Chapter 203: Call Me Master

A shadowy figure rose from the Tai'e Sword—it was Mi Li. Earlier, she had been wearing Zu'an's clothes, but now, in her soul state, she had reverted to her previous imperial empress attire.

Zu'an muttered to himself, "She's just a soul, why is she still wearing clothes? Who is she protecting herself from?"

Noticing his gaze, Mi Li grew annoyed and scoffed, "Isn't it your fault I'm so weak? What's wrong with absorbing these spirits' energy to mend my soul? Now, our lives are intertwined, so you'd better hope my soul becomes as complete as possible."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'd love for Empress Sister to live for tens of thousands of years—no, to be immortal," Zu'an said with an obsequious smile.

"Alas, from ancient times to now, no matter how powerful someone's cultivation, they can never escape the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. There's no such thing as immortality," Mi Li lamented, then suddenly snorted. "Besides, you look like a short-lived fellow anyway. What good would it do if I lived a long life alone?"

"Why am I short-lived?" Zu'an immediately protested.

"Your mouth is too good at attracting hatred. You're bound to make many enemies in this life, so of course you have the look of someone doomed to a short life," Mi Li said coldly.

"In life, as one cultivates, how can one fear enemies? In my opinion, those enemies aren't dangers; they're whetstones that gradually sharpen me and make me stronger," Zu'an stated in a deep voice.

Mi Li was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect this; I underestimated you. You actually possess such insight."

Even Chu Chuyan, standing nearby, couldn't help but turn to look at him, clearly surprised by his perspective as well.

As for Qiao Xueying, she was already used to it. When they fought side-by-side to break the Three Seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man, she had already realized that he was not the useless son-in-law she had once thought him to be.

At this moment, Zu'an let out a laugh. "Of course! A dashing man like me always attracts special attention from women, no matter where I go."

Mi Li: "..."

Chu Chuyan: "..."

Qiao Xueying: "..."

"I take back what I just said. This guy's shamelessness is exactly the same as before."

Mi Li spoke up, "Alright, to ensure you live a bit longer, let me remind you: it wasn't just me who benefited from refining those 200,000 spirits. The damaged sword spirit of the Tai'e Sword also received immense nourishment and, to some extent, recovered a portion of its former strength."

"In future battles, you can activate its 'Authority Domain,' which will exert immense pressure on enemies. Those with lower cultivation will be completely immobilized, and even those with higher cultivation will have their strength significantly weakened."

Zu'an was overjoyed. "Doesn't that mean I can walk around with impunity from now on?"

Mi Li snorted. "It's not that simple. Although the Authority Domain is powerful, activating it consumes a tremendous amount of energy. You won't be able to use it a second time within half a month. So, try not to use this move if you can handle things yourself, lest you find yourself on the brink of death and unable to activate it."

Zu'an, however, felt relieved, as a skill so powerful without any restrictions would go against the rules of the Heavenly Dao. "By the way, when you mentioned 'lower cultivation' and 'higher cultivation' earlier, what specific ranks are you referring to? It would help me prepare."

Mi Li replied, "I only know the state of the Tai'e Sword's Authority Domain at its peak. Its current Authority Domain is certainly far less powerful than it once was, so I'm not entirely sure. You'll have to figure it out through experience in combat."

"I see..." Zu'an felt a bit disappointed, but his mood quickly brightened. He was an optimistic person, and receiving the "Authority Domain" was already an unexpected bonus, so he didn't dwell on the details.

He noticed Qiao Xueying's face was particularly pale and hurried over to check on her. "What's wrong with her?"

Chu Chuyan said, "I used my primal energy to temporarily stabilize her internal injuries, but she still needs proper medical treatment as soon as possible."

Zu'an irritably flicked the blade of the Tai'e Sword. "You were truly too ruthless just now."

Mi Li snorted coldly. "It was already merciful of this Empress not to take her life just now."

Zu'an ignored her, walked over, and gently helped Qiao Xueying into his arms. Just as he was about to heal her, Mi Li's voice rang out:

"Are you planning to heal her using the Primordial Chaos Sutra?"

"Yes," Zu'an replied, looking puzzled. "Is there a problem?"

Mi Li explained, "You can't heal her. The Primordial Chaos Sutra allows for body tempering at the first layer, purification of evil at the second, and detoxification from all poisons at the third. You need to reach the fourth layer before you can heal others. You're still far from that."

Zu'an paused, surprised. "But I just healed Chuyan's injuries and repaired her primal meridians, didn't I?"

Chu Chuyan, standing nearby, blushed and uncomfortably turned her face away, as if she hadn't heard their conversation.

Mi Li clarified, "That wasn't a normal healing method. It relied on the harmony of yin and yang, along with your transcendent essence blood, which requires intimate physical contact to heal. But you can't have intimate relations with someone every time you want to save them, can you? It might be fine for women, but what if a man is injured? How would you save him?"

The thought of getting intimate with a man sent shivers down Zu'an's spine; he almost gagged.

"I'd have to be sick to save a man like that. Of course, I'll only save women."

"Don't blame me for not being a good brother; it's just... (cough, cough) ...I just can't bring myself to do it."

"Besides," Mi Li added, glancing at Qiao Xueying, "not all women would be willing to be saved by your method. Don't believe me? Ask her."

Zu'an quickly leaned closer to Qiao Xueying. "Xue'er, our friendship is one forged in life and death. Don't worry, I'll risk my life to save you. I won't begrudge a little bit of essence blood. I'll dedicate myself fully, until my dying breath..."

"Go to hell!" He was cut off by Qiao Xueying before he could finish. Her face flushed crimson, and she used her remaining strength to push him away.

Chu Chuyan quickly rushed to support her, then shot Zu'an a glare. "At a time like this, you're still making such jokes."

Zu'an felt wronged. "I just wanted to save her. I don't even mind the loss of my vital essence and blood, so why are you all scolding me?"

Chu Chuyan: "..."

Qiao Xueying: "..."

Mi Li also had a bewildered expression. "The extent of your shamelessness truly redefines my understanding, again and again."

Zu'an sighed and lamented, but since Qiao Xueying was not in immediate mortal danger, he didn't push the issue further.

However, he still grumbled inwardly, "Hmph, it's true what they say: 'three monks have no water to drink.' If those other two women weren't here, Xue'er might have just gone along with it, half-reluctantly."

Just then, the Tai'e Sword suddenly flew up, its hilt striking Chu Chuyan and Qiao Xueying on the back of their necks. Both women instantly collapsed softly.

Chu Chuyan had been preoccupied with caring for Qiao Xueying and still burdened by her earlier encounter with Zu'an, so she was completely unprepared. She had not expected a sudden attack from behind.

As for Qiao Xueying, she was completely defenseless at this point.

"What are you doing?!" Zu'an exclaimed in shock, angrily questioning Mi Li while checking on the two women. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he found they were only unconscious.

"Kill them!" Mi Li said coldly.

Zu'an angrily retorted, "Are you insane?!"

Mi Li snorted. "I know you have close ties with them, but romantic relationships are utterly unreliable. You have too many secrets, and almost all of them were revealed to them this time—not just your transcendent aptitude and your knowledge of the Primordial Chaos Sutra... By the way, if I'm not mistaken, you also know the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, don't you?"

Zu'an was startled and looked at her warily. "How did you know?"

Mi Li let out a soft laugh, a hint of arrogance in her phoenix eyes. "The heavier your injuries were before, the more your speed, strength, and other abilities would far exceed your actual cultivation level. Back in the day, I read widely in the imperial palace and came across relevant records. How could I not have guessed?"

Zu'an fell silent. This woman had exceptionally high cultivation and vast knowledge; it wouldn't be easy to fool her in the future.

"However, the one thing I can't figure out is why the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra doesn't seem to grant immortality. Why couldn't I kill you before, no matter what I did?" Mi Li's brows furrowed tightly as she pondered the various ancient texts she had read; none of them mentioned such a bizarre phenomenon.

Zu'an felt a bit awkward. The name "Rich Woman's Pleasure Ball" was just too embarrassing, and he didn't know how to explain it to her.

Fortunately, Mi Li didn't press the issue. "Never mind. I'll eventually find out anyway, as long as I'm by your side."

"What I want to tell you now is that any secret about you, once leaked, will bring about a fatal disaster. You must understand that whether it's the Primordial Chaos Sutra or the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, any single one of them is a treasure manual coveted by everyone under heaven. Not to mention your own transcendent aptitude; who knows how many dying old monsters are coveting your flesh and blood."

"Surely no one actually believes that eating the flesh and blood of someone with transcendent aptitude grants immortality, do they?" Zu'an felt his mouth go dry.

"Even Ying Zheng couldn't resist that temptation back then, let alone others," Mi Li said, her expression becoming more complex as she mentioned Ying Zheng. "For such people, whose power has reached the peak of the current era, who command immense authority and wealth, and for whom countless beauties and handsome men are readily available, they fear death more than anyone."

"To them, as long as there's a chance for immortality, no matter how small, they'll try it. After all, they have nothing to lose. So, once they learn of your transcendent aptitude, they will absolutely devour every last bit of your flesh and even your bones."

Zu'an also felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously replied, "They are my closest companions; they definitely won't reveal these things."

"Ying Zheng was also my closest companion back then, yet wasn't I betrayed by him?" A cruel glint appeared in Mi Li's eyes. "Human hearts and emotions are the most unreliable things in this world. Now that our destinies are bound together, I cannot allow anything to happen to you. So, if you can't bear to do it, I will personally silence them."

No sooner had she spoken than the Tai'e Sword floated in mid-air, subtly preparing to strike down at the two women.

Zu'an was shocked and quickly stepped in front of the two women, speaking rapidly, "You can't deny all emotions in the world just because you were betrayed! Besides, if I were to kill two such close friends for my own selfish gain, how would I be different from the Ying Zheng you speak of? Surely, you wouldn't want to associate with someone like that, would you?"

"Although Ying Zheng was harsh and unfeeling, his decisive actions were far wiser than yours," Mi Li said, even as the sword floating in mid-air slowly lowered.

Zu'an couldn't help but ask, "Why is the Tai'e Sword so obedient to you? Who exactly is its master?"

Mi Li replied coldly, "Because its sword spirit was severely damaged and dormant, in a sense, you can consider me the Tai'e Sword's temporary sword spirit."

"You're the Tai'e Sword's spirit?" Zu'an's eyes lit up. "Then shouldn't you call me master?"

Mi Li: "..."