Chapter 116 (Part 1): The Empress Awakens, Dual SSS-Rank Talents! [Seeking Monthly Tickets and Subscriptions~]

With this thought in mind, Lin Qiye sat down at the dining table.

Mother Gu gently smoothed out his hair. "Xiao Yuheng has been brewing chicken soup for you every single day, trying to build up your strength. She made it for over ten days straight, but seeing that you wouldn't leave your room, she was afraid it would lose its freshness and had no choice but to let us drink it instead."

"Go on, have a taste. The girl's cooking is truly excellent, tsk tsk... tsk tsk." Mother Gu’s words were filled with praise.

Lin Qiye glanced at Zhu Yuheng. She approached him, holding the bowl of chicken soup with a shy, nervous demeanor, much like a young maiden on her wedding night.

Lin Qiye took the bowl. "Mmm! It's perfectly seasoned—the taste is truly wonderful."

With that, he swiftly finished the soup. Zhu Yuheng immediately refilled it for him, watching him eat with a focused gaze and a slight curl to her lips, her smile as sweet as if it had been drizzled with honey.

Mother Gu glanced at them. "The girl has been working hard for over ten days; she’s finally gotten you to drink it."

Lin Qiye asked, "Aren't you two going to have some?"

Mother Gu rolled her eyes. "We’ve been drinking it for over ten days straight; we don't want to see it again for the next two months."

Zhu Yuheng looked embarrassed. Lin Qiye laughed. After drinking chicken soup for over ten days, even if it weren't poisoned, the mere smell would be enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle and their expression change.

Once he finished the soup, Lin Qiye left the villa with purposeful strides.

***

At the laboratory, Lin Qiye’s arrival sent Professor Wu into a state of ecstasy.

"Shaoshang, it is truly a loss for the scientific community that you aren't doing research..." Professor Wu patted Lin Qiye on the back. "However, humanity is currently facing severe external threats, and you are the one who needs to save the world."

Lin Qiye handed the gift he had brought to the professor.

"Oh my, why bring a gift? Look at you, child."

"I haven't been to see you in a long time."

"That’s what you say, but your parents were just here to see me not long ago. Good child, go ahead and use whatever you need."

"Thank you, Professor Wu."

Lin Qiye chatted with the professor for a while before heading into the depths of the laboratory to begin crafting the Awakening Serum.

Seven days later, the serum was complete—a vial of chilled green liquid, placed into a special equipment case, waiting for its moment of use.

"I need to find some medicinal herbs..." Lin Qiye picked up his exclusive phone and called the Jiangcheng Military Commander.

"Is this the esteemed Gu? Ah... I have two sets of resources for awakening sent from above, there are quite a lot... do you have a need for them? They just arrived."

Hearing this, Lin Qiye nodded. "I’ll come by in a moment. Also, prepare 1,000 stalks of medicinal herbs for healing for me."

With that, Lin Qiye vanished with the serum.

At the City Lord’s mansion, Lin Qiye inspected the awakening resource set. The Awakening Crystal was the most important component; it contained energy capable of stimulating the mental power of fourteen-year-old humans and condensing the rules of heaven and earth—a truly profound substance. Lin Qiye wanted to use his "Genesis Deduction" to analyze it, but the cost was too high, so he let the idea go.

"This stuff isn't suitable for use during the awakening serum process." Lin Qiye’s gaze fell upon the remaining twenty or so mineral crystals—red, purple, blue, black, and milky white. A cylindrical milky white crystal caught his eye, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Baby Crystal Mother? It’s actually a crystal produced by an ant-type spirit beast? Interesting. Most people find it hard to absorb and refine, but for me... heh."

Lin Qiye felt pleasantly surprised. He picked up his phone and dialed Ning Luo. "I need 100 tons of high-quality Baby Crystal Mother."

"100 tons?" Ning Luo was stunned. "That much?"

"Can you do it?" Lin Qiye asked.

"Yes! If the esteemed one needs it, of course I can!" Ning Luo didn't hesitate.

Three days later, a train arrived carrying the 100 tons of Baby Crystal Mother. Each ton could refine 2,000 strands of "Mother Qi," meaning 100 tons equaled 200,000 strands.

Once the shipment arrived, Lin Qiye inspected it. Confident that everything was ready, he spent a day refining the Mother Qi from the crystals and storing it within his own body.

A day later, Lin Qiye brought Zhu Yuheng to another villa. She curled up in his arms, eyes closed, not even asking where they were going or what they were doing. Her absolute trust in him made her stay perfectly still and obedient.

Moments later, Lin Qiye entered the training room in the villa’s basement.

"I am going to help you awaken."

"A-awaken?" Zhu Yuheng was surprised. "Can I?" Her face was full of disbelief. She knew that process required one to be fourteen and demanded a vast amount of resources and wealth. "If I can't awaken, wouldn't it be a waste?"

"Don't overthink it. Sit cross-legged, clear your mind, and focus your spirit."

"I'm ready."

"Mmm..." Zhu Yuheng murmured softly, then suddenly flushed bright red. "D-do I need to take off my clothes?"

Lin Qiye: "..." *She is nothing like the tsundere from my previous life.*

"You don't need to take off your clothes, just stay focused."

Lin Qiye took out the Awakening Serum and injected it into Zhu Yuheng’s body. She shuddered slightly. In that instant, an icy chill began to radiate from her—her power was already awakening. The speed of this awakening surprised even Lin Qiye. As expected of a Child of the Plane from the Empress Universe. If it weren't for the fact that he had exhausted almost all his power through countless cycles of reincarnation to save the world, she probably would have awakened naturally in her childhood!

Lin Qiye marveled silently. At the same time, he thought of the Skin-Painting Demon’s plan. If that demon were to occupy Zhu Yuheng’s body, given her talent and the demon’s sinister nature, the consequences would be unimaginable.

With that thought, Lin Qiye pressed his palm against Zhu Yuheng’s back and injected all 200,000 strands of the refined Mother Qi into her body. As the cool energy entered, the chill inside her erupted in a miraculous reaction. An extreme cold spread outward from her. Soon, the entire training room was covered in a layer of fine frost. The temperature was so terrifying that even Lin Qiye felt a chill, and even as a God-realm entity, he couldn't help but shiver. It was a cold so extreme it felt as if it could freeze the soul itself.

"Incredible. To have such power right at the moment of awakening—this must be a talent that transcends SSS-rank, and it likely comes with special abilities!" Lin Qiye praised.

However, as he marveled, he suddenly sensed something wrong. Another distinct talent phenomenon was emerging within Zhu Yuheng—a cycle of repeated universes and reincarnation. It was a second talent.

"A dual SSS-rank talent? To be precise, both of them exceed SSS-rank." Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow. "Dual SSS-rank talents are quite impressive; one's combat power immediately jumps a tier." Having a triple SSS-rank talent himself, he knew how heaven-defying it was to have even one extra SSS-rank ability. If Zhu Yuheng reached her full potential, there was no doubt the Demon Emperor and the Wind Emperor would suffer.

Lin Qiye smiled slightly. At the same time, a Golden Dragon of Fortune emerged from the void and merged into Zhu Yuheng’s body. Because of the dragon’s presence, the evil energy inside her was finally forced to reveal itself.

A face, evil to the extreme, glared hideously at Lin Qiye, as if trying to devour his soul. It was like a spirit filled with extreme resentment—vile, violent, and greedy. It let out a shrill, eerie cry, and from the void, a pitch-black Golden Dragon of Fortune, dripping with evil energy, emerged. This evil dragon tried to enter Zhu Yuheng’s body to devour the true Golden Dragon of Fortune.

Lin Qiye’s gaze turned cold. "How bold, to pull this stunt in front of me? You have a death wish!"

As he spoke, the Divine Thunder of Annihilation wove into an airtight net, enveloping the evil black dragon. With a sudden pull, the net tightened, scraping the scales off the dragon one by one. The threads, infused with the energy of heavenly tribulations, immortal aura, and the true energy of the North Star, were a natural counter to evil energy. The evil dragon twisted in agony, black mist leaking everywhere as it tried to pollute the entire space.

Unfortunately for it, Lin Qiye was the ultimate counter to evil. A sweep of the Divine Thunder of Annihilation caused the evil energy to vanish like smoke. The evil dragon and the ghostly face inside Zhu Yuheng both let out angry screams.

"Scream all you want!" Lin Qiye attacked even more ruthlessly, tightening his grip on the evil dragon, intending to strangle it to death! The evil dragon bled dark, filthy blood and let out a miserable roar. Every drop of that blood was the power of the clan's fortune—but it was a fortune tainted by ominous darkness, unlike the peaceful, auspicious dragons of other races.

"I might as well finish you off slowly. I didn't expect that just trying to flush out the evil energy would lead to destroying the fortune of the Demon Clan—a pleasant surprise."

Lin Qiye’s expression remained icy. He summoned his Thunder God Avatar—a two-meter-tall figure clad in armor that looked like dragon scales, holding a sword. Its eyes flowed with intense malevolence. He drew his black sword and unleashed a flurry of strikes on the evil dragon. The dragon was in agony; this was more than just a beating—it was an absolute thrashing.

The ghostly face inside Zhu Yuheng was terrified. It never imagined Lin Qiye would be this terrifying. It shrieked as it lunged out, its face expanding in the wind, slamming into the thunder net and corroding a huge hole through it.

The evil dragon managed to escape, though its lower half had been severed. Dragging its broken body, it fled into the void. Only the ghostly face remained, trying to dive back into Zhu Yuheng’s body. Lin Qiye’s thunder threads wove into a net to trap it, but the face corroded through them. Despite Lin Qiye’s attempts to block it and the Thunder God Avatar’s slashes, the face managed to slip back into Zhu Yuheng’s body.

"Hehehehe... within ten steps, I am fast and accurate!" Although severely injured by Lin Qiye, the face felt safe once back inside. "Just you wait. Once I heal, I will make you pay a devastating price. You want to save this person? Impossible! No one can stop me!"

Lin Qiye’s eyes were cold as he looked at the ghostly face. "You are the larval form of the Skin-Painting Demon, aren't you? You parasitize by eroding the soul."

"It’s a pity. With the Golden Dragon of Fortune suppressing you, how many months will it take you to heal? In these few months, I have enough time to kill you a hundred times over." Lin Qiye sneered.

The Golden Dragon of Fortune entering her body was like giving Zhu Yuheng a suit of armor. It could remain inside her, constantly attacking the ghostly face. Since the face was already wounded, it wouldn't be able to make Zhu Yuheng succumb and transform into a Skin-Painting Demon as it had in the original timeline—at least not for three to five months.

Of course, Lin Qiye knew that clearing the face would be troublesome. At the very least, he had no idea how to do it yet.

***

After the fierce battle, Zhu Yuheng’s awakening was complete. She slowly opened her eyes. Her irises had turned gold, making her long, phoenix-like eyes look even more breathtaking—like the world’s finest work of art. Especially when those eyes looked at him with affection, shy and hesitant.

"Hoo~" Zhu Yuheng let out a breath, feeling a bit flustered. She opened her eyes and felt the presence of the ghostly face inside her. Her brow furrowed, and she looked panicked. "It... it’s so disgusting..."

Lin Qiye said helplessly, "I wounded it, but it’s very cunning. We’ll have to find another way. Try controlling the Golden Dragon of Fortune. I’ll help you build a prison for this ghostly face."

With his guidance, Zhu Yuheng used the Golden Dragon of Fortune, the Divine Thunder of Annihilation, and extreme cold to construct a small prison, trapping the face. The ghost shrieked in fury, scurrying about, but the dragon forced it into a corner. It was imprisoned in her arm, appearing as a shadow that looked like a birthmark on her wrist.

Zhu Yuheng tucked her wrist away, afraid that Lin Qiye would find it unsightly.

Lin Qiye smiled. "I will find a way to eradicate it completely. Now, let me see what your talents are."

Zhu Yuheng collected herself, and having gained memories of her abilities upon awakening, she spoke fluently. "I have two SSS-rank talents: 'Thousand-Face Reincarnation' and 'Supreme Ice Emperor'!"

Her face lit up with excitement. *With SSS-rank talents, I should be able to stand by this boy's side and fight with him, right? And I can protect Sister Gu He, Auntie Gu, and Uncle Gu.*

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow, his expression one of "as I expected." "What is the effect of your Supreme Ice Emperor?" He asked, curious about the wisp of cold air at her fingertips.

"It can manipulate the ultimate law of ice, freeze space, shatter souls, and even freeze time. It can also create tiny cold particles; once an enemy inhales them, the particles will shatter their heart..."

Lin Qiye: "..." *Heaven-defying! It truly is a talent that transcends SSS-rank.*

"And what about Thousand-Face Reincarnation?"

"It can reverse time to save the world, or weaken enemies. But every use costs vitality and drops one's fortune. Of course, it can also create illusions to make enemies lose their way—that is the 'Pseudo-Thousand-Face Reincarnation'."

Hearing this, Lin Qiye’s eyes brightened, lost in thought. "Too powerful. I can feel that your Thousand-Face Reincarnation contains a wisp of immortal charm." If it didn't, it wouldn't have been able to amplify his own wisp of immortal energy into four while he was nourishing her body.

Lin Qiye clicked his tongue in wonder. "Feel your chest again. Do you have two hearts?"

Zhu Yuheng was stunned. "Yes... the beating is so strange... How did you know I have two hearts?"

Lin Qiye smiled. "We were fated in a past life."

Zhu Yuheng stared at him in a daze. "A past life? It must be the blessing I earned in my previous life." She spoke the bold words suddenly, then immediately lowered her eyes, her earlobes flushing red.

Lin Qiye laughed freely. "Let's go home. You can cultivate while I search for a way to deal with that ghostly face."

"Mmm~" Zhu Yuheng nodded gently, her eyes sparkling with trust in him.

Watching her cute, trusting expression, Lin Qiye sighed internally. Although he had spoken so confidently, in reality, he still had no clue. The ghostly face was hard to remove. The Golden Dragon of Fortune could only imprison it; it couldn't excise it from her body. He frowned, feeling as though he were missing the key to breaking this deadlock.

And so, he began to search through his memories, over and over again.

"What exactly did I forget?"