The One Who Helps Me, Why Must They Save Me?

Princess Xiyao had exposed him with a single sentence, and Chen Qing's heart gave a faint jolt.

He had only recently grasped this method of merging qi and spirit to travel afar. He had never revealed it at the Princess's Estate, let alone extended his thoughts all the way here this time. He hadn't even shown his face, and he was still wrapped in the rich fragrance of Drunken Immortal Brew. How had the Princess recognized him at a glance?

Despite his confusion, his method of entrusting his thoughts to spiritual qi was still in its early stages, crude and limited. It had none of the far-reaching abilities the rumors described.

As he puzzled over it, he saw the Princess part her vermilion lips, her breath fragrant as orchids.

The green parasol trees in the courtyard stirred without a breeze. Strands of clear qi descended, wrapping his wisp of spiritual thought into a hazy spirit form.

As his spiritual awareness took possession of it, Chen Qing felt a rush of novelty. "How did Your Highness recognize me?" The wonders of transmitting his voice through the spirit form astonished him even more. "To shape a body out of thin air—how truly profound!"

"It was merely borrowing the power of the earth veins." Princess Xiyao's gaze shifted slightly. "You carry my Green Jade Whistle, and besides, Minister Chen has the nature of an abyss, as if he can swallow all things. You also have a distinctive scent. I remembered you the first time we met. Though it diminished somewhat after your Spiritual Bone was excavated, how many people in the world possess Root Bone like yours?"

The words "the nature of an abyss" brought Venerable Taiyan's assessment rushing back to Chen Qing's mind. He also remembered the sinister look in Li Xiao's eyes when he had warned him not to investigate the Spiritual Bone.

Could there really be some secret hidden in the Spiritual Bone that was excavated?

At the thought, he immediately asked, "Your Highness, do you know of any precedent for someone with Root Bone like an abyss?"

Princess Xiyao replied, "When I was young, I heard Father mention the Heaven Swallowing Dao Body of ancient times. Its Root Bone was like an abyss, absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth as if it were an ocean. Unfortunately..." She sighed softly. "Such an overbearing constitution could never escape the backlash. The historical records contain no account of anyone cultivating it to completion."

Chen Qing's gaze darkened at this, but he didn't press further. Instead, he explained why he had come. "The Sixth Prince used the selection of treasures as an excuse to put me under house arrest. Before I entered the vault, he said Your Highness had been summoned to the palace to study the Qingqiu Secret Canon by imperial decree. But now..." His gaze swept over the nine jade pillars suppressing the demonic aura. "Your Highness is actually confined in your own separate residence. What is the meaning of this?"

Princess Xiyao lifted her eyes. A hint of demonic light rippled at the bottom of her gaze, but her voice remained cool and clear. "The Qingqiu Secret Canon is the supreme cultivation art of the Qingqiu lineage, created specifically for pure-blooded celestial foxes. With each level cultivated, the bloodline burns more fiercely."

She lightly brushed her fingertips over a jade pillar. The demonic aura was forcibly pressed back into her body. "But I possess human blood as well. Forcing myself to cultivate this canon is no different from playing with fire until I burn. The deeper I cultivate, the stronger the demonic aura grows, until my demonic form is fully revealed! And that is exactly what they want."

Chen Qing frowned. "If you know it's harmful, why cultivate it?"

"The Empress spoke with imperial authority. This is a 'gracious decree.'" The Princess gave a slight shake of her head. "The decree contains the regency authority Father left behind before entering seclusion. I am both his subject and his daughter. How could I defy it?"

Chen Qing's eyes narrowed. "They're being so brazen about it?"

"Father is in seclusion, the Empress holds power, my maternal clan has dwindled, and my foundation in court is still shallow." She spoke blandly. "This is the perfect time to depose me."

"Then why imprison you here?"

"Beneath Qingwu Villa lies a spiritual vein forcibly relocated from the ancestral lands of Qingqiu." She lightly tapped the ground, and demonic aura surged. "In the past, it helped me suppress my demonic nature. But now that the secret canon has stirred changes in my bloodline, the spiritual vein's power has become a death warrant! With every passing quarter hour, my bloodline grows stronger, bringing me one step closer to losing control!"

Chen Qing's heart tightened, and he asked, "Is there any way to escape?"

"You needn't put yourself in danger for my sake." The Princess's tone was calm but left no room for argument. "Qingwu Villa has been sealed by a Soul-Locking Formation, isolating it from the outside. The Snow Soul Sable guards it as well. Ordinary methods won't break through. You're safer in the Treasure Pavilion. Once things have settled, after you escape, don't come looking for me. Go to Jiaowei Qin Lu in Listening Rain Alley in the western part of the city. Find a blind qin player named Lu Feng. He'll take you away from Yujing."

She gazed at Chen Qing, her voice sinking lower. "Chen Xu, with your talent, you shouldn't be wasted here. As for me... fate has already been decided. There's no need to worry about me."

Chen Qing fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Your Highness, I have a pill formula. If we can gather all the ingredients, I can help you suppress the changes in your bloodline until the Immortal Emperor emerges from seclusion..."

Just as he was about to continue—

BOOM!

The ancient green parasol tree in the corner of the courtyard suddenly shuddered, its branches and leaves thrashing wildly!

"What audacity!"

A cold shout exploded through the air. The black-robed Daoist guarding outside strode in, a black claw darting from his sleeve like a ghostly shadow and reaching straight for the spirit form Chen Qing had created with his thoughts!

"This poor Daoist can't afford to provoke that mighty projection, but you're just a wandering soul. How dare you make trouble here?"

RIP—

The black claw tore through the air, and the hastily constructed spirit form shattered instantly!

At the critical moment—

"Whoosh—"

Princess Xiyao parted her cherry-red lips. A wisp of pale green qi brushed past like a breeze, wrapping precisely around Chen Qing's spiritual awareness before gently sending it away!

HUM!

Chen Qing felt the world spin. The ghostly claw's edge barely skimmed the tail end of his spiritual awareness. The violent gust tore at his spiritual threads, while a trace of corrosive black qi clung to him like a bone-deep parasite!

The next instant—

WHOOSH!

His spiritual awareness shot backward like a meteor, returning to his body in the blink of an eye!

"Ugh!"

Inside the vault, Chen Qing's face turned deathly pale. He gave a muffled groan.

Though the claw hadn't struck him directly, its lingering force had swept over him. His spiritual awareness felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and the pain pierced straight through his mind!

"What overbearing claw art! It can actually damage the very essence of spiritual awareness! If the Princess hadn't intervened, that claw could have injured my soul and made my cultivation regress!"

His gaze turned cold. He raised a fingertip, and a wisp of black qi coiled around it like a venomous snake.

It was the corrosive aura left behind by the Daoist's claw art!

Inside Qingwu Villa, the black-robed Daoist's claw struck nothing, and his expression changed abruptly. He closed his eyes and focused, activating his exclusive tracking art, only to find that the wisp of spiritual aura had vanished like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

"How can it be completely concealed?" The Daoist's eyes snapped open, and his cold gaze shot toward Princess Xiyao. "Your Highness, what was the meaning of that? That wandering soul just now..."

"I was cultivating the Qingqiu Secret Canon. My aura occasionally leaks out." Princess Xiyao's expression was indifferent. "But you, Yin Kui Shangren, trespassed into a forbidden place without permission. What punishment do you think you deserve?" As she spoke, the demonic aura around her suddenly boiled over. The fox mark between her brows blazed with blood-red light, and the nine jade pillars trembled violently, groaning as if they could bear no more!

The Daoist's pupils contracted. He instinctively took half a step back.

Though the woman before him was trapped inside the formation, if she truly disregarded everything and triggered a backlash from her bloodline, everyone involved would suffer!

"Hmph!" He forcefully suppressed his fear and barked, "I hope Your Highness knows what's good for you! With this poor Daoist here, your lackeys won't be stirring up trouble!"

After the black-robed figure vanished beyond the formation, Princess Xiyao swayed slightly. A streak of crimson slid from the corner of her lips.

The price of forcefully rousing her bloodline was an increasingly violent demonic aura within her. Yet she had no time to regulate her breathing. She could only gaze toward the Treasure Pavilion, her eyes heavy with worry.

Inside the Treasure Pavilion, Chen Qing sat cross-legged.

The Samadhi True Fire Talisman slowly circulated within his Sea of Consciousness, repairing his damaged spiritual awareness.

He suddenly opened his eyes, then sighed.

"The Princess meant for me to take shelter here, but she doesn't know I've already become a thorn in someone else's side."

He appreciated Xi Yao's kindness, but if he waited for the great tree to topple, he'd be a fish on the chopping board—

The Sixth Prince appeared courteous and virtuous, but in truth he harbored sinister designs. The forces behind Li Xiao were even more watchful, waiting for the Princess to lose power so they could pounce and tear her apart.

"Waiting for death with my hands tied is no strategy! If a man like the Sixth Prince, who doesn't keep his word, gains power, I may not even be able to stay in this immortal dynasty! It's only a dream incarnation, so why am I hesitating and worrying about every little thing? The worst that can happen is losing one incarnation. I can always create another with the same name and start over!"

He sprang to his feet, his eyes gleaming with sharp resolve!

"No matter what, I have to get out first!"

He flicked a finger. The wine goblet trembled, and its amber liquor formed a river in midair!

BOOM—

The river of wine surged, its intoxicating aura soaring as it crashed against the pavilion door.

Golden light erupted, and ancient runes flowed without end. No matter how the waves of wine battered it, the door remained unmoved.

"What a tough ward!" Chen Qing narrowed his eyes.

In the shadows, Elder Jiang shook his head to himself. "Town Mountain Bronze forms the foundation, and Zhou Tian Xing Dou forms the ward. Forget a mere second-realm cultivator; even a True Person would struggle to break this door."

But Chen Qing showed no sign of defeat. He remembered what his two junior disciples had said while discussing their founder's escape.

"If brute force won't work, I'll outwit it!"

He sat cross-legged, his spiritual awareness as fine as silk. Instead of continuing to attack the ward, he quietly seeped through the crack in the door and between the gaps in the flowing runes.

The scene beyond the door gradually came into focus—

Two golden-armored warriors stood guard on either side like iron towers. Their giant axes held a cold gleam, and their auras merged seamlessly with the ward on the door.

"Adviser Chen, stop wasting your effort!" The warrior on the left suddenly turned his head, his voice rumbling like thunder. "Even a True Person couldn't force open this Town Mountain Bronze door! Stop overestimating yourself! Stay put, and you'll get out when the time comes! Don't waste your effort on useless schemes!"

Chen Qing ignored the words from outside and considered his options.

"If it can't be opened from inside, and the outside is guarded like an iron barrel, then the only way is... to find someone who doesn't fear the warriors' blades to open it from the outside!"

His gaze swept across the Bronze Wine Goblet and the Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform. An idea suddenly flashed through his mind!

"The person who can open the door and help me doesn't necessarily have to come to rescue me. I just need them to open it! According to what Senior Jiang said, with my cultivation, activating the Drunken Immortal Brew in the Bronze Wine Goblet could even briefly interfere with a Fifth Realm cultivator. The highest-ranked commander of the Sky Patrol Guard is close to the Fifth Realm, the pinnacle of the Fourth Realm..."

As he thought, he flicked a finger, and another wisp of corrosive aura curled around it.

The idea that had occurred to him earlier grew clearer, but he didn't act in haste. Instead, he gradually calmed down, checked for oversights, and calculated the possible outcomes.

"Yujing may be full of people with divine powers, but since they're even watching and waiting over the Princess's situation because of the Immortal Emperor's attempt at comprehension, there must be room to act. A few small matters shouldn't draw out any major players. Even if things go as badly as possible, I'll only lose this body. Compared with the outcome of the Sixth Prince taking power, that may not be so bad!"

Once he had made up his mind, Chen Qing no longer hesitated!

His spiritual awareness left his body once more, but this time he didn't proceed with painstaking caution. Instead, it shot out like an arrow released from a bow. After escaping the Treasure Pavilion, it sped straight toward the small vermilion building that inspired such awe—

The headquarters of the Heavenly Inspection Department!

HUM!

The instant Chen Qing's spiritual awareness neared the building, the octagonal bronze mirror hanging high beneath the eaves burst into brilliant light!

The mirror's surface boiled like quicksilver. A dazzling crimson gleam erupted like dense ink dropped into clear water!

A cold, murderous intent, imbued with the authority to inspect, spread like an invisible net. In an instant, it crossed space and locked firmly onto the source of the spiritual awareness—

The Treasure Pavilion!

Chen Qing's body inside the Treasure Pavilion shuddered, but he smiled.

The second update will follow right after this. Please be patient, everyone, and if you happen to pass by, please add this to your collection and stop by each day to support the latest chapter...