Fu Jinyu's jade-like face gradually turned from white to rosy, clearly aware that this was something shameful.
Yet that "strong woman" spirit always influenced her decisions.
Since she had agreed, she had to follow through, even if she felt a bit embarrassed inside.
Moreover, Xu Mu had already elevated her to the realm-breaking level.
From the moment he treated her injuries until now, every step of her progress had involved Xu Mu.
"Hurry!"
Fu Jinyu directly took off her coat, still acting boldly and openly.
But what she didn't know was that her originally jade-like skin had already turned pink.
Xu Mu stared at the two terrifying beasts before him, deeply shaken in his heart.
Although he had seen them multiple times, the pressure they exerted was still considerable.
"Sister Empress, these beasts are truly formidable, and they even come with mental attacks that can stir the desires within me."
Xu Mu's face was full of solemnity. "Not easy to deal with!"
"Enough with the nonsense!"
Fu Jinyu shot Xu Mu a glare. What was this bastard pretending about?
Xu Mu immediately lay down on Fu Jinyu's lap, his current appearance resembling the time he and Xu Ningbing reminisced about childhood.
But there were quite a few differences.
Back then, Xu Ningbing had her eyes covered, completely unable to see the world before her.
This time was different—this time his mouth was blocked, and he couldn't say a single word.
Fu Jinyu's entire body trembled, and she couldn't help but let out a sound, but she quickly clenched her teeth.
She felt an indescribable sensation in her mind.
A feeling she had never experienced before.
Xu Mu's family had a business, so he naturally belonged to the wealthy class.
At that moment, Fu Jinyu also caught a glimpse of his sheer magnitude.
Since she had already agreed, she could only comply.
...
Xu Mu was being threatened like this for the first time.
Not only was his mouth blocked, but he was also caught by the handle.
Since he couldn't break free, he could only surrender.
When it was over, Xu Mu and Fu Jinyu both collapsed where they were.
As for Fu Jinyu, she had no idea what was happening to her.
She didn't understand why her body would react so strongly just from Xu Mu doing that to her.
That feeling seemed to encompass everything—discomfort, pain, torment, ecstasy...
Especially at the end, she felt as if something had exploded in her mind.
That sensation was several times stronger than the euphoria of breaking through a realm.
As for Xu Mu, it was easier to describe in comparison.
Fu Jinyu's hands were strong enough to crush stones, but fortunately, his physique was unmatched.
Moreover, that powerful force actually became an advantage.
Attacks without strength would be unpleasant.
The stronger one's finger strength, the better.
This was also why most wealthy men married younger wives—because the road ahead was long and arduous.
[Affection +20]
Fu Jinyu stole a glance at Xu Mu, and black text appeared above her head again.
She didn't know why, but it seemed she enjoyed Xu Mu treating her that way.
Yet she didn't dare express it too openly, feeling as if she would seem frivolous.
Since childhood, her father had taught her to carry herself with elegance and grace.
"Lady Empress!"
Just then, Hongyu outside suddenly called out.
Fu Jinyu immediately condensed moisture from the air, washed her hands, and tidied her clothes.
She lightly flicked her hair, and her expression returned to its cold and aloof demeanor.
"What's the matter?"
As she spoke, Fu Jinyu walked outside.
Xu Mu, on the other hand, hadn't washed his hands, and he even touched his nose with them.
How was this thing even invented? How could it never get boring?
He also followed outside and asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing much. The Xiangliu clan people came to remind us again, telling us to remember tomorrow's birthday banquet."
Fu Jinyu sneered and clenched her fist tightly. "This time, they don't even need to invite me—I'm going over there myself!"
Xu Mu nodded lightly. "I'll go with you tomorrow, and I'd like to see this race firsthand."
"Of course."
Fu Jinyu nodded.
...
Xu Mu followed Fu Jinyu into the relic.
According to Fu Jinyu, she had now completely let go, and her state of mind had shifted.
Originally, the Celestial Demon Clan had several subordinate races below them, some of which had followed for over a thousand years.
But just before, Fu Jinyu had allowed them to break away from the Celestial Demon Clan and carve their own paths.
Of course, that also included their own Celestial Demon Clan members.
If anyone wanted to develop independently and felt there was no future within the clan, they were free to leave at any time.
However, before leaving, they needed to sever all ties completely—if they committed crimes in the outside world, the Celestial Demon Clan would have nothing to do with them.
Xu Mu used his perception to inspect and found that the Celestial Demon Clan in the relic had indeed decreased in number, with mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children remaining.
"Being able to let go like that is actually a good thing."
Xu Mu said with a smile.
"You think I did the right thing?"
Fu Jinyu asked.
"Of course. I fully support what you did. Only by making yourself stronger can your race have a future. At this stage, even if they stayed, no one could help you, and it would just mean extra mouths to feed."
Xu Mu glanced at Fu Jinyu. "When you become a top-tier powerhouse, you'll find that your followers will increase."
Fu Jinyu nodded gently. "Compared to the other major races, my strength is still far too weak."
"By the way, the protective formation in this relic of yours isn't very strong, is it?"
Xu Mu suddenly asked. "How about I inscribe a ninth-level illusion array for you to protect your people?"
[Affection +20]
Fu Jinyu's face was full of gratitude. Her original plan had been to move her people away first and find a new place to live.
But she also knew that would exhaust their resources and weary the people. Besides, they had lived here for a very long time and had long since regarded this place as home.
For the elderly, leaving their homeland was truly hard to bear.
But with Xu Mu's help, they could continue living here.
"Xu Mu, thank you."
Fu Jinyu said a thousand words, but in the end, she could only utter this one sentence.
"We're family."
After Xu Mu said this, he began to inscribe the formation here.
A large-scale formation was extremely time-consuming, so he certainly wouldn't cover the entire relic.
Instead, he would extend it from the small mountain where Fu Jinyu resided, spreading downward.
The reason he didn't place the formation at the entrance was that there were almost no experts here, so they couldn't react in time.
For instance, when Fu Jinyu was away, there was usually no one guarding the outside.
If enemies entered the relic, they might pass through the formation area in the blink of an eye.
Besides, their formation here wasn't permanently activated.
But setting it up at Fu Jinyu's residence was different.
This place was located in the rear of the relic. If enemies were confirmed to be coming, the people could all rush backward and enter the formation's range.
At that moment, activating the formation would trap the enemies in the illusion array.
This time, he planned to use five tons of spirit stones to extend the formation's duration to over two years.
Xu Mu thought that would be enough. At most, they could add more spirit stones later.
Fu Jinyu sat on a rock, watching Xu Mu in the distance, completely absorbed in his work.
A woman with a wrinkled face, dressed in plain clothes, sat down beside her.
Within her heavily wrinkled eyelids were pitch-black eyes, her red pupils also fixed on Xu Mu in the distance.
She said in a soft voice, "That kid is pretty good."

uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."

ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"