Chapter 510 - 419: An Unreasonable Woman
Chapter 510: Chapter 419: An Unreasonable Woman
After leaving her quarters, Si Li headed in a specific direction—toward the palace of the Sovereign of Zhou.
Determining whether a person’s Divine Soul was the reincarnation she sought was no simple matter.
Only an Ascension Realm cultivator who was a master of Divine Soul arts, and who perhaps even shared an intricate connection with the person’s previous life, could identify it at a glance.
Otherwise, other methods were required.
There were many such methods.
The one Si Li employed was a traditional blood rite from the Western Regions, which involved using a Magical Treasure to collect Xiao Mo’s blood for seven consecutive days.
This Magical Treasure already contained blood from the original Xiao Mo.
After seven days, if the Sovereign of Zhou was indeed her master’s reincarnation, the Magical Treasure would react.
However, how to actually obtain Xiao Mo’s blood was a matter that required some thought.
It was said that ever since the time of the ancient Great Qin Dynasty, no successive Emperor of any Mortal Dynasty was permitted to surpass the Foundation Establishment Realm.
But under the rules set by that Sovereign of Great Qin, as long as an Emperor remained within the Imperial Palace, his mind could not be controlled.
Therefore, Si Li couldn’t use her Illusion Techniques. Otherwise, she was confident that with a single glance, she could make the Sovereign of Zhou willingly kneel and polish her shoes.
Soon, Si Li arrived at Xiao Mo’s residential palace.
Si Li knew the way because earlier that day, upon entering the palace, a Female Official had specifically shown her and the others the residences of the Sovereign of Zhou, the Empress Dowager, and the two future consorts.
The official had even given them a tour, fearing they might get lost, offend His Majesty, or startle the consorts.
’Setting aside everything else, these Mortal World emperors certainly know how to live.’
Si Li gazed at the Sovereign of Zhou’s palace and the two adjacent courtyards for the Imperial Consorts. She could already picture the Sovereign of Zhou spending his future nights in debauchery and song.
"Go."
Si Li took a Sky-Horned Mosquito from her spirit pet pouch.
Upon receiving its master’s command, the Sky-Horned Mosquito flew toward the palace.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Sky-Horned Mosquito flew back to Si Li’s side, landing on the back of her hand.
"BZZZZZ..." The Sky-Horned Mosquito vibrated its wings, buzzing incessantly.
"He’s not here?" A flicker of doubt crossed Si Li’s eyes.
’This Sovereign of Zhou has no Court affairs to manage, and his consorts haven’t moved into the palace yet.’
’Besides, the Empress Dowager would never allow him to take any of the Palace Maids to bed before his future consorts are pregnant. So where else could he be spending the night?’
"Stay here. Wait for the Sovereign of Zhou to return and bring me a sample of his fresh blood every day. Understand?"
A low-level spirit pet like the Sky-Horned Mosquito wasn’t very intelligent and had a terrible sense of direction. It would be impossible for it to collect the blood and then find its way back to her.
So, Si Li decided to leave the Sky-Horned Mosquito here and return late at night to collect the sample herself.
"BZZZZZ..." The Sky-Horned Mosquito seemed to nod before flying back toward the palace.
Just as Si Li turned to return to her quarters to rest, she sensed something and glanced in a particular direction.
Si Li’s brow furrowed slightly.
She felt a sharp Sword Qi that made her very uncomfortable.
It was a bit like that night...
’That unreasonable woman!’
...
「In the National Preceptor’s Mansion of the Zhou Kingdom.」
The Sword Qi of Xiao Mo and Jiang Qingyi filled the entire courtyard.
Beneath the moonlight, their longswords flashed with a cold light, clashing and parting in a fluid rhythm.
The woman’s skirt swirled with the dance of her blade.
Though her every strike was clean, sharp, and incredibly fierce, her movements were like a dance, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Spotting an opening, Jiang Qingyi’s longsword gracefully coiled around Xiao Mo’s blade.
Jiang Qingyi wrenched his sword forward, causing Xiao Mo to lose his balance and stumble.
But she spun around, her soft back pressing against his chest. In the same motion, she reversed her blade’s direction, not only steadying his fall but also resting the cold edge against his neck.
"I’ve lost."
Xiao Mo sighed. He had thought that with his newly improved physique, he might be able to fight her on even footing today.
But in the end, after a full day of sparring, he had been utterly dominated from start to finish.
"There’s no shame in losing to me," Jiang Qingyi said coldly, lowering her longsword.
Jiang Qingyi sat back down in her chair and took a sip of tea.
Xiao Mo also sat beside her, closing his eyes to meditate. He replayed the day’s matches in his mind, refining his Sword Intent.
Jiang Qingyi glanced over at Xiao Mo but didn’t disturb him.
She was, however, quite amazed.
She discovered that Xiao Mo’s rate of improvement was accelerating.
His stamina was much greater, and he’s become far more resilient.
They had sparred more than a dozen times today, from morning till night, with very little rest.
And after each brief rest, his swordsmanship, Sword Qi, and Sword Intent all showed significant improvement.
In the past, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
Jiang Qingyi felt that if this kept up, it would become increasingly difficult for her to suppress him while fighting at the same Realm.
At this thought, Jiang Qingyi felt a mix of happiness and displeasure.
She was happy about his progress.
She was displeased at the thought of him pinning her down in the future.
’Then again,’ she thought, ’he has much better options, yet he insists on staying in the Imperial Palace, refusing to leave with me no matter what.’
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Mo let out a long, slow breath.
Spiritual Power circulated around his body before dissipating.
Finally, Xiao Mo slowly opened his eyes.
"Not bad."
Once Xiao Mo’s energy had settled, Jiang Qingyi spoke slowly.
"You’ve reached Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer Perfection. It’s only been a short year since you first began your journey of cultivation. Your talent is truly remarkable."
As she finished speaking, her gaze, sharp as a sword, fixed on Xiao Mo.
"I will ask you one last time.
Are you really not coming back to the Sect with me?
In the Ancient Times, after the Sovereign of Great Qin issued his Holy Decree, it has been nearly impossible for any Emperor of the Mortal World to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
And even if the Sovereign of Great Qin had never issued that decree, the legends from the Ancient Times say that pitifully few emperors ever managed to reach the Golden Core Realm.
After all, cultivation requires a mind free from distractions, a state of perfect mental clarity.
But how can anyone who spends their days scheming and playing politics in the Imperial Court possibly focus on cultivation? How can they achieve mental clarity?
Forget Mortal Dynasties—even most Sect Leaders in the cultivation world are leaders in name only. They focus on their own cultivation to act as the Sect’s foundation, while most day-to-day affairs are handled by a Vice Sect Leader.
So by staying here, you are just wasting your talent!"
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Fairy Jiang."
Xiao Mo shook his head with a smile.
"But I truly don’t plan on leaving. Besides, there’s always a way. I intend to try for Foundation Establishment on my own first."
"You’re incorrigibly stubborn!"
Jiang Qingyi snorted, then turned and stalked into her room.
"Fine! When you die of old age, Your Majesty, don’t expect me to come back for one last look!"