After being exiled for eighteen years, the prince returned to the capital as a veritable immortal.

The setting sun casts its glow.

The sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, as red as blood.

In the imperial palace with its red bricks and green tiles, the halls, pavilions, towers, and towers are all draped in a layer of golden gauze.

In front of Jinhua Hall.

Si Xuan and Hu Die stood side by side, gazing at the Longhua Gate ahead, their eyes filled with amazement.

In Si Xuan's eyes.

The three large characters "Longhua Gate" are ancient and powerful, radiating the supreme majesty of the imperial family.

It was as if everything in the world was only worthy of worshipping it.

In Hu Die's eyes.

The pines and cypresses are verdant, the ponds and pavilions are graceful, and the Longhua Gate is magnificent... all blending into the red glow of the sunset.

Harmony, nature, everything in the world is condensed here.

but……

Hu Die vaguely felt that something was wrong.

The design is ingenious, the scenery is stunning, it's perfect from every angle.

What's wrong?

Hu Die's brain was working frantically.

I remember I came to the palace for a very important matter, so why am I here admiring the scenery?

correct.

"Where is your highness?"

She was standing here, clearly waiting for His Highness.

But where is His Highness?

Hu Die looked again and saw that His Highness was standing in front of the Dragon Gate, right in the center of her field of vision.

the strange thing is.

She only had eyes for the scenery, completely ignoring the prince's presence.

It was as if he were merely a blade of grass, a brick, within this grand landscape…

at the same time.

Si Xuan also sensed that something was wrong.

"Where is His Highness?" Hu Die's surprised exclamation made her realize the problem.

Longhua Gate is magnificent and awe-inspiring.

But where did His Highness go?

He was right in front of me before.

Uh... no, Your Highness is right in front of me right now.

Si Xuan's mind was filled with doubts.

Why was it that just now, his eyes were only on Longhua Gate?

His Highness, who was right in front of him, was being completely ignored?

"In harmony with heaven and earth."

The sound of Hu Die talking to herself sent a jolt through Si Xuan's heart.

Humans are integrated with heaven and earth.

This is……

"Harmony between man and nature?!"

As cultivators advance in their cultivation level, their understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth deepens, and their every move aligns with the natural order of the universe.

He is part of nature, and people will ignore his existence.

just like.

When you enter the forest, you won't notice a single leaf.

When you step into the desert, you won't notice a single grain of sand.

Because forests and deserts are the scenery you see.

"Is the unity of man and nature that powerful?" Hu Die asked nonchalantly.

"???" Si Xuan's mind was full of question marks.

I am a mere fifth-grade Golden Core cultivator, above me are sixth-grade Cave Masters and seven-grade Nascent Soul Grandmasters, a rare find in the world.

After these three major realms, one can reach the Celestial Realm.

You ask me, is the unity of man and nature powerful?

……

In front of Longhua Gate.

Zhou Yi stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the road, a faint smile on his face.

He never expected it.

It turns out that evil spirits are lurking in this imperial palace.

twenty years ago.

Could it be that the Martial Emperor has just broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm?

By chance, I witnessed the evil?

This explains why, apart from him, the numerous eunuchs and guards saw nothing.

Of course, there is another possibility.

These sins might actually be related to Empress Wu?

if not.

As a Grandmaster, how could the Martial Emperor allow such a monster to roam freely in the palace in broad daylight?

……

This monstrous creature is coming right at us.

He was focused on getting somewhere, his eyes fixed straight ahead, looking rather dazed.

Judging from his appearance, he certainly doesn't seem to have any intelligence.

His body floated and swayed, and his feet often did not touch the ground.

Walking with both feet on the ground seemed to be merely a conscious action for him.

Sudden——

He passed through a cedar tree without causing the branches and leaves to tremble.

Then, it crashed headfirst into the Taihu rockery and passed right through it.

He walked faster and faster.

Passing through one, then another...

Ok?

The pitch-black spirit was bounced back as it passed through a scene and fell onto the bluestone ground.

As he fell, his body trembled violently.

It seems that he was startled.

He rolled over and stood up, his eyes burning with flames.

"Ho-"

The gaping, black mouth opened wide, making the head appear twice as large.

Then, He lunged at Zhou Yi and punched him in the face.

Zhou Yi remained still and did not use any martial arts techniques.

Just let them attack.

Nie's fist passed through Zhou Yi's head and hit nothing.

The figure rushing towards them couldn't stop and passed right through Zhou Yi's body.

Just now, Zhou Yi used his protective technique to send Him flying back.

At this moment, he put away his martial arts techniques and dealt with the situation as an ordinary person.

He decided to take this opportunity to study the monster carefully.

Nie is a kind of spirit, essentially similar to a wisp of smoke.

Therefore, He cannot launch physical attacks against people, but can only launch mental attacks.

A cultivator's nascent soul can launch various attacks because it can use the host's spells.

The creature in front of them missed its first attack and then turned around to pounce again.

He kicked out and slammed his foot into Zhou Yi's lower abdomen.

At the same time, he let out a loud "Ha!"

Of course, only Zhou Yi could hear this "sound".

Even if Hu Die and Si Xuan stood right in front of them, they couldn't hear a thing.

No surprise.

The kick passed through Zhou Yi's body again, without causing any harm.

After two unsuccessful attacks, He became even more agitated.

They surrounded Zhou Yi, punching and kicking him.

They even open their mouths wide and bite fiercely.

The ineffective attack continued for a moment, and the anger in Nie's eyes gradually turned into terror.

He seemed to finally "realize" that he was no match for Zhou Yi.

He turned around and ran away.

Zhou Yi raised his fair hand, and the monster was instantly frozen in place.

The flames in his eyes shrank to tiny, flickering flames, and his body trembled.

Zhou Yi smiled.

As suspected, this monster has no intelligence and acts solely on instinct.

The evil I encountered twice before both times launched mental attacks on people.

But this one doesn't; it just kicks and punches randomly out of instinct.

This suggests that His ability to launch mental attacks was intentionally bestowed upon him by someone.

Zhou Yi separated a wisp of his consciousness and probed into the monster's brain.

Suddenly, he sensed another vague idea.

As long as his will is strong enough, he can replace that will and control this spiritual body.

In addition, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible thought hidden within the spirit.

Perhaps its function is to trigger a spirit to launch a mental attack only when it encounters a specific person?

Or perhaps it has other uses.

Since it was impossible to determine the situation at the moment, Zhou Yi did not disturb it.

……

After concealing his thoughts within his spirit body, Zhou Yi released control over the fiend.

Once free to move, the monster drifted away in the same direction it had gone before.

With a smile playing on his lips, Zhou Yi followed behind.

He wanted to see where this scoundrel was headed for in the palace.

Seeing Zhou Yi approaching, Hu Die and Si Xuan quickly followed.

???

The two were completely baffled.

His Highness has changed his route.

"Your Highness, this is the way to the Imperial Study."

Hu Die reminded her.

They saw that Zhou Yi kept his eyes fixed on a spot three zhang in front of him and kept changing his direction of travel.

It seems to be tracking something.

Thinking back to what Zhou Yi had just done, his strange, animated movements...

Hu Die seemed to be thinking about something, and asked in a low, guessing voice:

"Your Highness, is there... a sin?"

孽？

Si Xuan immediately perked up, focused his mind, and probed forward.

Sure enough, there was a distinct energy fluctuation three zhang away.

Zhou Yi nodded, his smile widening.

What purpose does this wicked creature have in going to the Imperial Study?

Are they going to kill the Martial Emperor?

Or was it a trick played by the Empress Wu?