Chapter 485 463: Mortals Hunt an Immortal, the Lowborn Slay an Emperor

In the hall, filled with the lingering scent of sandalwood, the downcast eyes of a gilded idol seemed to hold a trace of pity. Amidst the curling smoke, Ji Shenyun sat upright on a golden lotus platform, her black daoist robe cascading like a waterfall.

"Haaa..."

She exhaled a turbid breath. Her long, white eyelashes trembled as her eyes opened, and the dark golden light swirling within her pitch-black pupils gradually faded away.

As the Golden Sun Divine Seal was worn down a bit further, losing some of its power, Ji Shenyun's five senses became much clearer.

She heard the birds chirping outside the window, and even further away, the noisy hustle and bustle of traffic beyond the city walls.

'Is today the National Celebration for that kingdom in Qing Yueqiu's memories? Even the Spiritual Qi has become more active because of it.'

Ji Shenyun stood up and took a deep, satisfying breath. Her pale skin instantly gained a much healthier, rosy tint.

During the days she'd spent infiltrating Qing Yueqiu's Sea of Consciousness, she had continuously dived deeper to evade that girl's master's probing. Eventually, she had accidentally discovered one of Qing Yueqiu's sealed, early memories.

Naturally, Ji Shenyun wouldn't pass up the opportunity to usurp the nest. She had immediately used this sealed, early memory of Qing Yueqiu's to construct this illusory world.

At the same time, within this false kingdom, she had finally found a wondrous method to restore her Spiritual Qi.

That method was the Great Zhao's National Destiny Willpower.

This National Destiny Willpower was, in essence, Qing Yueqiu's Cultivation Essence, and today's National Celebration was the perfect opportunity to seize it.

Even the Golden Sun Divine Seal that Pei Yuhang had placed on her had begun to loosen amidst this surging willpower.

She raised her hand and shook the Bell. Soon after, an old eunuch entered, bowing.

The old eunuch saw that Ji Shenyun's face, usually as pale as ice-jade, now held a faint crimson blush, like a crabapple blossom blooming in the snow.

It was a breathtaking beauty, yet it carried a hint of something demonic.

His heart sank, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

On the surface, however, he remained perfectly respectful.

"Where is His Majesty?"

Ji Shenyun asked.

"Immortal Master," the eunuch replied, "today is the National Celebration. His Majesty is preparing to set out on a parade through the Capital City."

As the old eunuch spoke, he bowed even lower.

"Immortal Master, His Majesty said that before he departs, he would like you to bestow a blessing upon him in the Gilded Dragon Hall."

"A blessing?"

"Yes. His Majesty wishes for the Immortal Master to bestow a blessing, to protect our Great Zhao and ensure peace and prosperity for its people."

"Bestow a blessing?"

'That Emperor is single-mindedly focused on escaping this place. Why would he want blessings of peace and prosperity for this false Great Zhao?'

Ji Shenyun raised a delicate eyebrow, her beautiful eyes narrowing, but she nodded anyway.

Seeing that Ji Shenyun had agreed, the old eunuch was just about to take his leave when her slow words sent a cold sweat breaking out across his back.

"You may come with me as well."

"...Yes."

The sound was so hoarse it seemed to have been squeezed from his throat.

The old eunuch didn't dare look up. An indescribable fear flashed in his murky old eyes, but ultimately, he dared not defy the Immortal Master's will. He could only force himself to pull it together and lead the way, his steps unsteady.

Ji Shenyun followed behind, calm and composed, her wide, black daoist robe swaying gently in the breeze like a drifting cloud of ink.

The Palace Maids and guards they passed along the way hurriedly moved aside, pressing their foreheads to the ground and tremulously crying out, "Greetings to the National Preceptor."

As the pair walked on, the vermilion walls and green tiles of the inner palace were gradually left behind them.

Strangely, the closer they got to the Gilded Dragon Hall, the quieter their surroundings became.

The palace attendants seemed to have evaporated, and even the patrolling guards were nowhere to be seen.

Only the sound of their footsteps echoed on the empty palace path. The old eunuch's pace grew slower and slower, the fabric of his robes now soaked through with cold sweat.

The majestic Gilded Dragon Hall loomed just ahead when the old eunuch suddenly stopped walking.

He turned around, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out in a bizarre way as a peculiar, sharp glint flashed through his murky eyes.

"Immortal Master."

His voice was suddenly exceptionally clear, and the corners of his mouth pulled into a bizarre smile. "His Majesty is waiting for you in the hall."

Ji Shenyun's gaze sharpened. Her eyes went past the old eunuch, falling on the silhouette of a figure hidden in the shadows, seated upon the Dragon Throne inside.

A cold light flashed in Ji Shenyun's pitch-black eyes. At that moment, her full head of originally jet-black hair lost its color, refracting a dazzling silver in the sunlight.

"You mortals are certainly bold. After thousands of years, you still dare to plot against me.

"Did you truly think I couldn't see through your little schemes? It's just that, in the face of absolute power, I can't be bothered with your childish stratagems."

The old eunuch's eyes widened as he stared at Ji Shenyun's silver hair.

"You—your hair... It's just like Prince Ning's and his daughter's..."

Before he could finish, a wave of black-and-gold energy erupted from Ji Shenyun.

The old eunuch's eyes flew wide with terror, the wrinkles on his face twisting in abject fear. His shriveled lips had just parted to scream—

BOOM—!!

The wave of energy swept over him. The old eunuch's body withered and decayed at a visible rate, turning into a charred skeleton in an instant. Frozen in its final, terrified expression, the skeleton then collapsed into a pile of ash.

At the same time, Prime Minister Liu's voice, filled with determination and madness, echoed from all directions.

"Fire the cannons!!"

"Loose the crossbows!!"

"Today, we shall eradicate this Demon Fiend for the Great Zhao!"

In an instant, countless fiery dragons tore through the sky, and a dense rain of arrows blotted out the sun.

The entire Gilded Dragon Hall trembled amid a deafening roar, the flickering firelight casting shifting shadows across Ji Shenyun's ice-cold face.

Ji Shenyun raised her hand, about to wipe the torrent of fire from the sky, but she found that her body had suddenly become terrifyingly heavy. Even the simple act of lifting her arm was now exceptionally difficult.

It was the Golden Sun Divine Seal inside her—it had suddenly erupted!