"Master," Ji Fuyao asked curiously, "how could a battle involving a figure like the Blood Fiend Great Emperor possibly warrant your attention?"
Lu Xuan replied, "When the Cangxuan Old Ancestor makes his move, it will involve the secrets of the Grand Dao Scripture. You should observe it; it will be of great benefit to you."
Ji Fuyao nodded, deeply moved by Lu Xuan's thoughtful guidance. "Yes, Master. I will watch closely and see what profound truths I can comprehend."
"Good," Lu Xuan affirmed.
After about fifteen minutes, Lu Xuan finished his meal and settled back into his recliner. He looked at Ji Fuyao. "Fuyao, come to my cave dwelling later. Time for your treatment."
A faint blush crept onto Ji Fuyao's cheeks. "Master, how many more times will this treatment take?"
Lu Xuan pondered. "Maybe two or three more times, and we should be done."
"Oh," Ji Fuyao murmured.
A moment of silence passed.
Ji Fuyao's face was flushed as she asked, "Master, when you were treating me, did... did you sense anything?"
Lu Xuan looked blankly at her. "Sense anything? No, not really."
Ji Fuyao felt a slight pang of disappointment. "I see."
A strange ripple stirred in her heart. What is wrong with me? she wondered. Am I developing feelings for Master? No, no, absolutely not. In her previous life, she had been a Great Empress, never once swayed by any man. Her Dao Heart was unshakeable, focused only on the path.
This life, though she inherited her memories, this body was that of a young maiden. Her mindset, inevitably, was different from that of an Empress.
Staying with Master for so long, my Dao Heart is actually loosening? she chastised herself. This is unacceptable! He was her Master, the one she revered and respected above all others! How could she, a seeker of the Great Dao, be entangled by mere romantic feelings?
With a decisive mental effort, Ji Fuyao quickly composed herself, continuing to eat and absorb the Dao and Essence from the spiritual food.
Soon after, Ji Fuyao finished her meal, tidied the thatched cottage, and followed Lu Xuan into the cave dwelling. She now approached Lu Xuan's private space with a complex mix of feelings: a subtle anticipation mixed with deep embarrassment. After all, the seductive, delicate state she entered during the treatment—the way she appeared before her Master—was truly unbecoming! And it wasn't just once or twice.
Inside the cave, Ji Fuyao sat cross-legged. Lu Xuan placed his hand on her jade-like back for the treatment. A profound, gentle energy flowed slowly, making Ji Fuyao feel as if she were sitting in a spring breeze, her body and mind utterly relaxed.
Before long, she was drenched in sweat, and her breathing grew rapid and shallow. She whispered faintly, "Master..."
***
Cangzhou, Willow City.
Boom!
An incomparably terrifying aura surged through the heavens and earth, like a raging ocean or a gathering storm. The void tore open, and space twisted violently.
From the rift, a blood-robed Great Emperor emerged. His face was sinister, his eyes as dark as an abyss, and his body pulsed with murderous intent as he surveyed the land. Trailing behind him were two cowering, subservient old men—his Great Emperor servants.
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor immediately spotted the two shattered "Tianluo" tokens lying in the ruins, stained with blood, a truly miserable sight.
In the next instant, he stretched out his right hand and grabbed at the ruins of Willow City. The broken tokens instantly shrank and flew into his grasp. He gently rubbed the soil and blood from them, the killing intent in his eyes thickening.
"Grand! Dao! Sect!"
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor gritted his teeth. The Tianluo Hall's headquarters had placed immense importance on the Empress Fuyao matter, yet he hadn't even arrived before the operation was ruined! How was he supposed to explain this to Hall Master Soul Sever? Soul Sever only cared about results, not excuses! If he returned empty-handed, he would be severely punished, perhaps having his soul extracted, or worse, killed and refined into a puppet.
The thought sent a chill down the Blood Fiend Great Emperor's spine, causing his spirit to tremble. He had to bring Empress Fuyao back! With the Great Era descending, if the secret art of reincarnation and re-cultivation truly existed, the Tianluo Hall needed to possess it!
With this resolve, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor's face turned frigid. He slammed a palm down onto Willow City. The sky collapsed, the earth cracked, and all life withered. The spiritual energy within a radius of ten thousand miles was completely absorbed by him.
Boom, boom, boom!
Willow City was instantly transformed from a ruin into a desolate wasteland, its spiritual energy unlikely to recover for thousands of years.
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor suppressed his fury and killing intent, telling his two servants, "Go! We'll check the branch hall first."
"As you command!" the two servants replied.
Several hours later, the three arrived at the Tianluo Hall branch hall. It was also a ruin—the earth sunken, the mountains collapsed. Everyone from the Tianluo Hall had been reduced to dust.
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor's gaze grew even colder. "Damn it! It was that Grey-robed Great Emperor from the Grand Dao Sect!" He had sensed the aura of the Cangxuan Old Ancestor!
Crack! Crack!
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor clenched his fists, his boundless killing intent almost solidifying. The blood in his veins surged with a metallic clang, like a crashing tide—the manifestation of his Blood Refinement cultivation method. In his fury, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor's blood felt a hunger. "This Emperor needs to devour the blood of some ants!"
He immediately tore open the void.
Over the next day or two, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor went on a killing spree, turning his rage against the human forces near the Tianluo Hall branch. He needed to vent! He needed to kill! He descended upon one human cultivator city after another, unleashing his Blood Sea Divine Ability. Terrifying Emperor Might filled the sky, and the boundless blood sea swept forth like a furious wave, slaughtering countless human cultivators. Wherever he went, not a blade of grass grew; all life force was devoured.
After annihilating more than a dozen cities, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor finally managed to curb his fury. He licked his lips with a savage expression. "Let's go! To the Grand Dao Sect to demand the person!"
Instantly, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor and his two servants traversed the void, their target: the Grand Dao Sect!
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor made no attempt to conceal his aura, displaying the Tianluo Hall's Dao patterns as he crossed multiple states. Some major powers noticed the Blood Fiend Great Emperor's atrocities but chose not to intervene, offering only condemnation. The Blood Fiend Great Emperor traveled unimpeded.
Soon, experts across the states noticed something amiss. A Great Emperor gasped in alarm, "The Blood Fiend Great Emperor is heading toward the Grand Dao Sect? Is he truly going to demand the person?"
Everyone was utterly shocked. As expected of the Tianluo Hall! Their arrogance was overwhelming! Everyone knew that the Blood Fiend Great Emperor's every move represented the will of the Tianluo Hall. How would the Grand Dao Sect respond to the Tianluo Hall personally demanding the Empress?
For a time, several intelligence factions secretly followed the Blood Fiend Great Emperor, eager to be the first to know the outcome.
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor sneered, ignoring the tails behind him. He had only one goal at the Grand Dao Sect: to demand the person!
Furthermore, on his way to the Grand Dao Sect, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor received a transmission from the Nineteenth Elder of the Tianluo Hall branch, the Shadow Great Emperor. "Elder Blood Fiend, proceed to the Grand Dao Sect to demand the person first! I will follow with the Hall Master's decree!"
The Blood Fiend Great Emperor was excited. "As you command, Nineteenth Elder!" He hadn't expected the Nineteenth Elder from the main hall to personally descend! And with Hall Master Soul Sever's decree! This time, the Grand Dao Sect would have no choice but to surrender the person!
With a cold laugh, the Blood Fiend Great Emperor muttered darkly, "Empress Fuyao, you cannot escape the grasp of my Tianluo Hall! The Grand Dao Sect cannot protect you! I have spoken!"
Boom! The Blood Fiend Great Emperor, along with his two Great Emperor servants, tore through the void toward the Grand Dao Sect.
***
Grand Dao Sect, Azure Mystery Peak.
Lu Xuan slowly withdrew his hand from Ji Fuyao's jade-like back. Her fiery-red dress was now soaked with sweat, clinging to her delicate body, revealing her perfect curves and a tempting aura.
"Master, thank you..." Ji Fuyao's face was crimson, her soft lips barely forming the words.
Lu Xuan simply nodded.
Ji Fuyao gave Lu Xuan a quick, respectful bow, then swiftly moved her long, fair legs and hurried away. In her mind, she kept replaying the image of herself moaning delicately before Lu Xuan... So embarrassing! Fortunately, Master wasn't an outsider! Otherwise, she would truly want to find a hole to crawl into!
Ji Fuyao glanced at the sky. After a quick bath, it would be time to prepare Master's meal.
She quickly returned to her cave dwelling, her slender hands forming countless seals and restrictions, causing brilliant spiritual runes to surge around the entrance. With a thought, her fiery-red dress slowly slipped off, revealing her snow-white, tender shoulders and perfect peaks. Her smooth, delicate abdomen was dotted with sweat, like drops of precious jade dew. She moved her long legs and slowly stepped into the bathtub, splashing the water.
The steam was thick, vaguely outlining her perfect, alluring figure. Like a goddess stepping out of a painting, Ji Fuyao was breathtakingly beautiful.
Her slender hands gently patted the water's surface as she recalled needing one or two more treatments from her Master, causing her face to flush again.
Slap! Slap!
But she had to admit, Master's medical expertise was unparalleled. Her inner world, where her soul had been tattered like broken cotton, was now completely restored, like a tender new sprout, crystalline and radiating divine splendor. Moreover, Lu Xuan's healing energy had circulated countless times through her body, nourishing her meridians and vital organs.
The sounds she made in front of Lu Xuan truly weren't intentional... it was just that Master's treatment was too comfortable!
Yet, deep down, she felt a tiny, almost imperceptible thrill at the thought of her Master seeing her in that state. What am I hoping for?
Thinking this, Ji Fuyao gently stroked her delicate face with her jade hand, looking down at her reflection in the water. She whispered, "Ji Fuyao, Ji Fuyao, how can you be like this? You cannot be disrespectful to Master!" She felt that in Lu Xuan's presence, she had regressed into an innocent, naive maiden.
Oh, my! That was her Master, a figure who had likely endured countless epochs in the Southern Wilds, cultivating for thousands of years.
After indulging in a few more stray thoughts, Ji Fuyao forcefully controlled herself, composing her mind and refusing to dwell on these matters. A tangled mess that cannot be cut... these are feelings.
Soon after, Ji Fuyao slowly stepped out of the tub, her body radiating a faint divine light, like a celestial being. With a thought, a fiery-red dress wrapped around her delicate figure.
It was time to cook for Master.
Ji Fuyao stepped out of the cave and walked toward the thatched cottage, where Lu Xuan was already lying on his recliner. Seeing Lu Xuan's leisurely appearance, Ji Fuyao smiled sweetly. This peaceful life is truly wonderful.
Suddenly!
The distant sky above the Grand Dao Sect violently tore open. An incomparably terrifying aura condensed, ripping apart the clear, ten-thousand-mile expanse of the firmament. A brilliant, blood-red light manifested between heaven and earth.
A deafening roar exploded in the void, like thunder, shaking the Grand Dao Sect for thousands of miles.
Boom!
The void ripped! Space twisted!
Three figures emerged from the spatial rift. It was the Blood Fiend Great Emperor and his two Great Emperor servants!