Hearing this, Jiang Ye's smile deepened.
He had almost guessed what Shen Luowan wanted to do.
"Young Master."
Shen Luowan moved closer, blinked, and her smile held a hint of cunning.
"Xiao Fan just casually mentioned that to treat the Divine Emperor, the secret technique he's providing still lacks a few extremely potent and Yang-aligned medicinal ingredients, and he asked me to gather them for him..."
"I suddenly thought..."
"Does Young Master still have that 'medicine' you gave Xu Qiye before?"
When she said the word "medicine," she deliberately emphasized it, and the end of her sentence curved slightly, carrying a teasing tone.
Hearing this, Jiang Ye's lips also slowly curved upwards.
This woman is quite smart.
She realized that Xu Qiye had been framed by him before, but she didn't expose it at the time; instead, she kept it to herself.
Of course, now...
Xu Qiye was already a dead man, so this matter was irrelevant.
Jiang Ye responded, speaking without any reservation: "That's rotten, decaying Fiend Blood, obtained from Shen Lian. I have as much as needed, just a tiny bit..."
"...can cause one's Qi to reverse, and heart meridians to collapse. No matter how high one's cultivation, they will instantly suffer Qi Deviation and have their Foundation completely destroyed."
After listening, Shen Luowan showed no hesitation; instead, a cold smile appeared on her face.
"If that's the case, then add a little of that in."
"Once the Divine Emperor takes that 'Yang-aligned Medicinal Catalyst'..."
"Hehehe..."
"Even if he's saved, he'll be a cripple. How could he still produce imperial princes?"
Jiang Ye shook his head and chuckled, his eyes, however, became playful.
"You're quite the schemer," he said, then changed his tone, adding leisurely, "But I like it."
Shen Luowan was slightly startled by this, then let out a soft, clear laugh, like the gentle ringing of a wind chime.
At this moment, Jiang Ye asked again, "But the problem is, can you guarantee that you won't be implicated?"
But Shen Luowan didn't seem very worried about this.
"As long as the matter is handled discreetly, then there's no harm."
"Once the Divine Emperor dies, I will be the one with the highest prestige in the imperial court. My mischievous younger sister, though she has decent methods and schemes, is still young, and her power base in the court is shallow. No one would dare to support her at that time."
"Besides, even if it's found out, isn't there still Young Master to ensure my safety?"
Shen Luowan looked at Jiang Ye with a beaming smile, her voice soft, as if all of this was merely casual chatter after a meal, yet it clearly revealed a different kind of trust and reliance.
Jiang Ye gently and naturally stroked her hair, his tone carrying a faint smile: "Don't worry, I've got everything covered."
Actually...
He had long harbored some dissatisfaction with the Divine Emperor.
If the Divine Emperor died and Shen Luowan successfully ascended to power...
He would be able to act without restraint.
At that time, Jiang Ye not only had to control Xiao Fan but also had to capture Shen Lian as soon as possible. This leek had lived long enough; it was time for harvesting.
At this moment...
Shen Luowan sat quietly on the window ledge of the top floor, gazing into the distance.
The night wind brushed her face, her hair gently swaying, but her expression was complex.
Her gaze fell upon the imperial capital, illuminated by countless lights in the sky, yet it seemed to pierce through the entire Immortal Dynasty.
She was about to commit patricide to ascend to power.
This was an act of great impiety.
But was it truly so?
Shen Luowan lowered her eyes, her fingertips slowly caressing the jade railing by the window, a hint of loneliness and unwillingness flashing in her eyes.
She had harbored ambitions since childhood, and she didn't deny it.
But she also knew her limits, understood when to advance and when to retreat, knew what could be done and what could not.
Yet, she had walked this path for too long.
And Shen Tianlan, her imperial father, was an insurmountable chasm for her.
In her youth, she had read countless records and battle reports about her imperial father.
He was the one who turned the tide during the Dark Ages.
The Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty suffered heavy losses during the wars of the Dark Ages, even almost falling out of the ranks of the Immortal Dao Lineages at one point.
When the Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty was in peril, and numerous Dao Lineages watched covetously, it was Shen Tianlan who personally initiated the "Capital Coup," swiftly executing the Crown Prince and forcing the abdication of the former Emperor, Shen Yangping, ascending to the throne in one battle, shaking all the heavens.
After Shen Tianlan ascended to power, he worked diligently, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and his governance flourished... Later, he personally led campaigns against myriad races, fighting thousands of large and small battles over hundreds of thousands of years. He personally participated in almost every battle, never retreating a single step.
For hundreds of thousands of years, the Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty grew increasingly prosperous under Shen Tianlan, this Divine Emperor, and the voices of support grew ever louder.
He could be called a generation's heroic ruler, his name illustrious.
But for Shen Luowan, such a father truly suffocated her.
In Shen Tianlan's eyes, she, a mere woman, was always just an assistant, never the one for the main position.
No matter how much she planned or how outstanding she was, Shen Tianlan never considered the throne her goal.
She clearly did very well, even capable of leading the Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty further, but just because she was a woman, she had to be excluded?
This was unfair.
So she decided; she would wait no longer.
"Imperial Father, you are too powerful, and too stubborn."
"Your era was indeed glorious, but it must eventually come to an end."
"I will not feel guilty."
"I respect you, I love you, but I no longer wish to be bound by your shadow."
"If you live, I will never have a chance; only if you depart can I truly unleash my full potential and achieve my ambitions and aspirations!"
What she wanted was not just the imperial throne, but also a future that would allow the Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty to go even further.
She wanted to take the Foundation her father was proud of and advance it even further in her hands.
Her eyes became resolute.
"So, Father, please go."
Shen Luowan murmured softly, her tone calm, yet carrying a hint of decisiveness.
The moonlight spilled over her, cool and gentle... Shen Luowan stayed in Tianxia Tower for a long time, only quietly leaving in the evening.
At the same time, Jiang Ye's affairs also did not cease.
Su Qingmeng, with a few trusted confidantes, continued to search repeatedly within the Secret Realm where Shen Lian disappeared, having already conducted several rounds of searches.
But there were still no traces or clues.
As night deepened, Su Qingmeng sat on a soft couch nearby, her jade hand gently rubbing her temples, her brows tightly furrowed, seemingly lost in thought.
She glanced around, her gaze falling upon Qing Xuan and Hong Yan, her tone calm but with an undeniable authority:
"Qing Xuan, Hong Yan, you two may leave first."
"I have some matters I need to discuss alone with Ye'er."
The two women exchanged glances; seeing the situation, it was clear the matter was very important.
Silence fell over the hall for a moment.
Jiang Ye looked at Su Qingmeng, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Su Qingmeng had always been calm and free-spirited. Although she was a very close elder to him, she rarely interfered with his plans and decisions, mostly just quietly accompanying him as his support.
Jiang Ye tilted his head slightly, a hint of playfulness in his tone: "Sister Meng, what's wrong?"
Su Qingmeng was silent for a moment, her expression not as serene as usual.
She slowly began to speak, her voice steady but with a hint of deep-seated worry:
"Today, when I soul-searched those alien slaves, the great world in their memories..."
She paused, then looked up at Jiang Ye, a hint of solemnity seemingly hidden deep in her eyes.
"Actually, I've been there before."
"And..."