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    In close proximity to the Royal Pce stood a grand mansion that had remained vacant for years. Its prime location sparked the interest of numerous ns who desired to acquire the mansion.


    Unfortunately for them, it belonged to the Royal Family so they didn''t dare to ask to buy it. The act of offering money to the Royal Family as a means of purchasing their property was seen as disrespectful, and nobody wished to be perceived as insulting to the Divine Empress.


    One fateful day, an intriguing piece of news circted throughout the Core Region of the Royal City, capturing the attention of nearly every n Head in the vicinity. ording to the news, the Mansion that was often empty, finally had a person living inside.


    The surprise didn''t stop there. Another news arrived simultaneously. It was said that the person staying in the Mansion was very special to the Empress, to the point that she had even sent her most trusted General to guard him.


    Many ns sent their men to investigate, wanting to know the identity of the mysterious person and the reason behind the Empress''s special attention. They had known the Divine Empress well enough to realize that she never did something without a reason.


    Rumors and spections began to spread like wildfire, with some suggesting that the person could be a long-lost rtive or even a secret lover of the Empress. As the ns delved deeper into the matter, they hoped to gain an advantage or secure an alliance with the Empress


    The ns investigated the identity of the person who was given the mansion, but even after all the research, they didn''t find anything significant. Thanks to a Royal General guarding the mansion, the men sent by various ns couldn''t do much.


    At most, they were only able to find out what the person looked like, thanks to the people who had seen Xu Shan.


    Every n received the same information, which talked about the fact that the man was a young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties. Moreover, the man was said to be handsome, which made the rumors about Xu Shan being the Empress'' lover seen more credible.


    There was another rumor, but no one believed that rumor. ording to the rumor, the guest who was staying in the new mansion was quite powerful. One person imed to see Xu Shan fighting the General who was guarding him, defeating him without any effort at all!


    "A man in his early twenties who was able to defeat that old monster?" One of the n Leadersughed at the absurdity of the rumor.


    "There''s no way for that to be true. If there was really someone this strong at such an age, he would''ve been well known already! This talent is even more frightening than the Empress. There''s no way for that person to remain unknown until now if he was really this strong."


    The man closed the letter which had the information that his men had managed to gather. He crushed the paper and tossed it aside.


    "It makes more sense to say that he''s a boy toy of the Empress. As for this rumor, who knows, it might be spread by the Royal Family itself, to make people stay away from him. Fear is the best protection after all, especially since our dear Empress has so many enemies."


    The man stood up, calling for the Elders of the n. Hemanded his Elders to prepare gifts, as they were going to greet the new guest and make a friendship.


    If he was really a lover of the Queen, then he was a perfect pawn to control the queen. As long as they could bring him to their side, it was beneficial to them.


    They weren''t the only ones who thought that. The same situation was taking ce in every n, including the n that was keeping the Girl from the Alchemy World hostage.


    All the major ns had started their preparation, and everyone wanted to do it easier than the other.


    ****


    While the ns were in a haste to approach Xu Shan, the young man hadpletely stopped caring about the outside world.


    The Mansion was huge yet beautiful. Thousands of people could live in the mansion with ease.


    Xu Shan didn''t live alone in the mansion.Yunxi, the former Emperor and the maid also lived in the mansion, while the General waited outside the mansion, like an ordinary guard.


    All the entrances and exits of the Mansion were under the watchful eyes of the Generals to make sure that Xu Shan couldn''t leave this ce without them finding out.


    Xu Shan had no intention of leaving. He finally had the Celestial Lotus in his hand. Instead of leaving, he wanted to use the Celestial Lotus to further boost his abilities.


    Xu Shan told the Former Emperor and his family to stay in the outer zone of the Mansion and not even try to go deeper. He even issued a threat, saying he was going to kill the person who broke the rule and disturbed him.


    After warning the three guests, he entered the depths of the Mansion, to find the best ce to awaken his second Celestial Spirit with the help of Celestial Lotus.


    He also used some treasures and created some protection and alerting formations.


    With his preparationsplete, Xu Shan entered a room that he had secured in every way possible. Even if it was the Divine Empress, she couldn''t easily enter the room without spending a significant amount of time.


    He ced the Celestial Lotus in the Center of the room and sat right before him. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, allowing him to tap into the vast energy of the Celestial Lotus and channel it into his body.


    As the energy surged through him, he could feel his spiritual aptitude heightening, his senses sharpening, and his abilities getting stronger, and at a fast pace.


    At the same time, he also felt a terrifying pain in his right eye. A crimson trickle ran down his right eye, resembling tears of blood.