Chapter 67: This Woman is Too Strong!!!

“Lord Empress, you must be joking; this is the Devil’s Den!”

Lu Jin was utterly stunned. He never imagined Empress Qinglian would make such a request at this time and in this place. Before, it was in the coffin. Now, it was the Devil’s Den. Was she truly this wild?

“What about the Devil’s Den? This Empress has a need: why should I care about the time or place?”

Lu Jin was speechless. Before he could even argue, his body was swept away toward the dark, deepest reaches of the cavern.

“Lord Empress, it is even more dangerous there!”

There were unknown, powerful existences in the depths of the Devil’s Den; he had not even dared to set foot there before.

Empress Qinglian replied: “There are people back there: this Empress is shy.”

Lu Jin had nothing to say to that. His body was completely out of his control. While flying forward, he realised his clothes were being peeled away one by one. By the time he sank into a strange, pitch-black space, there was not a single thread left on his body.

“This…”

He was incredibly nervous, acting as if he had never experienced this before. The truth was that during those three years of rain and clouds within the coffin, he had never truly participated. His physical body had been involved, but his soul had never reached a state of resonance.

Now, things were different. He was tense. In this unfamiliar, dark space, he kept his legs pressed together and his arms across his chest, wondering what would happen next.

“I was the one doing all the work for those three years. Today, it depends on your performance. If you dare to leave this Empress unsatisfied, I will kill you.”

Empress Qinglian’s voice was light, yet it felt like a gentle blade pressing against his kidneys.

“I… I don’t know how to do the work!”

“Bah! You don’t know? You don’t know! Then what was that with Long Xiwei? Stop pretending in front of this Empress!”

Lu Jin was shocked. He clearly did not expect Empress Qinglian to bring that up.

“That was because… because I was poisoned! Someone poisoned me!”

“Poisoned? Good, good, good: you’ve reminded me!”

As Empress Qinglian’s voice fell, Lu Jin saw a series of Cuixin Qingdan fly out of his spatial ring.

“Is this enough? Are these enough? Oh, right, and this one: a great supplement! Eat them all, or I will kill you!”

Lu Jin was completely speechless. Small, pitiful, and helpless, he could only steel himself and swallow them all. He deeply regretted not throwing away the Huangque Pharmacist’s spatial rings. Why did that old man spend his time refining so many strange and specialised pills?

He had no choice but to eat. A mysterious force compelled his body to follow every command Empress Qinglian gave. This was a sin!

“Why do you look so aggrieved?”

Empress Qinglian looked at Lu Jin, her lips pouting slightly in annoyance. “Fine, let’s begin!”

She hardened her heart and shed the loose robe she usually wore, her movements practised and fluid. In the dim environment, a white, jade-like body entered his sight. Lu Jin’s throat bobbed. His gaze involuntarily began to grow hot.

The potency of these pills… is truly intense!

* * *

Time passed in a blur; the spring light ignored the ticking of the clock.

Lu Jin only knew that when he regained his clarity, Empress Qinglian’s figure had vanished. The strange space was gone as well. He lay there in the Devil’s Den, stark naked, sprawled out in the shape of a star. In the distance, the sound of a violent struggle reached him: it was intense, shaking the very earth!

Kacha!

Lu Jin gritted his teeth, feeling somewhat speechless. The Sect Master must have been attacked by demonic beasts! At a time like this, how could he have been doing that?

What a sin!

However, as he dressed and stood up, circulating his spiritual power to rush out, he discovered that his cultivation had surged immensely at some unknown point.

“Huh? My cultivation… is this the 3rd-grade Jindan Realm?”

His eyes were full of disbelief. He thought he was dreaming! But when he inspected his Dantian and saw the runes on his Golden Core, there was no doubt: he was now at the 3rd-grade Jindan level.

One session of fish and water with the Empress, and I advanced to the 3rd-grade Jindan without knowing it? Do I not even need to face a lightning tribulation?

Amidst his surprise, a flash of joy appeared on his face.

I could sweep through the entire Jindan Realm at the 1st-grade. Now that I’ve reached the 3rd-grade, I wonder if I can contend with the early stages of the Purple Mansion Realm?

Lu Jin pondered for a moment. However, the only Purple Mansion Realm expert he had ever seen was Sect Master Chu Tianxiong. Thinking of this, his gaze darkened. The violent fighting outside was definitely Chu Tianxiong battling demons!

“Thinking you can touch the Sect Master? It won’t be that easy!”

Lu Jin took flight, but in that instant, his body felt as if it were bound by something. He looked down and saw black patterns on the ground, spreading in all directions like tree roots. The moment he rose, they bound him, instantly wrapping him in a giant cocoon!

“This is the aura of a Mowang! I…”

Lu Jin was horrified. There were Mowang-level experts within the Devil’s Den, and their combat power was at least equal to the First Transformation of the Purple Mansion Realm. The Mowang that could bind him so silently now was undoubtedly even stronger.

In his shock, a gargantuan creature appeared before him. The horns on its head were larger than its entire body. The aura of this Mowang pressured him so much that his entire body trembled.

It was definitely not lower than the Purple Mansion Fifth Transformation!

Why did such a powerful demon exist here? This was the first time since his return three years ago that the scent of death felt this thick and irresistible.

“Heaven Burial Coffin: devour!”

Lu Jin did not sit still and wait for death. However, just as he was about to take action and fight for his life, Empress Qinglian’s voice drifted out casually.

“You dare provoke my man? Die!”

Boom!

The words carried the force of law. The Mowang exploded right in front of Lu Jin, reduced to absolute nothingness. Not even a mist of blood remained.

Gulp.

Lu Jin swallowed hard. The scene felt utterly surreal.

“What? Are you scared? It was nothing. Can you have a little bit of backbone?”

Empress Qinglian’s voice carried a hint of laziness. Her figure floated before Lu Jin, stretching like a sexy cat. Lu Jin said nothing. This woman was too strong. This was the first time he had truly witnessed her methods.

Exterminating a Mowang with a flick of her fingers! It was beyond overbearing!

“I only helped because you performed well earlier. Kid, keep up the good work. This Empress will come looking for you from time to time.”

Finished, Empress Qinglian’s figure vanished again. Lu Jin’s brow knitted tight, his heart filled with complex emotions. That Mowang had nearly killed him, yet the crisis was resolved in an instant. Just how strong was she? And it seemed she was still far from her peak state. If she returned to her peak, how terrifying would her combat power be?

Lu Jin finally regained his focus. When he flew out, he found the intense battle had already ended. Demonic corpses lay scattered across the ground. Chu Tianxiong stood with his hands behind his back, a look of joy on his face.

“Sect Master, have you completely recovered?” Lu Jin walked over and asked.

“Yes. Not only have I recovered, but my strength is even a level higher than before!” Chu Tianxiong looked at Lu Jin. “Lu Jin, this Seat owes you a massive debt of gratitude!”

Lu Jin waved it off. “Sect Master, there is no need for such formalities. Since you are well, let us leave this Devil’s Den. After all, those Peak Masters and Elders outside are waiting for your grand arrival!”

Chu Tianxiong gave a cold laugh. “Good! This Seat wants to see exactly what kind of waves those clowns think they can make!”

NOTES

Mowang (魔王): Devil King. A high-level demonic entity equivalent to the Purple Mansion Realm.

Cuixin Qingdan (催心青丹): Heart-Piercing Green Pill. An aphrodisiac refined by the Huangque Pharmacist.