by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
“Don’t worry, let’s try our luck. Just follow the contingencies in our plan. If it really isn’t going to work, then I won’t force it,” nodded Long Chen.
Long Chen had come to deliver Chu Yao the medicinal pill, but he also wanted to help her resolve those foreign spiritual seeds.
There was only one Starfusing Pill, and refining its medicinal pill’s energy required skill. With Long Chen by her side, even if something unexpected happened, he might still be able to remedy the situation.
But another reason he had come was because he missed her. Ever since they had revealed their feelings for each other at the Lantern Festival, her beautiful image had always been held within his heart.
He wanted her to have more faith in him. He wanted her to know that no matter how hard her days were, she would always have Long Chen with her. He wanted her to share a part of her pain with him. He wanted her to never have to suffer helplessly again.
That was why he had come.
Finally, they arrived at Chu Yao’s Jade Yao Palace. There were eight guards wearing imperial robes guarding the gate.
There were also dozens of other soldiers surrounding the perimeter. That truly angered Long Chen.
This was the imperial palace, which was equivalent to Chu Yao’s home. But it was completely surrounded by guards; how was this any different from being imprisoned? Long Chen was becoming increasingly disgusted with the royal family.
“The Empress Dowager has ordered that outsiders cannot enter the Jade Yao Palace.”
As expected, Chu Feng and Long Chen were blocked from entering.
“Outrageous! I’m here to see my sister; why can’t I enter?!” Chu Feng shouted angrily.
“Seventh prince, I’m sorry. You can enter, but your guard cannot.” That guard was neither overly servile nor overbearing.
“He is my personal guard! He’s my most trusted guard, and if you won’t believe me, then I’ll make your head tumble to the floor!” Chu Feng shouted sternly.
That guard shook his head. His voice was as indifferent as ever as he replied, “I’m sorry; these are the Empress Dowager’s orders. No one can change them.”
While Chu Feng and that guard were arguing, Long Chen had already spread out his divine sense. Sensing a figure sitting and leaning against a window, he couldn’t help but feel pity.
Chu Yao was as beautiful as ever; however, she had become wan and much thinner. It was obvious that this constant imprisonment over these days had made her suffer.
Long Chen truly wished to punch the guard who was blocking them, but he didn’t dare to. This was the imperial palace, and he didn’t dare to be reckless here.
“What matter is causing this much ruckus?”
Suddenly, a displeased voice came from behind.
“Greetings, fourth prince.”
That was the fourth prince Chu Xia. It seemed he had just happened to be passing by when he heard the commotion.
Long Chen frowned slightly when he saw that it was the fourth prince. That was because he could see Chu Xia looking at him with a bit of surprise.
Although he didn’t know where he had messed up, he was now certain that Chu Xia had recognized him.
“What’s going on?” After glancing at Long Chen for a moment, Chu Xia turned to the guards.
“Reporting to fourth prince, seventh prince wanted to bring this guard into the Jade Yao Palace, but…”
“Impudent! You audacious slave, are you doubting my little brother? You actually think he’d harm his own sister?” The fourth prince interrupted angrily all of a sudden.
“This little one doesn’t dare.” That guard jumped in fear. He hastily kneeled down. Obviously, the fourth prince instilled much more fear in him than the seventh prince.
“Let them in,” ordered the fourth prince coldly.
“But…” The guard was still hesitant.
“If the Empress Dowager wants to assign blame, naturally it will fall on me. Could it be that you don’t even trust me?” The fourth prince asked coldly.
“This little one doesn’t dare.” That guard fell back and no longer said anything.
“Enter then.” The fourth prince patted Chu Feng on the shoulder, but he was clearly looking at Long Chen.
Long Chen nodded. Although he didn’t know why the fourth prince would help him, now wasn’t the time to think about it.
After the seventh prince and Long Chen entered the Jade Yao Palace, the fourth prince smiled and also left.
Entering the Jade Yao Palace, the two of them went into the central courtyard. Chu Yao had been leaning against the window and looking down at the fish swimming in the pond when she turned slightly and suddenly saw them.
When she saw Long Chen, first she was dazed for a moment before wild joy filled her. Her jade hand lightly covered her cherry lips, and her tears began to fall wildly.
She had somehow managed to recognize Long Chen. Long Chen slowly walked up to her and apologized, “Sorry for being so late.”
Chu Yao couldn’t hold back any longer. With her head on Long Chen’s chest, she began to truly weep, seeming to want to cry out all her grief.
During this time, she had been under constant house arrest. When she heard that the Empress Dowager had already decided to marry her off to Xia Changfeng, she had almost collapsed.
If Chu Feng hadn’t secretly brought Long Chen’s promise to her, she might have already become hopeless and left this colorless world.
Every day she would watch the sun rise and bitterly wait for Long Chen. Each day had felt longer than a year to her. That kind of suffering was something only she knew about.
Long Chen enjoyed her fragrance as he gently stroked her long hair, letting her give vent to her grief.
At the same time, he also swore to himself that no matter the price, he would definitely protect Chu Yao. Even if that price was his life.
Sometimes, he would feel that Chu Yao was even more pitiful than himself. After all, Long Chen at least had a mother and father who loved him. But Chu Yao had lived her whole life in the loveless imperial palace. The imperial palace was a place where there was no trust or love. For a weak woman like her, it really was too painful.
After feeling enough time had passed, Long Chen noticed that Chu Feng was just awkwardly standing in his original location, not knowing whether he should stay or leave.
“Cough.” Long Chen lightly coughed, and Chu Yao broke out of her daze and hastily escaped from Long Chen’s embrace. Her entire face was red, and she couldn’t even bring herself to look at either of them.
“Uh, how about I go for now?” Chu Feng asked probingly.
“No need. Just help to keep watch for me. I have some secret matters I have to do with your sister.” Long Chen waved his hand.
But as soon as he saw Chu Feng’s shocked expression, he knew that the kid had misunderstood and hastily added, “It’s not what you’re thinking.”
He didn’t explain further. Not explaining was better, as the explanation was even more explicit. Chu Yao’s pretty face was completely red, and she was too embarrassed to even show her face.
Long Chen straightforwardly pulled Chu Yao upstairs, leaving behind a stupefied Chu Feng who just stood there alone and in a daze.
Chapter 65 Starfusing Pill’s Qi
The Jade Yao Palace was Chu Yao’s personal princess palace. It was large with three floors, the third floor being her personal chambers.
Long Chen had never once gone into a woman’s chambers before. What surprised Long Chen was that Chu Yao’s room didn’t have any majestic or grand decorations. Instead, everything was very simple and plain.
“Isn’t it strange?” Chu Yao pulled Long Chen in and quietly said, “I’ve always imagined that if only I had been born into a normal family, I would be free. I might not be able to have the luxury or a high status, but at least I would have my freedom.”
Long Chen smiled. “That’s just because of your viewpoint. To be born into poverty is to have to struggle every day. In thi
s world, if you want to be free, then you have to have a matching power.”
Chu Yao nodded and led Long Chen into her room. Long Chen was startled to see that her bed was covered with drawings of himself.
Those drawings weren’t made by a master painter. Instead, they were remarkably lifelike, without the embellishment of the drawings of him on the market.
“You drew these?” Long Chen asked in surprise.
Her face reddened a bit and she nodded. “Ever since the Lantern Festival, drawing images of you is the only way I can pass the time. Otherwise, the days would be even more unbearable.”
Long Chen felt a sudden burst of emotion toward her. Looking at how much thinner and more wan she was, he felt his heart ache. “Chu Yao.”
Wrappings his arms around her tender waist, he pulled her into a tight kiss.
Chu Yao immediately felt the sky and earth spinning around her. Long Chen’s masculine scent filled her nose, and it was like sparks were running throughout her body. Tightly hugging onto Long Chen’s back, the two of them lost themselves in that intoxicating feeling.
“Long Chen, Yao-er wants to be your woman.” Her breathing was shallow and her beautiful eyes were blurry as she looked at Long Chen. The intense feelings she had for him were enough to melt steel.
With a beauty in his arms, Long Chen felt as if his whole body was about to ignite. Even his breathing was becoming hurried.
With her encouraging him, Long Chen’s most primal desires ignited and his hands slowly started roving up from her waist.
“Long Chen, I want to be your woman. Even if I die, Yao-er will be content.” Her entire body turned soft as she quietly whispered.
Chu Yao’s voice was soft, but to Long Chen, the words were like thunder. His originally aroused desire was immediately extinguished like icy water had been thrown over him.
When Chu Yao sensed Long Chen’s body suddenly stiffen, she slowly opened her eyes and saw that his expression was a bit unnatural. “What’s wrong?”
He took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm. After gently planting a kiss on her forehead, he said, “Yao-er, do you not have faith in me?”
From her tone and what she said, Long Chen had understood her inner thoughts. She was planning on ending her life after giving herself to him.
And also for some unknown reason, Long Chen had a sudden premonition that if he did go through with that, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Although such a premonition was extremely abstruse, Long Chen had always had a keen intuition ever since merging with a Pill Sovereign’s soul. His gut had never misled him.
“Long Chen…”
Chu Yao looked at Long Chen and suddenly started sobbing into his chest. “I love you, Long Chen. I would rather die than marry someone else.”
Long Chen gently stroked her back. As expected, his intuition had been correct. After patting her, he said, “Yao-er, did you forget the promise we made to each other at the lantern festival?”
“The Dragon swims across the four oceans; the Phoenix flies throughout the nine lands,” she softly recited. But as soon as she finished, her tears truly began to fall.
“Seas of blood may block us, but we will never give up our path; Dragon and Phoenix will both live to old age!” Long Chen also heavily recited what he had said in return. That was his first promise to Chu Yao.
Chu Yao’s jade hands tenderly stroked Long Chen’s cheeks. She was choked with emotion as she sobbed, “But… can we really live to old age?”
“We definitely will. Believe in me.”
“Ok, I’ll trust in my future husband.” Chu Yao smiled, appearing like a dew-dropped flower with her tears on her beautiful face.
“Yao-er, you really are beautiful,” blurted out Long Chen.
“As long as you like how I look then I’ll let you see me every day.” This time Chu Yao wasn’t shy anymore.
“Haha, good, we’ll have many more days for that. But today I came mostly to bring you this.”
Long Chen took out the Starfusing Pill, immediately causing the light in the room to turn gentle. Although it was the middle of the day, that was not able to conceal the light coming from the pill.
“Here, consume it. I’ll protect you.”
Although she didn’t know what it was, due to her trust in Long Chen, Chu Yao obediently swallowed the Starfusing Pill.
With Chu Yao sitting lotus style on the bed, Long Chen placed his hand on the middle of her back, using his Spiritual Strength to keep a close eye on the state of her body.
That Starfusing Pill was something Long Chen had used his full effort to refine. It was the best pill he had refined up to this point, and it could already count as a peak existence amongst second tier medicinal pills in Phoenix Cry.
In just several breaths’ time, the medicinal pill dissolved and spread quickly throughout her body.
“Don’t bother with it. Let the energy flow as it wishes.”
The Starfusing Pill spread throughout and filled every single path of Chu Yao’s meridians. Some of her meridians, which hadn’t been opened up yet, were slowly forced open by its energy.
But such a feeling was not a pleasant one. It felt as if millions of ants were crawling throughout her meridians, causing her to feel an irritating itch.
Chu Yao knew that this was something Long Chen had refined for her, so she did her absolute best to hold back any pained sounds, not wanting to worry him.
This kind of suffering was something Long Chen was extremely familiar with. Back when he had first absorbed heaven and earth’s spiritual energy into his body to open his meridians, he had felt such an intense pain that he would never be able to forget it in this lifetime.
Although Chu Yao was much better off than he had been at that time, one was pain while the other was itchiness, the degree of difficulty in bearing with it was essentially equal.
It took a full two hours for the Starfusing Pill’s medicinal energy to completely merge into Chu Yao’s meridians.
“Now draw the medicinal energy into your Dantian. You have to pull that energy from the farthest parts first, just like how rivers flow into the ocean.”
Chu Yao nodded and slowly began to circulate her spiritual qi. She began to collect the medicinal energy from her meridians into her Dantian.
What surprised Long Chen was Chu Yao’s control of her spiritual qi which was extremely precise, to the point where she could control the slightest detail.
Chu Yao was definitely a martial genius. Long Chen couldn’t help but sigh emotionally. Just by using her familiarity with her spiritual qi, she was already able to reach such a high level of control.
If those nine foreign spiritual qis weren’t blocking her Dantian and causing her spiritual qi to be too chaotic and weak, the result from their fight on Sunset Mountain would probably have been reversed.
“Good, now increase the speed. The faster, the better. Channel your energy,” directed Long Chen quietly.
With the pulling of the medicinal energy in her body, Chu Yao gradually caused the small streams of energy to become large rivers, the energy becoming greater and greater.
Following Long Chen’s directions, she increased her speed and now her meridians were pushed to their max, sending the energy to her Dantian like wildly surging waves.
BOOM!
Chu Yao’s Dantian shook and the nine foreign spiritual energy seeds locking it were immediately pushed to the breaking point by those huge waves.
“No, you’re still lacking some energy!”
Long Chen’s expression changed slightly. His Spiritual Strength rushed out, aiding Chu Yao in pulling the Starfusing Pill’s energy to her Dantian. Those waves now became a flood.
If it had been just the medicinal energy, then it would count as a flood; but adding in Long Chen’s Spiritual Strength, that flood became a huge torrent.
Those nine foreign spiritual qis that had been nourished by Chu Yao for so many years were immediately crushed to pieces a
nd merged into her Dantian.
BOOM!
Following the breaking of those nine spiritual seeds, Chu Yao’s Dantian immediately became filled with endless energy. It caused Chu Yao who was originally at the ninth Heavenstage of Qi Condensation to immediately break through to the Blood Condensation realm.
“First Heavenstage of Blood Condensation!”
“Second Heavenstage!”
“Third Heavenstage!”
…
Her cultivation base rapidly advanced at a shocking pace.
Those nine spiritual seeds had been nourished for so many years. Now that they were crushed, the amount of energy they released was absolutely astonishing.
It could also be seen just how terrifying Chu Yao’s talent was. Despite not spending much time on cultivating, just the accumulated energy she had gained passively was enough to even scare Long Chen.
“Fifth Heavenstage!”
“Sixth Heavenstage!”
Now Long Chen was truly stupefied. Chu Yao’s talent was so great that Huang Chang would have been nothing in front of her.
“Seventh Heavenstage!”
“Eighth Heavenstage!”
Long Chen’s expression changed. He realized that under Chu Yao’s rapid advances in her cultivation base, it seemed she was going to break out of the Blood Condensation realm to reach a higher level.
BOOM!
As he predicted, Chu Yao’s cultivation base advanced to the ninth Heavenstage, and there was still an enormous amount of energy remaining.
“Crap!”
Long Chen shouted and immediately activated his FengFu Star. He poured extremely pure spiritual qi into Chu Yao’s body and tightly sealed her Dantian.
He spat out a mouthful of blood. In order to avoid hurting Chu Yao, that spiritual qi he had poured into her body was not capable of defending itself from that wild, out of control spiritual qi in her body, causing him to suffer a loss.
“Long Chen!” Chu Yao let out an alarmed cry. At this point, she had already lost control of her own cultivation base!
“Not a problem! Just calm yourself. I’ll help you control your Dantian’s energy. You absolutely can’t break through again; otherwise, your foundation will be practically ruined.” Long Chen explained while suppressing her Dantian.