157: Chapter 156 Master, you need to lower your standards

Xiao Ye's body, which had been split in two, was healing in a bizarre manner. His broken bones reconnected, and his torn flesh squirmed and regenerated.

Within three breaths, he stood up completely unscathed. His aura had surged significantly compared to before, and the wounds on his body vanished without a trace, leaving not even a scar.

"What?!" For the first time, Ao Debiao's expression changed.

"Phew—" Xiao Ye let out a long breath, cracked his neck with a crisp "crack-crack," and gestured to Ao Debiao with a hooked finger. "Continue."

Ao Debiao's face darkened, and he swung his blade once more. The blade light was faster and fiercer than before.

This time, Xiao Ye was not sent flying. He only retreated a dozen steps, a deep, bone-deep gash sliced across his chest, blood gushing out.

He didn't last long before he was decapitated by another strike. His head flew far away, rolling into the dust.

In less than half a cup of tea's time, he stood up once again, his aura doubling once more.

"How... how is this possible?" Ao Debiao's voice finally carried a tremor.

Without a word, Xiao Ye charged forward of his own accord. He punched Ao Debiao in the chest, the force of the punch penetrating through his body. Ao Debiao groaned and stumbled back dozens of steps.

He looked down at the faint fist print on his chest, then at Xiao Ye's smiling face, his pupils shrinking violently—this human's combat power had already caught up to his.

"Come on, let's keep fighting." Xiao Ye shook his wrists, his eyes full of excitement.

Ao Debiao gritted his teeth and went all out. The blade light was like a sheet of silk, each strike faster than the last.

Xiao Ye was beaten back repeatedly, sustaining countless wounds, but the crazier he fought, the stronger he became.

After falling and standing up an unknown number of times, his aura had faintly suppressed Ao Debiao's.

Ao Debiao hovered in mid-air, covered in blood. His silver-white fur was dyed a dark red as he gasped heavily for breath.

He stared at the human opposite him, who was also covered in wounds yet still smiling. His golden vertical pupils were filled with complexity—shock, incomprehension, anger, and a deeply hidden trace of... greed.

"Hehe, how about it, Ao Debiao? Keep acting arrogant!" Xiao Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, laughing like a madman.

"What kind of Medicinal Pill is this? To think it's so powerful." Ao Debiao stared greedily at Xiao Ye, his eyes shining as if he had discovered a rare treasure.

If such Medicinal Pills could be mass-produced, how could the Yao Race army fail to trample the East Sea Region?

Xiao Ye's smile didn't fade as he took out a small porcelain bottle from his robes and spun it on his fingertips. "Want to know? Defeat me first."

Ao Debiao gripped his long blade tightly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly sheathed his weapon, turned around, and walked away.

He took two steps, stopped, and without looking back, said in a low voice, "I cannot defeat you. Today, I shall temporarily withdraw my troops. Our days ahead are long (Lai Ri Fang Chang)."

"Lai Ri Fang Chang (Screw Fang Chang)? Why would I screw Fang Chang? I don't even have a grudge against him!"

Ao Debiao: ?????

He turned and left immediately. This guy was not normal; he was afraid that if they kept talking, he would be led astray!

Xiao Ye was stunned. "You're just leaving like that?"

Ao Debiao did not speak again. He transformed into a silver stream of light and vanished into the horizon. The Wolf Race army followed closely behind, retreating like a tide.

Xiao Ye stood in place, watching the distant stream of light. He let out a long breath, his legs going soft, almost falling from the sky.

A-Diao rushed over and caught him, chirping non-stop.

"I'm fine, just a bit weak." Xiao Ye patted its head, barely managing to stand steady.

Hua Duoduo flew over, sizing him up with slightly red eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I am not alright," Xiao Ye said solemnly. "We are heavily injured and need a good rest. You shall attend to Our bed tonight to heal Us."

Hua Duoduo's face flushed, and she slapped him on the chest. "You still have the mind to joke around!"

"Hiss—that hurts!" Xiao Ye grimaced. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace, and said with a smile, "Let's go, back to the palace. We need to 'heal' properly."

Behind them, the concubines looked at each other. Hungry Demon muttered softly, "The Emperor just fought a battle, yet he seems more energetic than ever?"

Hu Wei was expressionless. "He just needs a beating."

Divine Maiden Bai Jie covered her mouth and giggled. "Well, someone would need to have the ability to discipline him first."

In the distance, the battlefield was in ruins. Cultivators from all sides began to clear the battlefield, collect the corpses, and treat the wounded.

Xiao Ye rode on A-Diao, holding Hua Duoduo as they flew leisurely toward the imperial city.

He glanced back at the northern horizon, narrowing his eyes.

Ao Debiao, the Silver Moon Celestial Wolf, the Heavenly Yao Saint, at the Peak of Void Refinement—though he retreated today, he would certainly not let this go.

But what was there to fear?

Today's battle between them was just testing the waters; he still had trump cards he hadn't revealed, and of course, the other party surely had trump cards left unplayed as well.

"Big Daddy, your chest is still bleeding," A-Diao chirped.

Xiao Ye looked down and saw a large patch of blood on his robe, still seeping out. Covering the wound with an unfazed expression, he said calmly, "It's a minor issue. Letting it bleed a bit is healthier."

A month later, Xiao Ye's injuries were mostly healed.

During this month, his beloved concubines had blessed him with ten more children—the worst Spiritual Root among them was Earth-Grade Low Grade, and the best was a Top-grade Spiritual Root.

The System rewarded him with one hundred and twenty years of cultivation, and Xiao Ye broke through to the fifth layer of the Soul Transformation stage in one go.

"Sigh, this cultivation progress is still a bit too slow," Xiao Ye sighed, leaning back against his dragon throne.

Li Fu stood nearby, his lips twitching. Was the Master flexing his privilege? He wasn't sure, so he decided to listen a bit more.

"Li Fu, are there any other Goddesses or Saintesses who haven't been brought into the palace? We have married almost everyone on that list, haven't We?" Xiao Ye counted on his fingers; the number of concubines in his harem had already surpassed sixty.

"Master, almost all the Fairies in the East Sea Region who have high cultivation, great talent, and beautiful looks have already entered the palace," Li Fu answered truthfully.

"No more?" Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow.

"There are, but you will have to lower your standards," Li Fu said cautiously.

"Standards?" Xiao Ye was puzzled.

"Meaning, don't be so strict about age, cultivation level, and generational hierarchy," Li Fu said with a fawning smile.

"Pfft—I thought you were going to say gender," Xiao Ye waved his hand. "Just that? That's absolutely not a problem!"

"Master is wise!" Li Fu was overjoyed.

Five days later, Li Fu brought someone back.

Xiao Ye was in the Imperial Study reviewing memorials—of course, he was just pretending to do so, while actually looking at the new portraits sent by his concubines.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, almost dropping the scroll in his hand.

Following behind Li Fu was a beautiful mature woman. She had an elegant posture, a gentle face, and a curvaceous figure. Dressed in a pale green Daoist robe, her hair was styled in a high bun secured with a white jade hairpin. Her entire being exuded an air of dignity and elegance.

She wasn't the breathtakingly stunning type, but the more one looked, the more attractive she became, like an aged wine that grows richer with every sip.

What shocked Xiao Ye the most was her cultivation level.

[Ding! Top-grade mature woman discovered!]

Name: Shaoyao

Cultivation: Peak of Body Integration

Age: 1,200 years old

Aptitude: Heaven-Grade Medium Grade

Score: 90 points

"Hiss—Li Fu, who is this?" Xiao Ye put down the portrait and asked, pretending not to know.