“This cheap master of mine really cares about his pride!”
“He’s clearly dying to cultivate the Immortal Heaven Art, yet he pretends he doesn’t want to!”
“Ah well, old men are always like this—obsessed with saving face. I’ll just play along!”
Ye Wushuang could clearly sense the sword intent of the Grass Character Sword Technique emanating from Imperial Clan Elder Liu Ning.
This confirmed that Liu Ning had secretly been practicing the technique.
Yet, the elder acted as if nothing had happened, never once coming to Ye Wushuang for guidance.
This made it obvious to Ye Wushuang that Liu Ning was stubborn and prideful.
So, he simply dropped a subtle hint without pressing further, choosing to let the matter rest.
Afterward, Ye Wushuang ignored everything else and focused on cultivating the Immortal Heaven Art and the Eight-Nine Heaven Art.
In his estimation, with some dedicated training, he could soon achieve a breakthrough in both techniques.
He might even be able to elevate the Dragon Empress’s body to the Immortal Emperor Realm.
This would be a tremendous advantage for him.
Breaking through to the Immortal Emperor Realm through his own efforts—even in someone else’s body—would grant him firsthand insight into the power of an Immortal Emperor.
Naturally, Ye Wushuang was eager to make this breakthrough.
If the Dragon Empress and the Imperial Dragon Seal found out he was on the verge of reaching the Immortal Emperor Realm, they would be utterly shocked.
After all, the whole reason the Dragon Empress had swapped bodies with Ye Wushuang was to break through her current bottleneck.
Of course, her ambitions were even greater—she aimed to become the Supreme Sovereign of Heaven and Earth.
But reaching the Immortal Emperor Realm was still a crucial step for her.
Achieving this before the age of thirty would be unprecedented, shaking the entire Cosmic Universe.
However, no one knew of Ye Wushuang’s plans—not even the Imperial Dragon Seal.
And some were determined not to give him the time to break through.
Less than ten days after his return to the Imperial Palace, news arrived from the border: an army from another world had launched an attack.
When Ye Wushuang received the report from the Dragon Pavilion, he frowned.
“What kind of army just appears at our border like this? Is it one of our old enemies?”
“Your Majesty, it’s not a familiar foe—it’s a demonic horde! And among them are multiple Immortal Emperor-level experts!”
“Demons?!”
Ye Wushuang’s heart tightened.
Though the Vermilion Bird had warned that the Fire Prison incident wouldn’t end quietly, he hadn’t expected the demonic retaliation to come so swiftly.
In less than ten days, they had already marched upon the empire’s borders.
“They’re clearly here for blood.”
“Very well. I’ve been informed. I’ll devise a strategy.”
“As you command!”
The Dragon Pavilion officials saw nothing unusual in his response, though they suspected the matter was linked to the Dragon Empress.
Once they left, Ye Wushuang immediately sought out Liu Ning.
“Master, we have a problem!”
“Hm? What is it?”
“The demons have invaded. Immortal Emperor-level experts have already shown themselves. I suspect the Vermilion Bird is among them—possibly even other demonic sovereigns!”
“Demons? It seems they believe they can crush our empire with ease!”
The Vermilion Bird had suffered a defeat at Liu Ning’s hands, and now it was back for revenge—undoubtedly with reinforcements.
They wouldn’t have dared attack outright unless they were certain of victory.
For the Dragon Empire, this was a serious threat.
But instead of concern, Liu Ning’s face darkened with fury.
As a dominant empire, they had repeatedly been challenged by enemies—an intolerable humiliation.
“Go. Gather the Imperial Dragon Seal and our elite troops. We’ll meet them head-on!”
At the mention of the Imperial Dragon Seal, Ye Wushuang stiffened.
He knew the seal belonged to the Dragon Empress, not him—and it wasn’t in his possession.
To retrieve it, he’d have to seek out the empress herself.
But he didn’t mention this, instead shifting focus to the troops.
“Should we really deploy the elite forces? Are we preparing for a prolonged war?”
“No. The army is for morale—to reassure our people. And with them, we can hunt down our enemies more effectively!”
Ye Wushuang nodded.
“Understood. I’ll make the preparations.”
His top priority was securing the Imperial Dragon Seal.
Only with it in hand could he stand alongside Liu Ning against sovereign-level opponents.
As soon as he entered the royal treasury, the seal’s voice echoed in his mind.
“I already know why you’re here. I’m willing to assist.”
“But first, you must master the Imperial Dragon Scripture.”
“What? Now? Is there even enough time?”
“Trust in your talent.”
The seal’s tone was laden with meaning.
In all its years, it had never seen anyone with aptitude like Ye Wushuang’s.
For others, this would be impossible—but for him, it was trivial.
To Ye Wushuang, however, the words sounded like praise for the Dragon Empress’s innate gifts—implying that her body’s natural prowess would make cultivation effortless.
So, without hesitation, he agreed.
“Then teach me the Imperial Dragon Scripture.”
The seal immediately began explaining the scripture’s essence.
In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Ye Wushuang closed his eyes—fully comprehending it.
His monstrous talent once again left the seal seething with envy.
But it said nothing.
After Ye Wushuang retrieved a supreme-grade sword from the treasury, the seal followed him out.
When Liu Ning saw him again, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ye Wushuang had grown even stronger.
But with the Imperial Dragon Seal at his side, the elder dismissed the thought.
He assumed the seal’s presence simply amplified Ye Wushuang’s aura.
After all, the Dragon Empress’s foundational cultivation had always been the Imperial Dragon Scripture—perfectly attuned to the seal.
