Chapter 502 - 250: Fiery Temper! Kneel, Madam

Chapter 502: Chapter 250: Fiery Temper! Kneel, Madam

"Annexation? Who ever said the Profound Yin Valley wishes to annex us?"

Song Zhe scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"How is it that I know nothing of this? If you ask me, someone is clearly trying to hand over our sect’s legacy to the Nie Family on a silver platter as a stepping stone for their own ambitions! The death of Master Ouyang back then was suspicious. One might even say someone was secretly plotting..."

"You—!"

Hearing him dare to mention Ouyang Ke’s father, implying that she had usurped her position and murdered her own husband, Lady Lan’s chest swelled with fury. She shot to her feet, about to lash out with a sharp retort.

However, before Lady Lan could speak, disaster struck.

Deep within her Dantian Qi Sea, the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly Gu King that had always rested peacefully trembled violently without warning.

A searing aura, many times more intense and violent than usual, erupted from the Gu King’s body. It surged backward along her meridians, piercing her every limb and bone.

"Ngh...!"

The backlash was incredibly ferocious. Caught completely off guard, Lady Lan let out a deeply suppressed groan.

In an instant, a vibrant, peachy blush spread uncontrollably from her neck to her cheeks, and her ears burned hot.

What frightened and embarrassed Lady Lan even more was the indescribable, tingling weakness that exploded from her lower abdomen. Her legs suddenly gave out, and if she hadn’t caught herself on the edge of the table, she would have collapsed to the floor.

Lady Lan instinctively pressed her legs together, digging her fingernails deep into her palms just to remain standing.

In a flash, Lady Lan forcibly regained her composure.

Hiding one hand in her sleeve, she moved her fingers as swiftly as the wind to press against a key acupoint below her navel. She rapidly channeled pure True Essence into it, desperately trying to pacify the rampaging Gu King.

"Sect Leader, are you..."

Seeing the drastic change in her expression and her chaotic aura, a nearby Ouyang Li rushed forward in concern.

"...It’s nothing."

Lady Lan forced the two words through clenched teeth. Tiny beads of sweat had already formed on her temples, and though she forced herself to straighten her back, the slight tremor in her fingertips betrayed her agony.

Song Zhe took it all in. Though he didn’t understand what was happening, how could he let such a heaven-sent opportunity slip by?

He immediately stood up, his tone feigning concern but laced with malice:

"The Sect Leader appears to be unwell. Since this concerns the future of our sect, we shouldn’t make any rash decisions. Let’s postpone today’s discussion. We can resume once the Sect Leader has recovered."

With that, without waiting for Lady Lan’s reply, Song Zhe flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

He had to immediately relay the news of the Nie Family’s intervention to Elder Gu of the Profound Yin Valley.

Otherwise, all his plans would be for naught.

Seeing Song Zhe leave, the other three elders exchanged glances, also rising to their feet. After a cursory bow, they took their leave.

In the blink of an eye, only the struggling Lady Lan and a worried-looking Ouyang Li remained in the vast hall.

"Sect Leader, your health..."

Ouyang Li started to speak but hesitated.

"It’s fine... This was all within my calculations."

Lady Lan’s voice was slightly hoarse. Every word was a struggle, yet they carried an unquestionable resolve:

"Rest assured, the foundation of the Ouyang Family will not be ruined in my hands."

She took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling qi and blood in her body:

"Second Elder, you may leave first. Dispatch more people to closely monitor the recent movements of Song Zhe and his confidants. I fear his collusion with the Profound Yin Valley runs deeper than we imagined."

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

Seeing her resolute attitude, Ouyang Li, though filled with doubt, didn’t dare to ask more questions. He bowed, accepted his orders, and quickly exited the hall.

As the last footstep faded and the hall doors slowly closed, the composure Lady Lan had been desperately maintaining instantly crumbled.

She staggered back two steps, grabbing a cold pillar to keep from collapsing to the ground.

The turmoil of the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly inside her had not subsided. On the contrary, her forceful suppression had caused it to rebound even more violently.

Wave after wave of an indescribable heat washed over her. The blush had already stained her skin. Her breathing grew ragged, her gaze shimmering like water. Fragrant sweat dripped from her forehead and the nape of her neck, and beneath her palatial robes, her graceful figure trembled slightly.

’Why... is it like this today...’

Lady Lan was utterly terrified.

The Gu King had backlashed before, but never so violently and uncontrollably. Even infusing her True Essence had little effect. Something must have gone terribly wrong.

At this thought, Lady Lan didn’t dare remain in the meeting hall any longer.

Mustering a breath of True Essence, she staggered behind a screen at the back of the hall, passed through a quiet corridor, and finally entered her hidden private chamber.

With a flick of her hand, she activated a Restriction to seal the room off from the outside. Only then did she relax slightly, leaning against the side of her daybed and panting for breath.

With a flash of light, a translucent, azure-blue piece of jade lotus root, about an inch long and looking as if it were carved from ice, appeared in her hand.

This was the Cold Yuan Jade Lotus, carved and refined from Extreme Cold Treasure Jade. It contained a profound chilling energy and was the very tool Lady Lan had relied on for years to suppress the restless backlash of the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly.

After taking out the jade lotus, Lady Lan no longer hesitated. She pressed it tightly against her Dantian on her lower abdomen, activated her Cultivation Technique, and circulated her True Essence to draw out the chilling energy within.

Wisps of ice-blue, bone-chilling mist, visible to the naked eye, slithered like spiritual snakes through her acupoints and into her body, surging toward the restless Gu King.

The process was slow and torturous.

The jade lotus trembled, continuously releasing its chilling energy to fiercely combat the searing heat radiating from the Gu King.

Lady Lan’s hair fell into disarray. Her face alternated between a fiery flush and a deathly pallor as her True Essence and spiritual energy were rapidly consumed.

A full hour passed before the violent turmoil finally receded like a tide. The Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly at last returned to a state of quiet dormancy.

"Hah... hah..."

Utterly drained of strength and on the verge of collapse, Lady Lan fell limply onto the daybed. The light from the jade lotus in her hand had dimmed considerably.

The effort of suppressing it was no less taxing than a life-and-death battle with an expert of the same rank, leaving her mentally and physically exhausted.

Only after her breathing evened out a little could Lady Lan finally quiet her mind and think.

’What on earth just happened?’

’Why was the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly so unusually frenzied today?’