He Lan Tianxia

The deafening explosion from the ice-carved ancient cave shattered the last vestige of hope in the white-haired woman's heart. She realized then that the woman in her hands was her nemesis; a mere man had destroyed her millennia-old empire for her sake. What chilled her to the bone even more was that this man had used an ancient technique she couldn't even comprehend to break through the ancient primordial realm that led to her absolute dominance. As the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold; today, she would sacrifice a pawn to save the king.

The white-haired woman took out the glass lock again to examine it. Something was wrong. If this man wasn't someone related to that old man, how could he know the Lazy Man's Manual? Although he resembled the King of Qi, he wasn't him. At least the King of Qi knew her, despite the many confusing misunderstandings and unexpected events of the past. Even after ten thousand years, she still clearly remembered the King of Qi's awe-inspiring image of single-handedly fighting ten enemy generals while guarding the border. That god-like figure had once dominated the entire Qi kingdom. If he hadn't been betrayed, if that old man hadn't embezzled grain and been sealed off by the King of Qi in the nameless cave in the snowy region, the King of Qi wouldn't have fallen into the trap, and the Queen of Qi wouldn't have stepped forward to block the poisoned arrow. But in the end, the couple still died on the battlefield, weeping bitterly.

After the King and Queen Qi left, the white-haired woman also retired from the martial world. However, she was unwilling to accept her fate and pursued the truth all the way to the snowy region, finally finding the nameless ancient cave. But when she wanted to tell the old man the truth about the embezzlement of grain and clear his name, the old man, in his youthful impetuosity, threw her a pill and then leaped into a bottomless abyss to save a gorilla, disappearing without a trace. Good heavens, she was actually inferior to a gorilla? Just because this gorilla was the King of Qi's personal pet?

Later, she encountered this gorilla in the snowy region. Whether it was the one the old man had saved is unknown, but the gorilla knew martial arts when they met. So, whenever the white-haired woman was unhappy, she would take it out on the gorilla. Strangely, the gorilla always fought with her, never leaving her side, while the old man never appeared again. This waiting, with no sign of him alive or dead, turned her hair white with the constant cycle of hope and despair. Hope, despair, torment, pain, and depression made her temper grow increasingly gloomy and violent. Was this truly torture, the torture of living? But she was willing, because deep down she believed the old man was still alive, especially after seeing the glass lock again, which confirmed her guess—but ten thousand years had passed.

She gave a bitter laugh, then suddenly slammed her palm down hard, striking the ice with a sharp "smack," the pain sending chills down her spine. "Smack smack smack smack!" Without further hesitation, she unleashed a series of devastating frost palm strikes, mercilessly freezing the woman in place. Then, she turned and staggered out of the cave, heading into the vast, snowy depths…

After the black smoke cleared, two holes appeared in the ice sculpture cave. Walking in, one found a winding ice path. On both sides of the ice path, there was even a set of martial arts diagrams. Upon closer inspection, the dancers looked eight or nine parts like Murong Junlan.

"Your Highness, this seems to be your cave?" Luo Xie said bluntly, which was true, but it sounded rather awkward. When Murong Junlan, who was walking in front, swung his hand back and pushed out a palm, he realized that he might have said the wrong thing, and immediately laughed noncommittally.

“Brother Prince, the person in the ice sculpture looks a lot like you.” Xiong Bao noticed it too.

"Really? I don't think so." Murong Junlan replied emotionlessly. As she spoke, she had already walked the path carved with ice sculptures, but finding nothing, she turned back to search the other side. On the other side was a sculpture of a woman of outstanding talent and beauty, who looked exactly like Yan'er, but the beauty in the ice sculpture had more charm and wisdom.

"Brother, look, she looks just like sister!" Xiong Bao shouted excitedly again.

"Looks like this is your cave." Luo Xie's mouth became sarcastic again. Then he quickly jumped back, bracing himself for a beating.

Murong Junlan seemed not to hear, grabbing Xiong Bao by the arm and instructing, "Hurry and find out where that witch hid your sister!" Seeing the statue in the ice, Murong Junlan showed no reaction, but his heart felt a jolt, an indescribable feeling. He thought to himself: Did this woman know them before? How come she carved me and Yan'er here without him feeling anything? Seeing that the sculpture was perfectly preserved, it seemed the white-haired woman didn't hate them as much as she did in reality. Oh well, she's an unfathomable woman; she can't be analyzed using common sense.

After traversing the two narrow, winding ice paths, Murong Junlan didn't find Yan'er, but he did memorize the two sets of martial arts techniques carved within. One was similar to his "Silver Circle Illusion," and the other had a striking resemblance. Upon closer reflection, it really did resemble the moves of the newly discovered "Silver Circle Dream Shadow." It seemed this woman not only knew him and Yan'er intimately but had also deeply studied their martial arts. It was a pity her resentment ran so deep; otherwise, the white-haired woman would have been a very good mentor.

"Your Highness, these carvings look like two sets of martial arts?" Luo Xie was also a martial artist, so he could naturally see some of the patterns.

“Brother, I think so too, but the carvings are all of moves.” At this moment, Luo Rina seemed to have suddenly realized something.

"Is that so?" Murong Junlan said indifferently, then turned to Xiao Bing and continued searching for Yan'er. In fact, he knew best that the carvings depicted martial arts moves; he remembered that when he sparred with the white-haired woman, she used the same style of attacks. After circling around several times without finding Yan'er, Luo Xie couldn't help but speak up, seeing Murong Junlan's anxious expression.

"Your Highness, if you search like a headless fly, when will you ever find the person?"

Yes, it's a mess, my head is a bit of a mess. Murong Junlan only then realized that whenever it came to Yan'er, he would become agitated and unable to calm down, which was a major taboo. So, he sat down on the ground and began to concentrate and circulate his energy.

"Ding-dong..." The sound of spring water? Where did the sound of spring water come from in this icy wasteland? Could there be a hidden room? Murong Junlan remembered; the white-haired woman had hidden Yan'er in a hidden room last time. Yes, it was a restriction, an ancient restriction. Murong Junlan waved his hand, breaking the restriction in front of him, revealing a hidden room on the ice wall. Murong Junlan looked up, and his heart ached as if pierced by a sharp knife. He saw Yan'er, still unconscious, frozen in place by the white-haired woman's annihilating cold palm, her head drooping limply to one side. Luo Xie and the others also felt a pang of sorrow.

Enraged, Murong Junlan slammed his palms out with a resounding "thud," shattering the ice wall in front of him and sending ice shards scattering all around. Murong Junlan rushed forward, afraid to use his full strength for fear of hurting his Yan'er. He could only use his internal energy to break the ice by touching it with his hands. He didn't even notice that the ice had already pierced his hands, leaving them covered in cuts and wounds; the blood dripping into the pure ice was so vivid and striking.

"Yan'er!" Murong Junlan held the cold body that had fallen, two tears suddenly sliding down his cheeks. This seven-foot-tall man, who had single-handedly stormed an army of 100,000 without ever flinching, now had trembling hands. He pulled a pill from his pocket and stuffed it into Yan'er's mouth, then cried out in anguish, "Yan'er, wake up, wake up!" He quickly took off his coat and draped it over Yan'er, then scooped her up and carried her out of the Little Ice Curve.

"Your Highness, it's freezing cold here. Why don't we go to Wubei Kingdom first to heal our injuries?" Luo Xie glanced at Murong Junlan and suggested in a low voice.

"Return to the capital, Yan!" Murong Junlan stared intently ahead, his face grim.

Emerging from the ancient cave of destruction, Luo Xie whistled, and several sled dogs galloped up carrying sleds. The group boarded the sleds and sped away from the snowy region. Upon arriving in the Wubei Kingdom, Murong Junlan had two Red Hare horses retrieved, and after settling Yan'er in the wedding carriage Luo Xie had provided, he returned to the Du Yan Kingdom. Concerned about Yan'er's injuries, Luo Xie and the others requested to accompany him to the Du Yan Kingdom, and Murong Junlan, after careful consideration, agreed.

Having received the intelligence, Jiang He had already cleared and sealed off Yan Garden. As soon as Murong Junlan arrived, the imperial physicians lined up and busied themselves with their tasks. Several hours passed, but Yan'er remained unconscious, and they were at a loss. The physicians were all drenched in sweat, their legs trembling.

"Report! The Emperor and Empress Dowager have arrived!" A guard rushed in to report.

"I won't see you." Murong Junlan was truly angry this time.

"My dear grandson, you've worried me to death!" Which guard would dare to stop the Emperor and Empress Dowager? Do they have a death wish?

"Lan'er greets Father Emperor and Grandmother Emperor." Murong Junlan bowed to the two of them.

"Oh dear, you've lost weight, you've really lost weight." The Empress Dowager reached out to touch Murong Junlan's face with heartache.

"Grandmother, Lan'er isn't just thin, she almost didn't get to see you again." Murong Junlan still felt a lingering fear when she thought of the Jurassic Ancient Realm.

"That witch..." The Empress Dowager tried to rush in, but Murong Junlan stopped her.

"Grandmother, if you and Father insist on forcing me, then I will have no choice but to run away from home." Murong Junlan poured out all the resentment in her heart.

"Alright, alright, Grandmother will not force you anymore."

"Lan'er has important matters to attend to, so please return, Grandmother and Father." Murong Junlan directly dismissed them, which displeased the Grandmother.

"Fine, I'll come another day." The Empress Dowager huffed and puffed as she left with the Emperor. Back in the palace, she complained to the Emperor, "Look at your precious son! He's rebelled over a vixen! Rebellious!" The Emperor quickly comforted him before he calmed down. Now, the Emperor was worried about something else: he had seen that the Xiongnu chieftain Luo Xie and his sister from the enemy state had returned with his son, and this seemed to be more than just a simple matter.

After settling Luo Xie and the others in, Murong Junlan washed up and sat down by Yan'er's bedside. Seeing her delicate and innocent face, he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her. He took Yan'er's fair hand and murmured to himself, "Yan'er, when will you wake up? I know you like watching me whip turtles for you, and I'm willing to whip turtles for you for the rest of my life. I promise you, I'm willing to be your turtle for the rest of my life..." As he spoke, Murong Junlan fell asleep by the bedside. He had indeed been exhausted during his time in the snowy region.

Unbeknownst to Murong Junlan, two figures appeared on the rooftop that night. One was a white-haired woman, who, despite her severe injuries, was still worried that her only lead had been lost; the other was a long-absent eagle, its talons squeaking as it clawed at its prey. Besides being furious that Murong Junlan's flute playing that day had crippled Lingyi's millennia-old human-transformation abilities, it was also furious that this fellow could never protect its mistress and had caused so much trouble.

At dawn the next day, a hidden arrow with a small red silk cloth attached shot into the window with a "whoosh." Murong Junlan was startled awake, picked it up, unfolded it, and saw a line of words written on the red silk cloth: "Deep in the yellow sand lies a spiritual spring."

Since Jiang He was guarding outside, and the guards were layered upon each other, yet the newcomer could still come and go freely, it was clear that their martial arts skills were extraordinary. A spiritual spring deep in the yellow sand? Murong Junlan remembered; he had fallen into the desert three times before, and had encountered an eagle that had led him to a spiritual spring. The red silk must be referring to this spring. However, Murong Junlan quickly faced a dilemma: how to find it, and who would go to find it? Taking Yan'er along would be too much for her body; leaving her behind in Yan Garden was unsafe. What to do?

Suddenly, Murong Junlan thought of someone: Luo Rina. He had met Luo Rina not far from the Spirit Spring that day, and besides, Luo Rina should be familiar with the desert, so she should be the most suitable person to go. But then he hesitated. Even a fool could see Luo Rina's feelings for him; she had confessed to him last time, but he had pretended not to notice. Why would she save Yan'er? Perhaps she even hoped Yan'er wouldn't wake up. Although one shouldn't judge a gentleman by his own petty standards, a life was at stake, and caution was paramount. Since Luo Rina wouldn't go, only Jiang He remained. Although Jiang He had never been to the desert, he had experienced falling into an abyss. Murong Junlan called out to the window:

"Jiang He, come in."

"My lord, what are your orders?"

Murong Junlan showed the red silk to Jiang He and explained her plan.

“Your Highness, I may not be able to complete this task. Even if I find it, it will take a lot of time, which may delay the Princess’s treatment,” Jiang He expressed his concerns.

Yes, Jiang He is not familiar with the desert. If he falls into that ancient cave in Wubei Kingdom, he will be easy to find. But if he falls into another area instead of the desert, then all his efforts will be in vain.

"What if you go with Luo Rina?" Murong Junlan couldn't think of a better solution.

"If Princess Rina is willing, this humble servant will follow Your Highness's arrangements." Jiang He went out to find Rina. To Murong Junlan's surprise, Rina agreed, so the two of them set off to find the spiritual spring water after lunch.

Luo Xie usually seemed to speak erratically, but lately he hadn't dared to act rashly. He spent every day at Yan Garden with Murong Junlan, trying to come up with a solution and find an antidote. Ten days passed, and Luo Rina and Jiang He still hadn't returned. The imperial physicians were at a loss, and everyone was anxiously waiting.

"Your Highness, waiting like this is not a long-term solution," Luo Xie said, somewhat worried.

"What do you suggest we do?" Murong Junlan knew perfectly well what solutions he had.

"I have heard that in our Wubei Kingdom there is an ancient Overlord Wall, on which grows an ancient Overlord Flower. It blooms a purple flower every thousand years and a black flower every ten thousand years. Historical records say that the black Overlord Flower can cure all poisons, but I have never seen it. Historical records also say that only those with the right destiny can find this flower."

"I'm willing to give it a try." Upon hearing this, Murong Junlan looked overjoyed, making Luo Xie think that Murong Junlan had gone crazy. He had just said it casually, and besides, he had never even seen this overlord wall before. Murong Junlan ordered the guards to prepare the carriage and said they would depart immediately. Luo Xie was so frightened that he opened his mouth wide, not knowing what to do, and even slapped himself several times, blaming himself for his loose tongue.