The "price" of growing stronger, keep the boots on

However unwilling she was to believe it, Ye Luoxue understood that Her Highness the eldest princess had done this willingly.

In fact, it would be more accurate to say...

Her Highness the eldest princess had forced Xu Changsheng.

Yet even now, Ye Luoxue still did not understand why her eldest princess, as aloof as the bright, cold moon, whom even the prince consort could not so much as touch, would acknowledge a mortal as her master.

But once the dust had settled...

Qi Zhaoyue made no attempt to conceal it, so Ye Luoxue clearly sensed that the spiritual power within Her Highness had suddenly grown considerably more substantial.

And throughout this time, Her Highness clearly had not cultivated.

Ye Luoxue instinctively looked at Qi Zhaoyue's red lips. Aside from doing that for Xu Changsheng...

An absurd yet uniquely plausible thought surfaced in Ye Luoxue's mind.

"It's just as you think."

Looking at Ye Luoxue opposite her, who was almost biting her lips bloody, Qi Zhaoyue nodded gently, her tone level.

"Xu Changsheng possesses a legendary supreme physique of the highest order, one that guarantees a steady path into the fourteenth realm: the Divine Yang Sacred Physique."

The Divine Yang Sacred Physique?

Ye Luoxue's pupils contracted slightly before realization dawned.

No wonder Her Highness's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through from a seventh-realm Golden Core to an eleventh-realm Celestial Person in just ten years.

No wonder Her Highness had secretly kept a lowly stable servant in the Lotus Grotto-Heaven for ten years, letting no one know.

No wonder Her Highness would disregard her status and serve him in such a degrading manner...

So Xu Changsheng possessed the Divine Yang Sacred Physique, hailed as the finest cultivation furnace for female cultivators, which had once brought about the world's first female True Immortal...

Everything made sense now.

"..."

Watching Qi Zhaoyue and Ye Luoxue ignore him and carry on their own conversation, Xu Changsheng was rather speechless and rolled his eyes inwardly.

Not just one or two-how does everyone know about the Divine Yang Sacred Physique?

So I was the only one who didn't know back then?

Looks like, aside from cultivating, I'll have to cram hard to learn about this other world. I absolutely cannot let ignorance trip me up again.

But Qi Zhaoyue won't agree to bring me books, either...

That's a bit of a problem!

While Xu Changsheng pondered, Qi Zhaoyue had already risen calmly from the table.

Click, click, click!

Walking toward the hall doors in her high heels, she unhurriedly tidied her disheveled hair and slipping dress, covering the kiss marks Xu Changsheng had left on her fair skin once more.

As Qi Zhaoyue passed Ye Luoxue, she did not look at her, merely speaking in an even tone.

"Luoxue, this is the price I mentioned earlier that you might have to pay to grow stronger."

"I won't force you to choose. It's entirely up to you."

"I'll be leaving now."

With those words, Qi Zhaoyue's figure disappeared step by step from the hall, leaving only a faint trace of cool fragrance.

Now, only Xu Changsheng, who was curiously studying the woman opposite him, and Ye Luoxue, whose expression was conflicted and unreadable beneath her lowered eyes, remained in the Hall of Longevity.

The hall fell deathly silent.

A long silence passed.

Ye Luoxue's gaze landed on the hall's western wall, where a "portrait of a lady" hung, one she had noticed earlier but had been unable to make out clearly.

This time, she walked up to the painting and raised her head slightly, studying the portrait within its frame.

The woman in the painting was none other than Her Highness the eldest princess.

In the painting, Qi Zhaoyue sat naked beside a window, moonlight spilling over her like flowing water, illuminating her skin until it resembled the bright moon in the heavens.

She sat turned slightly sideways, her long, jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall without concealing the view in front, her long, straight legs crossed.

Her head was tilted slightly upward, her eyes closed, as though waiting for something to spill down...

At once bewitching and holy, she looked like an immortal maiden untouched by mortal smoke and fire who had fallen into the human world, so beautiful it stole one's breath.

"So this is..."

"The price?"

Ye Luoxue fell silent again.

A long while passed.

Ye Luoxue took a deep breath. "As long as it can help Her Highness..."

The uncertainty vanished from Ye Luoxue's eyes, and she turned to look at Xu Changsheng.

"Tsk!"

Seeing the utter resolve in Ye Luoxue's gaze, Xu Changsheng already knew her choice.

To say he felt no delight at all would have been a lie, far too hypocritical.

After all, however beautiful and alluring Qi Zhaoyue might be, ten years...

After doing the same thing and eating the same fare often enough, a day would always come when one wanted a change of taste.

And calling Ye Luoxue before him an unparalleled beauty would be no exaggeration.

Moreover, rather than Qi Zhaoyue's cool allure, she possessed a martial bearing brimming with murderous intent. That distinctive quality held a fatal attraction.

But Xu Changsheng also felt somewhat helpless and sighed inwardly.

Damn that Qi Zhaoyue. Once again, she hasn't given me the right to choose.

Sure enough, weakness is the original sin!

I have to grow stronger!

And the next time we meet, just see how I punish her!

While Xu Changsheng pondered, Ye Luoxue had already begun walking toward him, step by step.

Her gaze remained icy, without the slightest ripple. "I know this is terribly unfair to you, but..."

Shing!

Speaking dispassionately, Ye Luoxue abruptly closed her right hand around the hilt of the Tang saber at her waist. With a twist of her wrist, the blade instantly left its sheath.

The red blade carried an icy, blood-colored gleam as she held it against Xu Changsheng's neck.

"You'd better cooperate obediently, or I won't mind using force."

There was not the slightest threat in Ye Luoxue's tone, as though she were merely stating a fact.

Xu Changsheng looked at the Tang saber against his neck, then at Ye Luoxue's frost-cold face, and a playful smile curled his lips.

He nodded gently and said calmly:

"Very good. You've got plenty of strength..."

"I hope you'll still have the strength to threaten me in a little while."

With that, he pushed the blade aside, turned, and strolled toward the bed.

Watching the compliant Xu Changsheng, Ye Luoxue tightened her grip on the hilt slightly.

Though she remained outwardly calm and unruffled, she was actually incredibly nervous, sweat seeping from her fair palms as her heart pounded.

But she soon forced herself to calm down.

"For Her Highness..."

Murmuring, Ye Luoxue first removed her Tang saber and gently placed it on the table beside her, producing a faint metallic clink.

Then came her armor.

She reached up and unfastened the clasps on her shoulder armor.

Clang!

The black shoulder armor fell onto the cold white jade floor, followed by her arm guards...

With every step she took, another piece of armor fell to the floor, producing clear, heavy metallic clangs.

By the time she reached the bed, Ye Luoxue had removed all her armor, leaving it scattered across the floor.

Now, all she wore was a pair of black, red-soled, knee-high leather boots with high heels.

The slightly cool air touched her warm skin. At the thought of her jade-like body being exposed without a stitch before a stranger, Ye Luoxue shivered involuntarily.

A fine layer of goose bumps rose on her fair, delicate skin.

Ye Luoxue lowered her head, but just then...

"Keep the boots on."

"..."

Looking at Xu Changsheng lying on the bed, his arms tucked behind his head as he quietly studied her, Ye Luoxue lightly bit her red lip.

"All right!"