Chapter 357: The Empress's Other Intentions
Bai Xiaoyao was certain—that voice just now, from outside her chamber, belonged to her Senior Brother.
The many rooms of the Immortal Life Pool were all intricately fortified with formations. No spiritual awareness, no peering technique could penetrate their boundaries. Even communication between the inside and outside could only occur via sound, and even then, only when channeled through spiritual energy.
For someone to knock and have their voice heard, they needed to infuse their call with spiritual energy—only then would the formation relay the sound within.
(Senior Brother came looking for me? Does that mean he's already finished his meeting with the Immortal Nation's Empress?)
Her heart stirred, and Bai Xiaoyao quickly ran through her thoughts.
But something felt…off.
When he'd first spoken, it sounded like he was just confirming her presence—but then, at the very end, his voice had spiked with astonishment, even shock.
What could possibly surprise her normally calm and composed Senior Brother to that extent?
Splash—
Without thinking, Bai Xiaoyao stood up from the shimmering pool. The colorful water clinging to her skin dripped back into the bath, sending ripples across its surface.
Beads of crystal-clear water slid down her smooth, porcelain skin, glowing faintly in the rising mist. For a brief moment, under the hazy veil of steam and light, she radiated an ethereal beauty—like a celestial nymph stepping from the clouds.
And then—she froze.
A flush of crimson bloomed across her cheeks as a thought suddenly struck her.
She'd nearly… walked out naked.
Feeling the heat creeping across her skin, Bai Xiaoyao quietly stepped to the side, exiting the pool and placing her bare, delicate feet onto the jade tiles below. Droplets of rainbow-tinged water traced soft trails down her legs, splashing against the stone floor with gentle taps.
A beauty emerging from her bath—skin smooth as cream washed by spring waters—a breathtaking sight, were there anyone there to witness it.
Spiritual energy stirred around her. The water on her body quickly evaporated into mist, leaving her dry and refreshed in an instant.
At the same time, the pool behind her began to exude a strange aura, its waters steaming away rapidly. A veil of mystical vapor swirled toward her, gently clinging to her figure.
This was the final gift of the Immortal Life Pool.
The moment one stepped out, the pool's main restorative effect would end. But as a parting blessing, the residual energy of the waters would coat the bather's body, forming a temporary spiritual enhancement.
For the next three days, this ethereal aura would subtly accelerate her natural healing—less potent than the main bath, perhaps, but still far superior to most pills or elixirs.
Having completed her exit from the bath, Bai Xiaoyao extended her hand. Her storage pouch flew lightly into her palm, and with a wave of her fingers, a pristine white dress floated out, unfolding in the air.
. . . . . . . .
Outside the chamber door, Luo Wusheng had no idea he had just missed witnessing a moment of legendary beauty.
He stood frozen, right foot slightly raised, one hand still mid-motion near the door. His face was a tangled mess of emotions.
Blank confusion. Awkward embarrassment. Unnameable inner conflict. And finally—he blushed. Visibly.
On the left side of his face, where his eye had once been, there now remained only an empty void, dark and veined with strange, arcane patterns at the edge.
Miss Kirin had stopped accompanying him the moment they reached the Immortal Life Pool. She'd tactfully withdrawn, giving him and his junior sister some private time.
Of course, what Luo Wusheng didn't know was that Miss Kirin—being the Empress's Mortal Alter Ego—was temporarily retreating to wait for memory synchronization from her other two Alter Ego. She needed a quiet moment alone to avoid exposing inconsistencies in her behavior. None of this was visible to Luo Wusheng, of course.
All he knew was that this was his chance.
During his earlier conversation with the Empress at the Imperial Pool, he'd been feeling light-headed, a little too free-spirited—but still, something had been bothering him.
Something… strange.
Their talk had covered a lot of ground—dangerously so. The amount of intelligence he'd disclosed about the Netherkin Nation was enough to strip the fur off the new Netherkin Nation Monarch's entire bloodline.
Sure, he could push the blame onto his convenient excuse—"master took all the risks, not me!"—but even then, something didn't sit right.
And the Empress… she hadn't questioned a single thing.
She hadn't asked him about his sources, hadn't shown the slightest curiosity about where this wealth of classified intelligence came from.
Would a ruler—an Empress of the Immortal Nation—really accept such claims so easily?
Even if she did trust him, shouldn't she at least wonder a little?
Recalling Ji Yanyao's strange behavior the previous day—how she, for reasons unknown, hadn't acted directly against the chicken Netherkin—Luo Wusheng found that he could no longer suppress the suspicion brewing in his heart.
Especially when, the moment a certain idea flashed through his mind, the Antediluvian Nether Eye—which he had refrained from using since awakening—responded.
And with it, came a new ability. One he hadn't even realized had quietly awakened.
Even the ever-watchful Miss Kirin, who had accompanied him this whole time, had failed to notice…
That in the shadow of the Demon Sect's Holy Son, his right arm had vanished.
. . . . . . .
Let's rewind a little.
At the Imperial Pool.
The Empress, dressed in a flowing crimson palace gown, maintained her usual flawless and regal appearance—right until the moment the handsome youth disappeared into the swirling white mist at the gate.
As his aura faded along with the presence of her Mortal Alter Ego, the Empress's expression crumbled like a mask being peeled away.
With a soft plop, she slumped forward onto the table before her.
Gone was the unshakable majesty of a nation's sovereign. In its place, a young woman finally exhaling after holding her breath for far too long.
"Hahhh… is the Diabolic Saint Physique really that terrifying? If it weren't for my Dragon Fortune protection, the Human Emperor Sword blessing, and the stabilization from the Dao-fixing Nascent Soul, I wouldn't have even lasted until 'Heart Mirror' took effect... I would've collapsed first."
She muttered wearily, her words tinged with exhaustion and faint complaint.
Her demeanor was entirely different now—lazy, unguarded, vulnerable.
Had anyone else been present, the entire image of the Immortal Nation's Empress would have come crashing down.
"If this had been something any of my other Alter Ego could have done, I would never have bothered switching to my Imperial Alter Ego for this. But in the end, only experiencing something personally carries the necessary weight. Memories alone won't do…"
She tugged at the hem of her red dress and let out another long sigh.
"I haven't worn something like this in ages. It feels… weird. Especially this part around the chest…"
She fiddled awkwardly with the tight silk across her front, her fair skin occasionally peeking through the folds.
"I mean, the Mortal Alter Ego's been binding its chest for years and that never felt this awkward. Why does this get under my skin so much?"
"And this light, fluttery feeling… it's making me so anxious…"
The young Empress's voice lowered to a soft murmur as she looked down at her attire again—smoothing a wrinkle here, adjusting a fold there—unable to stop the stream of idle grumbling.
"I spent half an hour just getting dressed. If he hadn't shown up today, I'd—I'd have had to go through all this again tomorrow. But judging by his reaction earlier… this outfit was worth the effort. Wutong was right."
She pouted faintly, but then her expression steadied.
"…Well. At least the goal has been achieved."
Rising from the table with a long stretch, the young Empress left began to reassemble her regal bearing.
As she stood, her eyes caught a glimpse of the tea set still resting on the table.
She paused.
Bringing a finger to her lips, she touched the faint trace of color there, lost in thought.
Then, silently, she swept the tea set into her storage pouch.
(Might come in handy later...)
(Maybe the Mortal Alter Ego or the Daoist Alter Ego want to use it... who knows?)
(Better keep the dress too.)
With her thoughts finally settling, the sovereign aura returned to her frame like a cloak slipping back over her shoulders.
She took a step forward—just one—and her figure appeared atop the surface of a sparkling koi pond.
Crimson silk shoes with golden embroidery touched the water lightly. Her finger extended forward with a motion so subtle, it seemed to ripple the air itself.
In the next instant, a strange golden-scaled fish burst from the depths of the pool.
But it didn't fall back.
Instead, it flew higher.
And higher.
A shimmering gate—half real, half illusory—manifested in the air before it. The waters of the pool surged upward unnaturally, as if drawn toward the gate, spiraling around it.
Each time the fish began to fall, the Empress flicked her finger again.
With each flick, its descent reversed.
It soared upward once more.
Until at last, it crossed the watery gate.
A miraculous scene unfolded.
The water coiled on the gate's frame began to flow inward, weaving itself into a transparent curtain at the gate's center.
As the fish passed through, it burst apart—scattering into countless motes of golden light.
Those lights fell like fireflies into the watery veil, illuminating it with radiant hues and forming a shimmering, magical display.
"…Just enough."
The Empress's flawless face showed no joy at this success. Instead, her expression was more serious than ever.
She kept her gaze fixed upon the water curtain.
She didn't notice that in the shadows beneath the nearby pavilion, something moved.
A small bulge twisted outward from the darkness—strange and out of place.
Within it, a ghostly eyeball shimmered into view, watching in silence.
<+>
Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD[1]
- - - - - - - - - -
Note: If you want to see more chapters of this story, please join my Patreon[2], for $5 each month, you can read all of the available chapters.
Patreon Account: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024[3]
Latest Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 487: The Cry of the Phoenix[4]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-487-cry-149583539[5]
[1] https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
[2] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
[3] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-487-cry-149583539
[5] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-487-cry-149583539