In Epang Palace. Fan Li and Princess Chang Le were both unconscious, wrapped up in a mass of green light. The two looked serene, more like unborn infants deep asleep in the womb.
The palace was majestic, with enough space inside to ride horses. Two rows of red lacquered gold pillars held up the palace roof like the pillars of heaven. The imperial tomb's fairy palace had an extraordinary air, it was just a pity there was no one to appreciate it.
"Pain..."
Fan Li didn't know how much time had passed before he finally managed to regain consciousness with difficulty. He then discovered his own abnormal condition, wanting to break free from the green light, but when he struggled a little, he felt the excruciating pain of every bone in his body broken into pieces!
"I... I was ambushed by the Golden Virtue Sage Ruler, so Sage Ruler Qing and Princess Chang Le saved me?"
Fan Li barely recalled what had happened earlier. Aside from fury towards the ambusher, he also felt rather surprised.
At the moment, Princess Chang Le was still unconscious, simply lying in Fan Li's embrace. Lacking some of her usual edge, the corner of the slumbering princess's mouth revealed a streak of blood. Her beauty's face seemed to be clawed at, making one feel distressed.
"Was it for me...?"
Fan Li wasn't too sure whether the Golden Virtue Sage Ruler's attack range was too wide, accidentally affecting Princess Chang Le, or if the princess used her own body to block most of the damage.
"In any case, I'm not dead by the Golden Virtue Sage Ruler's hands, so I owe you one." Fan Li silently thought to himself when he suddenly sensed the shadow of a person swaying about within the palace.
It was the dried corpse Zhao Gao!
Like a lonely ghost, it held the Sword of Qin in its hand, aimlessly wandering about the palace. When it occasionally passed by Fan Li's side, Zhao Gao would still slash down with the sword. But it was completely unable to display the divine might of the Sword of Qin, only swinging it like an ordinary weapon, entirely unable to break through his defense.
"I'm safe inside the green light, but I'll still have to leave eventually..." Just as Fan Li was lost in thought, he felt like his injuries seemed to be healing. After about half an hour, he could already normally flex and clench his right fist.
"Even if my wounds are healed, how do I escape?" Fan Li cried out bitterly in his heart.
Forget just Zhao Gao. Even if it was only the twelve gold men, they were still enough to crush him.
Princess Chang Le's injuries were clearly more severe than Fan Li had imagined. After another half a day, Fan Li's entire skeleton had smoothly healed, yet the princess still remained in a coma.
That face which had enchanted the world still lacked any trace of color, ghastly pale.
"Wu wu wu... Your Majesty, your slave knows his wrongs, please pardon your slave..." For some reason, the dried corpse Zhao Gao actually started painfully weeping. Naturally it couldn't shed half a teardrop, but its voice was still exceptionally emotional.
Zhao Gao even knelt in front of the empty dragon throne atop the palace steps, kowtowing ceaselessly.
"Pardon?"
Fan Li also felt confused. Why were there twelve gold men guarding the imperial tomb, yet a living corpse like Zhao Gao was also arranged here?
Zhao Gao sought pardon, could it be that guarding the tomb was its punishment?
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Fan Li also saw that in the four corners of the palace hall were twelve stationed gold men, like the imperial guards.
"Hmm..."
Having Princess Chang Le pressing down on him for so long, Fan Li's body felt somewhat numb. He had just thought to stretch his bones and joints a little when something suddenly fell out from his clothes. It was the Nation Establishing Seal!
Fan Li's Nation Establishing Seal had accidentally fallen out, flying straight down. Unbelievably, it passed through the green light barrier!
Plop!
The entire barrier seemed to burst like a bubble!
Fan Li was greatly shocked! He could only painfully hug Princess Chang Le as the two of them tumbled to the ground!
"This is bad, how could Sage Ruler Qing's secret arts be broken? Could we die here today?!"
Having cultivated for a short period, Fan Li's experience was naturally insufficient. A barrier as powerful externally as Sage Ruler Qing's could even easily block another sage ruler like Golden Virtue.
However, the fuller the moon, the sooner it wanes. The stronger it was externally, the easier it typically was to break through from inside.
Although Fan Li's cultivation was shallow, his Nation Establishing Seal was genuinely an emperor's treasure.
With just a gentle bump, it was indeed enough to crack open Sage Ruler Qing's barrier from within.
Both Fan Li and Princess Chang Le fell to the ground, immediately attracting the dried corpse Zhao Gao's attention!
"Assassins! Protect his majesty!"
The dried corpse Zhao Gao seemed to retain its effectiveness and memories with great difficulty. It was actually completely unfamiliar with Fan Li and Princess Chang Le, as if seeing them for the first time.
The twelve gold men seemed extremely obedient to Zhao Gao's orders. They promptly rushed at Fan Li from the four corners of the palace! Killing aura instantly permeated the entire Epang Palace
"It's over?!"
Fan Li bitterly laughed. Would he actually die here? At the final moment, the only thing he could do was slightly adjust his body to symbolically shield Princess Chang Le.
"Ah?!"
"Your slave Zhao Gao greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor, long live, ten thousand years!!!"
Unexpectedly, Zhao Gao suddenly knelt down towards Fan Li while holding something in its hands!? The twelve gold men who had rushed up to Fan Li also seemed to react telepathically, suddenly stopping as well. The twelve gold figures also knelt before Fan Li like Zhao Gao.
"What's the situation?" Looking at the sight before his eyes, even Fan Li felt somewhat dumbfounded.
"What Zhao Gao is holding in his hands... is that my Nation Establishing Seal?" Fan Li's mind raced as he immediately guessed what was going on. He deliberately put on a stern face and heavily said, "Who are you? Why are you holding this king's seal?"
Hearing this, Zhao Gao's kneeling posture became even more obsequious. "Your Majesty is definitely the ruler of our Great Qin's current era. Your slave is Zhao Gao, guardian of the immortal palace."
Fan Li still didn't dare casually approach Zhao Gao. He continued speaking heavily, "We have not revealed our identity, so what makes you determine that we are Great Qin's ruler?"
"Ordained by Heaven with everlasting fortune and prosperity!" Zhao Gao's voice carried sobbing tones. "The eight characters engraved on the Nation Establishing Seal, how could your slave mistake them?"
"Your Majesty has the destiny of a Son of Heaven and also holds Former Qin's Nation Establishing Seal. You must be the true dragon Son of Heaven of our Great Qin!"
"As a criminal slave, Zhao Gao pays his respects to His Majesty ten thousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years!"
Fan Li finally breathed a long sigh of relief. At least for now, it was safe. He hadn't expected the prop rewarded by the system would actually resemble Former Qin's Nation Establishing Seal. This was truly a stroke of luck.
Looking at Zhao Gao kneeling before himself, although Fan Li felt slightly more at ease, he still didn't actually dare be negligent. He urgently needed a helper right now.
"Zhao Gao, do you have a way to heal her injuries?"
Waking Princess Chang Le was what Fan Li urgently needed at the moment.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gao carefully crept closer. His posture became even more servile as if fearing provoking Fan Li's anger. Keeping a distance of several meters away, Zhao Gao sized up Princess Chang Le.
"Ah, so this is the Empress."
Empress?
Fan Li wondered. What made Zhao Gao determine Princess Chang Le's identity?
But now he was in no mood to inquire further. He only wanted to promptly wake Princess Chang Le.
"Your Majesty needn't worry. The immortal palace has abundant spirit medicines. Her Highness the Empress will be fine."
Fan Li looked left and right. Aside from the pillars and dragon throne, the hall was completely empty.
Could the spiritual medicines be stored in the side halls? Wouldn't they have all been destroyed when he demolished the place?
As Fan Li was lost in thought, Zhao Gao spoke again. "Would Your Majesty please move to the Immortal Palace?"
"Move to the Immortal Palace? Isn't this it?" Fan Li wondered.
However, Zhao Gao shook his head. "The Great Qin Imperial Mausoleum is built thirty-six levels underground. I have been ordered to guard the mausoleum. This place is only the entrance to the Immortal Palace."