77: Empress: Make some conditions.

Chapter 77: Empress: Name Your Conditions

It was late at night.

Before sleeping, Li Yunshu, as usual, took a hot bath in the hot spring pool.

Phew—

"After this trip, I don't know how long it will be before I can enjoy a hot spring bath again."

"Then you can soak a little longer."

Hearing a familiar voice from beside the pool, Li Yunshu suddenly turned his head, startled.

"Yo-Your Majesty!"

He had originally planned to leave that afternoon, but Chen Hong wanted to come along, which meant he had to trouble Elder Cui with matters at the Daoist temple.

The handover took another half day.

He hadn't expected the Empress to show up on this last day of soaking in the hot spring.

Why are you here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?

Li Yunshu was about to get up and leave the hot spring pool, but the Empress placed her foot on his shoulder.

"If you like soaking, soak a little longer."

Gulp.

Li Yunshu's throat moved; the Empress's words intensified the uneasy feeling in his heart.

"Does Your Majesty have any commands?"

Pei Xuanji sat by the hot spring pool, dipping her jade-like feet into the water, gently swaying them.

The ripples stirred, plucking at Li Yunshu's heartstrings.

However, the Empress remained silent for a long time.

Gazing at the jade-like feet swaying before him, Li Yunshu felt his throat go dry.

"Whatever Your Majesty wishes, please command."

The jade-like feet in the water stopped swaying, and the Empress spoke very seriously.

"I wish to see your Master; name your conditions."

"..."

If I could see him, I would have seen him myself first; I wouldn't wait for you to bring it up.

Of course, he couldn't say these words directly.

Moreover, he could tell that the Empress was very serious about this matter this time.

Li Yunshu raised his head and met the Empress's Phoenix eyes.

"I have no way to contact my Master either."

This was the truth, so there was no hesitation in his words.

Their eyes met, and the Empress also saw that he wasn't lying.

However, she wished he were lying.

"Is there any way to see him?"

Li Yunshu didn't directly answer the question.

"I have a question, and I hope Your Majesty can enlighten me."

"Ask."

"Is Your Majesty's current Realm such that you can Ascend at any time?"

Li Yunshu had been curious about this question for a long time.

So many people wanted to know the secret of Ascension, but had these people truly reached the Tribulation Stage, a Realm where they could Ascend at any time?

Could it be that there was no secret to Ascension, but simply that these people's cultivation was not yet sufficient?

Of course, his Master was an exception; he still couldn't comprehend how he Ascended from the Qi Refinement Stage.

Hearing this question, Pei Xuanji's expression froze.

"But it is a fact that no one Ascended before your Master, and how do you explain your Master's Qi Refining Ascension?"

Although the Restriction Breaking Pill had broken a portion of the Seal on her body, allowing her to suppress the Seal within her without relying on Medicinal Pills or hot springs from then on.

While her cultivation was indeed still insufficient for Ascension.

However, this didn't mean that the inability to Ascend in this world was due to insufficient cultivation.

Li Yunshu explained.

"Not everyone in this world is the Reincarnation of a Celestial Venerable. Has Your Majesty ever considered that perhaps no one in this world has Ascended because their own cultivation is insufficient?"

The Empress shook her head.

"I have consulted many ancient texts; more than one person was once stuck at Tribulation Stage Ninth Layer, eventually their vital Qi dried up, and they perished.

Otherwise, why do you think so many people are determined to obtain the secret of Ascension? These people are all preparing for Ascension.

Because they know that after entering the Tribulation Stage, their Lifespan will no longer increase, and their life's countdown will begin."

Li Yunshu's understanding of Tribulation Stage mighty figures was very limited.

Therefore, what the Empress said was new to him.

However, he thought of another possibility.

"Then, in the current world, is there anyone at Tribulation Stage Ninth Layer?"

The Empress shook her head again.

"To my knowledge, no. Those old fellows at Tribulation Stage Ninth Layer have all died of old age.

And later generations, no one has Breakthrough to Tribulation Stage Ninth Layer again."

"Perhaps, my Master's Ascension was a turning point that changed this world."

Hearing this, Pei Xuanji remained silent for a long time.

After a long while.

She stood up and said.

"I will restore my cultivation to Tribulation Stage Ninth Layer as soon as possible, and then we shall see if what you say is true."

Watching the Empress's retreating back, Li Yunshu pressed on.

"How high is Your Majesty's true strength, after all?"

Everyone knew that the Empress was one of the Great Chu's top powerhouses, but what they didn't know was that what they saw was the Empress after a powerful Seal.

From the Empress's words, it seemed that the Restriction Breaking Pill had not completely unsealed her.

If the Empress were to completely unseal herself, how terrifying would her strength be?

Wouldn't Ascension be as easy as flipping a hand?

At this moment, the Empress had already reached the entrance of the grand hall.

"About as tall as the Yongning Pagoda."

After saying that, she stepped out of the grand hall.

Hearing the three words "Yongning Pagoda," Li Yunshu was stunned.

The Yongning Pagoda was the Great Chu's tallest pagoda, over forty zhang high.

To be as tall as the Yongning Pagoda, what kind of cultivation would that be? It must be Immortal Ascension.

At this moment, he suddenly felt that the distance between himself and the Empress was so vast, so far that he couldn't even see the end.

For him, Tribulation Stage Ninth Layer was already out of reach.

But compared to the Empress's cultivation, this might just be a starting point... Leaving the capital.

To save time, Li Yunshu directly used the Great Chu's teleportation array to reach the prefecture closest to the Sword Sect.

This was much faster than him piloting a flying boat from the capital.

With five days left until the end of the month, Li Yunshu, who had originally planned to go directly to the Sword Sect, decided to stop in Jiangdu County first.

He also wanted to see what kind of talent that scholar named Jiang Wenzheng was, to have Chen Hong so infatuated with him to the point of death.

Jiangdu County.

A light rain was falling, and there were few pedestrians on the street, all of them hurrying along.

A gaunt scholar stood quietly on a small bridge, gazing blankly at the river, like an anomaly in this small county town.

In the distance, Li Yunshu approached, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

He had released Chen Hong even before entering the city.

From the initial anticipation to the nervousness after entering the city.

He saw all of her emotions.

When he passed the small bridge and saw the scholar standing on it.

He didn't know why, but he had an intuition that this was the scholar Chen Hong had been longing for.

He turned his head, and sure enough.

The woman who was usually boisterous and always saying "this old lady" was now gazing foolish at the person at the bridgehead.

The Yin spirit's tears fell, like the rain from the sky.

Li Yunshu stood by the small river, quietly watching the person and the Yin spirit.

At this moment, Chen Hong had not revealed herself, so the scholar only saw Li Yunshu standing by the river.

The two exchanged glances, and Li Yunshu nodded slightly, as a greeting.

Jiang Wenzheng carefully looked at Li Yunshu, searching his mind for people he knew.

Ultimately, he was certain he had never seen this person before.

After all, such a handsome Young Master, if he had seen him, it would be impossible not to have an impression.

However, out of politeness, he still nodded in return.

At this moment, Chen Hong had already walked to the bridgehead.