Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

On the way back to the cave, Bai You suddenly bit Ye Qingzhou's clothes and dragged him in another direction.

Following the little fox, he discovered three spiritual herbs emitting a blue glow in a hidden crevice in the rocks.

"Worry-inducing grass?"

Ye Qingzhou was astonished: "The main ingredient for refining the 'Heart-Clearing Pill' is extremely rare and hard to find on the market."

Baiyou wagged its tail triumphantly and scratched the ground with its paws.

Upon closer inspection, Ye Qingzhou discovered a small cloth bag buried beneath the soil, containing several glittering stones.

"Memory crystals?"

He infused a wisp of Qi into the crystal, and it immediately projected a blurry image: a woman in white gently stroking an adult Illusionary Fox. Although her face was indistinct, the familiar jade pendant was the one her mother, from her previous life, always wore!
"This is... footage from twenty years ago?"

Ye Qingzhou fell into deep thought, "Did she also tame the Illusionary Sound Fox before?"

Baiyou nuzzled his hand, conveying an emotion—it recognized the large fox in the image; it was its mother.

Ye Qingzhou stood there for a long time before carefully putting away the crystal.

The mysteries are piling up, and the answers may lie in the imperial city.

The next morning, the group continued their journey.

Bai You slept curled up in Ye Qingzhou's arms, while Nu Yan regained its energy, occasionally flying out to catch insects. The Imperial Advisor glanced at Ye Qingzhou from time to time, his eyes flashing with an unfathomable light.

At noon, the outline of the imperial city finally appeared in the distance.

The towering city walls resemble a giant dragon coiled around the city gate, and above the gate, the two large characters "Dong Qi" gleam in the sunlight.

"arrive."

The Imperial Advisor stroked his long beard. "His Majesty has been waiting for a long time."

Ye Qingzhou took a deep breath. He knew that once he stepped into this city, there was no turning back.

Silver Blade seemed to sense its master's emotions and let out a low growl.

Bai You also raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a blue light.

The flames of fury landed on Ye Qingzhou's shoulder, causing his feathers to bristle slightly, as if he were ready to fight at any moment.

"Let's go."

Ye Qingzhou said softly, "Let's see what this 'uncle' is up to."

In front of the Vermilion Bird Gate of the Eastern Qi Imperial City, Ye Qingzhou looked up at the city wall, which was ten zhang high.

The bronze-cast city gate is carved with lifelike firebird patterns, each feather inlaid with crimson crystals that gleam in the sunlight.

"At the four gates of the imperial city, the Vermilion Bird presides over the ceremony."

The Imperial Advisor explained, "His Majesty's special arrangement to enter the palace through this gate is already an extremely high honor."

Ye Qingzhou nodded calmly, but his palms were slightly sweaty.

Silverblade seemed to sense its master's tension and gently rubbed its head against his leg.

Bai You nestled in his arms, her ears twitching alertly.

Only the raging flames stood carefree on his shoulder, curiously looking around.

"Demons and beasts are not allowed to enter the palace."

The golden-armored guards at the gate blocked the silver blade, their long halberds crossed.

The Imperial Advisor raised his hand in greeting: "This was specially approved by His Majesty."

As the golden-armored guards hesitated, a clear bell sound came from inside the city gate.

Eight maids in white robes escorted a sedan chair as it slowly approached. The curtain was lifted, revealing a beautifully delicate face. She was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a dot of vermilion between her eyebrows and eyes as clear as autumn water.

“Princess Mingyue.”

The Imperial Advisor bowed slightly.

The girl's gaze bypassed the Imperial Advisor and landed directly on Ye Qingzhou's face.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and the fan in her hand fell to the ground inside the sedan chair with a "thud".

"It's so similar..."

She spoke softly, then realized her lapse in decorum and quickly picked up her fan to cover herself, "Imperial Preceptor, my father ordered me to welcome...this young master into the palace."

Ye Qingzhou raised an eyebrow.

The princess personally greeted them?

It seems that this emperor uncle is indeed very eager to see him.

After passing through the three palace gates, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before us.

At the end of the white jade-paved square stands the majestic Golden Palace, its glazed tiles shimmering with iridescent colors in the sunlight.

Even more eye-catching are the twelve dragon-carved pillars standing on both sides of the square in front of the palace, each pillar entwined with a sleeping dragon sculpture.

But Ye Qingzhou keenly noticed that the scales on those "sculptures" were undulating slightly.

"Alive?"

he asked in a low voice.

The Imperial Advisor smiled: "Each of the royal family's guardian dragons possesses fourth-tier strength."

Princess Mingyue, who had been secretly observing Ye Qingzhou, suddenly spoke up: "The fire-feathered chicken on your shoulder, young master... seems rather special?"

Upon hearing this, the raging flame proudly raised its head and spewed out a wisp of golden flame.

The princess stared in surprise, and the maids gasped in astonishment.

"Do not be rude."

The Imperial Advisor gave a light rebuke, but couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes, "This is Young Master Ye's beast taming skill; it has already begun to awaken the Vermilion Bird bloodline."

Ye Qingzhou frowned inwardly. The Imperial Advisor knew far too much about his situation, even the bloodline of the Angry Flame.

As they stepped onto the steps of the Golden Palace, Bai You suddenly squirmed uneasily in his arms, conveying a sense of wariness.

Ye Qingzhou followed his senses and saw a man in black robes standing in the shadows at the corner of the hall. His face was hidden under a hood, with only his pale chin showing.

"What is that?"

"The astrologers of the Imperial Observatory."

The Imperial Advisor said calmly, "No need to worry about it."

The palace doors slowly opened, and to Ye Qingzhou's surprise, there were no civil or military officials inside, only nine elderly men in purple robes standing on both sides, with a middle-aged man sitting on the dragon throne at the head of the hall—Emperor Ming Jingyan of the Eastern Qi Dynasty.

Just as Ye Qingzhou was about to bow, the emperor suddenly stood up and knocked over the teacup on the table.

"These eyes..."

The emperor's voice trembled slightly, "Exactly like my imperial sister."

An elderly man in purple robes coughed: "Your Majesty, please verify the bloodline first."

The Emperor then came to his senses and slowly sat down: "The Imperial Clan Minister is right. Ye Qingzhou, come forward."

Ye Qingzhou walked to the center of the hall and noticed a complex array embedded in the ground, with a dragon-shaped jade cup at the array's core.

"A drop of blood is poured into the cup."

Zongzheng said solemnly, "The purity of the dragon vein will determine your identity."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Ye Qingzhou caught a glimpse of the Imperial Preceptor leaning slightly forward and Princess Mingyue tightly gripping her fan. He bit his fingertip, and a drop of golden blood dripped into the jade cup.

hum~~
The jade cup trembled, and blood flowed along the dragon pattern as if it were alive.

Suddenly, a beam of golden light shot into the sky, directly hitting the testing crystal pillar on the ceiling. The crystal pillar instantly lit up, and from the bottom up, the colors rapidly changed from red, orange, yellow, green... In the blink of an eye, it broke through the purple area representing the direct line of the royal family and climbed towards the golden area at the top!
"This...this is impossible!" Zongzheng exclaimed in shock.

Before the words were finished, the crystal pillar exploded with a "bang"! Amidst the scattering of fragments, seven dragons of different colors rose from the jade cup, circling and roaring above the palace.

The entire Golden Palace trembled, and the twelve guardian dragons simultaneously opened their eyes, letting out deafening roars!

The emperor slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly: "Enough!"

Strangely, with his sharp shout, the seven light dragons immediately quieted down, transforming into streams of light and disappearing into Ye Qingzhou's body. The guardian dragon also fell back into slumber, as if the strange phenomenon had never occurred.

The hall was deathly silent. The nine elders had different expressions: some were shocked, some were suspicious, and some had greed in their eyes.

The emperor took a deep breath and waved his hand: "Everyone except the Imperial Advisor, step down. Mingyue, go and fetch 'that painting'."

After everyone had left, the emperor stepped down from his dragon throne and personally helped Ye Qingzhou up: "Child, let me take a good look at you."

Upon closer inspection, the wrinkles around the eyes of this Eastern Qi emperor were deeper than one might imagine, and his temples were already streaked with white.

His fingers trembled slightly as he gently stroked Ye Qingzhou's eyebrows and eyes: "So alike, so very alike... the heroic spirit between those brows is exactly like your father's."

Ye Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat: "Your Majesty knows my father?"

"It's more than just knowing each other."

The emperor smiled wryly: "Qiancheng and I are as close as brothers, and your mother, Mingjing, is my own sister."

Although he had suspected it before, hearing it confirmed with his own ears, Ye Qingzhou still felt that the inside story was probably extraordinary and might involve internal strife among the high-ranking officials of the Eastern Qi Kingdom.

Princess Mingyue returned with a scroll, which the Emperor personally unfurled—the painting depicted a woman in white standing beneath a peach tree, cradling an infant, her smile gentle and serene. And that face was strikingly similar to Ye Qingzhou's memory of her mother!
"Princess Mingjing was attacked and went missing twenty years ago while on a border patrol."

The emperor's voice was hoarse, "We searched the entire Eastern Qi, but we never expected that she was hiding under an assumed name in the Ye family..."

Ye Qingzhou's throat tightened: "Are my parents... still alive?"

The emperor was silent for a moment, then turned to the imperial advisor: "Tell him."

The Imperial Advisor sighed softly: "The culprits behind the attack back then were the Blood Fiend Sect. The Imperial Son-in-Law, Mo Qiancheng, went to protect the Princess alone, and his whereabouts remain unknown. And the Princess…"

He glanced at Ye Qingzhou before continuing, "According to our intelligence, she may have been seriously injured during her escape, suffering memory loss, which is why she ended up among the common people."

Ye Qingzhou frowned upon hearing this. No wonder her mother never mentioned the past, no wonder she always stared blankly at the moon...

"Why did Mo Qianzhu want to kill me?"

He suddenly asked.

The emperor and the imperial advisor exchanged a glance. Finally, the emperor spoke: "Because your blood is the final key to unlocking the 'Seven Emotions Secret Realm.'"

"The Seven Emotions Secret Realm?"

"A trial ground left behind by the ancient dragon race."

The Imperial Advisor explained, "The true secret of the Seven Emotions Beast Cauldron is hidden inside. Mo Qianzhu wants to obtain its power to overthrow the Eastern Qi royal family."

Princess Mingyue handed over a jade slip: "This is intelligence obtained from a traitor of the Blood Fiend Sect."

Ye Qingzhou read the contents of the jade slip, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became.

It turns out that the Seven Emotions Beast Cauldron has two parts, Yin and Yang. The Yin cauldron suppresses the entrance to the ancestral land of demon beasts, while the Yang cauldron seals the passage to the secret realm. Opening the secret realm requires two bloodlines—the Dragon Bloodline and the Seven Emotions Bloodline.

So I am...

"The dragon vein comes from your father, and the seven emotions and bloodline come from your mother."

The Emperor said softly, "The Ming royal family is actually descended from the ancient Seven Emotions Beast Tamers, but their bloodline has gradually become diluted. Your mother, however, possesses the purest bloodline in a thousand years."

Ye Qingzhou suddenly remembered something and took out the fused dragon-shaped jade pendant from his pocket: "This was left to me by my mother..."

"The Key to the Seven Emotions!"

The emperor exclaimed in shock, "It really is in her hands!"

The Imperial Advisor's eyes gleamed: "With this in hand, we can open the secret realm first!"

Just then, Bai You suddenly jumped out of Ye Qingzhou's arms and grinned at the outside of the hall.

Almost simultaneously, the palace doors were flung open, and a guard stumbled in:

"Your Majesty! The Yang Cauldron in the Forbidden Garden has suddenly begun to move strangely!"

The emperor's expression changed drastically: "Go and see!"

The Forbidden Garden is located in the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace and is heavily guarded.

When Ye Qingzhou followed the emperor to the high platform where the Yang Cauldron was located, he immediately felt a strong resonance from the Yin Cauldron imprint within his body. The Yang Cauldron before him was identical in form to the one belonging to the Ye family, except that it was pure white as snow, and its body was engraved with the sun, moon, and stars.

At this moment, the Yang Cauldron was trembling violently, and its mouth spewed out a rainbow of light. Even more astonishingly, these rays of light intertwined in the air to form a three-dimensional map, marked with seven points of light that connected to form the Big Dipper.

"The location of the Seven Emotions Secret Realm!"

The Imperial Advisor exclaimed excitedly, "So it turns out that it only manifests when the Yin and Yang Cauldrons resonate!"

The emperor examined the map carefully: "The first marker is... in the northern snowfields?"

Ye Qingzhou suddenly groaned and clutched his chest.

The power of the dragon vein surged uncontrollably, resonating strongly with the Yang Cauldron. The dragon scale patterns on his skin reappeared, even clearer than before.

"His bloodline is awakening!"

The Imperial Advisor exclaimed again, "We must begin the secret realm trial as soon as possible!"

The Emperor made a decisive decision: "Prepare the flying boat; we will depart for the northern border in three days! Grand Preceptor, you will personally lead the expedition. Mingyue, go to the treasury and retrieve 'that thing' for Qingzhou."

Princess Mingyue accepted the order and left. The Emperor, holding Ye Qingzhou's hand, said, "Child, before that, I want to take you somewhere."

The Beast Taming Garden is located on the east side of the Forbidden Garden and is home to various rare and exotic beasts.

The emperor led Ye Qingzhou to the edge of the deepest, icy pool, pointing to a giant, black tortoise bound by chains:
"This is your mother's beast 'Xuansi,' which she used to tame. Since she disappeared, no one has been able to subdue it."

Ye Qingzhou approached for a closer look. This Xuanjia Turtle was the size of a millstone, its shell covered with ancient patterns, and its eyes were closed, as if it were asleep. But through the Seven Emotions Beast Taming Technique, he could sense the intense emotional fluctuations emanating from the giant turtle, a deep and profound emotion of "thought."

"It is missing its mother..."

Ye Qingzhou gently touched the tortoise shell and infused it with a trace of "thought" energy.

The Xuanjia Turtle slowly opened its eyes, its amber pupils staring directly at Ye Qingzhou, as if trying to see through his soul. Suddenly, it let out a low cry, and the chains rattled.

"It recognized your scent!"

The emperor was deeply moved.

Ye Qingzhou tried to inject more Qi.

As the Qi of "thought" flows, the patterns on the back of the Xuanjia tortoise gradually light up, eventually forming a clear ancient Chinese character for "thought" in the center of the shell.

"The 'thought' of the seven emotions..."

Ye Qingzhou smiled: "Welcome to the team, old buddy."

The Xuanjia Turtle let out a joyful growl, and the chains snapped inch by inch.

It affectionately nuzzled Ye Qingzhou's hand with its head, then transformed into a streak of black light and disappeared into the jade pendant at his waist.

The emperor stared in disbelief: "This...this is...the 'Beast Taming' method of the Seven Emotions Beast Taming Technique?"

This method allows one to temporarily house a demon beast in a specific container, but even within the Eastern Qi royal family, only a few people are able to master it.

It is truly unbelievable that Ye Qingzhou, a member of a collateral branch of the imperial family who had been separated from his family, could master such a secret technique without a teacher. His talent is exceptionally high.

On the way back to the palace, the emperor hesitated several times before speaking.

Only when they parted did he whisper, "Qingzhou, whatever lies in the secret realm, remember, your safety is paramount. I have already lost my imperial sister; I cannot lose you as well."

Ye Qingzhou nodded solemnly, his mind a jumble of thoughts. The Imperial Preceptor's attitude, the truth behind the secret realm, the fate of his parents... so many mysteries awaited unraveling. (End of Chapter)