The Golden Chariot sped through the sea of clouds, moving at an astonishing pace.
Inside the side hall, Lu Ning had once again donned that thin, black palace dress as light as cicada wings, kneeling on the golden carpet beside the warm jade couch.
She held Princess Ji Linglong’s feet—smooth and delicate as jade—gently cupping them to keep them warm.
This had become a part of her daily routine.
Ji Linglong seemed to delight endlessly in this retaliatory humiliation.
Every day, she would invent new ways to torment Lu Ning, yet they always circled around the same core: making her recognize her identity as a “maid.”
For instance, right now, Ji Linglong reclined half-upright on the couch, an ancient book in hand, seemingly engrossed in reading, but the corner of her eye remained fixed on Lu Ning’s face, tinged with a faint blush from shame.
“A’Ning.”
Ji Linglong’s voice suddenly broke the silence in the hall.
Lu Ning’s body stiffened, and she replied in a low voice, “Your… your servant is here.”
“This Princess is feeling a bit weary. Come and knead my shoulders.”
“Yes.”
Lu Ning carefully stood up, walked around to Ji Linglong’s back, and gently placed her hands on the princess’s smooth, rounded shoulders.
The hands of this body were slender and graceful, perfect for such delicate tasks.
Recalling the massage techniques she had seen before, Lu Ning began to knead, not too hard nor too light.
“Mm…”
Ji Linglong closed her eyes, appearing to enjoy Lu Ning’s service immensely.
Her skin was smooth and supple, a delight to the touch.
As Lu Ning mechanically massaged, she silently complained in her heart.
[Even capitalists would weep at this. Not only do I have to warm her feet, I have to moonlight as a masseuse. Is the next step a song-and-dance performance to liven things up?]
[But then again, the Princess’s ways of revenge are pretty tame. Compared to that traitorous disciple Gu Qinghuan, this is child’s play.]
[At least, she hasn’t forced me to eat any strange pills, or taken liberties with me while I sleep.]
Thinking of Gu Qinghuan, Lu Ning’s emotions grew complicated.
She had already sent Shadow One to deliver a message, but she wondered how that rebellious disciple would react upon receiving the news.
Knowing her temperament, she’d probably tear apart Hundred Flowers Valley on the spot, then storm straight to the Imperial City of the Great Wilderness Dynasty, wouldn’t she?
When that time comes…
“What are you thinking about?”
Ji Linglong’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Lu Ning snapped back to herself, realizing Ji Linglong had somehow turned around without her noticing, those golden phoenix eyes fixed upon her.
“N-nothing.”
Lu Ning quickly lowered her head.
“Really?”
The corners of Ji Linglong’s lips curled up.
“This Princess sees that you seem distracted—could it be you’re thinking about your precious disciple, Gu Qinghuan?”
Lu Ning’s heart clenched.
Ji Linglong’s intelligence network was truly formidable—she even knew of Gu Qinghuan’s existence.
“I heard that you’ve always doted on this disciple, even handing over all authority of the Heavenly Demon Sect to her,” Ji Linglong said, her tone carrying a hint of jealousy.
“You took in a female disciple, and you’re so good to her… Speak honestly! Is there something unspeakable between you two?”
Lu Ning: “?????”
[What kind of logic is this?!]
“Replying to Your Highness, Qinghuan is gifted and clever—she is the hope of the sect’s future. Of course I… I treat her well; it’s only right,” Lu Ning explained with difficulty.
“Is that so?”
Ji Linglong was clearly unconvinced.
She reached out a finger, lifting Lu Ning’s chin and forcing her to meet her gaze.
“I don’t care what relationship you have with her. Now, you belong to this Princess.”
“In your heart and your eyes, there can only be this Princess.”
“If this Princess ever discovers you’re still thinking about another woman…”
She leaned in close to Lu Ning’s ear and whispered, “This Princess will have your precious disciple captured as well, and have you both serve me together.”
Hearing this, Lu Ning’s body trembled violently, completely thrown off by Ji Linglong.
Seeing the fear that flashed through Lu Ning’s eyes, Ji Linglong smiled with satisfaction.
She let go and lay back down.
“All right, this Princess is tired. You may withdraw.”
“Yes.”
Lu Ning, as if receiving amnesty, bowed and retreated back to the carpet, kneeling quietly once more, resuming the role of a silent backdrop.
Time ticked by. The torment of the day finally gave way to a moment of respite as night fell.
Ji Linglong had her own main hall and would not spend the night with Lu Ning.
When the hall door was locked from outside and she confirmed Ji Linglong’s presence had left, Lu Ning let out a long sigh and stood up from the carpet.
She stretched her stiff limbs and sat by the jade bed.
Without delay, she crossed her legs and focused her mind inward.
[System, bring out the second Marrow Cleansing Pill.]
[Ding! Marrow Cleansing Pill retrieved.]
A completely jade-green pill appeared in her palm.
Lu Ning swallowed it.
A familiar, cool warmth spread through her body.
With the experience from before, Lu Ning was now even more skilled at guiding the medicinal power to flush through her damaged meridians.
Those fractured and shriveled meridians, under the gentle yet powerful medicinal nourishment, began to repair at a startling speed.
Within her dantian and qi sea, the stream of gray-white true essence continued to grow stronger.
Qi Refining third stage…
Qi Refining fourth stage…
Qi Refining fifth stage!
With just one Marrow Cleansing Pill, her cultivation broke through three small realms in succession!
This result was even better than she’d anticipated.
“Phew…”
When the medicinal power was finally depleted, Lu Ning slowly opened her eyes, a gleam of light flashing and then vanishing from her gaze.
Her body felt much lighter than before, her strength greatly improved.
Although this level of cultivation was still as insignificant as an ant before a Nascent Soul stage expert like Ji Linglong, for Lu Ning, it was a glimmer of hope.
She clenched her fists, feeling the faint yet very real strength within her, a surge of boldness welling up in her heart.
[Ji Linglong, just you wait.]
[The humiliation I’ve suffered during this time—I will repay a hundredfold in the days to come!]
After painting such a grand vision for herself, Lu Ning felt much more at ease.
She didn’t continue cultivating right away, but instead got up to wash off the layer of black filth discharged from her body with the clean water prepared in the hall.
After changing into a fresh spare maid’s outfit, Lu Ning returned to the jade bed.
She didn’t take the third Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Taking pills consecutively would cause the body to develop resistance, greatly reducing their effectiveness.
She needed time to consolidate her current cultivation and fully absorb the medicine’s power.
The Golden Chariot traveled incredibly fast.
In just three days, it had already crossed half of the Northern Territory, reaching the border of the Great Wilderness Dynasty.
Yet the chariot did not stop at the border; instead, it flew straight toward the imperial capital—Heavenly Capital—in the heart of the Great Wilderness Dynasty.
In the next two days, Lu Ning endured Ji Linglong’s increasingly excessive “instruction” by day and spent her nights consolidating her cultivation.
After fully absorbing the power of the second Marrow Cleansing Pill, her cultivation stabilized at the sixth stage of Qi Refining.
That night, Lu Ning finally took the last Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Vast medicinal power spread throughout her body.
With the experience of the previous two times, she found repairing her meridians and breaking through her cultivation even easier.
Qi Refining seventh stage!
Qi Refining eighth stage!
Qi Refining ninth stage!
As her cultivation broke through to the peak of the ninth stage of Qi Refining—just one step from the Foundation Establishment stage—the medicinal power was finally exhausted.
Lu Ning opened her eyes, feeling the true essence within her body now several times stronger than before, her heart filled with excitement.
As long as she could break through to Foundation Establishment, she’d be able to use some simple spells and her ability to protect herself would greatly increase.
However, just as she was about to press on and attempt to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck…
Creak…
The side hall’s door was suddenly pushed open.
Ji Linglong’s figure appeared in the doorway.
She stared at Lu Ning, who was seated cross-legged on the bed, the lingering fluctuations of spiritual energy yet to fully subside, her golden phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.
“A’Ning, why is your spiritual energy fluctuation only at the Qi Refining stage?”