Chapter 286 - 115: A Kingly Aura Takes Shape, Don’t Tell Me You’re Setting Me Up Too? The Future Lord of Great Xia

At this thought, a shimmering light enveloped Song Youwei, and her once sallow face took on a dignified and solemn air.

She raised a hand, her Magical Power surging. A Jade Plate glowing with magnificent Buddhist light materialized, its aura astonishing. She unleashed it without hesitation.

At the same time, she formed a hand seal with her other hand. In an instant, her figure blurred and nine identical shadows appeared behind her, like a bright moon splitting into nine phantoms. One body became nine, each fleeing the mansion in a different direction.

An aura that flowed like a dense mist enveloped the entire mansion, ensuring that no hint of the commotion would escape to the outside world.

However, Song Youwei was prepared. A dazzling Exotic Treasure emerged and floated above her head. It resembled a small, exquisite pagoda and emanated a faint, hazy starlight.

As her body split into nine, the aura of the small pagoda appeared above each phantom’s head.

The brilliant starlight converged, and in the next instant, it transformed in her hand into a strand of astonishingly sharp Star Sword Qi. It forcefully tore at the mist as she attempted to break through and escape.

"To have such strength at your age, who in the world are you? Not only do you know the Star Moon Sect’s Star Moon Nine Transformations, but you even possess the Exotic Treasure, the Stellar Exquisite Tower?"

Duke Wei’s expression was cold, his eyes filled with anger. He had recognized the origin of the Exotic Treasure, which made him all the more shocked and astonished by Song Youwei’s identity.

The Star Moon Sect had been destroyed long ago, but the Royal Family still possessed records of it.

He began to constrict his domain to prevent Song Youwei’s escape. Simultaneously, Magical Power billowed from his body as Runes and Dao Principles flickered and interlinked, preparing to form a cage to trap her.

However, he had underestimated Song Youwei’s resourcefulness. In the very instant he began to constrict his domain,

six of Song Youwei’s phantoms suddenly reversed course and attacked him. Bright, dazzling starlight rained down—beautiful, yet containing a bone-chilling killing intent.

Meanwhile, Song Youwei’s true body seized the opportunity to tear its way out of the domain.

...

The official road was rough, and Qi Qingxuan, astride his horse, was uncomfortable all over.

With no cultivation base, he couldn’t stand it after just a short time on the road from Yangchun City. Unlike the others, who used Magical Power to shield themselves from the jolting ride, his body was already growing sore and weary.

’It’s still several hours to Jiyun Temple. This is torture...’

He looked toward the front of the procession where the carriages were unbelievably luxurious. Lavishly adorned with gold and jewels, they moved smoothly one after another, like a procession of Immortals touring the mortal realm.

Even the rare birds and Exotic Beasts following them shimmered with a divine radiance, breathing out clouds and mist.

Just as envy began to stir in Qi Qingxuan’s heart, an announcement came from the front of the procession for everyone to rest a while in the pavilion ahead.

He took the opportunity to dismount, intending to stretch his limbs and relieve himself in the nearby woods.

The woods were dense, so to avoid being noticed, Qi Qingxuan went a little deeper inside. A slow-moving stream flowed through the trees.

After relieving himself, Qi Qingxuan went to the stream to wash his hands.

But then, and he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, all the noise around him suddenly faded into the distance.

Even the stream before him seemed to slow, and the sound of its flowing water soon vanished.

The sound of the wind, the chirping of insects, the calls of birds—the world had fallen utterly silent.

Shock and horror filled his face. He had no idea what was happening. He turned his head and saw that a figure in spotless white robes had silently appeared on a green stone behind him and was quietly observing him.

He couldn’t see the person’s features clearly, only a blurred face shrouded in an immortal mist. The figure’s eyes were as placid as an abyssal sea, like those of a truly transcendent Immortal, ethereal and remote.

"Who... Who are you?"

Qi Qingxuan was shaken to his core, but years of disciplined self-cultivation allowed him to quickly regain his composure and avoid panicking.

Although he lacked a cultivation base, he still had some knowledge of the methods used by Cultivators.

This white-robed figure had to be a Cultivator of immense power.

’But why would this person suddenly seek me out?’

"Qi Qingxuan. Third young master of the Qi Family in Yangchun City."

"Your mother was named Zhou Yun. She once served Princess Consort Xuan in the palace before returning to Yangchun City. There, she married the Qi Family Patriarch as a concubine and bore him a son. She passed away from illness many years ago."

"During your years in the Qi Family, your talent was ordinary, and you were not favored by your father. Even your own clansmen and peers repeatedly looked down on you. Many years ago, the Qi Family arranged a marriage for you, but because of your background, the other party rejected it outright without ever meeting you."

"For years, you have diligently studied the classics, filled with talent and ambition. But you’ve been frustrated and constrained, with no opportunity to display your abilities. You intend to reform the imperial court, to change the plight of the world’s Cold Sect Disciples, and you even wish that all people could be like dragons..."

Jiang Lan didn’t answer Qi Qingxuan’s question, instead continuing to speak as if to himself.

Qi Qingxuan’s eyes widened as he stared in utter shock and astonishment, unable to understand how this person knew so much about him.

The man even knew his most secret ambitions and aspirations with perfect clarity.

"Am I right about all this?" Jiang Lan asked.

Qi Qingxuan nodded subconsciously. Still reeling from shock, he asked again, "Who in the world are you?"

But Jiang Lan still didn’t answer. Instead, he said with keen interest, "No, what I said was incorrect."

"Your name is not Qi Qingxuan. It is actually Xia Qingxuan. Your mother was not Zhou Yun, but a concubine of the former emperor of Great Xia: Princess Consort Xuan."