Lan, why haven’t you said much along the way?”

The lead maid suddenly looked at Luo Xue and asked with concern.

“No-, nothing…”

Luo Xue was stunned and shook her head, looking flustered.

“Pfft, you’ve been in the palace for so long, and you’re still so timid.”

The maids laughed and went about their own business.

Luo Xue found an excuse to leave the imperial kitchen and, as she was pondering how to sneak into the imperial study, suddenly sensed a familiar aura.

“Hmm?” Luo Xue’s pupils constricted. “Why is she here…”

…

A while ago, in the imperial study.

When Xue’er slowly woke up, she collapsed weakly onto the bed.

The constant torment of her illness had exhausted her, and she could only persevere with the help of the Immortal Emperor’s technique.

But even so, Xue’er could barely feel her limbs, even lifting her arm was a struggle.

Her time was truly running out. She didn’t even know if she could last until her father returned from his southern tour.

“Xue Ling…”

Xue’er called softly.

A tall, silent figure appeared, standing beside her bed.

Xue’er opened her eyes, looked at the figure’s indifferent expression, and smiled faintly.

It was a puppet, obtained by the Immortal Emperor from an ancient ruin, possessing Soul Transformation level strength.

Puppetry was a lost art in the Great Thousand Worlds now. This was probably the last puppet in this world, and although its strength was insignificant to the Immortal Emperor, as a rare collectible, he treasured it.

To take care of Xue’er’s daily needs, and since her identity couldn’t be revealed, the Immortal Emperor had this puppet serve Xue’er, its true name “Xue Ling.”

Xue Ling looked like a grown-up Xue’er, but as a puppet, it wasn’t sentient.

And Xue’er hadn’t embarked on the path of cultivation, her soul was weak, and she couldn’t control a puppet with her soul like Li Guijiao, so she could only give simple commands.

“Take me to see Mother.”

Xue’er said softly.

She… wanted to give up.

Without permission, Xue’er couldn’t enter the Cold Palace. She could only look at her mother from afar through the palace walls.

She couldn’t understand why her father kept her mother in the Cold Palace, saying it was to protect her. Nor could she understand his complicated gaze.

In her final moments, Xue’er wanted to be with her mother, even if it was just seeing her from afar.

However, Xue Ling didn’t move, instead conveying a message to Xue’er.

“Mother… isn’t in the Cold Palace?” Xue’er was stunned, then became anxious. “Could it be… that something happened to Mother…”

“…”

Xue Ling’s will connected with Xue’er’s again.

“Really?” Xue’er’s face lit up with joy. “Mother really left the Cold Palace? And… she’s back home?”

She could go anywhere in the imperial palace, except for the Cold Palace.

The “home” Xue’er referred to was the Snow Palace. In her vague childhood memories, it was always her mother who took care of her there.

Until one day, her mother was suddenly imprisoned in the Cold Palace, and Xue’er moved to the nearby Imperial Daughter’s palace.

“Xue Ling, I… I want to see Mother…”

Xue’er was a bit anxious. For years, she could only look at her mother from afar, and her mother couldn’t even see her.

When the other Xue’er (Luo Xue) met with her mother, Xue’er was actually happy. At least, her mother could see “her,” even though it was another person.

Xue Ling was silent for a moment, then responded.

The security around the Snow Palace was very tight. Even Xue Ling would have difficulty entering without being noticed.

“What… should we do…”

Xue’er was disappointed.

But she quickly cheered up. This small difficulty couldn’t defeat her.

After thinking hard for a while, Xue’er’s eyes lit up.

“Right, Mother definitely has to eat. If I can sneak in with the maids who deliver her meals… there’s a chance!”

Security around the imperial kitchen was always lax, as it was the servants’ area.

The maids in the imperial palace were weak, only around Spirit Condensation, and monitoring them was a waste of resources, especially now, when manpower was tight.

Xue’er knew the imperial palace like the back of her hand. Although she couldn’t appear in public these past few years, she could move freely within the palace thanks to the Immortal Emperor’s unique concealment technique.

To see her without using any special techniques, one would need to be at least at the Tribulation Immortal Realm.

Xue Ling briefly analyzed the feasibility and responded to Xue’er.

“Okay, let’s go to the imperial kitchen!”

Xue’er struggled to sit up, and Xue Ling effortlessly lifted her into her arms.

“Thank you… Xue Ling.”

Xue’er smiled. Although she knew Xue Ling was just a mindless puppet, she still treated it like a person.