8: The divine needle was presented as a gift, but it was also a shocking, open conspiracy! The Holy Maiden blushed on the spot as she imagined it!

Su Family, Divine Son Peak.

Su Chen had made up his mind.

In the coming days, he had to practice the life-saving divine technique, "Great Void Technique," to the death!

He would absolutely not come out of seclusion until he reached Major Achievement!

He paced to the door and pulled it open just a crack.

Outside, two maids were waiting respectfully.

Su Chen yawned lazily, his voice carrying a hint of weariness: "This Divine Son is tired of playing today. I feel inspired and plan to enter a deep meditative sleep."

"Don't bother me for ten days or a half-month."

"Even if the sky falls, wait until I wake up to tell me. Understood?"

The two maids hurried to bow in agreement, though they were whispering in their hearts.

His Highness the Divine Son was at it again; every time he didn't want to Cultivate, he could always find such impressive-sounding excuses.

However, looking at Su Chen's incomparably handsome face, which carried a hint of lazy weariness, how could Chunyue and Qiuyue harbor any complaints? They felt their hearts were about to melt.

"Yes, His Highness the Divine Son. Please rest well. We will keep watch outside and guarantee that not even a single mosquito will fly in."

"Bang."

The door was ruthlessly shut.

Dozens of soundproofing and Divine Sense-shielding barriers were instantly set up.

Su Chen rubbed his hands. Where was there any hint of weariness on his face? It was full of excitement, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

"Cultivate, Cultivate!"

"To be a more stable salted fish, today I, Su Chen, will out-grind myself!"

He didn't know that just as he contentedly entered his seclusion and began "striving for the cause of the salted fish..."

In the outside world, a new storm had quietly been stirred up because of those few lines in his diary... Yaochi Holy Land, Saintess Peak.

"Reporting to the Saintess, a special envoy from the Great Xia Divine Dynasty requests an audience. He says he is following Your Majesty's orders to deliver a celebratory gift to you."

Outside the quiet room, a Disciple's voice came respectfully.

Ji Hongxue?

Ling Qingzhu walked out of the quiet room, her cold and beautiful face filled with vigilance.

Because of Su Chen, she and that overbearing Empress were already potential rivals.

Offering favors for no reason—there must be an ulterior motive!

Inside the Saintess's Great Hall, the Great Xia envoy met Ling Qingzhu and bowed respectfully, presenting a magnificent jade box carved with Dragon and Phoenix patterns with both hands.

"Your Majesty heard that the Saintess is about to head to the Tianyuan Secret Realm, so she has prepared a small gift to wish the Saintess a smooth journey and a triumphant victory."

The envoy's words were flawless.

Ling Qingzhu's doubts only deepened. She took the jade box and opened it.

Inside the box, three golden needles as thin as ox hair, yet swirling with a faint Imperial Dragon Qi, lay quietly on the silk.

"Breaking Delusion Divine Needles?!"

Ling Qingzhu lost her voice, her whole body stiffening as her blood seemed to freeze in an instant!

This secret treasure of the Great Xia Divine Dynasty was specialized in breaking illusions and concealment, and could even neutralize all the world's strange poisons!

It was the nemesis of all insidious methods!

Why was it this?!

In an instant, a thought struck her mind like a thunderclap—poisoned flying needles!

Boom!

Ling Qingzhu's hand trembled violently, and that priceless jade box nearly slipped from her fingertips!

She hurriedly caught it with spiritual power, her heart pounding wildly, almost ready to smash through her chest.

It's the diary!

Ji Hongxue also saw the diary! She knows about Qin Feng's plot!

No!

That's not right!

As soon as the thought arose, she ruthlessly snuffed it out.

With Ji Hongxue's overbearing character of controlling everything and viewing the world as a chessboard, she would only watch coldly as she was schemed against by Qin Feng, and then let her owe a massive favor. How could she be so kind as to remind her?

Unless... unless she had no choice but to send it!

Ling Qingzhu's breathing suddenly became rapid as a truth that made her whole body tremble and almost want to prostrate in worship frantically took shape in her mind!

Su Chen!

It's him!

He not only calculated that she would be in danger, but he even calculated that Ji Hongxue could see the diary!

He even calculated Ji Hongxue's imperial heart and tactics!

So, how is this a gift!

This is a silent game of chess spanning two top-tier powers! A shocking open scheme laid out by Su Chen!

A trap that Ji Hongxue knew was a trap, yet had no choice but to enter!

By sending the divine needles, Ji Hongxue was essentially owing Su Chen a favor and acknowledging his perfect foresight!

If she didn't send them, once something really happened to her, Su Chen would have the most legitimate reason to take action against the Great Xia Divine Dynasty!

To protect her, he actually treated that high-and-mighty Empress as a pawn, playing her in the palm of his hand!

This is the real him!

This is the man who critiques the world in his diary and views Saints as mere ants!

His calling me "big-breasted and brainless" was nothing more than a reproach born of frustration at my lack of progress!

Beneath his cynical exterior lies a peerless wisdom capable of stirring the world's winds and clouds, and... a deep concern for me!

An indescribable, massive warm current, mixed with overwhelming shock and admiration, instantly shattered all of Ling Qingzhu's Dao Heart defenses.

She tightly gripped the cold jade box, but her perpetually frozen face was startlingly hot.

A never-before-seen flush spread from her cheeks to her snow-white earlobes.

She looked toward the Su Family's direction, her cold eyes misting over.

Su Chen... I understand.

I will definitely return from the Tianyuan Secret Realm with the complete Saint Medicine.

I won't let you down again!

The next moment, she turned and boarded the Phoenix Carriage, her cold voice echoing through Saintess Peak.

"Set off for the Tianyuan Mountains!"

...As the Yaochi Holy Land's Phoenix Carriage cut through the sea of clouds.

In the Eastern Desolation, at the entrance of the Tianyuan Mountains, it was already bustling with people and carriages.

Just then, there was a commotion in the crowd.

A young man in a blue robe walked over with his hands behind his back.

He had a handsome face and a gentle smile. Wherever he passed, countless Cultivators automatically cleared a path, casting awe-struck and admiring gazes.

He was none other than Qin Feng.

"Brother Qin Feng!"

"Greetings, Brother Qin!"

Countless greetings rose and fell one after another.

A stunningly beautiful Saintess from a top-tier Sect blushed and stepped forward to offer a cup of spirit tea: "Senior Brother Qin Feng, this is Cloud Mist Spirit Tea I brewed myself. I hope Senior Brother won't mind..."

Qin Feng smiled gently and took a well-timed half-step back, maintaining a perfect distance.

"Junior Sister's kindness is appreciated. However, as Cultivators of our generation, we should take slaying demons and eliminating devils as our duty. How can we indulge in the desires of the palate?"

His words were flawless, drawing a round of applause from the crowd.

His gentle smile and humble demeanor perfectly matched everything the world imagined of a "Righteous Path Prodigy."

The rejected Saintess didn't feel embarrassed; instead, her admiration grew.

Qin Feng enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention, as if the whole world revolved around him.

He didn't know.

In the shadow of a nearby mountain peak, a pair of seductive eyes was watching him with great interest, as if looking at a monkey about to perform on stage.

And in the even higher and more distant Void Realm, an ink-black figure stood silently.

That cold gaze had already completely locked onto him, as if examining a sacrificial offering about to be dismantled.