NOVPUBMoonlight bathed the Jade Pool, lotus blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, and the ancient Heavenly Phoenix Tree rustled softly.
Several pairs of eyes were watching from the shadows.
They weren’t sure if the woman was truly the Jade Empress… in fact, they doubted it.
Though they had never seen her before, they couldn’t imagine the Jade Empress kissing a young cultivator in front of the Heavenly Phoenix Tree.
The Jade Pool’s defenses were weakened tonight. It was the perfect opportunity to sabotage the Heavenly Phoenix Tree.
But if she truly was the Jade Empress…
Even without a vessel, she was still a terrifying force.
Could they really sabotage the tree right under her nose?
It seemed impossible.
Two figures in the shadows exchanged glances, then retreated silently.
They were elders from ancient families, their auras concealed, their identities unknown, but their goal was the same: to destroy the Heavenly Phoenix Tree.
But seeing the woman in the green dress… it had made them reconsider.
If she truly was the Jade Empress, attacking now would be risky.
She wasn’t radiating any spiritual energy… but that restrained aura was even more unsettling.
“Hmph.”
The third elder, a wizened old man, scoffed and attacked.
His withered hand transformed into a giant palm, reaching towards the Heavenly Phoenix Tree.
A platinum sphere, radiating a dangerous aura, emerged from his sleeve, hovering above the tree.
An ancestral artifact!
The other two elders in the shadows gasped, surprised that a family would resort to using their ancestral artifact to prevent the Jade Empress’s return.
However, the artifact’s aura was carefully concealed, its true form hidden.
They were afraid of retaliation from the Jade Pool Sacred Land, so they had disguised its appearance.
The Jade Empress remained calm, her expression as serene as the moonlight, her movements unhurried.
Boom!
The ancestral artifact struck the formation protecting the Heavenly Phoenix Tree, a deafening roar shattering the night’s silence.
“Are you insane?! If you alert the others, we’ll never escape!” an elder hissed from the shadows.
“If you anger her, we’re all doomed!”
“I don’t care if she’s the Jade Empress or not! An Empress without a vessel is weaker than a Foundation Establishment cultivator!” the old man scoffed, his confidence stemming from the ancestral artifact in his possession. He was certain he could escape.
As for the others… they had chosen to infiltrate the Jade Pool Sacred Land. They should be prepared to die.
He attacked again!
He didn’t target the couple standing beneath the tree. His goal was clear: to destroy the Heavenly Phoenix Tree or delay its fruiting.
However, as he attacked, the Jade Empress sighed softly.
Mu Zhi’an felt an immense pressure emanating from her, an invisible force that seemed to crush the air around them.
The two elders in the shadows gasped, their hearts pounding, and they fled without hesitation.
An aura that terrified even Nascent Soul experts… it could only belong to someone at the Seventh Stage of Nascent Soul or higher!
There was a vast difference between those below the Seventh Stage and those above it. Once a cultivator reached the Seventh Stage and comprehended a sliver of the Great Dao, they became an unstoppable force.
Even if she wasn’t the Jade Empress, she was at least a Seventh Stage Nascent Soul expert who had comprehended the Great Dao!
He heard a cry of alarm from the shadows, and he turned to see a green vine wrapping around the two fleeing elders.
A soft, green light emanated from the vine, illuminating the Jade Pool.
The elders roared in terror as they felt their spiritual energy being drained, their vessels ceasing to function, their spiritual energy suppressed!
They fell silent a moment later.
The vine devoured them, their vessels dissolving into spiritual energy, their bodies vanishing without a trace!
The third elder, his hand trembling as he clutched his ancestral artifact, stared at the Jade Empress, his voice filled with fear. “You’re the Jade Empress?!”
Legend had it that the Jade Empress had only used two techniques in her battles, and those two techniques had been enough to suppress all her enemies.
And this mysterious vine… it was one of those techniques.
It was clear… she truly was the Jade Empress!
And contrary to rumors, she could use her spiritual energy!
But how…?
“No… if she’s the Jade Empress, why would she be kissing a young cultivator…?” he stammered, his eyes wide with fear.
Before he could finish his sentence, the vine wrapped around him, and his vessel shattered, the ancestral artifact in his hand dissolving into particles.
Three Nascent Soul elders from ancient families… dead in an instant!
Mu Zhi’an watched, his scalp tingling as the vine retreated back into the ground.
Her power… it was terrifying. She had effortlessly suppressed three Nascent Soul elders.
And she hadn’t even restored her vessel yet.
What was that vine? It could absorb spiritual energy… could she use it on him…?
A Dao Integration Empress… truly a force to be reckoned with.
He stared at the spot where the elders had vanished, then, after a moment of silence, he asked, “Was that an ancestral artifact?”
He remembered the weapon one of the elders had been holding. It had radiated a far more dangerous aura than any weapon he had ever seen before.
She shook her head. “It was an ancestral artifact, but not the real one. It was just a projection, its power far inferior to the real artifact.”
“They were willing to use an ancestral artifact to prevent your return. They’re desperate,” he remarked.
Not every ancient family possessed an ancestral artifact. Out of the hundreds of ancient families in the Eastern Realm, perhaps only ten possessed such a treasure.
And yet, they had been willing to use it to destroy the Heavenly Phoenix Tree.
They clearly didn’t want her to return.
She looked at him, her voice soft. “There are many who wish to stop me.”
He nodded understandingly.
Some people didn’t want to see an Empress return to power.
However, her return was now inevitable.
If he hadn’t been here, the Jade Pool Sacred Land would have been in trouble.
After all, the elder hadn’t used the real ancestral artifact.
If he had, its power would have been unstoppable, even for a Nascent Soul expert.
Ancestral artifacts were weapons forged by Dao Integration experts. Though ordinary cultivators couldn’t wield their full power, they were still incredibly dangerous.
However, he had been facing the Jade Empress.
Even the real ancestral artifact wouldn’t have been enough.
If she wanted to, she could guard the Heavenly Phoenix Tree until it bore fruit.
As long as she had enough spiritual energy…
She looked at her hand, sighing softly.
She had used her technique only once, and the spiritual energy she had absorbed from him was already gone…
His cultivation level was too low. If he was a Nascent Soul expert, she could have extracted more spiritual energy.
“Let’s go back,” she said.
The attack had ruined her mood.
“Shouldn’t we guard the Heavenly Phoenix Tree?” he asked.
If it was destroyed… the consequences would be dire.
“There’s no need. I planted some vine seeds near it. If anyone attacks the tree, the seeds will retaliate,” she replied, shaking her head.
“We don’t have to worry for the next two days.”
“Your vines… they can absorb spiritual energy?” he asked.
“They simply convert the target’s spiritual energy into ambient spiritual energy. It wouldn’t be very effective against your Innate Celestial Vessel,” she replied, her green eyes twinkling with amusement.
“When we get back, I’ll extract some spiritual energy from your vessel. That should be enough to sustain me until the Heavenly Phoenix Fruit ripens.”
“How will you extract it…?” he asked, his gaze lingering on her.
Unfortunately, he still couldn’t see her face clearly, only a faint outline of her features.
“Let’s go back,” she said, her voice soft.
Her eyes, usually cold and distant, held a hint of shyness, which quickly vanished.
He had a feeling he knew what she was planning.
…
They returned to her chambers, the atmosphere between them strangely awkward.
They had been chatting comfortably before, but now, an uncomfortable silence had settled upon them.
“You saw the Heavenly Phoenix Tree tonight, Fairy Sister. Do you know when it’ll bear fruit?” he asked, breaking the silence.
She nodded.
“It’ll likely bear fruit in half a month. Perhaps even sooner, in ten days.”
She sat down on the bed, her ample bosom straining against her dress, her long, slender legs hidden beneath her skirt, her delicate feet adorned with embroidered shoes, her aura ethereal and unattainable.
Her green robe, her cherry-red lips, her captivating beauty… they tempted him, but the aura she radiated filled him with awe, suppressing any inappropriate thoughts.
Even he, a seasoned womanizer, felt a sense of pressure in her presence. Though she was concealing her aura, his Innate Spiritual Body made him sensitive to it, especially when they were alone.
He couldn’t handle her.
He poured himself a cup of tea, taking a sip to calm his nerves.
A Dao Integration Empress… even without a vessel, her aura was terrifying… once she restored her vessel and regained her full power… it would be even more overwhelming.
She’s not easy to handle…
He then noticed her gaze and looked up, meeting her eyes.
“What is it?”
“I told you I would extract some spiritual energy from your vessel,” she said.
He nodded. “Please, tell me what to do, Fairy Sister. I’ll cooperate.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” she replied.
She stood up, walking towards him, her movements graceful and alluring.
Though she appeared cold and aloof, she was incredibly attractive, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as she approached him.
She reached out, her hand caressing his cheek. “Your vessel might need half a month to recover after the extraction. Are you sure about this?”
Half a month to recover…? She’s going to take all the spiritual energy from my vessel…?
The spiritual energy within his Innate Celestial Vessel came from the outside world, but its refinement rate was far faster than his other vessel. Even after all those nights with Bai Ruoxi, it had never been completely depleted.
A Dao Integration expert… she’s not easily satisfied… He nodded. “Anything for Fairy Sister.”
She stared at him, her eyes reflecting his image, her lips parting slightly, her voice as clear and melodious as a songbird.
“Close your eyes.”
Her voice, enhanced by her Dao, was naturally alluring, especially to those of lower cultivation levels.
And even without her Dao, her words, spoken by a Dao Integration Empress, were impossible to disobey.
He closed his eyes obediently.
He then smelled her delicate fragrance, and he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze.
Her beautiful face was inches away from his, her long eyelashes fluttering, her green eyes as pure and clear as a mountain stream.
She blushed slightly, her eyes flickering with surprise as he opened his eyes, a rare display of emotion from her.
“C-close your eyes,” she said again, her voice barely a whisper.
However, he didn’t obey this time. He met her gaze, then, under her surprised eyes, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
“You close your eyes,” he whispered, his voice soft, his gaze fixed on her.
She froze, her eyes widening, a hint of confusion in her gaze.
A mere Core Formation cultivator… telling her to close her eyes?
However, after staring at him for a moment, she closed her eyes.
… I’ll humor him. Let’s see what he dares to do.
He bent down, his hand on the back of her knee, and lifted her into his arms, carrying her towards the bed.
He turned back, extinguishing the candles with a flick of his finger, then drew the curtains.
I’ll show you what it means to be dominated by a Core Formation cultivator, Your Majesty!
