Earlier, when Hong Shizhang encountered Luo Qianye near the Divine Organ Ground, he told her about the ordeal Luo Qingxian had faced in the Golden Roc Nest.

Upon hearing that Luo Qingxian had been drugged and defiled by a Lower Realm Mortal, Luo Qianye was filled with immense rage, even if she did not fully believe him.

Ever since the Azure Emperor had fallen in battle in the Boundless Heavens, Luo Qianye's heart had turned to ash, and she had lost all will to live. Even so, she did not give in to despair. She chose to remain and stand guard on the Lingtian Plateau, fighting for the Heaven Azure Empire. This was because she still bore the responsibility of protecting the Holy Maiden.

Learning that the Holy Maiden she had sworn to protect had suffered such a fate in the Lower Realm, her Dao Heart was nearly thrown into chaos. She secretly vowed to tear the scoundrel from the Lower Realm into ten thousand pieces. Now, upon hearing Hong Shizhang's words, the murderous intent in her eyes could no longer be contained.

However, when her gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Luo Xiu, she froze, as if turned to stone.

Very few people recognized the Azure Emperor's face. But as the Azure Emperor's loyal retainer who had always accompanied him, Luo Qianye had, of course, seen his visage. Even after so many years, that longed-for face remained as clear as day in her mind.

***

Outside the crowd, Luo Xiu observed Luo Qianye, his brow furrowed slightly. He realized that this woman was actually a Red Emperor, who would undoubtedly be somewhat troublesome to deal with. To handle a Red Emperor, he would inevitably have to use his cultivation, but after the battle with the Evil Ancient God, his body had already reached its limit.

At that moment, Hong Shizhang and his disciple, Zhu Yu, wore smirks on their faces, both looking at Luo Xiu with a schadenfreude gleam in their eyes.

Amidst the silence, Hong Shizhang suddenly spoke. "Lower Realm Mortal, you are in the presence of Emperor Qianye! Why haven't you kneeled to pay your respects?!"

Remembering the humiliation he had suffered in the Golden Roc Nest, Zhu Yu let out a cold sneer, already imagining Luo Xiu's miserable end. This Lower Realm Mortal might have some skill and top-notch talent, but in front of Emperor Qianye, calling him an ant would be a compliment.

With this thought, Zhu Yu turned to Luo Qianye and said respectfully, "Emperor Qianye, this is the Lower Realm…"

However, he trailed off mid-sentence and froze. He had noticed that Luo Qianye was already in tears. She bit her lower lip as she sobbed softly, her delicate body trembling uncontrollably.

He couldn't understand why someone like Emperor Qianye would cry. Was it out of sorrow for Luo Qingxian's ordeal?

As the master and disciple speculated, Luo Qianye suddenly dropped to one knee.

"Qianye… pays her respects to Your Majesty, the Azure Emperor!"

As she spoke, the entire area fell into a dead silence. Everyone's eyes widened as they slowly turned to look at Luo Xiu.

Hong Shizhang and Zhu Yu were particularly rigid, their bodies trembling involuntarily.

"Your Majesty… the Azure Emperor?"

"This is actually…"

For a moment, the master and disciple felt as if they had been struck by lightning. Their minds went blank, and all that remained was regret. They dared not imagine that the person they had provoked was that man, invincible in his time.

Zhu Yu's expression was on the verge of tears as he turned to look at Hong Shizhang. "Master, what do we do now?"

Hong Shizhang was silent.

Luo Xiu paid no attention to everyone's reactions, as if he were already accustomed to it. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes as he carefully scrutinized Luo Qianye. This woman is probably an old acquaintance from the past.

***

A moment later, under an ancient tree far from the crowd, Luo Qianye clung tightly to Luo Xiu's waist, refusing to let go like a clingy cat. Compared to the cold and noble Emperor Qianye from before, she was like a completely different person. Luo Xiu was rendered somewhat speechless.

"Your Majesty, Qianye knew you were still alive!"

Luo Xiu scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, but I really can't remember anything about the past."

Luo Qianye looked up and flashed him a lovely smile. "It's alright, Your Majesty. As long as Qianye remembers, that's enough. Whatever you want to know, Qianye will tell you."

Luo Xiu met her gaze and was momentarily stunned. The sudden transformation from a cold empress into this cute girl was truly hard to handle. Through his observations, he had also confirmed that Luo Qianye, just like Luo Ying, had a Companion Green Lotus as her true form.

Luo Xiu changed the subject. "What are all of you doing gathered here?"

Luo Qianye released him and sighed helplessly. "I heard that the spatial rift connecting to the Lower Realm was forcefully erased by the Pink Emperor. Therefore, to return to the Upper Realm, we must use the Ten Thousand Spirits Formation to contact Emperor Hao and ask him to forcefully create a new passage."

She added, "The Ten Thousand Spirits Formation outside the Spirit Tomb was jointly laid out by Emperor Hao and Emperor Xian. It's a method to harvest opportunities from the Lower Realm. After all, the Five Divine Sword Arrays inside are a grand opportunity that is hard to come by even in ten thousand generations."

"By the way, Your Majesty, do you remember Emperor Hao and Emperor Xian?"

Luo Xiu smiled. "I don't, but I know they're my older brother and sister."

Hearing this, Luo Qianye's face lit up with a happy smile. "Then, Your Majesty, please come home with me so you can be reunited with your family."

Luo Xiu, however, shook his head. "I still have things to do in the Lower Realm, so I probably won't be returning for a while. But I will as soon as I can."

"Is that so? Then Qianye will accompany you. From now on, wherever you go, I will follow." As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something. "Right, Your Majesty, I heard from Hong Shizhang and Zhu Yu that you met Her Highness the Holy Maiden at the Golden Roc Nest?"

Luo Xiu smiled. "Is she related to me in some way?"

Luo Qianye said, "She is the Holy Maiden you personally appointed. Before she was even born, you recognized her bloodline and talent and planned to cultivate her personally."

"So, where is she now?" Luo Xiu asked.

When he had previously scanned the Shanhai Territory with his Divine Sense, he hadn't detected Luo Qingxian. Now that she was brought up, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Luo Qianye replied, "She should have returned to the Upper Realm by now. Her Plateau bloodline allows her to ignore spatial dimensions and establish a direct connection with the Sacred Tree on the Lingtian Plateau." She continued, "The roots of the Sacred Tree can traverse the Void, so it could bring her back."

Luo Xiu nodded. "That's good." Then he added, "Speaking of her, back at the Golden Roc Nest, she seemed to have been drugged with some sort of Spring Poison by Hong Shizhang. It was lucky she ran into me. Otherwise, those two would certainly have harmed her."

Hearing this, Luo Qianye's gaze grew cold. "That Hong Shizhang is a famous alchemist in the Upper Realm."

After speaking, she slowly turned her head toward the valley, her eyes revealing an extreme killing intent. In an instant, the very air around her seemed to freeze. Luo Xiu was startled by her change. One moment she was as docile as a cat, and the next she was more terrifying than a rakshasa.

Just then, the sky above the valley erupted in a brilliant light, and a huge Light Array materialized. A tree root, writhing like a giant python, emerged from the Void. It effortlessly penetrated the Light Array and rapidly extended toward the ground.

Seeing this, Luo Qianye's murderous intent subsided slightly. She said to Luo Xiu, "Emperor Hao has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu froze. The thought that he would soon meet the family he had been searching for made him suddenly nervous, but he was filled with even more anticipation.

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