245: Jiao Xiao

"Hehe, dare not delay?" Shang Wan Ning suddenly stood up, her eyes blazing with fury.

Hei Jing watched the Empress rise, her skirt sweeping past the armrest of the Phoenix Throne, instantly tightening the skin on the back of his neck.

"Hei Jing, how much of the barrier has been broken?"

"R-reporting, Your Majesty..." Hei Jing wiped the sweat from his brow, dark stains seeping through the back of his white shirt.

"Seventy percent is broken, but the remaining thirty percent is restrained by Restrictions. We Subordinates have tried nine types of spells, yet we are still—"

"Still making slow progress?" A jade pendant slammed heavily onto the desk, causing both men's shoulders to flinch.

Shang Wan Ning stepped closer down the Gilded Steps, the rustling sound of her skirt sweeping over the jade bricks making Hei Jing's knees tremble.

"In My view, the way you look at the inner chamber is far more eager than the way you look at the barrier Restrictions."

"Your Majesty is perceptive." The two simultaneously kowtowed, their foreheads hitting the jade bricks with a dull thud.

"Starting today, you will personally guard the barrier." As Shang Wan Ning turned, her sleeve swept a file bag off the desk.

"If you can't break the Restrictions, don't come back for your performance review."

Hei Jing's forehead, which had been knocking against the jade bricks, was already numb, but he still braced himself and looked up.

"Your Majesty, Jiao Pengze and Jiao Rong, the two Flood Dragons, are still waiting in Chenfeng Palace; especially Jiao Rong, the news that the Demon entrance is at the Central Altar of the Clan Territory came from him..."

He paused, his gaze furtively moving upward until he saw the Empress's cold expression.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Shang Wan Ning leaned against the Coiling Dragon Pillar, the candlelight casting a sharp, cold light near the corner of her eye.

"There's no need to say it."

Bai Xuan and Hei Jing were just about to sigh in relief when they heard her say carelessly, "There's no need to summon those two Flood Dragons."

"But, Your Majesty." Hei Jing anxiously shuffled half a step forward, his forehead nearly hitting the Bronze Beast statue in front of the steps.

"This concerns the Demon barrier, and these two might still possess..."

"Besides them, isn't there still Jiao Xiao?" Shang Wan Ning suddenly turned, her fingernail scraping across the Coiling Dragon Pillar, creating a grating sound on the dragon scales.

Hei Jing froze instantly.

"Go to You Yu and retrieve her." Shang Wan Ning raised her hand and lightly tapped the dragon pillar; each tap felt like a knock on Hei Jing's chest.

"Take her to Yao Zui Cliff to undo the remaining barrier."

Bai Xuan finally couldn't help but look up: "Your Majesty, Jiao Xiao is, after all..."

"Oh! What is she?" Shang Wan Ning's eyes darkened slightly, and she curled one corner of her lip into a sneer.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palm. "After months of training, what tricks can a vicious dog that reflexively kneels at the sound of chains still pull?"

She paced over to the two men and lightly patted the top of Hei Jing's head a few times.

"Did you think I didn't know about the Demon entrance? I was just waiting to see which of these Yin Flood Dragons would lose their composure first and reveal something amiss."

Hei Jing looked at the dark glint swirling in Shang Wan Ning's eyes and suddenly understood everything.

It turned out that from the very beginning, it had been a carefully linked trap.

"Go and carry it out." As Shang Wan Ning turned, her skirt swept past the candlestick, making the flame shake violently.

"Tell Jiao Xiao that if she undoes the barrier, she will regain her freedom."

A cold wind outside the hall swept in a cluster of Yin energy. The Empress looked toward the distant Yin Jing Heavenly Palace and softly added a sentence.

"Of course, the manner of that freedom is determined by Me."

"Understood." Bai Xuan and Hei Jing accepted the order and retreated out of the hall.

Hei Jing wiped his sweat and whispered, "Brother Xuan, do you think Jiao Xiao can undo the rest of the barrier?"

Bai Xuan frowned. "It's hard to say, but since Her Majesty arranged it this way, she must have her reasons."

"That's true." Hei Jing nodded thoughtfully.

Immediately, the two rushed toward You Yu's location, preparing to take Jiao Xiao out of the Netherworld and head to Yao Zui Mountain.

The lights in the distant inner bedchamber were dim and yellow. Shang Wan Ning rubbed her temples and walked to the window.

She suddenly recalled the cherry red flush on Ling Qi's ear tips when her neck was bitten.

Instantly, her face turned peach-colored, and a layer of lust surfaced near the corners of her eyes.

"Just wait, wait until I free up My hands."

...In the blink of an eye, three full hours had passed since Ling Qi fell unconscious.

At this moment, the tightly closed curtains inside the bedchamber slowly parted to the sides.

As the curtains were drawn open, a fresh and pleasant fragrance gently flowed in.

The fragrance came from a vase placed inside the room, holding several snow-white lilies that were quietly blooming.

The refreshing and delicate floral scent lightly drifted into Ling Qi's nostrils.

Her originally chaotic mind gradually cleared under the stimulation of this fragrance.

Ling Qi opened her eyes.

She didn't feel any tingling sensation in her body; instead, there was a feeling of swelling emanating from her energy center.

"Huh?" Ling Qi couldn't help but let out a soft sound of surprise.

Her brows furrowed slightly, seemingly unfamiliar with and confused by this sensation.

But when she focused her mind and looked inward to check the situation inside her body, the confusion on her face was instantly replaced by pleasant surprise.

"This... is this Spiritual Energy overflowing?" Ling Qi's voice carried a hint of astonishment.

She squinted slightly, sensing the fully saturated Spiritual Energy in her energy center, seemingly unable to believe the current situation.

It must be known that the Secretary-General had absorbed Spiritual Energy Vortexes before. But she had never witnessed two Deities forging a Covenant at such close range.

The Spiritual Energy insights gained this time were more than ten times stronger than before.

It was truly far beyond her expectations!!!

Ling Qi didn't stop to think carefully. She Formed Hand Seals with her fingertips, sat cross-legged, and focused her mind to calm her breath.

Soon, she entered a state of complete focus.

The Spiritual Energy churning in her energy center was like boiling magma.

Every pulse impacted the walls of her Meridians.

She inhaled a breath of Spiritual Energy, guiding the Spiritual Power to circulate along the Lesser Heavenly Cycle and the Greater Heavenly Cycle.

The Restriction that had held her at the Peak Fifth Rank began to slowly melt away, like thin ice meeting raging fire.

In an instant, the faint light filtering through the window lattice changed from silvery white to dawn white.

A pale green halo appeared around Ling Qi's entire body, and rain beads of Spiritual Energy condensed on her hair tips, rustling down and wetting the sheets beneath her.

When the first wisp of Spiritual Energy pierced through the Restriction, a "Spiritual Energy Wave" instantly erupted within her body.

The lilies in the vase shook, shedding petals—the Spiritual Power Pressure of the Early Sixth Rank rippled outward.

"Huu..." Ling Qi slowly opened her eyes, which held a clarity she had never possessed before.

She lightly tapped the edge of the bed with her fingertips to push herself up, but staggered half a step when her feet hit the floor.

The weakness brought on by the excessive breakthrough swept through her entire body.

She leaned on the edge of the bed, catching her breath.

Her gaze swept over her reflection in the full-length mirror, only to discover a faint "Six-Tailed Demon Fox" Clan Tattoo had appeared on her forehead at some unknown time.

Ling Qi reached out and touched the Clan Tattoo that had suddenly appeared on her forehead, feeling a cold sensation as soon as she made contact.

Immediately afterward, her Sea of Consciousness hummed.

Countless images exploded in her Sea of Consciousness—on the smoke-filled God War battlefield, the Six-Tailed Demon Fox Ancestor was covered in blood, the flames on its tail nearly scorching the sky red... "Thump!" Ling Qi's legs went weak, and she stumbled backward.

Her lower back slammed hard against the Dressing Table, sending the cosmetics inside the Sandalwood box scattering across the floor.

The LED smart makeup mirror also crashed to the ground with a clang.