Chapter 21 The Empress's "Morning Grumpiness," Her Exclusive Private Property

In the underground cavern, there was absolute silence beneath the crystal ball.

It was as if time had lost its meaning here.

Jiang Chen had a very long dream. In the dream, he had turned into a ball of cotton, domineeringly pinned under the paw of a noble and cold Persian cat.

The cat would rub its face against him one moment and pat him with its paw the next. Although he found it a bit hard to breathe, the soft paw pads and warm body temperature were simply addictive.

Until... that "cat" opened its eyes.

In reality, Jiang Chen slowly opened his eyes.

What greeted his vision was not the dim ceiling of the air-raid shelter, but a pair of deep, amethyst-like eyes close at hand, carrying a hint of confusion.

Their faces were no more than three centimeters apart; their breaths intertwined, and their nose tips were almost touching. The air froze in that instant.

Jiang Chen discovered that he had somehow ended up floating in mid-air, unceremoniously wrapping his arms around the slender waist of that Abyss Empress—Empress.

Meanwhile, one of Empress's hands was clutching Jiang Chen's collar. The two maintained an extremely ambiguous hugging posture, as if they were a pair of lovers who had slept in each other's arms for a thousand years.

The crystal ball had already shattered.

【Ding! Sleeping companion (Empress) detected to have awakened.】

【Current status: Waking Up Anger charging (99%)...】

【Warning: The target has marked the host as a "High-Quality Body Pillow".】

"Human?"

Empress's voice was cold and ethereal, carrying the huskiness of someone who had just woken up, yet it struck the depths of Jiang Chen's Soul like a heavy hammer.

She frowned slightly. The confusion that had originally been in those purple eyes quickly receded, replaced by the majesty of a superior and... a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.

She looked down at this "ant" who had been daring enough to hold her while sleeping, then looked at her own hand wrapped around his waist.

Boom!

An invisible repulsive force exploded instantly.

Before Jiang Chen could even say "Good morning," he was sent flying by a gentle yet irresistible force.

"Cough, cough..."

Jiang Chen adjusted his posture in the air and landed steadily, only to find that he had been forced back to the edge of the cavern, with Su Qingyue, who had also just woken up and looked completely bewildered, by his side.

Empress floated barefoot in mid-air. Her originally damaged battle armor was rapidly repairing itself under the flow of purple light. The black wings behind her slowly unfurled, blotting out the sky and sun, exuding a suffocating, terrifying pressure.

"Was it you... who soothed my nightmare?"

Empress looked down at Jiang Chen from her high vantage point, her gaze complex. For thousands of years, she had suffered in the Seal and had never had a peaceful sleep. Only just now, in that dream, did she experience a long-lost tranquility. That embrace... had actually made her feel attached.

Jiang Chen brushed the dust off his body. Although he was facing a big shot who could crush him at any moment, the sleepiness on his face had not faded; instead, he yawned:

"Just a small favor. After all, you woke me up. As neighbors, helping each other is only right. If you don't mind, how about a five-star review?"

Su Qingyue stood to the side, breaking out in a cold sweat. She wished she could rush over and cover Jiang Chen's mouth. Big brother! This is the Demon Race Empress! You're talking to her about a review?

Empress was stunned for a moment, then a playful curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"An interesting ant."

She raised a jade-like finger and tapped lightly in the air towards Jiang Chen.

Swoosh!

A beam of purple-black light shot out instantly, ignoring spatial distance, and submerged directly into the center of Jiang Chen's forehead.

Jiang Chen instinctively wanted to dodge, but the speed surpassed his ability to think.

【Ding! Received "Abyss Empress's Gift".】

【Obtained passive buff: Empress's Private Property Mark.】

【Effect: Hate value from high-level Demonic Beast towards you drops to zero, fear value is maxed out; at the same time, you will more easily attract the attention of yandere-type female powerhouses.】

【Side effect: When you fall asleep again, there is a probability of being pulled into a dream by the Empress to "sleep together".】

"This is my mark," Empress said indifferently. "Before I completely break the Seal, your life is mine. Don't die at the hands of those scum."

She seemed to think of something and added: "Also, the feeling just now... was acceptable."

After speaking, she took a deep look at Jiang Chen. Her figure began to turn illusory, transforming back into specks of purple light that merged into the depths of the underground crack.

"When I rule the world, I shall grant you the honor of being my... personal body pillow."

The voice gradually dissipated, and the cavern returned to calm.

Only that huge crack had been completely sealed by a thick layer of purple crystals.

"Whew..."

Only then did Su Qingyue dare to take a deep breath. Her legs went weak, and she slumped onto the ground. "Jiang Chen, you... were you really talking to the Demon Race Empress just now? And she wants you to be a body pillow?"

Jiang Chen touched the center of his forehead, where a faint purple crescent pattern had appeared, shimmering in and out of existence.

"It's probably because I have good skills," Jiang Chen said seriously. "After all, when it comes to sleeping, I'm a professional. Let's go, it's time to head back."

Su Qingyue's face flushed red, and she spat, "Shameless!" But the way she looked at Jiang Chen had changed a little.

This guy, just how many secrets is he hiding?

"Alright, stop spacing out." Jiang Chen looked at the time on his wristband. "There's less than two hours left until the exam ends. We need to get out quickly, or it'll count as forfeiting."

"Then... how do we get out? There are a bunch of high-level Demonic Beast outside. And my True Qi hasn't recovered yet..." Su Qingyue said worriedly.

Jiang Chen pointed to the crescent mark on his forehead, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Don't worry, I'm a 'person with connections' now. Let's go, I'll let you experience what it's like to walk sideways."

Half an hour later, an extremely bizarre scene played out in the core area of the abandoned city.

Jiang Chen, carrying that huge mountaineering backpack with his hands in his pockets, walked swaggeringly down the main road as if he were strolling through his own backyard. Su Qingyue carried her sword, following cautiously behind him with her nerves taut.

Just a hundred meters ahead of them, a truck-sized Armored Rhino (a third-rank Demonic Beast, comparable to an Organ Refining Realm Martial Artist) was foraging.

"Careful! It's a third-rank Demonic Beast!" Su Qingyue gripped her sword hilt nervously.

However, the Armored Rhino, which was usually incredibly irritable, looked up and saw Jiang Chen. The moment it saw the purple mark on his forehead, its large, bell-like eyes actually revealed a human-like... extreme fear?

"Moo—!"

The rhino let out a terrified low bellow, tucked its tail, and scrambled away, crashing through the nearby wall as if it had seen some primordial beast.

Immediately afterward, Shadow Leopards, Venomous Spiders, and even a pack of Bloodthirsty Demon Wolves known for their ferocity, all chose to give way without exception when they encountered Jiang Chen. Some even lay on the ground on the spot, exposing their most vulnerable bellies, trembling to show submission.

This was the gold standard of the "Empress's Mark"!

The absolute Bloodline suppression from a superior of the Abyss! The highest level of borrowing authority to intimidate others!

"This... how is this possible..." Su Qingyue's worldview was shattered. She looked at the yawning back in front of her, and instead of feeling relieved, she felt even more nervous. This guy, even Demonic Beast are afraid of him?

"Su Qingyue, don't just stand there." Jiang Chen turned back and waved, pointing to a yellow shared bicycle on the side of the road that wasn't completely broken, just missing some paint.

"There are still five kilometers left; walking is too tiring. Can you ride a bike?"

Su Qingyue was stunned: "I can, but..."

"If you can, that's fine." Jiang Chen sat down on the back seat of the bike and patted the front seat. "Give me a ride, I'm sleepy. As payment for saving you just now, being a driver isn't asking too much, right?"

Su Qingyue: "..."

She, the dignified Young Miss of the Su Family, was usually chauffeured around in luxury cars. Now, she actually had to ride a broken bike carrying a man in this ruin filled with Demonic Beast?

But looking at Jiang Chen's matter-of-fact appearance, she actually sat on it as if possessed.