Chapter 739: Impulsive Whim

Zu An: "???"

What do you mean by "just sleeping with an empress"? Are there multiple empresses for me to sleep with?

Mi Li said, "I overheard many of your conversations with that foxy woman earlier. I gather the emperor must have bullied you quite severely before, and you were even flogged by him tonight, so you retaliated against his empress in a fit of rage."

Zu An looked embarrassed. "Please excuse my awkwardness."

Mi Li, however, was serious. "No, I think you did very well."

Zu An was completely bewildered, unsure if she was confused from anger or speaking sarcastically.

Mi Li saw through his thoughts and snorted. "Of course I'm being serious. You are destined to become the strongest person in the world; how can you be timid in your actions? For some time now, the emperor has manipulated you at will, and over time, a shadow of fear has settled in your heart, along with the idea that he is too powerful to resist."

"When your cultivation level is low, this isn't a problem. But the higher your cultivation becomes in the future, the greater the impact will be. It could even become your inner demon, preventing you from making any further progress."

Zu An was startled. "Is it that exaggerated?"

Mi Li replied, "For low-level cultivators like you, the focus is on training the body and qi. But at higher levels, the primary focus is on cultivating the soul. Cultivating the soul requires a strong inner self; the stronger your mind, the easier it is to cultivate a powerful soul. Conversely, if your mind has flaws, cultivation will be more prone to problems."

Zu An's heart was filled with awe. Mi Li's cultivation level was very high, so he trusted her experienced advice. He also secretly felt fortunate to have such a close female confidante, who was both a mentor and a friend, helping him avoid many detours others might take.

Mi Li continued, "I was originally planning to find an opportunity to remind you, but I didn't expect you to bravely take a step to resist the emperor on your own. Excellent, truly worthy of my... *cough cough*, truly worthy of being the fellow who, after being beaten half to death by me, still fought bravely and unyieldingly."

Zu An awkwardly scratched his head. "It just feels like I impulsively slept with a woman, and you're elevating it to such a level that I'm actually a little embarrassed."

"You, a thick-skinned fellow, feeling embarrassed?" Mi Li rolled her beautiful eyes and continued, "However, you need to be careful. That vixen seems to have ulterior motives."

Zu An was also troubled. "I know she definitely has another agenda, but I can't figure out what she's after."

Mi Li looked at him with a strange expression. "She's after your body."

Zu An's old face flushed. "Don't joke. Though I haven't interacted much with her, she's definitely not someone driven by carnal desires."

Mi Li's lips curved slightly upward. "Where did your mind go? I meant your transcendent-grade aptitude."

"Transcendent-grade aptitude?" Zu An was taken aback; he had almost forgotten about it himself.

Mi Li said, "She seems to have an injury, and she was likely using a seductive technique to heal herself by alluring you. At that time, she seemed to be employing some charm spells to absorb your vital essence, which is what woke me up. However, seeing that her method of absorption wouldn't harm your fundamental essence, I didn't disturb you two."

Zu An suddenly understood. No wonder he had felt as if countless small mouths were sucking on him from the empress's body at the time, and had even secretly marveled at what an exquisite woman she was. So, she was actually using dark arts to replenish herself!

Mi Li's expression was somewhat puzzled. "Your transcendent-grade bloodline makes your vital essence a great tonic for cultivators. Logically, if she knew this, she would never let you go; she would definitely try to drain your blood completely."

Zu An subconsciously touched his neck, feeling a shiver of post-fear.

"But if she didn't know about your transcendent-grade aptitude, then how could she make such a great sacrifice, using her body to exchange for your vital essence?"

A light flickered in Zu An's mind, and he suddenly thought of some past events. "I suppose she must have inferred it from Chu Chuyan..."

He then briefly recounted how he had sent Chu Chuyan to seek help from Liu Ning.

Mi Li's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Hmph, tell your foolish wife not to blab about how you healed her injuries. If it falls into the wrong ears, it could easily bring deadly trouble upon you."

"How could she know the empress would have such thoughts? She's usually quite clever; it must be that concern clouds judgment," Zu An instinctively explained for Chu Chuyan.

Mi Li's expression darkened. "No need to show off your affection in front of me; she's not even here. I'm just reminding you to be aware of this hidden danger."

Seeing her expression was off, Zu An quickly apologized. "Okay, I'll remind her to be careful later."

Seeing the atmosphere had grown heavy, he quickly changed the subject. "By the way, have you expelled all the poison?"

"How could the Xiangfei Red Tears poison be so easy to cure?" Mi Li snorted, but sensing his concern, her expression softened. "However, it has temporarily stabilized during this period. I no longer have to fall into slumber at any moment like before."

Zu An looked surprised and delighted. "That's truly great!"

Mi Li looked at him with a half-smile. "Are you being sincere or not? Aren't you afraid of having an extra person nearby disturbing your good times?"

Zu An chuckled. "Of course I'm sincere. As for my 'good times,' you've certainly seen enough of them anyway, and I'm strong enough not to be afraid of you watching in that regard."

Speaking of which, she was a witness to his and Chu Chuyan's first time in the Yaoguang Secret Realm. Wait, at that time, she seemed to be possessing Chu Chuyan, so wouldn't that mean...

Mi Li seemed to have thought of the same thing. A hint of crimson appeared on her beautiful cheeks, and her expression became a little unnatural. "Ahem, who cares to watch you? I'm stating this upfront: from now on, as we agreed before, don't think of relying on me whenever you encounter danger. Otherwise, you won't be able to become a true powerhouse."

"Alright," Zu An replied, his gaze towards her growing a little softer.

Mi Li subconsciously tugged at her collar, feeling as though his eyes could see right through her. She quickly changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, have you managed to find any of those items I mentioned to you earlier?"

Zu An knew she was referring to the rare heavenly treasures needed to reconstruct her body. "I'm really sorry. I checked the Embroidered Envoy's database, but I haven't found any trace of them."

Mi Li's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Could it be that with the passage of time, those medicinal herbs have gone extinct?"

Zu An comforted her, "Don't worry too much. Perhaps their names have simply changed over time. Don't worry, I'll always keep an eye out for them. The more resources I can mobilize in the future, the easier it will be for me to track down their whereabouts."

A hint of a smile appeared on Mi Li's face. "At least you have some conscience. However, I've had a sudden intuition recently, a strong feeling that I'll find something very soon."

"Really?" Zu An was surprised. As a high-grade powerhouse, Mi Li's intuitions were never mere whims; they were hints of destiny she touched upon in the ethereal realm.

"Mm, there's no need to force it; let nature take its course," Mi Li said with a sense of equanimity. "Oh, and tell me everything that's happened during this period."

Zu An began chatting with her, recounting all the recent events. For some reason, having her by his side always gave him a sense of stability.

Although Mi Li wouldn't admit it, she actually had a similar feeling. To some extent, they were both outsiders in this world, experiencing an inherent loneliness and a sense of being out of place. Conversely, they found a sense of warmth in each other's company.

After listening to Zu An recount his actions during this period, Mi Li's brows furrowed more and more deeply. Finally, she unceremoniously criticized, "You really only have talent when it comes to charming women."

Zu An: "..."

Big sister, are you complimenting me or insulting me?

At this point, Mi Li continued, "Your methods are just small favors. While they might foster good relationships with some people, would they truly help you at a critical moment just for that?"

"Should I establish my own direct lineage of followers then?" Zu An suggested.

Mi Li still shook her head. "No, your current personal strength isn't enough. Forcibly establishing your own faction would be meaningless, and doing such things right under the emperor's nose could easily lead to trouble."

"Then what should I do?" Zu An really had a headache.

A gleam flickered in Mi Li's eyes. "There are two things you can do!"

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