Main Plot Five: The Princess Breaks Off Her Engagement [Please Subscribe, Please Vote!]

After Princess Ping'an left, Jiang Chen considered it again and again before asking the Empress Dowager:

"Was this Princess Ping'an... raised under your watch since childhood?"

The Empress Dowager understood what Jiang Chen meant. He suspected the princess might have another identity or be concealing her strength.

"A princess is a princess. She has more royal blood than I, the Empress Dowager. There is no possibility that she was switched at birth or possessed... nor is she anyone's incarnation."

At the mention of possession, she deliberately cast a lingering glance at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen smiled and avoided her gaze, not exposing the way her personality shifted between the Empress Dowager and the Thousand-Faced Fox.

"You have no imperial bearing at all. And you want to become Empress?"

The Empress Dowager sighed softly and began to explain.

"Actually, Chan'er's mother was once a female prodigy from the Beast Taming Sect. That was why Chan'er became engaged to Yun Lanzi, one of the Beast Taming Sect's new generation of prodigies.

"She had always been strongly opposed to this engagement, but for some reason, she strangely agreed to it recently.

"Perhaps she does not truly wish to become Empress. She merely wants to obtain the legendary Dragon Bone."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen wondered whether the princess was some traitor secretly colluding with the Beast Taming Sect.

"Have you searched her soul?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head and strolled beside the winding pond.

"Soul arts are not all-powerful.

"Three years ago, even my strongest soul art failed in the neighboring Monk Kingdom.

"Ever since everyone in the palace learned of my illusion arts, they have all guarded against me and cultivated powerful soul arts for defense.

"I can search souls, but given the limits of my cultivation, I cannot do so without her noticing."

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, then asked curiously:

"Who exactly said that Fireburn Kingdom has a Dragon Bone?"

The Empress Dowager said:

"The earliest rumors claimed that the desert stretching for thousands of miles around Xiyang City had been created by Dragon Flame...

"Of course, that is nonsense. Dragon Flame would not burn everything into sand. The desert exists simply because of a lack of water.

"There is another legend. Many years ago, the merfolk supposedly drained all the groundwater nearby.

"Perhaps that is why His Majesty so recklessly exploited hundreds of merfolk women."

Jiang Chen chose to believe the second legend as well.

Merfolk Pearls were rich in spiritual power. They could not have appeared out of thin air; there had to be a price.

"What exactly is the Dragon Bone used for?"

The Empress Dowager suddenly stopped walking and turned to stare at Jiang Chen, ripples of light glimmering in her deep-pool eyes.

She had not expected Jiang Chen to be ignorant of even such common knowledge...

"People seek the Dragon Bone in order to extract Dragon Marrow and Dragon Blood.

"Dragon Blood is said to be the bloodline closest to immortal spirits. It stabilizes the dantian and improves one's talent, physique, and the purity of spiritual power.

"Furthermore, some high-grade artifacts require Dragon Blood to temper their spiritual inscriptions."

Most of that is something I can do too, Jiang Chen thought.

Then he asked curiously:

"Can Dragon Blood be used to devour demon qi or devil qi for cultivation?"

The Empress Dowager felt as though she was becoming a teacher in a village school.

"Of course not. However, those with Dragon Clan bloodlines can perfectly absorb ordinary spiritual qi and the resources of heaven, earth, and spiritual treasures."

Jiang Chen understood. Dragon Blood was the purest demon blood; its efficiency and breadth in absorbing spiritual power far surpassed that of humans and devils.

"Other than the Demi-Immortal's Book, are there other ways in the cultivation world to devour demon and devil qi for cultivation?"

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly.

"There are many. But if one wishes to convert it into spiritual power that human cultivators can absorb, the efficiency is extremely low, with tremendous losses.

"There has never been a cultivator who used demon and devil qi as quickly as you do, not even Reverend Guiqi himself."

Jiang Chen smiled confidently and said:

"If not for that, how could I have caught the Empress Dowager's eye? Let alone entered your bedchamber and your bed."

The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at him, then asked:

"Have you decided on your method for Foundation Establishment?"

"Just like you, all I need to do is wait."

Jiang Chen spoke calmly.

He then left the palace and went to a sword shop on Vermilion Bird Street in Xiyang City, one that specialized in forging bonded swords and custom spiritual swords.

He planned to melt down and reforge Old General Chen's heavy sword into a yellow-rank spiritual sword suitable for someone with balanced Five-Element Endowment to channel spirits through.

He sought no explosive power, only balance in every aspect. It would be especially suited for balanced Five Elements spirit infusion and could even accommodate demon and devil qi.

The shopkeeper had never heard such a request before.

"This is an Imperial Guards heavy sword. You are..."

Jiang Chen said:

"This is a sword ordered by Warden Li."

The shopkeeper froze, his expression changing drastically as he hurriedly said:

"Yes, yes, yes! I will forge it immediately!"

Jiang Chen then took out the miscellaneous artifacts and resources he had no use for from his inventory, intending to sell them all together.

"Help me sell all this junk too. Raise gambling funds for Warden Li."

"Yes, yes. I will definitely get you the highest price."

"Also, this soul-shifter is broken. Can it be restored?"

The shopkeeper picked up the Spine-Bound Soul-Shifter and sent his divine sense inside.

"The spiritual inscriptions inside this soul artifact have been shattered. Repairing it would cost more than buying a new one. Unless its original owner was important to you and you wish to trace back their memories, there is no need to restore it."

"Fine. Sell it too."

"But this thing is worthless..."

"Appraise it as you see fit. Warden Li urgently needs money."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Oh, and please leave a drop of your fingertip blood on the stone blade so that it can be fitted to your newly forged bonded sword."

Jiang Chen glanced at the stone blade. He felt that leaving his fingertip blood behind could easily be exploited by malicious people, so it was not very safe.

"It is not for me. Warden Li needs a versatile spiritual sword with broad compatibility, not a bonded sword."

"Understood, understood."

When Jiang Chen returned the next day, the junk from his inventory had sold for more than a thousand spirit stones in total.

However, forging a yellow-rank spiritual sword that met his requirements cost eight hundred spirit stones.

The five-foot sword came with a free scabbard, embroidered with an auspicious cloud.

Jiang Chen accepted the sword, drew it from its scabbard, and gave it a rough inspection.

The sword itself was rather heavy. Its blade was black and not particularly sharp, while its center was engraved with densely packed fine lines, far more than an ordinary sword...

There was no helping it. Those were the characteristics of a Five-Element Sword.

After clearing out his inventory, Jiang Chen felt much lighter all over. It was like emptying the recycle bin—pure refreshment.

He checked the system panel.

[Money]: Low-grade spirit stones ×562;

[Items]

Custom Five-Element Sword ×1 (Yellow Rank);

Rapid Spirit-Healing Pellet ×10 (Low Spirit);

Merfolk Pearl ×6 (Low Demon);

A handy spiritual sword, as many spirit stones as possible, and a small number of Spirit-Healing Pills were enough.

As for the Merfolk Pearls...

Peaceful Palace, underground cultivation chamber, night.

Jiang Chen and the Empress Dowager soaked together in the pool. Afterward, he gave her the six Merfolk Pearls.

"I heard Merfolk Pearls are superb for beauty treatments."

The Empress Dowager took the pearls and immediately recognized that they had come from two merfolk women. Pretending to sound resentful, she said:

"Do you think I am old?"

Jiang Chen reached out and measured the Empress Dowager's snowy peaks, smiling.

"I am just testing the effects of the Merfolk Pearls. I am using the Empress Dowager as a lab rat."

**Smack!**

With a crisp slap, the Empress Dowager knocked his hand away.

"Hmph. Unsolicited kindness hides either lust or larceny. Speak. What do you want?"

Only then did Jiang Chen say:

"The beast tamer deliberately released the twin merfolk women, intending to use merchants and the Imperial Guards to send them to the Emperor...

"However, I destroyed the beast tamer's tear-inducing and control restrictions. From now on, we can have an endless supply of Merfolk Pearls."

"You certainly love widely."

The Empress Dowager put away the Merfolk Pearls and reminded him:

"Since those two merfolk women are key figures, they may be connected to the Dragon Bone... Do you not want the Dragon Bone?"

Jiang Chen said indifferently:

"My entire body is made of it. Who cares about that thing?"

The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at him.

"In that case, I must guard this precious opportunity of mine well."

Jiang Chen smiled.

"That is right. Other women will soon come to snatch it away."

The Empress Dowager frowned, recalling something.

"Since the princess came to test you, she must have discovered that the merfolk women's disappearance is connected to you. Next, she may take further action to test you. Unless you have something important to do, you should not leave Peaceful Palace."

"Alright."

Jiang Chen nodded and made a new decision regarding his cultivation.

"I plan to continue cultivating the Demi-Immortal's Book here."

At present, he had only scratched the surface of the Demi-Immortal's Book. He still needed to make time to improve his mastery.

Otherwise, given the current size and spiritual pressure of his Qi Sea Abyss, he might not be able to achieve Foundation Establishment.

At the mention of the Demi-Immortal's Book, the Empress Dowager instinctively grew angry.

"Do you want to devour me?"

To dispel the Empress Dowager's doubts, Jiang Chen comforted her.

"Don't make trouble. That is a kiss, not devouring."

The Empress Dowager smiled softly, shaking her head with a coquettish, resentful air. Then she took out some pills.

"These are all the Demon Cores and Demon Pellets I have. They can only provide low-grade demon and devil qi for supporting illusion arts. They can assist your cultivation of the Demi-Immortal's Book, but they cannot allow you to achieve Foundation Establishment."

"It is enough."

After finding himself a rich woman, cultivation truly became twice as effective with half the effort!

Thus, Jiang Chen moved into the underground cultivation chamber and began cultivating the Demi-Immortal's Book by merging human, demon, and devil qi.

Protected by an illusion formation and with his resonance-based breath concealment, he could cultivate without restraint here.

He carried out all manner of deep experiments, fusions, and expansions based on the cultivation method of the Demi-Immortal's Book.

At the same time, he had the tear-inducing Merfolk Pearls from the two merfolk women, the dual-cultivation demon qi of the Empress Dowager, and various herbs from Spirit-Calming Garden to assist him...

Three days later.

In the mist-shrouded pool, Jiang Chen slowly opened his eyes.

[Your Demi-Immortal's Book has advanced to: Modest Accomplishment!]

Looking inward at his qi sea, he had only one impression: the Abyss vortex within his qi sea had become larger and deeper.

"Foundation Establishment is not far away!"

Jiang Chen said excitedly.

At that moment, a line of translucent text appeared before his eyes.

[Main Plot Five, "Princess Breaks Off the Engagement," is now available. Watch immediately and participate in the plot simulation?] ```

Ever since getting into close contact with a positive case, this author has been feeling especially sleepy. My wife and child are sometimes cold and sometimes running a slight fever. We have no antigen tests, so I do not know whether we have caught it... If it is only phantom symptoms, I will be back to writing like mad soon!