The Food...

Outside the palace gates.

Xiao Bing was actually observing them.

She wanted to see what was really going on with Her Majesty, but after catching only a fragment of their bickering, she quickly left.

Tsk, this clearly isn't a nightmare. She simply wanted an excuse to trick the Emperor Consort into coming over!

Her Majesty is still too stubborn. In truth, there'd be nothing wrong with telling the Emperor Consort directly, right?

They're already married and even have a child. Wouldn't their future child feel happier if they got along better?

Her Majesty probably brought Chu Ning back to the palace so their child could grow up better and make up for Her Majesty's regrets from back then, right?

Isn't that it, then? Judging by Mister Chu's attitude, as long as Her Majesty opened her heart even a little, there shouldn't be any problem, right?

However, Xiao Bing still left quickly, afraid of disturbing the two of them.

Ye Qinglian fell into a deep sleep.

Ever since she became pregnant, she had been constantly drowsy.

She wanted to sleep every day.

Nowadays, she barely had any time to cultivate.

But it wasn't as though she was short of a year or two, and her cultivation had indeed been advancing extremely quickly recently. She didn't know why, either.

Could it be the Old Ancestor's blessing?

It probably was, right?

Or perhaps it was because her physique had awakened after dual cultivation?

Ye Qinglian couldn't figure it out, but with Chu Ning by her side now, she was indeed somewhat satisfied.

Her days were actually quite good now.

The next morning, with Chu Ning beside her, she slept especially soundly.

When she woke up, however, one of her arms was numb from being pinned beneath her. Her other hand was being held by someone.

She opened her eyes to find Chu Ning right in front of her. He was holding a book in his other hand and reading it.

The Heaven Sword Heart Scripture. Was he studying cultivation?

Ye Qinglian's cheeks flushed as she blinked and studied Chu Ning before her.

This fellow was practically a different person when he was serious compared to when he wasn't...

"You didn't go back to sleep yesterday?"

At her words, Chu Ning came to himself and closed the book.

"You grabbed my hand and wouldn't let me leave yesterday. I couldn't do anything about it."

After saying that, he chuckled.

"Actually, I think it might be better if I just moved in here. You could protect me around the clock, and then you could hold my hand while you rested. Of course, I wouldn't object if you wanted to hold something else..."

Ye Qinglian was bewildered. Hold something else? What else was there to hold?

A moment later, she saw the lecherous smile at the corner of Chu Ning's mouth. After staring blankly for a moment, she glared furiously at him.

"Chu Ning!"

"If you want to die, just say so!"

Chu Ning let out a sigh.

"If I remember correctly, you seemed to enjoy holding it that day. You even used some secret technique to help me recover my strength. You nearly drained me dry..."

Ye Qinglian's expression turned both ashamed and furious. How could she not know what Chu Ning was talking about?

"After the Heavenly Fragrance Physique erupted, how could I have been conscious? If you hadn't barged in, how could that have happened? Don't bring it up again!"

But after saying that, Ye Qinglian seemed to realize how she could suppress Chu Ning.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, the corners of her lips lifting as she looked at Chu Ning with disdain.

"You're merely a mortal. Even if I gave you the chance, I would only drain you dry. Since you know what happened that day, don't humiliate yourself."

"Oh, really?"

He looks down on me!

Chu Ning smiled and slowly rose to his feet.

"Have you never heard that after three days apart, one should look at a person with new eyes? The past is the past, and the present is the present!"

"Since you've put it that way, I definitely have to take up the challenge and give it a try. I heard that after three months, there shouldn't be any problem..."

Ye Qinglian froze. When she saw the man slowly drawing closer, her eyes widened.

He really is thinking about it!

"You... Don't come any closer. I'm pregnant now. If anything happens, it'll be too late for you to regret it!"

Yet Chu Ning continued approaching, already climbing onto the imperial bed.

Ye Qinglian's face flushed red with shame and anger, and she hurriedly said, "I was wrong! I shouldn't have said that. Don't..."

Chu Ning chuckled, but he didn't press his advantage.

"What are you thinking? You really think I'm going to do anything to you?"

Ye Qinglian bit her thin lip and glared at Chu Ning resentfully.

"Who knows what a shameless person like you might do? Your cultivation is so low, and I'm afraid of hurting you if I strike..."

"Don't tease Me like that again!"

Chu Ning smiled and held Ye Qinglian's hand.

"Don't worry. I'm not at the point where I can't control myself yet. Although, Qinglian, you really are tempting..."

As he spoke, he lowered his head to look.

Only then did Ye Qinglian realize what he meant, and she immediately called for help!

"Xiao Bing! Drag Chu Ning out. Don't hold back. If he gets hurt, I'll take responsibility!"

She couldn't bear to do it herself, but she had no problem with Xiao Bing doing it!

You good-for-nothing lecher, looking again!

What a shameless man!

Chu Ning was still driven out.

His wife was changing clothes, so she wouldn't let him watch...

But she had actually looked down on his strength?

Things were different now, all right!

Wasn't his wife's physique supposed to remain active for half a month?

Now, let alone half a month—even if it lasted longer, Chu Ning could still suppress it!

She had actually teased him about this?

She truly had no idea who was the bigger shot!

Chu Ning went to cook.

Today, he was going to prepare some calming medicinal cuisine.

That old eunuch's soul should have been destroyed too. How could it still make Ye Qinglian have nightmares? That made no sense...

Or could it be that, as the emperor of a dynasty and a cultivator, she had sensed something?

Chu Ning felt that Ye Qinglian wasn't the one who should have sensed it.

Rather, it was Ying Dang of the Great Zhou Dynasty who ought to have sensed it properly...

At the breakfast table, Xiao Bing and Chu Ning switched seats.

Ye Qinglian said nothing, and Xiao Bing naturally didn't say anything either.

Although she kept her head down and earnestly shoveled rice into her mouth, she still paid close attention to the pair's words and actions.

They seem even closer now. Yay...

She really had helped a lot!

This meal wasn't eaten for nothing, hmph!

"By the way, Your Majesty."

Xiao Bing suddenly remembered something.

"Yesterday, this servant reached the peak of the Fourth Realm. I feel like I'm about to break through..."

Ye Qinglian paused, her spiritual sense settling on Xiao Bing.

The Fourth Realm's Ascending Tower—the Longevity Tower had been completed.

In less than half a month, she had gone from the peak of the Third Realm to the peak of the Fourth Realm and was about to break through!

Her cultivation speed was countless times faster than Ye Qinglian's had been back then!

After all, Ye Qinglian had spent a full three years walking this path!

But her aptitude and cultivation resources had been far better than Xiao Bing's!

Just as Ye Qinglian was about to speak, she suddenly thought of something.

Right, her cultivation.

But the next moment, Ye Qinglian suddenly froze, her expression filled with shock.

"I... reached the Mid Void Breaking stage!"

For ordinary cultivators, every increase in realm after entering Void Breaking required decades or even centuries of accumulation!

How long had it been for her?

Less than half a month!

The key was that during this period, she cultivated for at most an hour each day. She slept whenever she was tired, ate when she woke up, and peacefully nurtured her pregnancy. Where had she found the energy to cultivate?

Something was wrong!

It was extremely, unbelievably wrong!

"Xiao Bing, you investigated this before. Are there any cultivators in the Ye Family Holy Land who cultivated as quickly as we do?"

"No, Your Majesty. It seems the two of us are the only ones whose cultivation has improved this quickly..."

Both women wore baffled expressions.

At this rate, Xiao Bing seemed capable of breaking through to the Sixth Realm by the end of the year. As for Ye Qinglian breaking through to the Eighth Realm, Limitless, and becoming the strongest person among the Five Great Dynasties, that didn't seem impossible either.

What exactly was the reason?

Without changing expression, Chu Ning picked up a piece of Spicy Rabbit Head made from Soft Bone Rabbit and placed it in Ye Qinglian's bowl.

"Qinglian, eat more. You need to eat your fill so you can nourish the baby..."

Just then, the communication token at Xiao Bing's waist suddenly received a message. She immediately stood up.

"Your Majesty, it seems the cabinet has something they need me to handle. I'll go over first..."

"Mm."

Ye Qinglian nodded, her face full of confusion.

Why had their cultivation been advancing so quickly recently?

Was it merely because she was raising a child?

But Xiao Bing wasn't raising one.

Suddenly, Ye Qinglian gazed at the food spread across the table and recalled that Xiao Bing had gone to the Ye Family Holy Land for a day some time ago.

At the time, Xiao Bing had said that cultivation was not as fast there as in the imperial palace...

So, could it be this food...?