Chapter 203: Call Me Master

A phantom figure rose from the Tai'a Sword. It was Mi Li, who had previously been wearing Zu An's clothes but now, in her soul state, had reverted to her imperial Empress regalia.

Zu An secretly grumbled to himself, "They're just souls, why are they still wearing clothes? Who are they trying to protect themselves from?"

Noticing his gaze, Mi Li became annoyed. She snorted, "It's all your fault I've become so weak. What's wrong with absorbing the energy of these spirits to mend my soul? Now that our fates are intertwined, you'd better hope my soul becomes as complete as possible."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'd wish for Empress Sister to live for tens of thousands of years—no, to be immortal," Zu An said with a flattering smile.

"Alas, from ancient times to the present, no matter how powerful one's cultivation, they can never escape the five declines of heaven and man. There is no such thing as immortality," Mi Li sighed. Suddenly, she let out a cold snort. "Besides, you look like you're destined for a short life. What good would it do for me to live long by myself?"

"Why am I destined for a short life?" Zu An immediately protested.

"Your mouth is too good at attracting hatred. You're bound to make many enemies in this life, which naturally means a short life," Mi Li said coldly.

"Living life and cultivating, how can one fear enemies? In my opinion, those enemies aren't dangers, but whetstones that gradually sharpen me and make me stronger," Zu An said in a deep voice.

Mi Li was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect this; I underestimated you. You possess such insight."

Even Chu Chuyan, who was nearby, couldn't help but look back at him, clearly surprised by his perspective as well.

As for Qiao Xueying, she was already used to it. When they fought side by side to break the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man, she already knew he wasn't the useless son-in-law she had once thought him to be.

At this moment, Zu An chuckled. "Of course! A dashing man like me always makes women look at him differently, no matter where he goes."

Mi Li: "..."Chu Chuyan: "..."Qiao Xueying: "..."

"I take back what I just said. This guy's shamelessness is exactly the same as before."

Mi Li spoke again: "Alright then, to ensure you live a bit longer, I'll give you a heads-up. The recent refining of those two hundred thousand spirits benefited not only me but also greatly nourished the damaged sword spirit of the Tai'a Sword. It has recovered some of its past strength to a certain extent."

"In future battles, you can activate its Aura of Majesty. It can exert immense pressure on enemies; those with lower cultivation will be rendered immobile, and even those with higher cultivation will have their strength significantly weakened."

Zu An was overjoyed. "Doesn't that mean I can just swagger around from now on?"

Mi Li snorted. "It's not that simple. While the Aura of Majesty is powerful, activating it consumes a huge amount of energy. You won't be able to activate it a second time within half a month. So, try not to use this move if you can handle things yourself, lest you find yourself on the brink of death and unable to activate it."

Zu An felt relieved instead; a skill so powerful would be unnatural without limitations. "By the way, when you mentioned 'lower cultivation' and 'higher cultivation,' what specific ranks are you referring to? That way, I can be prepared."

Mi Li replied, "I only know about the Aura of Majesty during the Tai'a Sword's full power. Its current Aura of Majesty is certainly far from what it once was, so I'm not entirely sure. You'll have to experiment and figure it out yourself in combat."

"I see..." Zu An was a bit disappointed, but his mood quickly brightened. He was an optimistic person, and acquiring the "Aura of Majesty" was already an unexpected bonus, so he didn't dwell on the details.

He noticed that Qiao Xueying's face was extremely pale and hurried over to check on her. "What's wrong with her?" Chu Chuyan said, "I've temporarily used my vital energy to help stabilize her internal injuries, but she still needs proper medical treatment as soon as possible."

Zu An irritably flicked the Tai'a Sword's blade. "You were far too ruthless just now."

Mi Li snorted coldly. "Not taking her life just now was already this Empress's mercy."

Zu An ignored her, went straight to Qiao Xueying, and cradled her in his arms. Just as he was about to heal her, Mi Li's voice rang out:

"Are you planning to heal her with the Primordial Chaos Scripture?"

"Yes," Zu An replied, looking puzzled. "Is there a problem?"

Mi Li said, "You can't heal her. The Primordial Chaos Scripture, when cultivated to the first layer, can temper the body; to the second layer, it can purify evil; to the third layer, it can cure all poisons. Only when cultivated to the fourth layer can it heal others. You're still far from that."

Zu An paused. "But I just healed Chuyan's injuries and repaired her primal meridians, didn't I?"

Chu Chuyan, who was nearby, blushed and uncomfortably turned her face away, as if she hadn't heard what they said.

Mi Li explained, "That wasn't a normal healing method. It relied on the path of yin-yang harmony, along with your transcendent-grade vital essence, requiring intimate contact to heal. But you can't always have intimate relations with people to save them, can you? It's one thing for women, but if a man is injured, how would you save him?"

At the thought of getting intimate with a man, Zu An felt a chill and almost threw up.

*I'd be crazy to save a man like that; obviously, I'd only save women. Don't blame me for being unchivalrous; I just can't bring myself to do it.*

"Besides," Mi Li added, glancing at Qiao Xueying, "not all women would be willing to be saved by you using that method. Don't believe me? Ask her."

Zu An quickly leaned closer to Qiao Xueying. "Xue'er, we're friends who've faced death together. Don't worry, I'll do everything in my power to save you. I won't begrudge a little vital essence. I'll dedicate myself fully, until my dying breath..."

"Go to hell!" He was interrupted before he could finish by Qiao Xueying. Her face was flushed with embarrassment, and she used her remaining strength to push him away.

Chu Chuyan quickly went to support her, then shot Zu An a glare. "At a time like this, you're still making such jokes."

Zu An felt wronged. "I just wanted to save her! I don't even mind the depletion of my vital essence, so why are you scolding me?"

Chu Chuyan: "..."Qiao Xueying: "..."Mi Li's face also darkened. "The extent of your shamelessness truly redefines my understanding, time and again."

Zu An sighed and grumbled for a bit. However, since Qiao Xueying's life wasn't immediately at risk, he didn't actually push for "that."

Yet, he still felt disgruntled internally: *Hmph, it's true that having too many people around can ruin things; if the other two women weren't here, perhaps Xue'er would have given in, even if reluctantly.*

Just then, the Tai'a Sword suddenly flew up. Its hilt struck Chu Chuyan and Qiao Xueying on the back of their necks, and both women instantly collapsed.

Chu Chuyan had been preoccupied with caring for Qiao Xueying, and still burdened by her recent encounter with Zu An, she was completely unprepared. She never expected a sudden attack from behind.

As for Qiao Xueying, she was completely defenseless at that moment.

"What are you doing!" Zu An exclaimed in shock, angrily demanding an answer from Mi Li while checking on the two women. He only slightly relaxed after realizing they were merely unconscious.

"Kill them!" Mi Li said coldly.

Zu An retorted angrily, "Are you insane?!"

Mi Li snorted. "I know you're close to them, but romantic relationships are completely unreliable. You have too many secrets, and now almost all of them have been revealed to these two—your transcendent-grade aptitude, your knowledge of the Primordial Chaos Scripture... And if I'm not mistaken, you also know the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, don't you?"

Zu An was startled and looked at her warily. "How do you know?"

Mi Li chuckled softly, a hint of pride in her phoenix eyes. "Before, the heavier your injuries, the more your speed, strength, and other abilities would far exceed your actual cultivation level. Back when I was in the imperial palace, I read extensively and came across relevant records. How could I not guess?"

Zu An remained silent. This woman had exceptionally high cultivation and vast knowledge; it would likely be difficult to fool her in the future.

"However, the only thing I can't understand is that the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture shouldn't grant immortality. Why couldn't I kill you before?" Mi Li's brows furrowed tightly as she pondered various ancient texts, none of which recorded such a bizarre phenomenon.

Zu An felt awkward. The name "Wealthy Woman's Pleasure Ball" was too embarrassing, and he didn't know how to explain it to her.

Fortunately, Mi Li didn't press the matter. "Never mind. I'll eventually find out anyway, as I'll be by your side."

"What I'm trying to say is, any secret about you, once leaked, will bring about your demise. Be it the Primordial Chaos Scripture or the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, any one of them is a treasure that would incite the entire world to fight over it. Not to mention your own transcendent-grade aptitude; countless dying old monsters covet your flesh and blood."

"Surely no one actually believes that eating the flesh and blood of someone with transcendent-grade aptitude grants immortality, right?" Zu An felt his mouth go dry.

"Even Qin Shi Huang couldn't resist that temptation back then, let alone others," Mi Li said, a complex expression crossing her face as she mentioned Qin Shi Huang. "For these people, whose strength has reached the pinnacle of their era, who command immense power and wealth, and have countless beauties and handsome men at their beck and call, they fear death more than anyone."

"To them, if there's any hope of achieving immortality, no matter how small, they'll try it, as they have nothing to lose. So, once they learn of your transcendent-grade aptitude, they will absolutely devour your flesh, blood, and even your bones until nothing remains."

Zu An felt a chill creep up his spine. He instinctively replied, "They are my closest companions; they definitely won't reveal these things."

"Qin Shi Huang was also my closest companion back then, yet wasn't I betrayed by him?" A hint of ruthlessness appeared on Mi Li's face. "Human hearts and emotions are the most unreliable things in this world. Now our fates are bound together, and I won't allow anything to happen to you. So, if you can't bear to do it, I will personally eliminate them to ensure their silence."

No sooner had she spoken than the Tai'a Sword floated in mid-air, subtly poised to strike the two women.

Zu An was horrified. He quickly stepped in front of the two women and urgently said, "You can't deny all affection in the world just because you were betrayed! Besides, if I were to kill two such close friends for my own selfish gain, how would I be any different from the Qin Shi Huang you mentioned? I imagine you wouldn't want to associate with someone like that, either."

"Although Qin Shi Huang was harsh and unfeeling, his decisive actions were far wiser than yours," Mi Li said, even as the sword floating in mid-air slowly lowered.

Zu An couldn't help but ask, "Why does the Tai'a Sword listen to you so readily? Who is its true master?"

Mi Li replied coldly, "Because its sword spirit was severely wounded and is currently dormant. So, in a sense, you can consider me the Tai'a Sword's temporary sword spirit."

"You're the Tai'a Sword's spirit?" Zu An's eyes lit up. "Doesn't that mean you should call me 'Master'?"

Mi Li: "..."