Chapter 223: Being Guarded Feeling

Three incredibly powerful forces collided fiercely, delivering powerful impacts to every meridian within her body.

"Fully activate your Cold Moon Skill," Xu Yang instructed, "and condense the ice-cold power to its maximum to counteract the Profound Fire. Don't worry about the strength of your meridians; I will ensure you don't cross the line!"

The Empress frowned, her somewhat muddled spiritual energy immediately following Xu Yang's command. Yet, the pain only intensified, pushing her to what felt like the brink of collapse.

Had it been anyone else, the Empress would never have risked herself so openly in front of an outsider, even if it meant forfeiting this opportunity.

But for some unknown reason, in Xu Yang's presence, the usually composed and cautious Empress unconditionally entrusted him to make every incredible decision for her.

Xu Yang extended a finger, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy transformed into a fourth force, flowing into the Empress's meridians.

With extremely precise control of his spiritual power, Xu Yang used his own energy to begin expanding the thickness of the Empress's meridians, enhancing their resilience, and further refining her yet unformed meridian foundation.

Little did she know, this process would lead to an unimaginable improvement in her endurance and future cultivation speed. Simply put, it was akin to helping her undergo a complete rebirth and reshape her foundation.

As the Profound Fire power continued to strengthen, the impure Yang-attribute energy she had cultivated within her was rapidly refined. Simultaneously, the ice-cold energy provided by the Cold Moon Skill gradually matched and then equaled the Profound Fire power.

"Excellent," Xu Yang said. "The third force within you has completely disappeared. Now, I will help you refine the inner core of the Azure Water Golden-Eyed Beast. Its highly neutralizing energy will help you complete the final step of ice and fire fusion. Only then will these two forces perfectly integrate within you, ensuring you are no longer troubled by the cold."

Although the Empress couldn't speak at that moment, hearing Xu Yang's guidance instantly filled her with excitement. If her long-standing physical meridian ailments could truly be eradicated, it would resolve a significant burden on her mind.

Roar!!

After the Empress fully endured the tempering of the Profound Fire power, the giant ape began to release its life essence and its purest soul energy.

These two forces were much gentler than the Profound Fire power, resembling nourishment and replenishment for the Empress's physical body rather than fierce and dominant opposing fluctuations.

The entire sacrificial process lasted for two full hours. Although the Empress endured considerable pain, she was constantly improving. Xu Yang, however, expended a great deal of energy for her, not daring to be negligent for a single moment to prevent any unforeseen complications.

The old ape even believed that if it dared to harbor any ill intentions, Xu Yang would instantly obliterate its form and spirit.

Boom!!

With one final, thunderous roar, a complete crimson halo erupted from the Profound Fire Titan and merged into the Empress's soul space. The Titan's physical form then vanished, and a pink bracelet with a fingernail-sized ape emblem appeared on the Empress's wrist—this was Xu Yang's mysterious and unique magical artifact, the soul space!

After an unknown period, the Empress slowly opened her eyes. Everything around her seemed different.

The air grew clearer, and imperceptibly, her body seemed to develop an innate ability to absorb spiritual energy automatically. She could now cultivate spiritual energy even while sleeping.

More importantly, Snow Qinghan found her vision had become exceptionally clear—the most direct sign of a breakthrough in cultivation!

"I... I broke through?"

Feeling the unobstructed flow within her, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, powerful spiritual energy surged through her meridians in an orderly fashion. There was no longer any lingering discomfort from the cold or heat. The Empress was too excited to speak.

The surge of gratitude in her heart made her instinctively want to give Xu Yang a heartfelt embrace, but glancing around, she didn't immediately see him.

"Xu Yang! Where are you?"

Her powerful spiritual energy immediately spread outwards. After searching for a long time with no results, the Empress instinctively panicked. Perhaps she herself hadn't realized how distinctly that feeling of being lost was, how for the first time, she felt involuntarily disheartened and distraught over a man!

"You're awake?"

In a few blinks, Xu Yang teleported from a kilometer away to stand before the Empress, holding several fresh, colorful fruits. Only when she saw his silhouette did the Empress's gaze fixate, staring intently at Xu Yang, her heart once again filled with a sense of ease and security.

"These are top-grade Hundred Spirit Fruits," Xu Yang began, "eating them will solidify your..."

Before he could finish, the Empress wrapped her arms around Xu Yang in a tight, heartfelt embrace, causing even the man whose temperament had been as unyielding as iron for ten millennia of cultivation to momentarily waver.

"Thank you, Xu Yang..."

At that moment, the Empress closed her eyes, calmly breathing in the warmth emanating from Xu Yang. She felt a sense of ease and contentment she had never experienced before, tasting, for the first time, an inexpressible happiness brought to her by a man.

Even a simple embrace provided her heart, empty for far too many years, with unprecedented nourishment and warmth.

"It was nothing," Xu Yang said with a light chuckle, weighing the fruits in his hand. "We are teammates now; mutual support is expected. I certainly don't want to carry dead weight." Only then did the Empress notice the gentle aura subtly emanating from her wrist.

"Here, try touching this bracelet with your spiritual energy now!"

Xu Yang guided the Empress in controlling the artifact.

As a stream of soul energy flowed in, the Empress was astonished to find the presence of the Profound Fire Titan so distinct and vibrant in her mind. It was as if its body, its very being, had merged with her touch of soul energy.

"Appear!"

A summoning thought flashed, and the Profound Fire Titan materialized from behind the Empress as a crimson-gold light.

"Master, please command!"

The Titan's deferential posture, like a giant ape, struck Xu Yang as somewhat comical.

"Hahaha! You old ape, you're quite adorable when you're obedient."

The Titan clearly had no affection for Xu Yang, but it dared not defy the Empress, so it glared fiercely at Xu Yang and remained silent.

"Regardless, thank you for your help," the Empress said. "By sacrificing yourself to me, you have entrusted your life to me. I will do my best to help you grow. You and I will progress together; you are not just my subordinate, but my companion and friend."

The Titan seemed surprised that the outwardly aloof Empress would utter such words. In fact, even Xu Yang hadn't expected it.

Her outwardly cold but inwardly warm personality was a pleasant surprise for Xu Yang. It proved that no matter how aloof or formidable she appeared, the Empress was still a young woman who needed emotional care. Xu Yang knew all too well the feeling of loneliness at the top.