So what if I have a few billion concubines while I'm cultivating immortality?

"snort."

Inside the hall, Qin Xiao let out a cold snort.

With a slight thought, the five-colored nascent soul in his dantian waved its tiny hand.

Outside the hall, five colors of spiritual energy—gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow—emerged out of thin air and quickly intertwined to form a huge five-colored light net that enveloped the nine pure white lightning threads.

When the lace came into contact with the light net, it burst into a blinding light and a violent roar.

The five-colored light net vibrated and wore away continuously.

Ultimately, he perished along with the nine lightning bolts.

Finally, the dark clouds gathered all their power, and at the center of the cloud layer, a dazzling golden light shone, rapidly expanding.

A terrifying aura descended, sending chills down the spines of all living beings.

The golden light grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into a golden bolt of lightning, poised to strike!

Inside the hall, Qin Xiao slowly opened his eyes.

A flash of five-colored light appeared in his eyes and disappeared in an instant.

He stood up, took a step, and his figure appeared in the sky above the Zichen Palace.

He was dressed in a black casual outfit that moved without wind, his black hair was loose, and his face was calm.

The Yin-Yang Harmony Ring floated silently around me, casting golden and silver light.

He looked up at the golden lightning pillar that was about to descend, and thought, "A mere Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation dares to judge me?"

As he spoke, he extended his right hand, spread his five fingers, and made a loose grasp on the golden lightning that was still gathering energy.

The next moment, the terrifying golden lightning collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into a golden torrent that was sucked into Qin Xiao's palm!

A surge of immense and violent heavenly lightning power entered his body.

If it were an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, it would probably burst from the strain.

However, Qin Xiao's Pure Yang Five Elements Body has its five internal organs corresponding to the five elements, rotating on their own.

He quickly refined and absorbed the power of the heavenly lightning.

Golden lightning flowed across his body, making him appear like a god cast in gold.

His aura was not only undamaged, but instead continued to rise.

Quickly stabilize at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm and steadily progress towards the middle stage!

At the same time, the dark clouds quickly dissipated. Sunlight shone down again, and the sky was a clear, bright blue.

Qin Xiao stood in mid-air, having completely absorbed the lightning. The golden light on his body was contained, and his aura was as solid as a mountain.

Feeling the surging nascent soul spiritual power within his body, a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him.

Nascent Soul stage achieved!

From then on, he lived for a thousand years and his supernatural powers greatly increased.

We now truly have the confidence to explore the secrets of this world and face unknown challenges!

He looked down at his six Daoist partners below, who were meditating and had opened their beautiful eyes, looking up at him with shock and joy in their eyes. A warm smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The six women gazed at the god-like and demonic figure in the air, their hearts filled with turmoil.

They knew that from this day forward, Qin Xiao had truly stepped into a higher level of the cultivation world.

And they will follow in his footsteps and head towards a wider world!

Qin Xiao slowly descended and came to the six women.

His gaze swept over their pale yet joyful faces, and especially when he saw the still-damp bloodstains on Yu Fengling's wrist and the bloodstains at the corners of their mouths, a soft spot in his heart was touched.

"My husband!"

The six women, disregarding their still-unsteady breathing, rose and gathered around, their beautiful eyes filled with a mixture of lingering fear, joy, and deep admiration.

They were eyewitnesses to that day's wrath and knew its terror firsthand.

Seeing that Qin Xiao had not only survived unscathed but also that his aura had surged, how could he not be excited?

Qin Xiao's gaze swept gently over them, lingering for a moment on Yu Fengling's still bleeding wrist and the pale, blood-stained corners of everyone's mouths, his heart filled with even more tenderness and gratitude.

"Don't move around, heal your wounds first."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his sleeve and sent several streams of pure, gentle, and vital energy from the Five Elements into the bodies of the six women.

This spiritual power was completely different from his previous Core Formation stage; it was not only vast and boundless, but also carried a wondrous effect of nourishing all things and harmonizing Yin and Yang.

The six women felt a warm current flow through their limbs and bones, and the hidden injuries in their meridians caused by excessive stimulation and the backlash of thunder were quickly healed.

The depleted spiritual energy is also rapidly recovering.

Even the soul felt a cool and comfortable sensation.

"This is……"

As Yu Qingyi sensed the changes within her body, her usually cool and aloof expression betrayed her surprise.

"The power of the Nascent Soul allows for a more refined control over spiritual attributes."

Qin Xiao gave a brief explanation, then looked at Luo Qingluan, "Qingluan, make the arrangements. Today's events must not be leaked. Repair the damage to Zichen Palace as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."

Luo Qingluan nodded, fully aware of the implications of this matter, which required careful handling.

"You should all go back and rest well to consolidate your cultivation. This time protecting the Dharma is also a rare experience for you. Carefully contemplate it, and you may gain something."

Qin Xiao spoke gently to the women, giving Yu Fengling a particularly long look, "Fengling, you must not do anything that damages your foundation again. This is not to be done again."

Yu Fengling stuck out her tongue and obediently replied, "I know, my husband, I won't do it again next time."

The wound on his wrist had healed under the nourishment of Qin Xiao's spiritual power.

Only a light pink mark of new flesh remained.

After the women left, Qin Xiao sat alone on the steps of the Zichen Palace, which had just undergone a lightning tribulation and was slightly in disarray. His divine sense quietly spread out, covering the entire palace and extending to all parts of the capital.

The palace guards and maids were gossiping:

"My God, that lightning just now was probably going to smash the entire palace to pieces!"

"His Majesty is indeed the Son of Heaven, even heavenly lightning cannot subdue him!"

"I heard His Majesty was cultivating immortal arts; he must have just achieved a great success in his divine power!"

"Hush, watch your mouth! Her Highness the Imperial Concubine has given a strict order that no one is to discuss this!"

In the city's various neighborhoods and residences, people, still shaken, emerged from their homes, pointing and gesturing at the now clear sky, their faces filled with bewilderment.

In teahouses and taverns, storytellers are probably already eager to start making up stories like "The True Dragon Overcomes Tribulation" and "The Purple Star Appears".

The civil officials and censors, especially the veteran ministers who were dissatisfied with Qin Xiao's long-term "neglect of his duties," were gathered together to discuss how to use this "astonishing phenomenon" to submit a memorial, either to persuade or to put pressure on him.

"Alright."

Qin Xiao's lips curled into a faint smile. "Take this opportunity to let the mortal court know that their emperor is no longer an ordinary person, and it's time to completely let go of some trivial matters."

He rose, put his hands behind his back, and walked into the hall.

With the Nascent Soul stage complete, the search for Tianzhu Mountain in Zhongzhou and the investigation of the Soul Devouring Array are now on the agenda.

But before that, it is essential to ensure the stability of the Great Yong Dynasty's foundation so that there are no worries about the future.

In the following days, the capital city seemed to have returned to its former order, but the undercurrents did not subside.

Just as Qin Xiao had predicted, at the court assembly, a group of elderly ministers with white hair and beards jointly submitted a memorial, their words earnest yet subtly witty.

The gist of the petition was: the alarming celestial phenomena have shaken the capital and filled the people with fear, all because Your Majesty has neglected court affairs for too long, leaving all government matters to the cabinet. If this continues, it may not be a blessing for the nation. I earnestly request Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the country and the people, to calm your mind and diligently attend to state affairs, and so on.

The memorial, after passing through the cabinet, eventually reached Qin Xiao's desk.

He didn't even bother to look closely, and simply said to Luo Qingluan and Yu Qingyi, who were standing to the side, "Tell the Cabinet that I am aware of this. For urgent matters concerning people's livelihood, military affairs, and finances, the Cabinet may handle them as appropriate and then report back to me. As for other trivial matters, they can make their own decisions. If anyone feels that this position in the Cabinet is too heavy and they cannot bear it, they may resign."

This almost overbearing decree, when it reached the cabinet, immediately infuriated the senior officials, who were furious but helpless.

With the emperor wielding absolute power, the emperors had no way to check or balance them except by remonstrating to the death or resigning from their posts.

The local people, however, were bustling with activity.

Various versions of the legend quickly spread.

Some say that Qin Xiao is the reincarnation of an ancient immortal god, and this time he is undergoing tribulation to return to his rightful place.

Some say that a treasure hidden in the palace was unearthed, triggering a thunderbolt from the heavens.

Even more extreme, some people swore they had personally witnessed two dragons fighting in the sky above the Zichen Palace...

In short, Qin Xiao's reputation among the people has risen rather than fallen, shrouded in a strong sense of mystery.