Metamorphosis, Only by Becoming Stronger Herself Is She Truly Safe

Everyone wants to live a long life—Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan is no exception. Of course, he wishes he could have a few more years. But that doesn’t mean he agrees with the Valley Master of the Divine Healer Valley, who seeks to prolong life by stealing it from others.

He’s a perfectionist—he can’t stand the thought of having someone else’s body parts inside him, not even to save his own life. Nolan keeps these thoughts to himself; he has no intention of telling Serena Feng.

He knows perfectly well that Serena Feng isn’t asking whether he wants to live forever. She’s worried about becoming a tool for someone else, or even for him.

Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan gently stroked Serena Feng’s head, her hair teasing his palm and softening his heart. Only when her emotions finally calmed did he speak in a soft voice: “Serena Feng, have you forgotten what I once told you?”

“Something you said? What was it?” Serena Feng looked at Nolan in confusion. She’d been the one asking questions—how did it suddenly turn into him questioning her?

“I told you before: in the face of absolute strength, all schemes—whether hidden or open—are meaningless. You weren’t afraid to take on the Cui Clan, so what are you afraid of now?” When he heard Serena was going up against the Cui Clan, he felt both proud and delighted. His Serena Feng was finally strong, finally daring to challenge the great families.

It doesn’t matter that Serena Feng isn’t powerful yet. What’s truly tragic is having no courage to fight at all.

“That’s not the same.” The issue with the Cui Clan and the matter of trading organs for longevity aren’t even comparable.

Serena Feng kept dodging, trying to escape Nolan’s hand, but wherever she went, his hand followed, relentlessly messing up her hair until it was a complete bird’s nest.

“What’s different about it? Your enemies have always been stronger than you—the Cui Clan is no small force, either.” Whether it’s one enemy or a hundred, they’re all enemies. If you get stronger, it doesn’t matter how many there are—take them down one by one, or two at a time.

“The Cui Clan may be powerful, but at least their influence is out in the open. If one day the emperors of the Four Kingdoms and the lords of the Nine Cities learn what the Valley Master of the Divine Healer Valley said, how many of them do you think would ever let me go?” At that point, Serena Feng would become an even rarer tool than Liam Li.

Liam Li can only make thunder-blast grenades, but Serena Feng might be able to extend an emperor’s life—maybe even his reign. It’s obvious who would be more valuable.

So what if you unify the world? If you don’t live long enough to enjoy it, it’s all meaningless. As long as you’re alive, anything is possible.

Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan couldn’t refute her. “The emperors of the Four Kingdoms and the lords of the Nine Cities are all getting old. If you really have this ability, I doubt any of them would let you go.”

Just because he wouldn’t do it doesn’t mean others wouldn’t. Nolan is confident, but he would never force his own beliefs onto others.

“Even you admit it. So if that day comes, I’ll be in real danger.” Just imagining that scene made Serena Feng want to die.

If things ever got that bad, she wouldn’t survive. Even if she did, her hands would never be able to hold a scalpel again.

“It really would be dangerous. You’d be a prime cut of meat, surrounded by hungry wolves.” People who fail to plan for the future will suffer in the present. Nolan was glad Serena Feng could think ahead, but he also felt she was worrying too much—she didn’t seem to have that much power yet.

Of course, Nolan wouldn’t point that out. He was happy to use this opportunity to fire up Serena Feng’s fighting spirit. She’d been too comfortable lately—except for showing her claws when dealing with Liam Li, she rarely acted unless absolutely necessary, and even then, she’d try to use him as leverage.

Serena Feng nodded repeatedly, agreeing with him. The metaphor wasn’t pleasant, but Nolan was right—if that day ever came, she’d be nothing but a piece of prime meat.

So frustrating. Serena Feng looked at Nolan, her eyes silently asking what she should do.

Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan gave her a reassuring look, his voice deep and enigmatic: “Serena Feng, if you’re afraid, you can start preparing in advance.”

“Prepare? Prepare for what?” How was she supposed to prepare for something like this? Should she ruin her own hands? She couldn’t bear to do that.

“Prepare to build a force capable of contending with the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities.” Nolan spoke each word with deliberate weight.

Smack...

“Ninth Royal Uncle, what did you just say?” Serena Feng shot upright, swatting his hand off her head.

Nolan quietly withdrew his reddened right hand, silently grumbling about how hard Serena Feng hit—she was nothing like the gentle girl she used to be. He missed the days when Serena Feng’s heart and eyes held only him.

Back then, Serena Feng would stare at him in a daze, and if he held her hand, she wouldn’t wash it for days. Now...

Sigh... Nolan regretted not cherishing those moments when he had them. Now, looking at Serena Feng—clearly his woman, but she showed no signs of belonging to anyone, fiercely independent and relying only on herself.

Of course, maybe that was for the best.

Under Serena Feng’s glare, Nolan dropped his wounded expression and quickly said, “Serena Feng, you heard me right. If you don’t want to become a tool of the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities, then rise above them—stand above imperial authority itself. Make it so no one dares touch you, and then you can do whatever you want.”

Nolan made it sound so easy, but to Serena Feng it was terrifying—absolutely terrifying. “Ninth Royal Uncle, you’re dreaming. That’s completely impossible.”

“Why impossible? I’m living proof—who in the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities would dare move against me?” Nolan was utterly confident.

“Uh... I guess you’re right.” Serena Feng nodded blankly, her mind wiped clean except for two thoughts, circling back and forth...

If she didn’t want to be a tool, she’d have to wield power that surpassed the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities, power that stood above imperial authority.

That’s... insanely strong.

Most people wouldn’t even dare to say something like that, but Nolan didn’t just say it—he was actually working toward it.

To transcend the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities, to stand above imperial authority... Serena Feng realized it was easy to say, but almost impossible to do.

Whether in ancient times or now, to reach that height you need overwhelming military power and financial backing. Money alone isn’t enough—no matter how rich you are, one word from the emperor and it all disappears.

And in this age of cold weapons, real power means an army.

All that talk about technological superpowers is nonsense—technology only serves military might. True strength comes from force. If she had an army of a million, no one would dare touch her; she could crush anyone who tried.

But where could she possibly get an army? Private armies are illegal. And most important of all—could even a million soldiers stand against the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities at once?

Serena Feng did the math in her head...

In the face of absolute strength, schemes and plots are useless—but the real question is, where could she get that kind of power?

The fighting spirit Serena Feng had just mustered slowly faded away.

Dreams are always grand, but reality is harsh. Achieving what Nolan described would be harder than reaching the heavens. She’d never been ambitious in her last life, and she probably wouldn’t manage it in this one, either.

Serena Feng’s bright eyes gradually dimmed. Nolan sat beside her in silence, and only when her head drooped in defeat did he reach out and gather her into his arms.

He knew perfectly well—at this moment, Serena Feng wouldn’t push him away...