Unfortunately, she couldn’t do much in this type of spiritual state, so she could only borrow Zu An’s hand to bully Yun Yuqing.

Zu An didn’t know what Mi Li was really thinking. He said rather bashfully, “But it’s a bit embarrassing with you watching right next to me…”

Mi Li harrumphed. “Who wants to watch you do such dirty things?” Her red figure flashed as soon as she finished speaking, and she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Zu An sighed in relief. The pressure Mi Li gave him was a bit too much. Furthermore, whispering sweet things to a woman in front of another woman just felt like courting death.

Beside him, Yun Yuqing said playfully, “You’re so bad...”

Zu An couldn’t hold himself back, and he gently held Yun Yuqing’s waist when he heard what she said. Her skin really was smooth and slippery in this hot spring.

Yun Yuqing didn’t reject him, and gently leaned into his embrace. Their two young bodies quickly became hotter as they pressed against each other. She said, “Ah Zu…”

“Hm?” Zu An answered.

Yun Yuqing didn’t say anything else, and instead got on her tiptoes to kiss Zu An. She had already felt incredibly touched when she heard that Zu An was willing to sacrifice the entire world for her.

Her soft lips were like the bugle horn that sounded the start of a war. How could Zu An still hold himself back? Water began to splash everywhere. The water surface rippled more and more intensely, as if it were a representation of Yun Yuqing’s soul…

...

A long time passed. Yun Yuqing’s entire body was as soft as cotton as she nestled into Zu An’s embrace. Her fair, snowy skin was covered in a beautiful pink blush, making her look more and more lovely. Her figure was misty and indistinct within the mist, as if she were a goddess in a heavenly temple.

“Ah Zu!” Yun Yuqing pressed her cheek tightly against his chest. At the same time, her large, watery eyes looked at the man that had completely subdued her, both in body and spirit.

Zu An embraced her soft body, feeling thoroughly refreshed. The entire process had been filled with bliss. Furthermore, he discovered that the intense battle had carried him through his bottleneck. Not only had he advanced a layer in the Primordial Origin Sutra, his cultivation had even broken through to the eighth rank.

He had already been at the peak of the seventh rank. After the siege crossbow penetrated his body, the injury that would have instantly taken out a similar level cultivator was something he had needed to rely on the Primordial Origin Sutra’s tempering to survive.

An injury this serious was already enough to push Zu An past the eighth rank’s threshold. However, for ordinary cultivators, it was as if there were a huge pit resting between the seventh and eighth rank. They needed to seek their own dao in order to enter the eighth rank.

The difficulty was that one couldn’t just randomly choose their dao. This dao had to align with the origin of the world, and it also had to match one’s own nature. If they made an incorrect choice, then their future prospects might be ruined. That was why countless people had been trapped on that threshold for a long time; some who had been geniuses in their youth were trapped there forever, surpassed by many whose aptitudes were worse than theirs.

Even though it wasn’t as difficult for Zu An to break through into the eighth rank as it was for other people because he cultivated the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, he still had to seek the dao. It was just easier for him, as he didn’t have to carry out the endless process of condensing true ki.

Even though Zu An had had some ambitions before, it had never been all that clear. But in that instant, when he experienced the soft and gentle body of Madam Wu, and remembered the empress he had toyed with in the Palace of Peace a few days ago, he recalled that domineering feeling where he had their very lives in his hands. He suddenly realized that a man among men had to train his horse with a raised horsewhip, and needed the domineering aura of a tiger. He wanted to become the most powerful man in the entire world!

He subconsciously looked in the direction of the imperial palace. Even though he’d had thoughts of surpassing the emperor before, the emperor’s terror and power had left him with a deep impression that reached all the way to his subconscious.

It was thanks to Jia Sili’s illusion that he had finally gathered the courage to draw his sword, and then even defeat the emperor head-on. Even though all of that had been fake, Zu An still managed to defeat his inner demons.

All of these elements added together resulted in Zu An breaking through to the eighth rank.

…

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, the emperor was cultivating. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the horizon with a pensive expression. He was a bit puzzled. Why had he suddenly felt a strange sense of alarm just now? How long had it been since he last felt such an annoying feeling?

He frowned and called in Eunuch Wen from outside. “Little Wen, help me check whether there have been any developments by the Eastern Palace.”

Eunuch Wen hesitated a bit and asked, “How far does your majesty wish to check?” The Eastern Palace was a bit too large, after all. It was completely impractical to check everything.

The emperor gave him a cold look. He clearly enunciated the word, “Everything!”

“Understood!” Eunuch Wen was alarmed. It had been a long time since the emperor was last this serious. In that case, he obviously wouldn’t spare any resources in his investigation.

…

Zu An, who was in King Wu Manor, obviously didn’t know that his dao had ended up affecting the emperor, as well as the fates of many people in the Eastern Palace.

“Ah Zu, you broke through?” Yun Yuqing asked, shocked and overjoyed. The two of them were close together, so she was the most sensitive to his body’s various changes. Her eyes were full of veneration. A woman naturally liked a strong man.

“Yeah.” Zu An embraced her with a smile. “A lot of this was thanks to you.”

“It was thanks to me?” Yun Yuqing looked a bit lost.

Zu An moved over to her ear and said something quietly. Yun Yuqing immediately blushed and said, “You’re annoying…”

Zu An only felt a flame ignite within his lower body when he heard her playful voice. He lifted her up from behind; with his arms supporting her underarms, he raised her petite body up, and then lowered her back down.

When had Yun Yuqing ever experienced such a game? Her heart pounded like crazy, and her body completely melted.

Zu An could feel her body shaking in his arms. However, he didn’t forget more important matters. He asked, “Why did Jia Sili say that you were the one who wouldn't want to be captured by the City Defense Army the most?”

Zu An had had too many misgivings before. He had worried that their relationship would never be the same again. But now that he had fully established his dao, he wasn’t as overly cautious as before. He already had enough confidence in his ability to control the situation.

Yun Yuqing began to sob, “Why do you have to torment me now of all times… I knew you wanted to ask earlier. You’re so annoying!”

Just as Yun Yuqing was about to say something, the two heard a maid say in a panicked voice, “King, madam is still bathing inside. Please wait outside for a moment.”

Zu An was alarmed. King Wu had actually come to the capital in secret! It was unusual. After all, the one who had come to deliver the auspicious sign was Madam Wu. King Wu’s status was rather sensitive, as he was a vassal state’s king. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be allowed in the capital, yet he had secretly come here. What was he plotting?

King Wu said in a dissatisfied tone, “Hmph, why does this king need to wait if I wish to meet my own wife? Step aside.”

The maid tried to stop King Wu. They were Yun Yuqing’s personal maids, so they were from the demon race as well. Their loyalty to Yun Yuqing was unquestionable.

Yun Yuqing began to panic as she exclaimed, “Ah Zu, you need to hide!”

Zu An said unhappily, “Why do I need to do that?”

“Ah Zu!” Yun Yuqing pleaded, “Don’t you want to know what’s happening? You’ll know if you listen in on my conversation with him.”

Zu An’s heart softened when he saw her pitiful appearance. He harrumphed, and then moved behind the nearby screen. He used Mirror Mirage and his aura completely dissipated. Unless someone looked directly at him, they would have no idea he was there.

Yun Yuqing leaped out of the pond. Her body spun around like a celestial lady. Several runes flickered around her, and a white dress suddenly materialized around her.

Zu An’s eyes lit up. Was that a magical girl transformation? This girl really is a treasure trove! She’s full of mysteries and beauty.

The door slammed open not long after Yun Yuqing got dressed.

“King Wu, the madam…” A group of maids ran inside in alarm. They were clearly conflicted, since they had failed to complete their mission.

Yun Yuqing waved her hand and said, “You all can withdraw for now.”

“Understood!” The maids bowed and quickly withdrew, closing the door behind them.

Zu An spied through the gap in the curtains as a handsome man walked in. Who else could this be but King Wu?

Even though he wasn’t pleased to see him, Zu An had to admit that this guy was good looking. Everyone had thought that he was a perfect match for Madam Wu when they stood together in North Order Commandery.

Today, King Wu wasn’t dressed in his usual king’s gown, but rather wore well tailored green clothes. This was most likely because he didn’t want to draw too much attention in the capital. However, the clothes really did match him well, making him look quite outstanding.

King Wu was just about to say something when he noticed the water that had splashed everywhere. His eyes narrowed.