The atmosphere in the quiet room was so heavy it almost froze into ice.
In just a few brief sentences, Lu Li had outlined a terrifying conspiracy capable of subverting the entire Kingdom of Jin and even the wider regions.
“This matter is of great importance and is no longer something the few of us can handle privately.”
Lu Li was the first to break the silence.
His gaze swept over Zhou Ruoxi and Feng Lingshuang, his voice heavy.
“We must immediately inform the Emperor of Jin. The Jin court must take the lead, uniting various forces to take precautions early. The Secret Realm is about to open, and time waits for no one.”
Zhou Ruoxi nodded.
Her eyes, hidden behind the ghost mask, carried a faint, indiscernible trace of complexity.
“It should be so. If we do not prepare as soon as possible, when the Secret Realm opens, external cultivators will find it difficult to enter the space. We would be unable to stop the Yin Corpse Sect’s plot.”
As a Reincarnator and the Regent of Jin, Zhou Ruoxi knew this matter concerned the very foundation of the state — and more importantly, her Master’s life.
Whether for public or private reasons, she had to report this immediately.
Feng Lingshuang’s veiled hat nodded slightly, her cold voice ringing out,
“The Heavenly Sword Sect will not sit idly by while the Demonic Path runs rampant. The opening of the Gate of the Demon Realm would be a catastrophe for all. We cultivators have a duty to defend this land. Immortal Lu, Your Grace, I am willing to accompany you. I will present the intelligence known to the Heavenly Sword Sect alongside the information Immortal Lu obtained through the Soul Search for His Majesty and the court officials to examine.”
Her reasoning was sufficient and justified.
As a leader of the Righteous Path, it was the Heavenly Sword Sect’s duty to state their position and provide intelligence on such matters.
It would also increase the credibility of the report.
“Very well,” Lu Li nodded.
“There is no time to lose. Let us depart.”
The three did not delay further.
They immediately left the Regent’s Mansion, transforming into three swift streaks of light that flew straight toward the core area of the inner city, where the Jin Imperial Palace was located.
Under the night sky, the Jin Imperial Palace was like a crouching giant beast.
Its palace walls were high and imposing, and its halls stretched on endlessly, exuding an aura of strictness and solemnity under the cold moonlight.
Countless sentries, patrol guards, and the massive, invisible protective formation that enveloped the entire Xuancheng — surging with spiritual energy — all displayed the inviolable majesty of this place.
Before the Zhuque Gate at the outermost perimeter of the palace city, the three landed and revealed themselves.
The massive palace gates were tightly shut, and the plaza in front was paved with giant green stone slabs, appearing empty and desolate.
Two squads of heavily armored Imperial Guards with fierce auras stood like statues on either side of the gate.
Their sharp gazes scanned anyone who dared to approach.
Zhou Ruoxi took a step forward.
Without a word, she slightly released a hint of her aura and produced a Black Iron Token carved with a phoenix pattern.
When the guard captain saw the token, his pupils constricted.
He immediately knelt on one knee and saluted respectfully.
“Greetings, Your Grace!”
The other guards followed suit, kneeling in unison.
“Open the gate. This palace has a matter of utmost urgency and must see the Emperor immediately,”
Zhou Ruoxi’s voice came from behind the ghost mask, carrying an unquestionable authority.
“Yes! Please, Your Grace!”
The guard captain did not dare be slow.
He immediately rose and directed his subordinates to open a side door specifically used for emergency passage.
The heavy palace door slowly opened with the sound of mechanical gears, leaving a gap just wide enough for a few people to pass.
Zhou Ruoxi took the lead, with Lu Li following closely behind.
However, when Feng Lingshuang tried to follow, the guard captain stepped forward and blocked her path.
Though his tone remained respectful, his attitude was firm.
“Please wait, Immortal Lady!”
the guard captain said in a deep voice.
“The palace is a restricted area; no one may enter without a decree. You are not an official of our Kingdom of Jin, nor do you possess a passage token or decree specially bestowed by His Majesty like Master Lu. According to the law, you cannot enter without permission. Please wait here for a moment.”
Feng Lingshuang’s footsteps came to a halt.
Her brow furrowed slightly under her veiled hat, and a sense of helplessness washed over her.
She indeed lacked passage rights for the Jin Imperial Palace.
Her identity as a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect was not a valid reason to step into the palace at this moment.
These were the rules; she could not, and did not wish to, break them by force.
Lu Li and Zhou Ruoxi also stopped and looked back.
Zhou Ruoxi glanced at Feng Lingshuang and said to the guard captain,
“This is Fellow Daoist Jian Mingzi, a distinguished disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. She has important matters to report to His Majesty along with us.”
The guard captain looked troubled but remained persistent.
“Forgive me, Your Grace! Rules are rules. Without a decree or a token, I truly do not dare let her pass. If His Majesty blames us, I cannot bear the responsibility. Perhaps… Your Grace and Immortal Lu could enter first to report? If His Majesty grants permission, I will then summon this Lady inside.”
This was indeed a safe approach that followed protocol.
Lu Li looked at Feng Lingshuang and said with a hint of apology,
“Fellow Daoist Jian Mingzi, it seems I must trouble you to wait here for a moment. We will explain the situation to the Emperor as quickly as possible.”
Feng Lingshuang felt anxious, but she knew this matter could not be forced.
She could only nod lightly.
“Very well. I will wait for your news here.”
She stood alone in the center of the square before the Zhuque Gate.
Her white clothes were like snow, and her figure appeared particularly lonely and thin under the moonlight.
The surrounding Imperial Guards were like iron statues, silent and cold.
The distant palace walls were like a high mountain, cutting off her line of sight.
As she watched the figures of Lu Li and Zhou Ruoxi gradually disappear into the depths of the palace, an inexplicable sourness and sense of loss welled up in Feng Lingshuang’s heart.
This feeling had existed before, but at this moment, it became clearer and more unsettling.
‘He went in… with that noble and mysterious Regent…’
‘They seem quite familiar with each other?’
This thought popped up uncontrollably, causing her to unconsciously purse her lips under the veil.
She forced herself to look away, no longer staring at the closed palace gate, and instead looked up at the cold, solitary moon in the night sky.
‘Feng Lingshuang, oh Feng Lingshuang, what are you overthinking? The urgent matter is to deal with the threat of the Yin Corpse Sect and the Gate of the Demon Realm. This concerns the safety of all living beings. How can you have the heart to think about these trivial things?’
She scolded herself in her heart, trying to suppress those chaotic thoughts.
However, her mind involuntarily began to replay every detail of her encounters with Lu Li.
Yet, the more she thought, the more restless she became.
Her hand, resting on the hilt of her sword, had knuckles that turned white from the force of her grip.
The waiting time seemed to be infinitely stretched, and every breath became particularly difficult to endure.
She both hoped the palace gate would open soon to bring news of a plan and vaguely feared facing that figure who made her heart uneasy once again.
While Feng Lingshuang’s heart was in turmoil, Lu Li and Zhou Ruoxi were moving through the layers of palace restrictions, walking quickly toward Yangxin Hall, where Emperor Zhou Ruolin usually handled government affairs.
Along the way, guards and eunuchs saluted Zhou Ruoxi respectfully; none dared to be disrespectful.
Meanwhile, under the night sky of the capital, two other dark currents were surging at an alarming speed.
Gu Qingying had already used the Gu Family’s highest-level secret transmission channel to send keywords like “Yin Corpse Sect,” “Secret Realm,” and “Gate of the Demon Realm,” along with a top-level alert, back to the main Gu Family in Chengyang.
She believed that after the family elders received the news, they would not take it lightly.
They would surely react with the greatest speed and dispatch elite forces to support her.
Fu Shangyu, almost simultaneously, exerted her authority as the Shaozhu of Danyi Pavilion to activate their emergency response mechanism.
Encrypted orders were sent out through Danyi Pavilion branches everywhere, beginning a large-scale mobilization of strategic pills for healing, detoxification, and spiritual energy recovery.
They also secretly gathered reliable high-level cultivator guards, preparing for any conflict that might erupt.
On the surface, the entire capital was still immersed in the afterglow of the Lantern Festival and the tranquility of the night.
But beneath this peace, dark tides were surging.
The four words “Gate of the Demon Realm” had stirred the winds and clouds for all major powers.
Feng Lingshuang still stood alone outside the palace gate, like a forgotten sentinel.
She did not know what was happening inside, nor did she know that her two other “Sisters” had already taken action.
She could only wait in the cold moonlight and night wind, guarding the secrets in her heart and that increasingly strong premonition of an impending storm.
Inside Yangxin Hall, the lights were bright, and the scent of dragongris incense drifted quietly.
The Emperor of Jin, Zhou Ruolin, sat behind the imperial desk.
His brow held a trace of fatigue from handling state affairs, but his eyes remained sharp.
When he saw Regent Zhou Ruoxi and Lu Li of the Xuling Sect arriving together late at night, he knew there must be an important matter and dismissed the attendants.
“Royal Brother, Immortal Lu, why have you entered the palace so late at night?”
Zhou Ruolin’s voice was steady, carrying the majesty of an emperor.
Zhou Ruoxi took a step forward, her ghost mask facing the Emperor.
Her voice came through the mask with unprecedented gravity.
“Royal Brother, the situation is urgent. It concerns the foundation of the state and the safety of all people. Immortal Lu, Fellow Daoist Jian Mingzi of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and I have just uncovered a staggering conspiracy.”
She then concisely stated the Yin Corpse Sect’s plan to use the Jin Kingdom’s Secret Realm Trial to set up a formation and open the Gate of the Demon Realm, as well as the key information Lu Li had obtained through his Soul Search.
As Zhou Ruoxi narrated, Zhou Ruolin’s face visibly darkened.
When he heard the words “Gate of the Demon Realm,” he suddenly stood up from his Dragon Throne, his wide sleeves fluttering with the sudden movement.
“Preposterous! Utterly preposterous!”
His voice was no longer calm; it echoed through the hall, revealing his towering inner rage.
“The Yin Corpse Sect! How dare they! They actually dare to target my Jin Kingdom’s Secret Realm and commit such an evil act of overturning the mortal realm! They deserve ten thousand deaths!”
His chest heaved violently, and his eyes flashed with cold light.
The Emperor’s wrath made the air in Yangxin Hall feel as if it had solidified.
Once the Gate of the Demon Realm opened, the Kingdom of Jin would be the first to fall.
Lives would be lost, the mountains and rivers shattered, and the hundreds of years of his Zhou family’s imperial foundation would be destroyed!
This was no longer a simple provocation; it was a war for national survival!
Taking a few deep breaths, Zhou Ruolin forced down the urge to immediately mobilize his armies to level every suspicious location.
He forced himself to calm down, his gaze sweeping over Lu Li and Zhou Ruoxi.
“Regarding this matter… what are your suggestions? Does the Secret Realm Trial need to be terminated immediately?”
Zhou Ruoxi pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Royal Brother, I believe that while terminating the trial immediately would temporarily stop the Yin Corpse Sect’s actions within the Secret Realm, it might not be a permanent solution.”
Zhou Ruolin’s gaze sharpened.
“Oh? What concerns do you have, Brother? Speak freely.”
“Royal Brother, please listen,”
Zhou Ruoxi analyzed.
“First, if we suddenly terminate a trial that has continued for many years, it will inevitably cause an uproar. How will the world’s cultivators view our Kingdom of Jin? Will they think the Jin Royal Family is cowardly and incompetent, scared into isolation by a few rumors from the Demonic Path? Your reputation and that of the Royal Family would suffer.”
Lu Li nodded slightly at the side, adding,
“What the Regent says is correct. Secondly, and most importantly, terminating the trial is the same as beating the grass to scare the snake. Once the Yin Corpse Sect’s hidden forces see the plan is exposed, they will either go into hiding or… pivot to target another power’s secret realm. Then we would be in the light while they are in the dark, making them impossible to defend against and creating a greater hidden danger.”
Zhou Ruolin frowned deeply and slowly sat back on the Dragon Throne, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.
“So, terminating the trial is indeed not a good strategy… But if we allow the trial to proceed, aren’t we giving them a chance to complete the formation and open the Gate of the Demon Realm? By then, it will be too late for regrets!”
He looked at Lu Li.
“Immortal Lu, since you have perceived this conspiracy, you must have a plan to deal with it?”
Lu Li cupped his hands and said calmly,
“Your Majesty, blocking is not as good as diverting, and hiding is not as good as baiting. I believe we do not need to terminate the trial; instead, we can beat them at their own game.”
“Beat them at their own game?”
Zhou Ruolin leaned forward slightly, showing an interested expression.
“Precisely.”
A flash of wisdom flickered in Lu Li’s eyes.
“The Yin Corpse Sect wants to use the trial to act; we can use this opportunity to lead them into a trap and wipe them out in one stroke.”
He elaborated on his plan:
“First, Your Majesty should secretly summon the leaders of several absolutely trustworthy sects who have disciples participating in the trial. Inform them of some limited intelligence, explain the risks, and win their support and assistance. Have them watch for traces of the Yin Corpse Sect and the formation nodes during the trial while secretly coordinating with the Royal Family’s actions.”
“Secondly,”
Lu Li continued,
“the Royal Family can secretly select a group of absolutely loyal, highly skilled cultivators with clean backgrounds to disguise themselves as scattered cultivators or disciples of small sects and blend into the Secret Realm Trial. Their mission is not to compete for resources, but to investigate, locate, and sabotage the Yin Corpse Sect’s arrangements. At the critical moment, they can coordinate with external forces to wipe out the Yin Corpse Sect elites who have infiltrated the Secret Realm!”
As Zhou Ruolin listened, his eyes sparkled with intensity.
The frequency of his fingers tapping the armrest increased as he rapidly considered the feasibility of this plan.
Zhou Ruoxi also spoke at the right time, her voice sounding even deeper through the mask.
“Royal Brother, what Immortal Lu says is indeed a mature and wise strategy for the state. This way, we avoid alerting the enemy and control the battlefield within the Secret Realm, preventing the common people from being affected. We can even take this opportunity to heavily damage or even eradicate the hidden cancer of the Yin Corpse Sect! As for the Royal Family’s reputation, not only will it remain undamaged, but if this is handled beautifully, it will showcase our Jin Royal Family’s ability to strategize and protect all living beings!”
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