Chapter 117

The Imperial List was issued, and the rewards were offered to the world, causing waves far exceeding Huangfu Hao's expectations. Not only did various forces within the Tianyuan Imperial Dynasty move upon hearing the news, but even some foreign races and hidden sects in the surrounding areas sent envoys, either sincerely providing clues or using this to test the imperial dynasty's reality.

In the Imperial Medical Bureau, all kinds of strange elixirs, folk remedies, and even witchcraft emerged one after another, but most were helpless against Lin Xuan's strange and complex injuries, and even a few doses of fierce medicine almost accelerated the loss of his vitality, scaring the old alchemy master into strictly ordering screening, and those without proven miraculous effects were not allowed to approach.

Huangfu Hao guarded outside the quiet room day and night, and apart from handling government affairs, he spent almost all his time here, the worry and exhaustion between his brows growing heavier day by day. The imperial dynasty had just been settled, with powerful ministers holding him back internally and demonic disaster worries externally, while his greatest reliance, Lin Xuan, was unconscious, and the pressure was like a mountain.

On this day, Eunuch Wei quietly came to the quiet room, dismissed everyone, and said to Huangfu Hao in a low voice: "Your Highness, the Pavilion Master of the Heaven Secret Pavilion requests an audience outside, saying there is an important matter concerning Daoist Friend Lin's injury."

"Heaven Secret Pavilion Master?" Huangfu Hao's spirit lifted. The Heaven Secret Pavilion is transcendent and mysterious, and its Pavilion Master is even more elusive. He came in person, perhaps there is really a glimmer of hope! "Invite him in quickly!"

A moment later, the Heaven Secret Pavilion Master, wearing a white star-patterned Daoist robe with a blurry face, appeared in the quiet room silently, as if he had always been there.

"Pavilion Master came in person, is there a way to treat Brother Lin?" Huangfu Hao asked eagerly, not even bothering with pleasantries.

The Heaven Secret Pavilion Master's gaze fell on Lin Xuan on the bed, his blurry face seemed to fluctuate, and he said slowly: "Little Friend Lin's Dao injury stems from forcibly drawing upon the chaotic origin, backlashing himself, and being eroded by demonic energy at the root, which cannot be solved by ordinary means. The power of medicine has reached its end."

Huangfu Hao's heart sank.

But the Heaven Secret Pavilion Master changed the subject: "However, there is a strange treasure in heaven and earth, which might be worth a try."

"What is it?" Huangfu Hao asked eagerly.

"Chaotic Green Lotus." The Heaven Secret Pavilion Master spat out four words.

"Chaotic Green Lotus?" Huangfu Hao and Eunuch Wei on the side both showed confusion, they had never heard of this object.

"Chaotic Green Lotus is not an object of this realm." The Heaven Secret Pavilion Master explained, "It is rumored to be transformed from a wisp of innate vitality bred in the chaotic sea at the beginning of heaven and earth, containing the most original creation power, capable of reshaping the Dao foundation, nourishing the soul, and purifying all evil. If one can obtain one of its petals, or a line of lotus root, Little Friend Lin's injury will have a seventy percent chance of success."

Hope reignited in Huangfu Hao's eyes: "Where is this object? I... I will send someone to find it immediately!"

The Heaven Secret Pavilion Master shook his head: "This object is ethereal and difficult to find, and ancient books only contain its name. I also do not know its exact location. However..."

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through the void, looking toward the south: "According to star observation deductions and ancient remnant scrolls, the last sign of the Chaotic Green Lotus appearing in the world pointed to the depths of the 'Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range' in the south, a forbidden land called the 'Eye of Return to Ruins.' But that is the forbidden land of the demon race, extremely dangerous, and that was a record from three thousand years ago."

Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range! Eye of Return to Ruins!

Huangfu Hao gasped. That is a place a hundred times more dangerous than the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain, and even Spirit Transformation cultivators entering it would have a nine-in-ten chance of death! And time has passed, three thousand years have passed, whether the Chaotic Green Lotus is still there is also unknown.

Hope is slim, almost non-existent.

But, this is the only clue at the moment!

Huangfu Hao was silent for a moment, his eyes gradually becoming firm: "Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, I must not give up! I will..."

"Your Highness, you must not!" Eunuch Wei hurriedly advised, "You are now tied to the safety of the imperial dynasty, how can you easily enter a dangerous place? This old slave is willing to go on your behalf!"

"Eunuch Wei, I know your loyalty." Huangfu Hao patted the old eunuch's shoulder, his tone unquestionable, "But this matter concerns Brother Lin's life, and even more concerns the future of resisting the Ruins Abyss, so I must go in person. As for the government affairs of the imperial dynasty, they will be handled by the cabinet and several loyal old ministers for the time being. With the dragon aura on me, those small-minded people will not dare to act rashly!"

He had already made up his mind to go to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range in person to find the ethereal Chaotic Green Lotus!

"Your Highness..." Eunuch Wei still wanted to advise.

Just at this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the quiet room, and a commander of the secret guards hurried in, kneeling on one knee, his face grave: "Report to Your Highness, according to the intelligence gathered from all sides and the interrogation of captured demonic puppets, it has been preliminarily determined that the breaking of the imperial palace seal and the descent of the demonic awareness this time, is related to... is related to the Zhao family!"

"What?!" Huangfu Hao's face changed drastically, and a biting murderous intent instantly permeated the quiet room! "Is the evidence conclusive?"

"There is a confession from a demonic puppet, who once saw a guest of the Zhao family and a mysterious person appearing near the seal. And before the demonic disaster erupted, the Zhao family secretly mobilized a large amount of resources, and their behavior was abnormal. Although there is no direct evidence pointing to Zhao Song, various signs indicate that the Zhao family is at least a person who knew, or even... a participant!" The secret guard commander said in a deep voice.

"What a Zhao family! What a Zhao Song!" Huangfu Hao laughed in anger, cold light flashing in his eyes, "In order to fight for power and profit, they actually dared to collude with the demonic abyss, causing chaos in the imperial capital, causing the late Emperor to pass away, and causing hundreds of millions of living beings to suffer! This hatred is irreconcilable!"

He had suspected before that the eruption of the demonic disaster was too strange, how could the imperial palace seal be easily broken? Sure enough, there was an inside traitor!

"Your Highness, should we immediately take down Zhao Song?" Eunuch Wei's eyes were also filled with murderous intent.

Huangfu Hao forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath: "No, taking action now will startle the snake, and without ironclad evidence, the Zhao family's power is deeply rooted, which is easy to trigger internal chaos. Monitor secretly, collect ironclad evidence! Wait until I return from the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, and then... settle accounts with them one by one!"

He looked at Lin Xuan on the bed, and then looked at the Heaven Secret Pavilion Master, bowing his hands: "Pavilion Master, I hope you can secretly look after the situation in the imperial capital. Treating Brother Lin and investigating the traitor both take time."

The Heaven Secret Pavilion Master nodded slightly: "It is my duty. Your Highness's journey is extremely dangerous, remember, the Eye of Return to Ruins cannot be defeated by force, it requires affinity. Also, I give you this object, it might protect your safety."

He took out an ancient jade talisman carved with tortoise shell patterns and handed it to Huangfu Hao.

"Thank you, Pavilion Master!" Huangfu Hao received it solemnly.

There was no time to lose, Huangfu Hao immediately arranged the regency matters secretly, entrusted the government affairs to several trusted old ministers and Eunuch Wei, and claimed to the outside world that he was in seclusion to stabilize the dragon aura.

That night, a dragon-shaped escape light that was almost imperceptible quietly left the imperial capital and headed toward the dangerous and unpredictable Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range in the south.

In the quiet room, silence returned.

The Heaven Secret Pavilion Master walked to Lin Xuan's bed, looking at his pale yet still calm face, and under his blurry face, he seemed to let out a sigh that could not be heard.

"Chaotic Green Lotus... Eye of Return to Ruins... kid, your calamity is also your affinity..."

He stretched out his finger, and a point of clear light sank into Lin Xuan's brow, temporarily stabilizing the fire of his soul that was about to be completely extinguished.

"The rest depends on heaven's will, and... the determination of that new Emperor."

After speaking, his figure slowly faded, like ink melting into water, and disappeared.

Only the Azure Luan Feng Xi remained, still loyally guarding by its master's side, occasionally letting out low, sad cries, seemingly calling for the sleeping soul.

The night in the imperial capital was still long. The journey to the south had already begun. And the enemies hidden in the dark were also stirring.