Wild Dogs

Yang Fan hurriedly spoke to Xiao Ling.

A maid stepped forward and gestured for Yang Fan to enter.

Yang Fan followed behind the maid, bowed to Xiao Ling, and was then led to the secret room.

After the maid led Yang Fan away, Xiao Ling turned to look at Xiao Baihua.

"How is it? Have you mastered the secret techniques of dual cultivation and absorbing stamina?"

Xiao Baihua nodded.

"Yes, I've almost finished cultivating, but can I really use his essence?"

Xiao Ling frowned.

"Of course you should drain his essence. Don't you just happen to need a few opponents to practice your seductive arts?"

"I'll use him as my opponent and urge him to advance to the Core Formation stage as soon as possible."

"I will let you know when he breaks through to the Core Formation stage, and then you can come and find him."

Xiao Baihua hesitated.

"But if we were to take his essence, what if we damaged his foundation..."

Xiao Ling snorted coldly.

"What we want is to damage his foundation. He originally used a shortcut to reach the Core Formation stage."

"If the foundation is unstable, there's not much use in keeping you around. Rather than letting you hold a grudge and ruin things for us in the future, it's better to let you have it."

"Anyway, you have many male lovers, so what's the big deal about taking one more?"

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Xiao Baihua's face; she still found it hard to bear being told that by her mother.

She nodded to Xiao Ling and silently withdrew.

Xiao Ling watched her daughter's departing figure, sighed, and then waved.

A female cultivator in black emerged from the corner.

"By the way, have you found out what Luo Changhe has been doing all this time?"

The female cultivator in black nodded.

"After Palace Master Luo left, he mainly visited several old friends who were on good terms with him."

"We exchanged some pointers on cultivation techniques, but did nothing else."

"Oh, did he go to any places he shouldn't have gone?"

The female cultivator in black hesitated for a long time before lowering her head again.

"I don't think I've been to those places."

"Should? What do you mean by 'should'? You're either sure or you're not sure. There's no such thing as 'should'."

The female cultivator in black hurriedly knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us. Although we have been keeping an eye on him, we did lose track of him for a period of time after he left the palace."

"When they found him again, he was already at the homes of several friends, discussing cultivation techniques."

Xiao Ling frowned.

"Did he do anything unusual, like complaining to other people or anything?"

The female cultivator in black hurriedly shook her head.

"No, Palace Master Luo has always been very honest, and she always manages to evade questions from others."

Xiao Ling touched her chin and clapped her hands.

"Bring me the jade slip; I want to see everything he's said and done during this time."

"Yes."

The female cultivator in black dared not delay and hurriedly handed a jade slip containing Luo Changhe's words and deeds to Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling took the jade slip, glanced at its contents, and then raised her eyebrows slightly.

After a long pause, she gave a contemptuous sneer.

"I thought he was saying something, but he really is a good-for-nothing."

Her gaze swept across the jade slip, growing increasingly contemptuous.

On the jade slip, some of Luo Changhe's friends had asked him why he listened to Xiao Ling so much.

He made various excuses and tried his best to prove how loyal he was to Xiao Ling.

After looking at it for a while, Xiao Ling lost interest and casually tossed the jade slip aside.

"Alright, just keep following him. Don't be too careful, and don't stick too close."

"As long as he doesn't cause any trouble outside, just let him be."

"Also, my apprentice will be arriving soon, so please clean up the inner palace."

"Let's clean out Luo Changhe's bedroom first."

The female cultivator in black immediately raised her head.

"But what if Palace Master Luo returns..."

"When Luo Changhe returns, let him stay in the outer palace first. What can my disciple do if he wants to stay in the inner palace?"

The female cultivator in black hurriedly nodded and slowly retreated.

Xiao Ling stretched her limbs and then called over a maid to give instructions on what to prepare for Yang Fan.

At this moment, Yang Fan had already been led by a maid to the outside of a secret room.

Looking at the impregnable secret chamber ahead, Yang Fan couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

The walls of this secret chamber were entirely made of black iron.

More importantly, the outside of that door was covered with millennia-old ice, completely freezing the entire entrance.

This escape room is way too exaggerated.

He glanced at the maid beside him.

"Is it really necessary to go this far?"

The maid gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Please forgive us, young master, but this is the only kind of secret room we have in our Hundred Flowers Palace."

Yang Fan slapped his forehead helplessly and glanced inside.

The secret chamber was fully equipped, with an alchemy furnace and various living necessities.

It can be said that although it is small, it has all the essential parts and can already be called a small palace.

Yang Fan felt a little relieved. Even though he was being held under house arrest in a de facto way, at least the place he was staying wasn't too bad.

Inside, there was also a spirit-gathering array that was slowly operating, clearly drawing on the surrounding spiritual energy.

Yang Fan breathed a sigh of relief, stretched his limbs, and looked at the maid beside him.

"Alright then, I'll go in."

He entered the secret chamber, but the maid still left the door open.

Yang Fan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Why not close the lock?"

The maidservant bowed to him.

"That's right, the Palace Master will also be coming here next."

"What? The Palace Master is coming here too?"

Yang Fan was truly terrified; he didn't want Xiao Ling here.

He hurriedly waved his hands repeatedly.

"This is unnecessary. The Palace Master is of such high status that it is really inappropriate for her to come here and stay with me."

The maid sighed helplessly.

"Please forgive me, young master, but the Palace Master will indeed be coming here."

Yang Fan took a deep breath and could only obediently walk inside.

He looked around and found a futon, then sat down cross-legged.

Not long after, footsteps came from the doorway of the secret room, and Xiao Ling walked in from outside.

She glanced at Yang Fan.

"How is it? Are you having any problems with your cultivation now?"

Yang Fan nodded.

"There aren't any major problems with cultivation, but I lack experience in breaking through."

Xiao Ling walked to Yang Fan's side and extended her slender hand to him.

Seeing Yang Fan standing there in a daze, she immediately frowned.

"What are you standing there for? Stick your wrist out."

Yang Fan quickly reached out his hand.

Xiao Ling placed her fingers on his wrist, and a stream of spiritual energy flowed into Yang Fan's body.

The spiritual energy circulated within his body before returning to Xiao Ling's hand.

She withdrew her hand, gently touched her chin, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"I just checked the spiritual energy within your body, and it is indeed incredibly abundant. You are fully capable of breaking through to the Core Formation stage."

"As for the problem, there isn't anything too serious. It seems that as long as you have enough Golden Essence Pills, you can prepare for your breakthrough."

"Alright, I've prepared all the materials for you, and they'll be delivered soon."