The vast and stirring scene made Qin Yu’s heart tremble.
It’s hard to imagine if he could maintain composure facing such deep affection from the Empress Dowager.
Little Ling’Er was somewhat puzzled, but she still gladly accepted the Empress Dowager’s love.
Besides spending time with Brother Qin Yu, her favorite was being held in the Empress Dowager’s arms, where she felt secure.
However, since Qin Yu and Her Majesty went out, the Empress Dowager’s care seemed tinged with sadness, leaving Ling’Er perplexed.
"Let’s return to the palace."
After a long while, the Empress Dowager sighed softly. Having sensed Flower Fairy’s intention to bully Qin Yu, she had lost the mood to continue the outing.
"In the future, you should come less to Flower Language Building."
The Empress Dowager didn’t forget to warn Qin Yu.
"This... probably won’t work for now. I promised the Fairy to help her restore the Ancestral Tree’s dead branches tomorrow."
Qin Yu felt awkward.
"You..."
The Empress Dowager was furious, showing a disappointed look, and finally stamped her foot, turning away.
Really can’t handle it a bit!
These bad women, none of them are easy to deal with!
Is he not afraid of being completely taken advantage of?
Really driving me crazy!
No, must go find Her Majesty immediately to promise me that I’ll guard Qin Yu in the future.
The Empress Dowager couldn’t care about anything else and acted upon her thoughts.
Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, are you still going to care whether Qin Yu lives or not?"
The Empress Dowager barged in headfirst, the barrier outside was like mere decoration.
"What?"
The Empress was puzzled.
Isn’t Qin Yu fine?
Why suddenly such a seriousness?
"Flower Fairy wants to take him back to the Elf Tribe!"
The Empress Dowager exaggerated fearing the Empress wouldn’t believe, colorfully describing the scenario she perceived.
"Oh."
After a long pause, the Empress responded lightly, continuing to look down at the memorial she held.
Just an "Oh"?
The Empress Dowager was shocked, this bad woman, was she going to ignore?
"If you have nothing, step back. I have things to handle."
The Empress didn’t raise her eyelids, said blandly.
Haha!
Flower Fairy bullying Qin Yu?
Though the Empress didn’t pay attention to the commotion at Flower Fairy’s courtyard, she could imagine even with a toe it wasn’t as trivial as the naive Empress Dowager described.
After all, they are familiar with each other.
What kind of temperament does Qin Yu have? Can the high Empress not know?
If he doesn’t threaten the Flower Fairy, the Elf Tribe should be in gratitude, bathing and offering thanks, yet Flower Fairy threatens him?
Possible?
"Well, you are siding with the Flower Fairy outsider!"
The Empress Dowager was dumbfounded, the Great Phoenix trembled with anger, finally gritting her teeth, "I don’t want to see Qin Yu go to Flower Language Building anymore!"
"Then you don’t follow next time."
"Your Majesty, you..."
The Empress Dowager’s eyes widened visibly.
The Empress slightly raised her head, her gaze lofty, showcasing an undeniable threat.
Finally, the Empress Dowager could only pout, slumping her head and leaving dejectedly, inadvertently kicking a small stone flying, venting her dissatisfaction.
...
The Great Mountain.
The news of the Ancient Ruins had spread across the Ten Halls region, attracting cultivators from even neighboring Immortal Countries to travel far and wide.
Now, in front of the ruins, it was crowded with countless figures, occasionally someone would fly up and enter the Ancient Bronze Gate.
Midair, two graceful figures stood, wearing a mysterious mask.
Numerous cultivators looked at these two figures, filled with apprehension.
These two figures, conspicuously the Flame Guards of Great Yan.
Yan Ruo and Yan Lin!
As the ruins emerged, a near two months had passed, dozens of Foundation Establishment Realm experts entered, yet still couldn’t claim the inheritance, raising the outside cultivators’ perception of the ruins.
Even, most cultivators believed the ruins weren’t left by a giant figure, but a Half-Venerable’s relic!
Occasionally one or two cultivators would exit, though they hadn’t seen the inheritance opportunity, they acquired Spirit Pills and Ancient Technique, making others envious.
At this point, more and more cultivators swarmed in, not to mention obtaining inheritance, at least some opportunities could be gained?
Beneath the ruins, deep underground.
Stone pillars stood, covered with obscure patterns, even a glance has a feeling of the mind being swallowed.
On both sides of the stone pillars, dozens of Transmission Stones were embedded, displaying scenes throughout the ruins, innumerable cultivators were fiercely competing for "opportunities" they had meticulously prepared for.
At this moment, a black-robed figure sat in the center of a field of stone pillars, beneath him, obscure array patterns covered the ground.
"It’s about time, so many cultivators are enough to satisfy the Hall Master."
Respect Five slowly rose, his gaze distant as he looked toward the mountain above, as if seeing through the layers of arrays and the mountain’s isolation to witness the impending purgatory.
In the next moment, under Respect Five’s black robe, black Qi surged, like liquid, converging into the obscure array patterns below.
The originally dim and dull array patterns emitted an evil aura, while on the surrounding stone pillars, the lines emerged one by one.
As the array patterns formed, the entire Ten Thousand Great Mountains suddenly trembled.
The terrifying commotion made countless beasts lose their minds completely, fleeing in madness.
Such an unusual event immediately rang alarm bells in the hearts of countless cultivators, as strong waves of aura emanated from their figures, scanning their surroundings vigilantly.
Those cultivators who were naturally more cautious, without hesitation, chose to leave the ruins area, skimming swiftly toward the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
"Not good!"
Yan Ruo’s expression changed slightly, a sharp glint erupted in her eyes, as a powerful force of Dao Rhyme howled forth, striking the mountain below.
"Boom!"
With a loud noise, the ground that was originally trembling, quaked madly as if an earthquake had occurred, and under this strike, the solid mountain was unexpectedly blasted flat.
Some cultivators nearby, caught off guard, were blown away by the terrifying shockwave.
Many cultivators no sooner steadied their forms and wanted to curse, but upon seeing the person who acted was a Flame Guard, immediately closed their mouths in annoyance, retreating quietly to the side to heal.
"What is that?"
Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes noticed a faint trace of black Qi within the leveled mountain.
"Death Qi?!"
Yan Ruo’s expression changed again without hesitation, instantly crushing a Jade Talisman.
"Swish! Swish!"
In the next moment, two figures appeared in the sky.
"Four Flame Guards?!"
When they saw the four figures not far from the Ancient Bronze Gate, countless cultivators’ faces turned solemn, finally realizing the seriousness of the issue.
Each Flame Guard was at least a Foundation Establishment Realm expert of over thirty steps, and the aura fluctuation around Yan Ruo and Yan Lin was even more disturbing to some Foundation Establishment Realm experts.
Clearly, their cultivation was at least into the fifties and sixties!
In this place, four Flame Guards were actually gathered!
This was sufficient proof that the Great Yan Royal Family had noticed the unusualness of this ruin.
"Buzz!..."
Before everyone could react, the originally towering ruin, its light suddenly dimmed, even the ancient bronze gate had traces of black Qi swirling on it.
"What’s happening, my Spiritual Power is draining!"
"Oh no, something here is devouring my Spiritual Power!"
"Quickly escape, this ruin is a trap!"
Faintly, cries of alarm came from the Ancient Bronze Gate.
Seeing such a change, countless cultivators watching on the side suddenly became pale, and those a bit clever had already chosen to retreat swiftly.
Yan Lin took out a Sound Transmission Stone, wanting to report the situation to Commander Yan Zhi, but was startled to find he couldn’t transmit the message at all.
"Yan Ruo, try to message His Majesty!"
Yan Lin’s heart was suddenly filled with intense unease.
"Useless, space is sealed, messages can’t be sent, but I’ve crushed Hall Master Wang’s Soul Token, he should have sensed it."
Yan Ruo’s voice was icy, her eyes flashing with sharp light, looking down at the ground below.
At this moment, they realized this was no ancient ruin but a carefully laid trap!
Within the mountain below.
Three black-robed figures stood tall among them, Respect Five stood in the center of the activated large array, Respect Seven and Respect Eight flanked him, chanting obscure spells, with black Qi surging around them and continually infused into the array.
The originally dignified and ancient ruin’s outer wall gradually peeled away, revealing dense and bizarre array patterns inside.
The ground below also cracked open, spewing forth streams of concentrated black Death Qi like springs.
"Death Qi!"
"This is the Black Soul Hall’s Soul-Devouring Blood Refining Array!"
Yan Lin’s beautiful eyes suddenly showed a trace of fear, the three Flame Guards beside her were similarly solemn.
Some Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators closer by, upon hearing this, their expressions immediately changed drastically.
Among them, some had heard of the name "Black Soul Hall," even if they were unaware of this force, they could feel the seriousness of the situation from the solemn attitude of the four Flame Guards.
In an instant, the surrounding cultivators and powerhouses were like startled birds, no longer caring about anything else, fleeing toward the periphery.
However, when some cultivators reached the inner area, wanting to escape, they discovered in shock that the space ahead was shrouded by a barrier formed of black fog.
What was even more terrifying was that the bizarre black fog barrier was continually emanating Death Qi, and everywhere it passed, all living beings were devoured.
And the creepy Death Qi didn’t dissipate afterward but grew even stronger.
"Boom! Boom!..."
One by one, the cultivators could no longer be concerned about anything else and joined forces, channeling their Spiritual Power, to launch strong attacks at the black fog barrier.
However, as soon as these attacks approached the black fog, they were swallowed by a terrifying devouring force.
The originally eerie black Death Qi became pitch-black as ink, contracting inward at an accelerated pace.
Even more despairing was that whether above in the sky or below on the mountain, it seemed there was an invisible power sealing it off, with Death Qi subtly spreading, nowhere in sight was an exit to be found.
Several cultivators attempting to force their way through, as soon as they touched the black fog, screamed and turned into skeletons, their cultivation and flesh devoured in mere breaths.
"This Sect Leader refuses to believe a mere array can stop me!"
"Quickly inform Flame Guard Lord of this matter!"
"Indeed, with Flame Guard Lord here, we will surely escape."
For a moment, some were reluctant to give up, while others chose to return to seek the Flame Guards’ sanctuary.