Chapter 332: Sunset

Inside the octagonal pavilion, the smell of blood was thick.

Even the knowledgeable and experienced Shi Qingxuan could not help but be stunned.

Although she had anticipated that the Evil Emperor's Four Devils would be no match for Yu Liancheng, she had not expected them to be defeated so quickly and so tragically.

Among them, Ding Jiuchong suffered the worst; he was directly blasted apart by the Copper Jar, turning into a mist of blood without even leaving behind a corpse.

Zhou Laotan and Jin Huanzhen were pierced through the chest by the rotational force of the Copper Jar and fell backward, looking up at the sky.

As for You Niaojuan, his head was severed, leaving his body and head separated.

Yet throughout the entire process, apart from throwing the Copper Jar, Yu Liancheng had not made a single other unnecessary movement.

"Could the legend be true? Can this guy really kill with his shadow?"

Shi Qingxuan had vaguely seen Yu Liancheng's shadow twist and twitch earlier, but it was so fast that she could not be sure if her eyes had played a trick on her or if it had truly happened.

Yu Liancheng cast his gaze toward Shi Qingxuan and smiled, "Does Qingxuan wish to be a guest at the Imperial Palace? I will certainly host you well."

"I don't want to. The four troubles are solved, so Qingxuan should be going now. Goodbye."

Shi Qingxuan made a face at him, revealing the playfulness in her nature, then unfolded her figure and, like a sprite in the mountain forest, drifted away into the distance.

Yu Liancheng did not stop her; he reached out a hand, and the Copper Jar seemed to be pulled by invisible threads, landing steadily into his palm.

Aside from the evil mental energy within, this Copper Jar weighed over a hundred catties; combined with Yu Liancheng's physical strength, it was indeed a lethal weapon.

Yu Liancheng took one last look at Shi Qingxuan's slender and agile retreating figure from afar, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile, and his figure transformed into a flash of lightning.

"That guy left?" In the lush forest, Shi Qingxuan looked back, but the figure of Yu Liancheng in the octagonal pavilion had already vanished.

"This bastard, he really doesn't understand a girl's heart at all. When a girl says she's leaving, it doesn't necessarily mean she truly wants to go. He didn't even know to try and keep me."

Shi Qingxuan stamped her foot, her eyes as bright as stars filled with feigned anger, and she muttered to herself, "Qingxuan still wanted to see the Imperial Palace. Since you won't take me, I'll go myself."

"So Qingxuan wanted to go to the Imperial Palace. It just so happens I am heading back too; why don't we go together?" A clear and familiar voice rang out.

Shi Qingxuan turned her head and saw Yu Liancheng looking at her with a half-smile.

"You..." Shi Qingxuan's face flushed slightly.

"Was it somewhat rude of me to remove Qingxuan's fake nose earlier?" Yu Liancheng suddenly laughed.

"Hmph, of course it was rude." Shi Qingxuan rolled her eyes at him.

"Then I am truly sorry, for I am about to be rude again." Yu Liancheng touched his nose and offered an apologetic smile.

Shi Qingxuan asked in confusion, "What?"

Her words had barely fallen when a figure flashed before her; Yu Liancheng had already swept the young girl's slender waist into his arm and leaped into the air.

Shi Qingxuan only felt waves of heat radiating from her waist, her entire person shifting into his embrace like a small bird, and she could not help but feel her face burning. She wanted to push him away, but felt a wave of soft weakness.

Fortunately, the young girl had a favorable impression of Yu Liancheng, and given her own nature, she did not struggle forcefully to break free from his embrace.

And very soon, Shi Qingxuan was astonished by Yu Liancheng's lightning-fast movement technique.

She felt the surrounding scenery flying past her eyes, with distances of dozens of feet covered in the blink of an eye. Yet, there was no gale blowing against her face, as if they were blocked by an invisible barrier of Qi.

Before long, the two entered the Imperial Palace.

When Yu Liancheng stood still, Shi Qingxuan kept a straight face and was about to escape from his arms, but once her feet touched solid ground, she realized they were standing on the roof of a palace hall.

"Qingxuan, look."

Yu Liancheng pointed toward the horizon.

Shi Qingxuan was about to vent her feigned anger when she saw a scene she would never forget.

The setting sun was sinking, and ribbons of color like fireworks reflected against the horizon, turning it a drunken, flushed red.

The ancient Daxing City was even more serene and peaceful under the sunset, yet it carried an ancient aura of history.

The glazed tiles of the Imperial Palace shimmered with golden light, as if cast from gold, brilliant and magnificent.

Shi Qingxuan gazed blankly at the supreme beauty of this world. After a long while, she happily turned her head, wanting to express the emotions in her heart, only to see Yu Liancheng turning his face at the same time, his deep gaze meeting hers.

For some reason, the moment their gazes met, a blush seemed to stain Shi Qingxuan's beautiful, ethereal face.

Yu Liancheng smiled lightly and reached out, his fingertips touching her smooth, flawless cheek. The soft, smooth, and highly elastic sensation made one completely lose oneself.

Shi Qingxuan bit her lip lightly, still meeting his gaze with her clear, agile eyes.

Yu Liancheng leaned in and bit Shi Qingxuan's lips.

The blush on Shi Qingxuan's beautiful face shone in harmony with the last trace of the sunset, making her even more stunningly beautiful.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Yu Liancheng said softly, "I have been rude again; please forgive me, Qingxuan."

"Hmph." A soft hum, but it was weak and lacked any strength.

After settling Shi Qingxuan, Yu Liancheng held the Copper Jar in his hand and began to study the Evil Emperor Relic.

The Evil Emperor Relic was originally a burial object that the First Evil Emperor, Xie Po, had discovered by chance in an ancient tomb from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period while searching for a set of medical silk scrolls.

This crystal sphere seemed to contain a strange power. After long-term experimentation, Xie Po made a shocking discovery: the crystal sphere possessed the strange property of absorbing and storing human true essence and vital energy.

And every generation of Evil Emperors, unless they died an unnatural death, almost always injected their true essence and vital energy into the relic before they died. To this day, it had accumulated a vast amount of energy.

"Imperial Tutor, Master Lu requests an audience."

Just as Yu Liancheng was considering whether to absorb the power within the Evil Emperor Relic to strengthen himself, a member of the Imperial Guard hurried over to report.

"Good, let him in." Yu Liancheng waved his sleeve.

Before long, an old man walked in.

The man's face was simple and ancient, with thick, black eyebrows extending to his mottled temples, while the other ends met at the bridge of his nose, forming a sharp contrast with his deep, hawk-like eyes.

His nose bridge was as straight and imposing as his posture, and with his tightly pursed lips that naturally revealed arrogance and his long, clean face, he looked like a prince or noble who had once enjoyed all the wealth and glory of the world but now felt his heart was as dead as ashes.

"You have taken out the Evil Emperor Relic? How nostalgic. In the past, I had a close relationship with Yang Su and helped him build the Yang Gong Treasury. Time has passed, he has long since gone to another world, and my own days are numbered."

Seeing the Copper Jar, the old man shook his head and sighed.

Needless to say, this old man was none other than Lu Miaozi, known as the "World's Number One Craftsman."

This man was an all-around prodigy, proficient in everything from martial arts, medicine, landscaping, architecture, and military strategy to disguise, astronomy, calendar calculation, and mechanisms.

Back then, after Yu Liancheng had resolved the matters in Luoyang and incorporated the Wagang Army, he traveled alone to Pegasus Ranch.

Using the excuse of helping Lu Miaozi expel the Heavenly Demon Energy from his body and looking after Pegasus Ranch, he had him help decipher the Longevity Formula.

However, this was no small undertaking, and Lu Miaozi could not complete it in a short time; plus, with the need to help scout the location of the Zhanshen Dian, Yu Liancheng simply brought him along to Daxing.

Yu Liancheng did not disturb the old man's mood for reflection; after a while, once Lu Miaozi had come back to his senses, he asked, "Mr. Lu, you sought me out—have you made progress on the Longevity Formula?"

Lu Miaozi nodded and said, "It has been completely deciphered, and I was just about to present it to the Imperial Tutor."