The big "winner," Qi Lanxing, and Xu Changsheng, who lost until he went numb

"The Heavenly Star Seed?!"

"As long as I wait until the Bright Moon Grotto-Heaven Secret Realm opens again..."

Qi Zhaoyue looked at the Heavenly Star Seed in her palm and murmured to herself.

At the same time, with a stir of her mind, she swept her divine sense over the Heavenly Star Seed.

The next second, Qi Zhaoyue forced a faint wisp of white divine sense out of the Heavenly Star Seed.

Vaguely, it bore Pei Ying's likeness...

It struggled a few times in the air before vanishing like smoke.

"Big sister, it's safe now, right?"

Qi Lanxing watched the dissipating wisp of Pei Ying's divine sense curiously and asked, blinking her big eyes.

"How could it be?"

Qi Zhaoyue shook her head indifferently, toying with the Heavenly Star Seed in her hand.

"This Heavenly Star Seed is linked to Pei Ying's bloodline."

"That wisp of divine sense was nothing but a smokescreen to fool a little child like you."

"Huh? It's that dangerous?" Qi Lanxing covered her little mouth in surprise. "Then let's hurry and throw it away!"

Qi Zhaoyue smiled and shook her head, affectionately ruffling Qi Lanxing's soft, long hair.

"Why do you think I want to wipe out the Holy Sect of the Nether Night completely?!"

"Could it be..."

Instantly, Qi Lanxing's eyes went round, an expression of incredulous shock appearing on her face:

"Big sister, could you be..."

"That's right!"

Qi Zhaoyue looked at the Heavenly Star Seed in her hand and waved, making it disappear from her palm.

Then she patted Qi Lanxing's back and said gently:

"Lanxing, go back and rest first. I still have something to take care of."

"But, big sister..."

Qi Lanxing gazed at Qi Zhaoyue pleadingly, hugging her arm and gently swaying it as she wheedled in a soft, sweet voice:

"Big sister, I want to raise my cultivation quickly too~"

"Look, I even told you about Pei Ying's plot. Can't you tell me how you raise your cultivation so quickly?"

"I want to help shoulder your burden too. I don't want you to be so tired all by yourself~"

At those words, the affection on Qi Zhaoyue's face faded, and she said seriously, "Little Lanxing, this method isn't suitable for you."

"Just cultivate one step at a time. I'll take care of everything."

"As for avenging Mother..."

"I will absolutely do that too! Off you go!"

"Oh... all right~"

Qi Lanxing lowered her head in disappointment, pouted her little lips, and reluctantly hopped down from Qi Zhaoyue's lap.

"I'll leave you to your work, big sister. I'm going back."

With that, she left the study with her little head drooping, looking back three times with every step.

Watching Qi Lanxing's dejected retreating figure, Qi Zhaoyue sighed softly.

She reached out and stroked her fair, flat lower abdomen, which no longer bulged, then sensed the spherical Law Artifact connected to Xu Changsheng's divine sense...

Don't blame me, Little Lanxing.

It's just that this method of cultivation...

It's enough for me to bear it alone!

At that, a cold smile curled Qi Zhaoyue's lips again:

"Auntie Pei Ying, thank you for your Heavenly Star Seed, but..."

"Mother didn't beat you back then because she was too kind."

"This time, as your niece, I'd like to see whether you, the lofty Princess Consort Jing, Auntie Pei, will..."

"Oh ho ho ho~?"

The eldest princess's residence, Qi Lanxing's room.

"That awful big sister! And Pei Ying! Every last one of them toys with me like I'm a child!"

Qi Lanxing sat on the bed in a huff and stamped her feet, looking like an angry little hamster.

But the next second, she waved her hand, and a star-blue Heavenly Star Seed identical to the one she had just given Qi Zhaoyue instantly appeared in her palm.

The dewdrops on its petals were crystal clear, making it look tender and alluring...

"What a shame~!"

"Big sister, Auntie Pei, both of you overlooked one thing."

Qi Lanxing looked at the Heavenly Star Seed in her palm with a smug smile. "You aren't the only ones with innate divine abilities."

"If I didn't have this innate divine ability, Auntie Pei, your plan might really have succeeded~!"

As she spoke, a gleam of excitement flashed through Qi Lanxing's eyes.

"Soon, I'll know exactly how you raise your cultivation so quickly, big sister!"

At that, she lowered her head again, feeling somewhat wronged and apologetic, and muttered quietly:

"Big sister, I didn't mean to deceive you. I just don't want to see you being so tired all by yourself~"

"Besides, I copied this Heavenly Star Seed with my innate divine ability. It's only linked to my bloodline. Pei Ying absolutely won't be able to sense it, and it absolutely won't put you in danger."

"Once I find out your cultivation method, big sister, I'll definitely cultivate diligently..."

"Then it'll be my turn to protect you!"

With that thought, Qi Lanxing raised her hand, and the copied Heavenly Star Seed disappeared from her palm as she hid it deep in her sea of consciousness.

Propping up her chin, she gazed at the bright moonlight outside the window, a trace of confusion appearing on her little face.

"So, after all this..."

"Pei Ying achieved her goal. She'll find out how big sister became stronger, and just like Senior Sister Zhu Xiaoliang back then, big sister will take her along to raise her cultivation."

"Big sister can also appear to have fallen out completely with Pei Ying over the Nether Night Sect, while secretly receiving support from her, Princess Consort Jing of the crown prince's faction."

"I achieved my goal too. I'll soon know big sister's cultivation method."

"Although there were a few small mistakes along the way, it seems..."

"Everyone got what they wanted?"

Qi Lanxing tilted her little head. Even after thinking for a long time, she still couldn't figure out who had lost out.

"It seems only the 'cultivation resources' lost out. Quite a lot more will probably get eaten up again, right?!"

Lotus Grotto-Heaven.

After the "cultivation resources," Xu Changsheng, finished reading the entire thick stack of books before him, he finally stood up and stretched luxuriously.

Listening to the crackling of his bones and feeling the surging strength inside him, he nodded slightly.

"Within the next few days, my cultivation should officially enter the third realm, the Blood Refining Realm."

"And after learning about the characteristics of the fourth realm from these books, I've also gotten some ideas about creating my own cultivation method..."

"At the very least, I should be able to keep cultivating normally until I copy a suitable cultivation method."

With that thought, Xu Changsheng turned and walked toward the Hall of Longevity, thoroughly satisfied.

Inside the Hall of Longevity.

Zhu Xiaoliang sat cross-legged on the soft cloud bed, her eyes tightly shut as she circulated her cultivation method to refine the Divine Yang Sacred Physique's origin essence within her.

Ye Luoxue, however, was already gone.

"Did Ye Luoxue go back?"

Xu Changsheng walked to the bedside and asked softly.

Hearing him, Zhu Xiaoliang opened her eyes and nodded. "Yes. After big sister Luoxue woke up, she rested for a while, then left holding onto the wall."

"She said she had to go back and report to senior sister."

Report to Qi Zhaoyue?!

At that thought, Xu Changsheng stirred his mind and activated the round Law Artifact "buried" inside Qi Zhaoyue.

The Great Yu Dynasty, the study in the eldest princess's residence.

"I understand. I'll personally deliver Dao Slaying to Lotus Grotto-Heaven."

Qi Zhaoyue looked at Ye Luoxue before her, whose legs were so weak that she could only sit while giving her report, and spoke calmly.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ye Luoxue cupped her hands and said respectfully, "Then this subordinate will take her leave."

"Wait."

Qi Zhaoyue looked at Ye Luoxue, a teasing smile curling her lips.

"You'd better not go out for the next few days. Even in a skirt, it's far too obvious. People might think you're expecting, Commander Luoxue..."

Instantly, Ye Luoxue's cheeks flushed bright red, the color spreading all the way to her ears and neck.

"You ate far too much. Weren't you afraid you'd burst?"

Qi Zhaoyue stood up, walked over to Ye Luoxue, and reached out to poke her lower abdomen gently. "Does your belly feel hot, and your whole body weak?"