318: Chapter 318 must be because there weren't enough attempts.

Inside Qifeng Palace, a clear and resonant Phoenix cry pierced the night sky, startling many female officials and maids.

Everyone stopped their tasks and began to discuss in low voices.

"What did Her Majesty do? This phenomenon... could it be a Breakthrough in her cultivation?"

"No matter what, we share in Her Majesty's honor and disgrace."

"The Divine Tree is reviving and Her Majesty is advancing; this can be seen as our own advancement as well. It is our blessing!"

Before the discussions could die down, a graceful figure quietly emerged from deep within the courtyard.

Lan Zhiwei was draped in a dark green silk nightgown; the silk flowed down her peaks like running water, outlining her curvaceous figure.

As the night breeze blew past, the silky lapels parted slightly, revealing a patch of skin as smooth as congealed fat.

Her hemline fluttered, and in a fleeting glimpse as she moved, a snowy smoothness was revealed.

She looked up at the starry sky, her eyes seemingly containing a flowing galaxy.

As the successor of Ye Xinglan's Dao of Heavenly Secrets, she was extremely sensitive to the Qi of heaven and earth.

That Phoenix cry just now sounded like the whispers of the Heavenly Dao in her ears, allowing her to instantly capture a trace of a mysterious opportunity.

This opportunity was related to herself!

She stood silently in the courtyard for a long time.

"Five days later... the corridor of the side hall in the Stargazing Palace?"

She murmured softly, the starlight in her eyes flickering slightly.

Under the Wutong tree.

With one hand for each, Ye Xinglan firmly caught the sneaking An Hongxiu and Yue Qianqian.

"What are you two trying to do?"

Ye Xinglan's voice was majestic.

"Her Majesty and the Supreme are attending to serious business; they must not be disturbed."

An Hongxiu's heroic face was full of defiance:

"Revered Master! It shouldn't matter if we join in, right? There's strength in numbers..."

Ye Xinglan glanced at her, thinking to herself.

What would you do if you went in? Push from behind?

She shook her head expressionlessly: "No."

Yue Qianqian suddenly leaned close to Ye Xinglan, her small nose sniffing hard, her primrose-yellow feather robe swaying with her movements as she asked in confusion:

"Eh? Revered Master, on your body... why does it seem like you have the Supreme's scent?"

Ye Xinglan looked at her fourth disciple; she clearly remembered her true form was a Phantasm Moon Flowing Light Sparrow, not a dog.

Her expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, "You smelled wrong."

...

Deep within the Divine Tree Forbidden Ground.

"The ritual requires the Dao of Sound. The key lies in the voice; make it louder... yes, just like that, a bit higher..."

"Is... is this... enough?"

"One must endure the bitterest of hardships to become the best of people. Hold on!"

"In... in that book you showed me... this wasn't in there at all..."

"As a practitioner, one should have the courage to innovate and not be bound by ancient methods."

"The Nine Forms and Six Postures are just the basics. As a Mahayana Cultivator, what's wrong with me creating the Hanging River Piercing the Crown Style or the Kunpeng Swallowing the Heavens Style? Just do as I say!"

"The ritual has reached the final critical moment again! Concentrate, I am preparing to break through the core shackles deep within the Wutong Divine Tree!"

"Success or failure depends on this one move!"

Having been tossed about like this by Ling Hao, Su Fengyi no longer had the strength to respond.

...

Inside the underground palace, the root system of the once-dead Wutong Divine Tree was now covered in emerald-green fluorescence, brimming with vitality, and had even sprouted several tender green buds that swayed gently in the dim light.

Ling Hao gently set Su Fengyi down. Seeing her limp and powerless state, he chuckled:

"Her Majesty the Empress, how do you feel?"

Connected to the Wutong Divine Tree, Su Fengyi felt a warm and powerful force surging into her body. This power not only filled the void left by her lost essence blood but also created a wonderful resonance and nourishment with her own Phoenix Bloodline.

She slowly opened her eyes, which were shimmering with watery light and overflowing with charm.

Su Fengyi glared fiercely at Ling Hao, wanting to curse him, but she couldn't even muster the strength to lift her hand. She could only weakly scold:

"You... you bastard..."

"Yes, I'm a bastard."

Ling Hao responded good-naturedly, gently picking her up in a princess carry and placing her on a clean soft couch nearby.

"Rest first. The Divine Tree's vitality has been restored; it only needs regular nurturing from now on."

"Mm..."

Su Fengyi gave a low response, then suddenly, as if sensing something, she sat up abruptly, her face full of panic.

"Why... why hasn't my Bloodline concentration increased?"

Ling Hao looked at her, confused.

Su Fengyi muttered to herself:

"I remember... Xinglan clearly said that by nurturing the remains of the Divine Tree with pure Wood-type Origin and then continuously watering the roots with Phoenix essence blood, its vitality would be restored. Through this, the Bloodline could be refined, and even... trigger a chance for Atavism!"

She subconsciously touched her flat lower abdomen, her voice gaining a hint of trepidation.

"Why... is there no child either?"

Bloodline Atavism?

A child?

You even want a child?! Ling Hao was stunned.

Ye Xinglan only told him to expend essence and effort to revive the Wutong Divine Tree; she didn't mention anything about Bloodline Atavism or having children!

The two quickly exchanged the information they each knew.

"Performing the ritual at the source of the Wutong Divine Tree can greatly increase the probability of passing the Bloodline to offspring, and even prompt the child's Bloodline to undergo Atavism?"

Thoughts raced through Ling Hao's mind. Couldn't the Sect's Ancestral Blood Pool also improve Bloodlines? This method...

"It must be because there weren't enough times!"

A stubborn light ignited in Su Fengyi's eyes. She suddenly pushed Ling Hao, who had just sat down, back onto the soft rug.

"Let's do it again!"

Again?

Looking at Su Fengyi's indomitable appearance, Ling Hao felt both helpless and amused.

Fine, since you want to, I'll just continue to enjoy myself.

And so, within this Divine Tree Forbidden Ground, they spent roughly two days and nights, losing track of everything else.

Wait, that's not right!

Ling Hao suddenly snapped awake. If this continued, Xiao He and the others...

He hadn't even introduced his new disciple, Shui Liuli, to them yet. Cough, he had been dragged into a whirlwind of passion on the Divine Boat, and now he had been missing for so long...

...

An unknown number of days later.

Su Fengyi leaned lazily in his arms, feeling the warmth and powerful heartbeat from his chest.

"Supreme."

"Hmm?"

"What do you think... of me?"

Her voice carried a hint of nervousness.

"Very good."

Ling Hao gently brushed away the sweat-dampened stray hairs on her forehead. Seeing her radiant appearance, he sighed from the bottom of his heart.

"You have great spirit."

He looked at the jade-like body before him, which he had personally "carved" into something increasingly perfect and moving, and felt a sense of accomplishment.

As the saying goes, jade must be carved to become a vessel.

With just a little guidance from him, Su Fengyi could quickly Revered Master the concepts and even apply them in new ways.

The ritual could be called perfect!

The Su Fengyi Carving Plan was a great success!

By comparison... Ling Hao's thoughts drifted. He would have to try and carve Ye Xinglan properly too.

This little State Preceptor, how should he put it? She liked to keep a straight face all the time, but she didn't have much of an aversion to his intimate actions.

When they were doing that, she would turn her head away and whimper, but she just wasn't willing to talk much.

Just as he was thinking, Ye Xinglan's cold and calm voice suddenly rang out within the palace.

"You two, it's time to come out."

Both of their bodies stiffened at the same time.

Ye Xinglan's voice rang out again.

"Don't worry, I don't have the habit of peeping."

"It's just that if you don't come out now..."