89: Chapter 89 You'll have to be a soul slave first!

Cao Kun stroked his chin, his brazen gaze not only failing to retract.

Instead, it intensified as he looked up and down at the graceful figure suspended in mid-air.

He couldn't help but think to himself:

What did the female Cultivators of ancient times eat to grow up?

Could their nutrition really have been that good?

If she were to reconstruct a Physical Body, she would absolutely be a stunning beauty capable of making anyone's legs go weak at a single glance.

It's just that her temper truly seems unable to recognize her current situation.

'This Empress?'

Cao Kun raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile.

'Quite a grand title. Tell me, what kind of Empress are you?'

'Ignorant junior! Lend me your ears and listen well!'

Feng Jiuyou slightly lifted her chin, her gaze haughty and disdainful.

'This Empress is the ancient Empress Jiuyou, Feng Jiuyou!'

'When This Empress once commanded the continent, a mere Golden Core Stage ant like you wouldn't even have the qualification to look up at This Empress!'

Feng Jiuyou snorted coldly, her moon-white palace robes swaying slightly in the Void Realm, putting on a full display of her lofty airs.

'However, considering you used this soul-attracting lamp to awaken This Empress, it's not impossible for This Empress to give you an opportunity.'

'As long as you obediently go and find This Empress an exceptional Physical Body, allowing me to Possess it and resume Cultivation.'

'Once the matter is accomplished, This Empress will bestow upon you a heaven-sent opportunity and pass down to you an ancient top-tier Cultivation Technique.'

'As for your earlier impudent offense, This Empress can also magnanimously let bygones be bygones.'

Having said that, Feng Jiuyou crossed her arms over her chest, waiting to see Cao Kun's grateful and worshipful prostration.

In her view, a minor Cultivator at the Golden Core Stage from a remote place.

Upon hearing terms like 'ancient Empress' and 'top-tier Cultivation Technique', would absolutely tremble with excitement and lose all reason.

However.

Cao Kun did not react with the excitement she had imagined.

He sat on the stone stool, expressionless, his eyes even seeming somewhat vacant.

He looked as if he had been stunned.

[Ding! Detected a high-quality target Soul entity.]

[Target identity: Ancient Empress Jiuyou (Remnant Soul state).]

[Target state: Extremely weak, lacking Physical Body support.]

[System prompt: Target is currently in a Soul state and cannot be directly captured and contracted as a Jade Beast.]

[System suggestion: Host can first subdue her as a Soul slave, nourishing her Soul with Chaos Qi.

After reconstructing an exceptional Physical Body for her in the future, proceed with contract binding.]

After reading the System's prompts, Cao Kun immediately had a plan in mind.

It was a pity she couldn't be directly bound as a Jade Beast.

But the idea of subduing an unruly ancient Empress as a Soul slave sounded even more thrilling!

Cao Kun closed the System panel and returned to his senses.

In mid-air.

Seeing Cao Kun dazed, Feng Jiuyou thought this Golden Core Stage brat had been completely overwhelmed by the conditions she had laid out.

She immediately felt a surge of smugness inside.

This unsophisticated country bumpkin was indeed easy to handle.

Just drawing a big, empty promise was enough to make him utterly devoted.

'What are you still standing there for?'

Feng Jiuyou waved her hand impatiently, her tone growing even more overbearing.

'Kneel down and swear your allegiance to This Empress immediately!'

'Then get out at once and find This Empress a superior Physical Body!'

She was accustomed to issuing orders.

Even now, reduced to a mere wisp of a remnant Soul, the arrogance in her bones remained undiminished.

The secret chamber fell silent for two seconds.

'Pfft.'

Cao Kun couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing, leaning back in his chair.

He shook his head while laughing, looking at Feng Jiuyou as if she were an utterly delusional fool of unparalleled proportions.

'I say, you old hag.'

'Have you been stuck in that jade pendant for so long that your brain's gone bad?'

'Old... old hag?!'

Feng Jiuyou's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief at what she was hearing.

How dare this lowly ant call her, the dignified Empress, an old hag?!

'What era is this, still trying to play the empty-promise game?'

Cao Kun completely ignored her shock, ruthlessly shattering her illusions.

'Bargain with me?'

'What qualifications do you have to bargain with me?'

'Is it based on your Soul form so weak a gust of wind could scatter it?'

'Or is it based on your vague and illusory grand opportunity?'

With each sentence Cao Kun uttered, Feng Jiuyou's expression grew uglier.

'How dare you!'

Feng Jiuyou flew into a rage.

Instinctively, she wanted to mobilize her Divine Soul power to teach this ignorant upstart a lesson.

But to her dismay, she discovered her Divine Soul was now at its weakest.

Forcing her manifestation earlier had exhausted her remaining strength; now she couldn't even launch the most basic Soul attack.

Cao Kun took in her awkward predicament completely.

'Get a clear view of the situation.'

'This is the Hehuan Sect, and I am the Grand Elder of the Hehuan Sect.'

'And you? You're just a remnant Soul residing in a broken jade pendant, barely able to manifest and speak a few words only after draining half the Spiritual Qi from my Dan Pavilion's underground vault.'

Cao Kun stood up, placed his hands on the stone table, leaned forward, and fixed his gaze directly on Feng Jiuyou.

'Want me to find you a Physical Body? Fine.'

'I'm not interested in ancient Cultivation Techniques either.'

'As long as you obediently become my Soul slave and acknowledge me as your master. I might consider, out of great mercy, reconstructing an exceptional Physical Body for you.'

Soul slave?!

These two words sounded so grating to Feng Jiuyou's ears.

She, the dignified Empress Jiuyou, the supreme existence who once ruled over billions of living beings in ancient times.

Even those great powers at the Undergoing Tribulation stage had to bow their heads before her.

And now, a mere Golden Core Stage ant had the audacity to ask her to become the lowest of Soul slaves?!

'The most ludicrous joke in the world!'

'This Empress would rather have her Divine Soul utterly annihilated than suffer such a monstrous humiliation!'

'You reckless ant, if this were the ancient era, This Empress could reduce you to flying ashes with a single glance!'

'Want This Empress to be your Soul slave? Keep dreaming!'

Facing Feng Jiuyou's impotent fury, Cao Kun paid it no mind.

'Still reminiscing about your ancient era?'

'Madam, times have changed long ago!'

'You are no longer the Empress Jiuyou who once shook the ancient world.'

'You are just a wisp of a remnant Soul that could scatter at any moment, unable to even control your own fate!'

Cao Kun suddenly stopped smiling.

A wisp of Chaos Qi seeped from his fingertip, directly enveloping the flame of the soul-attracting lamp.

The indigo-blue flame was instantly suppressed.

Only a faint, flickering spark remained.

'Ah—!'

Deprived of the soul-attracting lamp's nourishment.

Feng Jiuyou immediately let out a cry of agony.

Her Soul form began to flicker violently.

The edges even showed signs of dissipating.

The pain of having her Soul forcibly torn apart made it impossible for her to maintain the Empress's haughtiness any longer.

'Stop! Stop it now!'

Feng Jiuyou wailed in pain.

Cao Kun watched her struggling in agony.

Not a trace of pity showed in his eyes.

'Becoming my Soul slave is the only chance you currently have to survive.'

'It is also your only hope of reconstructing a Physical Body.'

Cao Kun raised a single finger.

His tone was icy and brooked no argument.

'My patience is limited. I'll give you only ten breaths to consider.'

'After ten breaths.'

'If you still refuse to lower your Soul's defenses and allow me to implant the enslavement seal.'

'I will directly crush this jade pendant and extinguish this lamp.'

'And send you, Empress Jiuyou, on your final journey.'

'Ten.'

Cao Kun coldly uttered the number.

'Nine.'

Feng Jiuyou clutched her head with both hands, her Soul form curling up in mid-air from the pain.

Her eyes were filled with humiliation, fury, and deep-seated fear.

She did not want to die.

Trapped in the pitch-black jade pendant for countless ages.

Finally seeing the light of day again.

How could she be willing to just scatter into nothingness!

'Eight.'

'Seven.'

Cao Kun's countdown continued.

With each number, the Chaos Qi at his fingertip pressed down further.

The soul-attracting lamp's flame dimmed further.

Feng Jiuyou's Soul form grew increasingly transparent.

'Six.'

'Five.'

'Four.'

The flame on the soul-attracting lamp was now suppressed to the size of a soybean, flickering faintly.

Feng Jiuyou's lower body had already begun to dissipate into specks of light.

'Three.'

Cao Kun's fingers were already resting on the crescent-shaped jade pendant.

With just a gentle squeeze.

This vessel holding the Empress's last wisp of remnant Soul would turn to dust.

And Empress Jiuyou would cease to exist in this world.

'I... I agree!'

Just as Cao Kun was about to call out 'two'.

Feng Jiuyou let out a desperate and humiliated shriek.

She completely abandoned resistance, actively opening up her Divine Soul.

'I am willing... to lower my Soul's defenses and become your Soul slave.'

Feng Jiuyou