Chapter 174: Hold On, Imperial Advisor! I, the Emperor, Have Recovered 11

Chapter 174: Imperial Advisor, Wait! I've Recovered 11

"Your Majesty, are you ready?" Qin Hanyue's voice came from beside his ear, low and tinged with restraint, carrying the warmth of his breath that completely flushed Lin Huaiqing's ears red.

"Re...ready." Lin Huaiqing closed his eyes, settling into meditation. He felt the changes in the spiritual energy around him.

Suddenly, in what had been an empty, dark void, a ray of light appeared. It was Qin Hanyue's spiritual sea—he had already entered it.

So, a spiritual sea, as the name suggests, was an ocean of spiritual energy within a cultivator's body.

Perhaps the spiritual sea of a low-level cultivator was just a small stream, while a Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual sea would be like a lake. But Qin Hanyue was the only one whose spiritual sea could truly be called a sea.

A warmth like tidal waves instantly enveloped Lin Huaiqing's entire body, surging in from all directions, threatening to overwhelm him.

If he had been even a moment slower, he might have drowned in that vast expanse.

Almost at the same time, the man beside him sensed his nervousness and tension, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder and skillfully massaging him.

"Relax a little, don't resist, feel it slowly, it'll be over soon." The words were almost seductive, yet they genuinely made Lin Huaiqing's tense muscles gradually relax.

As for this soul cultivation sensation, Lin Huaiqing couldn't say whether it was good or bad, but since Qin Hanyue led the entire process, he could only passively endure it. This almost oppressive dominance was something he couldn't accept.

But after all, it was his first time, and the other had experience. Once he became skilled, he would definitely take the lead and become Qin Hanyue's guide.

The two forces merged, emitting a harmonious, faint glow, gradually rising from the surface of the sea. This meant their souls were highly compatible—the kind suited to be cultivation partners.

Although Lin Huaiqing was not a cultivator, after performing soul cultivation with Qin Hanyue, a Hua Zhen Realm cultivator, a considerable amount of spiritual energy naturally coalesced within his body.

If this continued, it wasn't impossible for him to gradually develop a spiritual root.

Then wouldn't he be the only emperor to practice cultivation? If his subordinates dared to rebel, he could just strike out with a palm and bring down the entire throne hall. Moving mountains, filling seas, summoning wind and rain—all would be well within his power.

Qin Hanyue, while effortlessly tangling with Lin Huaiqing in the spiritual sea, also had the spare attention to open his eyes and steal glances at Lin Huaiqing's expression.

One moment anxious, the next calm, occasionally frowning in discomfort.

But what was happening now? Why was Lin Huaiqing smiling during soul cultivation? What pleasant thought had crossed his mind?

To better aid Lin Huaiqing's "treatment," Qin Hanyue could only work harder, channeling all his spiritual power into the spiritual sea.

The previously calm spiritual sea suddenly turned turbulent, waves rising one after another, crashing over Lin Huaiqing's soul.

Several times in a row, Lin Huaiqing nearly couldn't hold on, his body drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled from the bottom of the sea.

Qin Hanyue saw how much Lin Huaiqing was sweating and knew he had reached his limit.

For a first soul cultivation, it was enough to adapt; one shouldn't overexert.

Qin Hanyue immediately manipulated the spiritual sea to return Lin Huaiqing's heart-soul to its original place and then closed it.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Lin Huaiqing slowly came to, the stray hairs on his forehead wet and stuck to his skin in strands, showing just how much he had been sweating.

Lin Huaiqing gasped for air in big gulps. His body wasn't tired, but his mind was completely exhausted, as if he had dreamed a dream—yet the scenes from that dream were still vivid in his memory.

"Is the soul cultivation done?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, it's done. How do you feel?"

Hmm...

Lin Huaiqing tried to sense it, but that kind of thing could only be felt under specific conditions.

He couldn't very well trigger it with Qin Hanyue, could he? How would that even work?

"Ahem... I can't really tell right now. But I do feel a faint power inside me. Is that spiritual energy?"

He wasn't completely ignorant; he was familiar with that sense of power, but he didn't dare be sure.

"Oh! By the way, soul cultivation is a form of Dual Cultivation that can boost both parties' cultivation and spiritual energy. Your Majesty can try concentrating on the vase across the room."

"No way?!" Lin Huaiqing casually formed a hand seal, gathered the meager spiritual energy into his palm, and pushed it toward the vase.

With a "bang," a hairline crack appeared on the vase. Though it wasn't enough to destroy it completely, it did have real power—and it was fast and accurate.

"I hit it! Qin Hanyue, look! I actually hit it!"

Lin Huaiqing's clear, deep eyes suddenly seemed to sparkle with starlight, and his bright, cheerful laughter rang around Qin Hanyue's ears, making it impossible for him to look away.

"Why are you looking at me? I said look at the vase!"

"Yes, this subject saw it. Your Majesty is incredible." Qin Hanyue's tone was already like coaxing a child. But Lin Huaiqing couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

"Hmph! Of course, back in the day I was..." Lin Huaiqing's habit of getting carried away when pleased was something he'd never change. In his excitement, he nearly let slip his secret of having been the number one Sword Venerable in the cultivation world.

"Your Majesty was what?" An ordinary beginner certainly wouldn't have such accuracy.

Could Lin Huaiqing have secretly learned before? Even his hand-seal technique was quite practiced, not like a novice but rather a seasoned hand.

Lin Huaiqing knew he had said too much. His eyes darted around slyly. "Back then, the previous Imperial Advisor taught me. I do have some talent, don't I?"

Qin Hanyue just smiled, not taking Lin Huaiqing's words seriously. But his praise was indeed generous:

"Your Majesty grasps things at a single hint and learns with one try. This subject admires you! Even the inner disciples on our Spirit Mountain might not be as skilled as Your Majesty."

Lin Huaiqing pretended not to understand the implication in Qin Hanyue's words. He was still overjoyed at having regained his spiritual power.

This way, he had another means of protecting himself. If it came to a critical moment and he couldn't suppress Zhao Ge through political power, then using force against him would work just as well.

"Well then, thank you for today..." Lin Huaiqing had only gotten halfway through his sentence when Qin Hanyue suddenly stepped forward and covered his mouth with a large hand.

Lin Huaiqing's heart jolted in alarm, and he tried to struggle, but one sentence from Qin Hanyue instantly calmed him down:

"Don't make a sound! There's someone outside!"

"?!"

Qin Hanyue waved his hand casually, and all the light sources in the room were extinguished instantly, plunging it into darkness.

Lin Huaiqing patted Qin Hanyue's hand, signaling him to let go.

"What's going on? Should I call for someone?" But if he shouted, the person would run, and he and Qin Hanyue were still in bed—if anyone saw this, it would be a disaster!

"No need. Lure him in and kill him directly."

This was the first time Lin Huaiqing truly realized that Qin Hanyue was genuinely ruthless. Killing a mortal was as simple as crushing an ant.

Lin Huaiqing remained silent, quietly waiting for the unlucky fool outside to take the bait.

Soon, a faint rustling sound came from the corner of his bedchamber. The person must have already entered.

Lin Huaiqing didn't even dare breathe heavily, afraid the intruder would notice.

Beside him, Qin Hanyue had already held his breath to avoid revealing that there were two people in the room.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, until they were less than a foot from the bed.

Lin Huaiqing lay on the bed pretending to sleep, but in truth, he was sweating profusely. He could only hope Qin Hanyue wasn't setting him up—otherwise, his life was done for.