193: Chapter 193 Cao Kun: Don't put on airs like an empress at a time like this.

The Formation's light curtain around the Martial Arts Arena slowly dissipated.

Everyone returned to the Royal Banquet Hall.

Empress Yue Chan sat upright upon the dragon throne.

Her phoenix eyes coldly swept over the battered and exhausted prodigies below, who were supporting each other.

She didn't have the slightest intention of offering comfort.

Her voice was cold and clear, resonating with the unquestionable majesty of an emperor.

"Do you now realize there is always a higher heaven?"

"Who still has an objection to Cao Kun being the team leader?"

The hall was deathly silent.

Lin Potian lowered his head, and the others didn't even dare to let out a peep.

Empress Yue Chan was very satisfied with this effect.

These flowers in the greenhouse only became obedient once they were beaten into submission.

Only then would they honestly follow Cao Kun's command once they entered the Ancient God Ruins.

"Since there are no objections, then withdraw and return to heal your wounds properly."

Empress Yue Chan raised her hand and announced the end of the banquet.

The Great Yan prodigies, who had been beaten into a state of self-isolation, supported one another and limped out of the hall.

Pei Qinglan stood to the side and smoothed out her dress.

She was a clever person and knew that there was nothing left for her to do here.

"Your Majesty, the chamber of commerce has several Spirit Stone deliveries that need Qinglan's attention. I will not disturb Your Majesty and Young Master Cao's discussion."

As she left, Pei Qinglan passed by Cao Kun's side.

A pair of peach-blossom eyes gave him a meaningful glance, and her red lips curved slightly.

Then, swaying her slender waist, she departed gracefully.

Soon, within the empty hall,

only Empress Yue Chan and Cao Kun remained.

Empress Yue Chan stood up from the dragon throne.

The hem of her dark gold palace dress trailed across the polished jade floor.

She walked slowly down the steps and came before Cao Kun.

A faint, cold fragrance wafted toward him.

Empress Yue Chan sized Cao Kun up, her tone half-joking and half-probing.

"Just now, relying solely on your Physical Body, you suppressed thirteen of My Great Yan's prodigies."

"Did you Cultivate some ancient Body Refining technique? Or were you born with a divine body?"

Smelling that cold scent that made his blood surge, Cao Kun gave a mischievous grin and leaned half a step closer in an informal manner.

"If Her Majesty the Empress is so curious, why not keep me in your bedchamber tonight?"

"When we meet in total honesty, you can inspect me, and then won't you know everything?"

A flash of slight anger crossed Empress Yue Chan's phoenix eyes.

This bastard!

No one had ever dared to speak to her in such a tone.

But she was extremely shrewd.

Knowing that this was a time when she needed talented people, she forced herself to suppress her anger for the sake of the bigger picture.

She gave a cold snort and fired back mercilessly.

"Hmph, I'm afraid your small frame won't be able to withstand My inspection."

Cao Kun didn't take her warning seriously at all; instead, he pushed his Luck even further.

"To die under a peony flower is to be a romantic ghost."

"Especially since Your Majesty is such a peerless flower that even a peony would feel ashamed in your presence."

"My frame is quite sturdy; I'm just afraid that Your Majesty will... at that time..."

Empress Yue Chan's jade-like hands, hanging at her sides, quietly clenched.

Within her palms, half of her Body Integration Stage spiritual power had already condensed.

She really wanted to slap this rogue to death.

Dissipating the spiritual power, she calmed her emotions.

She took out a jade pendant carved with complex Formation patterns from her Storage Ring.

She threw it directly into Cao Kun's arms,

interrupting the flirtatious words that were still about to spill out of his mouth.

"Enough of your glib tongue."

Empress Yue Chan's face was cold, and her tone was blunt.

"This is the Protective Talisman for the Royal Treasury. Carrying it will allow you to be immune to the Formation's rejection within the treasury."

"I will take you now to pick three treasures. Once you're done, get lost and go back."

Cao Kun caught the jade pendant steadily and tossed it twice in his hand.

"Many thanks for Your Majesty's reward. Shall we go then?"

In the next second,

space underwent a period of distorted change.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures vanished from the Royal Banquet Hall.

When they reappeared,

they were already standing inside the core of the Great Yan Dynasty's Royal Treasury.

The space here was much larger than imagined.

The treasury was filled with the glitter of jewels and treasures.

Top-Grade Spirit Stones were piled up into a series of small mountains.

Rows of white jade shelves, dozens of zhang high, were neatly arranged as far as the eye could see.

They were filled with Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, and Cultivation Technique Jade Slips of various grades.

There were over a hundred Top-Grade Spirit Treasures of the Body Integration Stage alone.

This was the foundation of an Imperial Dynasty.

Cao Kun placed his hands behind his back.

He strolled through the treasury as if he were walking in his own backyard.

His gaze swept casually over the Spirit Treasures displayed in the open, not giving them a second look.

Empress Yue Chan walked by his side, secretly observing his reaction.

Seeing him dismiss these heavy treasures, Empress Yue Chan thought to herself,

This person is truly composed and has extremely high standards.

It seems ordinary treasures cannot catch his eye at all.

Just then,

the System's notification sound suddenly rang in Cao Kun's mind.

[Ding! Detected a key Heaven And Earth Treasure nearby that can be used to reshape Empress Jiuyou's Physical Body!]

[Item: chaos three-life lotus]

[Progress in reshaping Empress Jiuyou's Physical Body: Currently 2/3.]

[After fusing this item, it will reach 3/3, satisfying the conditions for complete reshaping!]

Cao Kun's footsteps paused, and his eyes lit up.

This was truly finding something by chance after searching everywhere in vain.

Following the System's guidance, he passed through two rows of shelves.

He walked to an inconspicuous corner in the deepest part of the treasury.

On the bottom shelf lay a dusty, old jade box.

Cao Kun cast a Spell to wipe away the dust and picked up the jade box.

He waved it at Empress Yue Chan, who was following behind.

"This counts as the first item I've picked."

Empress Yue Chan's gaze swept over the jade box, and she frowned slightly.

This item had been in the treasury for an unknown number of years.

It was brought back from an ancient ruin by the founding ancestor of Great Yan.

Generations of Great Yan emperors had sought people to identify it, but its specific use could never be determined.

Cao Kun had ignored so many Heaven Rank Magic Treasures and instead chose such an unidentified, lifeless object.

It was quite contrary to her expectations.

"Are you sure?" Empress Yue Chan asked coldly.

"Absolutely sure." Cao Kun casually stuffed the jade box into the System space.

[Ding! chaos three-life lotus has been collected into the space.]

[Progress in reshaping Empress Jiuyou's Physical Body has reached 3/3.]

Hearing the System's prompt, Cao Kun was in an excellent mood.

Once he entered the Ancient God Ruins, he would find a quiet place to reshape Feng Jiuyou's Physical Body.

He would then have a powerful fighter by his side.

Just as Cao Kun was preparing to continue selecting the remaining two treasures,

a muffled groan suddenly came from behind him.

"Ugh..."

Cao Kun turned around.

He saw Empress Yue Chan's face turn deathly pale, and her originally rosy lips were now completely devoid of color.

She clutched her chest with one hand and supported herself against a nearby shelf with the other, gasping for breath.

The Great Yan Prince, Bi Yuntao, had been secretly stealing the national Luck.

This caused the Luck of Great Yan to drain away.

To suppress the imperial court, Empress Yue Chan had forced a Breakthrough to the Body Integration Stage, so her Realm was inherently unstable.

In the hall just now, she had again forcibly condensed her spiritual power.

At this moment, the backlash of the national Luck suddenly erupted.

The vast and immense Body Integration Stage spiritual power within her body completely lost control.

It rampaged through her Meridians.

Severe pain washed over her.

Empress Yue Chan's vision went dark, and she slumped forward.

Cao Kun was quick-witted and agile.

He stepped forward and directly caught Empress Yue Chan's supple waist, which was filled with startling elasticity.

He held her steadily.

Empress Yue Chan's body crashed heavily into Cao Kun's embrace.

Her nose was filled with the masculine scent from Cao Kun's body.

She instinctively felt a wave of shame and anger.

"Let... let go..."

She wanted to push Cao Kun away.

But she found that she currently didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

The hand pushing against Cao Kun's chest felt soft, as if she were playing hard to get.

Under the spiritual power rampage,

every meridian in her body was in excruciating pain.

Her internal organs felt as if they were being repeatedly kneaded by an invisible giant hand.

Right now, she was even weaker than a Mortal woman.

Cao Kun looked down.

He looked at the Empress in his arms, her face flushed and panting for breath.

Not only did he not let go, but he pulled her even closer.

"Your Majesty."

"At a time like this, it's better not to force yourself."

Yue Chan