234: Chapter 234 Physical Awakening: I...was actually defiled?

The golden light faded, and silence returned to the great hall.

That golden Primordial Spirit figure, only the size of a fist, transformed back into a streak of light and sank into Xu Chen's forehead after completing a thrilling "conquest."

Xu Chen's physical body trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, a flash of deep exhaustion crossed his eyes, but it was overshadowed by an indescribable sense of satisfaction and excitement.

The fusion of divine souls was an immense drain on both parties, yet it was also a wondrous form of mutual supplementation.

Xu Chen could clearly feel that although his Primordial Chaos Soul had consumed much of its origin, it had become more condensed and transparent after the deep entanglement and tempering with the Quasi-Emperor's soul.

"Whew..."

Xu Chen exhaled a long breath of turbid air and turned his head, his gaze falling upon the beauty beside him.

At this moment, Wu Mingkong still had her eyes tightly shut, sitting upright on the Dragon Throne.

But unlike her previous death-like stillness, even in her slumber, an alluring flush now bloomed on her once paper-pale cheeks.

It was a heat radiating from the inside out, as if she had just undergone intense physical exertion.

Her long eyelashes were trembling slightly, like a startled butterfly attempting to take flight. Her previously steady breathing had also become somewhat hurried and erratic.

Clearly, the process of the consciousness returning to the physical body was not so peaceful.

Everything that had happened in the Sea of Consciousness—those shameful images, that feeling of being filled—was now like a tidal wave, frantically crashing against her nerve endings.

"Still not waking up?"

A wicked smile played on the corner of Xu Chen's mouth. He reached out, his fingertips lightly tracing her burning cheek before stopping at her crimson, succulent lips, pressing down gently.

"If you don't wake up soon, your husband might have to personally move to wake you up."

This playful use of "husband" was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering Wu Mingkong's final psychological defenses.

"Ngh!"

An uncontrollable, delicate moan escaped from deep within her throat.

In the next moment, those phoenix eyes that had been tightly shut for a full millennium snapped open.

Boom—

A terrifying aura belonging to a Quasi-Emperor powerhouse instinctively erupted from her body.

This was the subconscious defensive reaction of the Great Xia Empress upon sensing she was being violated.

The surrounding golden curtains were instantly blown back by this airwave, making a snapping sound.

Standing below the Vermilion Steps, Mo Han and Hua Jieyu's expressions changed drastically as they instinctively moved to rush up and protect their master.

"Don't come over."

Xu Chen didn't even turn his head, merely waving his hand casually.

The Quasi-Emperor pressure that had just erupted felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze to him, failing to even flutter the hem of his clothes.

Because right now, Wu Mingkong was merely putting up a front.

"You..."

Wu Mingkong's vision gradually focused, eventually locking onto the handsome face inches away from her own.

She was all too familiar with this face.

Just moments ago, in that world called the "Sea of Consciousness," the owner of this face had forcibly broken into her private chambers, shattered her cage, pinned her to the ground... and acted with reckless abandon.

Memories came flooding back like a deluge.

Every detail of what had transpired in the Sea of Consciousness, every tremor, even the image of her finally crying out for mercy and uttering those two shameful words, replayed with absolute clarity in her mind.

"Shameless!!!"

Wu Mingkong was overwhelmed with shame and fury; her exquisite face instantly turned so red it looked as if it might bleed.

She was the dignified founding Empress of Great Xia, who had once swept across the eight wastes and six directions, causing countless geniuses to bow their heads. Now, she had actually been... profaned on a spiritual level by a junior boy!

What made her collapse even more was that the profanation didn't bring entirely pain, but also an extreme pleasure that made her legs feel weak even now as she recalled it.

This was simply a supreme humiliation!

"Go to hell!"

Driven by shame and rage, Wu Mingkong didn't even think before raising her hand to strike a palm toward Xu Chen's chest.

This palm was sent out in fury; though she didn't use spiritual energy, the physical strength of a Quasi-Emperor was enough to split mountains and shatter rocks.

However...

Just as her palm was about to touch Xu Chen's chest, she discovered to her horror that her arm was completely limp, unable to muster even a shred of strength.

Not just her arm—she felt as if every bone in her body had been removed, leaving her tingling and soft, unable to even sit steadily.

This was the intense physical aftereffect of the divine soul having just undergone high-intensity "interaction."

Slap.

What was meant to be a fierce strike turned into a light, airy caress as it landed on Xu Chen's chest.

Furthermore, because her center of gravity was unstable, her body uncontrollably tilted forward.

"Oh? Is Her Majesty throwing herself into my arms?"

Xu Chen had anticipated this. He smoothly opened his arms and steadily caught the falling Empress.

A fragrant, soft beauty filled his embrace.

That unique imperial body fragrance, mixed with the heat of her recent awakening, instantly wafted into Xu Chen's nose.

"Tsk tsk, with this strength of yours, Your Majesty, are you trying to scratch an itch for your husband?"

Xu Chen wrapped one hand around her slender waist, which could be spanned by a single hand, while the other hand caught her small hand that was still "causing trouble" on his chest, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

“Let... let go of me!”

Wu Mingkong's entire body stiffened. She tried to pull her hand back as if struck by lightning, but Xu Chen held it firmly.

She was slumped entirely in Xu Chen's arms. Her Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Robe was somewhat disheveled from the previous movement, revealing a large patch of snowy skin beneath her collar.

She struggled to stand up, but the Nine Yin Severed Meridians in her body seemed to sense the abnormality in her soul and took the opportunity to run amok. A bone-chilling cold rose from her dantian, clashing with the heat brought by the soul's lingering resonance.

It was a duality of ice and fire.

This torment prevented her from standing; instead, due to the sense of powerlessness, she pressed even closer against him.

"You... you bastard! What did you do to me?"

Wu Mingkong gritted her teeth, her eyes slightly red as she glared at Xu Chen. Her gaze held killing intent, shame, and a hint of... grievance that she herself was unwilling to admit.

"What did I do?"

Xu Chen raised an eyebrow, leaned toward her ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Just now inside, Your Majesty didn't say that. Who was it that hugged my neck, crying and shouting, 'Husband, I am yours'?"

Boom!

These words were like a nuclear bomb, blowing Wu Mingkong's mind into a complete blank.

"Shut up! Don't say it! I... I didn't!"

She frantically denied it, her voice trembling violently. That was the dark history she least wanted to face in her entire life.

"You didn't?"

Xu Chen gave a wicked laugh, and the hand around her waist applied a bit of pressure to a certain acupoint.

"Ah..."

Wu Mingkong's body jerked violently, and an enchantingly soulful moan escaped her lips uncontrollably.

The moment this sound came out, a deathly silence fell over the great hall.

Even Mo Han and Hua Jieyu standing below heard it clearly.

Hua Jieyu even covered her mouth with an "I understand" expression, her eyes sparkling with the light of gossip.

Wu Mingkong's face instantly turned pale, then flushed to the color of pig liver.

It was over.

Her lifelong reputation was completely ruined.

She buried her head deep into Xu Chen's chest, wishing she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into and never see anyone again.

"See, the body is very honest."

Xu Chen felt the burning temperature and the rapid heartbeat of the beauty in his arms, feeling greatly satisfied.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."

Xu Chen knew when to stop, realizing that if he pushed further, this Empress would truly explode.

He reined in the playfulness on his face, his tone becoming slightly more serious:

"Although your divine soul is repaired, the Nine Yin Severed Meridians in your body haven't been resolved. Coupled with your soul just returning to your body, your physical form is still in an adaptation period, so it's normal for you to be powerless right now."

Hearing this, Wu Mingkong calmed down slightly.

She raised her head, trying her best to make her expression look dignified, but combined with that flushed face and disheveled hair, it really wasn't very convincing.

"You... since you know I am unwell, why don't you let go of me? This is simply improper!"

"Let go?"

Xu Chen looked at her with a half-smile, "Are you sure? With your current state, if I let go, you'll slide straight to the floor. For the dignified Empress to be sprawled on the ground—now that would truly be improper, wouldn't it?"

"..."

Wu Mingkong was at a loss for words.

She tried to circulate the spiritual energy in her body, only to find her meridians sluggish and blocked, like a frozen river that couldn't be moved in the slightest.

Xu Chen was right. She was currently a useless person who possessed the realm but lacked any power, unable to even stand steadily.

"Then... then you still can't hold me like this!"

She bit her lip, making a final struggle, "I am the ruler of Great Xia, and men and women should not touch so freely..."

"Oh, please."

Xu Chen interrupted her affectation, "In the Sea of Consciousness just now, we already met in total honesty, becoming one with each other. What's wrong with a hug now? Besides..."

He lowered his head, his gaze burning as he stared into Wu Mingkong's eyes, saying word by word:

"You called me husband just now. Although it was in the Sea of Consciousness, I am a person who always takes things seriously."

"Since you've called me husband, then you are my, Xu Chen's, woman. Holding my own woman is only natural and right."

Wu Mingkong looked into his domineering and steady eyes, and the anger she originally intended to use for rebuttal inexplicably dissipated by more than half.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say "that was forced by you," but the words wouldn't come out when they reached her lips.

Because deep down, she knew.

If she didn't acknowledge this relationship, then everything that had just happened was truly "profanation" and "violation." That was something she absolutely could not accept.

But if she acknowledged it...

If he was her husband, then everything seemed to become... legitimate?

The moment this thought popped up, Wu Mingkong startled herself.

She somewhat frantically avoided Xu Chen's gaze, lowering her head as her voice softened:

"I... I am very tired right now and don't want to argue with you."

This was a disguised compromise.

And also a form of tacit consent.

"If you're tired, then rest for a while."

Xu Chen didn't push his luck but adjusted his posture to let her lean more comfortably.

"However, your physical body's problem cannot be delayed."

Xu Chen's palm pressed against her back, and a continuous stream of Primordial Chaos True Qi slowly entered her body, helping her suppress the restless cold in her dantian.

"The Nine Yin Severed Meridians have reached the brink of eruption. After the soul is repaired, the shackles on the physical body will actually become heavier. If not resolved quickly, you will remain in this paralyzed state."

Feeling the warm current from her back, Wu Mingkong's tensed body finally relaxed completely.

She leaned in Xu Chen's arms, smelling the reassuring scent on him, as her eyelids began to droop. The exhaustion after the soul repair hit her like a tide.

"Then... do you have a way?"

She asked softly, her tone carrying a hint of reliance that even she hadn't noticed.

"Of course."

The corners of Xu Chen's mouth curled up as he looked at the already somewhat dazed Empress in his arms, a glint flashing in his eyes.

"I have two plans."

"The first plan: I use pills and golden needles to slowly condition you. It will take about a hundred years for you to slowly recover."

"A hundred years? No!" Wu Mingkong immediately became a bit more awake, "I don't know what Great Xia has become now; I cannot wait that long."

"Then there's only the second plan."

Xu Chen leaned toward her ear, his voice low and suggestive:

"Turning the fake into reality."

"Using my Primordial Chaos Body, combined with your Imperial Dragon Qi, to perform... Yin-Yang Harmony."

"Just one night, and the illness will be cured."

Hearing the four words "Yin-Yang Harmony," the flush that had just receded from Wu Mingkong's face instantly flooded back.

She naturally knew what that meant.

It was a physical union even more substantial than the soul fusion.

"You... you really are a lecher!"