A Dogged Approach Was the Way to Go!

Whether it was right or not, he'd hit her first and worry about it later.

"Smack!"

"Smack!"

"Smack!"

He meant what he said!

The next moment, amid the disarray of red robes, Di Xin unleashed his ultimate move.

He wasn't one to dither. When he said he'd "hit" her, he meant he'd put his full strength into it. Otherwise, he'd have to use a different verb...

Even Su Daji, caught completely off guard, couldn't help crying out repeatedly.

He withdrew his hand and let Daji go, a faint, inscrutable smile on his face.

Hey, this woman... had something to her!

In an instant, Di Xin couldn't help letting his imagination run wild.

[Host's choice was completely correct. The task has been completed. Reward: cultivation directly advanced to Refining Essence into Qi, transcending mortality and becoming a Qi Cultivator]

[Reward progress initiated, 1%...]

A line of text suddenly appeared in his mind. Di Xin felt a warmth in his lower abdomen, followed by a strange sensation that spread through all his limbs in an instant. It felt so good that he couldn't help letting out a soft moan.

"This feeling is so embarrassing!"

Noticing the sudden sensation, Di Xin immediately fled in disarray.

"Hahaha, your skin feels nice, Beauty. Hurry back to Shouxian Palace. This king will take his time enjoying you..."

Di Xin's wanton laughter rang out among the towering halls, but he had already vanished into the dimly lit night.

All that remained were the palace maids, staring at one another in bewilderment.

They all knew the Great King liked women, but those affairs took place behind palace doors. At least on the surface, he was still the Great King, and he maintained some measure of imperial dignity.

He had never acted so wantonly in public, shamelessly taking liberties with a woman like this.

He really was becoming more and more outrageous!

"Prepare the procession for Shouxian Palace."

While the palace maids silently grumbled to themselves, Su Daji covered her rear with one hand and cried out.

Those few slaps from King Zhou had stung like needles, leaving her in such pain that she could barely walk without limping.

With a thousand years of cultivation behind her, she should have been able to use her Magic Power to take those slaps without so much as a fingerprint left behind.

But that would risk exposing her true identity, and it wouldn't be worth it.

Left with no other choice, she had to endure the blows.

Her mind was full of questions. She had no idea what had gotten into King Zhou. He had clearly fallen under the spell of her bewitching art, so why had he suddenly left?

And what had those slaps meant?

Could the Great King have some unusual predilection?

As Daji returned to Shouxian Palace, pondering the matter all the way, Di Xin was hiding in the shadows of a distant hall.

"17%... 18%... 19%..."

At that moment, all his attention was fixed on the system display in his mind.

As the reward progress rapidly advanced, he excitedly realized that his body was undergoing a strange transformation, as if he were being reborn.

His six senses were quickly sharpening. His sense of smell, vision, and hearing had improved to an almost absurd degree.

His physical strength was rapidly increasing, as though his whole body were about to burst.

Even his every movement had an ethereal grace to it, as if he could leap lightly and soar up to the main hall.

Was this what it felt like to transcend mortality?

And the progress still wasn't complete.

What would happen when it reached the end?

Di Xin's anticipation grew.

He really had made the right choice. It seemed his thinking had been spot on.

Charging in headfirst wouldn't work. A dogged approach was the way to go!

Before long, amid a sensation like being reborn from the ashes, the reward progress reached 100%.

Di Xin had already been tall and powerfully built, but now he felt stronger than ever, as if he were already the greatest man under heaven.

He even wanted to test his strength right away.

But this wasn't the time.

Standing in the shadows, Di Xin couldn't help laughing wryly as he wondered where to go next.

Shouxian Palace was his bedchamber, and Su Daji lived there. There was no way he could go back, which meant he was bound to stand her up.

Empress Jiang in the Central Palace?

West Palace Lady Huang?

Xinqing Palace Consort Yang?

Di Xin compared the looks of the women in his harem. Empress Jiang best matched his tastes, so he resolutely chose the Imperial Study.

At a time like this, he couldn't go to any of them.

Whichever woman he favored would draw Su Daji's resentment. The women in his harem were all mortals, and they couldn't possibly defend themselves against that Fox Spirit.

Di Xin spent the whole night alone in the Imperial Study.

He pored over the many ancient books and texts stored there, examining the records concerning mysticism. At last, he gained a deeper understanding of Qi Cultivators.

The stage he had now reached, Refining Essence into Qi, was also known as the Human Flower.

The next stage, Refining Qi into Spirit, was also known as the Earth Flower, while Refining Spirit into Void was the Heaven Flower.

Heaven, Earth, and Human made up the Three Flowers.

Once one had cultivated the Three Flowers to completion, reaching Refining Void into Dao would allow them to gather the Three Flowers at the Peak and wield all manner of Magic Power, becoming something akin to an immortal.

Moreover, although Refining Essence into Qi was the most basic stage, one could already fly through the air in its later phase.

With enough talent, one could even wield some rudimentary Five Elements Dao Arts.

After all, anyone who reached this stage had already transcended the limits of mortals.

Learning all this left Di Xin tremendously excited, as if a broad, gleaming road had unfurled before him.

Even when the sun rose, he still wasn't the least bit sleepy.

In Shouxian Palace.

Daji had also been awake all night.

At her level of cultivation, sleep was simply another form of amusement, not something she needed for rest.

Warm sunlight streamed into the bedchamber. Su Daji, lying facedown on the broad, soft couch, furrowed her brows.

On the wedding night, King Zhou hadn't set foot in the bridal chamber once. She was completely bewildered.

Where exactly had things gone wrong?

There was no way she had been exposed. King Zhou was nothing but a mortal, and he could never see through her true form.

Was she not beautiful enough?

Not seductive enough?

That couldn't be it either. Otherwise, King Zhou wouldn't have looked so lovestruck.

But why had he smacked her on the rear?

Just as she was utterly stumped, a pretty-faced young palace maid hurried in.

"Beauty Su, I've found out everything. The Great King spent the whole night in the Imperial Study. The lamps stayed lit all night, and according to the eunuchs, he never slept. He kept reading by lamplight. He's gone to Xianqing Palace now to attend a banquet."

"Are you sure?"

Su Daji hurried to rise, but the movement tugged at her sore spot, making her grimace. A layer of finger-shaped welts had already swollen there.

"Absolutely! That eunuch knows this humble servant well. He wouldn't lie to me," the maid replied confidently.

"What's your name? As long as you serve me faithfully, I won't treat you unfairly."

Learning that King Zhou hadn't spent the night with any of the women in his harem, Su Daji finally let out the breath she'd been holding. If he really had, she would probably have had to resort to certain measures. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to answer to Goddess Nuwa.

"Replying to Beauty Su, this servant is Gun Juan. I'll certainly serve you with all my heart!" The maid's face brightened, and she hurried to pledge her loyalty.

"Very well, Gun Juan. Go find out more about what's happening at Xianqing Hall."

Su Daji let out a long breath, waved her hand, and lay facedown on the couch again.