209: Forbidden Books Library

Jiao Xiao felt as if her throat had been suddenly seized; she instantly became as quiet as a winter cicada, not daring to utter another word.

She was secretly annoyed at her own recklessness, wondering how she could have dared to grumble so carelessly at a time like this.

After a moment, Ling Qi slowly loosened her grip.

Then, she pulled a photograph out of the bag she was carrying.

She held the photo in front of Jiao Xiao, her tone completely flat. "Have you ever seen this thing?"

Full of confusion, Jiao Xiao took the photo and began to examine it closely.

She looked at it for a long time before finally shaking her head feignedly. "Could this be some sort of powerful Dharma Treasure?"

Ling Qi responded indifferently, "This is the Ghost Gate Pass, but it's merely a counterfeit version." After saying that, she added, "Furthermore, a Great Demon that has lived for a thousand years is sealed inside."

"A Great Demon?" Jiao Xiao's heart skipped a beat at those words, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

Then, as if she had realized something important, her face turned pale, and she said with a trembling voice.

"My Lord, you couldn't be talking about a Peach Blossom Demon, could you?"

Ling Qi nodded slightly, confirming Jiao Xiao's suspicion.

Upon receiving confirmation, Jiao Xiao's lips couldn't help but quiver. She swallowed hard and muttered to herself, "Could it be that the Underworld came to Yao Zui Cliff this time specifically for this matter?"

At that moment, Horse-Face, who had been standing silently nearby, suddenly glanced sideways at Jiao Xiao and responded coldly, "It is precisely for this matter."

Hearing Horse-Face's words, Jiao Xiao felt her head spin; the whole dragon was on the verge of a breakdown.

If the Underworld had stated their intentions from the beginning, she would have surrendered long ago. Why would she have bothered with all that acting just now? She had wasted her performance for nothing!

"What exactly is it?" Horse-Face's fiery temper could no longer be contained as he roared impatiently.

"It is exactly what you are thinking, my Lord!"

"Counterfeits, counterfeits... Hmph, do they actually harbor the delusion that they can do better than the original?" Jiao Xiao suddenly looked up.

Horse-Face acted as if he hadn't heard her, completely ignoring Jiao Xiao's sarcasm.

"In my opinion, there are probably quite a few of these things! It's just that the one before us might be closer to the original than others," Jiao Xiao continued after a brief pause.

"Exactly. Their purpose in creating such things is self-evident—they want to replace the functions of the Underworld. I imagine that things like the Bridge of Helplessness, City God Temples, and the Wangchuan River are also quite numerous!"

Ling Qi squeezed her fingertips hard, seemingly trying her best to restrain herself.

"That's exactly it!" Jiao Xiao's eyes grew deeper, as if hiding endless secrets.

"Nowadays, Spiritual Energy is scarce, and the gods are gradually fading..."

"To avoid perishing, gods at this stage have three ways to cope. First, great gods devour lesser gods to acquire their authority; second, they head to the Source Realm to enter a deep sleep; and third, they seek divine positions within the Underworld.

After all, demon power, Spiritual Energy, and even the divine power derived from them all require sufficient Spiritual Energy as support. Yet since ancient times, the divine positions of the Underworld have always been able to utilize both Spiritual Energy and Ghost Power simultaneously."

"The power system of Ghost Power essentially relies on Soul Power to be manifested and maintained."

"Tracing it back, every living thing in the world possesses a unique soul. Even if the physical body perishes, as long as the soul remains, the divine positions in the Underworld can exist eternally."

Jiao Xiao stared fixedly at Ling Qi, her eyes a mix of resentment and hatred. She said word by word, "Surely you understand in your heart, my Lord. That earth-shattering God War between the gods of the East and the West."

"Who the opponent we truly need to deal with is!" As her words fell, the emotion completely drained from Jiao Xiao's eyes, leaving them dark and void of light.

"Heh! How do I know everything you've said is the truth!" Ling Qi's hand fell like a blade, striking down with a palm.

*Crack!*

Jiao Xiao slumped limply into Ling Qi's arms.

"Secretary-General... that... that's so fierce?" Horse-Face wore an expression like the 'old man on the subway looking at his phone' meme.

Ling Qi said with a half-smile, "I merely borrowed a bit of Her Majesty's divine power."

"I see!" Horse-Face's thoughts swirled as he hid the jealousy in his eyes.

[Eating lemons, so sour!]

"Marshal Ma, the Yin Jiao Clan will be all up to you now!"

Horse-Face crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course. The Underworld Soldiers have already been lying in ambush. We're just waiting for them to walk into the trap; not a single one will escape when the time comes!"

[Hehehe... after dragging these guys back to the Underworld, This General will drive them all to work. I'll let them taste what it's like to be Corporate Slaves!]

The scene shifted to the seventh floor of the Zi Wei Palace—the Forbidden Library.

The light was dim, and the pavilion was permeated with a decadent atmosphere.

Lin Ran strolled inside, her gaze casually sweeping over the long-dusty books on the shelves.

Suddenly, her attention was caught by a yellowed ancient book, and she reached out to take it down.

She gently flipped open the cover, and the image that met her eyes made Lin Ran's eyes widen instantly, her cheeks flushing like a sunset.

Two women dressed in Bellybands were embracing closely in an intimate pose, seemingly pursuing some kind of ultimate pleasure together... Lin Ran pursed her lips, a wave of shyness surging through her mind. Even the tips of her ears quickly stained with a vivid, deepening crimson.

"Why would Your Majesty put such a book among the forbidden texts?" Chief Assistant Lin asked, calming her turbulent emotions.

Wanling gave a seductive smile and leaned close to Lin Ran's ear, saying, "Don't be in such a hurry. Flip through a few more pages, and you will naturally understand."

After saying that, she rested her upper body against Lin Ran's back. The warm breath she exhaled brushed against Lin Ran's neck, making her whole body tremble.

"Is that so?"

Lin Ran took a deep breath, her slender, well-defined fingers tightly pinching the corner of a page. Yet, fearing the next page might be even more explicit, she momentarily froze.

"ARan and I have done it over a hundred times, yet you're still so shy!"

"Your Majesty~"

Two delicate, smooth arms rested lightly upon Lin Ran's shoulders.

A warm, soft scent, like orchids and musk, drifted leisurely into her ears, bringing with it an indescribable tingling sensation.

*Shua, shua, shua!*

The pages in front of Lin Ran were flipped three times by Wanling's fingertips.

The Empress tapped on the book, pressing and rubbing in circles. "Evil Dual Cultivation: requires an immortal official to command a woman, and when the 'Yin and Yin' energies repel each other, consume all of her final essence, and then take her body into one's belly as well."

Lin Ran felt her breath hitch for a moment. "Is this Subordinate Your Majesty's Reserve Rations?"

"Hahaha... ARan, you're so funny! I am a righteous god, not an evil one. If you were to be Reserve Rations, it would be on the bed~" Wanling bit Lin Ran's chin, applying a bit of pressure to leave a red tooth mark.