Chapter 268: If That Were the Case…

“Do not let male beauty ruin the nation, lest the monarch stop attending morning court sessions.” Le Sha had lost count of how many times she had sighed tonight.

Xia Xiaomeng’s eyes curved into crescents. “I, for one, would love for Xiao Xun to keep me from morning court.”

Le Sha: “…”

“Alright, Master, you don’t need to worry. Even if I really didn’t want to attend court, Xiao Xun’s personality wouldn’t let me stay in the inner palace all day.” Xia Xiaomeng stood up. “Master, can we go to Dragon Abyss again?”

During their last visit to Dragon Abyss, just as countless Cultivators had entered, a dragon’s roar echoed through the sky, and in the next moment, Dragon Abyss collapsed.

No one knew what was happening, but everyone scrambled to escape.

In the end, Le Sha had no choice but to bring Xia Xiaomeng out as well.

Even so, Xia Xiaomeng had a faint realization upon hearing the dragon’s roar, which prompted Le Sha to quickly bring her back to the Qian Kingdom for secluded cultivation.

This only further solidified Le Sha’s belief that Dragon Abyss was the “place where the dragon rises” for the Immortal Emperor Body.

Le Sha even had a faint feeling that the collapse of Dragon Abyss was related to Xiaomeng’s Immortal Emperor Body.

Perhaps, for billions of years since ancient times, the remnant soul of this last dragon had been waiting for Xiaomeng.

Currently, the techniques and mind-cultivation methods Xia Xiaomeng practiced were passed down without reservation by Le Sha, belonging to the Yin-Yang School.

However, Le Sha also knew that these were not the most suitable techniques for Xiaomeng.

Xiaomeng’s enlightenment needed to happen within the Mortal World, using Luck as the dragon, mountains and rivers as the clouds, and the True Dragon as support to prove her Great Dao!

Every one of those ancient Emperor Cultivators was connected to a True Dragon; this was certainly no coincidence.

“We still need to wait a while longer.”

Le Sha answered the young girl’s question.

“Although it won’t take hundreds of years for Dragon Abyss to reopen after its last collapse, it won’t be that quick either. It could take decades at most, or as little as a year or two—perhaps even a few months. Moreover, since Your Majesty is now in the Golden Core Realm, I need to find a way to better mask your heavenly secrets.”

Xia Xiaomeng thought for a moment and looked up. “Then, can the Cultivation Techniques Master taught me allow me to reach the Nascent Soul Realm?”

“For ordinary people, the Nascent Soul Realm is out of reach, but Your Majesty possesses the Emperor Immortal Physique. Even if you practice low-level techniques, you will surely reach the Nascent Soul Realm.”

Le Sha was somewhat puzzled. “Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry to reach the Nascent Soul Realm?”

“Because didn’t Master say that Cultivators can achieve eternal youth once they reach the Nascent Soul Realm? I want to freeze my most beautiful appearance in time. That way, I will always look my best whenever I’m with Xiao Xun.”

Le Sha: “…”

Le Sha felt she shouldn’t have asked.

When the girl before her was still a little child, she had cried while seeking Le Sha out, wanting to Cultivate just so she could find that Lin Xun.

Now that she had found him, her motivation for cultivating was to surpass Jiang Qingshang and snatch the man away.

And now, the reason she was so eager to reach the Nascent Soul Realm was also to preserve her most beautiful self.

Le Sha even suspected that the girl before her had never once cultivated for her own sake.

Was such a Great Dao, cultivated entirely for someone else, ultimately right or wrong?

If one day that Lin Xun were to pass away of old age, where would Xiaomeng go?

Would she have to endlessly search for Lin Xun’s Reincarnation? Would she fall into a painful cycle of waiting?

“Master? Master?”

Just as Le Sha was worrying about her Disciple’s future, Xia Xiaomeng called out softly, her small hand waving happily in front of Le Sha’s face.

“It’s nothing.”

Le Sha pressed down Xia Xiaomeng’s hand. Ever since Qi Yu went to Luo City to select candidates, this little girl’s mood had been consistently excellent.

She was probably thrilled because she was about to see Lin Xun and could spend all her time being clingy with him.

“Your Majesty, if Lin Xun were to pass away of old age while Your Majesty still has thousands upon thousands of years of life ahead, what would Your Majesty do?” Le Sha asked.

“If that were the case, then I would not want those thousands of years of life.”

Xia Xiaomeng did not hesitate for a single second.

“In this life, I only live for Xiao Xun. Without him, this world holds no attraction for me. Whether it’s a ten-thousand-year Legacy or proving my Dao and ascending to immortality, none of it has any meaning to me.”

“Sigh…” Le Sha shook her head. “I knew it. I knew Your Majesty would answer like that.”

Xia Xiaomeng smiled. “Since Master knew I would answer like this, why did Master still ask?”

Le Sha also smiled. “What if I told you I have a way to allow Lin Xun to Cultivate like a Cultivator?”

“Hmm?”

Xia Xiaomeng was startled.

In Xia Xiaomeng’s understanding, one needed a Spiritual Root to Cultivate, and Spiritual Roots were something one was born with.

Xiao Xun had no Spiritual Root, so how could he possibly Cultivate?

If Xiao Xun could Cultivate, it would naturally be for the best, as she could then be with him for much longer.

“Regardless, Your Majesty has always lived in the Mortal World and knows too little about the cultivation world. Naturally, you wouldn’t know about the existence of the rootless fruit.”

“rootless fruit?”

“Correct. There are less than six months left before the Rootless Secret Realm opens again. The Realm contains rootless fruit; if a Mortal eats one, they can grow a Spiritual Root.”

“At that time, I will teach Your Majesty the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation method of the Yin-Yang School.”

“With Your Majesty’s Immortal Emperor physique, no matter how poor Lin Xun’s cultivation talent might be, as long as he performs Dual Cultivation with Your Majesty every day and perseveres, he will be able to step into the Nascent Soul Realm.”

“Ev… Every day?” Hearing her Master’s words, the girl lowered her head, her cheeks flushing slightly red.

“What is Your Majesty thinking about?” Le Sha’s brow twitched. Was “every day” the main point? The point was that he could reach the Nascent Soul Realm!

“Then… then Master… will this cause him any harm?” Xia Xiaomeng asked worriedly.

“The harmful ones are the methods of plucking and supplementing using a Cauldron. Dual Cultivation itself is an orthodox practice. The Yin-Yang School has it, the Daoists have it, and the Buddhist Tantra has it too. It’s just that the Great Joy Temple took the wrong path and brought about its own destruction.”

Le Sha gave Xia Xiaomeng a sidelong glance.

“However, if we’re really talking about downsides, Your Majesty’s own Realm might not improve as much, and Lin Xun would only have the Realm and lifespan without the substance. His Foundation would be superficial, and his actual combat ability would likely be poor.”

“Then it doesn’t matter.” Xia Xiaomeng was completely relieved. “Xiao Xun doesn’t need to be too strong. He just needs to be by my side for a long, long time, and I will be the one to protect him.”

“But Xiaomeng…”

This time, Le Sha did not address her as ‘Your Majesty’.

“You must know that the path of cultivation is extremely long, and the temptation of ascending to immortality is far too great. If Lin Xun enters the path of cultivation and one day, for the sake of becoming an immortal, he is no longer satisfied with Dual Cultivation and instead tries to forcibly pluck your cultivation level, treating you as a Cauldron and destroying your Foundation, what will you do then?”

“If that were the case.”

Xia Xiaomeng pondered for a moment, then broke into a radiant smile.

“Then I would simply give him everything.”