Chapter 498: The Dragon Qi (2)
Chapter 498: Chapter 498: The Dragon Qi (2)
"This is how I will prove my innocence... Through strength."
Hearing her words, Li Feng was a bit speechless.
He stared at the Regent Empress standing confidently in the center of the vast training ground, her mature and voluptuous figure now clad in practical combat attire.
The way she held herself, elegant yet filled with battle intent gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.
’Why do these women always want to fight...?’
First Lan Suyao, now even the Regent Empress.
It seemed like every powerful woman he encountered preferred to prove things through strength rather than words.
Li Feng rubbed his temple lightly, letting out a soft sigh.
Just as he was about to speak, Lan Suyao stepped forward slightly and spoke in a calm, low voice so only he could hear.
"Li Feng, actually Empress Fen Ling is from the imperial Long family of the Long Dynasty."
"Oh?"
Li Feng looked at Lan Suyao, surprised.
’No wonder she suddenly talked about the Long Dynasty’s history, but...’
He looked at her with confusion and asked, "But why does it suddenly become a spar in order to prove her innocence?"
Lan Suyao glanced toward the Empress standing in the center of the training ground before replying softly.
"Like she have told you, dragon qi is extremely unique... and overbearing. Because of its tyrannical nature, most normal spiritual qi cannot properly coexist inside her body. Her meridians and dantian are probably dominated by dragon qi, which rejects or suppresses ordinary spiritual energy. That is why she cannot rely on typical human cultivation methods or techniques to fight."
She paused for a moment, then continued in a low voice.
"Perhaps... she wants you to experience it firsthand. To feel how different her qi is compared to the culprits you have already fought. Words can be twisted, but the feeling of true dragon qi cannot be faked."
Then Lan Suyao’s golden eyes flickered with a hint of warning.
"But be careful, Li Feng. She is from the same generation as our sect leaders."
"Even if she is only stuck at the Peak of Golden Core for a long time, her dragon qi makes her far more dangerous than an ordinary cultivator at the same realm. I heard that she has even been able to contend with a Nascent Soul expert despite being only at Golden Core. If it weren’t for the bottleneck, I’m afraid she might be at the same level as the major sect leaders today."
Li Feng’s eyes narrowed sharply at those words.
He had already suspected that Fen Ling was not simple, but hearing that she could fight against a Nascent Soul expert while only being at the Peak of Golden Core still shocked him.
Even with his current strength and the Star Ignition skill, Li Feng wasn’t confident he could take on a real Nascent Soul expert.
The gap between Golden Core and Nascent Soul was simply too vast... like the difference between a mortal and an immortal.
’She can actually fight against Nascent Soul...?’
Li Feng’s gaze toward the Regent Empress became much more serious, but a question couldn’t help but surface in his mind.
If the Long Dynasty was this overbearing, then why were they still under the Azure Moon Sect’s rule...?
Then realization hit him as he remembered Fen Ling’s earlier words.
’It seems the requirement to break through must have been ridiculous...’
The tyrannical nature of the dragon bloodline, the rejection of normal spiritual energy, and the need for rare special treasures... it all made sense now.
Even with their powerful bloodline, progressing to higher realms was extremely difficult for them.
That was likely why the Long Dynasty, despite their potential and strength, had not yet broken free from the Azure Moon Sect’s influence.
Empress Fen Ling, who was stretching her arms and legs, seemed to notice the change in Li Feng’s expression.
She smiled faintly, as if she could guess what he was thinking.
"Are you ready, Envoy Li?"
She raised her hand, and a beautiful dark-golden qi surfaced on her fist.
Then a powerful Peak Golden Core aura mixed with a faint but domineering dragon pressure surged from her body, filling the vast training ground.
The pressure felt heavy, ancient, and carried a trace of true dragon majesty that made one’s blood instinctively tremble.
But Li Feng looked at her for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit helpless.
"Your Majesty... why must it come to a fight?" he asked, his voice carrying a trace of resignation.
"I came here to investigate and judge whether you are innocent or not. Not to fight against a powerhouse like you."
At his words,
Empress Fen Ling lowered her hand slightly, but the dragon pressure around her did not disappear.
She looked at him calmly and smiled.
"Words can be twisted and promises can be broken. But strength cannot lie."
She took a slow step forward, her mature figure radiating both elegance and power.
"That is the teaching of our Long Family, and I find it quite fitting for the situation."
A faint, confident smile appeared on her beautiful face as she continued,
"If my heart harbors any malice toward you or the Azure Moon Sect, you will feel it through my dragon qi the moment we clash. If I am truly innocent... you will also know."
Li Feng shook his head slowly.
"Your Majesty, I must refuse."
He cupped his fists respectfully, his expression serious.
"I am only a junior at the Foundation Establishment realm. To spar with a senior like you who stands at the peak of Golden Core and possesses the powerful dragon bloodline at that... would be extremely disrespectful. And I don’t want to embarrass myself."
He looked at her directly.
"If you truly wish to prove your innocence, then please prove it in other ways. This junior is quite incapable of judging your strength."
Empress Fen Ling was silent for a moment.
On the surface, she nodded with a gentle smile, as if she understood his reasoning.
But deep inside, a flicker of disappointment and excitement flashed across her heart.
’Such a pity... I really wanted to fight this hidden genius and see just how deep his strength truly runs.’
She had sensed from the very beginning that Li Feng was hiding his real power.
The faint but sharp aura he occasionally leaked out made her dragon blood stir with rare battle intent.
Sparring with him would not only allow her to test his true limits but also satisfy the long-suppressed fighting desire in her bloodline.
Living in the palace was truly hard for her, and there weren’t many worthy foes inside the capital.
She had been planning to use this chance to prove her innocence and fight, especially after hearing the reports from her subordinates about Li Feng’s strength on that chaotic night while she was away... ’investigating’.
"Well then, I’ll be taking my leave."
Li Feng said softly and turned his body.
Seeing this, Fen Ling’s mind quickly turned as she thought of ways to make him agree.
’If I directly pressure him, it would be unfit of my status as a senior...’
A subtle glint flashed in her crimson eyes.
’Then... perhaps I can use a softer approach.’