55: Chapter 55 The Empress hung up the telepathic message, and Lin Aotian panicked.

"I..."

Phoenix Unrivaled's mind went blank. She glared fiercely at the man beneath her who wore a wicked grin, wishing she could slap him to death.

This scoundrel was definitely doing it on purpose!

He just wanted Lin Aotian to find out!

"Who could possibly be with me?"

Phoenix Unrivaled gritted her teeth, forcing her voice to sound somewhat normal.

"I am at a critical juncture in breaking through my Bottleneck. My Qi is a bit unstable, that's all. Say what you need to quickly, don't disturb my Cultivation!"

She tried to use a stern tone to mask her guilt.

However, what kind of figure was Lin Aotian?

How could he be so easily fooled?

"Unstable Qi?"

Lin Aotian's voice turned icy and suspicious.

"Unrivaled, we have known each other for many years. I am perfectly clear about your level of Cultivation. Your little Bottleneck shouldn't cause you to make that... that strange sound."

He paused, his tone becoming sharper.

"Tell me honestly, what exactly are you doing? Did something happen on Frost's side? Are you hiding something from me?"

A barrage of questions rained down like firecrackers, making Phoenix Unrivaled's expression grow uglier.

What she hated most was Lin Aotian's presumptuous tone of questioning.

By what right?

By what right did he speak to her as if interrogating a criminal?

What did he take her for?

His subordinate?

His slave?

A long-suppressed rage instantly erupted from the bottom of her heart.

Especially when she saw Su Yun's playful gaze, this rage burned even hotter.

Why should I, for the sake of you, a scoundrel far away in the Upper Realm who probably has countless women, endure bullying and ridicule from another man here?

Why should I hide things for you, test things for you, and in the end, still be suspected and questioned by you?

Go to hell!

"Lin Aotian!"

Phoenix Unrivaled's anger finally exploded completely. She roared into the sound transmission jade pendant:

"Are you done yet!"

"If you don't trust me, then why call me? If you want to know what happened in the Lower Realm so badly, then roll back here yourself!"

"I'm telling you, I, Phoenix Unrivaled, am not your dog! Not a tool you summon with a wave and dismiss with a flick!"

"From today onwards, everything between you and me is settled! Don't bother me again!"

After speaking, she didn't give Lin Aotian any chance to react and directly cut off the sound transmission!

Then, as if using up all her strength, she fiercely threw the priceless cross-realm sound transmission jade pendant onto the ground.

The jade pendant rolled a few times on the floor, its light rapidly dimming.

The entire room instantly fell into a dead silence.

Su Yun looked at the woman beneath him—who moments ago was as docile as a cat, but was now like an enraged lioness—with amusement, and commented with a smile.

"Tsk tsk, truly worthy of being an Empress. Such a temper, quite spirited."

Phoenix Unrivaled gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling violently. Her Phoenix eyes were burning red with anger.

She glared fiercely at Su Yun: "Are you satisfied?"

"It's alright, I guess."

Su Yun shrugged. "At least you finally saw his true colors, didn't you?"

"You forced me to do this!"

Phoenix Unrivaled snapped angrily.

"I forced you?"

Su Yun smiled.

"I merely allowed you to follow the choice of your own heart. Weren't the words you just spoke your true feelings?"

Phoenix Unrivaled was choked into silence by him.

Yes, those words were indeed her true feelings.

They were words she had suppressed deep in her heart for a very, very long time, never daring to speak them aloud.

Today, spurred by Su Yun, she finally vented them all out at once.

After venting, she felt... an unprecedented sense of relief.

It was as if a great mountain that had always weighed on her heart had been moved away.

Although Phoenix Unrivaled knew that completely offending Lin Aotian might have severe consequences.

She did not regret it.

"Alright, stop being angry."

Su Yun reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his tone gentle enough to drip water.

"From now on, you are free."

"From now on, no one can order you or question you. You are you, the sole Empress of the Wu Zhou Empire."

His voice carried a peculiar magic, slowly calming Phoenix Unrivaled's restless heart.

Looking into Su Yun's deep eyes, a complex emotion suddenly surged in her heart.

This man, although detestable and domineering, seemed to truly understand her.

He knew what she wanted and what she detested.

Compared to Lin Aotian's self-righteous control, Su Yun's somewhat righteous and somewhat evil 'respect' actually made her feel more comfortable.

"Now, can we... continue our unfinished 'healing'?"

Su Yun's voice sounded next to her ear.

Phoenix Unrivaled's face instantly flushed crimson again.

Only then did she realize that they were still in an extremely intimate posture.

She wanted to push him away, but her body was soft and limp, unable to muster any strength.

"You... you scoundrel..."

She could only curse weakly.

"I am not a scoundrel."

Su Yun leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I am your... antidote."

...

Meanwhile, far away in the Upper Realm.

Inside a palace shrouded in Immortal Qi.

Lin Aotian stared dumbfounded at the now-dimmed sound transmission jade pendant in his hand; the entire man was stunned.

She... she actually dared to hang up my sound transmission?

Phoenix Unrivaled actually dared to hang up my sound transmission?!

A towering rage instantly ignited from the depths of his heart, twisting his handsome face.

"Outrageous! Outrageous!"

He violently waved his hand, and the jade desk before him instantly shattered into dust under a massive force!

First Leng Hanshuang!

Now Phoenix Unrivaled!

Had these two women conspired to rebel?!

Before, when Leng Hanshuang hung up on him, he could still comfort himself, thinking she misunderstood his relationship with Senior Sister, was jealous, and was throwing a small tantrum.

But what about Phoenix Unrivaled?

She had always been the most rational and the one who considered the overall situation the most. How could she do something like this?

Moreover, what did those words she just spoke mean?

What did "everything is settled" mean? What did "don't bother me again" mean?

And before she hung up the sound transmission, that strange muffled groan, and the faint... laughter that sounded like a man's!

Something is wrong!

It's very wrong!

Something earth-shattering that he didn't know about must have happened in the Lower Realm!

A strong sense of unease and panic instantly seized Lin Aotian's heart.

He felt like something important was rapidly slipping away, escaping his control.

No!

I must go down to the Lower Realm immediately!

I must go back and see what happened!

Lin Aotian was burning with anxiety, like an ant on a hot pan.

Just then, a seductive voice, laced with a hint of lazy concern, sounded from behind him.

"My good Junior Brother, who is so blind as to provoke such great anger out of you?"

Lin Aotian turned his head and saw a woman with a voluptuous figure leaning against the doorway, looking at him with a half-smile.

She was wearing a thin pink silk dress that accentuated her fiery figure to the extreme.

Her captivating peach blossom eyes flickered with light—who else could it be but his Senior Sister Liu?

"Senior Sister."

Lin Aotian forcibly suppressed the rage in his heart and forced out a smile uglier than crying.

"Oh my, look at you, your face is pale with anger."

Senior Sister Liu took delicate steps and gracefully walked to his side, her soft body almost pressing against him.

Her slender jade fingers caressed his tense arm, and she asked with fragrant breath.

"Quickly tell Senior Sister what happened? No matter what it is, Senior Sister will uphold justice for you."

Lin Aotian hesitated for a moment.

The fact that he had many romantic confidantes in the Lower Realm absolutely could not be revealed to Senior Sister.

Otherwise, given Senior Sister's infatuated nature towards him, heaven knows what kind of trouble would erupt.

He thought for a moment and fabricated a reason.

"Alas, Senior Sister, I won't hide it from you. Something has happened in my Family in the Lower Realm."

He said with a worried expression.

"I just received news that... it seems there's a traitor. I... I'm very anxious."

"A traitor in the Family?"

When Senior Sister Liu heard this, her delicate eyebrows shot up, and her face instantly became cold, the seductive charm completely vanishing, replaced by a surge of Evil Qi.

"Outrageous! How dare they betray my Junior Brother! Junior Brother, tell me where they are, and Senior Sister will go and slaughter them all for you!"

"I... I don't know the specific situation either."

Lin Aotian sighed, thinking to himself that Senior Sister was still so impulsive.

"I must go down to the Lower Realm immediately to handle it."

"The Lower Realm?"

Senior Sister Liu's delicate eyebrows furrowed upon hearing this.

"But Junior Brother, the Sect Grand Competition is approaching. This is a major event related to whether you can become a Core Disciple and obtain the Legacy. If you go to the Lower Realm now, I'm afraid... you won't have time to rush back."

"This..."

Lin Aotian also thought of this problem and immediately showed a troubled expression.

He truly could not miss the Sect Grand Competition.

Moreover, winning the competition would grant him the right to make one tempting request.

But the situation in the Lower Realm was also a matter of extreme urgency.

What should he do?

Seeing Lin Aotian's anxious and troubled appearance, Senior Sister Liu felt heartbroken. She immediately wrapped her arms around Lin Aotian's arm.

Pressing her ample upper body tightly against him, she said softly.

"Junior Brother, don't worry. You absolutely cannot miss the Sect Grand Competition; it concerns your future!"

"Your business is my business. Since you are stretched thin, why don't... you let Senior Sister run this errand for you? No matter what trouble exists in the Lower Realm, Senior Sister will help you settle it!"