"If my lord doubts my loyalty, this concubine can offer a soul imprint. From that day forward, I will serve as your slave without a word of complaint."
Yang Kai chuckled — not in mockery, but in genuine admiration for this woman's courage and audacity. The boss of the Wild Wind bandits was no pushover. If she'd been nothing more than a pretty face, she'd have been devoured long ago, bones and all.
Since she wasn't just a pretty face, she might actually be of some use. He was completely unfamiliar with the Wuchi Star Domain, and having a local guide would save him no end of trouble. Besides, he'd arrived in this lower-plane star domain at an extremely powerful cultivation level. Though he had the ability to overturn heaven and earth, he didn't dare wield that power recklessly — one more round of Heavenly Dao rejection was the last thing he needed. Having a pawn to act on his behalf… wasn't the worst idea.
And this particular pawn was easy on the eyes, to boot. Far better than having some big burly man trailing behind him.
Hearing his laughter, He Yunxiang looked up at him, her exquisite and gorgeous face alight with anticipation.
"There's no need for you to become a slave, and I don't need your soul imprint."
"My lord—" He Yunxiang grew anxious. She'd laid everything on the line — wasn't that enough to move him? Did she really have to strip off her clothes and offer herself? She'd steeled herself for that possibility, but actually going through with it was another matter entirely.
"If you want to follow me, then you need to be worth keeping around. And if you want to be of use, your cultivation is still too low."
He Yunxiang froze, then a burst of joy blazed in her beautiful eyes. "My lord, you mean…"
Was that a yes? That had to be a yes, didn't it? Never before had she felt so agonizingly uncertain. A magnificent painting seemed to be unfurling before her eyes, revealing a whole new world.
"Then let's start by raising your cultivation."
He Yunxiang exclaimed with excitement, "Yes! This concubine will go cultivate immediately. I will not disappoint my lord's expectations."
Those were brave words, but at her level of cultivation, advancing to the next stage was monumentally difficult. She'd been stuck at Void King Stage Two for several hundred years. If a breakthrough opportunity had existed, she'd have seized it long ago — it wasn't something ordinary meditation could achieve. But if Yang Kai said her cultivation was insufficient, then she had to get to it immediately. Whether she could actually break through or not, she at least had to show the effort.
"Open your mouth!" Yang Kai commanded sharply.
He Yunxiang blinked in surprise but immediately opened her lips. Before she could react, she felt something slip into her mouth and slide straight down her throat into her abdomen.
She didn't even have time to taste it.
The next instant, her expression changed drastically. A searing heat had erupted in her lower abdomen, as though flames were blazing inside her, threatening to burn her clean from the inside out.
What was this? A pill?
What kind of pill could produce such terrifying medicinal potency?
She knew Yang Kai must have given her some extraordinary spiritual medicine, and she had no time for shock or fear. She quickly shifted into a cross-legged position on the floor, closed her eyes, formed several hand seals, and circulated the profound technique she cultivated.
Yang Kai sat down nearby, paying her no further attention. He picked up the spiritual tea on the table and took a sip.
Wild wind howled through the chamber. Every piece of furnishing rattled and clattered, and the water in the bath churned into wave after wave, spilling over the edges.
Uncontrolled bursts of energy tore through the room, reducing it to utter devastation — as if two supreme powerhouses had fought to the death within its walls. Yang Kai sat perfectly still, making no effort to deflect the energy blasts, letting them strike his body unchecked.
He Yunxiang's face flushed crimson. Painful, intoxicating moans escaped her throat. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, her garments clinging to her skin and outlining every enticing curve.
The aura of Void King Stage Two climbed steadily higher, surging toward its peak.
The whole process took barely the time it took to finish a cup of tea.
The aura that had plateaued suddenly rocketed to new heights. At the same time, an invisible field of energy radiated outward from He Yunxiang in a thunderous wave, churning the already wrecked chamber into even greater chaos.
Fortunately, this room was Lu Huaishuang's private quarters, protected by multiple powerful formation arrays. The commotion didn't spill beyond its walls — otherwise the entire Lu Family would have come running.
A long, drawn-out moan escaped her lips. He Yunxiang's entire face was flushed as if painted with rouge. Her body was drawn taut, her inner thighs trembling uncontrollably, and through the narrow slit of her half-opened eyes, a haze of rapture gleamed — the lingering bliss one might feel after ascending to the heavens.
She stayed rigid for a long, long time before finally gasping for breath. Her full chest heaved dramatically, tracing breathtaking curves.
Yang Kai broke into a cold sweat. A perfectly straightforward breakthrough, and she'd somehow managed to make it look like something else entirely. He honestly didn't know what to say about her.
Drenched head to toe in sweat, He Yunxiang finally recovered. She felt inexplicably lighter, as though she'd shed some invisible burden. Her mind was clear, her body buoyant, her vision sharp.
Void King Stage Three!
She'd actually reached Void King Stage Three just like that!
She could barely believe she wasn't dreaming. But when she turned her head and met a pair of eyes brimming with amusement, she understood that it had really happened.
She was now at Void King Stage Two — no, Three — standing at the very apex of the star domain's food chain. The bottleneck that had barred her way for centuries had been shattered in a single moment, before she'd even understood what was happening.