This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 238 Starry Sky and Auspicious Clouds Bronze Palace

On the other side, Xiao Xingchen was laid out on a bed like a lifeless doll, his shirt torn off as if it had been roughly ripped off, revealing the ghostly black auspicious cloud on his chest.

Xizhu's gaze was drawn to the black auspicious cloud as if by a magnet, as if she wanted to see the secret hidden behind it.

Dan Liangxin had doubts, but when he saw Xizhu's solemn gaze, he seemed frozen in place, not daring to ask any questions. This auspicious cloud, like a mysterious enigma, made his thoughts drift involuntarily to the folk tales circulating among the people.

Before long, Consort Xian entered alone, like a noble phoenix.

As for Huangfu Lingxue and Ruoxue, they were already busily arranging the aftermath, like diligent bees. Many people were shocked by the news of the attack on the Prince Kaoshan's mansion, which meant that there was a great deal of work for them to handle.

"I saw this black auspicious cloud once during a sacrificial ceremony at the ancestral temple. What exactly is it?"

The Empress's voice, like a grand and resounding bell, echoed in the air.

Having held a high position for many years, she never showed the slightest fear, even when facing someone as formidable as Xizhu.

She sat directly on the edge of the bed, her eyes sharp as a hawk's, and asked intently.

"The auspicious clouds over Houtu represent the one underground." Xizhu's sigh was like a cold autumn wind, sending a chill down one's spine. He shook his head, as if trying to shake off all his endless troubles.

"Houtu?" Both Consort Xian and Shan Liang were taken aback. Shan Liang's face turned as white as a sheet, and he was so terrified that he couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Then...then wouldn't that mean..."

"You know this?" Xizhu turned his head and asked, his gaze like two bolts of lightning, shooting straight at Shan Liang.

"I have heard that this is a folk tale, that the Goddess Houtu would periodically select offerings from the human world, and these offerings would be branded with Houtu's unique mark, which is that mysterious black auspicious cloud. However, does the Goddess Houtu really exist?"

Dan Liang looked on with suspicion and disbelief, while Xi Zhu nodded slightly.

"Heaven and Earth are divided into two parts: Heaven governs the sky and Earth governs the land. All things in the world are governed by Heaven and Earth, which is why this auspicious cloud pattern is quite troublesome and I find it difficult to remove."

"Then who can remove them? I firmly believe that as long as the price is reasonable, these many auspicious clouds can be eliminated, right?"

Consort Xian spoke slowly, and immediately understood. It turned out that the ancestral temple was dedicated to Houtu, but to the outside world it was called the Nine Heavens. In this light, Emperor Wu seemed to have a mysterious connection with the Goddess Houtu.

"Are you Consort Xian?"

Xi Zhu exclaimed in surprise and asked directly,

"Indeed, this matter arose because of me, and I should bear these calamities for him."

Before answering your question, may I ask why Emperor Wu wanted to arrest you?

"Young lady, I have doubts about you,"

The Consort Xian answered quite decisively, clearly having no intention of dwelling on the matter further.

“I can understand. However, I smelled a nauseating odor outside the Imperial Palace. If it’s because of that, I can understand why Emperor Wu insisted on bringing you back.”

Xi Zhu's lips curled into a mysterious smile. She said nothing more, continuing to gaze at the auspicious clouds.

"The appearance of this auspicious cloud on Xiao Xingchen's chest really puzzled me. All the offerings of Houtu are outstanding people in the world, either with a distinguished background or peerless geniuses. But these qualities don't match Xiao Xingchen at all. I'm really curious about what qualities he has that Houtu has chosen. Only by knowing these things can we find a substitute."

"This child is extraordinary."

Consort Xian suddenly spoke.

"I know he is extraordinary, but what exactly makes him so?"

"I don't know either, but who could receive Murong Fenghua's protection..." Xizhu's delicate brows furrowed; these words were as if she had said nothing at all.

"Then there's nothing we can do. Let's discuss it again after he wakes up. This auspicious cloud will slowly spread over his body over time, and he is not in any immediate danger."

"When will you wake up?" Consort Xian's question displeased Xizhu. She had come to do good deeds, but Consort Xian's attitude made her quite uncomfortable.

"I don't know, perhaps he'll wake up after a few days of unconsciousness,"

After speaking, Xizhu got up and left. Shan Liang looked embarrassed, gave Consort Xian a forced smile, and then quickly followed her out. Only after Xizhu had gone far away did Consort Xian's gaze fall back on Xiao Xingchen. She took out a porcelain bottle from her chest, carefully opened it, and a pill fell out of the bottle like a shooting star.

"Murong Fenghua truly has deep feelings for you, even saving such elixirs for you. She only hopes that you will not disappoint her high expectations in the future."

After swallowing the pill, Consort Xian felt a sense of relief. However, in an instant, her face turned gloomy again, her gaze sharp and fixed on the distance.

"Are you still not going to let me go?"

Recalling the scene she witnessed, she couldn't help but feel disheartened. The affection between husband and wife over many years had crumbled because of such a trivial matter. The heart of an emperor was indeed as cold as iron, impossible to warm.

Gazing at Xiao Xingchen once more, she sped away like a bird. In that instant, Ruoxue, as if telepathically connected, stared intently at the graceful figure disappearing into the clouds, unable to recover for a long time.

"This virtuous concubine must have witnessed something she shouldn't have seen, yet she remained stubbornly defiant, choosing the most foolish option." Xizhu didn't leave; Xiaoxingchen's safety depended on her schemes, and the appearance of the auspicious clouds around Houtu made her uneasy.

“Everyone believes they can handle everything on their own, especially someone like Consort Xian who holds a high position. She only has faith in herself and finds it very difficult to gain the approval of others.”

"That's absolutely right, but should I really just stand by and watch?"

Xi Zhu turned her gaze to Shan Liang, which elicited a bitter smile from him. He knew this woman was no kind person, and he slightly bowed.

"Understood. With me here, she will be safe."

Dan Liang shot into the sky like an arrow released from a bow, closely following the figure of the Virtuous Consort as they disappeared into the clouds.

"That should be enough, right? A sixth-realm swordsman is more than enough to protect you."

Xi Zhu smiled slightly, revealing an enigmatic smile. As for Xiao Xingchen, as she said, his life was indeed safe in the short term.

While still unconscious, Xiao Xingchen saw the stars in those eyes once more, but this time it was vastly different. He stood alone atop the star, before him a colossal auspicious cloud blooming in the endless starry sky. This black cloud slowly revolved around the star, its movement suggesting it would devour the entire star.

"What is this?" His face was as solemn as a dark cloud. Although he had destroyed the shadow by releasing the power of the sacrifice, the result was not satisfactory.

He felt as if he had unleashed an even more terrifying presence, which made him intensely curious about his own body.

So far, all sorts of strange things have happened to me.

Two of the three incense sticks on his head had already gone out, as if they had been mercilessly blown out by the god of fate.

That wedding dress seemed more like a curse from some powerful figure, tightly binding him.

The power within him was as tangled and complex as a tangled mess. Daji had once told him to specialize in the path of swordsmanship, but now he was proficient in everything yet mediocre in everything.

The power of the sacrifice had warned repeatedly not to be used lightly, but now, it had been used only once and produced a black auspicious cloud.

This black thing, at first glance, looks like a demon from hell, exuding a chilling aura.

What intrigued him most was this mysterious and unpredictable star.

The fact that there was a star inside his body was simply unbelievable! Adhering to the principle of "what's the use of trying," he decided to go all out and at least find out what kind of person could fit a star into his body.

Moreover, the area surrounding this star was truly the endless depths of space, the profound darkness like a giant net, tightly enveloping the sphere floating in the void. Even a single glance was enough to send chills down one's spine, as if falling into an ice cellar.

He walked slowly across the star, observing it from such close range for the first time. Beneath his feet was not solid earth, but a tangible ground formed from condensed energy, like a dreamlike illusion. After stomping his feet a few times, a look of confusion appeared on his face.

Emperor Wu had repeatedly mentioned the phrase "dawn stars." On the surface, the meaning of these four characters is simple and easy to understand. However, he could not say what kind of mystery was hidden behind them.

Recalling the first time Emperor Wu ruthlessly killed him, it was because of these four words: "dawn." Isn't that what dawn means?

He couldn't help but doubt his own judgment. "Po" means to destroy, but what does "Xiao" symbolize?

Just as he was puzzled, a palace suddenly appeared in his sight, which made him shudder. How could there be a palace standing in such a place?

He strode forward, but as he moved, the black auspicious clouds outside the starry sky began to stir. He was completely unaware of this, and of course, even if he had seen it, he would have been powerless to change anything. In the face of the vast starry sky, he was as insignificant as an ant.

As he got closer, he realized that what he saw was not just a palace, but palace ruins. Hundreds of palaces seemed to have been ruthlessly crushed by some powerful force from the sky, creating the ruins he saw today.

Moreover, he noticed the building materials of these palaces; the bronze patina on them seemed to indicate that all the palaces here were bronze palaces.

He dared not be negligent in the slightest and slowly stepped into the ruins. There were many broken bronze objects scattered here, all of them fragmented. On the broken marks, there were still faint traces of blood, which undoubtedly indicated that there had been human activity here.

He also caught a glimpse of a massive bronze beast, its head severed, with only half of its body lying askew to one side.

There were also scattered swords and knives, broken like withered flowers, lying all over the ground.

Surprisingly, not a single skeleton was found. Could it be that no one has ever died here?

Absolutely impossible! Such a massive palace complex clearly shows signs of human activity; how could it have suffered no casualties after such a sudden calamity?

But why is there not even a single skeleton in sight?

His brows furrowed deeply, as if they could trap a fly. He had a strong premonition that if he could uncover the secrets of this place, he would be able to figure out why he had traveled through time and why he had ended up in this predicament.

His fate seemed to have been meticulously arranged, and these ruins were probably his final resting place, like the ultimate level in a game.

All the hardships he endured were his experience points, and this was the final instance.

However, due to a series of unforeseen circumstances, he stepped into this mysterious place ahead of schedule.

However, he was completely baffled, as there were no historical records about this bronze civilization in either his past or present life.

The Bronze Age civilization is at most a legend from the Shang Dynasty. The Shang Dynasty? Daji? A sudden thought flashed through his mind: Could all of this be related to the Shang Dynasty?