Zhurong's Resentment, Empress Houtu's Scheming Side

Zhurong and Gong Gong quickly drained the jar of wine.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

After drinking, they shouted loudly. The excitement on their faces made it seem as though they had just fought a thoroughly satisfying battle.

"Brother Hongyun, give me another jar?"

Zhurong stared intently at Hong Yun's unopened wine.

"Me too!"

Gong Gong gazed at Hong Yun just as eagerly.

Naturally, Hong Yun was not stingy. He tossed jars to Dijiang and the others, leaving out only Houtu, Xuan Ming, and Jiu Feng.

"Elder Brother Hongyun, what about Sister Xuan Ming and me? Younger Sister Jiu Feng hasn't gotten any either!"

At some point, Houtu had run over to Hong Yun. Smiling sweetly, she looked up at him expectantly with her bright eyes.

"Here, Younger Sister Houtu. You and Younger Sister Xuan Ming can drink this."

From among the many wines, Hong Yun deliberately selected three jars with more exquisite appearances. He handed one to Houtu, while sending the other two before Xuan Ming and Jiu Feng with mana.

"Thank you, Elder Brother Hongyun!"

Houtu, Xuan Ming, and Jiu Feng thanked him in unison. Then they broke the clay seals and began tasting the wine.

Houtu eagerly opened her wine jar, only to find that the liquid inside was crystal clear, completely different from the strong liquor Zhurong and the others had just drunk.

The fragrance was not particularly rich, instead carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

"Delicious!"

"It's sweet, and it tastes like spirit fruit."

"Wait, this is..."

After Houtu, Xuan Ming, and Jiu Feng finished drinking, they felt a warm current begin to flow from their stomachs and spread through all four limbs and every bone.

They soon discovered that their bodies were rapidly growing stronger beneath that warm current.

It seemed that the current contained immense spiritual energy of heaven and earth, repeatedly washing over their bodies.

After finishing the wine, the three could not help sitting down cross-legged. They did not even bother finishing their roasted meat.

"What's going on? Why did they suddenly start cultivating?"

Dijiang and the others, who had just finished enjoying the wine, hurried over. Seeing Houtu and the other two cultivating, they could not make sense of the situation.

"It's nothing. You'll find out soon enough!"

Hong Yun smiled, speaking as mysteriously as a riddle-maker.

He certainly would not tell Dijiang and the others that he had used the three Ginseng Fruits he had previously obtained from his "Good Buddy," Zhen Yuanzi, to brew three jars of fruit wine.

Ginseng Fruits were also known as Grass-Returning Elixirs.

They were borne by the Ginseng Fruit Tree, the companion spiritual root of Zhen Yuanzi, the Earth Immortal Ancestor.

The Ginseng Fruit Tree had existed since the world first opened. It blossomed once every three thousand years, bore fruit once every three thousand years, and required another three thousand years to ripen. Even after ripening, it could only be eaten ten thousand years later.

Even then, it only produced thirty ripe Ginseng Fruits.

Every Ginseng Fruit was enough to grant an ordinary mortal immortality, reconstruct their foundation, and even allow them to ascend into immortality on the spot.

They were even more beneficial to cultivators.

Ginseng Fruits contained laws. Even Grand Unity Golden Immortals could accelerate their comprehension of laws by consuming one.

At this moment, the Pretty Faces of the three seated cross-legged grew increasingly flushed.

Their auras gradually became deeper and more profound.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth contained within the Ginseng Fruit Wine continued washing over their bodies, while the laws within deepened their understanding.

The Law of Earth around Houtu grew increasingly dense, making her aura more and more solemn, compassionate, and inclusive.

"Break!"

Houtu gave a soft cry and was the first to complete her breakthrough.

Her aura suddenly surged by a great deal. Divine light flowed through her bright eyes, and her stunningly beautiful face was filled with delight.

Houtu slowly rose to her feet. Her yellow palace robes made her appear especially dignified and graceful.

"This younger sister thanks Elder Brother Hongyun!"

Houtu naturally understood that Hong Yun had brought about this breakthrough. Just as she was about to bow in thanks, Hong Yun grabbed her and supported her.

No matter how hard Houtu tried, she could not bow down.

Hong Yun looked at Houtu's somewhat stubborn expression and shook his head with a smile. "We're family. There's no need to be so formal. Otherwise, I won't dare ask Younger Sister Houtu for help next time."

Houtu was stunned for a moment. Then a radiant smile bloomed across her already beautiful and dignified face.

"Since that is the case, this younger sister will not stand on ceremony with Elder Brother Hongyun."

A trace of gratitude flashed through her eyes, mixed with a touch of admiration, as if her gaze could speak.

Even though Hong Yun had long seen the beauties of the many goddesses of the Primordial Wilderness, each with their own charms, he could not help becoming slightly dazed at that moment.

Her appearance was secondary. No cultivator was ugly.

What Hong Yun appreciated most was Houtu's aura. The phrase "a smile like blooming flowers" was nothing more than this.

Fortunately, Hong Yun was only distracted for a moment before deliberately coughing a few times.

Just then, a wave of icy chill swept over them.

After Houtu, Xuan Ming had also broken through!

Xuan Ming cultivated the Ice Law. With her at the center, extreme cold spread in every direction, as if it would freeze the entire summit of Buzhou Mountain into frozen earth.

Before Dijiang and the others could react, and fearing that it would affect Jiu Feng, who was still breaking through, Hong Yun made a hand seal with his right hand. A cloud wall condensed from mana enclosed Xuan Ming's surroundings.

The extreme cold around Xuan Ming was completely sealed within it.

Not long afterward, Xuan Ming successfully completed her breakthrough as well!

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, Xuan Ming opened her eyes.

The ice and snow around her melted away as she awoke, vanishing without a trace in no time.

Only then did Hong Yun remove the cloud wall.

Xuan Ming also looked at Hong Yun gratefully. "Xuan Ming th-thanks... Elder Brother Hongyun!"

Though she too was thanking him, Houtu wore a gentle smile, while Xuan Ming kept a cold face. Even her thanks came out haltingly, as if she was unaccustomed to speaking that way.

Still, she did not bow in thanks as Houtu had.

"No need. It is enough that you broke through, Younger Sister."

Hong Yun waved his hand, and Xuan Ming instead became a little embarrassed.

Her face remained expressionless, but the tips of her ears had turned slightly red.

Hong Yun understood Xuan Ming's temperament. Unlike Houtu, this younger sister had a disposition much like the law she cultivated. She usually gave others the impression of being cool and aloof, withdrawn and solitary.

Yet whenever the Wu Clan faced trouble, she was always the first to step forward.

When sparring with the other Ancestor Witches, she was even crazier than anyone else. Even Zhurong, who was naturally battle-hungry and hot-tempered, could not help avoiding her.

Of course, part of that was because Zhurong doted on his younger sister.

Soon, Jiu Feng also completed her breakthrough, leaping from the Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm to the Early Daluo Realm, though her cultivation was still somewhat unstable.

"Jiu Feng thanks Lord Ancestor Witch Hong Yun!"

Jiu Feng appeared much more reserved, since Hong Yun was of the same generation as the Ancestor Witches.

"Huh? Since you call Qiang Liang Elder Brother, then just call me Elder Brother as well."

Hearing this, Jiu Feng glanced at Qiang Liang. Only after seeing him nod slightly did she obediently speak.

"Jiu Feng greets Elder Brother Hongyun!"

The other newly born Great Witches, as well as the Ancestor Witches, all revealed envious expressions as they looked at the three who had broken through.

"I say, Brother Hongyun, you can't play favorites. I, Zhurong, also want to break through to the Mid Daluo Realm. Give me a jar of that wine too?"

Gong Gong hurriedly nodded. "Me too!"

The other Ancestor Witches also looked at Hong Yun expectantly.

"There's none left. Not a drop remains."

But Hong Yun curled his lips and spread his hands, indicating that there was no more.

"What? It's gone?"

Seeing Zhurong's anxious expression, Hong Yun emphasized again, "There really isn't any more. There were only three Ginseng Fruits in total, one jar for each of the three younger sisters. Are you trying to snatch the three younger sisters' share, Zhurong?"

Hong Yun feigned surprise, but his words sent a chill down Zhurong's back.

"Elder Brother Zhurong, do you have something to say?"

Xuan Ming stared at him coldly, making the hairs on Zhurong's body stand on end.

"Oh my, Elder Brother Zhurong, if you wanted it, why didn't you say so earlier? If you had said so, this younger sister would have given it to you. Elder Brother Dijiang once said that brothers and sisters should live in harmony. It is all this younger sister's fault for making you lose your chance to break through."

If Xuan Ming's words had merely made Zhurong's hair stand on end,

then Houtu's saccharine words made Zhurong directly feel a death stare from the abyss.

"Bastard! Zhurong, you actually wanted to steal our younger sisters' opportunity? I think your skin is itching. Come, let's go over there and spar. Let your eldest brother see whether you've improved lately!"

Zhurong's premonition had indeed been correct. As soon as Houtu finished speaking, Dijiang clamped one hand around his neck.

"Eldest Brother, no, listen to my explanation..."

"What is there to explain? Go explain it properly to Eldest Brother's fists."

Without waiting for Zhurong to finish, Dijiang used the Law of Space and vanished from the spot with him in tow.

Only then did Houtu nod in satisfaction, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips.

Damn, was this really the great compassionate Empress Houtu? Why did she feel so scheming and manipulative?

Hong Yun's eyelids twitched wildly!