It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 517: One Encounter with the Jade Empress, A Lifetime of Mistakes p2

Meanwhile, within the Yu State imperial palace, thousands of kilometers away from the Forbidden Zone, a woman in a snow-white dress stood before a cauldron, flames roaring within.

The Princess stood not far from her. Today, she wore a beautiful, open-front jacket embroidered with plump crabapple blossoms, perfectly complementing her own beauty and voluptuous figure, outlining her full and perky bosom and slender waist.

The Princess’s clear, watery eyes lingered on the cauldron for a long time, and she praised, “It’s said that there’s nothing the Myriad Transformations Qi Cauldron can’t refine. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation as Yu State’s ancestral artifact.”

An ancestral artifact was a weapon painstakingly nurtured by a Dao Integration Realm expert. And Luo Tan’s Myriad Transformations Qi Cauldron was rumored to be able to perfectly refine even Immortal Medicine, thus refining immortal-grade pills.

Judging from the current situation, it seemed quite possible.

Luo Tan didn’t answer, her attention completely focused on the cauldron before her.

After two hours of refining, although the Pill Tribulation had passed, to maximize the pill’s effects, she naturally wouldn’t relax now.

Rumble…

With a rumbling sound, Luo Tan slowly opened her calm eyes.

A perfectly round pill flew out from the Myriad Transformations Qi Cauldron and landed in Luo Tan’s hand.

“Is he still in the Forbidden Zone?” Luo Tan asked.

The Princess hummed softly in agreement, “The shielding technique the Spirit Dragon cast on him will be undone when his Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation descends. But if the Spirit Dragon can reach Transcendence before that, perhaps the problem can be easily resolved.”

Luo Tan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. If ‘Transcendence’ was that easy, there wouldn’t be only the Jade Empress and the Sword Palace Master who successfully transcended in the Nine Provinces for so long.

“The Spirit Dragon is connected to the Great Dao. If she hasn’t communicated with the Great Dao, it will be difficult for her to transcend,” Luo Tan gently shook her head.

“That’s why he went to the Forbidden Zone,” the Princess said.

“I can’t help the Spirit Dragon, but the Flower of the Great Dao within the Forbidden Zone can.”

Luo Tan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly paused, looking at the Princess doubtfully, “Haven’t you been a bit too kind to him recently…?”

She was worried that the Princess might accidentally reveal the relationship between Mu Zhian and her.

The Great Peng Emperor’s wife having an incredibly close relationship with another man… If this were to spread, it would be troublesome.

“Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

The Princess smiled brightly, “After he successfully reaches Soul Transformation, I’ll return to Cloud Province and focus on government affairs, waiting for the day I can take him to Cloud Province for a visit.”

Luo Tan was momentarily speechless, “I shouldn’t have let you notice him in the first place.”

Without the Princess, after Mu Zhian reached Soul Transformation, she could enjoy the Transcendence Realm Innate Celestial Furnace all to herself.

“Even without me, do you really think you can enjoy the cake alone?”

A playful smile appeared on the Princess’s face, “Do you know how many people are waiting for him to reach Soul Transformation?”

Luo Tan was silent.

It was truly a headache. She finally took a liking to a man, but his Innate Celestial Furnace meant he was destined to be noticed by countless female cultivators.

As if knowing Luo Tan’s thoughts, the Princess smiled gently, “Actually, you don’t need to worry, the one who should be worried is the Jade Empress… After all, on the surface, she’s the one who’s married to Mu Zhian.”

Luo Tan thought about it, and it seemed to make sense.

She was the one doing the ‘cuckolding’. Why should she worry about Mu Zhian’s Innate Celestial Furnace being targeted by other women after being exposed?

The Jade Empress should be the one worried.

“What are your plans next?” the Princess suddenly asked.

Luo Tan thought for a moment, then said with a smile, “Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I went out. I’ll personally go to the Forbidden Zone tomorrow to give him the pill, and also pay my respects to the Forbidden Zone Lord.”

…

That night.

The Desolate Time Lock floated in mid-air, time frozen. Mu Zhian lay in bed, pondering life.

And Ye Lingxuan nestled in the young man’s arms like a clingy cat.

If the Forbidden Zone clan members saw this scene, they would probably be shocked. That usually cool, aloof, and elegant Forbidden Zone imperial daughter actually had such a cuddly side in private.

“Sister Lingxuan, you just let me out like this, won’t it affect your inheritance ceremony?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

However, after a while, there was no response.

Asleep?

Although the young girl kept saying she was exhausted earlier, she was the Reincarnated Empress, after all. She shouldn’t be so tired that she needed to sleep, right?

Mu Zhian looked down and saw that the young girl, nestled in his arms, remained motionless.

The wind outside blew against the curtains, but they froze mid-air, as if even the wind was frozen.

A fresh and captivating fragrance wafted over.

“No need to call out. Only you can move freely in this bedchamber. Time is frozen for everything else.”

Yao Meng sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the young man with a smile, her beauty captivating.

Her tall and graceful figure was faintly visible in the immortal mist, her holy and seductive voice carrying a hint of playfulness, “Are you surprised? Why are you looking at me with such a shocked expression?”

Mu Zhian was clearly stunned.

“Isn’t time frozen by Sister Lingxuan’s Desolate Time Lock? Why are you here?” Mu Zhian asked incredulously.

“She hasn’t completed the inheritance ceremony with the Reincarnated Empress yet, so I froze the time she froze again.”

Yao Meng said with a smile, “But it seems I’m still a step too late… Your Innate Celestial Furnace seems to have lost quite a bit of Spiritual Energy.”

You paused the time she paused? That’s even possible?

Mu Zhian was momentarily speechless.

“When did you know I came to the Forbidden Zone?” Mu Zhian asked in a low voice.

“I sensed it the moment you entered, but I was talking to Qian’er at the time, so I didn’t disturb you.”

Yao Meng continued on her own, “After you reach Soul Transformation, the matter of your Innate Celestial Furnace might be exposed… The cultivators outside probably think I’m worried about this, right?”

“After all, the temptation of the Innate Celestial Furnace is something few female cultivators can resist.”

She paused, then said deliberately, “Even married women would find it hard to resist your Innate Celestial Furnace.”

This was clearly referring to the Princess.

Even Mu Zhian, whose mentality was usually as steady as a rock, couldn’t help but feel panicked upon hearing these words, “Sorry.”

He thought Yao Meng would be angry, or even settle the score with him, because of what happened in Yu State during this time.

However, whether it was because she cultivated the Dao of Tranquility or something else, Yao Meng’s next words were unexpected.

“It’s fine, I don’t really mind you being intimate with other women.”

Seeing Mu Zhian’s surprised expression, a playful smile appeared at the corner of Yao Meng’s mouth.

“So you don’t need to worry about your Innate Celestial Furnace being discovered during the tribulation. Just focus on passing the Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation.”

“You don’t mind me being intimate with other women…?” Mu Zhian still couldn’t believe it, looking at Yao Meng.

He had always felt that a woman like Yao Meng was the perfect lover… And although her words tonight seemed to reveal a flaw, to a man… this seemed like a perfect advantage.

At least, it was to Mu Zhian…

“You wish.”

Yao Meng rolled her eyes at Mu Zhian, a slight smile playing on her lips, “I know about your past in Tianxuan City, so I don’t mind you being intimate with other women, but only if it’s with my knowledge.”

Mu Zhian understood. To Yao Meng, being cuckolded had two meanings: physically and mentally.

If it was with her knowledge, it didn’t matter, but if it was behind her back… that meant both physically and mentally cuckolding her.

That was a completely different situation.

Yao Meng came to the Forbidden Zone to see Ye Qian this time precisely to figure out her own XP.

“I might need to make some preparations before Soul Transformation.”

Mu Zhian said, “After reaching the peak of Nascent Soul Realm, I feel my aura is a bit unstable. I might need some time to consolidate it, otherwise, it might leave hidden dangers, making it difficult to reach Dao Integration or even Transcendence in the future.”

Yao Meng thought for a moment, then said with a smile, “Actually, reaching Transcendence isn’t that difficult.”

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but look at the fairy a few more times.

Even Yao Meng herself had gone through great lengths to reach Transcendence.

Yet she was bragging now?

“Anyway, you won’t be able to reach Transcendence anytime soon.”

She glanced at Ye Lingxuan, who was nestled in Mu Zhian’s arms, and gently caressed the young girl’s face.

Then, she casually sat down beside the young man.

Before Mu Zhian could speak, Yao Meng looked down at him, her long hair brushing against his arm, ticklish, carrying a faint fragrance.

She leaned down, gently touched the young man’s lips with her fingertip, and whispered, “However, there’s another way for you to reach Transcendence.”

“What way?” Mu Zhian asked doubtfully.

Yao Meng glanced at the young man seductively, her soft body pressing gently against him, nestled against him on one side, with Ye Lingxuan on the other.

Then, her captivating voice, filled with charm, echoed through the bedchamber.

“I am at Transcendence Realm, silly.”