Category: It turns out, they are the protagonists

Chapter 512: The Spirit Dragon and the Princess’s First Meeting 

Exhale…

Mu Zhian slowly exhaled a turbid breath, his eyes opening as dawn approached.

The temperature in the bedchamber was just right. Two soft and fragrant bodies lay on either side of him. He glanced at the beautiful face of the Yu State Empress beside him, then at the mature and gentle Princess on the other side, and couldn’t help but close his eyes again.

He was savoring the feeling of having just reached the peak of Nascent Soul Realm.

Although the Spiritual Energy in his cauldron was almost depleted, Mu Zhian’s spiritual sense was stronger than ever before. He could clearly hear the servants bustling outside, their hushed conversations, and even their footsteps.

He could even hear the content of others’ voice transmissions.

Even his own Essence Blood was more vigorous than ever!

These were the benefits of reaching the peak of Nascent Soul Realm.

Being able to raise one’s realm by a whole level in one go, only Luo Tan’s Innate Celestial Furnace could achieve this.

At this moment, Mu Zhian was filled with emotion.

Only now did he truly understand how Yao Meng and Ruoxi felt before.

After this boost, if he wanted to, he could continue to grow stronger through his complementary relationship with Luo Tan.

“Why are you awake so early? Could it be that after such a long night, you’re not tired at all?”

Just then, Luo Tan gently placed a hand on Mu Zhian’s face, her soft voice carrying a hint of laziness, her body nestled against his, looking at him with a smile.

“I am a bit tired, but being able to satisfy Your Majesty and Her Highness, I feel it was worth it,” Mu Zhian said with a smile.

Luo Tan’s calm smile faltered slightly, as if recalling the events of last night. Her gaze at the young man held a hint of awkwardness.

Mu Zhian looked at the ‘sleeping’ Princess and said softly, “Your Highness, you should be awake already, right?”

The Princess’s long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, then she slowly opened her eyes. Noticing her best friend’s gaze, her face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head.

She didn’t expect to share a bed with Luo Tan one day… and more importantly, to share the same man.

Thinking of this, the Princess’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

Mu Zhian looked at this scene and couldn’t help but grin, reaching out and holding the Princess’s soft, small hand.

Thinking about how he had to hide under the table to avoid being discovered by the Princess when she came to see Luo Tan a while ago, and now…

“Although you’ve reached the peak of Nascent Soul Realm, don’t get too excited just yet. According to historical records, many cultivators have perished during the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation. Only after truly comprehending the Dao can you truly relax.”

Just then, Luo Tan suddenly spoke, a gentle reminder in her voice.

“The Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill I refined can give you at least a seventy percent chance of successfully reaching Soul Transformation, but you possess the Innate Celestial Furnace constitution after all… On the path to immortality, the stronger one’s constitution, the more difficult it is to comprehend the Dao. Don’t get careless at the last moment.”

Mu Zhian became somewhat interested. Holding the Princess’s delicate hand with one hand, he placed his other arm around Luo Tan’s waist, “The stronger the constitution, the more difficult it is to comprehend the Dao? Is this also a rule of heaven and earth?”

Luo Tan’s heart fluttered, smelling the young man’s warm scent. She subconsciously leaned against him, enjoying his warmth, but with her best friend present, she forced herself to remain composed and hummed in agreement:

“You should know that a cultivator’s Heavenly Tribulation is related to their talent. The stronger the talent, the stronger the tribulation.”

Mu Zhian nodded.

He had heard of this. He had witnessed Bai Ruoxi, Lan Mulian, and others experiencing the nine levels of lightning tribulation in the past. This tribulation was extremely difficult, also signifying that their talent was top-notch.

Mu Zhian thought for a moment, then asked with some satisfaction, “So my talent is also among the top tier?”

Luo Tan glanced at him and said, “Your talent might not be the best, but the Innate Celestial Furnace is definitely a top-tier constitution.”

“The Heavenly Tribulation is determined by the cultivator’s constitution. In other words, the stronger your constitution, the more difficult the tribulation.”

“Wait… You mean my Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation’s difficulty will be adjusted based on the strength of my Innate Celestial Furnace…?” Mu Zhian suddenly understood Luo Tan’s words.

“But my Innate Celestial Furnace doesn’t help me in battle…”

Luo Tan covered her ample bosom with one hand, got out of bed, and changed into her magnificent dress before the bronze mirror. Her usual noble and elegant aura seemed to have gained a touch of mature charm today.

She turned her back to Mu Zhian, only showing him a graceful figure: “The rules of heaven and earth don’t care about that. There was once a Support Physique in the Nine Provinces who could temporarily boost other people’s realms and strengthen their spiritual power during battle. She was highly sought after and was eventually recruited by the Northern Frontier’s Underworld. But she ultimately perished in the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation.”

“Because the Heavenly Tribulation at the time judged her physique as one of the strongest in the Nine Provinces, she was given the most difficult tribulation. Its power was no less than the Body Tribulation of the Dao Integration Realm.”

Mu Zhian was momentarily speechless.

There’s something wrong with these rules of heaven and earth!

It was like a priest in a game having several god-level skills, able to easily clear any dungeon by supporting their teammates, but one day, someone told the priest that they had to solo the dungeon with these god-level support skills…

But the problem was these support skills couldn’t be used on themselves.

How could this work? Hit the boss with a stick?

Luo Tan paused, then smiled brightly, “But don’t worry, you, like me, have a dual constitution, right? Although each constitution will double the difficulty of the Heavenly Tribulation, at least you don’t have to face it with a support physique.”

“The Nine-Tailed Fox body is one of the strongest constitutions in the Demon Realm. Withstanding the Heavenly Tribulation shouldn’t be difficult.”

After a long while, Mu Zhian snapped out of his daze and stared blankly at Luo Tan, “You mean, for every powerful constitution I have, the difficulty of the Heavenly Tribulation doubles…?”

“The difficulty of the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation stacks based on my constitutions?”

Luo Tan nodded slightly and said, “Don’t worry, although a dual constitution will double the difficulty of the Heavenly Tribulation, with the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill I refined, passing the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Then what if it’s not just a dual constitution?” Mu Zhian asked.

Luo Tan raised a delicate eyebrow, “I also have a dual constitution, but I still successfully passed the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation.”

Seeing Mu Zhian’s silence, the Princess, thinking he was still worried, comforted him gently, “Although the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation is difficult, there have been many cases of cultivators with multiple constitutions passing through it. You don’t need to worry about a dual constitution.”

“I don’t have a dual constitution,” Mu Zhian sighed softly.

Luo Tan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, “Do you have three constitutions?”

Mu Zhian slowly shook his head.

At this moment, even the Princess felt something was wrong: “If it’s not three, then what are you worried about?”

Mu Zhian silently glanced at her, “More than three…”

“Four constitutions?” The Princess’s expression changed.

The Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation would adjust its difficulty based on the cultivator’s ‘talent’, and a cultivator’s constitution was often the simplest and crudest way to judge talent.

Seeing Mu Zhian’s increasingly worried expression, Luo Tan murmured doubtfully, “You possess the Chaos Body with more than four constitutions? Why haven’t I heard you mention this before?”

As she spoke, she sat down on the edge of the bed, her legs, encased in snow-white boots beneath her magnificent white dress, resting beside Mu Zhian. The blue veins on her feet formed a unique beauty against her fair skin.

“I didn’t think the Chaos Body was particularly rare, so I didn’t mention it,” Mu Zhian shook his head.

“The Chaos Body indeed isn’t particularly rare…but a Chaos Body with more than three constitutions is very rare.”

Luo Tan paused, then comforted him, “But you don’t need to worry too much. The difficulty of the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation is determined by the strength of the constitutions. The strongest among your constitutions are the Innate Celestial Furnace and the Nine-Tailed Fox body. The other constitutions combined might not even double the difficulty of the Heavenly Tribulation.”

“What are your other constitutions?” the Princess suddenly asked.

“If I remember correctly, the Sword Immortal Protection was the second constitution I obtained,” Mu Zhian said.

“Gong Lianyue…?”

Luo Tan’s expression changed; she vaguely sensed something was wrong.

Gong Lianyue was famous for her swordsmanship. The term ‘Immortal’ held the most sacred position in cultivators’ hearts, and the words ‘Sword Immortal’ were enough to show the significance of this constitution.

This was the first time she had heard of someone other than Gong Lianyue possessing the Sword Immortal Protection.

“Besides that? Anything else?” the Princess asked. She knew if it were just one constitution, Mu Zhian’s expression wouldn’t be so grim.

“The Innate Spiritual Body.”

Luo Tan’s eyes flickered, and she said softly, “The Forbidden Zone imperial daughter’s constitution? Besides that, there should also be the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox body?”

Any one of these four constitutions alone would be enough to cause a sensation among the cultivators of the Nine Provinces, yet all four appeared in a single person.

No wonder his expression was so grim.

“The Heaven Devouring Demon Body, the Sacred Heavenly Body, the Innate Dao Body…”

However, before Luo Tan could recover from her thoughts, hearing Mu Zhian list the constitutions one by one, her expression finally changed.

The Princess’s red lips parted slightly, looking at Mu Zhian with astonishment.

Mu Zhian silently glanced at his personal interface: “And the Pill Immortal Physique that was just added.”

Luo Tan was stunned for a moment, then finally realized something, “You can absorb other people’s constitutions for your own use?”

Thinking carefully, weren’t all the constitutions Mu Zhian mentioned related to the women around him?

Even her Pill Immortal Physique had become one of Mu Zhian’s constitutions…

A Chaos Body that could absorb other people’s constitutions… Normally, Luo Tan would be shocked and then pleased by Mu Zhian’s talent.

But Mu Zhian was about to ‘comprehend the Dao’ after consuming the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill.

If the rules of heaven and earth sensed Mu Zhian’s Chaos Body, what kind of Heavenly Tribulation would descend?

“But you don’t seem to have absorbed my constitution…” the Princess asked doubtfully.

Mu Zhian shrugged: “Perhaps it’s because the Great Dao transcends the universe.”

Not only the Princess’s, but also Lin Ling’s Words Manifest Reality constitution couldn’t be absorbed by him.

The two women had one thing in common: they were both related to the Great Dao.

“Since the Jade Empress sent you to Yu State, she must have thought of a way to deal with it… Perhaps you should find her before the tribulation.”

Luo Tan pondered for a moment and said, “In short, I’ll refine the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill for you in the next few days, but you must let me know before the tribulation.”

Towards the end of her words, her tone held a hint of seriousness and warning.

Once the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation descended, the shielding technique the Spirit Dragon cast on Mu Zhian’s Innate Celestial Furnace would no longer be effective. Once the secret of the Innate Celestial Furnace was exposed, Mu Zhian would attract two groups of people.

One group would try every possible way to win him over… After all, the temptation of the Innate Celestial Furnace was too great.

And the other group would try to kill him at all costs, even offending the Jade Empress.

After all, Mu Zhian’s Innate Celestial Furnace was equivalent to being able to continuously help Dao Integration Realm Empresses transcend. What Dao Integration Realm expert wouldn’t be envious?

If this continued, Mu Zhian’s backing would become increasingly powerful, and this growing power would eventually threaten their position in the Nine Provinces.

Even if Mu Zhian didn’t have such intentions, it would still make people wary.

Mu Zhian nodded politely: “I understand.”

He looked at the Princess and said, “Your Highness, could I ask you for a favor?”

The Princess raised a delicate eyebrow, her gentle eyes gazing at Mu Zhian, “Just tell me what you need, there’s no need to be so polite.”

Luo Tan was also curious about what Mu Zhian wanted to do and looked at him questioningly.

“This matter is related to Senior Spirit Dragon,” Mu Zhian said softly.

“If it works, my Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation will be much smoother.”

…

Two Polarities Sect.

A spatial rift silently opened outside Two Polarities Peak. Mu Zhian, dressed discreetly, held the Princess’s hand and stepped out.

The Princess, looking mature and charming, walked gracefully towards Two Polarities Peak, sized it up, and a hint of surprise flickered in her beautiful eyes, “I’ve heard that the Two Polarities Sect’s formations are incredibly ingenious, but I’ve never had the chance to witness them. Today, I finally have.”

Mu Zhian discreetly released her hand, looked up, and said, “I’ll write a letter to Senior Sister and ask her to deactivate the Two Polarities Peak formations so we can enter.”

The Princess hummed softly in agreement, then looked at Mu Zhian tenderly, “What’s your relationship with this Spirit Dragon? And who is this Senior Sister? Why do I feel like you’ve been deliberately keeping your distance from me since just now?”

“Are you afraid of them finding out about our relationship?”

Mu Zhian: “…”

As it turned out, women’s intelligence was maxed out when it came to catching someone cheating.

Mu Zhian shook his head and said softly, “The Spirit Dragon is my senior… and Senior Sister is naturally my Senior Sister.”

“Don’t you also want to keep our affair a secret?”

The Princess nodded thoughtfully, then quickly regained her usual gentle smile, “Mmm, you’re right.”

While they were talking, the paper crane had already flown into Two Polarities Peak.

After a while, a clear and pleasant “Aaaa” sound came from within the peak, a melodious song like heavenly music, seemingly filled with longing for someone.

Arriving outside the peak, the pure and innocent Miss Spirit Dragon immediately saw Mu Zhian. Her red eyes sparkling with joy, before Mu Zhian could even transmit his voice to remind her to ‘restrain’ herself, Lin Ling opened her arms and pounced into his embrace.

Her soft body leaned completely against Mu Zhian, her face rubbing against his as she sang a joyful “Aaa” song, completely ignoring the woman beside them, as if she hadn’t even noticed her presence.

The Princess finally realized the problem and looked at Mu Zhian with a smile.

You call this your senior?

Chapter 511: Between Cuckolding and Being Cuckolded Lies Just a Single Thought 

A soft, sweet, and melodious voice echoed through the bedchamber, seemingly plucking at Mu Zhian’s heartstrings.

But at the same time, a big question arose in his mind.

She said punishment… Where’s the punishment? Why did it feel like Luo Tan was teasing him?

Who punished someone by covering their eyes with a piece of their own dress?

And there wasn’t a hint of coldness in her tone…

At this moment, Mu Zhian couldn’t quite grasp what the Pill Emperor was thinking.

Earlier, when Luo Tan asked him if he had been intimate with the Princess, Mu Zhian initially wanted to lie.

But before that, he thought of something else.

When exactly did Luo Tan guess that a wisp of Yao Meng’s spiritual sense was residing in his Green Lotus Ring?

When he first arrived in Yu State a few days ago, Luo Tan definitely hadn’t noticed, otherwise she wouldn’t have waited until tonight to reveal it.

And before tonight, he hadn’t had any intimate contact with Luo Tan, so she couldn’t have sensed the abnormality in the Green Lotus Ring herself.

In other words, someone must have ‘tipped her off’.

Then who could it be?

Among the people Luo Tan interacted with today, the most likely person to know the secret of the Green Lotus Ring, and also tell Luo Tan about it, seemed to be only the Princess.

In other words, Luo Tan asking him tonight whether he had been intimate with the Princess was simply to confirm whether he would lie to her.

Mu Zhian’s vision was completely dark, the white fabric of the dress covering his eyes, even his spiritual sense temporarily blocked. But smelling the faint fragrance emanating from the woman’s white dress beside him, he inexplicably felt relieved.

Judging from Luo Tan’s tone and attitude just now, he seemed to have guessed correctly.

However, come to think of it, why did the Princess tell her everything…? Wasn’t it supposed to be a secret between them?

Although he knew their relationship was much closer than he imagined, Mu Zhian still hadn’t expected the Princess to even tell Luo Tan about their intimacy.

“I know you must be guessing what kind of punishment I’ll give you,” Luo Tan circled around Mu Zhian and said with amusement, “But before that, I want to ask you a question.”

“Is there a reward for answering correctly?” Mu Zhian asked.

Luo Tan was slightly taken aback, then smiled brightly, “Of course. But since there’s a reward for answering correctly, there should naturally be a punishment for answering incorrectly, right?”

“Why don’t you tell me the question first, Your Majesty?” For some reason, Mu Zhian felt like she was setting a trap for him.

Luo Tan placed her hands on Mu Zhian’s shoulders, pressing him against the chair behind him, looking at the blindfolded young man, and said with a smile, “Since you were intimate with the Princess in Cloud Province…you should know what she looks like, right? Isn’t she very beautiful?”

Mu Zhian hesitated slightly, then said, “Her Highness is indeed very beautiful, but Your Majesty’s beauty is peerless, no less than the Princess.”

Luo Tan couldn’t help but be stunned, then looked at the young man with amusement, finding it quite interesting.

She hadn’t even asked the question yet, but Mu Zhian already knew what she wanted to ask, even preemptively blocking her words…

Luo Tan naturally didn’t know that Mu Zhian, a veteran in the field of romance, had experienced this kind of question too many times before and naturally guessed what she wanted to ask the moment she opened her mouth.

This kind of loaded question, no matter how he answered, wouldn’t end well.

Choosing Luo Tan, she might not be happy either, after all, the Princess was her best friend, and she was also intimate with Mu Zhian.

But choosing the Princess… was even less likely to make her happy.

The only solution was to praise both of them before the question even came out, blocking it completely.

Heh, although she’s at Dao Integration Realm, in terms of romantic experience, she’s still no match for me…

Seeing Luo Tan’s momentary silence, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

However, just then, he heard Luo Tan’s soft and sweet voice again, “Then between me and the Princess, who do you think is a better kisser?”

Mu Zhian’s train of thought screeched to a halt.

Wait, hold on!

Why ask such a strange question out of the blue?!

“Your Majesty…”

“Me?” Luo Tan’s voice held a hint of amusement.

Mu Zhian shook his head and sighed softly, “Your Majesty, please forgive me for not being able to answer this question.”

Luo Tan: “Hmm? Is there something you can’t say?”

She looked at the blindfolded young man, then glanced playfully at the beautiful woman standing on Mu Zhian’s other side.

Mu Zhian’s expression remained calm, “If I answer Her Highness the Princess now, what would you think?”

Luo Tan didn’t speak.

“But if I don’t answer Her Highness the Princess, what would you think then?”

Mu Zhian sighed, “You would think I’m being glib, flattering you in front of you, and flattering the Princess in front of her, two-faced… So no matter how I answer, it’s not appropriate.”

Luo Tan was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, “If you could apply this kind of wit to proper matters, you would be more than qualified to be my advisor.”

Mu Zhian smiled and countered, “Can’t I stay by your side if I’m not an advisor?”

Although he couldn’t see anything, Mu Zhian held Luo Tan’s hand as if by instinct and said softly, “You can have many advisors by your side, but the only one who can assist you to the very end is me.”

He possessed the Innate Celestial Furnace, so he was naturally qualified to say this.

For a moment, Mu Zhian could feel Luo Tan’s body stiffen slightly. Although he couldn’t see her expression, it wasn’t hard to imagine that it was probably somewhat flustered.

This Empress, like Yao Meng, had high attack but low defense. She could tease others, but when it was her turn to be teased, Luo Tan would feel a girlish shyness and delight.

“You…you still haven’t answered my question.”

Just then, Luo Tan suddenly said softly, her voice tinged with shyness.

Mu Zhian slowly shook his head, “If you’re asking me to choose between the Princess and you, then please forgive me for not being able to answer… Besides, what happened between the Princess and me was a few days ago, and it’s been a long time since I was intimate with you, so I can’t make a direct comparison now…”

He thought this explanation was enough to make Luo Tan drop the question, but then he heard her ask softly:

“Then what if you make a choice after experiencing it again?”

“Then, without a doubt, I would choose you,” Mu Zhian replied calmly and confidently.

“Because I’m right in front of you now, so it gives you the most direct experience?”

Luo Tan seemed to understand the implication in Mu Zhian’s words and chuckled softly, “Then what if the person being intimate with you right now isn’t just me alone? What would you choose then?”

Mu Zhian was stunned. Something about her words felt off…

He was about to speak, but just then, he felt the woman’s soft lips gently pressing against his.

His eyes were covered by the white fabric of the dress, his vision completely dark. But for some reason, it was precisely this darkness that allowed him to sense the woman’s presence more clearly.

This isn’t Luo Tan!

After savoring the kiss for a moment, this thought instantly flashed through Mu Zhian’s mind.

Although the other party had concealed her aura, for some reason, Mu Zhian just had this intuition.

The person kissing him right now wasn’t Luo Tan… There was a third person in this bedchamber!

Just then, Luo Tan embraced him from behind, pressing her soft body against his back, and said in a soft and sweet voice, “Do you like this surprise?”

Mu Zhian was silent for a moment, wanting to remove the cloth covering his eyes.

However, Luo Tan pressed his hand, stopping him, and said gently, “Don’t take it off… She’s a bit shy, so let’s keep it like this for now.”

Towards the end of her words, she looked up at the beautiful woman before Mu Zhian with a slight smile.

The two women surrounded Mu Zhian, one in front and one behind. He felt his mind slowing down.

After a long while, the kiss ended, and Mu Zhian gently exhaled, boldly reaching out to hold the woman’s soft, small hand, then whispered, “Your Highness…?”

Silence fell upon the bedchamber.

The Princess’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she glared at Luo Tan, who was watching the show, then said, “How did you find out?”

Even when annoyed, she still looked like a pouting lover, her gentle eyes filled with resentment. Truly a gentle woman.

Mu Zhian smiled, “If I couldn’t even tell Your Highness’s scent, then as Your Highness’s secret lover… I would be a failure.”

The Princess had indeed concealed her aura, making it impossible for him to sense it with his current realm. But with the Princess so close to him, how could Mu Zhian not notice?

“But I’m a bit curious, why are you here tonight…?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

“I asked her to come.”

Luo Tan removed the cloth covering Mu Zhian’s eyes.

The beautiful and refined Pill Emperor, in her magnificent white dress, said with a smile, “I’ve roughly figured out why you and the Princess became intimate… You want to comprehend the Great Dao’s laws, right?”

Before Mu Zhian could speak, a playful glint flashed through Luo Tan’s beautiful eyes, like autumn water, “Quite a few people wanted to use our Great Peng Emperor’s wife to comprehend the Great Dao in the past. I didn’t expect her to choose you in the end.”

Mu Zhian was somewhat speechless: “So Your Majesty knows everything…”

He knew the Princess and Luo Tan had a good relationship, but he didn’t expect the Princess to even tell Luo Tan about this…

“She didn’t tell me about what happened between you two at first. I just became suspicious when you returned to Yu State today, so I tested her a bit during the day,” Luo Tan said with a faint smile.

“But what do you mean by calling the Princess to the bedchamber tonight…?” Mu Zhian asked tentatively.

“Since you want to comprehend the Great Dao’s laws, the easiest way is to enter the Great Dao, then try to resonate with it when you reach the peak of Nascent Soul Realm… As long as the Great Dao acknowledges you, you can use the Great Dao for your Dao Integration.”

Luo Tan looked at Mu Zhian and said softly, “You can reach the peak of Nascent Soul Realm tonight. As for whether you can comprehend the Dao, it depends on whether the Great Dao acknowledges your existence.”

Mu Zhian’s eyes widened slightly. Looking at Luo Tan’s beautiful face, and the hint of shyness in her usually lofty eyes, he understood her meaning.

Luo Tan wanted him to break through to the peak of Nascent Soul Realm tonight, then use the Princess’s special constitution, connected to the Great Dao, to comprehend the Great Dao in one fell swoop!

Only moonlight streamed into the bedchamber, a brief silence falling upon the room, the atmosphere somewhat ambiguous.

Setting aside the Princess, although she was the Great Peng Emperor’s wife, she was still inexperienced, possessing the mature sensuality of a young woman, yet as innocent as a blank sheet of paper when it came to relationships.

As for Luo Tan… although she was the inviolable Empress in the eyes of the Yu State cultivators, she, like the Princess, hadn’t had any physical contact with men before…

Yet under these circumstances, she actually secretly invited the Princess here tonight.

What a surprise…

“Why are you silent? Are you still upset about me teasing you earlier?”

Luo Tan looked at the silent young man and chuckled softly, “Or are you hesitating about something?”

She stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to Mu Zhian’s ear, and whispered, “Like… you can only satisfy one of us?”

These words were like igniting a fuse, even Mu Zhian couldn’t bear such a question.

He stopped holding back, wrapped his arm around Luo Tan’s soft and voluptuous waist, looked at the Princess beside him, and said, “Your Highness, is it okay?”

The Princess pursed her lips and leaned gently against the young man.

Then, her gentle and sweet voice echoed through the bedchamber, “Of course.”

“Please keep this a secret from the Great Peng Emperor, and then… fully experience the Great Dao~”

…

That night, Yu State was the same as usual, bustling with activity.

The people sang praises of the Empress, and the imperial palace was patrolled by guards as usual.

No one slacked off during their patrol.

Even late at night, their Empress often worked tirelessly in her bedchamber, reviewing memorials.

Since even Her Majesty was like this, those beneath her naturally had to follow her example.

However, no one knew that their Empress wasn’t reviewing memorials tonight, but was…

Rumble…

At a certain moment, a deafening thunderclap seemed to echo above the Yu State imperial palace, attracting the attention of countless cultivators within, who all looked up.

It came from the Empress’s bedchamber.

Whispers spread among the people.

They thought Her Majesty had refined some pill, attracting a Pill Tribulation or something.

Just then, a five-pointed star formation silently spread outwards from the bedchamber, soft white light rippling like waves, concealing the vast Spiritual Energy emanating from within.

The rumbling thunder also dissipated.

Deep within the Jade Pool Holy Land, Yao Meng seemed to sense something immediately. She looked up in the direction of Yu State, lost in thought.

Not far from her, a young lady with a cool and elegant temperament slowly opened her eyes. A faint silver light enveloped her skin, holy and captivating.

“Holy Maiden, what are you thinking about?” the Jade Pool Holy Maiden asked softly.

Yao Meng said with complex emotions, “I didn’t expect there would be a day I would personally send my beloved to another woman.”

Jade Pool Holy Maiden: “?”

Yao Meng shook her head and said with a smile, “It’s nothing, you can just focus on your cultivation here.”

“Is Holy Maiden planning to go out?” the Jade Pool Holy Maiden asked.

Yao Meng nodded and said faintly, “Going to the Forbidden Zone for a change of scenery.”

“And… there’s something I want to ask Qian’er.”

The Jade Pool Holy Maiden couldn’t help but be stunned.

Master asking a disciple for advice… What could it be?

Chapter 510: Her Majesty Wants to Mix Business with Pleasure? “After you froze time with the Principles of Time earlier… what did you talk about with her?”

No matter how he listened, Yao Meng’s words were incredibly strange, to the point that even Mu Zhian, a ‘battle-hardened’ veteran in the field of romance, couldn’t keep his composure.

“Nothing much, just some trivial matters with the Pill Emperor, don’t worry about it,” Yao Meng said with a smile.

Although she said that, Mu Zhian knew they were clearly talking about him.

However, if Yao Meng didn’t want to talk about it, he couldn’t press her at this particular moment.

Yao Meng looked up at Luo Tan and said softly, “I hope you remember our agreement.”

“As agreed, I’ll refine the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill in the next few days and give it to him.”

The noble and elegant Empress walked to Mu Zhian’s side. She was about the same height as him, but in her snow-white boots, she seemed to exude an invisible aura of authority. Looking back into Yao Meng’s eyes, she smiled and said, “You don’t need to worry.”

So what exactly did you two talk about? Do you even know that cryptic talk requires mugwort (Chinese herb used in traditional medicine, also a slang term for NTR)? Mu Zhian wanted to ask, but at this moment, Yao Meng’s figure had already turned ethereal, giving Mu Zhian one last meaningful look before silently returning to the Green Lotus Ring.

“This matter is temporarily resolved.”

Luo Tan stretched lazily, then looked at Mu Zhian with a slight smile, “I know you have many questions, but you only need to know one thing right now.”

She deliberately paused, capturing Mu Zhian’s attention, and continued, “Your Jade Empress Sister has entrusted you to me.”

Mu Zhian: “???”

“Well… that’s not quite accurate, but at least while you’re in Yu State, you’re mine.”

Luo Tan corrected her earlier wording with more precise language.

“When did you realize she left a wisp of her spiritual sense in the Green Lotus Ring?” Mu Zhian hesitated.

Luo Tan smiled, “Have you forgotten my identity?”

“Alchemists are born with more sensitive spiritual senses and stronger mental power than others.”

Mu Zhian was somewhat puzzled: “If that’s the case, why didn’t you let Jade Empress Sister reveal herself earlier? Why wait until now?”

Luo Tan said, “Why don’t you guess the reason yourself?”

Saying she hadn’t even thought about the Jade Empress leaving a wisp of her spiritual sense in Mu Zhian’s Green Lotus Ring, and that it was the Princess who reminded her not long ago… would be too embarrassing, damaging her image as the Pill Emperor.

Even Dao Integration Realm experts weren’t omniscient. It was just that most cultivators never had the chance to get close to them, so in their eyes, Dao Integration Realm experts were always mysterious and powerful.

Mu Zhian looked at her suspiciously, “You didn’t just realize it, did you?”

Luo Tan glanced at Mu Zhian, but didn’t answer. Her cool voice echoed, “I’ll refine the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill for you in the next few days, but before that, I need to set up shielding formations in the imperial palace to prevent anyone from noticing your breakthrough to the peak of Nascent Soul Realm.”

Your Majesty, your way of changing the subject is truly clumsy. But sensing the threat in Luo Tan’s eyes, the unspoken “Try asking again and see what happens”, he ultimately yielded for now.

A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. You dare threaten me with your eyes now? I’ll have you begging for mercy and calling me daddy later…

“Because you don’t want the great powers of the Nine Provinces to know I advanced to the peak of Nascent Soul Realm overnight?” Mu Zhian asked.

Luo Tan looked at him approvingly, “Precisely.”

Suddenly jumping from the first rank of Nascent Soul to the peak overnight, even consuming an immortal-grade pill wouldn’t have such an exaggerated effect.

If anyone sensed the commotion in the Yu State imperial palace, the first thing the great powers of the Nine Provinces would think of was Luo Tan dual cultivating with a male cultivator.

Mu Zhian would then be pushed into the spotlight.

Being the target of attention… wasn’t a good thing.

And the Great Peng Emperor would also realize that the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill was prepared for Mu Zhian.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” Mu Zhian asked.

Luo Tan pondered for a moment, then smiled brightly, “You just need to be prepared to face the Heavenly Tribulation after reaching Soul Transformation.”

“Among a thousand Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, only one or two can successfully reach Soul Transformation. Although you have the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill, it’s still not a guarantee. Don’t be careless, it’s best to adjust yourself to your peak state… Mmm~ Are you even listening to me?”

Luo Tan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. Mu Zhian had already wrapped his arms around her waist, his warm embrace making the Empress’s body soften slightly, a sweet fragrance escaping her lips.

“Didn’t Your Majesty tell me to prepare for Soul Transformation? A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold.”

As soon as Mu Zhian finished speaking, he saw the breathtakingly beautiful Empress’s body tense, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

She looked at Mu Zhian with complex eyes, “It seems I don’t know you well enough.”

Mu Zhian asked doubtfully, “What does Your Majesty mean by that?”

Luo Tan didn’t answer, just gently pushed Mu Zhian away, left his embrace, and walked towards the door of the bedchamber with sexy steps.

She truly didn’t know Mu Zhian well enough. At first, she thought he was a shy and reserved young man, respectful towards his seniors…

Because of this, back in the Two Polarities Sect, after learning about Mu Zhian’s relationship with the Jade Empress, she had the idea of secretly stealing a bite of the ‘cake’ behind the Jade Empress’s back.

But now it seemed her impression of Mu Zhian was somewhat different from the real him.

But it didn’t matter.

After all, she herself wasn’t as reserved and elegant as Mu Zhian imagined.

At least, not during intimate moments.

Luo Tan gently pushed open the door to the bedchamber. Mu Zhian looked at her, standing at the doorway, about to ask why she suddenly opened the door.

Just then, he suddenly sensed some movement in his personal interface.

Mu Zhian raised his hand and opened his personal interface. Two ancient and mysterious runes had appeared.

“‘Jie’ and ‘Zhen’ character runes, corresponding to the Fifth and Sixth Seats of the Heavenly Court. So, Huang Weifeng has probably been eliminated?”

Mu Zhian checked the various titles on his personal interface and found that he had indeed obtained a new ‘Heaven-Chosen One’ title.

He wasn’t surprised by Huang Weifeng’s death.

In the Southern Wilderness, for tens of thousands of years, the Space God’s position remained unshakeable. This was enough to show that Xue Yi wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

That woman’s every action seemed to be filled with gentleness. If one wasn’t careful, they might be caught in her web of affection. Even Mu Zhian almost fell for her tricks and couldn’t control the Space God.

If it weren’t for using the Primordial Witch to suppress her earlier, plus her now sharing a body with Regina, Mu Zhian would truly have to be wary of Xue Yi.

Even Mu Zhian, and the former Three Pillar Gods, were wary of this Space God, let alone Huang Weifeng, who was immersed in a woman’s gentle embrace, wholeheartedly believing he possessed great luck and couldn’t die?

Mu Zhian quickly closed his personal interface, looked at Luo Tan standing at the doorway of the bedchamber, and asked, “Your Majesty, why did you suddenly open the door?”

The bedchamber was brightly lit, the candlelight illuminating the Empress’s slender figure, her black silk-clad legs seemingly translucent under the light, revealing her fair skin.

Luo Tan glanced back at him and said with a smile, “I’ve prepared a little surprise for you.”

She snapped her fingers, and the candles instantly extinguished, the bedchamber door slowly closing.

Moonlight streamed in through the window.

Seeing Luo Tan approaching, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “Your Majesty, do you have any regrets?”

Luo Tan gracefully walked to Mu Zhian, tilted her head slightly, and smiled faintly, “Regrets about what? Regret summoning you here tonight, or regret the deal we made?”

“I’ve never regretted anything I’ve done in my life. Do you think I care so much about Transcendence?”

Luo Tan lightly hopped onto the table, the moonlight behind her casting a silver glow.

She looked down at Mu Zhian, her breathtakingly beautiful face, her long hair coiled behind her head, her sexy and voluptuous figure hidden beneath the magnificent white dress, her long, slender legs encased in black silk, her snow-white knee-high boots swaying gently, exuding the aura of an empress ruling the world.

Luo Tan continued, “I might not be the strongest among Dao Integration Realm experts, but I’m the one they’re most willing to befriend. Do you know why?”

Mu Zhian hesitated, “Pills?”

Luo Tan hummed softly in agreement, “In the Nine Provinces, I’m the only one who can possibly refine immortal-grade pills. The optimized method for cultivating Emperor Medicine was also spread by me… There are other ways to extend lifespan besides Transcendence.”

“There are special formations strengthening Yu State, just like Shang Yanfei in the Two Polarities Sect, and the Space God in the Southern Wilderness… Within their own territories, their combat power is stronger than ordinary Dao Integration Realm experts.”

Mu Zhian walked over and sat down beside her, “Since you don’t desire Transcendence that much, why did you choose me?”

Luo Tan thought for a moment, then said with a smile, “At first, it was because I had been lonely for tens of thousands of years. Seeing the Jade Pool Fairy, who captivated countless cultivators in the Nine Provinces, choose a little cultivator as her Dao Companion piqued my interest, so I decided to learn a little more about you.”

“Initially, it was just for fun… But recently, I started to think having a Dao Companion might be quite nice.”

At least, it would add some color to this monotonous palace life.

Mu Zhian pondered. He didn’t know whether it was his problem or the problem of these Dao Integration Realm experts he knew. Yao Meng liking to cuckold others was one thing, but now even the Princess enjoyed the thrill of an affair… And this Empress of Yu State had also awakened a ‘cuckolding’ hobby.

Luo Tan glanced at him and said softly, “Besides that, you were also the only one who dared to secretly look at my legs, even with covetous thoughts, when my clone descended upon the Two Polarities Sect.”

At first, she thought this little cultivator from the Two Polarities Sect knew her identity and wanted to gain some benefits from her.

Only later did she realize that he didn’t want anything from her at all.

What Mu Zhian wanted was her.

Mu Zhian was stunned and corrected her seriously, “Your Majesty misunderstands. I didn’t have any covetous thoughts towards you before.”

Luo Tan suddenly stood up and walked down from the table, her tall and sexy figure faintly visible in the moonlight, her gentle voice carrying an undeniable authority, “Do you dare say you didn’t peek at me when we first met in the Two Polarities Sect?”

“That was just appreciating beauty. After all, as Your Majesty knows, stockings are rare in the Eastern Continent,” Mu Zhian didn’t deny it.

Luo Tan slightly raised her snow-white chin, a hint of disdain flashing through her beautiful eyes, “So you secretly stared at someone’s legs the first time you met them? And if the situation allowed, you would even want to lick them?”

Although she hadn’t experienced romantic love, it didn’t mean Luo Tan didn’t understand anything.

At least, she now had a firm grasp on one of Mu Zhian’s hobbies.

Mu Zhian hesitated, “I think there might be an opportunity tonight?”

Luo Tan was silent for a moment, her eyes flickering. She was rarely shy, but she glared at him resentfully, “Get lost.”

Mu Zhian turned to leave.

“Try leaving and see what happens!” Luo Tan’s voice was cold, her face frosty.

She wanted to tease this little guy who had only been cultivating for less than twenty years, but she didn’t expect to be teased instead…

Although Empress Luo Tan had lived for tens of thousands of years, she still had the heart of a little girl. He couldn’t tease her too much, lest he completely anger her, and their roles tonight might be reversed…

Mu Zhian complained inwardly, stopped, turned back to Luo Tan, held her slightly cool hand, and said softly, “Just kidding, even if Your Majesty chases me away, I wouldn’t be willing to leave.”

Luo Tan glanced at Mu Zhian. This young man possessed a purity and elegance she had never seen before. Most importantly, although he addressed her as “Your Majesty” with every sentence when facing the Empress of a province, it didn’t create any distance between them.

This was different from any other junior she had met.

After all, what other junior would dare hold her hand so openly?

Or even dare to peek at her the first time they met?

“There’s something I want to ask you,” Luo Tan suddenly said.

Mu Zhian nodded, “Please speak, Your Majesty.”

“After you went to Cloud Province, were you intimate with the Princess?”

For a moment, Mu Zhian felt as if Luo Tan could see through his thoughts. Her pale golden eyes shimmered with the moonlight, so holy and majestic.

For some reason, Mu Zhian suddenly felt that if he answered incorrectly, his relationship with the Pill Emperor might be over.

He said calmly, “Yes.”

“I was secretly intimate with Her Highness the Princess in Cloud Province… I apologize.”

Luo Tan’s eyes flickered slightly, somewhat surprised, but also relieved. She said in a low voice, “I thought you would try to deceive me.”

“The Princess said you were her most trusted friend, so I felt I shouldn’t hide it from Your Majesty.”

Mu Zhian sighed softly, “I apologize…”

“With the Princess’s charm, it’s natural that you couldn’t control yourself… Or rather, it’s the one who seduced you while nominally married who is at fault.”

Luo Tan’s tone suddenly turned cold, making Mu Zhian’s heart skip a beat.

These best friends won’t fight because of me, will they? Then I would be truly guilty…

Could the legend of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox causing chaos in the court be true…?

Before Mu Zhian could speak, Luo Tan said calmly, “You don’t need to persuade me. If wrongdoers aren’t punished, everyone will make mistakes.”

She looked at Mu Zhian and said, “You’re the same. Even if the Princess seduced you first, you were still seduced by her. If the Great Peng Emperor finds out about this, even I can’t protect you, and the Jade Empress would also be at fault.”

“Close your eyes.” Her tone carried a hint of sternness, as if at this moment, she had transformed back into the Empress Luo Tan, whose imperial authority couldn’t be violated.

I thought Her Majesty summoned me tonight for the Spiritual Energy exchange ritual, but it turns out she wants to scold me for my affair with the Princess in Cloud Province…

Mu Zhian sighed inwardly, looking at the majestic eyes of the Empress in the magnificent white dress, and subconsciously closed his eyes.

Just then, Luo Tan casually glanced at the corner of the bedchamber.

A playful glint appeared in her usually majestic eyes.

She tore a piece of fabric from her white dress, then covered Mu Zhian’s eyes, feigning indifference, “Don’t open them yourself.”

After saying that, Luo Tan looked at the beautiful woman walking from the corner, the corner of her mouth curving slightly upwards. She deliberately walked behind Mu Zhian and asked softly:

“Are you ready to be punished?”

Chapter 509: My Husband, Please Take Care of Him

In the Forbidden Zone, the clan members were discussing the reason for their young lady’s frequent letters to Yu State these past few days.

Some younger disciples who knew the truth were quite indignant, aware that their young lady had been completely preoccupied with Mu Zhian since returning, even meticulously collecting Reincarnation Water a few days ago and having it sent to the Jade Pool Holy Land.

Mu Zhian was clearly a married man, yet his relationship with their young lady remained ambiguous, keeping her dangling… Wasn’t he a total scumbag?!

The Forbidden Zone disciples only wished Mu Zhian had come back with their young lady, so they could teach him a lesson he would never forget and make him back off.

Forbidden Zone, the top floor of the Nebula Tower.

A young woman stood on the platform at the top of the tower. She wore a complex and magnificent purple dress, and a faint golden chain seemed to drift from her snow-white wrist, forming a picture scroll.

Within the scroll, the figure of a young man appeared.

Mu Zhian’s trip to Yu State was with her knowledge, so naturally, she couldn’t say anything.

However—

The matter with the Princess was beyond her knowledge!

At first, when she saw the Princess’s figure appear in the scroll, she wasn’t worried at all, knowing the Princess was the wife of the Cloud Province Lord, and that the Princess even tried to dissuade Mu Zhian, believing he wasn’t worthy of Luo Tan.

Because of this, she didn’t mind the Princess’s breathtaking beauty.

Ye Lingxuan had the confidence. In terms of looks alone, she wouldn’t lose to the Princess when she grew up.

But she underestimated Mu Zhian, and also underestimated the position of the Innate Celestial Furnace in the hearts of female cultivators.

She even underestimated the mentality of these Dao Integration Realm Empresses.

Were they really Dao Integration Realm experts? Why were they all so into NTR?!

She hadn’t peeked at Mu Zhian’s situation for just seven days, and when she peeked again, that Princess of Cloud Province was actually having a… a secret affair with Brother Mu?!

Ye Lingxuan looked at the scene displayed by the Desolate Time Lock, a sense of confusion washing over her.

She felt as if she had “missed a hundred chapters of the story.”

Less than seven days… In just less than seven days, this beautiful married woman had gotten together with Brother Mu?

If it weren’t for the upcoming Forbidden Zone Lord inheritance ceremony, Ye Lingxuan would probably have rushed to Yu State to retrieve her beloved Brother Mu.

But now was a crucial moment. Only by completely merging with the Reincarnated Empress could she inherit all the memories left behind and become the true Forbidden Zone Empress.

Therefore, she could only watch helplessly as her beloved Brother Mu was intimate with another woman, unable to do anything…

“I originally planned to bring Brother Mu back to the Forbidden Zone after I reached Dao Integration, or even Transcendence… But what if, before that, he’s already become another vixen’s shape?”

The young woman in the purple dress sighed softly.

“The Desolate Time Lock has already locked onto him. Wherever he is, you can bring him back if you wish,” Ye Qingxin’s cool and pleasant voice echoed through the tower behind her.

She stood with her arms crossed, leaning against a stone pillar, a gentle glint in her alluring red eyes, “However, now isn’t the time to bring him back, you understand, right?”

Ye Lingxuan fell silent.

Indeed, she agreed to let Brother Mu go to Yu State before precisely so he could reach Soul Transformation sooner and have the means to protect himself.

If she brought him back now… wouldn’t her previous patience be wasted?

“Ancestor, only you understand my feelings… Only you are not my enemy.”

Ye Lingxuan turned and buried her face in Ye Qingxin’s embrace, subconsciously relying on this beautiful ancestor of the Ye family.

The summer night breeze blew, making Ye Qingxin’s black and red interwoven dress flutter behind her. Sparks of fire flickered around her, like a witch in flames.

Ye Qingxin held the young girl in her arms, gently stroking Ye Lingxuan’s hair to comfort her. However, looking at the young girl’s pure and serene face, a complex look flashed through Ye Qingxin’s eyes.

I’m sorry, it’s not just the Princess and the Pill Emperor you mentioned who are bad women.

…I am too.

…

Nightfall.

As agreed, Mu Zhian arrived at the Empress’s bedchamber.

Luo Tan’s words during the day still bothered him. If it weren’t for the Empress of Yu State saying them, Mu Zhian would have probably told her: Get out of here, riddle-lover!

Entering the bedchamber, he saw Luo Tan sitting at the table by the window, reading a book, seemingly not noticing his arrival.

“You’re quite punctual. Last time I went to Zunyun Academy, did you also come to the bedchamber at this time?”

Luo Tan didn’t look up, asking while flipping through the book.

Mu Zhian nodded, “It’s just a pity I didn’t get to see Your Majesty in the bedchamber last time because of the Sabbath incident. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?”

Luo Tan looked up from her book, her eyes holding a hint of amusement.

“Otherwise, I could have spent more time alone with Your Majesty,” Mu Zhian said with a hint of regret in his tone.

Luo Tan couldn’t help but smile faintly and gestured slightly towards the chair beside her, “Sit down first.”

After Mu Zhian sat down, Luo Tan crossed her legs elegantly. Today, she wore the same magnificent white dress with gold and silver threads she had worn during the morning court session, luxurious and elegant.

“Although you didn’t see me last time, you saw another me. It’s not that much of a loss, is it?” Luo Tan suddenly asked with a smile.

“Perhaps you’re even secretly rejoicing.”

I have a feeling Her Majesty isn’t very friendly tonight… Mu Zhian sighed softly, “A Dao Integration Realm expert’s disguise technique, even I can’t see through it. If I had known the person in the bedchamber was Her Highness the Princess, I wouldn’t have dared to act presumptuously, not even if I had a hundred lives.”

“Are you saying you didn’t have any thoughts about the Princess?” Luo Tan asked.

Mu Zhian was momentarily silent.

To say he didn’t have any thoughts about the Princess from the start would be unrealistic.

Moreover, she was the Daughter of the Great Dao, the key to comprehending the Great Dao… Even Senior Spirit Dragon’s future Transcendence through the Great Dao might depend on the Princess.

Such a beautiful married woman with a top-notch figure and appearance… who wouldn’t be tempted?

“It seems you’re quite honest.”

Seeing Mu Zhian’s silence, Luo Tan already had her answer. Her smile was bright and captivating under the candlelight, without a hint of jealousy, instead, a faint curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“Did you gain anything from your trip to Cloud Province?”

Mu Zhian slowly opened his palm, revealing a willow leaf that seemed as ethereal as cloud and smoke: “Thanks to Your Majesty and Her Highness, I’ve successfully brought back the Cloud Smoke Willow.”

Luo Tan nodded slightly and said to herself, “With the Cloud Smoke Willow and the other key ingredients prepared by the Jade Empress, the remaining materials can be prepared within fifteen minutes in my Yu State… With this, the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill is complete.”

She crossed her legs, her black silk-clad legs faintly visible beneath her white dress, twirled a strand of hair with her fingertip, and said with a smile, “After the pill is refined, all that’s left is for you to cultivate to the peak of Nascent Soul Realm in a few decades, then you can use the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill to break through to Soul Transformation…”

“But it’s quite strange, why did the Jade Empress start making arrangements for you so early?”

Luo Tan’s tone held a hint of puzzlement, her eyes looking at Mu Zhian with a playful smile.

Mu Zhian was stunned, then after a long silence, he said speechlessly, “Since you already know, there’s no need to tease me again.”

Clearly, Luo Tan had already figured it out. The reason Yao Meng started making arrangements for Mu Zhian so early and asked her to refine the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill was because she guessed that she would take the opportunity to get close to Mu Zhian while the Jade Empress was away.

Although he didn’t know how this Empress figured it out, she had clearly guessed the truth.

“Fairy Yao Meng is truly magnanimous, actually willing to send her own Dao Companion into another woman’s arms… and even has the leisure to spy. Could it be that the ‘Qing’ (green/blue) in Jade Empress(uses the character Qing) actually refers to the literal ‘green’ (cuckolded)?”

Luo Tan said slowly. As her voice fell, Mu Zhian was utterly shocked.

“What… what did you just say?”

Mu Zhian’s first reaction was disbelief, a single thought popping up in his mind: Holy crap, I was spied on?!

Then came relief.

Well… it’s Yao Meng after all. Although she always says she’s not interested in spying on others, that’s just talk.

Yao Meng had spied on him in his Innate Celestial Furnace before.

And after his relief came a sudden chill down his spine.

Yao Meng knew everything, which meant she also knew about his affair with the Princess in Cloud Province during this time…?

Just as Mu Zhian was about to speak, Luo Tan gently caressed the Green Lotus Ring on his right hand, her elegant and lazy voice echoing through the bedchamber, “Jade Empress, how long are you planning to keep spying?”

Silence.

For a moment, the entire Yu State imperial palace seemed to freeze. The wind outside stilled, the bed curtains froze mid-air, motionless.

The candlelight on the table turned gray, everything around them turning gray, only Luo Tan remained in color.

Then, the next moment, a green light quietly condensed in mid-air within the bedchamber. Within the green light, the flawless and graceful figure of a woman could be vaguely seen.

Her long hair cascaded down to her snow-white calves, her eyes filled with a gentle compassion, as if a goddess descending from the nine heavens, lofty and beyond reach.

Luo Tan wasn’t surprised by Yao Meng’s appearance. She had already realized everything after the Princess told her the secret of the Green Lotus Ring.

“I’ve been wondering why you were so at ease leaving your Dao Companion in Yu State… So you’ve been secretly watching everything?” Luo Tan asked faintly.

“The reason you brought him here and asked me to look after him was because you had your eyes on my Innate Celestial Furnace, right?”

“That’s right,” Yao Meng’s red lips parted slightly, her beautiful, heavenly voice echoing through the bedchamber. To Luo Tan’s surprise, Yao Meng actually admitted it frankly.

Luo Tan raised a delicate eyebrow, “You’re not even denying it?”

“It’s the truth. And since you already know, there’s no point in denying it,” Yao Meng replied casually.

“You should know that what I hate most is being schemed against. Just this alone is enough for me to blacklist the Jade Pool Holy Land forever,” Luo Tan said faintly.

“Schemed against?”

However, hearing this, Yao Meng couldn’t help but smile faintly, “If you didn’t have any feelings for him yourself, Pill Emperor, with the formations in Yu State, could I have forced you to do something you didn’t like, even offering your Innate Celestial Furnace to him?”

Luo Tan: “…”

Even the Pill Emperor, who had experienced countless schemes and intrigues, was momentarily speechless.

“I only asked you to look after him for a few days. Did I ever ask you to… bed him?” Yao Meng continued.

“I was the one who schemed against you, but whether you were willing to be schemed against was ultimately your decision.”

“If you didn’t have any improper thoughts towards my Dao Companion, how could you have been schemed against?” The holy fairy spoke in a gentle and calm voice, making it difficult for Luo Tan to refute.

She pursed her lips, wanting to speak, but realized there was nothing she could say.

She did expose the Jade Empress’s spying, and also her scheme… But no matter how one looked at it, she wasn’t exactly in the right.

The Jade Empress only asked Luo Tan to look after Mu Zhian for a few days, she didn’t say anything else… Yet after the Jade Empress left, Luo Tan had already secretly planned to devour this ‘cake’.

“I didn’t come to see you today to discuss who’s right or wrong, such boring matters,” Luo Tan said, trying to maintain her usual elegant and calm tone.

“I want to make a deal with you.”

“Alright, what do you want?” Yao Meng asked softly.

“Anything I can give you is fine… After all, I was the one who caused this.”

Luo Tan turned to look at the young man beside her, her eyes softening slightly, and said gently, “I want him.”

Yao Meng gently shook her head: “You can have anything from the Jade Pool Holy Land… except him.”

Luo Tan pondered for a moment, then revealed a charming smile: “Then you can’t interfere in my private matters with him in the future, how about it?”

Yao Meng fell silent.

As expected of the Empress of Yu State, Luo Tan’s perspective was truly sharp.

Luo Tan knew she wouldn’t give up her husband, so she first proposed an impossible condition, wanting Mu Zhian, then offered a compromise… Yet this condition still revolved around Mu Zhian.

And this condition was in a very ambiguous position… Rejecting it seemed like a pity, not rejecting it… made her hesitate.

After all, no one liked giving their beloved to someone else… even temporarily.

But this was related to whether Mu Zhian could reach Soul Transformation in a short time.

Luo Tan seemed to have the upper hand. She smiled brightly and said, “You should know how long it normally takes to cultivate to the peak of Nascent Soul Realm, right?”

“A few decades at the shortest, a thousand years at the longest, it all depends on one’s luck and talent,” Yao Meng replied calmly.

“Besides that, you should also know the benefits bestowed by the Innate Celestial Furnace.”

Luo Tan stood up gracefully and said in a gentle and sincere tone, “I will give him everything I have, but I also need your promise today.”

Yao Meng’s beautiful eyes flickered, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Luo Tan possessed the Innate Celestial Furnace. The first person to dual cultivate with her could advance a major realm in a short time… And as the Empress of Yu State, the only Pill Emperor in the Nine Provinces with a chance of refining immortal-grade pills, she would be of great help to Mu Zhian in the future.

Most importantly… this Pill Emperor probably didn’t even realize that she was already falling for him.

On the surface, it seemed like Luo Tan was cuckolding Yao Meng, but ultimately, Mu Zhian’s first Dao Companion wasn’t Yao Meng at all.

And, Mu Zhian had already been intimate with so many beauties… What was one more Luo Tan?

But what’s going on with these women?

Could it be that they’ve been lonely for too long? Why are their hobbies all so similar to mine…?

Yao Meng felt a strange feeling in her heart. She quickly exhaled and smiled brightly, “Alright, I promise you.”

Just then, time, which had been frozen in the bedchamber by the Principles of Time, began to flow again, the gray bedchamber gradually returning to its vibrant colors.

Mu Zhian seemed surprised to see Yao Meng and subconsciously said, “You were really hiding in my Green Lotus Ring?”

“It was just a wisp of my spiritual sense residing within the Green Lotus Ring that happened to be awakened by Luo Tan.”

Yao Meng smiled faintly. With her skirt fluttering, she gracefully walked towards Mu Zhian, her jade-white feet stepping on the void.

Then, under Luo Tan’s gaze, she lowered her head slightly and gently captured Mu Zhian’s lips with her rosy lips.

After a moment, she glanced sideways, indulging Luo Tan’s preferences, and said softly:

“Then, my husband, I’ll leave him in your care.”

Chapter 508: Giving My Husband Away! 

The Princess’s actions were truly beyond Yao Meng’s and Mu Zhian’s expectations.

He had anticipated that the Princess would help him comprehend the Great Dao’s laws, but he didn’t expect her to do so within the Cloud Province imperial palace.

After all, this was Cloud Province, the Great Peng Emperor’s territory.

And even if the Great Peng Emperor was currently handling government affairs, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t suddenly come looking for the Princess to discuss something like he did a few days ago.

Under these circumstances, this beautiful and alluring married woman chose to let him experience the Great Dao’s laws today…

Mu Zhian looked at the beauty lazily nestled in his arms.

She happened to look up and smiled sweetly, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to?”

An indescribable charm emanated from the gentleness in her beautiful eyes, and for a moment, Mu Zhian’s gaze was completely captivated.

Then, as their eyes met, Mu Zhian slowly lowered his head and captured her soft lips.

He had to admit, secretly being intimate with the Princess in this environment was extremely risky.

However…he couldn’t resist.

…

The next morning.

Mu Zhian slowly opened his eyes and stretched lazily.

He gently clenched his hand, feeling the Great Dao’s laws flowing through his body.

Although he hadn’t obtained the Great Dao’s recognition, he had truly experienced its wonders.

The soft bed was slightly messy, but the bedding had already been neatly folded and placed aside.

Mu Zhian saw a note on the table: Come to the main hall of the imperial palace after you wake up, I’ll take you back to Yu State.

It seemed that not only him, but the Princess was also worried about being discovered, so she secretly left in the middle of the night.

Mu Zhian smiled silently, holding the note in his palm. The next moment, the note turned into flames and vanished.

He tidied his appearance, smoothed the wrinkles on his robes, and left the room.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, he finally saw the main hall of the imperial palace. Today, the Princess wore the silver-white dress he had designed for her, her hair meticulously styled in a bun, a few strands falling gently against her jade-like neck.

A golden hair ornament adorned her hair, her beautiful face hidden behind a mysterious veil, her gentle eyes, like those of a benevolent ruler, looking down at Mu Zhian in the hall.

Beneath her skirt, a pair of delicate white silk stockings covered her long and slender legs, outlining the alluring curves of a married woman.

“You’re here.”

The Princess smiled gently, her demeanor composed, as if she wasn’t the one in Mu Zhian’s room last night.

However, the moment Mu Zhian saw the Princess, he couldn’t help but recall the events of last night. If he hadn’t seen the other side of the Princess, he would probably be immersed in her gentleness now, not daring to have any disrespectful thoughts.

The Princess glanced at the Great Peng Emperor not far away and said with a smile, “Then I’ll take him back to Yu State now.”

The Great Peng Emperor, sitting high on his throne, nodded slightly and said, “I’ll have to trouble my beloved consort for this trip.”

The Princess stood up, lifted her skirt, and walked down the steps gracefully, her gaze gentle as she looked at Mu Zhian, her red lips parting slightly, “It’s no trouble at all, just part of my duties~”

The Great Peng Emperor laughed heartily, “As long as my beloved consort doesn’t mind, then please send Young Friend Mu back to Yu State. I’ll handle the matters here in Cloud Province for now.”

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he could also weaken the Princess’s influence in Cloud Province.

Although he had been focused on Transcendence and Ascension, it didn’t mean he didn’t care about the position of Cloud Province ruler.

The Princess naturally knew what the Great Peng Emperor was thinking, but she didn’t mind at all. She simply hummed softly in agreement, her beautiful eyes filled with tenderness as she gazed at Mu Zhian, and said softly:

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Young Friend Mu.”

She gracefully walked to Mu Zhian’s side, her crystal earrings swaying gently. As she raised her hand and tore open a spatial rift, a brilliant light filled the main hall.

The Princess raised her hand and discreetly dropped a long, thin strand of hair attached to the back of Mu Zhian’s neck onto the ground, whispering in a gentle and deliberately suppressed voice, “Next time you sneak around, remember to tidy yourself up, okay?”

Presumably, it was a strand of hair she accidentally left behind last night.

…

The Nine Provinces were vast. For ordinary cultivators, they might not be able to leave their own province and travel to another in their entire lives.

But for Dao Integration Realm experts, tearing open a spatial rift and reaching their destination didn’t take much time.

In the blink of an eye, Mu Zhian and the Princess appeared outside the imperial palace in Yu State. After having an attendant inform Luo Tan, the two waited leisurely outside the palace, admiring the unidentified heavenly materials and earthly treasures planted on both sides.

“You’ve fully experienced merging with the Great Dao yesterday. You should be able to truly comprehend its laws soon.”

The Princess admired the scenery outside the palace, then suddenly remembered something and said in a slightly instructive tone, “But remember, don’t let anyone know that your comprehension of the Great Dao is related to me…”

“Why?” Mu Zhian asked, puzzled.

“Why? Do you want our affair to be exposed?”

A shy blush appeared on the Princess’s beautiful face, and she lowered her voice, “If our affair becomes public, it will inevitably cause gossip. So if possible, let’s keep our relationship as it is now.”

Mu Zhian hesitated slightly and said softly, “You don’t mind?”

Although she was his Dao Companion, they could only maintain this secret intimacy. Mu Zhian naturally didn’t mind, but he didn’t know what the Princess thought.

“Of course, I mind…” the Princess said.

But before Mu Zhian could speak, she looked up, her eyes moist and gentle as she gazed at him, and continued, “But what I mind isn’t our relationship being hidden from others, but…”

The Princess trailed off.

She didn’t mind her affair with Mu Zhian being kept secret, but the thought of this young man returning to the Jade Empress’s side afterward… made her feel slightly uneasy.

But what is it? You should finish your sentence… Although Mu Zhian wanted to ask, seeing the Princess’s expression, he knew she didn’t want to say it, so he didn’t press further and make things difficult for her.

“In short, I don’t mind, so Mu Lang, you don’t need to worry about my feelings.”

“Or rather…”

The Princess paused, glanced at the attendants who were bowing their heads not far away, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered in Mu Zhian’s ear, her red lips parting slightly, her voice sweet and melodious, “This forbidden pleasure… not just you, Mu Lang, I also quite enjoy it~”

Thump! Thump!

Mu Zhian’s heart raced, and he subconsciously turned to look at the Princess.

The woman’s usually gentle eyes now held a captivating allure.

This vixen is getting hotter and hotter… As expected, no Dao Integration Realm expert is simple.

Mu Zhian sighed inwardly.

After a while, a maid arrived from outside the palace, stepping on the void. One moment she seemed to be far away, and the next, she was already before them.

Mu Zhian recognized her as one of the personal maids who always attended to Luo Tan.

The maid bowed slightly and said respectfully, “Her Majesty Luo Tan has just finished the morning court session early and invites you two to the courtyard for a chat.”

…

Yu State was unlike any other province Mu Zhian knew. In his impression, this Immortal Dynasty was like an impenetrable fortress.

It was no wonder Mu Zhian had this impression. Within the Nine Provinces, the Eastern Continent’s power distribution was the most complex, divided into several major factions, each with combat power rivaling any other province.

And the Demon Realm had experienced a civil war in the past. Although the Demon Empress later took control, during her reign, she mostly focused on repairing the damage caused by the First Demon Emperor.

Throughout the Nine Provinces, only Yu State hadn’t experienced internal strife. After Luo Tan achieved Dao Integration, she suppressed the ‘forbidden beings’ of Yu State and established the Immortal Dynasty.

No one in Yu State had ever questioned Luo Tan, to the point that even with Her Majesty Luo Tan showing such concern for a little cultivator recently, no one in the imperial palace had any objections.

However, they were all curious about what kind of deal the Jade Empress made with Her Majesty, that made the Pill Emperor care so much about Mu Zhian, even ending the morning court session early after learning of his return.

After following the maid to a courtyard within the imperial palace, Mu Zhian saw the noble and elegant Empress in a white dress sitting in the courtyard.

She looked up at the two and said with a faint smile, “Thank you for your trouble, and for personally escorting him back.”

The Princess gently shook her head and said softly, “Both the Great Peng Emperor and I weren’t at ease letting Young Master Mu return alone. Since the Great Peng Emperor was busy, I could only personally escort him.”

“I apologize. It was my matter, yet I dragged you into it,” Luo Tan looked at her best friend with an apologetic look in her eyes.

If it weren’t for the Princess, the Cloud Smoke Willow would have been quite difficult to obtain.

Then, she gestured for the two to sit down, personally poured them tea, and said, “I’ve heard about what happened in Cloud Province these past few days.”

Luo Tan continued, “The Forbidden Land of Life hasn’t expanded outwards for tens of thousands of years, I didn’t expect it to suddenly try and occupy Cloud Province’s territory this time.”

The Princess removed her veil, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful and alluring face.

She opened her red lips slightly and said, “The Forbidden Lands never intended to stay dormant. Didn’t the events that happened in the Nine Provinces long ago already prove this?”

Her tone was always gentle, like a lover whispering in one’s ear, making one’s bones tingle.

“What major events happened in the Nine Provinces?” Mu Zhian asked at the right moment.

Luo Tan was about to speak, but the Princess answered first, “We don’t know the specifics, but someone speculated that there was a great battle in the Nine Provinces in the past, and the beings in the nine Forbidden Lands were all injured, forcing them to shrink their territories.”

“Later, the ancient being in the Forbidden Land of Reincarnation became restless, wanting its rules to cover the entire Yu State, but it was already injured, and Luo Tan possessed the Myriad Transformations Qi Cauldron, so it was ultimately suppressed within the Forbidden Land.”

After the Princess finished speaking, she noticed Luo Tan’s half-smiling gaze, seemingly realizing her ‘gaffe’, and continued calmly, “In short, the matters of the Forbidden Lands aren’t something you can get involved in. You’re just a little cultivator who just reached Nascent Soul Realm, there’s no need to ask so much.”

“It seems your prejudice against him has changed quite a bit these past two days,” Luo Tan looked at the Princess with a playful gaze.

Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that the Princess was quite displeased with Mu Zhian a few days ago, but now she was actually answering his questions… and her attitude towards him had also softened considerably.

It seemed that during his time away from Yu State, her best friend had finally realized his merits.

“I did have some prejudice against him before, but I’ve also seen some of his merits these past two days, and…”

The Princess paused and said softly, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, I can only try my best to let go of my previous prejudice against him.”

“I don’t want us to become enemies one day.”

This time, the Princess’s tone was more serious.

“That day won’t come.”

Luo Tan shook her head and smiled faintly, “Cloud Province is Cloud Province, and you are you. Even if the relationship between my Yu State and Cloud Province changes, it won’t affect our relationship.”

“After all, the bond between us now is more than just Cloud Province.”

As she spoke, she gave the Princess a meaningful look.

The Princess was slightly stunned. For some reason, she rarely felt so uneasy, because she suddenly couldn’t understand Luo Tan.

Because of Cloud Province’s matters, she had interacted with the people of Yu State many times, but every time she met Luo Tan, they mostly talked about official business… It wasn’t like before, when they could chat idly and play Go together.

The main reason she came to see Luo Tan a few days ago was also for Cloud Province.

But she didn’t expect Luo Tan to tell her a secret.

The secret of Transcendence.

Although Luo Tan didn’t explicitly reveal the secret, she gradually found the truth… which was this young man beside her.

“You’ve already tasted Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy, haven’t you?”

This time, Luo Tan used voice transmission to ask the Princess.

The Princess’s body stiffened slightly, her slender hands on her lap subconsciously gripping her skirt, her gaze fixed on Luo Tan’s smiling eyes.

Only after a long while did her hands slowly relax.

“What… what are you talking about?”

The Princess replied via voice transmission, her voice subconsciously lowering.

It was her best friend’s ‘cake’, yet after taking him to Cloud Province, she ate it on the spot… and even brazenly brought back the leftover cake.

Just this alone made the Princess feel incredibly guilty towards Luo Tan.

“You don’t need to hide it.”

Luo Tan smiled brightly, “Why don’t you guess why I told you that I knew the secret of Transcendence?”

The Princess was silent for a long time, the events that happened after she met Luo Tan flashing through her mind.

She had indeed been puzzled by this matter. Why did Luo Tan say she knew the secret of Transcendence, but not tell her what the ‘secret’ was?

Luo Tan wasn’t the type to deliberately keep people in suspense.

Unless…

Luo Tan deliberately wanted to pique her curiosity.

“You planned to drag me into this from the very beginning?!” The Princess stared at the noble and elegant Empress, the words slipping out subconsciously.

Luo Tan smiled without speaking.

“I just had the thought, but everything is up to fate… Whether you would fall for him in the end isn’t something I can control.”

She thought her best friend had no ulterior motives, but unexpectedly, this best friend was black-hearted underneath… She even schemed against her.

The Princess stared at Luo Tan, speechless for a long time.

“I was also thinking of you. The Great Peng Emperor is obsessed with Transcendence, and you don’t have anyone you can trust in Cloud Province. In the depths of the Cloud Province palace, you must be very lonely, right?”

“If you can use this opportunity to alleviate your loneliness and transcend, why not?” Luo Tan transmitted her voice with a smile.

“You’re wrong, although Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy is good, what I value isn’t his Innate Celestial Furnace.”

However, this time, the Princess shook her head, denying Luo Tan’s words.

Luo Tan was slightly stunned, about to ask, when the Princess transmitted her voice again in a gentle tone, “He likes me, not the Great Dao… So, what I like is also him, not the Innate Celestial Furnace.”

“Right, since you’ve confessed to me, I’ll also tell you a secret,” the Princess continued.

Luo Tan raised a delicate eyebrow: “What secret?”

The Princess’s red lips parted slightly, and she whispered something.

“!!!”

Almost at that instant, Luo Tan’s eyes slowly widened, her expression changing slightly, staring at the Princess incredulously.

“But I didn’t see any trace of a technique on Mu Zhian… Where exactly did the Jade Empress leave the technique?”

“The Green Lotus Ring,” the Princess replied.

At this moment, the Empress of Yu State, who thought she had everything under control, fell into a brief silence.

She had thought that the Jade Empress wouldn’t leave her Dao Companion in Yu State for no reason, and that she might have left some technique on Mu Zhian to secretly observe him… But she scanned Mu Zhian with her spiritual sense and didn’t find any trace of a technique.

Unexpectedly, the problem lay with the Green Lotus Ring.

Truly a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom describing being unaware of a hidden danger while focusing on another)…

If it weren’t for the Princess’s reminder, she probably wouldn’t have known that everything she did was under the Jade Empress’s control.

Scheming and infighting were common in the imperial palace, but Luo Tan didn’t expect that one day she would also be caught in it.

Luo Tan narrowed her eyes, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes as she looked at the Green Lotus Ring.

It seemed that even at the cost of being slightly cuckolded, Fairy Yao Meng still wanted her Dao Companion to reach Soul Transformation as soon as possible…?

Perhaps… she’s even watching right now?

“What were you two talking about just now? If it’s inconvenient, I’ll take my leave and not disturb your important matters.”

Just then, Mu Zhian finally couldn’t help but speak.

The two women had been silent just now. Even a fool could tell they were probably secretly communicating via voice transmission, let alone Mu Zhian.

However, the moment Mu Zhian stood up, Luo Tan also stood up, wrapping her arm around his, then revealed a charming smile, “It’s nothing, don’t worry~”

Luo Tan’s beautiful eyes, like autumn water, met the Princess’s.

Then, she took half a step closer in her white boots, leaned against Mu Zhian, and whispered in a seductive voice, “The Princess and I were just discussing how to give you a surprise.”

“Surprise…?” Mu Zhian looked at Luo Tan doubtfully and saw the noble and elegant Empress gazing at him affectionately.

Then, she moved closer, her red lips close to his ear, and whispered, her breath like orchids:

“You’ll find out tonight~”

Chapter 507: Yao Meng: Crap, I Messed Up 

For the next two days, Mu Zhian meditated and cultivated in Cloud Province, waiting for the Princess to deal with the aftermath of the Forbidden Land of Life incident.

And occasionally, while Mu Zhian was meditating and cultivating in his guest room, the Princess would protect him.

The attendant tasked with secretly observing the Princess’s movements saw this and couldn’t help but feel worried.

He felt that His Majesty the Great Peng Emperor’s wife had been getting too close to Mu Zhian these past two days.

Although he didn’t believe the Princess would betray the Great Peng Emperor, she had indeed been getting very close to Mu Zhian these past two days; this was an undeniable fact.

Just in case, the attendant quietly left Mu Zhian’s courtyard that day and went to report this to the Great Peng Emperor.

“You’re saying my beloved consort has been getting very close to Mu Zhian these past two days?”

The Great Peng Emperor raised an eyebrow, his voice stern, “Do you know the consequences of driving a wedge between my consort and me?”

“This subordinate wouldn’t dare! This subordinate wouldn’t dare! But these past two days, this subordinate truly saw the Princess frequently leaving her courtyard to see Mu Zhian. Although I didn’t personally witness anything between them… the Princess has never cared about another man this much before.”

The attendant hurriedly knelt on the ground, his voice filled with fear.

A thoughtful look flashed through the Great Peng Emperor’s eyes, then he shook his head and chuckled, “You’re saying my beloved consort would take a liking to a little cultivator who’s only been cultivating for twenty years? And even be intimate with him?”

He had given Mu Zhian a hard time before purely because he didn’t want any other men near his beloved consort.

But since Mu Zhian was the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion, it didn’t really matter.

After all, with that unparalleled fairy of the Nine Provinces as his Dao Companion, even Mu Zhian wouldn’t be bold enough to set his sights on his wife.

Besides, even if Mu Zhian had such thoughts, he also had to consider whether the Princess would agree.

Before knowing about the relationship between the Princess and the Great Peng Emperor, many had pursued this Princess in Cloud Province, including cultivators from prominent families, but without exception, not a single one could even get close to her.

This was normal. After all, the Princess was the Daughter of the Great Dao, with her own pride, not just anyone could approach her.

Saying she cared about Mu Zhian… The Great Peng Emperor wouldn’t believe it, not even if he were beaten to death.

The Great Peng Emperor waved his hand dismissively, “Alright, you may leave.”

He stood up and instructed, “Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some snacks and invite my consort and Mu Zhian to the Imperial Garden to enjoy them together.”

…

On a leisurely afternoon, maids carried trays of food towards the pavilion in the Imperial Garden.

In his guest room, after circulating his Spiritual Energy for three cycles, Mu Zhian heard a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Mu Zhian said.

The door opened, and the attendant bowed respectfully, “Young Master Mu, His Majesty the Great Peng Emperor invites you to the garden to enjoy some afternoon delicacies.”

The Great Peng Emperor is inviting me?

Mu Zhian was somewhat surprised. After all, the Great Peng Emperor had some friction with him not long ago… yet he was willing to lower himself and invite him now?

However, during his chats with the Princess in her room these past two days, Mu Zhian learned about the Great Peng Emperor’s actions in Cloud Province and naturally understood that this invitation was purely for Yao Meng’s sake.

After all, no one would want to offend a Transcendence Realm Human Emperor.

At least, not openly.

“Understood, you may leave,” Mu Zhian nodded slightly.

After the attendant left, Mu Zhian looked up at the courtyard scenery outside the window and quickly collected his thoughts.

He stood up, straightened his robes before the bronze mirror, and left the room.

After walking along a quiet path for a while, he saw a garden appearing in the distance.

“Young Friend Mu, why are you here too?”

Just as he entered the garden, he heard a woman’s crisp, pleasant, and gentle voice.

Mu Zhian looked over and saw the Princess sitting in the pavilion.

Her posture was demure, her hair casually framing her beautiful and charming face, making her look like a plump and sexy peony.

The Great Peng Emperor sat not far from the Princess, accompanied by his attendants. Seeing Mu Zhian, a smile appeared on his face, “Young Friend Mu, you’re truly punctual. I hope I didn’t disturb your rest.”

His tone carried the cordiality of a superior towards a subordinate.

Clearly, even now, in the Great Peng Emperor’s eyes, Mu Zhian was still a ‘subordinate’.

However, Mu Zhian didn’t mind and feigned surprise, “So it’s Your Majesty and Your Highness enjoying delicacies today? If I had known, I wouldn’t have intruded.”

The Princess tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled brightly, “Young Friend Mu needn’t worry. After all, you’ll be returning to Yu State soon. Consider this Cloud Province’s last afternoon tea for you.”

This smile, filled with charm, was quite alluring.

Plus, she was wearing a magnificent dress today, her eyes carrying a gentle, motherly aura.

That unintentional charm made Mu Zhian’s heart race.

The moment their gazes met, the Princess seemed to sense Mu Zhian’s thoughts, lightly licked her rosy lips, and glanced at him seductively.

Hiss… This woman is a total vixen.

Mu Zhian immediately looked away, assuming a reserved demeanor.

Although he had realized how alluring this Princess was after their intimate interactions these past two days, he still didn’t expect her to be so bold, daring to flirt with him in front of the Great Peng Emperor.

However, clearly, Mu Zhian, this best actor, performed quite well. At least the Great Peng Emperor didn’t overthink it. He instructed the servants to withdraw, then had Mu Zhian sit opposite him.

The Princess sat diagonally across from Mu Zhian, holding a teacup, sipping quietly.

Just then, the Great Peng Emperor put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, “A few days ago, my beloved consort said she was sending people to search for the Cloud Smoke Willow, because the Jade Empress needed this heavenly material and earthly treasure… At that time, I was still wondering who needed such a special treasure.”

“Now it seems, the Jade Empress finding this Cloud Smoke Willow is actually for Young Friend Mu, right?”

As he spoke, he looked at Mu Zhian intentionally or unintentionally, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

The Princess’s delicate brows couldn’t help but raise. She knew the Great Peng Emperor wouldn’t invite Mu Zhian for no reason. So it was for this?

Mu Zhian was currently a little cultivator who had just entered Nascent Soul Realm. No one would suspect him of being the one who needed the Cloud Smoke Willow.

But her bringing Mu Zhian to Cloud Province this time… This itself was suspicious.

Mu Zhian calmly put down his teacup, smiled gently, and said, “Actually, the Cloud Smoke Willow isn’t for me. Yao Meng has other uses for it.”

“Oh?”

The Great Peng Emperor seemed interested, “If I remember correctly, the Cloud Smoke Willow can only be used to refine the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill. And in this world, the only one the Jade Empress would help is probably Young Friend Mu, right?”

“If it’s not for Young Friend Mu, then what does the Jade Empress want the Cloud Smoke Willow for?”

Mu Zhian said calmly, “His Majesty the Great Peng Emperor must have investigated me these past few days, right?”

The Great Peng Emperor’s smile faltered, and a slightly awkward look appeared on his face.

He had indeed secretly sent people to investigate Mu Zhian these past few days and roughly knew about some of the things that happened to Mu Zhian in Tianxuan City and the Two Polarities Sect.

“Actually, my first Dao Companion wasn’t the Jade Empress. Because of this, she always felt guilty towards my first Dao Companion… And now, my first Dao Companion is at the peak of Nascent Soul Realm and needs the Cloud Smoke Willow to refine the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill, so…”

Mu Zhian feigned a helpless expression, his words partly true and partly false, making the Great Peng Emperor look thoughtful.

He knew who Mu Zhian was talking about, the former most beautiful woman in Tianxuan City, who seemed to have some connection to the Sword Palace Master.

If the Jade Empress was preparing the Cloud Smoke Willow for her past ‘rival’ out of guilt, then it made sense.

The Great Peng Emperor secretly sighed with relief, “I see, I see.”

If it was for Mu Zhian to reach Soul Transformation Realm… this Cloud Smoke Willow was truly something he couldn’t easily part with.

After all, the Cloud Smoke Willow could only be preserved for seven days, and Mu Zhian had just recently entered Nascent Soul Realm.

In other words, Mu Zhian would have to reach the peak of Nascent Soul Realm within seven days… to be able to use the Nine Cauldrons Nascent Soul Pill.

This was quite terrifying… even making the Great Peng Emperor somewhat apprehensive.

Mu Zhian had been cultivating for less than twenty years. If he could reach Soul Transformation Realm… he would be a formidable enemy in the future.

To ease the atmosphere, the Great Peng Emperor quickly invited Mu Zhian to enjoy the delicacies of the Cloud Province imperial palace.

The Princess, sitting beside him, slowly peeled a large spirit shrimp from the World Sea, her delicate jade feet in small embroidered shoes beneath her long dress, casually glancing at the Great Peng Emperor.

Then, she casually removed one of her embroidered shoes and looked up at Mu Zhian with gentle eyes.

“When does my beloved consort plan to have Young Friend Mu return to Yu State?” the Great Peng Emperor suddenly asked.

The Princess said gently, “Tomorrow.”

“In that case, I’ll have someone prepare a griffin to send Young Friend Mu back to Yu State tomorrow,” the Great Peng Emperor said.

“That’s not appropriate.”

The Princess gently shook her head: “Young Master Mu is someone entrusted to me by the Pill Emperor. It’s more appropriate for me to personally send him back.”

The Great Peng Emperor frowned, not speaking.

The Princess gently tapped Mu Zhian’s foot with her toes, her expression calm, and said in a gentle and elegant voice, “He’s an esteemed guest of Yu State, and also the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion. If he returns alone and something happens along the way, Cloud Province might be in trouble.”

“If I send him back, it won’t even take half a day, and I can also use this opportunity to sound out Luo Tan’s plans for refining the Immortal Medicine,” the Princess proposed something that greatly interested the Great Peng Emperor.

Hearing this, a look of surprise and delight appeared on the Great Peng Emperor’s face, and he laughed heartily, “Good, in that case, I’ll trouble my beloved consort to personally send Young Friend Mu back to Yu State by tearing open a spatial rift tomorrow.”

His beloved consort had never cared about him before, yet now she was willing to go to Yu State for him, to sound out Luo Tan…

Thinking of this, the Great Peng Emperor was in high spirits. Then, his gaze fell on Mu Zhian, who was sitting on the ground, “Young Friend Mu, why do you seem distracted? Is there something on your mind?”

“Nothing, I’m just touched that an ordinary little cultivator like me could receive such hospitality from Your Majesty and Your Highness,” Mu Zhian shook his head and smiled.

Hearing this, the Great Peng Emperor picked up his teacup and said, “I had a slight misunderstanding with Young Friend Mu earlier. I know you have some reservations. Today, I’ll use tea in place of wine, and I hope the misunderstanding between us can be resolved.”

“This Mu never dared to have any reservations towards Your Majesty. After all, you were concerned about Your Highness at the time. It’s natural for you to misunderstand,” Mu Zhian raised his teacup, clinked it against the Great Peng Emperor’s, and took the opportunity to gently squeeze the Princess’s foot, saying softly, “However, I always believed this misunderstanding could be resolved eventually, and now my wish has come true.”

“Your Highness, I’d also like to toast you,” Mu Zhian raised his teacup again.

The Princess glanced at Mu Zhian seductively, withdrew her foot, and revealed a dignified and gentle smile: “Alright~”

…

That night.

“Your Highness, aren’t you worried about being discovered today?”

After finishing his meditation and cultivation, Mu Zhian saw the beauty sitting beside him with her legs crossed at some unknown time and couldn’t help asking with concern.

“As fellow Dao Integration Realm experts, he can’t sense my movements. Besides…”

The Princess paused and said softly, “You enjoyed yourself today too, didn’t you?”

Mu Zhian was momentarily speechless.

He had to admit, although he had been worried about being discovered today, he also felt a unique thrill.

“It’s a pity you have to return to Yu State tomorrow… Our affair can’t be known by a third person, not even Luo Tan.”

The Princess’s eyes dimmed slightly as she wrapped her arm around Mu Zhian, leaning her voluptuous body against him.

“If you miss me in the future, you can come see me anytime. I’ll be there for you, no matter when,” Mu Zhian embraced the beauty’s soft and slender waist and said gently.

The Princess didn’t speak, smelling the young man’s warm scent. She was beginning to understand why Luo Tan was so infatuated with this young man.

The Innate Celestial Furnace was one reason, and another was that being with Mu Zhian could break the monotony and boredom of her long life as a great power.

As a Dao Integration Realm expert, she naturally had many pursuers, but at this realm, she could no longer tell whether they were sincere or had ulterior motives.

And… a cultivator of much lower realm than her, even if he was sincere, what could she do?

The Princess looked down on their talent, strength, and background.

Reaching Dao Integration meant it was almost impossible to have a Dao Companion. This was practically an immutable law.

But Mu Zhian’s appearance broke this law.

Although his realm wasn’t high, his talent and even his constitution were enough to make up for it.

And… his delicate and handsome appearance easily aroused the affection and protective instincts of older women.

When one had a natural affinity for someone of the opposite sex, their sweet nothings could easily nourish a woman’s parched heart.

The Princess slightly raised her head, gazing at Mu Zhian’s gentle and refined, handsome face, his high nose bridge, and his kind eyes. She couldn’t help but tighten her arms around his neck and whisper, “Before you go back, keep Sister company a while longer~”

As she spoke, her beautiful and flawless face was about to approach Mu Zhian’s, but then, as if sensing something, the Princess’s gaze fell on the Green Lotus Ring on Mu Zhian’s finger.

The Green Lotus Ring looked ordinary, but a faint Spiritual Energy was flowing within… If one wasn’t paying attention, they might subconsciously overlook it.

“If I remember correctly, this Green Lotus Ring was given to you by the Jade Empress, right?” The Princess suddenly asked softly.

Mu Zhian didn’t overthink it and nodded, “Yao Meng was worried I would get hurt, so she gave me the Green Lotus Ring.”

“…Why do you suddenly ask?”

I see… No wonder she was so at ease leaving her Dao Companion in Yu State, even letting him come to Cloud Province.

The Princess narrowed her beautiful eyes, a coldness appearing in her usually gentle gaze.

At first, she was puzzled, thinking the Jade Empress trusted her character so much, believing that even if she knew about Mu Zhian’s Innate Celestial Furnace, she wouldn’t make a move on him…

But now it seemed the Jade Empress had already made arrangements in secret.

Perhaps she was even eavesdropping, or even spying on them right now.

As for why the Jade Empress hadn’t appeared yet, there was only one explanation…

What she and Mu Zhian were doing hadn’t reached the Jade Empress’s limit yet.

Perhaps that black-bellied fairy was watching her being made a fool of somewhere…

“What’s wrong?” Mu Zhian noticed something was off with the Princess’s expression and asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”

The Princess hummed softly, “I had some issues with my cultivation these past two days, and my Spiritual Energy is severely depleted, so I’m probably a bit tired.”

She placed a hand on Mu Zhian’s face and said softly, “The Great Peng Emperor just returned to the palace to handle government affairs, he won’t be coming to see me anytime soon…”

Mu Zhian’s heart suddenly raced, seemingly understanding the implication in her words, and he stared at her intently.

The Princess wrapped her arm around Mu Zhian’s, bit her lip lightly, and looked up at him with gentle and helpless eyes, “Can you help me?”

You like to spy, want to embarrass me later, right?

Then I’ll let you have your fill.

…

Jade Pool Holy Land.

A fairy in a green dress sat in her bedchamber, looking at the woman in the bronze mirror who was being intimate with Mu Zhian behind the Great Peng Emperor’s back, and her occasionally tender glances. She fell silent.

Undoubtedly, the Princess was doing this for her benefit.

She had anticipated that the Princess might get close to Mu Zhian, so she deliberately used the Shadow Stone, planning to use it later if the Princess argued with her.

But now…

Looking at the scene in the bronze mirror, the calm smile on Yao Meng’s face faded slightly. At this moment, only one thought surfaced in her mind:

“I think I messed up…”

Chapter 506: A Nascent Soul Realm’s Innate Celestial Furnace 

According to the Princess, if she willed it, she could allow the first person she was intimate with to communicate with the Great Dao.

As for the duration of the communication…that depended on the Spiritual Energy flowing within their body.

The Spiritual Energy referred to here wasn’t Mu Zhian’s own, but the Spiritual Energy the Princess gave him.

The more of the Princess’s Spiritual Energy within Mu Zhian’s cauldron, the longer he could communicate with the Great Dao…and the higher the probability of comprehending the Great Dao during Soul Transformation.

“I’m fine, don’t worry…you can go attend to your duties.”

After speaking to the Great Peng Emperor outside in a gentle and calm voice, the Princess silently added in her heart: I’m about to get busy myself.

The Great Peng Emperor clearly didn’t overthink it. Still reveling in tonight’s banquet, he chuckled heartily, “In that case, I’ll return to the palace. Take care, my beloved consort.”

The Princess gazed at Mu Zhian with affectionate eyes and said softly, “Mmm~ I will.”

Sensing the Great Peng Emperor’s aura gradually fading away, Mu Zhian finally sighed with relief inwardly.

The Princess nestled in his arms, a playful smile in her gentle eyes.

Then, she asked in a soft, melodious voice, “Exciting, wasn’t it?”

“Next time, could you give me a heads-up?” Mu Zhian complained helplessly.

Mu Zhian had been completely absorbed in the awe of the Great Dao and hadn’t expected the Great Peng Emperor to come looking for the Princess right after the banquet ended… If he had been even slightly prepared, he wouldn’t be in this situation.

At worst, he could have retreated into the Heavenly Court with his spiritual sense, making him undetectable to the Great Peng Emperor.

But just now…he was completely unprepared. They were separated from the Great Peng Emperor by only a single door, and he was holding the Princess in his arms.

The Princess clearly knew about the Great Peng Emperor’s arrival in advance, but she didn’t mind and didn’t warn Mu Zhian.

“He wouldn’t casually scan my room with his spiritual sense, don’t worry.”

“The Great Peng Emperor still has that much basic courtesy.”

The Princess caressed Mu Zhian’s face, a gentle smile playing on her lips, “And since you were worried about being discovered by him, you shouldn’t have been so intimate with me earlier, right?”

She tilted her head slightly, looked at Mu Zhian, and said softly, “Being with me… you might have to live like this, constantly on edge, every day.”

After all, in the eyes of the Cloud Province cultivators, the Princess was the Great Peng Emperor’s wife. Therefore, her affair with Mu Zhian couldn’t be made public.

Mu Zhian clearly understood this and murmured to himself, “If our affair is exposed, will it cause internal strife in Cloud Province?”

In a sense, his relationship with Yao Meng was similar.

Although their wedding that day in the Holy King City wasn’t real, in the eyes of the Nine Provinces cultivators, they were indeed married… Only the higher-ups in the Nine Provinces knew that their wedding was a ruse, a scheme for the Jade Empress’s Transcendence.

The Princess and the Great Peng Emperor, this superficial couple, had to maintain their relationship to avoid causing unrest in Cloud Province.

Mu Zhian quickly dismissed these trivial matters, wrapped his arm around the Princess’s soft and slender waist, and whispered, “I am indeed worried about our relationship being discovered… but that’s because I’m worried about Your Highness’s reputation being damaged.”

“As for me, I wouldn’t be willing to leave Your Highness.”

The Princess narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, seemingly enjoying his words.

Although she knew Mu Zhian was just sweet-talking, it still made her heart flutter…

After all, although she was being intimate with Mu Zhian behind the Great Peng Emperor’s back… wasn’t Mu Zhian also doing the same to the Jade Empress?

Or rather, Mu Zhian was actually taking a greater risk.

With the Jade Empress’s domineering personality, the Princess didn’t believe she would remain indifferent after learning about his intimacy with her.

Yet even so, Mu Zhian was still captivated by her charm, willing to take this risk~

Thinking of this, the Princess looked at the young man’s delicate and handsome face, sensing the affection in his eyes, a soft spot in her heart touched, her body seemingly melting in his embrace.

The Princess gently placed her slender hand on Mu Zhian’s shoulder, raised her moist, passionate eyes, and whispered, “Although I can’t be with you openly right now… I will compensate you.”

“What do you take me for? Just being with you is enough, compensation isn’t important!”

Mu Zhian gazed at the mature woman, as alluring as a peach, and whispered, “But I’m still a bit curious, what does Sister plan to do?”

The Princess couldn’t help but give Mu Zhian a seductive look.

After all this talk, he still wanted ‘compensation’?

But that made sense. After all, she was the one who brought up ‘compensation’, so it was natural for Mu Zhian to overthink it.

“Before I send you back to Yu State, you can experience communicating with the Great Dao a few more times.”

The Princess wrapped her arms around Mu Zhian’s neck, her beautiful eyes gazing tenderly, “This way, after you reach the peak of Nascent Soul Realm, if you want to comprehend the Great Dao’s laws, your success rate will be higher.”

I understand, so I can increase my favorability with the Great Dao now. When I reach the peak of Nascent Soul Realm and try to comprehend the Dao Rhyme, the Great Dao might not ‘reject’ me…

“Do I need to enter and exit the Great Dao to communicate with it for a longer time?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

The Princess was stunned for a moment, then, realizing what he meant, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him.

Then, a shy blush appeared on her face, and she said softly, “It’s not absolutely necessary to enter and exit the Great Dao. If you’re always with me, and like just now… you can naturally sense the Great Dao’s presence.”

“If the Great Peng Emperor finds out, he’ll probably want to kill me, right?” Mu Zhian chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“Not necessarily,” the Princess pouted, disagreeing with Mu Zhian.

“You should know there are two rulers in Cloud Province, right?”

Mu Zhian knew this. Although the Great Peng Emperor was the ruler of Cloud Province, the true power was held by both the Princess and him.

“Have you ever thought about why the Great Peng Emperor waited until the banquet ended to come see me, instead of asking me beforehand if I wanted to attend?” The Princess turned slightly, looking towards the main hall of the imperial palace outside the window.

Before Mu Zhian could answer, the Princess continued, “Because he’s afraid of me.”

“These years, the Great Peng Emperor has been obsessed with seeking the secrets of Transcendence and Ascension. The faith and belief of the Cloud Province cultivators lean more towards me. The Great Peng Emperor is afraid that one day, I will completely replace him and become the sole ruler of Cloud Province.”

“The faith of all beings can greatly enhance a cultivator’s combat power. The Great Peng Emperor isn’t willing to let me obtain this power.”

“He just wants me to stay by his side obediently, playing the role of his ‘beloved consort’, helping him comprehend the Great Dao’s laws.”

“Your Highness, you don’t care about the position of Cloud Province ruler, do you?” Mu Zhian frowned slightly. “He’s too wary of you.”

On one hand, wary of the Princess, on the other hand, desiring her… It was precisely because of this that the Princess didn’t have a good impression of male cultivators.

Because most of the cultivators the Princess had met in the past were after her body, which was connected to the Great Dao.

“But you’re different… From the moment I met you, I understood that you don’t care about the Great Dao within my body,” the Princess looked up, gazing tenderly into Mu Zhian’s eyes.

“You simply like me for who I am.”

“But I had impure motives towards you at that time…” The Princess’s eyes dimmed slightly as she spoke.

“I’m sorry…”

If one had to say when the Princess started caring about Mu Zhian, it was when she learned about his Innate Celestial Furnace.

However, at that time, she could still suppress her feelings and resist the temptation of the Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy.

But since Mu Zhian’s confession earlier, the Princess realized that perhaps there was no need for her to suppress her feelings and impulses from the start.

She had figured it out.

Her close friend, the Empress of Yu State, could be intimate with the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion…

Naturally, she should be able to as well.

Mu Zhian gently placed his hand on the Princess’s delicate and beautiful face and said softly, “Actually, I also had impure motives towards you from the start. If I have to say, I’m the one who should apologize.”

The Princess was stunned. She didn’t expect Mu Zhian to have his own motives for approaching her.

Then, Mu Zhian whispered, “I’ve had feelings for you from the very beginning… Your Highness might not believe in love at first sight, but I can swear to the Great Dao, I truly liked you from the start.”

Rumble…

The Great Dao responded faintly, the rumbling sound as if wanting to shatter the heavens, even making the Great Peng Emperor, who had just left the Princess’s palace, look up slightly and frown.

“It seems someone in the palace is making an oath, causing the Great Dao to resonate,” the attendant beside him guessed.

The Great Peng Emperor hummed softly in agreement, then said, “Report to me immediately if there’s any news from the Princess these next two days.”

The main reason the Great Peng Emperor didn’t invite the Princess to the banquet earlier was to weaken her influence in the court and win over the ministers’ hearts.

This matter would definitely reach the Princess’s ears, and perhaps his beloved consort would be displeased.

However, similar things had happened before. She would probably just swallow her anger like she always did.

The attendant lowered his head slightly and said respectfully, “Yes.”

…

“Do you often make oaths? The Great Dao seemed somewhat displeased with you just now.”

Hearing the rumbling sound from the Great Dao, a gentle smile bloomed on the Princess’s beautiful face as she leaned her forehead against Mu Zhian’s chest.

“Even if I often make oaths, I rarely make this kind of oath, but you’re an exception,” Mu Zhian shook his head.

Hearing this, the Princess wasn’t happy at all, but frowned slightly and said in a low voice, “That sounds like you think I’m troublesome, so you just made an oath to appease me.”

Mu Zhian gently shook his head, “I just think Your Highness is a woman who lacks a sense of security, so if this can reassure you, I’m willing to make this oath.”

The Princess was stunned, staring at Mu Zhian, not expecting someone to be so considerate of her, to such an extent…

Her gaze gradually softened, her body melting in Mu Zhian’s embrace, letting him hold her, enjoying this forbidden pleasure.

After an unknown amount of time, the Princess felt the Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy flowing within her cauldron, her heart racing.

She had been deeply interested in Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy since Mu Zhian gave her the Minor Rejuvenation Pill earlier.

But at that time, she still had to consider her status and maintain a reserved demeanor.

And now… there was no need.

“Mu Lang… can I call you that?”

The Princess looked up and asked shyly.

Just a simple address, but it made Mu Zhian’s heart race inexplicably. He looked at the beauty in his arms and nodded gently.

“Mu Lang… do you want to connect with the Great Dao again?” The Princess raised her moist, beautiful eyes, gazing softly at Mu Zhian.

However, this time, Mu Zhian didn’t answer, but gently stroked her hair and asked softly, “Do you want me to connect with the Great Dao?”

As if knowing what Mu Zhian was thinking, the Princess hummed softly in agreement, her voice shy and sweet.

She paused slightly, a captivating smile in her eyes, and whispered, “I want Mu Lang, behind my husband’s back, to fully experience the Great Dao’s laws.”

…

Night in Cloud Province was daytime in the Eastern Continent.

Deep within the Jade Pool Holy Land was a divine spring, emitting a brilliant rosy light, its aura extraordinary.

A fairy in a green dress sat beside the divine spring, her jade-white feet immersed in the cool water, swinging her tender white feet.

Yao Meng toyed with a strand of hair, holding a palm-sized bronze mirror, silently watching the scene of her husband embracing the Princess of Cloud Province, and couldn’t help but pout slightly.

Thinking about it now, it was quite amusing. Not long ago, when the Princess met her, she was still arguing with her, even disdainful of her marriage with Mu Zhian…

But now?

Behind her back, secretly being intimate with the young man she previously looked down upon.

Yao Meng looked at the young man in the bronze mirror, secretly being intimate with the Princess behind the Great Peng Emperor’s back, then her gaze quickly fell on the Princess’s shy expression.

A playful smile quickly appeared on Yao Meng’s face, and she silently took out a Shadow Stone.

Then, she put both the Shadow Stone and the bronze mirror into her sleeve.

She wondered what kind of expression that proud Princess would have if she took out today’s ‘evidence’ when arguing with her in the future.

Thinking of this, a playful smile appeared in Yao Meng’s eyes.

“Holy Maiden!”

Just then, a female disciple’s clear and pleasant voice came from outside the divine spring.

After a while, the Jade Pool disciple came to Yao Meng’s side and said respectfully, “The Forbidden Zone imperial daughter has sent someone to deliver the Reincarnation Water to the Jade Pool Holy Land. She asked this disciple to ask you if you need any other medicinal herbs.”

“There’s no need for other herbs, just reply and thank her for me.”

Yao Meng took the jade bottle containing Reincarnation Water from the disciple, then took out the Netherworld Lotus she had obtained from the Northern Frontier’s Underworld not long ago.

After dismissing the disciple, a beautiful woman with a full figure and a golden hair ornament came to Yao Meng’s side and said, “What is Holy Maiden thinking about?”

Yao Meng looked up in the direction of Yu State and said faintly, “I’m just thinking, at Nascent Soul Realm, his Innate Celestial Furnace is already close to Dao Integration Realm, and even the Spirit Dragon’s shielding technique can barely contain it… If he reaches Soul Transformation, the shielding technique the Spirit Dragon cast on his Innate Celestial Furnace will probably be completely undone, right?”

“By then… how many people do you think will discover the secret of the Innate Celestial Furnace?”

The Jade Pool Holy Mother was clearly stunned: “Holy Maiden means… if Mu Zhian breaks through the shackles of Nascent Soul and successfully reaches Soul Transformation, the secret of his Innate Celestial Furnace might not be hidden anymore?”

Yao Meng quietly gazed at the Jade Pool Holy Mother and smiled brightly: “Not might, but definitely.”

The reason Mu Zhian could wander before so many great powers without his Innate Celestial Furnace being discovered was largely due to the Words Manifest Reality technique the Spirit Dragon cast on his Innate Celestial Furnace earlier.

But the Spirit Dragon was at Dao Integration Realm. Once Mu Zhian reached Soul Transformation, his Innate Celestial Furnace would be infinitely close to a Transcendence Realm cauldron… The Spirit Dragon’s Words Manifest Reality naturally couldn’t shield it anymore.

The cultivators of the Nine Provinces might not be able to detect it, but those great powers, even the ancient beings in the forbidden lands… they would probably sense it immediately.

Yao Meng put the Reincarnation Water and the Netherworld Lotus into her storage ring. Despite the seriousness and trouble of this matter, a charming smile appeared on her face, and she said softly:

“If I guessed correctly, true chaos will soon descend.”

Chapter 505: Jade Empress Sister, I’m So Sorry…

Repelling the Forbidden Land of Life was a momentous event that shook Cloud Province to its core. This great victory put the Great Peng Emperor in high spirits, and celebrations erupted throughout the imperial palace.

The Forbidden Land of Life, one of the nine Forbidden Lands, operated under different rules and order than anywhere else in the Nine Provinces. Anyone who set foot inside, even Dao Integration Realm experts, risked injury or even death.

Yet, the encroaching ‘rules’ of the Forbidden Land of Life had been repelled by the Cloud Province ruler himself.

This display of power was a potent invigorator, sparking joyous celebrations within the palace and among cultivators throughout Cloud Province.

To commemorate this victory, the Great Peng Emperor declared a palace-wide celebration upon his triumphant return, also taking the opportunity to remind his court that he, and he alone, held true power in Cloud Province.

At that moment, within the Cloud Province imperial palace, magnificent halls stood amidst ancient, towering trees, their branches and leaves radiating a brilliant, otherworldly light.

The ministers, their powerful auras barely contained, celebrated the victory.

“It’s rather strange…we’ve never had any issues with the Forbidden Land of Life before. Why would they suddenly encroach on Cloud Province’s territory?” A minister voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

“Indeed, it’s quite suspicious. The Forbidden Land of Life has always been at peace with Cloud Province. This sudden expansion is truly baffling,” an old woman added, her eyes seeming to shimmer with a faint golden light, a divine aura surrounding her.

The Great Peng Emperor, seated at the head of the table in his black and gold battle armor, surveyed the crowd and said slowly, “I’ve already sent people to investigate discreetly. The Forbidden Land of Life has retreated and won’t be making any more moves anytime soon. There’s no need to worry.”

“If there’s any news, I’ll inform you immediately.”

Hearing this, everyone expressed their relief: “With the Great Peng Emperor’s words, we can rest easy.”

Then, another person suddenly asked, “I wonder how Her Highness the Princess is doing…She didn’t appear during the Forbidden Land of Life incident. Could she have gained some insight into Transcendence?”

The Great Peng Emperor shook his head and chuckled. “Transcendence isn’t so easily achieved. However, since you’re all so concerned about my beloved consort, I’ll personally visit her after the banquet.”

“As for now…” The Great Peng Emperor raised his cup, looking around at the assembled cultivators. “You’ve all worked hard, ministers. Let’s drink to our hearts’ content tonight!”

As his words fell, glasses clinked, and wine splashed.

Meanwhile…

In a quiet courtyard within the palace, the gentle and sensual Princess rested a hand on Mu Zhian’s shoulder, her soft voice, laced with an infinite charm, whispering in his ear.

He was momentarily dazed.

In the dimly lit room, their eyes met. The beautiful woman, dressed in a silver-white gown, her figure as alluring as a ripe peach, gazed at Mu Zhian tenderly, her beautiful eyes filled with affection. A sweet fragrance seemed to emanate from her dress,

a fragrance as intoxicating as the finest wine, making him slightly dizzy just from a whiff.

“Your Highness…what did you mean just now?” It took a moment for Mu Zhian to snap out of his daze and compose himself enough to ask. A premonition settled in his gut.

The Princess didn’t answer directly. Her sexy, alluring red lips parted slightly as she asked a seemingly unrelated question, “Do you know why so many people secretly pursued me in the past?”

Even the Great Peng Emperor hadn’t taken a wife in thousands of years for this Princess, hoping to make their relationship official. He didn’t just want to be seen as a loving couple; he wanted to become true Dao Companions with the Princess.

“Because of Your Highness’s breathtaking beauty?” Mu Zhian ventured.

“Smooth talker. You’re just good at making girls happy,” the Princess said, shooting him a playful glare.

Even her annoyed look was as alluring as a coquettish girl’s, filled with endless charm. Truly a seductive wife.

“I really don’t know…If not for your beauty, then why?” Mu Zhian asked, feigning helplessness, his eyes full of sincerity.

“The Great Dao,” the Princess revealed, not bothering with pretense.

She clasped her hands gently before her soft, ample bosom and said softly, “I was born connected to the Great Dao. Those who know this secret all speculate that they might be able to communicate with the Great Dao through me.”

“Do you know the relationship between the Great Dao and the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human?”

Mu Zhian shook his head, asking humbly, “Please enlighten me, Your Highness.”

“The three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human are the inevitable choices for all cultivators. After choosing one Dao to resonate with, they can achieve Dao Integration.”

“But besides these, there’s another Dao that transcends all things in the universe. It never interferes in the disputes between cultivators, unless someone poses a threat to the universe’s destruction. Otherwise, it won’t intervene.”

The Princess gazed into Mu Zhian’s eyes and said softly, “That is the Great Dao.”

The ancients often said the Great Dao was merciless. Mu Zhian hadn’t understood its meaning in the past, but after hearing the Princess’s explanation, he suddenly understood a bit more.

Simply put, the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human together established the rules of heaven and earth that restricted cultivators. Because there were living beings, there were the three Daos.

And the Great Dao… as long as the universe didn’t perish, the Great Dao wouldn’t disappear.

If the three Daos existed because of living beings, then the Great Dao existed because of the universe.

“The Great Dao emphasizes following the natural order…Every tens of thousands of years, a being connected to it might be born.”

“You’ve heard of the Spirit Dragon of the Two Polarities Sect, haven’t you?”

Heard of her? She’s my wife… Mu Zhian nodded demurely. “Senior Spirit Dragon is in my sect. I’ve indeed heard of her.”

“My situation is similar to hers,” the Princess said. “However, she is a creation beloved by the Great Dao, while I am innately connected to it.”

“So, what does this have to do with the Jade Empress…?” Mu Zhian hesitated.

The Princess raised an eyebrow, giving him a pointed look.

Did he really not understand, or was he feigning ignorance?

She had already hinted so clearly, did he still not understand her meaning?

The Princess’s eyes flickered, and she was about to speak.

Just then, a look of realization appeared on Mu Zhian’s face, and he asked in surprise, “Could it be that Your Highness can help others connect with the Great Dao?”

“I can help you connect with the Great Dao, but whether you can obtain its recognition depends on your own luck.” The Princess’s voice was tinged with regret. “The Great Dao favors those blessed with luck. It’s a pity the Spirit Dragon has been in seclusion in the Two Polarities Sect for thousands of years due to the Karmic Fire. Otherwise, with her luck, if you chose the Great Dao for your Soul Transformation, it wouldn’t reject you.”

“I have to try to know…What should I do to connect with the Great Dao?” Mu Zhian asked.

“I said it before, the method is actually very simple…but it might wrong the Jade Empress.” The Princess’s gaze, gentle and alluring, drifted towards Mu Zhian.

“Can we try now?” Mu Zhian asked.

A gentle, all-encompassing smile spread across the Princess’s face. “If you wish, naturally.”

“Close your eyes.”

Holy crap, really? Here in the palace?

This is…too exciting!

Sensing the tenderness in the woman’s eyes, Mu Zhian realized she wasn’t joking. His heart skipped a beat.

“Your Highness, how about we wait until we return to Yu State—”

Before Mu Zhian could finish, the Princess gently covered his eyes with her veil.

At the moment his vision was obscured, soft lips pressed against his.

The cool touch momentarily short-circuited his brain.

He never expected this reserved and gentle Princess to do this with him in the Great Peng Emperor’s palace…

Speaking of which, why cover my eyes? Is she worried I’ll see her shy expression…? Mu Zhian wondered.

But the thought quickly vanished as he lost himself in the thrill of the moment, his arms wrapping around the Princess’s soft, voluptuous waist, pulling her close.

The Princess’s body trembled slightly. She was initially overcome with shyness, but the scent of the young man’s warmth, the faint sounds of celebration from the ministers in the palace drifting in on the air, ignited an inexplicable excitement within her.

She removed the veil from Mu Zhian’s eyes, her own eyes fluttering closed as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, a look of pure bliss on her face.

Mu Zhian lowered his head slightly, his heart stirred by the shy blush on the beautiful woman’s face in his arms. He held her tighter, savoring the intimacy.

Rumble…

After a while, a thunderous boom echoed through Mu Zhian’s mind.

Darkness consumed him.

Then, a white light pierced through the void.

Mu Zhian found himself no longer in the room, but seemingly floating in the starry expanse of the cosmos.

An inexplicable awe filled him.

The Great Dao!

“I’ve actually seen the Great Dao…?”

Astonishment flooded Mu Zhian’s mind. He looked around, confirming that he was indeed in the universe.

Undoubtedly, the Great Dao was within this universe, though unseen and intangible.

Yet, its presence could be felt.

No wonder the Great Peng Emperor was so obsessed with the Princess. It wasn’t just her beauty, but also her body…or rather, her innate connection to the Great Dao.

However, his spiritual sense here was faint and weak, unable to remain for long…

Just a kiss with the Princess, and he could see the Great Dao…

Then, if he went further with her…

Even Mu Zhian couldn’t help but be excited by the possibilities.

“Mmm~”

Just then, he heard the Princess’s soft, melodious voice.

His vision blurred, and he found his spiritual sense back in the room. The Princess nestled in his arms, her eyes still closed, seemingly still lost in the afterglow of their intimacy.

A brief silence fell upon the room, the faint sounds of the celebratory banquet next door filtering through the walls.

After a moment, the Princess opened her eyes, moist with passion, and gazed at him tenderly. “Do you understand now?”

“…Yes.”

Mu Zhian was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“Aren’t you worried I’m only after the Great Dao?” he suddenly asked.

The Princess simply smiled gently and shook her head. “You wouldn’t.”

She slowly caressed Mu Zhian’s handsome face. “Your eyes, your body, they don’t lie.”

She was right…Mu Zhian was indeed surprised and even envious when he saw the Great Dao, as it was related to whether he could comprehend it during his Soul Transformation.

However…the moment he left the Great Dao, his attention was immediately drawn back to the beautiful woman in his arms.

Bang!

Fireworks exploded in the night sky outside, signaling the end of the banquet.

The Princess’s beautiful face, illuminated by the fireworks, was bright and captivating.

“Want to experience it again?” she whispered suddenly.

Mu Zhian was taken aback.

She smiled seductively, leaning close to his ear, and whispered in a sweet, sensual voice, “Then focus only on me, lose yourself in me, and…”

“Let’s keep this our little secret from your Jade Empress Sister~”

Hearing her sweet, melting voice, Mu Zhian’s heart rippled, and he pulled her slender waist closer.

But before he could make another move, the Princess raised a finger to her lips, shushing him.

Before Mu Zhian could react, he heard the Princess’s usual gentle and calm voice, “Is there something you need, Great Peng Emperor?”

Great Peng Emperor…?

The Great Peng Emperor is here?!

Mu Zhian froze, then quickly reacted, instinctively concealing his aura.

But then, noticing the formations within the room, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and released his concealed aura.

The Princess was the Daughter of the Great Dao. With her formations, as long as no one outside deliberately scanned the room with their spiritual sense, they wouldn’t be able to sense that a little cultivator was spending the night with the Princess in her room.

“I heard my beloved consort has gained some new insights these past few days. Could it be that you’ve touched upon the Dao of Transcendence?”

Hearing the voice from outside, the Princess simply winked playfully at Mu Zhian.

“I did have some insights, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been in seclusion these past few days…I apologize for causing you so much trouble,” she replied in her usual gentle voice.

“I’ve suppressed the Forbidden Land of Life, there’s no need for my beloved consort to worry…But how exactly did you gain insight into the Dao of Transcendence?” The Great Peng Emperor finally asked the question he was most concerned about.

“Mmm…I happened to absorb some Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy in Yu State a few days ago, hence the insights,” the Princess said.

“I see…”

The man outside nodded thoughtfully. “As for Mu Zhian, when does my beloved consort plan to have someone send him back?”

It wasn’t like he hadn’t come into contact with Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy before. If that little bit of Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy was enough for Transcendence, he would have transcended long ago and wouldn’t have risked going to the Forbidden Land of Life to search for Immortal Medicine.

The Princess gazed at Mu Zhian seductively, stood on tiptoes, lightly kissed his cheek, then gave him a captivating smile that made his heart flutter. “I’ve already found the Cloud Smoke Willow. I’ll have someone handle Mu Zhian.”

“If there’s nothing else, you can go attend to your duties~”

…

Chapter 504: Let’s Wrong the Jade Empress Together~p2

The Great Peng Emperor’s true form was that of an ancient race in the Northern Frontier, called the Kun Peng.

There were some vague records in the history books of the Nine Provinces, describing the enormous size of the Northern Frontier Kun Peng.

This race was incredibly powerful, but perhaps because of this, their numbers were extremely small, and it was difficult for them to reproduce.

However, every Kun Peng was born with astonishing combat power, and the Great Peng Emperor was the most outstanding among them.

Even though he had been focused on Transcendence and ascension these years, the combat power of a Kun Peng couldn’t be underestimated.

That day, the Great Peng Emperor personally set out for the north of Cloud Province, intending to suppress the Forbidden Land.

The Forbidden Land of Life was actually also part of Cloud Province. However, the rules within the Forbidden Land of Life were different from the outside world, making the great powers of the Nine Provinces wary of it.

Even the Great Peng Emperor didn’t dare enter rashly, only using immortal techniques to attack from the outside, resisting the Forbidden Land of Life’s encroaching rules.

But just as the Princess predicted, although it was impossible to stop the spread of the Forbidden Land of Life’s rules, delaying it for a few days wasn’t difficult.

After all, with so many eyes watching in Cloud Province now, if he retreated easily, the Cloud Province cultivators would be disappointed in him… And the power of faith gathered in Cloud Province would also dissipate.

This was something the Great Peng Emperor couldn’t accept.

However, even the Great Peng Emperor couldn’t do anything about the Forbidden Land of Life’s rule power. He could only delay it as much as possible, watching helplessly as the rule power emanating from the Forbidden Land of Life quietly expanded and spread.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

On this night, the Great Peng Emperor stared at the mysterious gray mist surging from the Forbidden Land of Life, his brows deeply furrowed, his heart filled with helplessness, not knowing how to resist this rule power.

However, just then, he unexpectedly discovered that the gray mist containing the rule power was actually receding strangely, as if wary of something.

“The rules within the Forbidden Land of Life are actively retreating…?”

The Great Peng Emperor looked at this scene, his eyes flickering, filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

After a while, a dazzling golden light emanated from his body, his aura incredibly powerful. Throwing caution to the wind, he charged towards the Forbidden Land of Life.

Although he didn’t know the reason, this was a great opportunity to counterattack, and also a chance to make the Cloud Province cultivators believe in him even more…

In this battle, people could only see a dazzling golden light flickering in the north of Cloud Province, but they didn’t notice that within this world, a Spiritual Energy different from the Nine Provinces was dispelling the Heavenly Dao’s erosion of these past years.

And five days later, the rule power of the Forbidden Land of Life completely retreated to its original boundaries.

Some Cloud Province cultivators praised their ruler’s strength, but only the Northern cultivators present at the time knew that although the Great Peng Emperor seemed to be fighting fiercely against the Forbidden Land of Life, in reality, the Forbidden Land of Life didn’t retreat because of the Great Peng Emperor, but because it was wary of something ‘mysterious’.

It was the Princess who had spent a great deal of effort ‘replicating’ Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy, painstakingly resisting the Heavenly Dao’s erosion, making the Forbidden Land of Life’s rule power temporarily retreat.

On the afternoon of the day the Forbidden Land of Life retreated, the Great Peng Emperor triumphantly returned to the imperial palace.

The ministers had long been waiting outside, cheering and welcoming the return of the Cloud Province ruler.

The Great Peng Emperor basked in the ministers’ praises. Amidst the lively commotion, a minister suddenly asked doubtfully, “By the way, why haven’t I seen Her Highness the Princess today?”

Having repelled the Forbidden Land of Life, the Great Peng Emperor was clearly in a good mood and said with a smile, “My beloved consort is in secluded cultivation in the palace today, saying she had some insights recently. There’s no need for you to worry, ministers.”

He paused, then continued, “Having repelled the Forbidden Land of Life today, we should celebrate. After the celebration, I’ll go and see how my beloved consort is doing.”

The ministers exchanged glances, then cupped their hands: “His Majesty the Great Peng Emperor is wise.”

…

In a certain courtyard within the imperial palace.

Mu Zhian sat by the window, looking at the spring scenery outside, and couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s so quiet around here today. It seems everyone went to welcome the Great Peng Emperor after his return.”

“Repelling the Forbidden Land of Life and saving Cloud Province from danger would naturally earn him praise.”

The Princess, wearing exquisite silver-white embroidered shoes, walked to the window and looked outside.

Even in this quiet place, she could still faintly sense the commotion within the imperial palace.

“But they probably don’t know that the true hero this time wasn’t the Great Peng Emperor, but you.”

The Princess’s gaze turned gentle as she looked at Mu Zhian, sincere gratitude in her eyes: “If it weren’t for you, Cloud Province would probably have faced a catastrophic disaster.”

“I said it before, as long as I can help you, it’s fine,” Mu Zhian shook his head and smiled.

“Besides, I only took you to the Heavenly Court. What happened afterward has nothing to do with me.”

Mu Zhian paused slightly, “Your Highness, this time, it was clearly your achievement, are you really planning to give all the credit to the Great Peng Emperor?”

The Princess said with a faint smile, “I’m not interested in taking credit. As long as Cloud Province is safe, that’s enough.”

Mu Zhian frowned, “But the Great Peng Emperor doesn’t know about this… Will he think you didn’t do anything?”

After saying that, Mu Zhian suddenly realized something and quickly added, “Sorry… This isn’t something I should be commenting on.”

“I’ve said it before, you don’t need to be so polite with me,” the Princess said softly, her eyes gentle as she gazed at Mu Zhian.

Such an important secret as the Heavenly Court, even Luo Tan might not know about it, but Mu Zhian was willing to tell her for her sake.

This alone was enough for her to trust Mu Zhian.

After all, the Heavenly Court was related to ‘ascension’. If the person who knew about this was a villain, Mu Zhian would be in danger.

“Although it’s not appropriate for me to say this, I still have to remind you… No matter what, don’t reveal the secret of the Heavenly Court to outsiders, otherwise, it will bring you immense trouble,” the Princess advised sincerely.

Mu Zhian smiled, “I know, I won’t casually reveal this to others.”

He paused, a hint of worry in his tone, “Compared to my matters, I’m more worried about Your Highness… Although Your Highness is magnanimous and doesn’t care about the credit for saving Cloud Province… I don’t know what the Great Peng Emperor will think.”

The Princess fell silent.

Mu Zhian’s words hit a sore spot in her heart.

Similar things had happened in the past. Clearly, she was the one who solved the problem, but the uninformed Great Peng Emperor thought she did nothing, even causing many unpleasant incidents.

“Let’s just leave it at that.”

The Princess sighed softly, then took out a willow branch emitting a faint cloud-like smoke from her wide sleeve and handed it to Mu Zhian.

“This is the Cloud Smoke Willow I had someone find these past few days. Young Master Mu, it’s best not to get too involved in Cloud Province’s affairs, lest you get burned. After refining this Cloud Smoke Willow, I’ll send you back to Yu State.”

“After that… with Luo Tan’s help, you should be able to reach Soul Transformation soon.”

The Princess looked at Mu Zhian with complex eyes. A few days ago, she still held quite a bit of animosity towards him, thinking he was deliberately approaching Luo Tan because he coveted her Innate Celestial Furnace.

But now, her opinion of Mu Zhian had completely changed.

Although he was somewhat of a playboy… he was still thoughtful and sincere towards women.

However, he already had the Jade Empress as his Dao Companion… And she was ultimately the Great Peng Emperor’s wife in name, so there was no way she could have any involvement with Mu Zhian.

After sending him back to Yu State this time, perhaps their next meeting would be thousands of years later.

The Princess silently looked at Mu Zhian, her heart filled with complex emotions.

Mu Zhian looked at the Cloud Smoke Willow in the Princess’s hand and suddenly sighed softly.

“What’s wrong? Do you have any other worries?” the Princess asked softly.

Before their final farewell, she wanted to see if there was anything else she could do to help Mu Zhian.

“With Empress Luo Tan’s help, I think I can indeed reach Soul Transformation Realm soon…”

Mu Zhian chuckled self-deprecatingly, “But after reaching Soul Transformation, what Dao Rhyme should I comprehend?”

The Princess was slightly stunned, then fell silent.

Indeed, Mu Zhian raised a very realistic question.

The Soul Transformation Realm, simply put, was choosing one of the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human, and comprehending its Dao Rhyme.

It could be said that the Soul Transformation Realm was the foundation for the Dao Integration Realm. After choosing a Dao Rhyme at Soul Transformation Realm, it couldn’t be changed at Dao Integration Realm.

This was an important turning point for a cultivator.

Under normal circumstances, most cultivators would choose the Heavenly Dao.

Because, from ancient times until now, the Heavenly Dao had always been the strongest, while the Earth Dao and Human Dao were slightly weaker.

But the Princess, who knew some secrets about the Heavenly Dao, clearly understood that the Heavenly Dao was currently ailing, and it absolutely couldn’t be chosen for Dao Comprehension.

Otherwise, there was a possibility of becoming a puppet manipulated by the Heavenly Dao in the future.

Besides that, what else could Mu Zhian choose?

The Earth Dao or the Human Dao?

It wasn’t impossible, but it wasn’t the best choice either… At least, she could give Mu Zhian a better option.

It’s just that this method would be somewhat…

The Princess bit her alluringly red lips, her eyes filled with conflict as she looked at Mu Zhian.

She was the Princess of Cloud Province, and Mu Zhian also had a Dao Companion.

If she really let him connect with the Great Dao in that way, anyone who found out would probably despise them.

And she had just rejected Mu Zhian’s confession a few days ago. Bringing this up now… was too difficult.

“Regardless, thank you for the Cloud Smoke Willow, Your Highness, and also for chatting with me in the Heavenly Court these past few days. I… won’t disturb your life any further,” Mu Zhian forced a smile.

He looked up at the Princess and said softly, “After all, because of me, your relationship with the Great Peng Emperor has probably worsened even more these past few days.”

The Princess had been secretly using Heavenly Court power almost every day to resist the Heavenly Dao’s erosion and make the Forbidden Land of Life retreat.

But the Great Peng Emperor thought the Princess did nothing during this time and would naturally be dissatisfied with his fiancée.

But who would have thought that she was the one who paid the greatest price?

“Take care, Your Highness.”

Seeing the Princess’s silence, Mu Zhian said his final farewell and turned to leave the room.

The Princess subconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions. She realized that after Mu Zhian left this time, they would probably be like two parallel lines, rarely intersecting again.

Was this truly what she wanted…?

At some point, the complex look in the Princess’s beautiful eyes gradually calmed down.

“Actually… comprehending the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human isn’t the only way to reach Soul Transformation Realm.”

Just as Mu Zhian took a step, a gentle, calm, and sweet voice suddenly came from behind.

The Princess stood behind him, looking at him with a hint of shyness, but her beautiful eyes held a sense of relief.

Mu Zhian paused slightly, slowly turned around, and asked in surprise, “What does Your Highness mean by that?”

He saw the beautiful and gentle married woman gracefully walking towards him.

“I have a way for you to comprehend a Dao Rhyme different from the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human,” the Princess arrived before Mu Zhian, looked up at his delicate and handsome face, and said softly.

A hint of doubt appeared in Mu Zhian’s eyes, but the Princess suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question, “I know you’ve been secretly looking at my body before.”

She tilted her head slightly, a strand of hair falling from beside her ear, and asked softly, “…Do you desire me?” (The censored word is likely desire/want)

Mu Zhian was momentarily silent, surprised by the Princess’s unexpected question.

To say he didn’t desire her would be a lie.

But answering like that… would it be too direct? Was she testing him?

Mu Zhian’s mind raced, secretly thinking about how to answer to please the Princess.

However, to Mu Zhian’s surprise, the Princess continued speaking on her own, “Actually, comprehending a fourth Dao Rhyme isn’t difficult… but it requires your cooperation.”

“How do I cooperate?” For some reason, Mu Zhian’s heart raced inexplicably.

“The method is actually very simple.”

The Princess gently removed her veil, her gentle eyes, as soft as water, gazing into Mu Zhian’s. She stood on tiptoes.

She gently placed a hand on Mu Zhian’s shoulder, then whispered in his ear in a seductive voice that could melt a man’s heart, “Be with me.”

“And then… let’s wrong the Jade Empress together~”

Chapter 504: Let’s Wrong the Jade Empress Together~p1

“Who are you, exactly? We’re here in the Heavenly Court with our spiritual senses, not our physical bodies, right?”

“How can you bring my spiritual sense into the Heavenly Court?”

The Princess stared intently at Mu Zhian, wanting the answers she sought.

Mu Zhian shook his head slightly. “I don’t quite understand the specifics myself. I obtained a ring from the First Demon Emperor, and since then, I’ve been able to bring my spiritual sense into the Heavenly Court for a certain period… and bring others along as well.”

“The First Demon Emperor?”

The Princess had obviously heard of the First Demon Emperor, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Then, she quickly remembered something important, a blush creeping up her cheeks. A hint of resentment flickered in her usually gentle gaze as she glanced at Mu Zhian, “Does that have anything to do with you… kissing me just now?”

Seemingly not used to saying the word, she hesitated for a while before asking softly.

Mu Zhian smiled, “To enter the Heavenly Court, even with just a wisp of spiritual sense, one’s body must contain some Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy… And this is the only way I can transfer it to you.”

“So that’s how it is. No wonder you were so bold earlier…”

At this moment, the Princess understood slightly and nodded silently.

However, along with her understanding came an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

She had been surprised and annoyed when this young cultivator kissed her earlier, but now, after hearing his explanation and understanding his motives, she felt a sense of loss.

Could it be that I was expecting something…? A thought that even she found utterly absurd surfaced in the Princess’s mind.

As one of the rulers of Cloud Province, a princess born connected to the Great Dao, the Princess hadn’t experienced any so-called ‘surprises’ since birth.

Because the Great Dao favored her, and she was blessed with luck, she knew from birth that she would definitely reach Dao Integration.

Some people were born striving for cultivation, their fate unknown.

And some people, from the moment they were born, were destined to become a Dao Integration Empress standing tall in the Nine Provinces.

The Princess was such a person of destiny.

Because of this, many had pursued her in the past, some coveting her beauty, some wanting to use her body to try and resonate with the Great Dao.

The Great Peng Emperor was one of them.

For this, the Great Peng Emperor had tried countless methods to please the Princess, but none had worked…

Since they were both at the Dao Integration Realm, the Great Peng Emperor didn’t dare to go too far, lest it cause conflict between them.

But who would have thought that after Mu Zhian’s kiss tonight, although the Princess felt some shame, it wasn’t that strong… Instead, a strange and complex feeling arose in her heart.

She couldn’t even understand her own thoughts anymore.

The Princess gently shook her head, dispelling her thoughts, but a sense of uncertainty lingered in her heart.

“Your Highness…?”

Just then, Mu Zhian called out to her tentatively, “Do you plan to explore the depths of the Heavenly Court?”

The Princess came back to her senses and smiled gently, “Then I’ll have to trouble Young Master Mu.”

Mu Zhian shook his head, “Since I’ve already promised Your Highness, I will naturally cooperate with you as much as possible.”

Then, he paused and said, “However, according to the rules of the Heavenly Court, to enter the Heavenly Court, there are some rather troublesome requirements…”

The Princess was stunned, looked at Mu Zhian, and asked, “What requirements?”

For some reason, looking at Mu Zhian’s sincere expression, a bad feeling arose in the Princess’s heart.

…

“Such a sacred place as the Heavenly Court, yet it has such indecent rules… Who exactly set these rules?”

After a while, the Princess removed her outer garment and veil, her silk-clad jade feet stepping onto the floor of the Heavenly Court, a faint blush appearing on her face.

Even the gentle and kind Princess couldn’t help but feel resentful towards the person who wrote the Heavenly Court’s rules.

The Heavenly Court, the lifelong pursuit of cultivators, its rules actually required people to wear dresses and stockings to enter…

And they couldn’t wear shoes!

“Are these rules real or fake? Why can you ignore them and enter?”

The Princess looked at the young man beside her and finally couldn’t help asking.

Mu Zhian shook his head and guessed, “Perhaps it’s because of the ring left by the First Demon Emperor?”

He couldn’t admit to being the one who wrote the Heavenly Court’s rules, not even if he were beaten to death… Even the gentlest beauty, if she knew the truth, would probably tear him apart.

Silence fell between the two. After an unknown amount of time, Mu Zhian suddenly asked, “How do you plan to use the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy?”

The Princess didn’t answer, but instead asked a seemingly unrelated question: “Young Master Mu, have you ever heard of the nine Forbidden Lands of the Nine Provinces?”

Mu Zhian was stunned for a moment and hesitated, “According to ancient texts, the Forbidden Lands haven’t appeared in the world for tens of thousands of years, right?”

The Princess gently shook her head: “Besides Yu State and the Northern Frontier, the other Forbidden Lands have been in seclusion for far longer than tens of thousands of years.”

“The reason the Forbidden Lands are called forbidden isn’t because of the ancient Dao Integration Realm beings residing within, but because the rules of heaven and earth in each Forbidden Land are completely different, and all controlled by the ancient beings within.”

“The Heavenly Dao allows these forbidden beings to rewrite the rules of heaven and earth it set?” Mu Zhian asked in surprise.

“Why don’t you guess why the Forbidden Land of Life is expanding outwards for no reason?” The Princess asked a question that made Mu Zhian fall into deep thought.

Indeed, the Forbidden Land of Life had always been at peace with Cloud Province, why would it suddenly expand outwards…?

Wasn’t it afraid of being too conspicuous and being punished by the Heavenly Dao?

“Your Highness means… this is tacitly permitted by the Heavenly Dao?” Mu Zhian understood the Princess’s implication.

“Only Transcendence Realm Human Emperors can rewrite the rules of heaven and earth. The beings in the Forbidden Lands are also at Dao Integration, but the rules of heaven and earth in their Forbidden Lands are completely different from the outside world, a world of their own.”

A dark glint appeared in the Princess’s eyes.

“I secretly investigated in the past. Initially, the range of activity of each Forbidden Land in the Nine Provinces was extremely wide, even several provinces were controlled by Forbidden Lands.”

Mu Zhian was stunned. This couldn’t be ignored… The Forbidden Lands once controlled entire provinces, but why did they later shrink their territories and choose to create worlds of their own?

“Although I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, the beings in the Forbidden Lands are all injured. Perhaps there was a great battle in the past, and someone suppressed the nine Forbidden Lands,” seeing Mu Zhian’s silence, the Princess knew what he was thinking and added.

“How is that possible?” Mu Zhian almost blurted out.

This was too absurd. Unrestricted by the heavenly rules, Dao Integration Realm experts could exert the power of the Transcendence Realm… Could someone suppress nine Forbidden Lands?

The Princess slowly shook her head and said softly, “I didn’t believe it at first either, but when I later set foot in the Forbidden Land of Life, I discovered that the beings within were indeed injured.”

“If the beings in the Forbidden Lands truly are at Dao Integration Realm, then the ones rewriting the rules of heaven and earth probably aren’t them, but someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes…”

Mu Zhian pondered for a long time, his eyes changing slightly, “The Heavenly Dao…?”

Even the Heavenly Dao itself couldn’t completely change the rules of heaven and earth… But it could change a part of them, then use the forbidden beings as mediums to expand that small part of the rules of heaven and earth.

Its purpose in doing so was to gain greater power.

“So, the Heavenly Dao eroding Cloud Province might be related to the previous expansion of the Forbidden Land of Life?”

Hearing this, the Princess secretly praised Mu Zhian’s intelligence: “That’s what I think too, which is why I want to use Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy to resist the Heavenly Dao’s erosion.”

“What do you plan to do?” Mu Zhian asked.

A charming and gentle smile appeared on the Princess’s face, “I’m innately connected to the Great Dao. If I’m willing, I can replicate anything I see. Although it can’t compare to the Heavenly Court’s own rules and Spiritual Energy, it’s enough to resist the Heavenly Dao’s erosion of Cloud Province and make the Forbidden Land of Life retreat.”

“As for the expansion of the Forbidden Land of Life during this time… Although the Great Peng Emperor hasn’t been paying much attention to Cloud Province these years, he wouldn’t tolerate the Forbidden Land gradually encroaching on his territory. Delaying it for two or three days, he should be able to do that.”

“Will he risk resisting the Forbidden Land of Life’s rule erosion?” Mu Zhian couldn’t help asking.

“No, but he’ll try his best… At least, he’ll put on a show of trying his best.”

The Princess’s tone remained gentle, but her eyes held a hint of coldness: “With so many eyes watching in Cloud Province, if he retreats easily, the cultivators will be disappointed in him, and the power of faith will collapse… So he will try his best to create the impression that he has done everything he can.”

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but be stunned: “You really understand him.”

“Understand?”

The Princess pursed her sexy red lips, a hint of sarcasm in her tone, “He’s always been like this, I naturally know what he’ll do.”

Although there were two rulers of Cloud Province, since the beginning of this era, it was practically the Princess alone handling all matters, big and small, both internal and external… The Great Peng Emperor, since thousands of years ago, had been focusing all his energy on seeking the path of Transcendence.

Cloud Province had been thriving all these years… Little did they know how much the Princess had contributed behind the scenes.

Mu Zhian fell silent, looking at the beautiful woman with a hint of emotion in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Seemingly uncomfortable being stared at, the Princess couldn’t help but ask softly.

“Nothing, I’m just thinking, Empress Luo Tan at least has several close aides to help share the burden, but it seems you’ve been silently handling all these troublesome matters alone in Cloud Province all this time…”

Mu Zhian smiled, “As expected, Your Highness is just as I imagined, seemingly gentle, but actually very strong inside.”

The Princess hummed softly in agreement.

She had heard this kind of flattery countless times and naturally wasn’t moved.

Mu Zhian looked around at the vast scenery of the Heavenly Court and continued, “But you can also try sharing your troubles with others, like today… Perhaps the problem will be resolved quickly.”

“This time was just an accident… If Young Master Mu didn’t happen to possess the Innate Celestial Furnace, and the technique to bring his spiritual sense into the Heavenly Court, even if I told you, it would be useless.”

“It might even cause you more trouble.”

The Princess gently shook her head. She didn’t want to burden others with her troubles, but this time, she had no other choice. Although she hesitated for a long time, she ultimately asked Mu Zhian for help.

“What if I don’t mind?” Mu Zhian asked.

The Princess was slightly stunned, looking at Mu Zhian incredulously.

“There are people who don’t mind being troubled…?”

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but chuckle softly: “Of course, no one likes being troubled.”

He gazed into the Princess’s gentle, autumn-water-like eyes and said softly, “But if it’s you… I don’t mind.”

Thump! Thump!

At this moment, the Princess’s eyes widened slightly, Mu Zhian’s figure reflected within. Her mind was in turmoil.

She had heard countless confessions before.

As a princess born connected to the Great Dao, the quickest and easiest way to connect with the Great Dao was to become her Dao Companion.

Using her as a medium, being intimate with her… one could naturally communicate with the Great Dao.

Because of this, the Princess had never cared about other people’s confessions.

They were either coveting her body or the Great Dao behind her.

But Mu Zhian was just a little cultivator at Nascent Soul Realm, he couldn’t possibly be thinking that much…

Perhaps he did crave her body, but it was because he liked her, not the Great Dao behind her.

Moreover, his confession just now wasn’t sweet talk, but more like stating a fact.

And it was precisely this calm statement of fact that was most moving.

However, before the Princess could recover, Mu Zhian’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he lowered his head sadly, saying softly, “But rest assured, Your Highness, no matter what, in the eyes of the Cloud Province cultivators, you are still the Great Peng Emperor’s wife. I won’t make things difficult for you.”

“I just hope that many years later, you will still remember that there was once a little cultivator who secretly admired you.” He looked up, a sunny and well-behaved smile on his face.

“Although I am his wife, there’s actually nothing between us…” The Princess didn’t know why she was explaining this, but she just blurted it out.

Mu Zhian was first surprised, then sighed softly, “You’ve silently contributed so much to Cloud Province in the past, yet the Great Peng Emperor took almost all the credit. That’s a bit much.”

“If you were my Dao Companion, I would cherish and protect you, not argue with you like these past two days, or even leave all the matters of Cloud Province, big and small, for you to handle.”

The Princess remained silent.

Mu Zhian smiled wryly, “Sorry… This is ultimately a family matter between you and the Great Peng Emperor. It seems inappropriate for me, an outsider, to comment.”

“…It’s fine, you’re someone Luo Tan trusts, practically one of us. There’s no need to be so polite.”

The Princess’s heart was already filled with complex emotions. Hearing Mu Zhian’s words now, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth.

The frustration she felt due to the inaction of the Cloud Province ministers also dissipated somewhat.

Mu Zhian’s words were like a warm current flowing through her body, bringing comfort to her heart.

If this person weren’t the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion, perhaps I really would have become close to him, the Princess suddenly thought.

After all, Mu Zhian was the only man who understood her so far.

His personality was also gentle, and he was quite handsome…

And… the wonder of Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy, after experiencing it once, made one want to experience it again.

Mu Zhian looked at the dazed Princess, took two steps forward, and gently pulled the beautiful and sexy woman into his embrace.

The warm embrace made the Princess’s eyes glaze over slightly. Only when she felt an unfamiliar hand around her waist did she suddenly snap out of it and gently push Mu Zhian away.

She tried to maintain her composure, but seeing Mu Zhian’s uncertain expression, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

“Let’s… let’s go inside first. No matter what, it’s better to discuss things after resolving the Heavenly Dao’s erosion.”

Mu Zhian looked at her with a complicated expression, forcing a smile, “Mmm… You’re right, the matters of Cloud Province are more important. Come, I’ll take you to the depths of the Heavenly Court.”

The Princess bit her lip lightly, her gaze complex as she looked at the young man’s slightly lonely and desolate back, but she remained silent.

…