"So, you have to form nine clones every time you're trying to reach the pinnacle level?" Ling Han asked.
"Correct." Empress Luan Xing nodded with a serious expression, and said, "The higher my cultivation level, the longer it takes for my nine clones to reach the peak stage. This is also a test. If I insist on pursuing the pinnacle level after reaching the Eternal River Tier, I mightn't have enough time to reach the Genesis Tier.
"However…" She paused for a moment before continuing, "Everything's changed now that there's the Reincarnation Tree."
Things had indeed changed. The higher one's cultivation level, the longer it would take to comprehend the great dao. However, the Reincarnation Tree could assist one in comprehending the great dao, with one day's worth of comprehension under the Reincarnation Tree equivalent to one year's worth in the outside world. Even cultivating 90 clones would be no problem, much less a mere nine clones.
Ling Han glanced at the empress. What did she mean? She still hadn't become a member of the Ling Clan yet, but she was already planning to take advantage of the Ling Clan's resources?
"Ahem!" He coughed softly, and said, "That, um… Although I shared my secret with you, I never said that I was going to share the Reincarnation Tree as well!"
"All lands under the heaven belong to the imperial authority," Empress Luan Xing said haughtily. "You're a citizen of my empire, and I've already shown great generosity by allowing you to maintain possession of the Reincarnation Tree, yet you still want to keep all the benefits for yourself?"
'F*ck! As expected of a ruler! So slippery!'
Ling Han shook his head, and said, "This is my most valuable treasure, so how can I share it with outsiders? It's not impossible for you to cultivate here, but look, those four are my followers, and this senior is… Forget about it, he's not even a person. In any case, you're not one of us, so you can't cultivate here."
Notionless Saint couldn't help but feel vexed. If he wasn't a person, then what was he? There was no need to insult him like that, was there? At the very least, he had been a Saint once, okay?!
'Sigh, I'm under someone else's roof, so I can only endure this.'
How could Empress Luan Xing not understand Ling Han's words? "One of us"… What did "one of us" mean? She humphed in reply. This brat was indeed having dirty thoughts about her.
However, she couldn't become angry no matter what.
If Ling Han had genuinely been a shameless lowlife, he would've pushed her over and done her a long time ago. Why would he wait until now?
'What a weird person.'
"Then what do you want?" She squinted her eyes, a dangerous aura radiating from her body.
"Hehe, you'd better think your actions through carefully," Ling Han said with a chuckle. "This is my territory, so whatever I say goes. Don't act too mighty, or you'll have to be careful of being punished by me!"
He had wanted to smack this empress's bottom since long ago. Although this wasn't the empress' primary body, that didn't matter too much. Her mind and spirit were in this body, so she would definitely feel whatever this body felt.
Empress Luan Xing's overwhelming aura instantly weakened. If this were the outside world, she would be able to suppress Ling Han with a single hand. But here? Sorry, but this was indeed Ling Han's territory, where everything that he said went.
Ling Han rubbed his hands together, and his expression was as if he eagerly wanted Empress Luan Xing to act stubbornly and retort.
Empress Luan Xing rolled her eyes.
Ling Han smiled, and said, "Why did you suddenly appear just then? Wasn't it because you were jealous?"
"Huh?" Empress Luan Xing chuckled coldly, and said, "Jealous? Do you think I have that much spare time?"
"Then why did you interfere?" Ling Han asked with a smile. He didn't mind wasting time with the empress.
"Why do I have to tell you?" Empress Luan Xing said with a cold chuckle.
Ling Han grinned, and said, "You asked for it!"
He lifted the empress up and pressed her onto his knees. He then immediately started to act like a lowlife pervert without a word of warning.
Pa, pa, pa!
He started to smack the empress' bottom.
He was most powerful being in the Black Tower—apart from Small Tower.
Ling Han had never considered himself to be a person of noble character, and the only thing that had stopped him from forcing himself onto the empress was the principles that he stood by. However, they had already embraced, felt each other up, and kissed. In Ling Han's books, she was already his wife.
They had already gone so far, so how could he allow the empress to marry someone else? No way!
Thus, smacking the empress' bottom didn't weigh him down with any mental burden.
The empress struggled and attempted to break free. This was far too embarrassing!
"Detestable!" she spat through gritted teeth. However, her voice was dripping with a seductive and alluring edge.
She was clearly in Hu Feiyun's body right now, so she wasn't a stunning beauty, even though she was still extremely beautiful. However, now that she possessed the empress' soul, her every move was enchanting and filled a womanly charm.
Ling Han snickered, and said, "So, are you going to tell me now?"
"Do you want to die?" the empress asked in fury. She had never imagined that Ling Han—who had been so restrained during their two years together—would actually do something so audacious. He was actually smacking her bottom!
She could feel bursts of numbness traveling over from her bottom. It didn't hurt, yet it felt as if some unknown emotion had been lit inside her, making her involuntarily press her legs together.
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, "Have you learned your lesson yet?"
Smacking this clone's bottom already felt so amazing, so how incredible would it feel to smack her primary body's bottom?
His heart shuddered as he thought of this, and he almost howled aloud in excitement.
"Y-you win!" The empress could only submit to Ling Han. The situation left her with no other option.
Ling Han still hadn't had enough yet, and he said, "Why didn't you resist for longer? I still haven't had enough yet. Sigh…"
Empress Luan Xing felt as if she were about to go crazy. She really wanted to bite him to death. She humphed, and said, "It's not impossible for you to marry me!"
They had hugged, embraced, and kissed, and she couldn't bring herself to kill this man, either. Thus, it seemed as if marrying down was her only option.
As an empress, she was naturally domineering and resolute. She definitely wouldn't hesitate and wallow in indecisiveness.
"What conditions do you have? List them out!" Ling Han said confidently.
"I'll marry you once you advance to the Genesis Tier!" Empress Luan Xing said.
"Oi, oi, oi… That's way too insincere!" Ling Han said in protest. "You're so talented, yet it still took you one million years to reach the consummate level of the Heavenly Body Tier. If I want to marry you, won't that take two or even three million years?"
'He feels so good about himself!' Empress Luan Xing said in her mind.
Ling Han had shown zero doubts about being able to reach the Genesis Tier. His only worry was how "long" it would take for him to reach this level.
However, was two or three million years genuinely a long time?
If he could reach the Genesis Tier in two or three million years, he would have definitely achieved a first—at least, this was the case in Empress Luan Xing's mind. Two or three million years was an incredibly short amount of time.
"I'm about to reach the pinnacle level of the Heavenly Body Tier. As such, reaching the Eternal River Tier is only a matter of time. If your cultivation level is inferior to mine, what right do you have to marry me?" she said calmly.
"Understood!" Ling Han clapped his hands, and said, "Sit tight and wait for me. You're bound to become my wife!"
Empress Luan Xing humphed, and said, "That's a matter for the future. Right now, you're still my subordinate. If you dare to— Ahhh!"
She wanted to warn Ling Han, yet he unexpectedly pressed her onto his knees and started to smack her bottom again.
"Say, Empress, you've gotten one thing wrong. Wedding you is only a formality. Don't attempt to challenge your man's authority!" Ling Han was delighted that he had another opportunity to smack the empress' shapely bottom.
"Also, what's going to happen to the Ninth King's soul?"