Holy Son, Run! The Demon Empress Wants You as Her Consort! - Chapter 12:

Chapter 12: Lightning-Fast Breakthrough, Shocking the Empress

After sending Jing Ke away, Lin Ze went to serve tea to Shangguan Yi.

Facing You Yiran’s murderous glare, he smiled and said, “Aunt, since you’ve come all this way, why not stay a few more days?”

Shangguan Yi beamed and nodded. “I was thinking the same.”

As she looked at Lin Ze, she suddenly noticed a change in his cultivation realm and exclaimed in surprise, “Lin Ze, how did you reach 5th stage Martial Master already? Weren’t you just at 2nd stage last night? My god, you even cultivate in your sleep?”

Lin Ze nodded calmly. “Yeah, I do cultivate while sleeping. But the progress is slower. I only advanced three minor stages overnight. Sorry to disappoint, Aunt.”

At those words, Shangguan Yi’s eyes widened. She was so shocked that she accidentally spit a mouthful of tea right onto Lin Ze’s face.

“Ah—sorry, I didn’t mean to… here, wipe it off…”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it.” Lin Ze casually took out the handkerchief she had given him the night before and wiped the tea away.

The handkerchief still carried a light, lingering fragrance—her personal scent. Lin Ze couldn’t help but sniff it gently.

Shangguan Yi stared in disbelief. “You can really cultivate in your sleep?”

“Why are you asking that, Aunt?” Lin Ze blinked innocently.

Shangguan Yi replied, “Cultivating in your sleep—I’ve never seen or even heard of such a thing! How is that even possible?”

“Is it strange?” Lin Ze asked.

“You’re saying it’s not?!” You Yiran and Shangguan Yi blurted out at the same time.

Lin Ze scratched his head. “I think it’s pretty normal. Isn’t that how you guys do it too?”

“No way… don’t tell me even you Martial Saints and Martial Emperors can’t cultivate while sleeping?”

He had only started cultivating a few days ago, and he genuinely didn’t know how things worked. He thought cultivation was naturally automatic.

You Yiran and Shangguan Yi both inhaled deeply, feeling like someone had just landed a slap on their hearts.

“You…” Shangguan Yi looked torn between admiration and the urge to scold him for showing off. But seeing his genuinely puzzled expression, she realized—Lin Ze wasn’t pretending. He really didn’t know how monstrous he was.

Wasn’t the world saying that the Holy Son of Azure Spirit Holy Land was born with crippled meridians and couldn’t cultivate?

This is what they called a cripple?!

At this moment, You Yiran took a second look at Lin Ze and said thoughtfully, “I once read in an ancient text about a physique called the Chaos Body—it can comprehend all laws and automatically cultivate anytime, anywhere…”

“Lin Ze, could you be a Chaos Body?”

“I don’t know. No one’s ever told me,” Lin Ze said, feigning ignorance, but feeling proud inside: I’m System Bro!

Shangguan Yi’s eyes lit up. “The Chaos Body is a divine physique! If you really are one, your future is limitless…”

She was already seeing Lin Ze as a goldmine of potential.

After chatting a while longer, Shangguan Yi made up an excuse to send You Yiran away. Then she leaned closer and whispered, “Lin Ze, last night I secretly listened outside your room for a while. There’s something I need to ask you.”

Lin Ze froze, his heart skipping a beat. Did Aunt discover the truth?

The reality was, he and You Yiran didn’t actually have that kind of relationship—it was all just for show.

Damn… how accurate is a woman’s intuition?

What should I do? Be honest and risk punishment, or lie and dig deeper?

“Aunt, I swear, Yiran and I are deeply in love!” Lin Ze said seriously.

“Really? Because… it didn’t sound that harmonious to me.” Shangguan Yi stared at him, eyes sharp and probing—just like that famous detective from his past life’s anime.

Crap.

She’s figured it out!

Under that gaze, Lin Ze began to feel the pressure.

Shangguan Yi’s lips parted slightly, as if searching for the right words. Her cheeks turned faintly red as she said, “Are you… maybe, you know, not performing well in that area?”

“Sorry, Aunt, you guessed right,” Lin Ze said instinctively.

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

The two stared at each other, stunned by what they’d just heard.

Lin Ze was dumbfounded. Wait—what did Aunt just ask me?

She thinks I’m… not good?

At the same time, Shangguan Yi had a ‘I knew it!’ look on her face.

She had suspected it ever since she heard the sounds stop after just one or two minutes last night. It was obvious Lin Ze had underperformed.

“Aunt, I—”

“No need to explain. I understand!” Shangguan Yi interrupted, patting his shoulder gently. “You’re the Holy Son of Azure Spirit Holy Land. You’ve probably had hundreds of maids… overindulgence weakens the body. It happens.”

“No, that’s not—”

“Still, don’t be discouraged. I’m an alchemist. I can help you recover.”

She patted him again with a warm smile. “Lin Ze, I have a 3,000-year-old ginseng. It’s great for restoring vitality. Use it well.”

“Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”

Lin Ze almost cried. Damn it! I’ve been pure for twenty years! I don’t have any issues at all!

This woman is spreading false rumors about me!

But in Shangguan Yi’s eyes, his near-tearful expression only confirmed her suspicions. Of course a man would care about such a thing.

Thank goodness she was here—otherwise, how could Yiran’s future happiness be guaranteed?

“Aunt, please don’t say that!”

Shangguan Yi nodded earnestly. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. I know how prideful men are.”

“You—ugh!”

Lin Ze had so many curse words in his throat but couldn’t say them.

Forget it! At least I got a 3,000-year ginseng out of this.

Without hesitation, he shoved the ginseng into his mouth and started refining it.

[Ping! Host breathes +10 +10 +10…]
[Due to the effect of the ginseng, Host’s cultivation +100 +100 +100…]

Shangguan Yi was shocked. “Lin Ze, why are you eating it now? A 3,000-year-old ginseng is a rare treasure! You should wait until your realm stabilizes, then use it to break through!”

“You just reached 5th stage Martial Master. Taking it now will drastically reduce the effectiveness!”

“Even if you’re anxious, there’s no need to rush like this… This kind of problem requires long-term care…”

She sighed, clearly disappointed. “What a waste! There’s a barrier between the 5th and 6th stage. Taking it now, you definitely won’t break through…”

[Ping! Host has reached 6th stage Martial Master!]
[Host’s cultivation +100 +100 +100…]

Boom!

A surge of aura exploded from Lin Ze’s body. His strength multiplied by at least five times in an instant.

“!!!”

Shangguan Yi: What the hell is this?!

Lin Ze blinked. “Hmm? Aunt, what were you saying just now?”

“I was focusing on absorbing the medicine, didn’t hear clearly.”

Shangguan Yi’s mouth twitched. “…Nothing.”

“Okay then.”

Lin Ze continued refining the ginseng’s energy.

Shangguan Yi pretended to remain calm, but her pupils were dilated in shock.

She was utterly stunned inside.

My heavens! It’s only been a few minutes and he’s already broken through again?

Back when I was at Martial Master stage, it took me a month to climb even one stage.

Yet he’s broken through four stages in under a day!

Waves of shock surged in her chest like a raging sea.

But soon, she managed to steady her mind.

I’m the elder here. I can’t lose composure. I’m calm. I’m not shocked…

Still, she felt like she had done something incredible.

Tonight, Yiran is truly in for a treat!

She was absolutely certain—after consuming that 3,000-year ginseng, Lin Ze would be back in top form!

As she imagined this, her face flushed red and grew warm.

Aiya!

What kind of aunt thinks about things like this?

So inappropriate!