Chapter 193 Xuanfeng Returns to the Palace

Xuanfeng stared at the dandelion in front of him with a puzzled look, then put the dandelion back to his ear and listened carefully to every detail.

All that could be heard was Su Yuyao's aggrieved voice, broken and intermittent, "Xuanfeng... come back... Cleaner... Cleaner... kill me..." Then came the whooshing of the wind, followed by a gurgling sound, and then Su Yuyao's broken voice again, sounding somewhat angry, "Miao'er... Renshen... bullying Mother..." Finally, Xuanmiao let out a childish "Ah..."

Upon hearing the mysterious voice, Xuanfeng's heart softened instantly, and his eyes involuntarily began to sting.

Xuanfeng blinked slightly to ease the soreness in his eyes. "I'll ask you one more time... Did Renshen really bully the girl?"

Dandelion hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly once more.

Xuanfeng sighed, reaching out to pluck a dandelion. He pondered, "Dandelions don't lie. Could Renshen really have bullied the girl? That shouldn't be the case! Although I don't have a good impression of the Cleaners, putting aside their murderous tendencies, Renshen is considered an upright person among them. If he really did something to the girl, given his skills, he wouldn't have let the dandelion spread the news! Besides, judging from the girl and the little one's voices, they should be safe!"

He looked up at the palace gate not far away. Instead of guessing, he decided to just go and ask directly!

...

In the womb of the female mother, the red curtains sway, the pink couch rocks, the lingering sounds are exquisite, and the panting is delicate.

With a slight tremor and a flushed face, Yi's mother leaned against Ruixin's warm embrace, calming her earlier trembling, and said softly, "Ruixin, I have neglected you these past few days."

Ruixin embraced Yi Mu's chest, gently stroking her smooth skin and kissing her fair shoulder, saying, "Your Majesty, why do you say that? Your summons to see me today is a great favor, how can it be considered negligence!"

As he spoke, Ruixin tightened his fingers slightly...

"Ah! Ruixin!" Mother Yi exclaimed uncontrollably, "How could you turn bad too?!"

Ruixin looked at Yi's mother, who was gradually becoming more accommodating, and asked softly, "Your Majesty, do you like it?"

"Mmm, I like it..." Mother Yi said, her eyes slightly closed and her breath coming in short gasps, "Ruixin... I've called you here because there's something I want to discuss with you..."

Ruixin said slowly and deliberately, "Your Majesty... whatever it is, just make the decision... this humble subject will certainly do as you say!"

The mother swayed her body and said, "My body is becoming less and less powerful than before... especially when I'm trying to transform all things, I'm finding it somewhat difficult. So I want Jinyu to help me, to use her Qi to take over the source of all things within the Wuji Dao and be responsible for the generation of all things! Do you... agree?"

Ruixin paused slightly, finally! Xianmingjun was right! If Xuanfeng and Yimu become enemies, the Wuji Dao will definitely be unstable, and the World Origin that Yimu bears with her body will also be plagued by chaos. When Yimu can no longer bear it, she will let Jinyu take over the position of Wuji Mother!

He calmed his excitement and composed himself, saying, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness in nurturing Jinyu. How could I possibly disagree?"

As she mounted her horse, Mother Yi said, “I feel sorry for Jinyu! Being the Mother of Limitless is not easy. Just the step of controlling all things with Qi is extremely difficult... I can’t bear to see Jinyu suffer, so I’m discussing this with you! If you agree, I will take Jinyu to the Mother’s Palace... and teach her carefully... It’s just a pity for Jinyu... she will have to endure more hardship…”

As Yi's mother spoke, she felt the heat rising within her. She looked at Ruixin, whose face remained normal but whose body was slightly agitated, and asked, "Ruixin, do you... agree?"

Ruixin could no longer hide his excitement. He grabbed his mother's waist and said vehemently, "How could this humble subject... possibly disagree... This humble subject thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Jinyu!"

Yi's mother slumped limply in Ruixin's arms, completely dazed...

...

On the Bagua diagram, Yi Mu sits cross-legged with her eyes closed, and the Yin and Yang energies interact and flow, forming a thick energy field that gradually envelops the five worldly sources.

The azure General Source in the east is internally unstable, showing signs of tremors; the red Monarch Source in the south is restless and abruptly halted; the white Delicate Source in the west is constantly overheating and shows signs of blockage; the black Life Source in the north has withered and is on the verge of death. Meanwhile, the yellow Granary Source, like boiling mud, is churning and bubbling, swallowing the other four World Sources…

Xuanfeng, dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and long robe, walked briskly into Yimu's bedroom under Guiyue's guidance.

He stopped beside the Bagua, raised his eyelids to peek at the reflection projected onto Yi Mu's head from under the brim of his hat, and was startled. These were the Five Origins of the Wuji Dao?! How did they become like this?!

With a calm expression, Mother Yi slowly opened her eyes, looked at Xuan Feng's cold figure, and said softly, "Child, you've finally come. It's time for us, mother and son, to have a good talk!"

Xuanfeng lowered his head slightly, concealing his cold gaze with the brim of his hat, and replied in a low voice, "Indeed, we should have a proper talk! Your Majesty, I have a question that I would like to ask you about!"

Yi's mother was puzzled by Xuanfeng's unfriendly attitude. Although Xuanfeng wasn't close to her, he had never overstepped the basic etiquette between ruler and subject. But now, he had even skipped the basic greeting! What could have made Xuanfeng, who always valued etiquette, so reckless?

"What is it that you don't understand? Tell me about it."

“Your Majesty,” Xuanfeng raised his head slightly, casting a cold gaze at Yi Mu, and questioned her directly, “Why did Ren Shen appear on the Immortal Mountain? Why was he by the maid’s side?”

Yi's mother's eyes flickered; it turned out it was because of that girl, Su Yuyao!

Although she was slightly displeased, she maintained her smile and said, "That Ren Shen! How could he be so careless as to let Su Yuyao find out?!"

"What are you doing?!" Xuanfeng was even more furious when he saw that Yi's mother had admitted it.

Mother Yi raised her eyelids to look at Xuanfeng, raised her hand to smooth the stray hairs on her forehead, and said, "I heard that Su Yuyao is taking Xuanmiao back to Chengma Peak. I am concerned about Xuanmiao, so I sent reliable people to protect her..."

"Protect them?!" Xuanfeng didn't readily believe his mother's words. Instead, he frowned and asked, "The Immortal Mountain is my territory. What are you worried about? Or did you already know that someone was plotting against the girl and the little one, so you specially sent people to protect them?"

"You're overthinking it!" Yi Mu looked at Xuan Feng with a forced smile and said as gently as possible, "Xuan Miao is your daughter, a descendant of the Heavenly Realm. As an elder, it's only right that I take good care of her! Besides, I also want to know Xuan Miao's condition at any time, which is why I sent Ren Shen over!"

Although Yi's mother's reason seemed plausible, Xuanfeng remained uneasy. If they truly wanted to find out about the little one, they wouldn't need a highly skilled and ruthless cleaner like Renshen! The fact that Renshen was needed meant there were only two possibilities: either to kill the girl and the little one, or to prevent their deaths! Could it be that the mother and child were truly in danger?!

Oh no! The Immortal Master said there's a trap in the Wuji Path, and the decree might be false! Could it be that Ze Yuan deliberately transferred me away from the Immortal Mountain to take advantage of the girl? And how did the Empress know Ze Yuan's intentions, and so coincidentally send him to Ren Shen to protect the girl and the little one? ...The little one?

Could it be... that the Mother Goddess wants to leave the mother and keep the child?!

"Your Majesty!" Xuanfeng's hawk-like eyes flashed with a cold light, and his chilling voice revealed a growing murderous intent, "Su Yuyao is my immortal wife! Xuanmiao is my flesh and blood! They are my everything. If anyone dares to have any wicked thoughts towards them, no matter who it is, I will never let them go!"

Yi's mother listened to Xuanfeng's words expressionlessly, clenching her fists. This silly boy had actually lost his rational judgment and thinking because of Su Yuyao, and he still dared to talk to me like that! Just what ability does Su Yuyao have to bewitch him like this!

Although Mother Yi was very displeased with Xuanfeng's infatuation, she still calmly said, "Xuanfeng, don't act rashly! Xuanmiao is your daughter and also my granddaughter. I would never do anything to harm her! As for Su Yuyao, you should restrain your romantic feelings for her, so as not to affect your decision!"

“Your Majesty!” Xuanfeng replied without any politeness, “Your Majesty is willing to believe that Your Majesty will not harm the maid and the child! As for the relationship between your son and the maid, Your Majesty need not worry about it!”

"Xuanfeng!" Mother Yi finally couldn't contain her anger, glaring and shouting, "Don't forget you are the Heavenly Emperor! You have to shoulder the responsibilities of a Heavenly Emperor! How can you be blinded by a little girl?!"

Xuanfeng raised his head slightly, met his mother's angry gaze, and said stubbornly, "Although I am the Heavenly Emperor, I am just an unpopular and dispensable one! It's better not to be a Heavenly Emperor like that! The Heavenly Realm doesn't need another Heavenly Emperor like me! But for the girl and the child, I am their heaven, irreplaceable!"

With her teeth clenched and her cuffs clenched, Yi's mother glared at her son, who was so affectionate that he could drive her crazy. She recalled the scene of him swinging his big buttocks all over the yard looking for Su Yuyao, and wished she could release her Qi whip and give him another good beating!

Xuanfeng knew he had greatly angered his mother, but instead of admitting his mistake, he added fuel to the fire, saying, "What's wrong with me loving Yaya?! What's wrong with Yaya being loved by me?! The mistake lies in my identity as the Heavenly Emperor!"

Mother Yi closed her eyes and focused her energy, slowly regulating her Qi and stabilizing her Qi field. After a long while, she let out a long sigh and said softly, "Xuanfeng, don't worry, I won't harm them, nor will I allow anyone to hurt them! That's why I sent Renshen to protect them! You don't need to worry about their safety! Now, there are more important things for you to do!"

Xuanfeng frowned slightly, and asked coldly, puzzled, "What is it?"

Hearing Xuanfeng's cold tone, Yi Mu felt a pang of sadness. She opened her eyes, looked at the five world origins above her head, and slowly asked, "Xuanfeng, do you know the true meaning of the Wuji Dao?"

"Your subject knows a little! In the Dao of Wuji, the Heavenly Sovereign bestows Yang Qi, and the Mother of Wuji bestows Yin Qi. Yang is the good seed, and Yin is the fertile soil. The two Qi of Yin and Yang combine to form Infant Qi, which then condenses from nothingness into something real, thus forming all things!"

"That's right!" Mother Yi nodded with satisfaction. "You've got the meaning of Qi in the Wuji Dao right! But for the Wuji Dao to function properly, besides Qi, it also needs a host!"

Xuanfeng was startled and looked at Yi Mu, who was sitting cross-legged in the Bagua. Parasite? Where is it parasitizing?

Yi Mu smiled faintly and said softly, "The parasite in the Wuji Dao is none other than myself! The Five Origins reside parasitically in the Qi of my five internal organs!"

What?! Your Majesty?! Xuanfeng's eyes widened slightly.

"If I am strong, the world will prosper; if the world is prosperous, I will live a long life! Similarly, if I die, the world will decline and become empty; if the world is destroyed, I will soon die! Therefore, in order to ensure my health and well-being, the late Lord Xuan Yi built the Immortal Mountain and parasitized my physical body on the Immortal Mountain in the same way!"

What?! A sacred mountain?! Xuanfeng was extremely shocked, and his deep blue eyes were filled with inexplicable waves of energy.

The Empress bestowed the sacred mountain upon me and entrusted me with the management of the Boundless Path. Doesn't this mean she has placed her entire destiny in my hands?! Does the Empress truly trust me so much?!

"A sacred mountain?" Xuanfeng asked cautiously, "Is it the sacred mountain that I govern?"

Mother Yi nodded. "That's right, it's the Immortal Mountain you govern! The spiritual energy of the Immortal Mountain nourishes me, and my fate is also related to the survival of the Immortal Mountain! If the source of the world within the Boundless Path is destroyed, then I will perish. Without me, the entire Immortal Mountain range will wither! If the Immortal Mountain withers, then our world will become a wasteland! Including you, and Su Yuyao, whom you cherish most!"

Xuanfeng was startled. He looked up at the muddy Wuji Dao above him. The Yang energy was weak and the fire was raging, while the Yin energy was turbid and the water was heavy. The flow of energy was not smooth. The fire could only rise and not fall, and the water could only sink and not dissolve. They were trapped in one place and could not tolerate each other. The fire became hotter and the water became more turbid! If it was left to its own devices in this state, the Wuji Dao would surely be destroyed! Then... Xuanfeng dared not think any further!

“Xuanfeng,” Mother Yi looked at Xuanfeng, who was frowning in deep thought, and said in an almost pleading tone, “For the safety of the many world origins and countless living beings in the Wuji Dao, for the growth of all things in this world, for Su Yuyao and Xuanmiao, whom you cherish most, could you please help me?”

Xuanfeng looked back at Yi's mother and saw weariness and helplessness in her eyes for the first time. He also felt her weakness and despair for the first time.

In his memory, his mother was always noble, dignified, and majestic! She was indifferent and harsh towards him, but loving yet strict towards her younger siblings. She was a master strategist in the palace and before the gods, and was revered among all things in nature! No matter what dangers or difficulties she faced, she remained calm, composed, and resourceful in resolving them.

Why would such a powerful mother ask me for help here?! Is this some kind of trap?

Xuanfeng rolled his eyes, looked around the palace, and then cautiously released his Qi field to probe it, but there seemed to be nothing unusual.

Mother Yi watched as Xuanfeng scanned her bedchamber with his eyes, then sensed his aura as he secretly peered through the corners of the walls and around the door. She sighed softly, rolling her eyes in exasperation. Had this silly boy been led astray by Su Yuyao? Why was he acting so foolishly? He was actually probing her bedchamber right in front of her?!

Xuanfeng examined the area and found nothing wrong. Why was Mother Yi acting so strangely?

“Your Majesty,” Xuanfeng said, bowing low, “since you say that your health is related to the very foundation of the entire Wuji Dao, why not ask Lord Chiyan to treat you? If you can improve your health, wouldn’t the problem of the foundation be resolved?”

Mother Yi lowered her eyes, sighed softly, and said calmly, "My body has been getting weaker and weaker in recent centuries, which has affected the Yellow Court Qi that is responsible for harmonizing within the World Source. In addition, Ze Yuan is useless, stirring up chaos in the Wuji Dao! The Chi Yan's medicine doesn't seem to be working either! So, the Wuji Dao has entered a vicious cycle!"

Xuanfeng listened to Yi Mu's words, which seemed to kill three birds with one stone, with a frown. After a moment of contemplation, all the previously unclear lines suddenly became clear!

So this is a grand scheme! And the final outcome of this scheme probably won't be me! Nor will it be the Mother Goddess!

Xuanfeng thought for a moment, then stepped forward to Yi's mother and sat down cross-legged without permission. Looking at her slightly surprised expression, he asked softly, "Your Majesty, do you know Luo Fengyue?"