I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon

Chapter 526 - 206: Staying Overnight in the Palace, Overstepping Boundaries! The Empress: Am I about to become the little thief’s sister-in-law?!

"What did you say? What happened to Chen Mo?"

The Empress came to her senses and said urgently, "Quickly, summon Zhong Lihe in!"

"Yes."

The palace servant responded and retreated.

A moment later, Zhong Lihe carried Chen Mo into the palace hall.

"Your servant greets Her Majesty the Empress..."

"..."

Seeing Chen Mo with his eyes closed, unconscious, the Empress’s eyebrows twitched. She said, "What are you standing around for? Hurry and get him to the bed!"

Sun Senior Palace Lady quickly stepped forward, took him from Zhong Lihe’s hands, and helped him onto the small couch.

Grasping Chen Mo’s wrist and channeling a strand of Primordial Qi into him, she checked for a moment and said, "Rest assured, Your Highness, Mr. Chen is not in serious condition. He’s just depleted his True Yuan and soul power, making his body weak, but he’ll be fine after some rest."

The Empress finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she turned to Zhong Lihe and said sternly, "What exactly happened here?"

Zhong Lihe didn’t answer immediately, casting an obscure glance around.

The Empress understood and said, "All of you, leave us."

"Yes."

The palace attendants took quick steps out of the palace hall.

After dismissing the others, the Empress tapped the table, and the palace doors closed on their own. Inside the hall, the atmosphere was silent; even the sound of a pin drop could be heard.

"Can you tell me now?"

"Your Highness..."

Zhong Lihe said in a low voice, "Chen Mo just entered the secret place in the Heavenly Martial Arena, the ’Mountain of Blades and Tomb of Swords,’ to participate in the Military Dao trial..."

"Military Dao trial?" The Empress frowned slightly and said, "He exhausted himself in the trial, which is why he fainted?"

"Exactly." Zhong Lihe nodded.

"Which level did he reach?"

"The top level."

"... Huh?!"

The Empress was stunned for a moment, doubting if she heard wrong, "What did you say? The top level?"

Zhong Lihe took a deep breath and said each word distinctly, "Chen Mo climbed to the thirty-third platform and even obtained the Military Dao Inheritance, stopping all swords, making blades surrender!"

? !

The Empress’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

The amount of information in that statement was too overwhelming, making it hard for her to digest.

She naturally knew what that ’Military Dao Inheritance’ meant... She once went against all opposition to establish the Heavenly Martial Arena, investing heavily. One reason was to cultivate the younger generation of military officers to serve the court, but there was another more significant reason—

To find someone who could gain the recognition of the Military Dao Xuan Su.

However, such hope was incredibly slim.

The Military Dao focuses on killing; to obtain its inheritance, not only one must withstand the infusion of evil energy but also endure the ’Military Tribulation,’ which could, at best, assimilate one’s will and, at worst, lead to one’s demise with no trace left...

No matter how high the talent, it was merely an entry ticket.

In the entire Great Yuan court, only one person might be able to take this step, the Princess Chu Yanli.

But she refused the Military Dao Inheritance, saying she did not wish to follow in others’ footsteps, wanting to carve out her own path instead.

"Why would the Military Dao recognize Chen Mo?"

"Could one person possess both the ’fortune of the nation’ and ’martial fortune’? What does this truly mean?"

The Empress’s expressions varied, unable to fathom it.

At this moment, Zhong Lihe said, "Your Highness, the Military Dao Xuan Su recognizing a master is no small matter. If word gets out, whether in court or the palace, I’m afraid some might harbor ulterior motives..."

The Empress naturally understood and said, "The timing is not mature; strict confidentiality is necessary... Who else knows about this?"

"There were a few military officers present, but I have already imposed a gag order. There should be no problems," Zhong Lihe replied.

Earlier, what he said in the Mountain of Blades and Tomb of Swords was not just a threat but he silently embedded Dao power into everyone’s bodies. Should anyone mention this matter, he would sense it immediately.

The military officers allowed to cultivate in the Mountain of Blades and Tomb of Swords had undergone strict scrutiny; their backgrounds were clear, and their loyalty was not in question.

Even so, no carelessness was allowed.

Zhong Lihe continued, "Because the Military Dao Inheritance was taken, the Sword Soldier Evil has temporarily dissipated. It will take at least a month to fully recover, and it might be sensed by those with intentions... Should we temporarily close the Heavenly Martial Arena for this period?"

The Empress shook her head and said, "At times like this, the bigger the movement, the more easily anomalies are noticed... First, close the Mountain of Blades and Tomb of Swords; use the Chongsha Formation as a temporary replacement. Everything else remains the same; act like nothing happened."

"Yes."

Zhong Lihe bowed his head in agreement.

"Chen Mo will recuperate in the palace for now; you may leave." The Empress waved her hand.

However, Zhong Lihe hesitated and did not leave immediately.

Seeing his indecisive demeanor, the Empress frowned and said, "Is there something else? Speak openly."

Zhong Lihe cleared his throat, saying, "Back when the Princess was undergoing the trial in Sword Mountain, she left a message: anyone who can reach the thirtieth level would be her concubine, and if someone can reach the top, she would be willing to marry them..."

"Now, since Chen Mo has successfully reached the top, isn’t it time for the Princess to fulfill her promise?"

?

The Empress’s eyelid twitched, "Did Li’er really say such a thing?"

Zhong Lihe nodded, "Yes, it was the Princess’s words. Now that Chen Mo has obtained the Military Dao Inheritance, he’s only missing a status... If he can marry the Princess, he would be the Imperial Consort, and his actions would then be rightful..."

He spoke more enthusiastically, feeling this idea was perfect, completely unaware of the Empress’s darkening expression.

Bam!

The Empress suddenly slapped the table and shouted angrily, "Presumptuous! What nonsense are you spouting?"

Zhong Lihe shivered, quickly bowing to the ground, "Your Highness, please quell your anger!"

Realizing his mistake, he nervously swallowed and cautiously said, "But... Your Highness, where was I wrong?"