Upon arriving at the underground palace, Zheng Yi found that many figures were already waiting there.

The Shadow Guard and Embroidered Uniform Guard, along with Chen Liancang, were already standing vigil nearby.

In the small underground palace, six Innate Realm Martial Artists and three cultivators had gathered, alongside an array of grenades and mechanisms.

Many elite soldiers were also hidden, guarding the area, making it extremely secure.

A severely injured cultivator attempting to break through here would be utterly impossible!

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Hmm."

Everyone saluted, but Zheng Yi only nodded slightly and quickly proceeded to the depths of the dungeon.

"This concubine greets Your Majesty!"

Noble Consort Cui, seeing Zheng Yi's arrival, said, "Master's ice layer has only one layer left to break through soon, I wonder, Your Majesty..."

Zheng Yi looked ahead. In the dim light, only a thin layer of ice remained on Xuan Jizi, ready to break at any moment.

The ground was covered with ice shards and icy water, making the entire dungeon cold.

After a moment of thought, Zheng Yi said, "Bind her to the stone pillar and wait for my command before acting."

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Cui Xiabing hesitated, "She, she's my master. Surely, she wouldn't harm us..."

"One must be cautious."

Zheng Yi said solemnly, "Even though she is your master, she is essentially an outsider."

"For the safety of both myself and my beloved consort, I must not act impulsively."

"Caution is paramount."

"If your master is willing to submit, I will naturally unbind her."

"This... alright."

Quickly, under the Shadow Guard's actions, Xuan Jizi was chained to the stone pillar.

With a wave of his hand, six Blood Moon Gu shot out, stopping near Xuan Jizi's divine artifact.

After a careful investigation, Zheng Yi nodded to Cui Xiabing, "Beloved consort, proceed."

As soon as the words fell, Cui Xiabing's hands began forming seals, as Yin Evil Qi condensed and adhered to the ice sculpture.

Under her effect, the ice layer on Xuan Jizi began to melt visibly.

Finally, as the last layer of ice dispersed, faint breathing sounds emanated from Xuan Jizi.

With a thought, the six Blood Moon Gu shot out immediately.

One Blood Moon Gu bit off Xuan Jizi's storage pouch at her waist, and flew towards him.

The second Blood Moon Gu bit off the jade pendant beside the storage pouch and flew over.

The third Blood Moon Gu held the cyan paulownia hairpin from Xuan Jizi's bun and flew over.

Anything that might be a magical artifact was taken!

Perhaps just awoken from freezing, Xuan Jizi surprisingly did not control these items, allowing the Blood Moon Gu to easily take them away.

Meanwhile, the fourth, fifth, and sixth Blood Moon Gu positioned themselves at Xuan Jizi's neck, heart vein, and dantian.

At any sign of movement, these three Blood Moon Gu could end her life!

Soon, in just over ten breaths, Xuan Jizi's breathing began to become erratic, and she suddenly opened her eyes.

"Thief!"

She tried to move but realized she was bound to a massive stone pillar.

Upon sensing carefully, she noticed that all her storage pouches, self-defense magical artifacts, and others were taken.

At this moment, aside from her Daoist robe, she had nothing.

In addition, she sensed at least a dozen people guarding in the surrounding darkness, emitting a very cold aura.

"Where is this place?"

"Xuan Jizi Zhenren..."

Zheng Yi's voice gently echoed. In the flickering dim light, Xuan Jizi saw a young man appraising her.

"You, you are..."

Xuan Jizi murmured, suddenly recalling something and staring intently at Zheng Yi.

A memory from years ago suddenly flashed in her mind.

"Emperor Zhengyong!"

"You are the Emperor of Great Yu, Emperor Zhengyong!"

"How could it be you...! Why have you captured me?!"

"Master...!"

Suddenly, Cui Xiabing rushed forward, holding Xuan Jizi's hand tightly in front of her.

"Xiabing?"

"You, you..."

Xuan Jizi also recognized Cui Xiabing, hesitated, "It was you who saved me from the Yin Evil Cold Ice... it was you who captured me!"

"Xiabing, were you coerced by Emperor Zhengyong, you scoundrel... let me go!"

"Master..."

Cui Xiabing's eyes welled with tears as she turned to look at Zheng Yi, her eyes full of pleading.

"Beloved consort, do not worry..."

Zheng Yi said lightly, "Daoist Xuan Jizi, I did not mean to trouble you. On the contrary, why did you steal my Ghost Spirit Grass?"

"Your Ghost Spirit Grass?"

Xuan Jizi sneered, "Treasures under the heavens rightfully belong to us cultivators, this is the natural order."

"Even if you are the Emperor, how can you govern the matters of the Cultivation Realm?"

"Boy, I advise you to release me quickly, otherwise, when this real person escapes their predicament..."

"Heh heh heh..."

Zheng Yi chuckled coldly, "So stubborn and ignorant, beloved consort, it's not that I don't want to spare your master, but given your master's current state, do you think it's possible?"

"Master~"

"Daoist Xuan Jizi, don't you feel anything?"

"Feel..."

Xuan Jizi frowned, then suddenly lowered her head, her eyes filled with horror, "Spirit Insect! How can there be Spirit Insects here!"

Three Blood Moon Gu, about the size of an index finger, were perched on her neck, heart vein, and dantian, exuding a fierce and cold aura.

This aura made her deeply frightened!

"Master, these are spirit insects raised by His Majesty, please stop antagonizing His Majesty..."

"Sulking?"

Xuan Jizi furrowed his brows, suddenly scrutinizing Cui Xiabing with a cold voice: "You... the Emperor Zhengyong calls you his beloved consort? You... have lost your virginity!"

"Scoundrel!"

"Before reaching the middle-stage Qi Cultivation in the 'Pure Maiden Yin Sha Technique,' you cannot lose your virginity! How did your master teach you!"

"And you even let Emperor Zhengyong defile you...!"

Cui Xiabing blushed and said: "Master, I am His Majesty's consort after all."

"Moreover, I have long surpassed the third-layer Qi Cultivation and am now in the fourth layer."

"Hmm?"

Xuan Jizi took a sharp breath: "You, you've advanced to the fourth-layer Qi Cultivation? How is that possible!"

"It's only been four or five years since we parted as master and apprentice. How could you advance so quickly?"

Cui Xiabing blushed and looked toward Zheng Yi, saying: "This, this is all thanks to His Majesty..."

"Thanks to him?"

Xuan Jizi asked puzzledly: "The Emperor Zhengyong is just a mortal, how could he help you?"

"Master!"

Cui Xiabing stopped Xuan Jizi again: "His Majesty is also a cultivator!"

"His Majesty is now a Qi Cultivation third-layer cultivator."

"Qi Cultivation third layer? Impossible!"

Xuan Jizi frowned: "When I accepted you as my apprentice, I examined Emperor Zhengyong and found he had no spirit root, how could he become a cultivator?"

Zheng Yi felt a stir in his heart and said: "Xuan Jizi Zhenren, it seems you're not well-informed."

"Oh? I'm not well-informed?"

Xuan Jizi sneered: "I wonder what insight this... fellow Daoist might offer?"

Zheng Yi asked: "Do you know what types of spirit roots exist in this world?"

"Isn't that simple?"

Xuan Jizi said: "Besides the basic Five Elements Spirit Roots, there are Anomalous Spirit Roots and Celestial Spirit Roots. Did I misspeak?"

"You got most of it right."

Zheng Yi said: "There's another type of spirit root circulating in this world, Xuan Jizi Zhenren..."

"Another type of spirit root..."

Xuan Jizi's eyes were full of confusion, but he quickly caught on.

"You mean... Hidden Spirit Root!"

"Yes, I possess the Hidden Spirit Root!"

Zheng Yi said calmly, which was his excuse for why he suddenly started cultivating.

Regardless of Xuan Jizi or Imperial Physician Zhao Xizheng, they both knew he had no spirit root.

But since he could cultivate, he could only attribute it to having a Hidden Spirit Root.

The so-called Hidden Spirit Root is a very secretive spirit root.

This type of spirit root still holds either the Five Elements attribute or is an Anomalous Spirit Root, but it's extremely rare.

It only appears after being stimulated by a specific cultivation technique, leading to the path of cultivation.

Ordinary Hidden Spirit Roots cannot be detected by usual methods, which discards a large portion of Hidden Spirit Roots.

And mortals with Hidden Spirit Roots who can access cultivation techniques are even rarer, making Hidden Spirit Roots even harder to detect.

Hearing this from Zheng Yi, Cui Xiabing's eyes were also full of shock and oddity.

"Hidden Spirit Root... no wonder you can tread the path of cultivation."

Xuan Jizi murmured: "But, where did you get your cultivation technique, how..."

"That matter need not trouble Xuan Jizi Zhenren."

Zheng Yi said: "Today we discuss how to handle you, Xuan Jizi Zhenren..."

Xuan Jizi frowned but quickly relaxed, saying: "I am Bing'er's master, and you are Bing'er's Daoist companion. Would you really disregard Bing'er's reputation and kill me?"

Zheng Yi laughed: "I certainly wouldn't kill you. How to deal with you is indeed troublesome..."

"Very simple."

Xuan Jizi immediately said: "If you were a mortal, this Zhenren wouldn't bow no matter what."

"But since you are also a cultivator, we can address each other as fellow Daoists."

"I stole from you, and lacking strength, I was captured by your people. Because of Bing'er, you can't kill me, so I should be punished."

"Oh?"

Zheng Yi's eyes lit up and he asked: "How does the cultivation realm handle such matters?"

"Either with double the value in spirit stones as compensation or by doing a task for you. You choose."

"That Ghost Spirit Grass is a Tier Two Spirit Grass..."

Xuan Jizi's eyes darted around and he said: "Worth ten low-grade Spirit Stones. This Zhenren can compensate you with ten talismans, enough to cover your loss."

"Ten talismans?"

Zheng Yi appraised him up and down: "Where are they?"

Xuan Jizi pointed with his mouth: "Look, my storage bag is on the table in front of you. Hand it to me, and I'll get the talismans for you."

Zheng Yi shook his head: "This is my spoils of war; when did it become your property?"

"Hmm?"

Xuan Jizi's eyes widened: "You rascal! You're truly cunning... a model for our generation!"

"Fine, fine, this Zhenren will grant you a request."

"Speak, what would you have me do, kill someone? Or perhaps seek some cultivation treasure from me?"

"As long as you release me, we can discuss any terms."

As he sized up the seemingly open-handed Xuan Jizi, Zheng Yi suddenly felt a sense of something strange.

This Xuan Jizi seemed like a swindler in every way...

"Beloved Consort~"

Zheng Yi called out, and Cui Xiabing quickly responded: "Your Majesty?"

"Do you know of any methods in the cultivation realm to restrain certain cultivators?"

"Your Majesty, do you mean... poison? Or..."

"No, no, something more secure."

Cui Xiabing contemplated, then suddenly remembered something.

"When Consort Yu and I were chatting idly, she mentioned something her master told her about called a 'Heavenly Dao Oath.'"

Xuan Jizi's face changed instantly, immediately shouting: "Bing'er...!"