The Shrouding the Heavens World.
Above the nine heavens, a sea of clouds churned. The silvery-white Moon-Escaping Immortal Palace shuttled through the mist at an unimaginably fast speed, yet the ride was as steady as standing on the ground.
"How did you sleep?"
Zhu Zhuqing had just stepped out of her room when a gentle voice came from beside her.
She turned and saw Jiang Wanwan watching her with a smile.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head gently. Watching the clouds race backward across the sky, her cool little face still held a trace of dazed disbelief:
"It still feels a little... like I'm dreaming..."
Jiang Wanwan smiled. "You'll gradually get used to it."
"But!"
"Now that you're awake, before we reach White Emperor City this afternoon, I'll first give you a brief explanation of our Heavenly Court's rules."
At those words, Zhu Zhuqing's expression turned solemn, and she nodded.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanwan began.
Though her tone remained calm, her expression carried unquestionable authority. "The Heavenly Court has many rules, but there is only one at their core-absolute loyalty to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor."
"His Majesty is the will of the Heavenly Court, the sole reason for its existence."
"And as the female officials and maids at His Majesty's side, whatever needs or commands he may have, we must fulfill and carry them out unconditionally and without hesitation."
"Whatever... needs?"
Zhu Zhuqing repeated the words instinctively, an irrepressible flicker of embarrassment and nervousness passing through her cool eyes.
She was no ignorant young girl. Naturally, she understood what "whatever needs" might include.
Taking in Zhu Zhuqing's entire reaction, Jiang Wanwan chuckled and affectionately rubbed her smooth black hair.
"Yes, naturally, whatever needs, including the kind you're thinking of right now."
Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head slightly.
"However..."
Jiang Wanwan shifted the subject, her tone carrying a measure of reassurance. "I know what you're worried about. It's perfectly normal that you can't quite accept it all at once."
"But rest assured."
"His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor is not the sort of lustful man you imagine, nor is he some vulgar fellow who relies on power to seize whatever he wants."
She looked toward the boundless heavens outside the immortal palace's window, reverence in her voice:
"His Majesty holds the universe in his heart and sets his sights on the Great Dao."
"Over all these years, many women have been selected to enter the Heavenly Court, but apart from one emperor's daughter from the Ji Family, a Great Emperor lineage, whom His Majesty chose to keep permanently at his side..."
"The other sisters either remained in the Heavenly Court as administrative female officials."
"Or were sent home once their ten-year term was up."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing relaxed a little.
Although she was filled with curiosity and longing toward His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor and had made certain preparations when she chose to join the Heavenly Court,
she was, after all, still a maiden inexperienced in such matters, so naturally she had some worries.
She really had feared that the moment she reached the Heavenly Court, he would...
"I understand. Thank you for clearing things up, Sister Wanwan."
Jiang Wanwan nodded. "Now that you understand the Heavenly Court's most fundamental rule..."
"As for the more detailed protocols and division of duties, specialized instructing matrons will teach you once we reach White Emperor City."
"While we still have some time, I'll teach you a spell from this world, so you'll have some ability to protect yourself and adapt beforehand."
"A spell?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes instantly lit up, brimming with curiosity and anticipation.
Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy.
Hearing Jiang Wanwan say that His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor most likely would not actually do anything to Zhu Zhuqing...
Dai Mubai could not help breathing a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness... she's safe for now."
Meanwhile, Tang San looked at his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, and asked curiously, "Teacher, that Jiang Wanwan said she was going to teach Zhu Zhuqing a 'spell.'"
"What... would this 'spell' be?"
At the question, Yu Xiaogang instinctively prepared to offer a confident analysis.
But he soon grew a little uneasy. After all, he had been slapped in the face far too hard yesterday, so he no longer dared spout grand pronouncements.
He could only say uncertainly, "It should be something like a Soul Skill, right?"
"After all, apart from Soul Skills, what other means of attack could there be?"
Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar instinctively nodded. "That's possible."
"After all, Soul Skills are already so powerful. How could something called a spell possibly be stronger?"
Ma Hongjun curled his lip. "So it's just a Soul Skill!"
"What spell? Isn't that just giving it another name? It might not even be as powerful as my Phoenix Fire Line!"
"Zhu Zhuqing, the spell I'm going to teach you is called-the Great Void Technique!"
"The Great Void Technique?"
"Yes."
Jiang Wanwan nodded and explained, "This Great Void Technique is a closely guarded secret of the Ji Family, one of the Eastern Wasteland's most powerful forces."
"Once cultivated to a profound level, it allows you to merge with the void, vanish without a trace, and travel through space as though walking on level ground. Whether for stealth, pursuit, or escape, it is an unparalleled wondrous art."
"With a single thought, you can dissolve into nothingness, leaving your opponent's divine sense unable to find you;
with a single movement, you can cross distances like a ghost or phantom, impossible to guard against."
She paused, giving Zhu Zhuqing a meaningful look.
"I can see that your presence is light and your steps agile. Though I don't know exactly what that little kitten inside you is. A manifestation of some special bloodline..."
Little kitten?
Zhu Zhuqing's heart jolted. Sister Wanwan knows I have a Martial Soul?
But seeing that Jiang Wanwan did not seem inclined to investigate further, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Wanwan continued, "I can tell that your fighting style focuses on speed and agility."
"So, among the spells I know, the Great Void Technique suits you best."
At this point, Jiang Wanwan's expression grew slightly solemn as she cautioned, "But you must remember!"
"I can teach you this technique because you are already a member of our Heavenly Court, and His Majesty is close to the Ji Family, so they won't object."
"But if you ever teach it to anyone else, you must never pass it on to anyone outside the Heavenly Court."
"Otherwise..."
"The dignity of a Great Emperor lineage like the Ji Family, whose legacy stretches across the ages, is by no means something to take lightly."
A Great Emperor lineage?
Zhu Zhuqing felt curious. What is a Great Emperor lineage?
Is it a force like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Perhaps I can ask in a little while.
Despite her curiosity, Zhu Zhuqing nodded solemnly.
"I understand. I would never dare pass it on to outsiders."
Seeing this, Jiang Wanwan said no more and tossed a jade slip to Zhu Zhuqing.
"This is the Great Void Technique compiled by His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, making it easier for us to learn. I spent so many contribution points to exchange for it back then. How much you can comprehend will depend entirely on your affinity..."
"Thank you, Sister Wanwan!"
Zhu Zhuqing caught the jade slip, her eyes full of anticipation, and practicedly pressed it against the center of her brow.
Hum-!
The instant the jade slip touched her forehead, Zhu Zhuqing felt a cool, vast torrent of information pour into her mind.
She unconsciously closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly as her expression shifted.
Sometimes puzzled, sometimes enlightened, she felt countless insights into the Dao laws of space, the cultivation methods of the Great Void Technique, its circulation routes, hand seals, and incantations brand and engrave themselves deep within her soul.
Until, at the very end...
She seemed to see a blurred, towering figure between nothingness and reality, finally standing above the endless void.
Yet he was also buried within that endless void.
Throughout his life, Void was never inferior to anyone!
Listening to his final murmur, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt like crying for some reason. She sensed a desolate, tragic grandeur!
"Void Emperor..."