The Imperial Capital's Schemes

Back in my room, I looked at my hands, still feeling the lingering touch of Elder Hong's.

I sighed heavily.

It seemed I was truly caught up in the Si Nan Family's mess now...

And I still had my own unresolved questions, specifically about the peculiar "Blood Crystal" I created when facing the Beast Tide before.

Gently, I opened my palm, letting a small drop of blood hover above it. I tried to gather my power into the blood droplet... As my concentration intensified, I felt my spirit sink into a deep sea of consciousness, descending further into the darkness until it focused on the Blood Core within my body.

The Blood Core, which had been floating quietly, suddenly began to vibrate with a hum. The tearing pain reappeared, but I had grown somewhat accustomed to it by now. A strange energy flowed from the Blood Core, surging towards every part of my body. I quickly used my consciousness to control this runaway energy, guiding it towards the blood droplet in my palm...

"Crack."

Hearing the unusual sound from the blood droplet, I slowly opened my eyes. The liquid droplet had solidified into a crystal. The crimson crystal was incredibly beautiful, its color shifting from deep to light under illumination, possessing the elegance of crystal, the luxury of diamond, and the spirituality of jade. I was certain there was no more beautiful crystal on Earth.

And... Go!

With a thought, the Blood Crystal shot towards the wall. The hard material of the wall was easily sliced open, as if cutting through mud. This Blood Crystal, in terms of both hardness and sharpness, was far superior to a Blood Blade formed directly.

Although it was sudden, I had basically confirmed that this was the "advancement" of my Supernatural Ability.

When I researched Supernatural Abilities at the Winter Arrival City library, I learned that a person's ability wasn't necessarily fixed. Abilities could grow stronger with repeated use, and at a certain point, they might evolve due to external stimuli – this was known as Supernatural Ability advancement.

The initial ability a person awakens is called a "Basic Supernatural Ability." After an ability advances, it generates new capabilities, which are usually extensions of the Basic Supernatural Ability and are called "Advanced Supernatural Abilities." If Basic Supernatural Abilities are the trunk, then Advanced Supernatural Abilities are the branches and leaves extending from it, leading to a greater or lesser increase in the ability user's strength. Some people's abilities never advance in their lifetime, while others advance more than a dozen times. Some advancements offer little improvement, while others are incredibly powerful. It all comes down to luck.

My Supernatural Ability's advancement was undoubtedly one that offered a significant boost. I wondered how many times my ability could advance? I recalled the terrifying power of the ability's original owner in my dream, who could instantly drain countless corpses. Would I also become that strong in the future?

Speaking of the original owner of this ability... it must have been that Blood Mist. And based on what I saw in my dream, it (or should I say "she"?) was once humanoid and female. I often speculated about its identity based on my dreams about the Blood Mist. Now, I could confirm: this Blood Mist was formerly known as "Blood Fiend," was female, and was a subordinate of a powerful man. She was sent to collect materials for the World Crossing Gate, but something happened, her physical body collapsed, and she crossed over to Earth.

That powerful man was collecting materials for the World Crossing Gate, just like me. Therefore, in the near future, I would likely clash with him inevitably. Moreover, that man probably controlled some organization and was by no means a benevolent figure...

It seems I must seize this opportunity to improve my strength. If my power was inherited from that Blood Fiend, then as long as I put in the effort, becoming as strong as her should be possible.

With that thought, I stopped bothering Si Nan Ying. I found an empty room and began training my Advanced Supernatural Ability. Although I could now condense Blood Crystals with my own will, the speed and efficiency were so poor they were unbearable. I was still a long way from using it freely in actual combat.

After arriving at the Imperial Capital, I would surely encounter many powerful opponents... Whether for self-preservation or to protect others, I needed greater strength.

I spent the rest of the journey training.

Several days later--

"Blood Blade!"

A blood-red arc shot out, flying straight towards the wall.

"Condense!"

With a clang, the blade part of the blood condensed into Blood Crystal, its sharpness greatly increasing, instantly shattering the wall.

"Crystal Shield!"

Blood Crystals gathered in front of me, quickly forming a massive shield engraved with complex patterns. The shield's surface shimmered with crystalline light, appearing indestructible.

"Good..."

Looking at the results of my training over the past few days, I felt very satisfied. If I encountered that Desolate Beast again, I was confident I could crush it without weapon augmentation!

Clang!

The door to the storeroom was pushed open forcefully, and Si Nan Ying rushed in, her face full of excitement.

"Stop hiding away, come out and see!" Before I could ask what was happening, she grabbed me and dragged me outside.

"What's going on?" I was completely bewildered by her actions.

"We've arrived! The Imperial Capital!"

Passing through corridors and climbing stairs, we finally reached the deck. The bright sunlight momentarily blinded me. I rubbed my eyes, and when I opened them again--

"Amazing..."

The first thing that caught my eye was the endless vermilion city walls, incredibly tall, encircling the entire Imperial Capital. Inside the capital, the buildings grew taller the closer they were to the center. At the very heart stood a snow-white tower, radiating a magnificent aura even from outside the city. Faintly visible were several black "ribbons" extending from the tower, spiraling down its sides and spreading into the lower street markets.

Outside the city walls was an extremely wide moat. A long bridge and canal were located on the west side of the Imperial Capital, adjacent to the city walls, forming part of the moat. Two artificially excavated branches extended from the canal; one meandered through the Imperial Capital, while the other bypassed the city walls, encircling the entire city, thus completing the moat.

The Imperial Capital had four city gates on its north, south, east, and west sides. Four massive elevated bridges spanned the river, connecting the Imperial Capital to the outside world. The western gate, adjacent to the long bridge and canal, was the main entrance to the entire Imperial Capital. The elevated bridge it connected to was over a hundred meters wide, immensely grand.

"Everyone entering or leaving the Imperial Capital must pass through the elevated bridges, even the Si Nan Family," Si Nan Ying explained enthusiastically. "So, after we dock, we'll transfer to a waiting convoy to enter the city."

"Truly heavily guarded..."

"After we get to the Imperial Capital, we'll go back to the Si Nan main family, rest properly, and then I'll take you on a tour, how about it?"

"Sure~"

Can't find the book by title, try searching for the author, maybe the name has changed!

Si Nan Family, North Courtyard.

"I heard little sister is back?"

A tall, slender man sat by a desk. He had shoulder-length, deep purple hair and equally deep purple eyes. His posture seemed casual, yet he exuded an aura of unassailable presence.

"That's right. And there's news that she can finally control her Supernatural Ability with ease."

"Oh?" The tall man—Si Nan Xing—raised an eyebrow. "Meaning, we can no longer treat her as that little lamb to be toyed with? What a shame..."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Si Nan Family, East Garden.

"Feng, Lord Feng, I want~~~ Ah~~~~~~~"

Accompanied by a climax of cheers, the naked beauty's body went limp, falling onto the bed, immersed in the pleasant afterglow.

Si Nan Feng put on a robe, his muscular physique revealed through the open front. He glanced back at the bed; seven or eight stunning women lay limply, panting incessantly, while Si Nan Feng remained as hard as ever, far from satisfied.

"Hmph, so you're already done? You too, and you too, so useless..."

Si Nan Family, West Garden.

"Brother Ganming, is it really okay to handle this problem this way?"

"Of course it's fine, A'Cheng. Just listen to me. As long as I'm here, you don't need to worry about anything."

In the bright, spacious room, the two sat facing each other. Both had purple hair and purple eyes, but their auras were vastly different.

Si Nan Ganming was quite handsome, with a devilishly charming glint in his eyes. Si Nan Cheng, on the other hand, had a baby face and appeared extremely timid in every action, showing no sign of independent thought.

A'Cheng... you've always been like this since you were little, no backbone, always relying on me, Si Nan Ganming thought.

So, just be my puppet obediently!

Tartaglia Family, Dungeon.

Crack! With a terrifying sound, a thick, long leather whip lashed down onto the naked man's body, sending blood splattering.

"You've got guts, kid..." The woman holding the whip wiped away sweat. "Still won't talk? Where is that batch of goods!"

"Save your strength. I will never betray my boss!" The man frowned, refusing to yield an inch.

"Tch... If only the telepath wasn't absent, I would have already..."

"What's going on? Such a commotion." Suddenly, a clear, melodious female voice, like silver bells, rang out from the cell entrance.

"Haoyue, Miss Haoyue!? What brings you here?"

"Just felt like it." Saying this, the stunning young girl took elegant steps towards the man. The man looked up at the girl, and with just one glance, he was completely stunned.

"Staring blankly at a lady's face isn't very polite, you know. I overheard a bit of your interrogation just now. You're quite a principled person, sir."

The man finally snapped back to reality. He forced himself to ignore the girl's breathtaking beauty and gritted his teeth, "Are you trying to use a honey trap? How many times do I have to say it, I will never surrender!"

Looking at the stubborn man, the girl merely smiled, parted her rosy lips, and uttered a number: "400."

"F-four hundred?"

"1000," the girl said another number.

"What are you talking about!?"

"Just quoting a price." The girl's smile didn't change at all.

"On the black market, 400 Tong Coins is enough to buy a night with your beautiful wife. Add another 600 Tong Coins, and you can buy your lovely daughter's virginity along with it."

"You!?"

Five minutes later...

"I'm sorry... I'll talk, I'll tell you everything. Please, don't touch them..." The man was on the verge of collapse, his previous resolve completely gone.

"See? It wasn't that difficult. A pleasure doing business with you, my esteemed sir."

Haoyue Tartaglia chuckled, her lotus-like steps carrying her away from the dark dungeon.

Strolling through the sun-drenched courtyard, the pure white-clad girl hummed a tune. The scene was beautiful and ethereal, as if it would dissipate like morning mist if one wasn't careful.

"The weather is so nice today, isn't it."

Haoyue murmured to herself.

"I have a feeling I'll meet my destined person~"