Chapter 358: Hurry Up! I Want to See the Good Stuff!
What few people knew was that the Imperial Pool itself was actually a mysterious treasure—one that operated by rules beyond comprehension.
And this "Imperial Pool" didn't just refer to the fishpond visible on the surface. No, it included the entire space hidden behind that white mist and archway—a realm that looked seamlessly connected to the outside world but was in fact something entirely different.
Only by stepping through that white mist could one truly enter the real Imperial Pool.
According to the most secret historical records of the Immortal Nation, this mystical artifact had existed since the nation's very founding. Back then, the Immortal Nation wasn't the sole country of the human cultivators, and the mortal and cultivation worlds were still clearly divided. The various cultivation countries at the time still ran on systems closer to those of the mortal world.
It wasn't until the Immortal Nation allied with the Daoist Sect and rose to become the only governing power of human cultivators—after countless generations of emperors and evolving systems—that a government structure suitable for cultivators was finally established.
As for the Imperial Pool, the earliest known records tie it directly to the founding emperor of the Immortal Nation. It was said to have been placed in the imperial harem at the time for... certain baby making purposes.
…
Standing before the shimmering water curtain, the Empress gently exhaled. Her eyes sparkled as they watched the golden glow ripple across the entrance of the water screen.
She withdrew the finger that had been repeatedly pointing at the golden koi.
Just now, each time she tapped the golden fish, the boundary of the Imperial Pool—this illusory space—would subtly warp. In that moment, an invisible, mysterious energy would gather from the void and pour into the koi's body.
And then, when the koi burst into sparkles, the mystical energy it had absorbed scattered with the golden light, dissolving into the water curtain.
(If it weren't him, collecting the fragments of his emotional disturbance wouldn't need such an elaborate process. Normally, illusion-type pills or artifacts could easily harvest enough heart-force to activate Heart Mirror... But the outcome's the same either way. According to Wutong, just dressing like this cracked open a weak point in his mental defenses. Then, a touch of Dao Spirit Immortal Tea subtly and gradually influenced his emotions…)
All that effort finally led to him releasing scattered thoughts and desires, forming a measurable amount of heart-force—enough to establish a connection with the Imperial Pool.
With that, the artifact could finally be activated according to her will.
Of course, this might be the first time the Imperial Pool was ever triggered using this kind of method to awaken its mysterious Heart Mirror power.
The Empress's gaze remained fixed on the glowing water curtain.
What she was seeing now was just the first stage of the Heart Mirror's power. But her true goal was the second stage.
Still, she wasn't in a hurry.
In fact, she was kind of curious about the first stage. After all, "Heart Mirror" meant reflecting the thoughts within one's heart.
Though that was the general idea, even she—holder of the artifact—wasn't entirely sure what it truly meant. She'd only been Empress for three years, and hadn't used the Imperial Pool all that many times.
In the past, she hadn't paid much attention to this first stage.
Most of the time, when using pills or artifacts to induce emotional responses, the reflected images were always vague and chaotic, full of illusions and nonsense.
But this time was different.
She hadn't used anything too forceful—just gave him a nudge or two. So maybe… just maybe, the reflection would reveal something interesting?
The Empress was genuinely curious: what had that Demon Sect Holy Saint been thinking deep down?
They had been discussing the Netherkin Race earlier, so maybe the images would be related to that?
If that were the case, she might not even need to activate the second stage so soon.
(The second stage consumes a huge amount of heart-force. If I can get what I need from the first stage, I'll only need to confirm a few things in the second.)
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the golden water curtain in front of her began to shift.
The golden light receded, leaving only a faint glowing frame.
And within that frame…
A picture began to appear.
The image unfolding before her eyes stirred a strange sense of familiarity in the Empress—but she couldn't quite put her finger on why it felt so familiar.
At least, not until the "camera" in the vision slowly panned downward, revealing a grand residence adorned with festive red lanterns and decorations—and two figures standing outside its gate.
…?
Then it hit her.
She remembered this scene.
It was one that had flickered repeatedly in the back of her mind not long ago… a dream that had quietly increased her concern and attention toward that man.
The two figures—one was a young groom dressed in brilliant red wedding robes. The other, a bride in a phoenix-crowned veil, her face hidden beneath crimson silk. But that silhouette… it was a shape far too familiar to the Empress.
Wasn't this the scene from the end of that dream, back when she entered the Holy Saint dream?
Why was it showing up here now?
"Was this... what he was thinking about just now?"
A strange look appeared in the Empress's eyes, but it quickly turned into thoughtful curiosity.
—Now that she thought about it, this wasn't entirely impossible.
The human mind was a complicated thing—especially when stimulated or stirred. Thoughts could flash by in an instant, and even the smallest mental association could snowball into a vivid mental image.
The Heart Mirror within the Imperial Pool could only lock onto one of those thoughts.
While it usually grabbed the most dominant one, there was always a chance it latched onto a fleeting, passing moment.
(For him, he still thinks my Mortal Alter Ego is my "younger sister"… So, when he saw me just now, maybe that triggered his memory of the betrothal... and then this dream wedding followed. That's... plausible.)
Still, that meant she probably wasn't going to get any useful information out of the first stage after all.
The Empress sighed internally. She raised her hand slightly—but after a moment's hesitation, lowered it again.
Oh well. The first stage didn't use much heart-force anyway. Why not keep watching?
Besides, this vision was, after all, a direct reflection of what was in his heart... The Empress couldn't help but feel a little curious. How exactly did this dream wedding play out in his imagination?
From what she remembered, the Demon Sect Holy Saint had never participated in anything resembling a wedding in his entire life. What would a subconscious illusion like this even make of such a ceremony?
Would there be a proper bow to Heaven and Earth?
She blinked curiously.
But when she opened her eyes again, she froze.
Gone were the ornate mansion and outdoor festivities. The scene had jumped straight to a room lit by bridal candles, the walls draped in red silk.
The Demon Sect Holy Saint, dressed in bright red robes, sat gently at the edge of the bridal bed. And beside him, the bride—her face still veiled—sat quietly.
The Empress's mind went blank, completely filled with question marks.
Wait, what!?
When did they get into the bridal chamber!?
What about the rest of the ceremony!?
All she'd done was blink—she hadn't even mentally prepared herself!
It felt like, in that very moment, someone had shouted "Hurry up already! Skip to the good part!" and slammed the fast-forward button.
The Empress could already guess what happened—clearly, someone got impatient and mentally skipped over all the boring bits.
Her expression turned a bit strange, but she quickly brushed it off.
Because what was happening now… was something she really wanted to see.
In the vision, Luo Wusheng reached out with gentle hands and took hold of the red veil covering the bride's face.
He slowly began to lift it.
The Empress unconsciously held her breath.
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Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD[1]
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[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