The grand door seemed to have merged with the palace, fitting perfectly without any seams, making it impossible to open.
Chen Xiao tried every method, even resorting to brute force, but it was all to no avail.
"Ziqing, why don't you give it a try?"
Finally, in his helplessness, Chen Xiao turned his hopeful gaze to Li Ziqing.
"If you can't do anything, what can I do?"
Li Ziqing rolled her eyes and muttered.
"Just try it. Since the Yin-Yang Jade drew you in, it must have a use for you."
Chen Xiao said very seriously.
"Alright, so in your eyes, your new wife is just a tool."
Li Ziqing rolled her eyes even more.
Despite her words, Li Ziqing did as Chen Xiao suggested.
She pushed the door, but there was no reaction.
"It seems I've disappointed you this time."
Li Ziqing spread her hands and said helplessly.
Chen Xiao frowned. Although reaching the palace entrance was a huge improvement, how could they get inside?
What necessary step was missing?
Just as Chen Xiao was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a creak. The palace's grand door actually opened on its own.
"Oh, you're here!"
A melodious female voice came from within.
Immediately after, Li Ziqing saw an exceptionally beautiful woman with a slender waist but a full bust and perky hips, smiling at Chen Xiao.
The stunning beauty had long, slender legs, and her height was not inferior to Chen Xiao's.
"Husband, who is this?"
Li Ziqing asked coldly.
Chen Xiao awkwardly scratched his head, contemplating how to introduce her, when the stunning beauty opposite them spoke with utmost seriousness, "He is my master, and I am his pet. Auntie!"
Master? Pet? Auntie?
Li Ziqing was on the verge of a volcanic eruption. She glared fiercely at Chen Xiao and said through gritted teeth, "Chen Xiao, I think I need a reasonable explanation."
"Actually, she's a bird..."
Chen Xiao explained awkwardly. "You don't need to get angry with a bird, do you?"
"A bird?"
Li Ziqing looked bewildered, instinctively thinking Chen Xiao was spouting nonsense.
But then she thought, even if Chen Xiao was going to lie, there was no need to lie about being a bird!
"Tsk, I'm not a bird!"
The stunning beauty immediately retorted, "I'm a phoenix, a fire phoenix!"
As she finished speaking, the stunning beauty transformed, becoming a phoenix engulfed in flames, soaring into the sky.
It turned out this was the fire phoenix Chen Xiao had encountered in the Jiuyi Abyss. After entering the Yin-Yang Jade, she had flown into the palace.
This was the first time Chen Xiao had seen her since then.
After circling once, the fire phoenix landed before them, reverting to her human form.
"You, you really are a bird..."
Li Ziqing stared, wide-eyed, and swallowed.
Although Chen Xiao had told her many extraordinary things that normal people wouldn't encounter,
this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.
"I told you, I'm a phoenix, not a bird. Can you get it right, Auntie!"
The fire phoenix said, rolling her eyes.
"Auntie? I'm not your auntie. How can you be so disrespectful? Since Chen Xiao is your master, then I am your master from now on!"
Li Ziqing said domineeringly.
After all, she was a female CEO managing thousands of people, and she had to maintain her presence.
Chen Xiao also said, "That little Huo, call Ziqing sister from now on. Don't just call her Auntie!"
"Huh?"
The fire phoenix tilted her head, looking curious. "But Auntie told me to call her that. I've always called Auntie that before!"
"I told you to call me that? Before?"
Li Ziqing was completely confused, not understanding what this big silly bird was talking about.
They were meeting for the first time, weren't they?
However, Chen Xiao's mind stirred, and he quickly asked, "Who is that Auntie? What's her name?"
"Auntie is Auntie, she's the one right here~~~"
The fire phoenix said matter-of-factly, then continued, "And isn't this palace Auntie's?"
"Wait? No, no, no. Auntie has already fallen. You're not Auntie. Who are you? Why are you pretending to be Auntie!"
The fire phoenix suddenly glared at Li Ziqing, looking as if she were about to burn Li Ziqing with her flames.
Chen Xiao exchanged a look with Li Ziqing and said, "I already know who Auntie is, and I know who the owner of this palace is. Let's go in, we've come to the right place!"
With that, Chen Xiao strode forward.
Of course, he was holding Li Ziqing's hand. Otherwise, given the fire phoenix's attitude just now, she wouldn't have let Li Ziqing in at all.
The main hall was vast, perfectly blending the seemingly unrelated elements of grandeur and simplicity.
At the very back of the hall, there was a meticulously crafted bamboo couch.
On the wall behind the bamboo couch hung a scroll over two meters tall.
Within the scroll was a painting of a pure and beautiful Taoist nun with an ethereal demeanor and picturesque features.
The moment she saw the Taoist nun in the painting, Li Ziqing's eyes widened.
Who is this? Why does she look exactly like me?
Indeed, the Taoist nun in the scroll had features and a facial appearance almost identical to Li Ziqing's.
The only difference was their temperament. Compared to Li Ziqing, the Taoist nun in the painting possessed a more transcendent aura.
And, she was more commanding.
"Husband, who is she? Could she be..."
With her intelligence, Li Ziqing had already guessed who the woman in the painting was.
However, she still wanted to hear a definitive answer.
"That's right, she is your ancestor, the Eternal Immortal Emperor!"
Chen Xiao confirmed Li Ziqing's guess.
Li Ziqing gazed at the painting on the wall, lost in thought.
Her emotions at that moment were beyond words.
Logically, they were separated by thousands of years. Although they had a blood connection, it might have already diverged greatly.
But for some reason, when Li Ziqing learned that the person in the painting was her ancestor, she suddenly felt a strange connection with her.
It felt as if... she was me, and I was her.
Just as Li Ziqing was in a daze, the 'all-knowing' fire phoenix suddenly slapped her thigh and exclaimed loudly, "Ah, I get it! You're Auntie's descendant, right? Then, you should call me Great-Grandmother, no, Ancestral Grandmother, that's not right either, just Great-Ancestral Grandmother! It's just a title, I don't mind much."
"Shut your bird mouth!"
Chen Xiao said speechlessly. "What have you been doing here recently? Also, Zhu Jiuyang and Zhu Jiuyin flew in, where are they now?"
"You ask about those two guys!"
The fire phoenix pouted disdainfully. "What else would they be doing? Guarding the tomb!"