The woman in the yellow gown noticed the change in the Emperor’s gaze and danced even more fervently. Her waist twisted like a snake, the Golden Bells on her body jingling ceaselessly, their sound growing ever more enchanting.
The feeling of resonance grew clearer. Emperor Xia could even feel the Qi Blood that had lain dormant in his Dantian for years show faint signs of stirring.
"Excellent!" he couldn’t help but cheer, the light of hope rekindling in his eyes.
’It’s not about looking like Consort Ji. It’s not about being skilled in the arts. What’s important is a certain quality, a quality that can trigger a resonance in my Qi Blood.’ He seemed to have realized something.
’The dance of this woman in yellow and the sound of her Golden Bells have, by some strange coincidence, hit that frequency. It seems the heavens are smiling upon me, to have found something that seems to be the catalyst again so quickly.’
"You, come here," Emperor Xia beckoned to the woman in yellow.
The woman stopped dancing, her cheeks flushed from the exertion and her eyes filled with pleasant surprise. She walked gracefully forward and knelt by the couch, as docile as a kitten.
Emperor Xia reached out, took her slender wrist, and revealed a look of satisfaction.
Her skin was cool to the touch, as delicate and smooth as Jade.
He circulated a trace of his Qi Blood and probed her meridians. Just as he suspected, the woman’s constitution seemed somewhat special. The way her Qi Blood circulated was slightly different from that of an ordinary person, naturally carrying an extremely subtle frequency that could induce resonance in another’s Qi Blood.
What Emperor Xia didn’t know was that this was because the woman had a trace of Netherworld Power planted within her by his "good" son, Xia Wuyang. Moreover, Xia Wuyang had used certain methods from the Herbal Tomb, which was what caused the Emperor to have this feeling.
Otherwise, how could any random woman give him such a feeling? It would be far too coincidental.
It seemed similar to the catalyst he sought, but it actually concealed a fatal Poison. This, however, was incredibly difficult to detect.
Although the feeling this gave Emperor Xia was far less intense than what he felt with Consort Ji, it was a promising start. At least, that’s what he thought.
He couldn’t help but examine her carefully, but he found nothing unusual. This was because Xia Wuyang had only planted a minuscule amount of Netherworld Power. Otherwise, with Emperor Xia’s sharp perception and the Spiritual Artifacts on his person, he would have likely already discovered the anomaly.
Emperor Xia released her hand and looked at the other two women, his gaze now completely different. "You two, come here as well. Let me have a good look at you."
The three women did as they were told, stepping forward and kneeling before the couch.
Emperor Xia inspected them one by one. He found that while the women in water-red and light purple lacked the special frequency of the woman in yellow, their beauty, figures, and charm were all of the highest caliber. They could be called stunningly beautiful.
More importantly, their bodies seemed to retain an extremely faint trace of Consort Ji’s aura, which felt somewhat familiar to him.
This was a trace left by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which had deliberately made them wear Consort Ji’s old belongings, use the incense she favored, and even imitate her words and actions. The resemblance was already quite strong.
To Emperor Xia’s currently sensitive Qi Blood perception, this faint aura also faintly stirred his memories of Consort Ji, which in turn caused faint ripples in his Qi Blood. He grew increasingly delighted.
"Good... Good!"
Emperor Xia said the word "good" twice, the gloom of the past several days swept away. "Stay. All of you will stay. Tonight, the three of you will attend to me together. I want you all."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" The three women were overjoyed. They kowtowed repeatedly, secretly dreaming of becoming one of the Harem’s concubines.
Emperor Xia was in high spirits. He ordered the zither table removed and had fresh wine and food brought in.
He personally poured the wine and drank with the three women, chatting and laughing cheerfully, filled with joy.
The atmosphere inside Warm Fragrance Pavilion gradually grew heated and amorous. Gauze robes slipped off one by one, and the sounds of delicate laughter, panting, and clinking cups intertwined...
Outside the window, the downpour intensified, coming down in sheets.
Meanwhile, in the Practice Room of Wenhua Hall, Xia Wuyang slowly opened his eyes.
He sat cross-legged on the Jade Couch, his aura as tranquil and bottomless as an abyss.
But in his Sea of Consciousness, with the Enchanting Heart Scripture circulating, an extremely faint yet exceptionally clear Sensing came from the direction of Qianqing Palace.
It was the sign that the Netherworld Seeds he had planted in the bodies of Consort Ji’s replacements had been triggered. It seemed Emperor Xia had taken the bait.
"It’s starting..." A cold smile played on Xia Wuyang’s lips.
With a mere thought, his Spiritual Power spread out like a spider’s web, remotely locking onto the Warm Fragrance Pavilion in Qianqing Palace.
Although the distance was not short and Qianqing Palace was shielded by a Spirit Array, the Netherworld Seeds shared the same origin as him and were enhanced by the Enchanting Heart Scripture’s Secret Technique. That faint Sensing still came through clearly, allowing him a vague awareness of the situation.
He vaguely perceived Emperor Xia drinking, flirting, and ultimately entangling himself with the three young women who had the Netherworld Power planted in them... The Netherworld Seeds lying dormant deep within the women’s meridians were silently activated.
Traces of that sinister, malicious Netherworld Power, clinging like a poison seeping into the bones, silently infiltrated Emperor Xia’s body through their intimate contact.
It was faint—so faint that even a master at the level of Super Grade Perfection like Emperor Xia was completely unaware, as were the Spiritual Artifacts on his body.
In fact, because the Netherworld Power was extremely subtle and naturally compatible with the women’s feminine energy, Emperor Xia felt no discomfort during the process. On the contrary, due to the faint Qi Blood resonance, he felt a long-lost sense of comfort and hope, mistakenly believing he had found the path to his catalyst. His mood soared.
"Heh..." Xia Wuyang let out a soft laugh, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
’Once is naturally harmless, but twice, three times, ten times... Over time, the accumulated Netherworld Power will be like water dripping on a stone, silently eroding the very foundation of Emperor Xia’s Yang Meridian.’
’At first, he’ll just feel occasional fatigue and a lack of energy. Then, he’ll gradually lose control of certain functions. Eventually, his Yang Meridian will be completely depleted, making it impossible for him to perform his manly duties, let alone break through to the True Monarch Realm.’
’A Eunuch Emperor... The thought alone is amusing. I wonder what Emperor Xia will think then.’
Xia Wuyang focused his mind, no longer paying attention to the happenings at Qianqing Palace. There was no need for excessive observation.
The seeds had been sown; all he had to do was wait for them to blossom and bear fruit.
Right now, he had more important things to do and no time to bother with this matter.
He stood up and walked to the Pill Furnace.
Inside the Crane Pattern Furnace, a new batch of Qi Nourishing Pills was about to complete Pill Formation, and their medicinal effects were even better this time.
Aided by his Alchemy Genius Companion Talent, Refining Qi Nourishing Pills was now second nature to him. His Pill Formation Success Rate was nearly ninety percent, and the quality was consistently excellent or better.
The furnace fire gradually died down. The lid opened, and several milky-white Elixirs flew out. Their Pill Patterns were clear, their medicinal fragrance was crisp, and their value was astonishing.
Xia Wuyang carefully placed the Elixirs into a Jade Bottle to be used later, then took out the section of the Thousand-year-old Stalactite.
The lustrous Stalactite in his palm glowed with a gentle spiritual light. The pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within seemed almost ready to burst out of the stone, and its intoxicating fragrance filled the air.
’Based on my current Cultivation Foundation,’ he estimated, ’consuming this piece of Stalactite should extend my first River Spirit Vein by at least a few more kilometers. My True Qi reserves will increase substantially, and my strength will soar as a result.’
’Once Pan Mo’s condition improves a bit more and her Foundation is more stable, I’ll go into seclusion to attempt a breakthrough,’ Xia Wuyang decided.
He put away the Stalactite and pushed open the stone door leading to his Sleeping Palace.

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