While those with spiritual resonance continued searching for the Phoenix Nest.
The Emperors of various dynasties and leaders of martial sects were also paying special attention to the Rank 9 Forbidden Land.
They dispatched their forces across the Nine Provinces to search in secret.
Brutal clashes between forces were too numerous to count.
But as for this turmoil in the outside world, neither Zhu Houzhao nor Empress Wu Zhao paid it any mind.
Instead, they were meticulously reinforcing the Phoenix Nest Forbidden Land.
It already had protective formations, now with the addition of a Formation Disk.
If anyone tried to enter again, it wouldn't be as simple as before.
This was a terrifying formation that combined offense, defense, confinement, and illusion.
Even those at the God Demon Realm would need to tread very, very carefully.
And that was without anyone actively controlling it.
If Empress Wu Zhao personally oversaw the formation.
Zhu Houzhao suspected that even he might not make it out unscathed.
He now had a new understanding of the true power of a Forbidden Land.
"Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace?"
"This place is already secured. I doubt anyone could take it from me now."
"Very well, let's return!"
"Empress, now can you finally tell me... your true identity?"
"Your Majesty, it's not that I wanted to keep it from you. I just don't know how to explain it..."
"There's always another voice in my mind... Real yet illusory. I haven't figured it out myself."
"Once I fully understand, I promise I'll give you a proper answer."
"This might be your opportunity... or your greatest calamity. You must be cautious."
"If you ever need my help, speak up."
"Like this time, had I not come in person, you would've been dead by now."
"And those competitors of yours are no joke."
"Thankfully I was there to eliminate them all. Otherwise, the consequences would've been unthinkable."
Zhu Houzhao reminded her solemnly.
"Your Majesty is right." Empress Wu Zhao replied with a radiant smile.
==========
Han Dynasty Territory.
Divine Search Palace.
A violet figure dashed inside.
They easily evaded the palace guards at the front gate.
"I heard that after that great battle years ago, the Longevity Immortal God and the Demon Lord Bai Suzhen were both sealed inside this place by a mysterious cultivator."
"Hehehe... This is the perfect opportunity."
"If I kill both of them and absorb their power, especially the Demon Lord's, no one in this world will be able to stop me!"
"Other than those two, I fear no one else in the entire Divine Search Palace."
"Demon Lord... you never imagined you'd die by my hand!"
The violet figure crept forward carefully, scouting for his targets.
He seemed very familiar with the palace layout and formation structure.
Every step, every turn, not a single trap caught him.
Even passing guards seemed to overlook his presence.
"Hm? I hear someone roaring in fury!"
"It's inside!"
The violet figure's eyes lit up. He quickened his pace.
"Tsk... What a powerful formation!"
"That terrifying aura... Is that the so-called Longevity Immortal God?"
"So it's true, he was sealed here!"
His breathing turned heavy.
At the same time, the sealed Longevity Immortal God instantly sensed his arrival.
"Hoh? A mere insect... actually made it this far?"
"Interesting!"
"You there, break this seal, and I'll grant you the chance to serve at my side!"
The Longevity Immortal God's voice thundered.
"You're really the Longevity Immortal God?"
"So the rumors were true. If you're here, then where's the Demon Lord?"
The violet figure asked quickly.
"You know that woman? Judging by your eyes, you're not exactly noble. And your aura... feels familiar..."
"Hahaha. I get it now."
"You were once her subordinate, a traitor she swore to kill!"
"Boy, we have a common enemy. Help me, and you help yourself."
"Well? What do you say?"
The Longevity Immortal God's tone turned cunning and tempting.
"Longevity Immortal God, huh?"
"What if I kill you and absorb your Divine Power?!"
Murderous desire flashed in the violet figure's eyes.
"You?"
"I've studied you before!"
"You're that traitorous Jing Wang, aren't you? Looks like you've hijacked someone else's body."
"Now you even dare dream of stealing mine?"
"Or perhaps you're here to absorb my power?"
"Hmph, such arrogance!"
The Longevity Immortal God's taunt made the violet figure's entire body tremble.
"You damn fossil, still so arrogant even at death's door?"
"Where is the Demon Lord Bai Suzhen?"
"Where is she sealed?"
he barked again, though a sense of unease crept in.
If the Longevity Immortal God was truly helpless, why was he so calm?
"Sealed?"
The Longevity Immortal God blinked, then smirked coldly at him like he was an idiot.
"You think she was sealed like me? Is that why you dared sneak in here alone?"
"Hahaha! You little bug... how laughable!"
"You over there! You've watched this show long enough. Don't you think it's time to step in and deal with this rat?"
"Tsk... So many years, and you still suck at judging people."
The Longevity Immortal God suddenly looked behind the violet figure with a sneer.
Just then.
A flawless figure stepped forward, exuding terrifying killing intent.
Her cold gaze locked on Jing Wang.
"I haven't even started hunting you down, and you come crawling to me?"
"How stupid can you get?"
It was the Demon Lord Bai Suzhen, her voice icy cold.
Jing Wang trembled.
"D-Demon Lord?! I thought you were sealed? How could this be?!"
"Who told you that? Hilarious."
The Demon Lord laughed mockingly.
"Run!"
Realizing the danger, Jing Wang said no more and fled at once.
Wrong intel!
She was free all along?
Impossible!
If she had freedom, someone like her should have caused chaos by now!
As he vanished into the distance, the Demon Lord didn't even bother chasing him.
Divine Search Palace wasn't a place one could simply walk into, or out of.
The only reason the Palace Lord Xue Yuan had once escaped with her girls.
Was because she knew the layout, and because the Demon Lord let them go.
She didn't want to clash with the Sword Immortal behind them.
But this Jing Wang?
He was nothing. Not even worth her interest.
No matter his strength, to her, he was just a slightly bigger insect.
Meanwhile, the fleeing Jing Wang found himself trapped in a horrifying maze.
It was so easy to enter.
But now, it was a nightmare.
No matter how he ran, he kept circling the same area.
And worse, his power was draining rapidly.
His inner energy is fading.
His mind turned hazy.
==========
And then.
A Golden Ranking appeared in his mind's eye.
Clear as day.
New lines of text appeared, refreshed again.
[Forbidden Land Ranking – Rank 8]
[Divine Search Palace]
[Danger Level: Four Stars]
[Description: Those below the Land Immortal Realm have no chance of survival upon trespassing. Even those at the Heavenly Human Realm or Mythical Realm only have a 50% chance of escaping with extreme caution. God Demon Realm cultivators risk being sealed]
[Reward: Heaven-Grade Low-Tier Formation Disk, capable of setting up a Heaven-Grade Confusion Killing Formation]
Reading this, Jing Wang trembled.
Forbidden Land?!
Divine Search Palace was ranked as the Rank 8 Forbidden Land of the Nine Provinces?
Unlike the Martial Force Ranking, which considered overall power and numbers.
The Forbidden Land Ranking cared only about how lethal the territory itself was, even without inhabitants.
He had assumed Divine Search Palace only made the sect ranking because of the Demon Lord and Longevity Immortal God.
Now that they were "sealed", he thought he could rise again.
Instead, he was the first to fall.
He couldn't survive at this rate.
He had to beg the Demon Lord for mercy.
If she let him live, he still had a chance.
He tried to walk back, to return to the Demon Lord.
But.
BANG!
A terrifying palm strike slammed into his chest.
His organs were shattered.
Blood spewed out.
He collapsed, unable to resist any longer.
"With your level, you dare intrude upon my Divine Search Palace?"
"Fool."
Shen Jiang sneered down at him.
"I want to see the Demon Lord..."
"She doesn't want to see you. Just die."
Shen Jiang held no pity.
He vented all the frustration he'd suffered under Xue Yuan... on this insect.
"Damn it!"
"Rank 8 on the Forbidden Land Ranking, where's my reward?!"
"I'm the true master of Divine Search Palace! Why didn't the Heaven Dao Reward go to me?!"
Elsewhere, the Longevity Immortal God raged.
If the reward had gone to him.
He could've used the Heaven-Grade Formation Disk to resist the seal.
He might've broken free.
But now... the plan had failed.
The Demon Lord sneered.
"Give up. Right now, Xue Yuan is still the official Palace Lord of Divine Search Palace."
"Which means the Heaven Dao Reward went to her!"
"As long as I'm around, you'll never break free."
"You should be grateful you're still alive, if you had escaped, you'd already be dead."
The earlier intrusion by Jing Wang?
Neither of them gave it a second thought now.
A mere insect, even with Land Immortal power, held no interest for them.
To keep watch over the Longevity Immortal God, the Demon Lord had given up even her grand ambitions.
==========
Ming Imperial Palace, Imperial Harem.
A palace reserved for the imperial Consort Selection.
"Sister Xue Yuan, what's that in your hand?"
"It looks really powerful!"
Huang Rong looked at the Formation Disk curiously.
"It's the Heaven Dao Reward."
"I just tested it, quite formidable."
"It may prove very useful in the future."
Xue Yuan had mixed feelings.
She thought she had cut all ties with Divine Search Palace.
But in the eyes of the Heaven Dao Ranking, she was still its master.
Even the Demon Lord had not stripped her of her title after she left.
Next to her, Huang Rong, Wan Wan, and even Shi Feixuan looked on in envy.
Compared to them, Xue Yuan was a true rich, beautiful, elite woman.
"By the way, the Consort Selection is ending soon. Once we enter the Imperial Harem, we need to be extra careful."
"It's another battlefield altogether. Though that man is there, and we won't die, we can't afford to be careless."
"Be especially wary of the Empress!"
"I heard some of the selected women were handpicked by the Empress Dowager specifically to challenge the Empress."
"Don't get involved."
"That woman is no joke. You might just end up as cannon fodder!"
"Especially you, Sister Xue Yuan, don't let your guard down!"
"Our only target... is that big scumbag!"
As Wan Wan ranked all the dangers, even Xue Yuan nodded seriously.
If not for his presence in the palace.
She wouldn't have even considered joining this Consort Selection.
She couldn't care less about Imperial Harem politics.
==========
Imperial Harem, Empress Chambers.
Empress Wu Zhao had just returned to the palace with the Emperor.
Zhu Houzhao immediately left to catch up on palace affairs.
They had been gone a long time, who knew what had happened in their absence?
"Miss, I've brought you the candidate list for the new Consorts."
"Some of these women, please be careful."
"They are not simple."
"If you're not careful, you might even get caught in their schemes!"
At this moment, Shangguan Wan'er walked in with several books.
She looked quite worried.
"Oh? Let me see."
Though not overly concerned, Wu Zhao still saw value in knowing.
"These women with no martial skills... they may be beautiful and noble by birth, but don't let your guard down."
"They were picked by the Empress Dowager specifically to produce heirs, her precious flowers."
"And these others... seductive, cunning, handpicked to spar with you."
"The Empress Dowager wants you tied up in endless battles."
"She hopes you'll make a mistake, and when you do, she'll strike mercilessly."
Wu Zhao flipped through the books, a smile of amusement on her lips.
She was not worried about her position.
With her power and status, Imperial Harem drama was just a bit of entertainment.
As for the Empress Dowager's schemes?
She wasn't worried either.
But.
There were a few names in those books that made her eyes narrow.
These.
Were her true future rivals.