Xuanhuan: The Empress and I Swapped Bodies - Chapter 109

Zongzheng Liuning was deeply intrigued by Ye Wushuang, who was in the midst of body tempering. However, he did not interrupt him right away.

Instead, he chose to stay on the sidelines, secretly observing.

At this moment, Ye Wushuang was also completely absorbed in his training and hadn’t noticed that someone was watching him near his palace.

Thus, the two coexisted quite harmoniously.

Especially Ye Wushuang, who was enduring excruciating pain and had no mind for anything else.

“One!”
“Two!”
“Three!”

At first, every step Ye Wushuang took was incredibly difficult.
But soon, his body began to adapt.
His strength was increasing rapidly.
There was truly something different about the bloodline within him.

Sensing this uniqueness, he trained even more diligently.

What started as simply walking soon evolved into doing deep squats while carrying a massive mountain on his back. Then, he began to run, bearing the weight of a five-million-pound colossal peak.

Witnessing this, Zongzheng Liuning nodded with satisfaction.

“Excellent potential. He truly is an exceptional find!”
“No wonder he managed to awaken the Dragon bloodline. His dedication alone far surpasses that of others!”
“Regardless of what cultivation art he practices now, his body tempering method and his sheer determination make him perfectly suited to cultivate our Eight-Nine Heavenly Art!”
“Such a fine seedling. I truly wish to take him as my disciple!!”

After just a few glances, Zongzheng Liuning was thoroughly captivated.

In his heart, Ye Wushuang was perfectly suited to cultivate his Eight-Nine Heavenly Art.
He even had a premonition that if Ye Wushuang started cultivating the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art now, his future achievements would undoubtedly surpass even those of the Divine Dragon Empress.

Thinking this, Zongzheng Liuning could no longer restrain himself.

“No, I must go speak with Her Majesty. This disciple, I am determined to take!!”

Seeing the Vermilion Bird Seal Ye Wushuang was utilizing, Zongzheng Liuning concluded that Ye Wushuang and the Divine Dragon Empress must share a profound connection.
Previously, it was the Divine Dragon Empress who had concealed Ye Wushuang’s whereabouts.
Therefore, if he wanted to take Ye Wushuang as a disciple, he still needed to get past the Divine Dragon Empress.

At this moment, Zongzheng Liuning began to hope.
He hoped that the Divine Dragon Empress hadn’t already preempted him, that she hadn’t already taken Ye Wushuang as her own disciple.
Otherwise, as her master, he really wouldn’t know how to broach the subject of stealing a disciple from his own pupil.

With this in mind, Zongzheng Liuning quickened his pace. He wanted to confirm as soon as possible whether Ye Wushuang had not yet become a disciple of the Divine Dragon Empress and had not begun learning the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art from her.

When he arrived at the Divine Dragon Empress’s location, he found that she, coincidentally, was also looking for him.

“You…!”
“I…!”

They both spoke almost simultaneously, a remarkable coincidence.
This surprised the Divine Dragon Empress, though she didn’t dwell on it.

Then, the Divine Dragon Empress continued, “You go first.”
“Very well, then I shall speak first!!”

Naturally, Zongzheng Liuning wanted to speak first. He feared the Divine Dragon Empress might announce that she had already taken Ye Wushuang as her disciple.
If those words were spoken, Zongzheng Liuning would have no way to bring up taking Ye Wushuang as his own disciple.
Thus, he greatly preferred to be the one to speak first.

After the Empress yielded the floor to him, he spoke without hesitation.
“I wish to take someone as my disciple!!”

“Hmm? You’re taking a disciple? Who is it? Who could have captured your interest?”
Zongzheng Liuning’s words greatly surprised the Divine Dragon Empress.

Although what she had intended to say was precisely that she wanted Zongzheng Liuning to take Ye Wushuang as his disciple, hearing him proactively bring up wanting to take a disciple still astounded her.

It was important to remember that apart from the Divine Dragon Empress herself, Zongzheng Liuning had never taken any other disciples.
Even after her, he had never expressed any desire to take on another pupil.
But now, he was initiative proposing it. This was completely beyond the Divine Dragon Empress’s expectations.

“This time, I have indeed encountered a disciple of outstanding talent, which is why I am moved.”
“Who exactly is it that has impressed you so much?!”
“This person you should know. It’s that youth who awakened the Dragon bloodline and provoked the heavenly tribulation!”

“What? The disciple you want to take is actually him??”

The Divine Dragon Empress never imagined that the disciple Zongzheng Liuning wanted to take was actually Ye Wushuang.
This was far too surprising.

Although she herself had been about to suggest that Zongzheng Liuning take Ye Wushuang as a disciple, she never expected him to proactively propose it himself before she could even speak.

After all, Ye Wushuang had basically had no direct contact with Zongzheng Liuning; the宗正 (Zongzheng) shouldn’t even really know about him!

“Have you met him? How did you come to decide you want him as your disciple?”
“Of course I’ve seen him! I saw him just before coming here, right in Palace No. 1 that you arranged for him!”
“As for why I want him as a disciple, naturally it’s because his talent is outstanding!”
“I’ve observed his training. He is extremely well-suited for my Eight-Nine Heavenly Art. If he becomes my disciple, he will undoubtedly make the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art renowned throughout the world!!”
“I even feel his aptitude for cultivating the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art might be higher than yours was!”
“Furthermore, his temperament is also perfectly suited for cultivating the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art!!”

Speaking of Ye Wushuang, Zongzheng Liuning couldn’t help but heap on the praise.
In his eyes, Ye Wushuang was simply too exceptional.
His willingness to abandon his previous cultivation realm and start from scratch demonstrated a courage far beyond ordinary people.

Therefore, he very much hoped to take Ye Wushuang as his disciple.

Hearing Zongzheng Liuning shower Ye Wushuang with such praise made the Divine Dragon Empress’s jaw drop.
In her memory, Zongzheng Liuning wasn’t someone who lavished praise like this.
If he had been this articulate in the past, she might have been persuaded by his smooth talk to cultivate the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art long ago.

At this moment, the Divine Dragon Empress felt as if Zongzheng Liuning was a different person.
She stared at him in a daze, unable to regain her composure for a long time.

Her stunned silence, in Zongzheng Liuning’s view, seemed more like disagreement.
So, Zongzheng Liuning instantly grew anxious.

“You… you can’t disagree! All these years, he’s the only disciple I’ve taken a fancy to!!”
“In this matter, whether you agree or not, it will happen!!”

“Uh! I never said I disagreed. Since you want him as your disciple, then let him be your disciple. At most, it just means I’ll have a junior brother.”
“So… you agree?”
“Mn. I agree.”
“Good! Excellent! You truly are my good disciple. I knew you were on my side!!”
“By the way, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier?”
“……”
“Nothing.”