My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

At a glance, Gu Lan couldn't help but frown. The strength of this individual was indeed far more terrifying than he had anticipated.

Advancing cautiously, Gu Lan dared not disturb the figure. Soon, he stopped at a relatively concealed spot. He remained still, fearing that any movement might awaken Bai Ze, who was dangerously close. After surveying his surroundings, Gu Lan suddenly noticed a golden-flowered bloom shimmering faintly behind Bai Ze. There was nothing else around, only this flower. He was certain—it had to be the Ancient Holy Flower.

But obtaining it presented a problem. He had no idea how to proceed. Unless he could somehow lure Bai Ze away, he wouldn't have any opportunity.

After some deliberation, Gu Lan looked up at the vast abyss above. His face darkened as he leaped into the air.

The only chance he had was to ask Qing'er for help. This was his last slim hope.

Gu Lan's speed was quick, and in an instant, he had arrived in front of Qing'er. Surprised to see him back, Qing'er asked in disbelief, "You obtained it already?"

Gu Lan shook his head solemnly, "Not yet, I still need your help."

Realizing the situation, Qing'er, although puzzled, didn't refuse. "How can I assist you?"

Gu Lan's face was serious. "Help me draw Bai Ze's attention away while I take the Ancient Holy Flower. I have no chance of doing this alone."

Qing'er considered it briefly and nodded in agreement. However, just as she was about to speak, she hesitated, then vanished into a blur of motion. Gu Lan quickly followed suit.

In mere moments, they reached the abyss below.

"Thank you, miss," Gu Lan said respectfully.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qing'er disappeared once more, her aura shifting as she summoned a powerful blast that tore the earth beneath them. Gu Lan was taken aback by the force she unleashed.

"Such terrifying power!"

Before Gu Lan could react further, Qing'er called out, "Hurry, I can't keep this up for long!"

Qing'er sped off, vanishing from sight in an instant. Gu Lan, astonished by her speed, quickly turned around to find Bai Ze standing right behind him.

Completely stunned, Gu Lan barely had time to react before Bai Ze's claws came crashing down.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion shook the ground beneath them, and Gu Lan was sent flying several hundred feet.

Frozen in place, Gu Lan's face turned pale, realizing this was far from what he had expected. He had intended to follow Qing'er, but now found himself stuck in a deadly struggle with Bai Ze. The earlier attack had clearly enraged Bai Ze, and now his next attack was even more powerful.

With no time to waste, Gu Lan dodged the incoming strike and quickly turned to flee. But as he scanned the area, he realized he could no longer sense Qing'er's presence.

Confused and frustrated, Gu Lan couldn't believe this was happening. But he had no choice; Bai Ze's attack came again, and he had to focus all his energy on avoiding it.

After hundreds of exchanges, Gu Lan was exhausted, barely able to catch his breath. Though he hadn't been seriously injured, Bai Ze seemed to grow stronger with each attack. Gu Lan realized that if the fight continued, he would eventually succumb to exhaustion.

A hundred feet away from Bai Ze, Gu Lan's face darkened. His eyes were filled with determination.

"This is your choice!"

Coldly spoken, Gu Lan summoned the power of the Great Path. His sword glowed brightly, and thousands of sword shadows erupted from the sky, casting a terrifying aura.

"Fall!"

With a roar, the swords rained down, the combined energy far stronger than anything he had used before.

"Boom!"

The explosive sound filled the air, and the world seemed to blur in the chaos. Using this distraction, Gu Lan quickly turned into a blur and shot away.

His priority was obtaining the Ancient Holy Flower, not wasting time fighting Bai Ze.

However, when he reached a safe distance of several hundred feet, Gu Lan's heart sank. The Ancient Holy Flower, which had been there moments ago, was now gone.

He had been too careless.

Before he could react, a furious roar from Bai Ze echoed through the air.

"Roar!"

Gu Lan snapped his head back in response, but there was no time to hesitate. Bai Ze was already charging toward him.

"I have to leave now!" Gu Lan thought, quickly retreating.

Just then, Qing'er's voice echoed in his ears.

"Thank you, my lord, we can leave now."

Startled, Gu Lan turned to see Qing'er standing before him. It was then that he realized that she had already taken the Ancient Holy Flower.

"Thank you, miss!" Gu Lan said, surprised and slightly relieved.

Qing'er smiled and waved her hand. "No need for thanks. Let's leave quickly."

Gu Lan felt both relief and a tinge of helplessness. It seemed that in the end, it was Qing'er who had taken the flower, while he had kept Bai Ze occupied. The result was favorable, but the way it unfolded left him with mixed feelings.

He wasted no more time, and with a swift motion, disappeared into the abyss.

His goal now was to deal with Chaos and acquire the Mind-Clearing Spring. He couldn't afford to waste time here.

As Gu Lan sped away, Qing'er appeared in front of him once more.

"Thank you, my lord," she said.

Gu Lan nodded. "Miss, please rest and recover."

He didn't care about anything else for now; his only goal was to defeat Chaos and cleanse himself of the Blood Demon within. Only then could he truly be at peace.

"I still need your help."

Qing'er raised an eyebrow at his words.

"I feel the presence of an old friend within you."

Gu Lan was taken aback. They had just met—how could she sense such a thing?

"Miss, you must be mistaken. We've only just met."

But Qing'er shook her head. "My intuition is never wrong. It must have something to do with the power within you."

Gu Lan hesitated before releasing a subtle wave of the Great Path energy.

"Do you recognize this power?" he asked.

Qing'er nodded. "Yes, I recognize the power, but I can't quite place where I have felt it before."

Without further conversation, Qing'er focused on recovering her strength. She stepped aside, preparing to rest while Gu Lan remained on guard.

"I just need you to protect me with your energy," she said.

Gu Lan nodded. "Of course." And with that, his aura flared to life, creating a powerful shield around them both.