Chapter 170: Palace Mistress Jiu Lan Is Gravely Injured

The morning sun cast a gtle glow on the Jade Lotus Palace camp as Wang Li emerged from Liu Xue's tt. A satisfied smile played on his lips, the remnants of their passionate counter still lingering in the air. He stretched languidly, the cool morning breeze carrying the faint sct of unfamiliar flora. Time for a quick cleanse before the day's duties began.

His steps led him towards a secluded clearing where a small pond shimmered invitingly. The cool morning air invigorated him as he plunged into the refreshing water. The tsion from the journey melted away as he scrubbed away the dust and grime of travel.

By the time he returned to the main camp, the world had come alive. The rhythmic clang of swords against practice dummies echoed in the air, a testamt to the reltless discipline of both the Jade Lotus Palace and Emerald Sea Palace disciples. A few elders were already awake, sipping tea in the communal pavilion, their faces etched with quiet contemplation.

Among them were a group of Jade Lotus Palace disciples, their youthful features radiating a mix of curiosity and excitemt. Wang Li approached them with a courteous smile. "Greetings, young ladies. Have you had a restful night?"

"Indeed. And what about you, Elder Wang?" The young disciple of the Jade Lotus Palace sect asked him.

"It's be good," Wang Li responded calmly. They exchanged pleasantries for a momt before the question that had be nagging at him surfaced. "By any chance," he began, "has Palace Mistress Jiu Lan returned from her mission?"

The young woman's smile faltered slightly. "She returned late last night," she replied. "However, she sustained injuries during her counter with the Soul Integration Realm Beast Lords and is currtly resting in the infirmary tt."

Wang Li's brow furrowed. He hadn't anticipated Palace Mistress Jiu Lan getting seriously injured. "Is she alright?" he inquired, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.

"That's what we're all hoping for," the young woman said with a worried sigh. "She hasn't emerged from the tt since her return."

"Thank you," Wang Li replied curtly. He excused himself and headed towards the designated infirmary tt, his mind churning with questions.

While he expected the battles against the Soul Integration Realm beasts to be challging, he hadn't anticipated such a severe outcome.

Inside the infirmary tt, a tranquil atmosphere prevailed. Several beds were neatly made, but only one was occupied. There, draped in a sheet, lay Palace Mistress Jiu Lan. Her usually vibrant features were pale, and dark circles adorned her eyes. However, a flicker of recognition lit up her face as she saw him ter.

"Elder Wang," she rasped, her voice weak. "Thank you for coming."

He approached her bedside, his gaze scanning her for signs of the extt of her injuries. Crimson stains marred the bed sheets, a stark contrast to their typical pristine color.

Wang Li listed atttively, channeling his Yang Energy in a way that mimicked healing while actually focusing on sealing her dantian and the pathways of spiritual ergy coursing through her body. Palace Mistress Jiu Lan, lost in the whirlpool of pleasurable ssations, remained tirely oblivious to his true inttions.

As his dark ergy tighted its grip on her core, he felt a surge of satisfaction.

Finally, with a satisfied sigh, he judged her dantian to be nearly shut down, effectively severing her access to spiritual ergy. A predatory gleam flickered in his eyes as he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper.

"So," he began, his voice dripping with a hint of amusemt, "you deliberately sustained such injuries to experice my... healing touch?"

Palace Mistress Jiu Lan's eyes fluttered op, surprise momtarily breaking through the haze of pleasure. "What... what do you mean?" she stammered, a flicker of fear replacing the desire in her gaze.

Wang Li's smirk wided. "Surely, Palace Mistress," he purred, his voice devoid of its earlier concern, "if you desired this... experice, you could have simply asked. There was no need for such elaborate schemes involving ferocious beasts and near-death experices."

Palace Mistress Jiu Lan struggled to form a cohert response. The pleasure that she had be expericing had abruptly vanished, replaced by a chilling sse of dread. Her body felt sluggish, heavy, devoid of the familiar surging power.

Panic surged through her. She attempted to channel her spiritual ergy, to unleash her power, anything to break free from this strange lethargy. But her attempts were met with a deafing silce. The wellspring of her power had be sealed.

Terror filled her eyes as she looked at Wang Li. The mask of concern had be lifted, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. He leaned closer, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Now, my dear Palace Mistress," he whispered, his voice laced with a dangerous edge, "we can truly begin..."

The remaining words hung in the air, a chilling promise of a twisted future for the once powerful Palace Mistress Jiu Lan. With her cultivation restrained, she was nothing more than a beautiful woman at the mercy of this cunning schemer.

Wang Li's kiss landed on Palace Mistress Jiu Lan's neck, a searing brand of desire st coursing through her veins disguised as healing ergy. Her body, starved for such ssations after years of disciplined focus on cultivation, convulsed with pleasure. A guttural moan ripped from her throat, shattering the fragile illusion she had clung to.

He pulled back, a sly grin twisting his features. "Such a dramatic reaction for a mere kiss, wouldn't you agree, Palace Mistress?" His voice dripped with amusemt, a stark contrast to the tremor in her own.

Jiu Lan's eyes fluttered op, wide with a mixture of terror and confusion. "Why? Why are you doing this? Don't you... don't you love my disciple Liu Xue?" she stammered, her voice weak and pleading.