Xu Zhenguan felt as if she were dreaming.
In the dream, she seemed to have returned to her childhood, walking alone through the empty and deserted Imperial Palace.
She walked and walked, calling out "Father" and her brothers' names everywhere, but no one answered.
Until night fell, the little Third Imperial Princess finally sat wearily on some steps, hugging her knees tightly and falling into a deep sleep. She vaguely heard someone calling "Your Majesty," but the heavy drowsiness made it impossible for her to respond. She struggled to open her eyes, like a drowning person struggling in the deep sea...
Xu Zhenguan broke through the surface, suddenly opening her eyes. The scenery in front of her abruptly became clear; she saw an ominous temple ceiling filled with cobwebs. She seemed to be lying in some cold place, the scent of blood lingering at the tip of her nose, and the faint sound of rustling wind echoed in her ears.
Her consciousness was muddled, and it took her a great effort to piece together her memories from the chaotic sea of consciousness.
The Sealing Ceremony... Wu Xiankui began the challenge early... Magic God Sect Leader's sneak attack... She fell into the sea of clouds...
Then the memory was cut off, and she seemed to have fallen into a coma.
"Not good..." A sudden panic surged in Xu Zhenguan's heart. She abruptly sat up, reaching for the Taia Sword but caught nothing, and her overly large movement tugged at her wound, causing her to furrow her brows. Her sharp eyes swept around to take in her surroundings.
She found herself inside a dilapidated Earth God Temple, neglected for years. The windows and doors were blocked by someone with bamboo, leaving only a crack through which dim light seeped.
Xu Zhenguan looked down and found that her Dragon Robe was gone, replaced by a set of loose men's robes. Her heart suddenly tightened. She pulled open the collar and glanced at the simple bandages on her body, leading to intense confusion.
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the temple. Xu Zhenguan cautiously formed a sword technique with her hand, then saw the partially closed temple door pushed open, and a familiar figure walked in.
Zhao Douan was carrying a bundle of dry branches on his back, holding two wild rabbits and three birds in his left hand, with the Taia Sword in his right.
Entering the ruined temple, their eyes met, and an expression of joy lit up in Zhao Douan's eyes. He dropped the wood and wild game on the ground, rushed forward a few steps, and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, you've awakened?"
"Mr. Zhao?" The caution in Xu Zhenguan's eyes quickly dissipated, the tension in her delicate body relaxed, and after confirming Zhao Douan was the only one nearby, she weakly said:
"Where... am I, where are the others?"
Zhao Douan paused, about to speak when suddenly outside the temple, the sound of rain falling on bamboo leaves rang out, initially small, then becoming a dense curtain after a few breaths.
The remaining dim light further diminished, and Zhao Douan left a remark: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment."
He turned and tightly closed the temple door.
—During this time, he had chopped some bamboo to fill in all the places in the temple where light leaked through, and with the added rain, even if a fire was lit, the firelight would be obscured.
The sound of the rain softened, Zhao Douan took out a flint, simply made a campfire, and when the orange-yellow firelight illuminated the entire ruined temple, Xu Zhenguan, sitting on the offering table, felt warmth seep into her cold body.
"Your Majesty, I am also unsure of our exact location, and as for Eunuch Hai and the others, I can't reach them right now."
Zhao Douan looked at the Empress, and at that moment, the Empress of Yu Country sitting on the offering table appeared like a goddess.
A woman divine, unprecedentedly weak, fallen to the mortal world.
He briefly recounted how at the Sealing Ceremony, he heard Pei Niannu's words, came up with a bold idea, and dared to climb the mountain, happening to witness the Empress falling, thus triggering the teleportation process. Brought to you by the folks at MV|LEMPYR.
Finally, he apologized: "At that moment, the situation was urgent. I couldn't ensure Your Majesty wouldn't be harmed by the fall from the cliff, and I was also worried about the enemy's pursuit, so I resorted to this desperate measure. Seeing Your Majesty's serious injuries, I had the audacity to heal Your Majesty, hoping for Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Sitting on the offering table, the Empress—like a goddess among mortals—was stunned, seeming to absorb Zhao Douan's words. Perhaps the matter was too significant, making her temporarily overlook the "healing" details.
"Magic God... Xuan Yin..." Xu Zhenguan recalled being ambushed, glancing hastily back to see a massive Buddhist projection rising atop Luo Mountain, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She did not doubt Zhao Douan's speculation because she was very certain that at least at that moment, the "Magic God" that attacked her indeed wielded the power of a "Heavenly Human."
"Is Xuan Yin the Magic God? Or is it that he has another avatar outside?"
"He's actually cultivating the 'Heavenly Dao' with an avatar? What does he intend?"
"No wonder, Xuan Yin secluded himself at the Divine Dragon Temple for years, not because he was absent, but because he traveled in spirit, quietly taking control of the Magic God Sect..."
"No wonder... When I banned Buddhism that day, Xuan Yin retreated without conflict, perhaps because he had already teamed up with the Eight Princes, unwilling to clash? Just for today?"
Xu Zhenguan sat on the offering table, her complexion fluctuating between light and darkness, like shrouded in frost. Various emotions ultimately transformed into a chilling murderous intent: "Xuan Yin... Divine Dragon Temple... I ultimately underestimated you."
The hand beneath her sleeve clenched into a fist, the emotions in her eyes quickly shifted from initial anger to worry.
Being ambushed naturally fueled her rage, but as the Empress leading a dynasty, she knew well that anger wouldn't solve the issue.
Almost instinctively, she began analyzing the aftermath of the failed sealing and her own disappearance.
And even with brief thought, the results in her mind made her face turn slightly pale: "Prince Jing..."