Emperor Evan instantly felt as if his own cabbage patch had been trampled by a wild boar—twice. He struggled to rise and stop the two teenagers, but a few deer demons came over and pressed him back down, forcing him to sit.
A doe demon carried over a few flowers, gesturing for the emperor not to move, and tucked them into his hair—purple, red, and dazzling.
Then a mermaid came by, handing out a tray of noisy red fruits—each fruit in the tray was squabbling and shouting, making quite a racket.
The tree demons patrolled the sickbeds with grim faces; anyone who misbehaved got whipped on the rear. For a while, all the martial arts luminaries and even the emperor and empress dowager quieted down considerably.
Once the demons finished their rounds, the emperor tried to rush over and stop the two teenagers. The empress dowager lazily said, "Evan, let it go. Children have their own fortunes. You worry so much—aren't you afraid Lynn won't be able to marry in the future?"
Emperor Evan quickly replied, "Mother, you don't understand. Primordial-Spirit Dual Cultivation is extremely risky—only married couples should attempt it! If Lynn and he dual-cultivate, their primordial spirits will resonate and ascend together. If Lynn marries someone else later, she won't be able to resonate with her husband's spirit—their souls won't harmonize. No harmony means no feeling! If she loses the joy of primordial-spirit resonance, she'll end up divorced and sent home!"
The empress dowager laughed, "Just make him your son-in-law—what's the fuss? Besides, who would dare divorce a royal princess?"
Emperor Evan was silent for a moment, then said, "Mother, he's the Heavenly Demon Cult Master and the Human Emperor. I can't be at ease."
The empress dowager fell silent too, knowing exactly what he meant.
The Heavenly Demon Cult Master—his power was overwhelming.
The emperor held the greatest power in the court, but the Heavenly Demon Cult Master ruled the martial world. The Cult's influence now reached every corner of the empire—even the bureaucracy. Ever since Quinn Shepherd became this generation's Cult Master, the Cult had flourished, surpassing all previous peaks.
Neither Dao Gate nor Great Thunderclap Temple could stand against Quinn Shepherd and the imperial court; both had been battered and could no longer compete with the Cult. And with the court's reforms, many Cult elites had entered government positions.
From the lowest to the highest ranks, Everpeace was filled with the Cult's presence.
Besides, Quinn Shepherd was far more open-minded than the Dao Lord or Buddha. He reformed the Cult, set up academies, and adopted the Imperial Preceptor's school system, creating a steady flow of new talent for the Cult.
Quinn Shepherd had only been Cult Master for two years, yet the changes he'd brought were so dramatic that both emperor and empress dowager couldn't help but worry.
Even more alarming, Quinn Shepherd was surrounded by powerful allies and also held the title of Human Emperor. If he produced the Human Emperor Seal, even Dao Gate, Great Thunderclap Temple, and Little Jade Capital Sect would have to obey his commands!
That was truly terrifying.
From that perspective, Quinn Shepherd was far from the ideal candidate for son-in-law.
If Quinn Shepherd became the imperial son-in-law, the outside family could seize power with ease!
This was exactly what worried Emperor Evan—while he was on the throne, Quinn couldn't seize power, but once he was gone, the empire could change hands in the blink of an eye!
Unknowingly, the simple boy who had come to Everpeace two years ago had already grown into a fierce, colorful tiger—one who could wrestle dragons. It was terrifying.
Even if Quinn Shepherd had no intention of seizing power, what about the next Heavenly Demon Cult Master?
Who could guarantee that the next Cult Master, inheriting such vast power from Quinn Shepherd, wouldn't set their sights on the throne?
"As emperor, you really shouldn't stake imperial power on someone else's mercy. You did the right thing."
The empress dowager continued, "But why do I still see you hesitating? You guard against Cult Master Quinn, yet you indulge him—that's not your style. For the sake of reform, you even let the Imperial Preceptor poison me, keeping me bedridden for years so I couldn't interfere in court. That kind of ruthlessness—that's what makes a true Ling family emperor."
Emperor Evan was full of guilt. "Warren Foyne poisoned you, and I allowed it. Without that, your influence at court was simply too great—neither I nor the Preceptor could truly hold power. I was unfilial, and could only ask you to rest for a while. Even if Quinn Shepherd hadn't appeared, once I had full control, I'd have ordered Warren Foyne to cure you."
The empress dowager sighed, "You did well—you're truly my son, and even more ruthless than I was in my day. So why haven't you moved against Cult Master Quinn?"
Emperor Evan fell silent, his voice rough: "I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if the Preceptor and I fail, we'll die without burial. The fate of the nation, the lives of the people—they can't all depend on me, or on the Ling family alone. I need a successor who can continue reform if we fall. The Ling family has no such person, but the Heavenly Demon Cult Master does."
The empress dowager studied his face carefully and sighed, "I never imagined my son would be this kind of person. I underestimated you. Evan, let Lynn and Quinn go. If you think he can carry on, let Lynn stay with him. Even if you and the Preceptor fail, the Ling family won't be wiped out."
Emperor Evan was moved; he thought deeply about her words and nodded silently.
"You're a good emperor, and the Preceptor is a good Preceptor."
The empress dowager gazed calmly at the distant mountains shrouded in mist and said softly, "I won't oppose you anymore. Change the world as you wish, reform the laws as you please. I'll retire here in the mountains and spend my last years sparring for lovers with these little vixens and hussies!"
Emperor Evan's face darkened again. He muttered, "Mother, royal dignity..."
The empress dowager basked in the sun, half-smiling. "You're a dutiful son—don't you care about your old mother's happiness in her twilight years? I lay sick in bed for years, knowing full well it was you and the Preceptor behind it, but did I ever complain? Now this is all I want—let me have it. Sparring with these little vixens and hussies is my last pleasure."
Emperor Evan paused, then nodded. "Do you need me to secretly get rid of your rivals?"
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"I clawed my way up in the harem by my own wits—do I need your help? You're underestimating me."
......
By the lakeside at the estate, Quinn Shepherd took out a stick of incense and planted it on the shore, lighting it. Lynn Ling sniffed the strange fragrance, curious. "What's this incense for?"
"It's Soul-Guiding Incense."
Qin Mu smiled, "I inscribed Soul-Calling Rite runes into this stick of incense and blended in over a hundred different fragrances. While it can't replicate the full Soul-Calling divine art, it acts as a guide. If our Primordial Spirits get lost, when the incense burns out, the runes will activate and the lingering scent will draw our souls back to our bodies. That way, we don't need anyone else to stand guard for us."
Lynn Ling took his hand. Qin Mu raised his other hand, and the two clasped hands, gazing into each other's eyes. With a shared smile, their Primordial Spirits left their bodies.
Both Qin Mu and Lynn Ling had experience with Primordial Spirit soul-roaming, drifting through the void. Afterward, each tried cultivating the Primordial Spirit alone, but neither succeeded much.
This time, they were trying to turn their insight into the Sixfold Primordial Spirit from a lucky accident into a reproducible method—a challenge of the highest order.
Back then, Qin Mu encountered Victor Bloom and believed him to be another Overlord Body. The emotional shock led to him and Lynn Ling accidentally experiencing Primordial Spirit soul-roaming together.
When their Primordial Spirits returned to their bodies, they were astonished to discover they'd actually succeeded in cultivating the Primordial Spirit. It was an extraordinary stroke of luck.
Turning coincidence into certainty was crucial.
Now, the young pair let their Primordial Spirits leave their bodies again, traveling together and searching for underlying patterns. Their souls intertwined and resonated—a different experience from their previous accidental dual cultivation.
A Primordial Spirit is composed of the spirit embryo and soul. This time, as their spirits left their bodies, their souls resonated in harmony, and their Primordial Spirits vibrated in sync. A tingling, electric sensation spread through every corner of their spiritual forms.
The sensation was both long-lasting and unforgettable, etched deep into their souls.
They drifted through the void, floating and wandering. All around them, enormous flowers like mats, sharp-bladed grasses, and schools of fish and jellyfish swam through the air. The scenery was dazzling, utterly unlike the world of the Everpeace Empire.
Moving through this strange realm, they felt utterly small and insignificant.
"Is this what we’re truly seeing, or just a hallucination?" Both of them were so entranced they nearly forgot to return.
Just then, a strong, exotic fragrance wafted over. Suddenly, an invisible force tugged them back. Lynn Ling, acting on impulse, reached out and grabbed a small fish, laughing, "Whether this is real or an illusion, we’ll know when we wake up!"
Whoosh—
The endless scenery before their eyes dissolved in an instant. The strange visions vanished, and they each returned to their bodies, hands still clasped, gazes still locked.
Lynn Ling let go of Qin Mu’s hand, only to see a small fish flopping in her own palm.
"It’s real—how strange and wonderful," she murmured.
She bent down, cupping the little fish in both hands, and released it into the water. The fish swam and struggled; after a moment, it flipped belly-up, nearly drowning.
Lynn Ling quickly splashed water over it twice and scooped the little fish back up. The fish coughed out water, then suddenly flared its oversized fins and shot into the air.
Lynn Ling stared in astonishment as the little fish soared over, then suddenly spat a mouthful of water—right into her face.
Furious, she reached out to grab it, but the fish flared its fins and darted away.
"Stupid fish!"
After washing her face, Lynn Ling turned and asked curiously, "Honestly, where did we just go?"
Qin Mu pondered and replied, "It should be the East Sea of the Great Ruins. That place used to be a vast ocean, but later became a basin when the seawater disappeared. Yet the sea’s spirits survived—many fish can fly, and even flowers can take flight."
"The East Sea of the Great Ruins? How far is it from here?"
"More than seventy thousand li."
Lynn Ling gave a start, exclaiming, "We traveled over seventy thousand li in the time it takes to burn one stick of incense—and even toured around before returning?"
Qin Mu nodded, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. "One stick of incense, and our Primordial Spirits roamed seventy thousand li of the void. It’s truly inconceivable. Why can’t the physical body move so fast? If only the flesh could match the Primordial Spirit’s speed, wouldn’t that be wonderful?"
Lynn Ling burst out laughing, "You’re too greedy! The Primordial Spirit has no weight, so of course it’s fast. The body is heavy, so naturally it’s slower. Do you have any more Soul-Guiding Incense? We spent this trip just playing around, not focusing on analyzing the cultivation method. We need to try again!"
Qin Mu was still savoring the exquisite resonance of the Primordial Spirit—its beauty was almost addictive. He nodded eagerly, "We have to try again! This time, no distractions—we focus on the real cultivation!"
After another stick of incense burned away, their Primordial Spirits returned to their bodies. Qin Mu scratched his head and suggested, "Should we go once more?"
Lynn Ling nodded seriously, "This time, we definitely won’t just play around!"