One more catty, one more attribute point

"After my return, I was surprised you didn't come to see me immediately. I thought you might be taking this opportunity to go into seclusion," Su Heng said to Li Hongxiu in a joking tone.

His body was almost naked at the moment.

But the two of them were very familiar with each other, and under the calm gaze of Li Hongxiu, Su Heng didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead, he lay back on the edge of the Magma Lake, where there were stairs carved from high-quality Radiant Stones. Radiant Stones not only isolated Demonic Qi but were also extremely hard and had a very high melting point, so they wouldn't be melted by the magma within the lake.

Li Hongxiu was sitting across from Su Heng, slowly sitting down next to the lake, removing her boots, and soaking her fair feet in the water of the lake.

If this were by the banks of a willow-lined lake, the scene would surely be beautiful.

Like a poem or a painting.

But this is the Longevity Sky. This is the Blood Realm.

A weird dark red filled their sight, making the scene look quite eerie.

However, as the physical embodiment of the Blood Realm Will, Li Hongxiu naturally wouldn't be harmed by the magma.

Li Hongxiu's visit this time was mainly to report her work to Su Heng, "The Blood Realm was condensed and born influenced by the Original Blood River. The connection cannot be severed. Thus, the Blood Realm often encounters attacks from powerful demons from within the Original Blood River. The death of these demons becomes nutrients for the Blood Realm, so there was a slight delay."

"Lilith…" Li Hongxiu hesitated before asking, "Have you looked into her situation?"

"En," Su Heng acknowledged, "I just met with her."

Seeing the expression on Su Heng's face, Li Hongxiu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then, with a smile, she said, "That girl is very diligent in her cultivation. Many times, when demons invaded, it was Lilith who stepped up to resolve the situation. Otherwise, even if we could win, if the battlefront were to spread, it would cause irreversible damage to the environment within the Blood Realm."

The Blood Realm has been able to develop from a barren land to the prosperous state Su Heng saw in a short period of time.

It was clear that Li Hongxiu had put in a lot of effort.

Su Heng, too, felt deeply and commented, "Every step in the Longevity Sky is dangerous. Even becoming the World Will is not necessarily an easy task."

Li Hongxiu's visit clearly intended to plead for Lilith. However, since the two had already met, there was no need to dwell on this matter any longer.

On the other hand, the changes in Li Hongxiu after becoming the World Will had taken Su Heng by surprise.

At first meeting, Su Heng remembered Li Hongxiu as silent and somewhat aloof, yet, in all other aspects, remarkably talented. But as she gained power and underwent a transformation in life form, in the time spent together since then, Li Hongxiu gradually exhibited more of a nurturing maternal glow.

Su Heng smiled.

And talked to Li Hongxiu about some things that had happened on the Wanyuan Plain.

When it came to Ryan and Algres, Li Hongxiu's face showed a look of astonishment.

Though she is the will of the Blood Realm, as Su Heng's primary supporter, her intelligence network spans every corner of the Zhou Dynasty.

In this world, some Immortal Sect Families might not take the current Emperor Zhou seriously, but they would definitely give face to Su Heng. Despite such circumstances, Li Hongxiu had not collected any valid information related to Demon Descendants. These two people seemed to have popped up out of nowhere, which was categorically unusual.

"I will arrange for someone to investigate thoroughly next time," Li Hongxiu said with a frown, serious in her tone.

"And Lilith," Su Heng seemed to recall something and reminded, "I suspect some people may be looking for her whereabouts based on how she reacted. These people are very dangerous. If you encounter anything unusual, notify me immediately, and don't try to be a hero."

"Understood."

Li Hongxiu smiled and nodded to Su Heng.

"And this." Su Heng slapped his forehead and extended his hand. A ball of dark green light rose up and floated gently in front of Li Hongxiu.

Li Hongxiu reached out and upon inspection, realized that what was hovering in front of her were two sharp Mantis Blades. These two blades were trophies Su Heng had obtained from Norosa, who nearly chopped the Longevity King into pieces. Most of his strength lay in these two Mantis Blades, which Su Heng had shattered once. Fortunately, with the Insect Swarm Heart, repairing them wasn't too difficult.

"What's this?" Li Hongxiu looked at the two ferociously styled weapons, tilting her head, puzzled.

"A gift for Lilith," Su Heng said with a smile, and at the same time, he took out the head of a Flame Demon and hung it on the pitch-black rock wall beside them.

"Okay," Li Hongxiu, a responsible caretaker, neatly packed away the two weapons, nodding, "I will find the right opportunity to hand them to Lilith."

She withdrew her snowy feet from the pool and stood up, ready to leave.

Su Heng suddenly spoke up, "Do you want anything? Maybe when I am out, I could bring something back for you."

Li Hongxiu was momentarily startled, then pursed her lips, her face reflecting a gentle smile, "My lord, having the life I have now is enough. I do not covet anything else."

Upon saying that...

Li Hongxiu placed her hands together in front of her and bowed deeply to Su Heng.

He then turned and left the secret chamber.

Su Heng drew his gaze back from the slender figure of the girl, his expression peaceful. He took out the heart he had obtained from the King Insect; the giant mass of flesh, once over ten meters in diameter, was now reduced to the size of an apple through some clever use of spatial Divine Skills. Su Heng now pinched it between two fingers, as if a commoner were holding an odd Elixir Pill.

Gulp!

With a gentle toss upward, Su Heng opened his mouth and swallowed it directly.

As he cultivated the Eight-Nine Mysteries Skill to increasingly profound levels, Su Heng's control over his own body became even more instinctual.

To absorb the Authority within the Insect Swarm Heart no longer required the roundabout methods of the past. As the Insect Swarm Heart entered his stomach, the layer of flesh that wrapped around it immediately disintegrated, while the copious amounts of pure energy it contained were absorbed by Su Heng's body. Moreover, the template information stored within was rapidly extracted by Su Heng's mighty spiritual power.

Boom!
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Su Heng's blood coursed through his veins at high velocity, the sound resembling thunder rolling across a vast plain.

Magma churned, smoke billowed, and gusts of wind swept through, casting a large, grotesque shadow on the nearby wall.

Within the Lava Lake, Su Heng had returned to his true form, with crystal clusters shaped like ridged spines protruding from his back, crackling with electricity and buzzing, his molten-gold pupils swirling with an energy tempest.

Splash!

A great amount of lava burst forth like blooming flowers.

Su Heng's body submerged into the depths of the Lava Lake, beginning a period of deep seclusion.

...

...

...

Meanwhile.

In Central State, deep within the majestic Imperial Palace.

Within the Taihe Palace, supported by eighteen huge Coiled Dragon Pillars, atop the throne at its end, Emperor Ji Xuance of the Zhou Dynasty seemed to have recovered a lot compared to before. The ferocity that formerly seemed to devour people was gone, and the bloodshot in his pupils had faded. In its place was a feigned, profound dignity.

He tried his utmost to conceal his emotions, but the slight furrow of his brows betrayed his genuine thoughts.

Bang!

He smashed a wine jar on the floor next to him.

Emperor Ji Xuance, unable to hide his rage, said, "You previously promised to help me enter that realm in exchange. But now? You have broken your word and appeared before me so sheepishly."

Ryan removed the hood from his head, raising it, yet his handsome face remained hidden in the shadows.

A hint of disdain flitted through his emerald eyes. Whether it was Emperor Ji Weihuang or the current Princess Ji Huaxi, both were outstanding figures with extraordinary talents. Why, then, when it came to this former Third Prince, had he become a complete waste? Was this man perhaps picked up from somewhere?

Ryan commented to himself internally.

Nonetheless, he concealed his emotions well, not letting any sign of them show.

"The situation with you was beyond our expectations," Ryan said, his gaze emitting a faint light as it briefly rested on Emperor Ji Xuance before identifying the root of the issue.

Now tied to the same fate, he didn't hide the truth, explaining the situation of Emperor Ji Xuance accurately, "As the Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty treading the Qi Fortune Validation path, to transcend and enter the Realm Lord Realm, one must receive the approval of Dragon Qi. That Dragon Qi should have belonged to you, but unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately what?" Emperor Ji Xuance demanded, his voice low and his expression foul.

"You previously took a wrong path, trying to achieve Dao using the carcass of a Destruction Power. Not only did you fail, but you also dispersed the Dragon Qi within you. Even if I use a Secret Technique to heal you now, without Dragon Qi, breaking through is going to be very difficult."

"That was mine to begin with!"

"Indeed," said Ryan, pacing the floor with a smile, "But now they have found a more suitable host, Princess Ji Huaxi. Most of the Dragon Qi has settled on her, and although you are the Emperor in name, in reality, you lack both power and sufficient dignity. Even the courtiers who come to see you are merely going through the motions."

"So, what then?"

"Aren't you clear about it in your heart, Your Majesty?" Ryan said unhurriedly, "Either you spend a lengthy time in the heavens of Longevity, refining a small world suited for you, and then take massive risks trying to condense your Dao Path. And even if you succeed, you won't possess a third of the former Emperor Wu's power."

"Or simply be more decisive..."

Ryan made a slicing gesture across his neck, his expression turning cold, his voice resonant, "Find a way to directly kill the Princess. At that time, you will be the only successor, and the Dragon Qi will naturally re-converge upon you."

"Moreover, the current Princess is no ordinary person." As the candlelight in the room flickered casting shadows, Ryan's voice carried a seductive tone akin to a whispering Demon, "Not only does she have the Dragon Qi, but she has also accommodated and refined the Phoenix Remnants, and even possessed the True Blood gifted by that monster."

"If you can wrest away her talents, perhaps... you could even surpass your father."