“Even… even…”

Bai Ling stammered, panic rising in her throat. She glanced at Han Lie for support, but he remained motionless, staring straight ahead like a statue. Abandoned, Bai Ling gritted her teeth, lifted her chin, and stared directly into Ye Qingxuan’s terrifying eyes.

“I will surpass the Sect Leader!”

Silence.

Deathly, suffocating silence filled the Violet Heaven Palace. The air grew so heavy Bai Ling felt her knees might buckle. She wanted nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

“Hehehe… Hahaha~!”

Ye Qingxuan threw her head back, her laughter echoing off the high ceilings—sharp, imperious, and utterly dismissive.

Bai Ling flinched, instinctively lowering her head.

“Surpass This Palace?” Ye Qingxuan’s laughter cut off abruptly. Her voice dropped to a freezing chill. “You?”

“Ambition is commendable,” the Sect Leader sneered, leaning forward on her throne. “But delusion is not. Your quasi-ninth-grade spiritual vein makes you a titan among the children of this sect. But compared to This Palace?”

She extended a single, manicured finger.

“You are a wisp of firefly light beneath the full moon. Insignificant.”

Bai Ling bit her lip, silenced.

It wasn’t cruelty; it was math. Geniuses with eighth-grade veins were rare enough, and even fewer reached the Nascent Soul stage before three hundred. True ninth-grade prodigies like Zhao Batian might achieve it by one hundred.

But Ye Qingxuan? She had become a Soul Formation Grandmaster at two hundred. In the entire history of the Tianyuan Continent, she was a monster among monsters. For Bai Ling to claim she would surpass her was akin to an ant threatening to strangle a dragon.

“However…” Ye Qingxuan’s tone softened slightly, though her eyes remained dangerous. “This Palace acknowledges your gall. Forget surpassing me—that is a dream for another lifetime. I will give you a reachable goal.”

“Prove your Dao and achieve Nascent Soul within ten years. Do this, and I will permit you to officially re-enter the sect.”

Ten years. It was an impossible deadline for most. But Bai Ling’s eyes lit up with fierce determination.

“Yes! Thank you, Sect Leader! Bai Ling will not disappoint you!”

Even if the chance was slim, it was a chance. She would claw her way up that cliff or die trying.

“Hmph. Empty words are cheap. Show me results.” Ye Qingxuan waved a hand dismissively. “Leave.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Bai Ling bowed deeply and retreated, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and exhilaration.

Once the doors closed, leaving them alone in the vast hall, Ye Qingxuan’s attention finally drifted to the man standing silently below.

“Nascent Soul, is it?” She looked him over, her gaze lingering on his broad shoulders and strong jawline. “You haven’t disappointed me. Compared to that rotting husk you used to wear, this face is… acceptable.”

“It is all thanks to the Sect Leader’s blessings,” Han Lie said, his voice smooth as silk. He stepped forward, radiating the confidence of a man who knew his worth. “This old servant would have been dust a decade ago without you.”

“Naturally. Without my Life-Extending Pill, you would be a corpse.” Ye Qingxuan preened slightly, accepting the flattery as her due.

Han Lie rubbed his hands together, a roguish grin spreading across his face. “Indeed. Your kindness is a debt I can never fully repay. I wonder… is the Sect Leader willing to let this old servant offer a small installment on that debt today?”

“Heh…” Ye Qingxuan looked him up and down, amusement dancing in her eyes. “And how, exactly, do you propose to repay me?”

Han Lie straightened his posture, looking solemn. “Given my current cultivation, there is only one way I can be of service. I must help the Sect Leader improve her cultivation.”

The implication hung in the air, thick and heavy.

Ye Qingxuan rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth twitched.

“Hmph. Stop dancing around it. Instead of babbling about repaying favors, just admit you want to sleep with me.”

Han Lie scratched his head, feigning embarrassment. “Well, Sect Leader… may I?”

It was the elephant in the room. This was his first time in his reconstructed body—his true prime. There was no one else worthy of christening this vessel but the Queen of the Heavenly Void Sect.

Ye Qingxuan tapped her chin, pretending to consider.

“Fine. Since you are so desperate to repay your debt, This Palace will grant your wish.” She stood up, her silhouette commanding and voluptuous. “It just so happens I am curious to test the capabilities of your new body. But be warned, Han Lie—if you cannot satisfy me, you know the consequences.”

“Rest assured, Sect Leader,” Han Lie swore, slapping his chest. “If I fail to please you, I will accept any punishment.”

Before, he had satisfied her with a decaying body. Now? He was a weapon of mass destruction.

Han Lie followed her up the winding stairs to the third floor of her private chambers. Watching her hips sway with that arrogant, hypnotic rhythm, the years of restraint snapped.

He didn’t wait for her to reach the bed.

Han Lie stepped forward, swept his arm behind her knees, and lifted her into a princess carry.

“Oh!”

Ye Qingxuan stiffened, genuinely startled. For centuries, she had looked down on the world from her throne. No one dared to touch her, let alone manhandle her.

“You… are truly bold!” She glared at him, her beautiful brows furrowing in a mix of shock and anger.

But she didn’t struggle. Her arms instinctively looped around his neck. The sensation of being small, of being held, was dangerously novel.

“Hehe, surely the Sect Leader won’t blame me for a little enthusiasm?” Han Lie grinned down at her, testing the waters.

“Hmph. I will forgive you this once,” she huffed, turning her face away to hide the flush on her cheeks. “Do not make a habit of startling me.”

“Received, Sect Leader.”

Han Lie translated that immediately: Do it again. If she truly objected, he would currently be a smear on the wall of a mountain three provinces away.

He carried her into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the massive bed. Ye Qingxuan shifted, settling onto his lap with practiced, ladylike grace. One hand kept its hold on his neck; the other slipped inside the collar of his robe.

Her cool fingers traced the hard, defined lines of his chest and abs.

“Solid,” she murmured, her touch possessive. “Reshaping these muscles… it seems my investment of resources was not in vain.”

“As long as the Sect Leader is pleased,” Han Lie replied, his hand sliding up her smooth, long leg.

Ye Qingxuan suddenly pushed him back.

She shoved him down onto the mattress, straddling his waist. Like a gourmet chef preparing a rare delicacy, she untied his Daoist robe with slow, elegant movements, revealing the bronzed perfection beneath.

She leaned down, her hair cascading around them like a silken curtain. With a slender finger, she tilted his chin up, forcing him to meet her gaze.

The raw, masculine aura rolling off him was intoxicating. A faint blush dusted Ye Qingxuan’s cheeks, softening her imperious mask. Her small tongue darted out, wetting her red lips in a gesture that was equal parts predatory and seductive.

“Han Lie,” she purred, her voice dripping with dangerous intent. “Tell me the truth. Is This Palace… acting like a slut?”