Liu Xuande

Jiang Chen did not think too much about it.

In any case, the thicker his wife's thighs, the better—and the more of them, the better. Best if she was like a spider.

Jiang Chen quickly began the second simulation.

This time, the plot was fairly simple.

With the escape ending from the first simulation as a fallback, only the route of resisting the enemy and the route of defecting to the enemy remained.

The resistance route required challenging Yun Lanzi at the Foundation Establishment Peak. Jiang Chen was not yet very confident.

He might as well try the defection route first.

[The second Plot Simulation has begun. Please choose your landing location!]

Jiang Chen chose to stay where he was and wait for the Empress Dowager to return, so they could have some intimate time first.

Perhaps because he had sensed greater danger during the first simulation, coupled with the guilt of abandoning the Empress Dowager and fleeing alone—

This time, Jiang Chen used all his strength, attempting to heal the Empress Dowager's body, which had long been burdened by pent-up afflictions.

He merged Five-Element Spirit Control with Myriad Phenomena Realm Resonance, supplemented it with the moistening spiritual power of the Merfolk Pearl, and finally injected it into the Empress Dowager's spiritual veins and soul in the form of seeds.

The water rippled, most unusually.

Even the Empress Dowager, always dignified and composed, lost her color as Jiang Chen's extraordinary vigor startled her.

"Are you trying to have a child?"

Jiang Chen kept his head down and said nothing.

An hour later.

The Empress Dowager regrettably had not become pregnant...

But she had formed a Golden Core.

Surging Golden Core spiritual power washed back through Jiang Chen's limbs, bones, spiritual veins, and sea of qi.

This time, Jiang Chen was the one left astonished.

He stood stunned for quite a while before saying in shock:

"So Qi Refining cultivators can help Foundation Establishment cultivators form a Golden Core through dual cultivation?"

The Empress Dowager looked satisfied as she languidly stepped from the bath.

With a wave of her hand, she draped herself in a magnificent robe, concealing her plump, fair figure within it and becoming dignified and regal once more.

"I had long fulfilled every condition for forming a Golden Core. It was merely that the pent-up burdens within the palace ran too deep, creating an obstruction. It seems you are quite suited to the post of imperial physician."

Isn't that taking advantage of me?

By the pool, Jiang Chen—who had already transformed into a sage—stared at the Empress Dowager's regal back and suddenly said:

"I have decided to mark the two Merfolk Women in advance, then sell them to Yun Lanzi."

The Empress Dowager frowned and turned around.

"Why have you suddenly come around?"

Jiang Chen's face darkened, his gaze blazing like fire.

"When the nation is in peril, every common man bears responsibility... Besides, I cannot let you risk seeking an opportunity alone."

The Empress Dowager shook her head with a smile and said:

"Other men say such things before they get into bed, then turn their backs on them afterward. Yet you bring it up at a time like this... Should I call you a rare good man?"

As soon as Jiang Chen heard that, he felt something about her words was off.

"So you have been with many men?"

Seeing Jiang Chen's jealous expression, Mu Rong smiled with lofty indulgence, as if she could encompass the Myriad Phenomena Realm.

"No. You are the only one with such courage."

Jiang Chen nodded slightly.

That made sense. With Thousand-Faced Fox's illusion arts, she had no need to sell her body to achieve her goals.

He could even sense a certain fastidiousness in the Empress Dowager.

For an empress dowager of a nation to remain a virgin... that in itself was far too bizarre.

Even a man as exceptionally handsome as him, who could suppress Thousand-Faced Fox in the art of deduction, had only gotten her through all manner of uninhibited, unconventional conduct in the Plot Simulation.

If an ordinary person tried that, he would have died eight hundred times over.

"Whether it is the Emperor, the Princess, or Yun Lanzi the beastmaster, all of them are wary of your illusion arts.

If we establish an illusion restriction within the Merfolk Women this time, it clearly will not be very reliable.

Only by injecting my pure spiritual power into their bodies can we defeat the enemy in one stroke at the critical moment."

Jiang Chen analyzed the matter seriously.

The Empress Dowager appeared to harbor no doubts. Her dignified, gentle eyes were exceedingly calm.

"If you like the Merfolk Women, then do it."

Jiang Chen heard the jealousy in her words and hurriedly said:

"What do you mean, like them? Their lower halves are fish bodies. I have ten thousand ways to inject spiritual power into them."

The Empress Dowager still felt Jiang Chen's plan was too risky. She trusted her own illusion restrictions more.

However, she would not personally participate in the opportunity. Having Jiang Chen handle it was the best choice.

"You need only be confident that you will not be discovered. The two Merfolk Women must not discover it, lest they behave abnormally, nor can the Emperor discover it, lest he refuse to use them."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen also felt the pressure. He had no absolute certainty that he could accomplish it.

"I'll try."

At present, the two Merfolk Women were being kept freely in Spirit-Calming Garden, showing the Empress Dowager's confidence in her illusion formation.

Jiang Chen personally summoned the two Merfolk Women.

Then, he had the Empress Dowager hypnotize them.

He would inject spiritual power into their bodies.

His spiritual power had to be sufficiently faint, and its resonance with the Merfolk Women's bodies and spiritual veins had to be sufficiently high, for it to avoid detection by them or anyone else.

Yet at the same time, it had to be substantial enough for him to locate them remotely and attempt to take control of their spiritual veins, interfere with the Emperor's mysterious plan, or seize the Dragon Bone.

This required an extremely precise balance.

The process was somewhat troublesome.

After several attempts, Jiang Chen was still dissatisfied.

With no other choice, he had to risk borrowing Li Lingzhou's Pure Yang Sword Aura.

In terms of concealing its presence, Li Lingzhou's Pure Yang Sword Aura surpassed his resonance spiritual power. Elder General Chen had entered the Sword-Qi Domain without even realizing it, while even Jiang Chen, who had achieved minor success in Myriad Phenomena Realm Resonance, could only make out a vague outline of sword qi at close range.

However, Li Lingzhou's Pure Yang Sword Aura would damage the Merfolk Women's spiritual veins. He had to wrap it with Five-Element Spirit Control, then inject it in a manner that resonated with their spiritual veins...

This process was exceedingly difficult.

Jiang Chen spent a full two hours before injecting Five-Element Resonance Sword Aura into the spiritual veins of the two Merfolk Women.

The result of this integration was flawless, so much so that even the Empress Dowager was startled when she returned to the underground cultivation chamber.

"How did you become so weak?"

She was merely astonished by Jiang Chen's weakness and exhaustion, entirely unaware of the changes within the Merfolk Women.

Jiang Chen knew it was secure.

"I planted Eternal Mark within them that are as if nonexistent... They have already taken my shape."

The Empress Dowager frowned. She had actually failed to see anything amiss within the Merfolk Women.

Only after examining the illusion formation did she clearly see Jiang Chen's work, and she said in astonishment:

"Li Lingzhou actually gave you her own sword aura!"

Jiang Chen spread his hands and curled his lips.

"Does she look like such a kindhearted woman? I forcibly swallowed her sword aura... Of course, I gave her five hundred in tips afterward, so I did not take advantage of her for nothing."

The Empress Dowager was especially puzzled.

"How strange... Prison Envoy Li is far more ruthless toward men than I am, yet she tolerated you."

Jiang Chen smiled confidently.

"She wants to use me, so naturally the price is allowing me to use her."

The Empress Dowager shot Jiang Chen a cold glance, unable to conceal her jealousy.

This man had merged Li Lingzhou's Pure Yang Sword Aura into the Merfolk Women's bodies, and even she had failed to detect anything amiss...

On closer inspection, every kind of power within him could be traced to its source. Yet mastering even one of those powers was already as difficult as ascending to the heavens, and he had fused them all so perfectly within one body.

At that thought, her gaze stirred, carrying a trace of grievance.

"Since meeting you, I have missed every opportunity I deduced. You must compensate me."

Jiang Chen spread his hands.

"Was helping you form a Golden Core not enough?"

"Not enough."

"Then I'll help you form a Nascent Soul."

Time waited for no one.

Before the two Merfolk Women awoke, Jiang Chen locked them back inside the water tanks.

Then he moved the tanks into a carriage.

Jiang Chen drove the carriage out of Peaceful Palace and went alone to the inn where Elder Guo and Yun Lanzi were staying.

He found Yun Lanzi himself and presented the Merfolk Women.

"I am Liu Xuande. By order of Prison Envoy Li, I have brought a generous gift for Consort Yun, to raise ten thousand spirit stones for the wager."