Chapter 721: Before the door, bowing together, hearts united with you

The Immortal Forbidden Zone, located deep within the Department of Punishments, was originally one of Emperor Xuanyou’s grand halls, with copies scattered across various locations on Wanggu Continent. In ancient times, each location was a sacred hall. Only royalty could reside there, and this was the sole such hall in the entire Saint Lan Great Domain.

However, with the arrival of the divine remnant face and the departure of Emperor Xuanyou, this place became inhabited by the Fishbone Deity. Thus, the Royal Immortal Hall became the Immortal Forbidden Zone. The numerous treasures within were submerged in strange matter, making it difficult for mortals and even cultivators to enter. Even the Human Emperor of the Dongsheng Era was unwilling to wage war against the deity for the sake of this single immortal hall.

It wasn’t until a few years ago, when the Human Emperor ordered the Immortal Forbidden Zone to be opened and the Scarlet Mother revived within Zhang Siyun, devouring the deity of the Forbidden Zone, that this place was brought back under control. After Fenghai County gained autonomy, it naturally began to develop the area. Although most of the treasures within had already been taken by the Seventh Prince, the remaining ones still held immense value for Fenghai County.

At this moment, on the lowest level of the Department of Punishments, above the cavern where the sealing array once was, Xu Qing and Zi Xuan slowly appeared. Xu Qing could not refuse Zi Xuan’s request, especially since he also wanted to know why that sigh had echoed after he obtained the Bottle of Time. The sigh seemed like an illusion, but as Xu Qing recalled it now, he felt it might have been real. Most importantly, he had lost three days of memory while he was there. Even now, recalling it slowly, his memory of the Phoenix Palace was not very clear; only the Bottle of Time stood out.

This feeling gave Xu Qing much to ponder. After experiencing many events in the Festival Moon Great Domain, particularly after comprehending the intent of oblivion, he had gained a deeper understanding of memory. "When I was there," he thought, "I must have seen something unbearable, which is why I couldn't remember it." He had told Zi Xuan this on the way.

So, upon arriving here, they did not hesitate, each stepping down. In an instant, their figures descended inside, and a vast underground palace appeared before their eyes as they arrived. This place was somewhat different from what Xu Qing had seen when he first arrived years ago. Back then, it was filled with strange matter and thick fog, everything blurry and distorted, and the ground was covered in flesh and blood. But now, ninety percent of the strange matter had dissipated, the ground was no longer flesh and blood, revealing the true appearance of the ruins. As far as the eye could see, there were few intact halls; most were collapsed. A sense of ancientness and the passage of time were particularly evident here. Furthermore, massive pillars stood on the ground, emitting light and illuminating everything.

Perhaps because she had been here many times, Zi Xuan was very familiar with this place. Standing in mid-air now, she took a deep breath, her body swayed, and she headed straight down. Xu Qing followed behind. The two moved quickly, one after the other. Before long, a collapsed ruin appeared before Xu Qing and Zi Xuan.

"This is it," Zi Xuan said softly.

Xu Qing's heart also stirred; this was indeed where he had obtained the Bottle of Time. So, after gazing at it, Xu Qing remained silent and walked forward, step by step, until he reached the front of the ruins. The strange, guiding changes that had occurred here back then did not reappear.

"After I took the Bottle of Time," Xu Qing murmured to himself, "the changes here also dissipated. It didn't become clear just by getting close, but truly became ruins."

As he walked through the ruins, looking at the shattered walls and dilapidated structures around him, some were unfamiliar, some familiar. Yet, familiarity contained strangeness, and strangeness held familiarity. All of this made the feeling in Xu Qing's heart that his memory had been altered gradually grow stronger.

Until he arrived at the place where, in his memory, he had the head and stone lion retrieve the Bottle of Time. Here, Xu Qing looked back at Zi Xuan behind him. Zi Xuan stood not far away, her white robes like snow, her beautiful features cool and serene, her eyes, like cold mist over a dark jade pool, filled with deep confusion. Faintly, a sense of loneliness seemed to be slowly rising within her.

This feeling stirred Xu Qing's heart. After a long moment, he suddenly spoke. "Zi Xuan." This time, he did not call her 'Immortal Master'.

Zi Xuan gently turned her head and looked at Xu Qing.

"I obtained the Bottle of Time from this very spot," Xu Qing said. "I don't know what will happen if I put it back. My memory has been affected. Are you... sure you want to pursue the source of this familiarity?" He continued, "Is it possible that the reason you only recognize this place in your dreams is because you yourself chose to forget everything about your past?"

Xu Qing's words made Zi Xuan fall silent. After a long moment, she raised a hand to brush back a wisp of hair near her temple, her eyes as green as lake water fixed on Xu Qing's face, and she spoke softly. "Everything in my dreams has troubled me for many years. I want to know... what connection does that lamp truly have with me?"

Xu Qing closed his eyes. After a long moment, a roar came from his divine repository behind him, and the Bottle of Time flew out once more, floating before him, slowly descending. The moment it touched the ground, the Bottle of Time vibrated violently, erupting with endless radiance and completely illuminating the ruins. The next instant, the scene blurred and everything transformed. Phoenix Palaces rose from the ground, accompanied by a circle of vermilion high walls. The ruins transformed into a courtyard, and a Phoenix Palace, much larger than the others, formed in the center, standing within the courtyard. All nine Phoenix Palaces appeared.

As Xu Qing gazed at these, a tearing pain came from his mind, as if a memory was reviving in his sea of consciousness along with the scene before him. As for Zi Xuan, her body was trembling. Looking at the Phoenix Palace and everything around her, intense emotions surged within her heart.

"I've been here before..."

"In my dreams, I appeared here..."

Zi Xuan's breathing quickened. As she murmured, she instinctively walked forward. After passing several halls, she paused before the central Phoenix Palace, her steps faltered, and she turned to look at Xu Qing. "I... I think I once lived here," she said, her voice trembling.

Zi Xuan's voice also trembled. The biggest secret of her life was the recurring dark dreams. This made her instinctively want to seek light, to find warmth that would dispel the darkness. And today, the reason for it all seemed to be laid out before her, yet for some reason, her heart felt a surge of sadness. That sadness grew increasingly strong, eventually turning into loneliness, which engulfed her.

When Xu Qing heard this, his heart also stirred endlessly. He followed Zi Xuan's gaze and looked at the grand hall. The next instant, it was as if lightning flashed through his mind, making a wiped-away memory scene reappear. It was a fleeting glimpse from the three days of memory he had lost here. In the scene, Xu Qing saw himself having pushed open the doors of this hall, but what was inside remained a blank in his memory.

Xu Qing remained silent. Looking at Zi Xuan's trembling form, a feeling of tenderness rose within him. Ordinarily, the Zi Xuan in his eyes was always enchanting, always full of confidence, and peerlessly elegant. Always taking the initiative, it seemed the word 'fragile' would never apply to her. But today, he saw another side of Zi Xuan. She was like a little girl, in her trembling, showing nervousness, apprehension, sadness, and deep loneliness.

Xu Qing silently took a step, walked to Zi Xuan's side, and reached out to grasp Zi Xuan's cold, soft hand. He used his own warmth to melt the coldness of Zi Xuan's hand. Zi Xuan instinctively turned her head, tears in her eyes, and gripped Xu Qing's hand tightly, like a drowning person's instinct when facing life and death. She did not loosen her grip in the slightest, even as her own hand turned white.

A moment later, she took a deep breath and managed a smile towards Xu Qing. "I lost my composure," she said.

Xu Qing shook his head, not letting go.

Zi Xuan closed her eyes. When she opened them again a few breaths later, she had put away all weakness, her eyes showing resolve, and she was about to push open the doors of the grand hall before her. Xu Qing raised his other hand and pressed it onto the door alongside hers. "I'll go with you," he said.

Zi Xuan's heart trembled as she looked at Xu Qing. Xu Qing also looked at her.

After a long moment, both pushed together. As a creaking sound echoed, the door of the Phoenix Palace before them slowly opened. A patch of pitch blackness spread out from the door like ink, enveloping their figures.

***

At the same time, in the Saint Lan Great Domain, the former capital of the Heavenly Wind Imperial Dynasty now belonged to the Seventh Prince. He had established his mansion here, with numerous subordinates, and his influence was soaring like a rainbow. Besides his own followers, his maternal clan had also arranged for many to come here to assist him. Furthermore, with the divine might of King Tianlan, he was already an absolute authority in the Saint Lan Great Domain. It was not much different from his own fiefdom. Even Grand Duke Saint Lan avoided clashing with King Tianlan. While not outright submitting, they maintained a very harmonious relationship.

Therefore, for the Seventh Prince, the only thorn in his side at this moment was Fenghai County. Originally, he wouldn't have cared about a mere county, but Fenghai County was different. There, he experienced his first setback in life. There, he remembered a person named Xu Qing. That's why during the conscription, he paid particular attention to Fenghai County. Everything had been going well; Fenghai County, according to his plans, was slowly being divided and infiltrated. And with the prevailing trend of the Blacksky Race war, Fenghai County's ultimate path was either to submit or be suppressed.

Therefore, the disappearance of his army in Fenghai County this time both surprised him and did not surprise him. Because the news was completely suppressed, he did not know the specifics of the army's disappearance. This surprised him, but also made him realize that even now, Fenghai County still possessed considerable hidden strength. As for what didn't surprise him, it was Fenghai County's choice, which was already within his expectations.

Therefore, after receiving news of the army's disappearance in Fenghai County, the Seventh Prince's eyes showed indifference. While arranging for his subordinates to report this to King Tianlan, he looked out of the hall. Two individuals dressed as scholars were there, waiting for an audience. One of them was none other than Chen Yangzi, the former Grand Alliance Master of the Eight Sect Alliance.

"Chen Yangzi!" the Seventh Prince said indifferently.

Hearing this, the Grand Alliance Master outside the hall immediately bowed and walked in, cupped his fists in a bow inside the hall, his expression full of respect. "Your humble servant is here!"

The Seventh Prince toyed with the jade slip in his hand and casually said, "The cauldron you mentioned last time can now be retrieved from Fenghai County. I will try it to see if it is truly as wondrous as you claimed."

Hearing this, the Grand Alliance Master felt a hint of reluctance in his heart, but soon let go of it and bowed respectfully. "As you command!"