After leaving the palace, Shu Yan remained deep in thought the entire way, his footsteps hurried as he quickly returned to the princess's residence.
Sitting cross-legged on the cold stone floor, Shu Yan wasted no time and spoke directly into his spiritual sea:
"Old Yi, what exactly did you mean by what you said earlier? "
Elex chuckled lightly before answering:
"There is indeed the scent of divine power on him—an extremely evil kind at that. As for the offer he made, I don't think it's bad. A pseudo-divine artifact may not be a true divine artifact, but it still barely touches the realm of the divine. Such items are exceedingly rare and powerful."
"If used wisely, a pseudo-divine artifact could be no less effective than one of your so-called Super Douluos. Keeping it as a trump card is a wise choice. But what interests me most is the residual divine power or consciousness left behind by that deity. In any case, accepting this deal can only benefit you."
"Also, after this period of recovery, I've remembered quite a bit. Though I can't see through your memories, I know you're no stranger to me, so I won't bore you with the details of my necromancy or my demi-plane of the undead. Instead, I'll give you a brief explanation of the latter, as it may be of practical use to you now."
"I originally created the undead demi-plane to research powerful necromantic spells, or perhaps to make summoning undead creatures easier for myself. Now that it has crossed over with me, it saves us a lot of trouble."
"For example, countless powerful undead creatures reside there. After thousands of years of struggle and evolution, their numbers and strength have grown beyond measure."
"As the creator of this small world, I can control any undead creature within it at will. I'll also grant you the authority to freely enter and summon creatures from it. In the future, if you encounter problems, simply summon an undead to deal with it. And as for that Rakshasa God's leftover power—if you truly acquire it, perhaps I could even craft a battle puppet with divine-level combat ability for you."
Shu Yan rubbed his temples and half-jokingly said,
"If you could really make a divine-level puppet, I'd march straight to the ruins of Jialing Pass tomorrow with the Ice and Snow Emperors in tow. Even if I had to dig through mountains barehanded, I'd do it without complaint."
Elex simply smiled and replied gently:
"If someone else said that, you could laugh it off. But when I say it... Who knows? Perhaps one day it will truly happen."
This time, Shu Yan fell silent. Thinking it over, he was startled to realize someone capable of creating a demiplane might very well be able to craft a divine-level puppet if the materials were right.
Sensing that his thoughts were getting too far ahead of reality, Shu Yan shook it off and turned his attention to other matters.
Not long after, Xu Jiujing returned to the princess's residence, her face a little tired.
Seeing Shu Yan lost in thought, Xu Jiujing quietly curled into his arms. Shu Yan opened his eyes and asked, somewhat surprised:
"What were you busy with? You look exhausted."
Xu Jiujing gave a soft humph, grabbed his hand, and placed it on her slender waist. Shu Yan got the message and gently began to massage it.
Enjoying the moment, Xu Jiujing let out a lazy sigh before answering:
"It was something important. I've come of age, so I had to receive the inheritance of my Star Crown Sect's elders. I also obtained an internal sect inheritance soul bone. My cultivation is at the peak of Rank 38 now. After I finish absorbing this soul bone, I'll be ready to get my fourth soul ring."
Shu Yan raised an eyebrow, skillfully brushing aside a layer of obstructing fabric and slipping his hand underneath, caressing her smooth skin.
"Inheritance? What kind of inheritance? "
Xu Jiujing rolled her eyes at him, her voice tinged with a mix of annoyance and helplessness:
"It's like secret techniques and mystical arts. Our Star Crown Sect has existed for tens of thousands of years—since before the era of the Seven Gods—and was once a famed sect of the Star Luo Empire. Though we later withdrew from the public eye, our inheritance remains strong. Over the years, our Xu family has refined the Star Crown Martial Soul to its peak, giving rise to many secret techniques."
"Just like the Clear Sky Sect, which has its own secret arts—the most famous being the so-called divine skill, the Vast Sea Hammer."
Shu Yan nodded in understanding and continued:
"What about that soul bone? What's its age, and which soul beast did it come from? If it doesn't suit you perfectly, don't absorb it. Soul bones take up a slot—if you regret it later, it'll be too late."
Xu Jiujing swatted away his wandering hand, hurriedly adjusting her inner garments, her cheeks slightly flushed. She gave Shu Yan a warning glance and said softly,
"Be careful. This isn't the bedchamber..."
Shu Yan withdrew his hand somewhat regretfully, casting a wistful glance at her.
Recalling the soft, perfect curve of her waist just now, he couldn't help but marvel at how well-developed she was.
Seeing his disappointed expression, Xu Jiujing, though used to his antics, still couldn't help but mutter softly:
"You lecher."
Shu Yan simply smiled, deftly changing the subject:
"All right, let me see that soul bone. Better to check it now than have you absorb it and regret it later."
Rolling her eyes again, Xu Jiujing still obediently took out the soul bone and handed it over.
Shu Yan examined the soul bone, which looked like the purest jade, and remarked with some surprise:
"A Light-attribute soul bone, roughly seventy thousand years old. Hard to tell which soul beast it came from, but definitely not an ordinary creature."
"Jiujing, is your Star Crown Sect this wealthy? You can just casually bring out such a treasure? "
Xu Jiujing proudly lifted her chin and replied:
"Of course. Our sect has lasted countless generations and later came to control the Star Luo Empire. The number of inheritance soul bones and treasures in our treasury is no small thing. Ordinary disciples can't access the top-tier inheritances. Only the most talented few of each generation are allowed to choose treasures from the treasury."
"The left leg bone I chose comes from a seventy-thousand-year-old Celestial Star Unicorn. It holds powerful Light attributes. Sadly, soul bones with star or starlight attributes are far too rare. Apart from the few top-tier soul bones my royal brother absorbed years ago, there aren't many in the sect above thirty thousand years. Otherwise, I wouldn't have settled for Light attributes."
Shu Yan ruffled her hair and pulled her back into his arms, unable to resist indulging in a little affection.
"For a Star Crown Martial Soul user, light-attribute soul bones have extremely high compatibility besides star and starlight attributes. This may not be the absolute best match for you, but right now, you won't find anything better."
After some playful cuddling, Shu Yan handed the soul bone back and reminded her once more.
Xu Jiujing lowered her gaze, looking at the hands that had all but mapped out her body despite her protests. Then she looked at Shu Yan's serious face and suddenly couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. Ignoring the seductive sight of her half-bare shoulders, she broke free from his arms, planted her soft foot firmly on his chest, and scolded him with a mix of shyness and irritation:
"You fake gentleman! If you want to talk, then talk properly. Stop taking advantage of me! Do you really think this princess is easy to bully? "
Looking down at the delicate foot pressed against his chest, Shu Yan couldn't help but swallow. Then he grinned.
"Well... I could stop pretending to be a gentleman altogether."
Xu Jiujing froze for a moment, her already flushed cheeks turning bright red. Before she could react, Shu Yan had already pinned her beneath him. Soft golden ribbons wrapped around her wrists, and just as her pupils contracted in surprise, Shu Yan silenced her protests in his usual, shameless way...
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix