Shrouding the Heavens: Empress, I am truly not the Desolate Heavenly Emperor!

"Stay here."

Those four simple words, like a decree, nailed Ye Chen to the spot.

After the woman in white finished speaking, she stopped looking at him and closed her eyes again.

Although the violent black cracks around her body had subsided, the cold indifference that kept people at a distance was even more despairing than her murderous intent just now.

What do you take him for?

A charm to stabilize your emotions? Or a breathable sachet?

Ye Chen looked down at himself.

Although the life-devouring gray mist had dissipated, his physical condition was now terrible. His hair was completely white, his skin was loose, and his body felt empty, like a leaky bellows.

If he doesn't replenish his life essence as soon as possible, he will die of old age in this Peach Blossom Spring without the Empress even having to do anything.

The antidote is right in front of us.

Ye Chen's gaze passed over the Empress's back and landed on the old peach tree.

Three crystal-clear peaches hung on the tree, each shrouded in a pink glow. Just a whiff of their fragrance eased the burning sensation in Ye Chen's lungs.

That's a sacred medicine, even a divine medicine!

The problem is that the gatekeeper is a terrifying, unpredictable being.

Ye Chen licked his chapped lips, his mind racing.

The situation is clear: the Empress (the rational personality) knows he is a fake, but needs his presence; the Demonic Embryo (the destructive personality) wants to kill him; only the "sister personality," which has not yet fully manifested, is his only way out.

Since their physical bodies have been exposed, they can only gamble on the resonance of their souls.

The third law of psychology: When someone tries to objectify you, you must break the rules and establish an equal, or even superior, intimate relationship.

"cough……"

Ye Chen let out a weak cough. Instead of cowering in a corner like a servant, he dragged his heavy steps straight toward the old peach tree.

One step, two steps.

When he stepped into the area within three zhang of the Empress, the surrounding air pressure suddenly dropped.

The empress, with her eyes closed, did not turn around, but an invisible repulsive force instantly struck Ye Chen's chest.

"They've crossed the line."

A cold voice exploded in his mind, devoid of any emotion, "Your location is ten feet away."

Ye Chen felt a sharp pain in his chest and a metallic taste rose in his throat, but he swallowed it back. Instead of stopping, he took a heavier step forward.

I'm hungry.

Ye Chen spoke, his voice hoarse, but his tone was confident and assertive.

It wasn't a plea, nor a humble begging for food, but a statement of fact. Just like years ago, when a brother on Earth, having just finished get off work, pushed open the door and called out "I'm hungry" to his sister on the sofa.

The Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly.

The repulsive force did not disappear; instead, it grew stronger, causing Ye Chen's bones to crack.

"What do I care about the hunger of mortals?" The Empress's voice remained indifferent. "Your only purpose is to exist."

What a wonderful statement about merely existing!

Ye Chen sneered inwardly. This woman's current state was a classic example of "divinity" overriding "humanity." She viewed everything as an exchange of interests, devoid of any emotion.

Since that's the case, then don't blame me for taking drastic measures.

Despite the overwhelming pressure that could crush mountains, Ye Chen stopped advancing and suddenly slumped to the ground, leaning against a blue stone, panting heavily.

He raised his head, but his gaze did not fall on the Empress. Instead, he looked at the peach blossoms falling from the sky, his eyes gradually becoming empty and deep.

"My family used to be poor, and we only had two steamed buns."

Ye Chen spoke to himself, his voice very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"I lied to you and said I'd already eaten, so I gave you both. That night, I was so hungry my stomach hurt, and I was rolling around in bed... You did the same, turning your back to me and pretending to be asleep."

The oppressive force in the air suddenly became slightly disordered.

A deep meaning flashed in Ye Chen's eyes as he continued, "It seems that no matter how many years have passed, no matter what kind of emperor you become, some things still haven't changed."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh, slowly closed his eyes, and looked as if he were offering his neck for execution.

"Since you don't want to give, then let me starve to death. This crippled body of mine won't last much longer anyway. Dying at your hands is better than dying in the mouths of those beasts outside."

After saying that, he completely relaxed his body, even slowing down his breathing, as if he were truly waiting for death to come.

Is this called "moral blackmail"? No, this is called awakening dormant memory anchors.

He's gambling.

Bet on the most vulnerable spot deep within the heart of this woman who stands at the pinnacle of all paths.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

A deathly silence fell over the surroundings.

Just as Ye Chen thought he had messed up this time and was preparing to find a way to save himself, a fragrant breeze suddenly wafted towards him.

That suffocating imperial aura has vanished.

Instead, there is a warm scent with a faint fragrance of peach blossoms.

Ye Chen opened his eyes.

A stunningly beautiful face was right in front of me.

The mask with the ambiguous smile had been removed and placed aside at some point.

At this moment, the Empress was squatting in front of him, her eyes, which originally held the birth and death of stars, were now filled with panic, guilt and helplessness.

The once indifferent "Emperor" has left the stage.

Instead, there was the "little sister" who had waited two hundred thousand years—Nannan.

"Brother...brother..."

She reached out, her fingertips trembling as she tried to touch Ye Chen's aged face, but then withdrew her hand like a child who had done something wrong, her eyes instantly reddening. "Nannan didn't... Nannan didn't mean it..."

She was incoherent, her voice trembling with tears.

The empress who stood atop the ages, indifferent to the common people, seemed as if she had never existed.

At this moment, she was just a little girl who was afraid of making her brother angry.

"Brother is hungry... It's my fault, I forgot..."

She turned around in a panic and looked at the old peach tree.

Those few peaches, which were originally sealed by layers of imperial laws and were difficult even for saints to pick, actually fell off automatically as soon as she looked at them.

Whoosh!

A peach flew into her hand.

She carefully held the peach, which was bigger than her palm, and gently wiped away non-existent dust with her sleeve before offering it to Ye Chen's lips.

"Brother, eat...eat it and it won't hurt anymore..."

Her eyes were so clear they were heartbreaking, and full of ingratiation.

Looking at the woman in front of him, Ye Chen felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

This is the Ruthless Emperor.

He slaughtered his way across the heavens and earth, making all the gods and Buddhas tremble, yet he was utterly humble before this false "brother."

This thigh was thicker than he had imagined, and also hotter than he had imagined...

"Silly girl."

Ye Chen sighed, but instead of immediately taking the peach, he raised his hand and casually brushed it against her nose.

He had done this countless times to the girl next door on Earth.

But at this moment, this gesture is not only affectionate, but also a confirmation of power.

He was telling her: Even if you are an emperor and I am a mortal, I am still your brother.

"If you dare to starve me again, I'm really leaving," Ye Chen said, feigning anger.

"Don't leave! You're not allowed to leave!"

Nannan panicked instantly, grabbing Ye Chen's sleeve with such force that she almost crushed his wrist. Her eyes were filled with terror as she cried out, "Nannan will be good, Nannan will be good from now on..."

"Let go, it hurts." Ye Chen gasped.

The girl released her grip as if she'd been electrocuted, standing there helplessly.

Without further hesitation, Ye Chen took the peach and took a big bite.

Click!

Juices overflow, and the aroma is explosive.

The moment it entered my mouth, the peach transformed into a scalding torrent, rushing down my throat and into my stomach.

boom!

Ye Chen felt as if he had swallowed a miniature sun, not a peach!

It was not just life essence, but also contained fragments of the Great Dao Laws.

For ordinary people, this is both a great tonic and a deadly poison!

"Hmm!"

Ye Chen groaned, his skin instantly turning bright red, even oozing fine beads of blood. His withered white hair grew wildly, then turned black; his loose skin tightened rapidly, but the meridians in his body could not withstand this violent force, emitting a tearing sound as if they were overwhelmed.

It's going to explode!

This is a peach of immortality, a divine medicine of the highest level. Even cultivators wouldn't dare to swallow it directly, let alone a mortal like him who had just been drained dry.

"elder brother!"

Nannan gasped in surprise and instinctively tried to suppress the energy.

But the moment her fingertips touched Ye Chen's brow, a sudden change occurred.

hum-

Within Ye Chen's body, deep within his soul, which had been dormant for three years, a sudden, ancient and grand chanting resounded.

It is not the law of this world.

Instead, it was a domineering will that seemed capable of devouring heaven and earth. Sensing the imperial laws contained within the peaches of immortality, it began to operate on its own.

That was the only cheat code Ye Chen had when he transmigrated – the Devouring Heaven Dao Evolution Scripture!

"This is……"

Nannan's finger froze in mid-air, and a trace of confusion flashed again in her originally clear eyes.

She sensed a shared origin within the aura of the scriptures.

That was her path.

But that's not entirely true.

"Since you ate my peach, you have borne the consequences of my actions."

Suddenly, Nannan's expression changed again.

That dependence and weakness receded like the tide, replaced by absolute calm and scrutiny.

The Empress persona returns!

She looked at Ye Chen, whose face was contorted in pain and whose body was covered in blood, but instead of helping him, she took a step back, stood with her hands behind her back, and revealed a mocking smile.

"For a mortal body to bear the Emperor's Medicine is like an ant trying to swallow an elephant."

"Only if you survive will you be qualified to be my 'medicinal catalyst'."

"When they die, they are nothing but a pile of ashes."

Ye Chen could no longer hear what she was saying.

He felt every cell in his body burning, and his consciousness was struggling frantically on the verge of collapse.

pain!

It hurts so much!

But he gritted his teeth and didn't let out a single scream.

Because he knew that he could only rely on himself to overcome this hurdle.

Moreover, he vaguely sensed that as the Devouring Heaven Dao Scripture operated wildly, the energy that was originally about to burst him was being forcibly tamed and transformed into streams of pure power that were washing away his parched sea of ​​consciousness.

The sea of ​​suffering is about to open!

But the commotion was too great, far exceeding Ye Chen's expectations.

Rumble!

Above the desolate forbidden land, the originally calm gray mist suddenly raged.

A black bolt of lightning silently condensed in the sky, locking onto Ye Chen beneath the peach tree.

That was... a heavenly tribulation?

No, that's a curse from the forbidden land!

Any living being that attempts to begin its cultivation journey within the forbidden area will be obliterated by the rules!

The Empress looked up at the bolt of lightning, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

To save or not to save?

If it were her "brother," she would risk her life to protect him.

But if it's a "tool"...

Just then, Ye Chen, who was in the center of the pain, suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes.

He looked at the Empress, and with all his might, roared out a sentence that shook the Empress's Dao heart once again:

"What are you looking at! Come and help! Do you want to live the life of a widow?!"