The Fury of the Empress

Ye Xuan stared at her coldly. "What did you say?"

Wu Lingxiao did not flinch, meeting his gaze directly. "I want to stay by your side."

"Whether to atone, to make amends, or for any other reason... I want to stay."

"Your situation now is no easier than before. You have many enemies, and they will only grow stronger. If you don't have strong enough people guarding your path by your side, it will be dangerous."

"And I can help you."

"I am now at the peak of the Mahayana realm, capable of suppressing an entire region. I also have the intelligence, resources, and connections of the Great Xia Dynasty. Many things that are inconvenient for you to do, I can do on your behalf."

"As long as you're willing, I can abandon everything and journey with you."

As she spoke these words, her voice never rose, yet it carried a profound seriousness.

Ye Xuan fell silent.

Not because he was moved.

But because he was weighing the options.

Because one thing Wu Lingxiao had said was true.

Right now, he truly lacked a powerful figure who could hold the line by his side.

Ying'er was dear to him, but her cultivation was still too shallow.

And his own growth still needed time.

If he could have a peak Mahayana expert by his side at this moment, many of his plans would become far easier to execute.

But then...

Ye Xuan stared at Wu Lingxiao, his gaze ice-cold.

"What makes you think I'd trust you?"

Wu Lingxiao's expression dimmed slightly.

She was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "Because I have no other choice."

"If you don't trust me, I can swear a Dao Oath."

"If you're still uneasy, I can hand over a wisp of my natal soul imprint to you."

Ying'er gasped sharply.

A natal soul imprint meant practically handing over one's vital weakness.

This Female Emperor was willing to go this far just to stay by Ye Xuan's side?

Ye Xuan was about to nod in agreement, but at that very instant, a stir rose in his heart.

Ever since refining the Heart-Penetrating Marrow, his perception of the "colors" of others' intentions had become as sharp as instinct.

Wu Lingxiao's humble confession moments ago should have appeared to him as crimson as fire — a blazing intensity of genuine emotion so fierce it nearly scorched.

Yet somehow, he felt something was off. That faint sense of dissonance stuck in him like a splinter lodged deep in his soul.

A sudden idea struck him: Why not use his newly acquired ability right now to peer completely into this Great Xia Female Emperor's true heart toward him?

After all, she had already volunteered to hand over her natal soul imprint. If he probed her now, it couldn't be considered discourteous.

Moreover... he needed to confirm whether this woman was truly worth temporarily lowering his guard.

The corner of Ye Xuan's mouth curled faintly. His expression remained unchanged as he said plainly, "Swear a Dao Oath? Surrender your natal soul imprint? Wu Lingxiao, you really are going all out."

Even as he spoke, he silently activated his divine sense.

A woven strand of blood-red runes, refined from the Heart-Penetrating Marrow, flickered briefly in the depths of his ashen pupils, spreading invisibly toward Wu Lingxiao's entire being.

The next instant, visions flooded his sea of consciousness like a tide.

He saw.

Within Wu Lingxiao's heart, the color representing "love"... was only half!

One half burned a blazing crimson, dense enough to drip blood — that was her attachment to him, her remorse, and a certain almost pathological possessiveness.

The other half was an icy, piercing gray-black! Woven through that darkness were faint flecks of dark-gold light.

That was ambition, calculation, and a lofty condescension — the desire to watch over and control.

Ye Xuan's expression changed drastically.

This was impossible!

Wu Lingxiao had long been afflicted by his [One Conquest, Eternal Conquest] law.

Once [One Conquest, Eternal Conquest] took effect, it was the supreme path of domination — loyalty and affection should have been sealed at their absolute maximum, never to betray.

Yet now, her heartfelt loyalty was only at half?

This meant... deep within her soul, some power was silently neutralizing the erosion of the law!

Ye Xuan's pupils contracted sharply. His voice turned bone-chillingly cold in an instant:

"Time Dao Body... Wu Lingxiao, you actually possess a Time Dao Body!"

Wu Lingxiao's lowered eyes snapped open abruptly. On that noble, cold, imperial face, there was no trace left of the softness or humility of moments before. In its place was a sinister smirk.

"Heh... realizing it now is already too late."

Her voice was no longer soft, carrying instead a metallic sharpness and mockery.

Her Golden Emperor Robe billowed without wind. The crimson-gold dragon-patterned jade pendant at her waist hummed and trembled, and the spiritual energy of the entire plain was drained dry in an instant, transforming into golden chains of law-like power that enveloped Ye Xuan and Ying'er.

Ying'er's face turned deathly pale. She instinctively threw herself in front of Ye Xuan, crying out, "Husband, be careful!"

But it was already too late.

Wu Lingxiao formed seals with both hands, her ten fingers hooking like claws, and she spoke in a low chant: "Time Reversal · Seal!"

Boom!

A profoundly mysterious surge of Time Law power erupted.

It was not a simple attack, but something that directly targeted the mark of [One Conquest, Eternal Conquest] deep within Ye Xuan's soul.

The Time Dao Body was naturally born to counter all laws of "eternity" and "fixation." It could reset already-conquered results to zero in a single instant, allowing Wu Lingxiao's mind to briefly break free from control.

Ye Xuan felt a violent tremor in his sea of consciousness. The law power that had held down Wu Lingxiao's soul, so steady that it seemed unshakable, was suddenly ripped apart by an invisible hand. It loosened in that instant!

"Damn it!"

He roared, trying to mobilize all the spiritual power in his body for a counterattack.

But the backlash of the Time Dao Body came too fast, too vicious. Wu Lingxiao had been ready for this all along. The terrifying cultivation of peak Mahayana exploded without reserve, turning into a dazzling golden radiance that swept both Ye Xuan and Ying'er into its wake.

"Come!"

She sneered, her form transforming into a streak of light. With the two of them wrapped within, she tore through the void and vanished from the desolate plain in an instant.

Ye Xuan barely had time to shield Ying'er before the world spun violently around him.

The next moment, he was slammed hard into a cold, damp stone prison cell.

This was the Demon Suppression Hall, buried in the deepest reaches of the Great Xia Imperial Palace's underground dungeons.

The walls were forged from ten-thousand-year-old dark iron, covered in ancient runes that suppress the soul.

Above, a blood-red demon lamp swayed, casting light over chains, wickedly sharp implements, and a forest of torture devices. The air reeked of old blood and decay.

Ye Xuan tried to speak, but a heavy blow struck his chest.

Bang!

Wu Lingxiao kicked him square in the lower abdomen, sending him flying backward to crash into the iron wall with a dull, thunderous impact.

"Ye Xuan, did you truly believe that relying on [One Conquest, Eternal Conquest], you could conquer Me?"

Wu Lingxiao's voice was viciously cold. She advanced step by step, robe billowing, her presence as deep as an abyss.

All traces of that earlier softness were utterly gone, replaced by sovereign imperial majesty and a long-suppressed savagery.

A coppery taste surged in Ye Xuan's throat, and he spat out blood.

He forced himself up, standing protectively in front of Ying'er, and spoke in a raspy voice that still carried a laugh: "Wu Lingxiao... you really know how to hide your hand."

Ying'er paled in terror, yet she clung tightly to his sleeve, murmuring, "Husband..."

Wu Lingxiao gave Ye Xuan no time to breathe. Her leg lashed out like a whip, striking him squarely on the shoulder. He was hurled three zhang away, crashing heavily to the ground.

"I have tolerated you for far too long!"

She ground her teeth, flames of rage burning in her eyes: "Did you think a petty conquest law could make Me your obedient slave? Ridiculous!"

Before her words even faded, she had already closed the distance, grabbing Ye Xuan by the hair and slamming his head hard against the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

She delivered three consecutive knee strikes to the back of his skull, his spine, and his lower back.

Each blow carried the terrifying force of a Grand Ascension peak cultivator, yet was precisely aimed to avoid fatal zones—only leaving him in excruciating agony, without allowing him to black out.

Ye Xuan let out a muffled groan, blood gushing from the corners of his mouth.

“Husband!” Ying'er screamed and lunged forward, but Wu Lingxiao casually waved her hand, and a golden light shackled her in place, frozen—she could only watch helplessly.

Wu Lingxiao grinned viciously, crouching down to stare at Ye Xuan’s handsome yet blood-streaked face from above.

She reached out, her fingertip tracing lightly across his cheek, then suddenly gripped his chin hard, forcing his head up.

“Look at yourself now... still think you’re that lofty conqueror?”

With her other hand, she tore open Ye Xuan’s white robes, revealing his sturdy chest already covered in bruises.

Her fingertips glowed with spiritual energy, and she slashed viciously across his chest, leaving a deep gash that nearly exposed the bone.

She grew more excited with every word, her voice dripping with morbid glee: “Did you really think you could just order me around?”

Ye Xuan gasped for air, but there was not a shred of fear in his eyes—instead, a cold smirk curled at the corner of his mouth: “So... you pretended to be weak, all just for this moment?”

Wu Lingxiao burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the dungeon, grating and harsh.

“That’s right! I’ve waited too long for this day! Now, you and your little girl are both in my hands. I’m going to make you taste what it truly means to wish you were dead!”

She rose, and with a casual summon, a barbed black iron whip flew into her hand.

The first lash fell across Ye Xuan’s back, flesh and blood flying.

Ye Xuan clenched his jaw, letting out a muffled grunt, but refused to beg.

The second lash, the third...

Wu Lingxiao’s blows grew heavier and heavier, each one carrying the lingering power of time law, preventing the wounds from healing—instead, they festered and worsened.

“Scream! Beg me!” Wu Lingxiao panted, her eyes wild with twisted pleasure. “Aren’t you so good at conquering women? Why not try using your law to conquer me again?”

Ye Xuan, drenched in blood, suddenly let out a low laugh: “Wu Lingxiao... you think this is how you win?”

He gritted his teeth against the agony, forcing his head up. Deep in his ashen pupils, the faint crimson mark was beginning to flicker back to life.

“So what if you have the Time Dao Body? Your heart... was still half-conquered by me. That half of crimson red—that wasn’t fake.”

Wu Lingxiao’s expression wavered slightly, but her grin immediately turned even more savage: “So what? If I kill you right now, that half will vanish into nothing!”

She raised the whip, ready to strike again, but suddenly paused.

Because Ye Xuan’s smile was only deepening.

“Kill me? Would you really be able to let go?”

His voice was hoarse, yet carried a strange certainty: “Your Time Dao Body can only briefly suppress the law—it can’t erase it completely. Once the law stabilizes again... I wonder, will you find yourself kneeling before me once more, calling me ‘husband’?”