From the fake emperor to the concubine

After forcibly convincing himself with logic, the iron turtle felt much more at ease.

That arrogant confidence filled my chest once again!
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Without another word, he swung his heavy, black halberd across the battlefield. A crescent-shaped gale tore through the air, emitting a piercing shriek, like an invisible giant scythe, slashing towards Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling at the waist!

Zhang Yunfan, who was directly in the blast, suddenly changed his expression! He felt an overwhelming force rushing towards him, almost blowing him away.

He dared not hold back in the slightest, frantically pouring his meager Qi Refining stage spiritual power into the ancient greatsword in his hand, shouting under his breath, and doing his utmost to block forward!

Ding--!
A crisp yet deafening clang of metal clashing rang out! A gust of wind slammed violently against the sword.

Zhang Yunfan felt as if his arms had been struck by a giant hammer, and his tiger's mouth instantly split open, bleeding profusely!

A terrifying force surged into his body through the sword hilt, as if his internal organs had shifted.

Like a kite with a broken string, he flew backward uncontrollably, his feet leaving the ground. His feet plowed two deep tracks in the slippery rocky ground, sliding back a good seven or eight zhang before he leaned against a gnarled ancient tree and barely managed to steady his swaying body.

A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he forcibly suppressed the rising fishy smell. His hands were numb and trembling so much that he almost lost all feeling, and the great sword in his hand almost slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

In stark contrast to Zhang Yunfan's disheveled state, Wei Siling, standing beside him, didn't even flinch.

The fierce gale, powerful enough to severely injure or even cut a Qi Refining cultivator in half, was like the gentlest breeze in spring when it reached her. It merely lifted a corner of her elegant dress before vanishing without a trace.

She didn't even activate her protective spiritual power; it was purely the absolute suppression brought about by the difference in their cultivation levels!

"How is this possible?" Iron Turtle's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he stared at Wei Siling in disbelief.

The palms of his hands, gripping the halberd, were instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Although he didn't use his full strength, that sweeping attack just now was something that a mere Qi Refining stage ant could not easily withstand and survive.

What's even more terrifying is that this woman... she didn't even make any defensive stance! To her, his attacks were like a child waving a branch, not even worthy of making her move a step!
With just a trivial probing attack, Iron Turtle's self-deceiving wish was completely crushed.

As if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, he instantly sobered up.

This woman is definitely not relying on any magical means to conceal her presence.

Rather, it's her own strength that is truly terrifying.

Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly seized the iron tortoise's heart.

His mind went blank, and he didn't even have the energy to analyze why a strong person like Wei Siling would become Zhang Yunfan's servant.

Without any hesitation, and without even bothering to say a word of politeness, he turned around and ran away.

The heavy, tortoise-shell-shaped plate armor did not become a burden; instead, under his full power, it revealed mysterious runes.

The rocks beneath his feet shattered with a deafening roar, and he transformed into a blurry streak of black light, fleeing for his life at a terrifying speed completely disproportionate to his size!
The speed was so fast that Zhang Yunfan only saw a blur before his eyes, and the massive body of the Iron Turtle was already dozens of feet away, while the afterimage was still in place.

Compared to this iron lump, Zhang Yunfan's escape speed when he was being chased by Wei Siling was as slow as a snail crawling!
A clear, cold snort, like jade beads falling onto a plate, clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

The sound, though not loud, carried a chilling quality that pierced the very soul, causing the fleeing iron tortoise to pause almost imperceptibly.

Zhang Yunfan's heart skipped a beat. He inexplicably felt that the cold snort seemed to contain a hint of dissatisfaction with his previous slippery escape.

That disdainful snort hadn't ended yet.

Wei Siling had already moved.

She didn't exude any earth-shattering aura; she moved with light, graceful steps, her posture even carrying a touch of languid elegance.

However, the speed was beyond what was expected.

She appeared to be strolling leisurely, yet the space beneath her feet seemed to be compressed.

One moment she was still in the same spot, the next she was already behind the fleeing Iron Turtle like a ghost.

The terrifying speed that the iron tortoise unleashed, enough to drive Zhang Yunfan to despair, was like a mosquito frozen in amber in front of Wei Siling—ridiculously slow.

She easily caught up with the prey carrying the heavy tortoise shell!
There were no earth-shattering moves, no dazzling spiritual energy.

Wei Siling simply extended a fair, delicate, and beautiful hand, her movements light and casual, as if she were merely brushing away non-existent dust from the other person's shoulder.

With an almost elegant rhythm, devoid of any worldly air, the palm lightly imprinted itself on the back of the iron tortoise's thick, rune-covered plate armor.

The moment Wei Siling's delicate hand touched the back of his thick armor, the Iron Turtle's majestic figure seemed to have its fate choked by an invisible hand of law.

He maintained his posture of running at full speed, but his whole body seemed to be frozen in mid-air as if he had been hit by a top-level immobilization spell!
Time, at this moment, lost its usual flow.

Zhang Yunfan felt that there was only deathly silence all around him, with only the whistling of the wind blowing through the cracks in the rocks and his own heavy breathing.

Was it a moment, or several hours? The figure frozen in mid-air became the only still focus in the world.

The next moment, there was no explosion without warning, nor any horrific scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere.

The Iron Turtle's meticulously crafted, heavy plate armor, covered with defensive runes, along with the flesh and blood beneath it, began to disintegrate silently, like a fragile sand sculpture weathered over millions of years.

Fine cracks instantly covered his entire body. Then, his whole body, along with the heavy halberd, turned into countless extremely fine grains of sand, shimmering with metallic luster and dark red flesh!

These grains of sand did not fall vertically, but were drawn by an invisible force, swirling and slowly drifting upwards.

Like the ashes of burning paper money, or a silent storm of metal and flesh, full of deathly beauty.

They hovered in the air, reflecting the dappled light and shadow at the bottom of the cliff, and finally melted away silently in the cool autumn breeze, leaving no trace of their existence.

Almost at the same instant the iron tortoise completely vanished, the air behind where it had been hovering was torn apart as if by an invisible giant hand.

A pitch-black spatial rift, its edges crackling with unstable silver-white lightning, appeared out of thin air. Inside the rift, bizarre and chaotic void currents of color filled the air.

It existed for less than a breath before the terrifying rift quickly closed and disappeared under the self-healing power of the laws of space.

pat.

A delicate sachet, made of the finest silk, fell to the ground from where the tear disappeared, making a soft sound.

On the sachet, a lifelike peony embroidered with gold and colorful silk still exudes elegance and beauty even in the dim light, creating an eerie contrast with the somber scene.

Only then did Zhang Yunfan feel a dryness and tightness in his throat. He subconsciously swallowed, the swallowing motion standing out clearly in the deathly silence.

Every time he witnessed Wei Siling make a move, it was like a cold hammer striking Zhang Yunfan's defenses.

He felt the despairing gap with absolute clarity, and a heartfelt, chilling sense of relief rose from the bottom of his heart.

Fortunately, the mysterious senior in their sea of ​​consciousness intervened and forcibly established a master-servant contract.

Otherwise, given the vast difference in strength between him and Wei Siling, even if there were a hundred or a thousand of them, they would be nothing more than dust that she could wipe away with a flick of her finger!

"What, scared?" Zheng Yi's mocking voice suddenly rang in the depths of Zhang Yunfan's mind: "Are you worried that one day in your sleep, you will be like this iron turtle, with your head silently ripped off by this woman and turned into a handful of ashes?"

A complex and unspeakable bitter smile appeared on Zhang Yunfan's face. He slowly shook his head: "Senior, please stop testing me."

His thoughts echoed in his mind, carrying a hint of weariness and an all-knowing calm: "I know she's demonstrating her strength to me, it's a carefully prepared performance. Otherwise, with her strength, killing someone wouldn't require such a commotion."

"On the one hand, it's telling me her value. As long as I don't have the intention to kill her and keep her alive, the convenience and benefits she can bring me will far exceed my imagination."

"On the other hand, it was a deterrent. She was warning me not to have any unrealistic fantasies, such as trying to force her to do something beyond her bottom line through a contract, or coveting her secrets."

"She made it clear to me that if I wanted to harm her, even with a contract in place, she would at least have a way to take me down with her."

Zheng Yi let out a low chuckle that was hard to decipher, but it carried a hint of approval in his mind: "Heh... For a man your age to be so calm when facing a woman, that's really something."

"Remember what she did today. Remember that no matter how sweetly this woman smiles at you or how humble she acts, every move she makes is purposeful, like a venomous spider weaving its web. One day in the future, don't let yourself be blinded by affection or illusions and do something foolish that you'll regret."

“However,” Zheng Yi changed the subject, his tone carrying a sense of confidence that he was in control of the situation, “you don’t need to be so paranoid.”

"The contract between my master and servant is not as simple as you imagine. Her strength does indeed overwhelm yours, but as long as the contract mark remains, she can never do anything that directly endangers your life. This is an absolute restriction at the rule level."

Zheng Yi's voice carried a hint of encouragement, "Stop your unnecessary pity and concerns, and make the most of her."

"Treat her like the sharpest knife and the strongest shield. Squeeze every last drop of value out of her until... you no longer need her, or until you are able to truly control her."

Zhang Yunfan responded to Zheng Yi in his mind's eye: "Senior is right, junior will definitely keep it in mind!"

This promise sounds more like a reluctant, perfunctory response.

Zheng Yi's residing divine sense was incredibly sharp, and it immediately picked up on the insincerity in the words. He let out a short, sneer: "What? You feel guilty for taking advantage of such a charming and gentle beauty? Feeling remorseful? Kid, half the bones in the cultivation world are piled up because of those three words: 'can't bear to'!"

Zhang Yunfan's gaze fell upon the dust and sand whipped up by the wind in the distance, but his eyes were unusually clear and firm as he slowly shook his head: "Not because she is a woman..."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts for a more precise expression: "It's just this feeling of forcibly twisting someone else's will, controlling them like a puppet on a string..."

He subconsciously rubbed his fingertips, as if some invisible shackles still lingered on them: "It just makes me feel a little uncomfortable. It has nothing to do with her appearance or gender, but with the person herself."

He took a deep breath of the cool air, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and adopted a slightly self-deprecating tone: "However, please rest assured, senior, I am not a pedantic person. In this dog-eat-dog world, this practice is not inherently wrong; it is the way of survival. Only..."

He closed his eyes slightly: "It's just that I can't get over this hurdle in my own heart yet."

This candid analysis seems more real than any vow.

The two communicated with lightning speed in their spiritual space, a mere instant in the outside world.

When Zhang Yunfan refocused his gaze, Wei Siling had already gracefully moved back to stand in front of him.

Her slender, delicate hands held the peony sachet that had fallen from the spatial rift, her face displaying just the right amount of respect.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy of trees, dancing on her raven-feather-like sideburns, but failing to penetrate her deep, pool-like eyes.

"Owner,"

Wei Siling's voice was still sweet and melodious, as if it had been soaked in honey.

She presented the sachet with both hands: "I have examined it. This sachet is no ordinary object. It is a very exquisite soul-nourishing artifact."

She gently brushed her fingertips over the lifelike golden peony on the sachet and explained, "When you wear this sachet to cultivate, the 'Soul-Gathering Incense' contained within will naturally emanate, which can nourish the cultivator's soul and cleanse distracting thoughts. Although the benefit is minimal each time, it will greatly help to stabilize one's Dao heart and improve one's cultivation progress over time."

She raised her eyes and looked at Zhang Yunfan: "Not only is it suitable for the Qi Refining stage, but even if the master breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage or even higher, this item can continue to be of assistance until a better spiritual weapon is found."

Zhang Yunfan accepted the sachet as instructed. It felt smooth and slightly cool to the touch, characteristic of fine silk, with a strange, subtle allure.

He subconsciously brought the sachet close to his nose, and an indescribable refreshing scent instantly entered his nasal cavity.

It is neither the cloying sweetness of cosmetics commonly used by young ladies, nor the heavy sandalwood incense that permeates Buddhist temples and meditation halls.

It was a kind of primal, pure natural atmosphere, like the moist soil full of life in a deep mountain valley after the first drizzle of early spring, the tender grass and leaves covered with dew, and the rocks washed clean by the rain.

This pure energy penetrated straight to the heavens, easing the tension in my heart that had just witnessed the carnage, and calming the turbulent thoughts churning in my mind.

Just a whiff is enough to refresh the mind and spirit. (End of Chapter)