Chapter 115: Empress, It Is Time for Your Nightly Tutoring! [Please Subscribe! Please Vote!]

She was willing to trade her own life to ensure that Gu Shaoshang, Aunt Gu, Uncle Gu, and Gu He would remain unharmed. To her, her own life was insignificant; the lives of her loved ones in the Gu family were the most precious and important things in the world.

Zhu Yuheng looked at Lin Qiye with unwavering determination, unafraid of death. Though she was usually timid, cautious, and gentle by nature, at this moment, she was resolute beyond measure. Even Lin Qiye was moved.

Lin Qiye shook his head slightly. "I’m just talking to you; why the talk of life and death? Have you forgotten you haven't repaid your debt of gratitude yet? I’ve said it before: no matter what happens, you must live well and be happy."

Zhu Yuheng bit her lip to hold back tears and shook her head silently. "If I endanger you all, I would rather die!"

Lin Qiye: "..."

"It’s merely a bit of evil energy; do you really think I’m useless? I’ve even killed the original form of the Painted Skin demon; what does a bit of evil energy matter? I will help you resolve it."

Zhu Yuheng lifted her small face, looking at Lin Qiye with a pitiable expression. Her face, glistening with tear tracks, made her look like a little kitten, easily stirring a man’s protective instincts.

"Really? Will I really not harm you?"

"No. I am a god. To be precise, I have transcended gods." Lin Qiye’s tone was indifferent.

"I… if I am a harbinger of disaster, if I am going to hurt people, please kill me at the first sign, will you?" Zhu Yuheng pleaded. The misery in her eyes was enough to bring one to tears.

Lin Qiye was touched. "Don't say such silly things. You must strive to become an Empress who shines through the ages, ruling the world and saving it. Do you understand?"

Zhu Yuheng was stunned. These words seemed to pierce into her very soul, sending a jolt of electricity through her. She didn’t know what to say, but deep within her heart, a tiny flame was ignited. It felt as if a power hidden within her soul had suddenly awakened.

Seeing her dazed, Lin Qiye emphasized, "Do you understand?"

"I... I understand... Can I really become an Empress who shines through the ages?"

"Yes!"

Seeing Lin Qiye’s absolute confidence in her, Zhu Yuheng’s phoenix eyes—already beautiful—began to sparkle with newfound brilliance.

"If that’s the case, will I be able to protect you... and the family?"

"Yes!"

"Then I will become the Empress who shines through the ages!" A unique radiance suddenly emerged across Zhu Yuheng’s features.

Seeing this, Lin Qiye nodded slightly, though he felt something was slightly off. Why did this feel so familiar? As he pondered, Zhu Yuheng’s vibrant face suddenly fell.

"But... what should I do about the evil energy in my soul? I... I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry, I will find a way. Let me examine your body first."

"How... how do we perform the examination?" Zhu Yuheng asked weakly.

"Take off your clothes..."

"Hm... Hmm?" Zhu Yuheng’s eyes widened, and her cheeks turned burning hot.

"Yes, take them all off and face me."

"Ah?" Zhu Yuheng was even more embarrassed and ashamed. But seeing Lin Qiye’s upright and righteous demeanor, she knew the evil energy in her soul was a great threat, and that Lin Qiye was not trying to take advantage of her.

After a while, Lin Qiye shook his head. "What’s going on? I’ve searched through your meridians and internal organs with my lightning; the evil energy shouldn’t be able to hide. It’s lurking quite deep." Lin Qiye frowned.

"Is... is it very difficult to deal with?"

Lin Qiye frowned in thought, completely unaware of Zhu Yuheng’s body, which was flushed red and burning. "Let me try with the Ziwei True Qi..."

Lin Qiye switched tactics and continued his attempt. Threads of Ziwei True Qi flowed from his fingertips into Zhu Yuheng’s tense body. It was an almost scorching, mysterious substance that left Zhu Yuheng feeling as if she were in a steam room. Her entire body was covered in a fine, crystalline sheen of sweat.

In the dead of night, alone with a man, the two were only a meter apart. Zhu Yuheng’s breathing was intermittent, as if she were suppressing something. Lin Qiye, meanwhile, was focused entirely on searching for the evil energy.

However, after a full circuit of the Ziwei True Qi, he still found nothing. The so-called evil energy seemed non-existent. Lin Qiye’s brow furrowed even deeper.

"I’ll try with Immortal Qi!" Lin Qiye couldn't stand it anymore. You think you can hide from me? Tonight, I will find you!

He began to use his Immortal Qi. He only had one thread of it, so the search was very slow and took a heavy toll on his mental energy. With his concentration at its peak, beads of sweat covered Lin Qiye’s forehead.

An hour later, Lin Qiye let out a long, weary breath. "Even the Immortal Qi couldn't detect it? Is it that outrageous? Is this the dimension-ascending plan of an Immortal-level Painted Skin demon? It's quite something!"

Lin Qiye wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Are... are you okay? You look exhausted... I’ve dragged you down..." Zhu Yuheng looked full of guilt.

Lin Qiye waved his hand. "It’s fine. I’ll come back tomorrow." With that, he used Lightning Teleportation to return to his room and collapsed into sleep.

In Zhu Yuheng’s room, she felt nourished all night long. Between the lightning, the Ziwei True Qi, and the Immortal Qi, she didn't feel exhausted at all; instead, she felt invigorated. She even found herself looking forward to Lin Qiye’s return the next night.

But when she realized the thought, her face turned bright red, and her body radiated heat. She rubbed her cheeks and took several deep breaths.

...

The next day passed without incident. Lin Qiye slept until nightfall.

Gu’s parents looked at each other. "Strange, we haven't seen little Shaoshang all day. He hasn't gone off to play hero and save the world again, has he?"

"He must be saving the world. After all, little Shaoshang is a god. He’s a figure comparable to the Demon Emperor and the Wind Emperor." They nodded, possessing a blind faith in Lin Qiye.

At 8:00 PM, Lin Qiye opened his eyes. Reflecting on the previous night’s examination, he fell into deep thought. "My Annihilation Divine Lightning is at 100% development—a flawless state that is the natural nemesis of evil. It’s impossible for it not to catch any hidden energy. The Ziwei True Qi is an advanced version of innate energy, and the Immortal Qi is even stronger... If even that didn't flush it out, it means I haven't touched the soul yet."

"What method should I use? Poison? Fight poison with poison to force it out? No, that’s too hard to control."

"Tonight, I will use Immortal Qi to nourish her body again and see if I can modify it. Last night's check wasn't thorough enough. Besides, I noticed her body changed slightly; the Immortal Qi seems to be reshaping her. I’ll try again tonight."

With that, he drank several bottles of milk. Two hours later, in the quiet of the night, Lin Qiye used Lightning Teleportation to reach her room.

"Time for the nightly check."

Zhu Yuheng nodded weakly. "Okay..." Although she wasn't as nervous as before, she still fidgeted for a long time before daring to undo her clothes. As the garments fell away, her skin, white and delicate as mutton-fat jade, revealed an unusual flush.

Lin Qiye frowned earnestly. "This time, I will use Immortal Qi. The progress will be slower."

"Mm." A barely audible sound escaped Zhu Yuheng’s nose. She knew Lin Qiye was truly trying to solve the problem and wasn't doing anything improper.

Lin Qiye extended his finger, and a thread of Immortal Qi flowed into her body. This time, he started from her toes, using the Qi to nourish her body. After the first night, her body seemed to accept his Immortal Qi more easily. As the Qi entered, it seemed almost joyful and excited. Under the slow nourishment, Zhu Yuheng’s body gradually became "shaped" by the Immortal Qi, becoming flawless.

To Lin Qiye’s surprise, the Immortal Qi itself seemed to grow. He was stunned. "The quality of the Immortal Qi is increasing? No way... such a good thing?"

Lin Qiye opened his eyes. Before him lay Zhu Yuheng’s body, carved like jade and delicate as a work of art. He was dazed for a moment, admiring it for a dozen seconds before regaining his focus and continuing.

After the night passed, Lin Qiye was drenched in sweat. His eyes showed exhaustion, as if he had been drained, yet there was a glimmer of excitement. The hard-won Immortal Qi had actually shown signs of multiplication. How could he not be happy?

"Is... is it over?" Feeling the internal heat dissipate, Zhu Yuheng slowly opened her eyes, her gaze still harboring shyness.

"I need to continue for a while longer." Lin Qiye sighed. "Put on your clothes and get some rest." He vanished instantly.

"So tired. But if I can generate another thread of Immortal Qi, it’s all worth it!" With that thought, he fell into a deep sleep.

...

The following nights, Lin Qiye followed the same routine. The progress was slow, but he was fully focused and highly motivated. Every night, he would give her a rough nourishment with the Immortal Qi before focusing on a specific area, like her right foot.

After the night, the Immortal Qi continued to grow, and her right foot was fully transformed. Yet... even so, he found no trace of the evil energy. He could only hope that once the entire body was transformed, the evil energy would float to the surface.

And so, he gave her "nightly tutoring" every night. On the fourth day, her right calf was finished. On the fifth, her right thigh. On the sixth, left foot. Seventh, left calf. Eighth, left thigh.

By the tenth day, Lin Qiye had gained a second thread of Immortal Qi, accelerating the transformation. After fifteen days, a third thread. By the twentieth day, a fourth. The continuous, high-intensity nightly sessions had made Zhu Yuheng’s body flawless, but they left Lin Qiye exceptionally drained.

"It still hasn't appeared?" Lin Qiye let out a deep breath and vanished from her bed.

...

In his own room, Lin Qiye frowned. Twenty days! A full twenty days! As a god-level powerhouse with 100% development, he had used his strongest trump card, the Immortal Qi, and drained himself, yet he couldn't pull out the evil energy. This made him extremely frustrated.

"Are you really forcing me to use the Creation Deduction?"

A thought flickered in his mind. The Creation Deduction appeared before him. Lin Qiye frowned slightly. Four million? It wants four million points of vitality? He paused. "No wonder I couldn't pull it out with Immortal Qi; if even the Creation Deduction needs 4 million points for a result, the difficulty is indeed not small."

He shook his head. Wiping out 4 million points in one go wasn't a wise choice. He decided to think of another way. "Since the Winged Wolf clan and the Demon clan might be larval forms of the Painted Skin demon, they likely inherited the foundation of an Immortal-level Painted Skin demon... Being of the same level, it makes sense that my Immortal Qi couldn't find the evil energy hidden in the soul."

Lin Qiye’s gaze was cold. "Of course, it might not be Immortal-level... just a power at the soul level that is quite special. Like the God-Slaying Arrow..."

His thoughts wandered. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "I understand! It’s not actually inside the Empress's body!" He realized with a flash of insight. "The Heavenly Dao of the Empress's universe and the Dragon of Luck must have a soul connection with Zhu Yuheng, so this is actually a problem with the Dragon of Luck or the Heavenly Dao."

"If the Heavenly Dao has slipped out of control, then the Dragon of Luck might be the key!"

His thoughts cleared up. "Deduce whether it’s a problem with the Dragon of Luck, and tell me how to find it."

[Deduction successful: The Dragon of Luck is linked to the Empress's soul; the evil energy indeed originates from the Dragon of Luck. Note: The Dragon of Luck will naturally be drawn to the Empress, but she must awaken for it to return to its place.]

"It will naturally be drawn to her... does she need to awaken?"

"That makes it easy." Lin Qiye grinned. This was right up his alley. He collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

...

After sleeping for a full day and night, the four threads of Immortal Qi circulated within him. They had absorbed the power from the Empress's body and had gained the protection of this world's Heavenly Dao. Benefits were quietly manifesting within him.

The next morning, Lin Qiye woke up refreshed. After washing up, he walked outside. Gu He was on holiday, lying on the sofa, drinking soda and eating chips, looking incredibly happy. In the kitchen, Zhu Yuheng was boiling chicken soup during a break from her studies.

"Oh? Our busy man is finally out? What’s been going on lately? You didn't even answer when I knocked on your door?"

Zhu Yuheng, who was tasting the soup, trembled and stole a shy, flushed glance at Lin Qiye.

Lin Qiye stretched and answered his mother’s question nonchalantly: "Can't help it, saving the world is too tiring!"

After saying this, he sat up straight. "I’m going to see Professor Wu later. I need to use his laboratory. I might be staying there for the next few days."

Twenty days had already passed. Only seventy days remained for him to solve the problem. He estimated that the Awakening Potion could help her awaken and bring back the Dragon of Luck, but it might not solve the deep-seated evil energy in one go. This problem still needed to be overcome!

Therefore, he couldn't waste any more time. He had to race against the evil energy!