The Moonspring Gardens were a breathtaking contrast to the austere solitude of the Northern Pavilion. Here, spiritual energy pulsed like a living heart. Luminescent flowers the size of dinner plates drifted in ethereal streams, and trees with leaves of pure jade sighed in a gentle breeze. It was a place of vibrant, concentrated spiritual essence, a stark reminder of the power that still eluded Long Hu. Yet, it was also terrifyingly close to Empress Xianxia's personal sanctum, its golden light an ever-present reminder of her watchful eye.
His new "office" was a secluded, elegant pavilion nestled beside a cascading waterfall of pure Qi. Inside, tables laden with unpurified spiritual resources awaited him: raw lumps of star-iron, glowing celestial herbs, unrefined spirit gems, and sealed scrolls vibrating with potent energies. His task: to touch, to sense, to 'purify' every single one before it entered the main palace. The weight of responsibility settled on him like a physical burden. Any undetected impurity could wreak havoc.
He began, cautiously at first, then with increasing confidence. His hands, no longer raw from scrubbing, moved with an almost surgical precision. He picked up a lump of raw moonstone. Its surface looked pristine, but his unique intuition immediately detected a faint, discordant hum deep within – a microscopic, almost sentient flaw. He closed his eyes, focusing. Instead of 'coaxing' like with the stream, he found himself *absorbing* the discordant frequency, drawing it into his own shattered core, where it simply... dissipated. It was a unique form of spiritual digestion, leaving the moonstone utterly pure.
Hours passed, each purified item a small victory. He felt a subtle shift within his own being. The emptiness where his cultivation should have been wasn't filling, but his physical senses sharpened, his mind grew clearer, and a latent vitality seemed to stir in his veins from the constant, minute absorption of discarded impurities.
Empress Xianxia, cloaked in robes of deep indigo, appeared without a sound. She stood by the entrance, observing him from a distance, her presence a silent, powerful pressure. She watched him handle a volatile Phoenix Feather, a resource that would typically require a high-level cultivator's careful purification. He simply held it, his brow furrowed, then released it, its vibrant spiritual light now flawlessly pure.
Her lips, usually serene, curved into a faint, almost involuntary smile. This apprentice of hers, this broken relic, was becoming something truly extraordinary. His method was so utterly alien, so utterly non-cultivation, yet undeniably effective. She felt a surge of something akin to proprietary pride, quickly followed by a prickle of annoyance at the sentiment. He was a tool. A very valuable tool.
Her gaze drifted to his face. The grime was gone, replaced by a subtle glow of health. His once gaunt features were slowly filling out, his dark eyes now held a keen, intelligent spark. A distant echo of the Harem Lord's striking handsomeness, now softened by innocence and humility, flickered in her memory. He was becoming dangerously alluring.
Long Hu, finishing with a particularly troublesome spirit-gem, looked up. His eyes met hers across the distance. The vastness of her power, the chilling beauty of her presence, still sent a shiver through him. But beneath the fear, and the lingering confusion of his fragmented past, there was a strange, undeniable pull. He was her prisoner, her project, but she was also the key to his memories, and perhaps, his lost strength.
Just then, Master Tian approached the Empress, his gaze flicking between her and the diligently working apprentice. "Your Majesty, the delegation from the Northern Dominion has arrived. Their Tribute of the Frozen Heart Orchids awaits purification before storage. They are... impatient."
Xianxia merely nodded, her eyes still on Long Hu. The Northern Dominion was known for its shrewdness, its cultivators constantly probing for weakness. Their tribute often contained subtle impurities, a test of the palace's vigilance.
"Apprentice Long Hu will attend to them immediately," she stated, her voice clear. "Ensure the delegation is present for the process. Let them bear witness to the purity of the Azure Heaven Realm." Her gaze returned to Long Hu, a silent command passing between them. *Show them what you can do. And do not fail me.*
Long Hu felt the weight of her expectation, the subtle challenge in her eyes. This wasn't just about purifying tribute; it was a demonstration. A gauntlet thrown. He looked at the vast array of glowing resources, then back towards the distant, veiled figures of the arriving delegation. His simple life as a cleaner was truly over. He was now a public spectacle, a tool for the Empress's dominion. And somewhere within the raw spiritual energy of the Moonspring Gardens, he felt a faint, malicious resonance – a whisper of the cosmic shadow, confirming that the larger threat was closer than ever.