Chapter 957: Marriage Annulment

After placing the black lotus into the rainbow-colored pool of light, Xiao Nanfeng saw Blue Lantern begin casting a spell. Around them, the projections of tens of thousands of compasses slowly started to rotate. Thick fog suddenly rose from the void, and the sky darkened under a mass of rolling black clouds.

Xiao Nanfeng stood next to the black lotus, guarding it.

"Bronze compass, activate!" Blue Lantern intoned.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

From the black clouds came a streak of lightning. A Heaven's Hand descended from the sky. It cupped the rainbow-colored pool of light and the black lotus in its palm.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned as he prepared to use his candleflame powers.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. There won't be any harm," Blue Lantern reassured him.

Xiao Nanfeng hesitated but decided not to act.

Indeed, this Heaven's Hand seemed somewhat unusual. Rather than lash out destructively, it simply cupped the rainbow-colored pool of light firmly, then remained motionless.

With a hum, under Blue Lantern's formation, the Heaven's Hand gradually turned transparent. Its palm disintegrated into wisps of white smoke that circled the black lotus, intertwining with the green light emerging from the cracks within it.

"The two sources of heavenly power are now connected. As long as Senior Liu actively guides the process, we can extract the heavenly energy from her cursed spiritual avatar."

"Well done, Blue Lantern," Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed in excitement.

However, despite the fact that the white smoke continued to circle the black lotus, the green light within showed no signs of being drawn out.

"What's going on? Senior Liu, can you hear us? You can now guide the heavenly energy out of your body," Blue Lantern said.

However, the black lotus remained unresponsive.

"What's the matter?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Blue Lantern frowned. "Senior Liu's consciousness may have entered a chaotic state, rendering her unable to sense the external world and preventing her from cooperating in the healing process."

"What do you mean, a chaotic state?"

"Her consciousness is trapped in her deepest memories and is unable to break free. It's much like being lost in a dream. Someone needs to enter the depths of her consciousness and awaken her," Blue Lantern explained.

"Enter her dream to awaken her?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in surprise.

"Exactly," Qing Lantern confirmed with a nod.

"Then I'll enter the dream. You can guide me," Xiao Nanfeng volunteered.

"Your Majesty, I have yet to refine my heart and cannot assist in the process. Perhaps the Divine Emperor could assist instead," Qing Lantern suggested.

Xiao Nanfeng pondered for a moment. "Let me try on my own first. If I fail, I'll seek out the Divine Emperor."

"You can enter dreams, Your Majesty?" Blue Lantern exclaimed.

"Let's find out."

Blue Lantern looked puzzled but refrained from inquiring further.

Xiao Nanfeng didn't explain his circumstances in detail. He had no method of entering dreams on his own, but had previous experience in doing so with Madam Rouge. At the time, he had imbibed the Yuqing dreamliquor that Madam Rouge had decanted, employing the Yuqing Grandmaster's techniques.

The Heavenly Emperor had passed these same techniques to Liu Miaoyin, who had also decanted Yuqing dreamliquor herself. She had planned to use it to refine her heart in the future with Xiao Nanfeng's assistance after Dazheng ascended into a divine empire, and had prepared the elixir in advance and entrusted it to Xiao Nanfeng for safekeeping.

"I will stand guard for you, Your Majesty," Blue Lantern said immediately.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded and switched to his yin body. In this state, he would be supported by both Blue Lantern and the Superior.

Xiao Nanfeng sat cross-legged in meditation as he retrieved a small jade bottle containing Yuqing dreamliquor.

As he opened it, a purple mist wafted out and enveloped him. He drank half of the elixir in one gulp and used his candleflame powers to pour the other half onto the black lotus.

With a hum, purple mist began to emanate from the black lotus. The mist penetrated the Heaven's Hand and connected with the purple mist surrounding Xiao Nanfeng, forming a rotating vortex around him.

A stream of purple mist surged toward Xiao Nanfeng's consciousness. The golden tree within his heart yearned to absorb the mist, but Xiao Nanfeng stopped it from doing so.

As before, Xiao Nanfeng's body trembled slightly as he felt himself falling into an abyss. He was descending deep into Liu Miaoyin's dreams.

During his descent, Xiao Nanfeng gradually forgot who he was and where he was. All that bound him to the mortal world was left behind.

After an interminable amount of time, with a jolt, Xiao Nanfeng opened his eyes.

"Where am I? Wasn't I just at an internet café? Who brought me home?" Xiao Nanfeng muttered, cradling his aching head.

Under the effects of the Yuqing dreamliquor, he had forgotten his identity as an Immortal Emperor and recalled only his previous life on Earth.

He propped himself up and looked around the room, his expression one of surprise. "This isn't my room. Where am I?"

The room was ornately decorated with antique elegance and unparalleled luxury.

"This table... Isn't it made of fragrant rosewood?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

He got up and examined the room further, confirming its authenticity. He was left in awe.

"Whose house is this? Such extravagance..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured, stunned.

He explored the room further. Many of the decorations carried an air of antiquity, and his keen eye could tell that they were all exquisite treasures. The calligraphy, paintings, jade artifacts, and even the rare wood left him utterly stunned.

"Am I dreaming? This isn't a room—it's a treasure vault! Everything here is worth a fortune. Who could live in such extravagance?"

Walking over to a mirror, he caught sight of himself dressed in what appeared to be antiquated sleepwear. His hair was surprisingly long.

He quickly reached for his hair in disbelief. "When did my hair get this long? Have I been unconscious for years?"

Startled, he accidentally kicked over a stool, which fell with a loud thud.

The next moment, several women dressed in traditional garments rushed into the room. Upon seeing Xiao Nanfeng pulling at his hair, they were terrified and immediately knelt.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" they cried.

Xiao Nanfeng froze, his hands still in mid-air. He asked in bewilderment, "What did you just call me?"

"Your Majesty?" the maids repeated, puzzled.

Xiao Nanfeng stared at them in shock. Were they acting? But there were no cameras around.

He hurriedly stepped out of the room and peered outside. What he saw was a vast courtyard guarded by numerous soldiers. In the distance, towering palaces loomed, far grander than any he had seen before in his life.

In the sky, a giant celestial crane flew past, carrying an elderly man with an ethereal aura. On another side, someone was flying on a sword.

"I... I've transmigrated!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed, astonished.

Seeing the old man on his crane and the other man on his sword made him want to cheer in excitement, but the soldiers around him seemed utterly unfazed, as if such sights were perfectly normal. At that moment, he was entirely convinced—he had transmigrated. Oddly enough, the body he now inhabited looked exactly like him, except for the longer hair—and he was even an emperor!

This was an incredible start to his journey.

"Your Majesty, would you like to freshen up?" one of the maids asked from behind.

"Alright," Xiao Nanfeng replied, suppressing his excitement.

He wasn't sure how he had transmigrated. Had he possessed his new host? What if someone noticed anything strange? For now, he decided to play it safe.

A group of maids stepped forward to help comb his hair and freshen him up before outfitting him in a set of draconic robes.

Then, a eunuch approached to brief him on the day's agenda. He kept his words to a minimum as he carefully listened to the eunuch's explanations, then followed them to a session of court.

For the "first time," he sat on his draconic throne, watching the officials report on various matters. There were even cultivators among them. The discussions ranged from subduing rampant spirits and demons to addressing natural disasters, with specific officials presenting solutions. All he had to do was give his approval.

It all seemed very straightforward. He, the emperor, was nothing more than a puppet. The officials acted as if his opinion didn't matter at all.

He didn't say much and continued to observe his surroundings quietly. After the court session ended, he followed the chief eunuch to the imperial study, hoping to gain a better understanding of his situation—but there wasn't a single petition or writ for him to handle there. His involvement in governance seemed entirely unnecessary.

His predicament became crystal clear—he was merely a figurehead.

He tried to act normal as he diligently observed his surroundings. Over time, he began to discern which maids and eunuchs were spies and which ones were loyal to him.

Finally, after a month, through careful probing, he pieced together his circumstances.

His father had come from a temple called the "Great Zen Monastery." After renouncing his monastic vows, he established an empire known as Dashun. The empire had provided immense fortune and resources back to the Great Zen Monastery, and many court officials were disciples of the monastery.

Over a decade ago, his parents had died while fighting on behalf of the monastery. Before their deaths, they had ceded the throne to him.

Over the years, however, the monastery had continued infiltrating the imperial court while treating him like nothing more than an ordinary person. He wasn't taught any cultivation techniques, academic knowledge, or leadership skills. They were essentially raising him to be useless.

"So they're raising me like a puppet? Because my parents sacrificed themselves for the monastery, they're hesitant to usurp the throne outright—they're just waiting for me to die before seizing the empire," Xiao Nanfeng muttered with a grim expression.

He suddenly thought of the possibility that someone had already grown impatient and caused the original owner of his body to die. It only made sense that the original owner's death had given him this opportunity to transmigrate.

"Your Majesty, the Venerable Master Hui'en from the Great Zen Monastery will be visiting tomorrow to meet you. You should prepare to receive her," a trusted eunuch reported respectfully.

"Master Hui'en?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"She was the late emperor's senior sister. It seems she's coming to annul an engagement," the eunuch explained.

"Annul an engagement?" Xiao Nanfeng raised an eyebrow.

"Many years ago, the Great General, who was a sworn brother of the late emperor, fell in battle alongside him. The general had a daughter named Liu Miaoyin. Before their deaths, the late emperor and general arranged a marriage between you and her, and the late emperor also decreed that Liu Miaoyin would be the future empress. However, during the late emperor's funeral, Venerable Master Hui'en discovered that Liu Miaoyin had exceptional talent for cultivation. She brought her into the Great Zen Monastery to train as a cultivator," the eunuch explained.

"So Liu Miaoyin is my fiancée?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

The eunuch nodded wryly. "For years, rumors have circulated that Liu Miaoyin possesses an extraordinary constitution that allows her to excel in Buddhist cultivation. She is now revered as a holy maiden in the monastery. Many in the Great Zen Monastery believe that Your Majesty is unworthy of her. It was only a matter of time before the engagement would be annulled—and it seems that time has finally come."

The eunuch bowed, barely hiding his indignation.

Xiao Nanfeng grimaced. Being an emperor in name only was frustrating enough—and now he had to deal with a marriage annulment, too.