The Soul-sealing Needle was a hidden weapon targeting cultivators. Once inserted into the right acupoint, it could not only block the meridians but also temporarily seal the target's soul.
For the duration of one hour, no spells could be cast.
Black Robe Man sustained severe internal injuries and was struck by the Soul-sealing Needle, leaving him completely immobilized as he watched helplessly while Jiang Xiaoxiao wielded a hoe to bury him alive.
He chuckled instead of becoming enraged, mocking, "You think my decades of cultivation can be so easily ruined by you?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao ignored him and kept digging.
Xie Xun hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "Xiaoxiao, should we take a look under his mask to see who he is?"
"No need. This is not his true form."
Xie Xun looked puzzled.
Jiang Xiaoxiao explained, "I only realized this when I struck Black Robe Man with the Soul-sealing Needle.
The person I fought was merely a puppet being controlled by the true mastermind's consciousness.
The real person behind the scenes either anticipated tonight's events and chose not to come or has never appeared in the Imperial Palace at all."
If the latter were true, it would mean the mastermind had already mastered the evil arts to perfection.
The person around Murong Yuan was just a puppet possessing the mastermind's consciousness and doing his bidding.
In other words, burying this Black Robe Man would soon lead to another appearing at the Palace of the Crown Prince.
So the face under the mask didn't matter; the mastermind was what was important.
But finding the real mastermind would likely be difficult for the time being.
"A puppet?" Xie Xun narrowed his eyes. "How could anyone control a puppet so perfectly that it seems like the real person?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao slowly explained, "Cultivation is a long and arduous process. Some are gifted with talent and strong comprehension, allowing them to easily break through bottlenecks."
"But there are far more cultivators of ordinary or even no talent at all. Some of them grow impatient and seek shortcuts to speed up their cultivation."
"There are many ways to take shortcuts, such as devouring others' souls, luck, or lifespan to boost one's cultivation. These methods are condemned by the righteous path, so those who practice them are called the crooked path or the evil path."
"The mastermind behind this Black Robe Man has been cultivating the evil path for quite some time. Fourteen years ago, he used an evil art to steal your Dragon Aura."
"It seems this person has cultivated the evil path for many years and doesn't even need to appear in person to get his puppets to do his bidding."
Xie Xun recalled something Jiang Xiaoxiao had said to Black Robe Man earlier in the room. "You mentioned that if he tried to re-seal me, he would pay a greater price, so this time he used his lifespan for the seal?"
Xie Xun couldn't understand why the mastermind would be willing to risk his life to help Murong Yuan.
Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't figure it out either. This was probably the most vicious seal she had ever seen.
Once sealed, not only would the mastermind lose years of his life, but Xie Xun's Dragon Aura would never recover in this lifetime.
Harming the enemy a thousand but injuring oneself eight hundred.
Could Murong Yuan really be valuable enough for the mastermind to pay such a steep price?
The Black Robe Man in the pit heard their conversation and chuckled lightly, "Little girl, the Heavenly Master's Mansion hasn't wasted its efforts nurturing you all these years. If my cultivation hadn't been so depleted recently, I wouldn't have made a mistake tonight."
"However, after fighting you, I have a newfound respect for you. Heh heh, if we truly meet one day, I shall gift you something grand!"
After speaking, Black Robe Man closed his eyes and stopped breathing completely.
Without the mastermind's consciousness, the Black Robe Man was useless. Jiang Xiaoxiao kept digging until he was fully buried.
Murong Yuan waited until late into the night at the Palace of the Crown Prince, but Black Robe Man never returned.
Anxious yet unable to go himself, he could only send guards to the guest residence to inquire.
The guards reported that it was quiet at the residence, and the inhabitants had already gone to sleep.
Gone to sleep?
Murong Yuan frowned. Had the master succeeded or failed?
"Your Highness, you should rest," a nearby eunuch advised softly. "It's late into the night."
With no choice, Murong Yuan retired to the inner palace to rest.
It wasn't until dawn that he saw Black Robe Man again.
"Master," Murong Yuan hurried over, delighted. "Were you successful?"
"Miscalculated. I didn't succeed last night," Black Robe Man said. "The sealing matter will be postponed. You must urgently find a way to obtain the mechanism diagram of the Former Empress's tomb."
Black Robe Man's voice sounded hoarse, different from usual.
Murong Yuan grew concerned. "Master, your voice..."
"Just a cold from the weather. My throat is unwell."
Murong Yuan nodded. The master had been in similar situations before where his voice changed afterward.
But Murong Yuan had never paid much attention to such trivial details.
His focus was on the tomb mechanism diagram that Black Robe Man mentioned.
The imperial tombs, especially those of emperors and empresses, were fortified with numerous mechanisms. Once burial was complete and the tomb sealed, it was impossible to open from the outside.
Even with external forces to pry it open, the inner mechanisms were unpredictable. To reach the main burial chamber and open the coffin to retrieve items, one needed the tomb mechanism diagram.
And this diagram was in the possession of Emperor Hongtai.
In the past, Murong Yuan's personality would never have driven him to take such a huge risk opening the Former Empress's tomb.
But the master said that with Murong Yuan now possessing the Dragon Aura of the Chosen One, obtaining that item would allow him to fully inherit the divine abilities of the founding emperor.
At that point, he could conquer without resistance and rule the entire continent as its only deity.
What emperor?
He would become the one true god of this land!
With a man buried at the residence, Xie Xun felt unwell and left the Imperial Palace with Jiang Xiaoxiao the next day.
As King Chu's Mansion was not yet prepared, they went to Dean Gu's residence.
Upon entering, they saw Yang Ershun meditating in the courtyard.
He had been quite focused until he heard Jiang Xiaoxiao's voice.
The young cultivator immediately opened his eyes and ran over. "Sister, you've finally come!"
Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at him. "What have you been doing while I was gone?"
"Cultivating!" Yang Ershun glanced back at Dean Gu. "Don't believe me? Ask the dean."
Dean Gu stroked his beard. "This kid has been quite diligent lately, even getting up to meditate at the crack of dawn."
"It seems your meditation period hasn't ended yet. Continue on."
After Jiang Xiaoxiao finished speaking, she followed Xie Xun into the main hall of Dean Gu's residence.
Madam Song served them tea.
Dean Gu had been on tenterhooks these days, unable to sleep well.
When he saw Xie Xun return safe and sound, he finally felt a little relieved. "Your Highness the Third Prince, oh no, I should address you as Your Highness the King of Chu now. How did it go? Did the Emperor give you a hard time?"
"He didn't even see me."
Dean Gu sighed in relief. It was better not to see him, lest a confrontation arise that couldn't be resolved.
Xie Xun changed the subject, "Teacher, you have studied the Profound Sect extensively. Have you ever heard of the evil path?"
