The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

The Winter Prince's eyes flashed with a sharp light. A smile played on his lips as he looked into Ying Li's eyes. He slowly extended his right hand, a black pill lying flat in his palm. His lips curled into a smile, and the Winter Prince's voice was indifferent and cold, "You are a clever girl, but I don't like your little schemes. Eat this, and you will be mine. All resources are at your disposal."

He didn't believe Ying Li's words. During the years that the Winter Prince had rebelled against the Western Emperor, he understood that only power could make people bow down. Without the means to restrain Ying Li, why would this chosen one work for him?! Therefore, he at least held leverage over Ying Li, which he could use as a pawn to control Ying Li at crucial moments! Of course, if Ying Li truly wanted to submit to him, Ying Li himself would be the best leverage!

"It's Gu poison, Ying Li, are you sure you want to do this?!" Fu Cheng's face was somewhat grim. He had only just met Ying Li, and although their relationship wasn't deep, he had followed Ying Li all this way, and he didn't want Ying Li to be tricked like this halfway through! Moreover, he wasn't completely devoid of feelings for Ying Li; he admired Ying Li's temperament and courage, and he didn't want Ying Li to become a tool for fulfilling the desires of others. Although he knew this was a temporary measure, he was always afraid of the possibility of something going wrong.

"Prince Dong is indeed formidable," Ying Li said, gathering spiritual energy in his right hand to draw the black pill into his palm. An arrogant air lingered on his face, his eyes flashing with a ruthless glint. He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill, slowly saying, "Medicine Spring, I only need this one!!!"

The Winter Prince's face flickered between light and shadow, and Ying Li's brows furrowed. She felt a tearing pain in her chest; the Winter Prince was using Gu poison to restrain her. However, she hadn't expected the poison to act so intensely.

"All the medicinal springs are yours, and I can help you get even more if you want. I never go back on my word."

"Thank you for your kindness, Prince Dong, but Ying Li has never known the meaning of 'suffering a loss' since she was a child!"

"What do you mean by that?! Could it be that you..."

Ying Li's right hand emitted a bewitching light from the Spirit Devouring Stone, and the eight spirit lord totems of the Bone Ring swirled around his hand. Thunder rumbled, dark clouds rose, and lightning was held in his hand as he aimed a fierce blow at the Winter Prince!

The Ghost Domain Thunder Technique soared into the sky! The Winter Prince's pupils widened abruptly. He hadn't expected Ying Li to dare—she dared to use the Ghost Domain Thunder Technique within the Ghost Domain! Such power would surely be known to Emperor Xi. Could it be that she was seeking protection?!

As the Ghost Domain Thunder Technique rose into the sky, a powerful mental barrier simultaneously imprisoned everyone within it. Prince Dong blocked the Ghost Domain Thunder Technique, his right hand trembling slightly.

"What are you doing?! You've used the Ghost Domain Thunder Technique and set up your own barrier. Emperor Xi won't know you're here. If you want to escape, just fight to the death. There's no need to do these pointless things!" Prince Dong said with a hint of anger.

Ying Li smiled slightly and said coldly, "The poison you gave me was made from the number one evil Gu, the Toad, in the Ghost Domain. You know my constitution is half Spirit Domain and half Ghost Domain. This poison would be fatal to a Spirit Domain person, but for me, it's worse than death. So, you promised me what I wanted, and you weren't afraid I'd betray you. The antidote is difficult to make. I reckon even if I found it myself, with all the right timing, location, and people, it would still take seven or eight years to refine. In those seven or eight years, you could control me and make me do what you want. But I'm not willing to accept that. I have to endure this pain for seven or eight years, while you use me and reap the benefits, all while pretending to be a good person in front of me. So, I added some poison to the Toad Gu; you have to taste it!!!"

The Winter Prince looked at his palm. When he received the Ghost Domain Thunder Technique, he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. After Ying Li reminded him, his palm turned faintly purplish-black, and a pain as if he were being slowly tortured came through in segments. His body trembled slightly, and a layer of cold sweat appeared unconsciously.

What a cunning character Ying Li is!

Ying Li smiled, but her eyes held a sharp edge. She looked at the Winter Prince, her smile gradually turning into a cold sneer. "If I hadn't used the Ghost Domain Thunder Technique, how could you have been so shocked that you didn't even know I had tampered with things?!"

"Master, how are you?! Ying Li, you little bitch! I'll kill you!!!" Tie Zhong saw the strange look on the Winter Prince's face and was furious. He rushed towards Ying Li, grabbed her collar, and was about to knock her to the ground!

"Stop!" Prince Dong shouted coldly, a smile on his face. "You've already fought, you've already cursed, and your anger has subsided. Why are you still standing here?! Didn't you say you liked the medicinal spring?! Now is the time when the spiritual energy is at its peak, and the spirits of heaven are at their strongest. If you miss this opportunity, you'll be at a disadvantage!"

Tie Zhong's face turned ashen, as if he had been struck by a cold arrow. Seeing the Winter Prince's indulgence of Ying Li, his heart sank slightly. Tie Feng pulled Tie Zhong back from behind and whispered, "Brother, I've told you before, the master won't do anything to Ying Li until he achieves his goal. Let go now!"

Tie Zhong reluctantly released his grip. Ying Li smiled at the Winter Prince and turned to walk towards the medicinal spring. As soon as he turned, Ying Li's brows furrowed, a metallic taste rose in his throat, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and his internal organs felt as if they were on fire.

Seeing Ying Li struggling to stay upright, Fu Cheng worriedly helped her up and asked, "Are you alright?!"

He remained silent, his back straight, and took each step further and further away from the Buddha building.

"What a tough nut to crack!" The smile on the Winter Prince's face froze, his features contorted into a ferocious grimace, exuding an indescribable terror. He stared in the direction Ying Li had left, his right hand gripping the mother toad tightly. From beginning to end, Ying Li stood tall and never looked back.

"Pfft!" Ying Li walked to the medicinal spring and immediately reinforced the surrounding barrier. After everyone was away, he finally spat out the blood he had been holding back for half an hour. Ying Li knelt on the ground, feeling as if his whole body had been disassembled and reassembled. The pain of tearing bones and ripping flesh came over him layer by layer, multiplying!

"Girl, how could you be so foolish?! Even if we can't get the medicinal spring now, we can wait. Prince Dong can't wait, but you and I can. Why do you have to swallow that poison?" Yin Lie said with heartache in the Bone Ring.

"I'm alright..." Ying Li wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with the back of her hand. Her stomach churned, as if her inner walls were being burned and bleeding, as if layers of skin were being peeled away. Her brows furrowed, and she took out a porcelain bottle from her brocade robe, poured out a handful of pills, and swallowed them. She said, "Among the treasures I obtained in the tomb of Dong'an Kingdom, there is a kind of antidote pill. Its medicinal effect is extremely strong, and it can cure all poisons of the Ghost Realm. Although it cannot immediately cure the toad poison, taking it regularly can suppress the pain. When I abandon the blood of the people of the Spirit Realm, this poison will naturally disappear on its own."

Ying Li turned to look at Fu Cheng, only to see him staring blankly at her, his face filled with shock and heartache. The Ying Li in his eyes seemed to have transformed into someone else; that conflicted look made Ying Li suspicious. "Fu Cheng, what's wrong?! Fu Cheng?!"

Fu Cheng took a while to react. He looked at Ying Li and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some things from the past. Ying Li, don't delay. Hurry up and enter the medicinal spring. Although it can't help you detoxify, it will make you stronger and more resistant to pain. Don't worry, I'll wait for you here."

Seeing Fu Cheng's absent-minded appearance, Ying Li finally nodded and jumped into the medicinal spring. The Heavenly Spirit of the medicinal spring seeped into his skin and bones, and Ying Li felt an unprecedented sense of fullness. The Heavenly Spirit in his dantian became stronger and stronger, and at the same time, the spiritual power in his body soared to its peak!

People of the Spirit Realm are born with the spirit of the earth, and the spirit of heaven is a luxury for them. Ying Li, however, fell into a medicinal spring imbued with the powerful spirit of heaven, and felt light as a feather. A force continuously boosted her spiritual power, making it stronger and stronger. The deep blue water of the spring gradually lightened in color as Ying Li absorbed it. Fu Cheng couldn't help but marvel at Ying Li's incredible ability to absorb spiritual power! All the spirit of heaven was transformed into spiritual power within Ying Li's body, and the level of her spiritual power continuously increased!

Three hours passed, and the largest medicinal spring on the mountaintop was now crystal clear. Ying Li's cheeks flushed, and he slowly opened his tightly closed eyes. A hint of relief flashed across his brows, and he said, word by word, "Finally, I've broken through to the first level of Spirit Saint!!!"