Cultivation: Starting from a Mortal Bone

Chapter 548 -501: Your Majesty, You Can’t Blame Me for This

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

Qin Yu barely left the Golden Thunder Dao Lotus, and as for the Empress trapped in the Seven Emotions Tribulation, she fulfilled every request…

During these seven days, the Empress was wholly satisfied; the Warm Current inside her body visibly grew to nearly twice its original size.

That showed just how fierce the battle had been.

Now, the cracks on the staircase of the Great Dao inside the Empress were almost entirely healed. What surprised her even more was that, despite having no time for focused cultivation, her comprehension of Light Attribute Dao Rhyme Power had advanced by leaps and bounds.

Within the “Seven Emotions Tribulation”, before she knew it, the Light Attribute staircase of the Great Dao actually formed its tenth step.

At the same time, there was another issue that worried the Empress.

The unfamiliar energy within her body seemed to have increased significantly, even the yue frequency went up too.

Could it be…

Is she really going to give birth after all?!

If it weren’t for her taut, flat lower abdomen, the Empress would genuinely believe this.

Just a few days out, and she’d be returning with a chubby baby?

The Empress could hardly imagine what kind of strange look the Empress Dowager would give her.

Handling an auspicious sign was easy, but if she really went this far, would she tell Little Ling’Er?

Thinking of this, the lake of the Empress’s heart quivered slightly.

In the next moment, she felt Qin Yu, who was holding her, clench his fist, and the hand originally resting on her waist was starting to misbehave.

This guy, did he misunderstand something? I didn’t hint anything to him!

This is just outrageous!

The Empress shot Qin Yu a secret glare, her sense of guilt growing even stronger inside.

“Your Majesty, t-this isn’t my fault, is it?”

Faced with that perfect face, stern yet regal, Qin Yu instinctively tried to explain.

The Empress had always been unmatched in authority, planting seeds of awe in his heart long ago.

But…

Leaving facts aside, isn’t Fathead Dragon at fault too?!

Seeing Qin Yu’s innocent look, the Empress could only feel her anger rise unreasonably.

So it’s her fault after all?

Even worse, this guy looked all innocent up top, but his hand refused to move away, not even loosen a bit.

If it weren’t for being in the middle of the tribulation, the Empress really wanted to slap Qin Yu out of here.

“Your Majesty, have you rested well?”

Seeing the Empress silent for so long, eyes clear and bright, Qin Yu tentatively asked.

Next up should be the “Love” and “Desire” tribulations, right?

Seeing Qin Yu lay on his back, the Empress felt a surge of intense shame.

He wants me to be on top?

“Eh, isn’t it supposed to be the Love Tribulation?”

As the Empress tangled within her thoughts, she suddenly heard Qin Yu mutter softly.

This guy, is he suspicious?

Wait, suspicious about what?

Could I possibly fake crossing my tribulation to let him take advantage?!

Heh!

Too cunning for the stomach of an emperor!

“Qin Yu, can I… kiss you?”

The Empress suppressed the shame inside, her clear gaze revealing a tinge of dependent affection.

“Of course!”

Qin Yu scooted back, adjusting his position.

“???”

The smile on the Empress’s face froze.

Well, well.

He actually wants me to take the initiative?!

“Your Majesty, didn’t you say you wanted to kiss me?”

Qin Yu looked at her puzzled, as if… as if this was perfectly normal.

“I…don’t really like it this way.”

The Empress bit down on her silvery teeth, snuggling close, but inadvertently caught a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

This guy, is he getting smarter?

In the “Love” tribulation, she seemed incapable of rejecting any intimate act.

To avoid blowing her cover, the Empress could only endure the physical and mental discomfort.

But she wouldn’t lower her head.

Even so, she found it incredibly… shameful.

How could she do such a thing?!

All sorts of conflicting emotions filled the Empress’s heart, leaving her mental lake in turmoil.

Up and down.

Highs and lows.

As the Seven Emotions Tribulation gradually passed.

The Empress drew upon cultivation resources at a much faster rate, clearly intent on using the last two tribulations to further boost her internal Warm Current.

The Seven Emotions Tribulation was finally fully overcome.

Gazing at the Empress, now deep asleep, Qin Yu, though reluctant, didn’t dare linger. He quickly scooped up his robe from the lotus leaf, dressed, and hurried outside.

“Hmph!”

As the door slammed shut, the graceful Empress atop the Dao Lotus slowly opened her eyes, a flash of coldness flickering by.

She had originally thought to punish Qin Yu a little after she recovered, just to reinforce his awe and keep his attitude proper.

This guy ran too fast and never gave her the chance!

Qin Yu intended to bolt all the way outside the Flying Carriage—he hadn’t forgotten how last time, the Empress, once recovered, blew the whole carriage to pieces!

Faintly, a suffocatingly powerful aura spread from the room, like a dragon awakening, slowly coming to life.

Qin Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the ripples in his mind, trying his best to maintain his sense of reverence.

After a long while.

The door opened slowly, a majestic figure appeared at the threshold.

“Your Majesty.”

Qin Yu didn’t dare lift his head, saluting her respectfully.

The Empress cast a cold glance his way.

She saw him standing there, proper and honest, making it hard to find a fitting reason to discipline him.

If she hadn’t seen Qin Yu’s madness with her own eyes, even the Empress might have been fooled by his guileless appearance.

Heh!

What a hypocrite.

In the end, the Empress said nothing. With a wave of her hand, the Flying Carriage vanished into thin air.

Qin Yu’s heart jolted. He snuck a glance at the Empress facing him, not daring to ask anything.

“Hmph!”

The Empress snorted inwardly. She’d considered obliterating the Flying Carriage so Qin Yu would realize some things best be forgotten.

But this carriage was forged from Space Fragment. If she destroyed it, what would she do if her mental state became unstable and she needed to cross tribulations again?

In the outside world?

Auspicious creatures could perceive what happened clearly.

“Buzz…”

Just as the Empress composed herself, preparing to head back to the Imperial Capital, she suddenly sensed a Transmission Stone, long untouched, light up.

“Emperor Chu?”

The Empress’s brows furrowed slightly. After a moment’s hesitation, she answered the transmission.

“Emperor Yan, you finally answered!”

Soon, a hazy image appeared midair. Emperor Chu looked fatigued, even his voice sounded relieved, as if he could finally relax with the Empress answering.

When his gaze shifted behind the Empress, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

That guy is still behind the Empress?

Who on earth is he, and why does he get such privilege?

This distance… seems a little too intimate, doesn’t it?

“What’s the matter?”

The Empress picked up immediately—Emperor Chu seemed off.

Even after two defeats, Emperor Chu had never lost composure like this.

“Emperor Yan, do you have a Bright Moon Pearl?”

Emperor Chu cut to the chase.

Though he wondered where the Great Yan Empress had been these few days, not answering transmissions, as a fellow emperor, he wouldn’t pry into such private matters.

“Bright Moon Pearl?”

The Empress’s brows knitted slightly. The Bright Moon Pearl was unique to the Great Yan Empress Dowager; forging each pearl cost her massive Moonlight Power.

Even within Great Yan, only Hall Masters guarding regions have a few pearls, used as safeguards.

Although Bright Moon Pearls benefit cultivators, they’re mostly used to suppress Malice.

Why did Emperor Chu need Bright Moon Pearls?

Could Ancient Arrays in Great Chu Immortal Country also be having issues?

But what puzzled the Empress was that Great Chu didn’t have auspicious creatures, but array masters weren’t lacking. Unless the situation was dire, Emperor Chu would never swallow his pride to ask her for help.

“Have Ancient Arrays in Great Chu been damaged too?”

The Empress’s voice grew heavier.

The dangers of Malice affect far more than a single region or Immortal Country.

If Ancient Arrays are destroyed, terrifying Malice and Malice Spirits will turn local areas into purgatory, countless beings will become killing machines!

And this state won’t dissipate; instead, the more beings infected, the wider it spreads, the harder it is to control.

By then, not just Great Chu, other Immortal Countries won’t escape disaster.

“It was my mistake.”

Emperor Chu smiled bitterly, turning slightly. The transmission screen reflected a wasteland.

Huge stone pillars lay scattered, many snapped in half, their array patterns obliterated. Most shocking was the center of the earth!

A massive pit tens of meters across, shielded only by a nearly transparent, thin membrane array, below which roiled endless red and black Malice.

Right now, three figures sat in front of the array, channeling their Spiritual Power to barely maintain the array, so it wouldn’t break immediately.

Watching the whirling Malice onscreen, the Empress knew—even if those three exhausted all Spiritual Power, they couldn’t stop the inevitable breach!

“So much Malice!”

Qin Yu’s pupils contracted—not at that stunning back, but at the Malice on the screen, his eyes flashed with excitement.

It’s been so long since he harvested Malice!

This much Malice, if refined, would yield tons of Flame Points!

“Emperor Chu, even if you have Bright Moon Pearls, I doubt they’d help much in this situation.”

The Empress pondered for a moment before speaking.

Bright Moon Pearls can suppress evil, but not purify; plus, they require a powerful cultivator to channel Spiritual Power and activate the Moonlight Power inside.

But whether cultivators or the Moonlight Power, both will eventually run dry.

By then, Malice will break free, and things will get even worse.

“I know.”

Emperor Chu smiled bitterly—what else could he do?

“Emperor Yan, I heard there was a master in Great Yan Imperial Capital who repaired the Carefree Pavilion’s broken array. Is that master still in Great Yan Imperial Capital?”

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Emperor Chu asked.

“No.”

The Empress replied flatly.

Emperor Chu’s eyes visibly dimmed.

Of course—such masters tend to be reclusive, wandering free, unaffected by fame or fortune, how could they stay in one place for long?