18: Negotiation skills

Empress's voice remained cold, but it held less disdain and more scrutiny.

Chu Ye released her chin, straightened up, and brushed off non-existent dust from his hands. He smiled with both candor and shamelessness: "My Imperial Father wants the world. As for me, it's simpler—I just want you, Your Majesty."

He pointed behind him at the five newly ascended Great Emperors standing respectfully with vast auras, including Su Wu, Supreme Second Elder of the Hehuan Sect, Supreme Third Elder of the Hehuan Sect, and two others from the Chu Family.

"See that? These little ancestors obtained immortal techniques and specialized in Dual Cultivation that focuses on Luck, bringing many benefits. They, along with my family's Old Ancestor, were only able to become Emperors thanks to these immortal techniques."

"Your Majesty, with your Ziwei Emperor Star fate and Dragon protection, if you Cultivate with me, your cultivation at the Emperor Realm Peak might even touch the threshold of the legendary... Immortal Gate."

Then, his tone shifted and turned cold: "Of course, if Your Majesty prefers to be broken rather than bend, I have other ways to achieve my goal—it'll just take a bit more effort. However, if it comes to that, Your Majesty will get nothing; you might not even be able to preserve your final dignity and consciousness."

A carrot in one hand and a stick in the other—Chu Ye played the part to perfection.

He shrugged with a rogue-like expression that said, "I'm just informing you, not negotiating with you."

After hearing this, a faint but mocking sneer appeared on Empress's face: "If my will were truly of no consequence, why would you waste your breath here with me?"

She keenly grasped the key point. "Chu Ye, you had better release me immediately. If I do not appear at the morning court by this time tomorrow, the Great Qin iron cavalry will surely trample across your Great Chu borders!"

"Currently, all of Great Chu's top combat power is within this Formation. Who can stop the advance of Great Qin's troops? And if you leave the Formation to deal with the outside world, this Formation... cannot trap me."

"At that time, will you return to help, or continue to trap me? If you return, this Formation will surely break; if you don't, the Great Chu landscape will be in turmoil. Chu Ye, if you release me now, we can act as if this never happened."

A counter-threat, aimed straight at the core!

Even though she was trapped in a desperate Formation, she was still calmly analyzing the situation, looking for a chance to counter-attack, and even trying to shake Chu Ye's confidence.

Looking at this exquisite face so close at hand—clearly restrained yet still full of schemes and unyielding pride—Chu Ye couldn't help but marvel again: As expected of the Empress of Great Qin, she is peerless in elegance and possesses a mind like a demon!

Unfortunately... Chu Ye couldn't help but clap twice, sincerely praising: "Impressive! As expected of Ni Chang, even in a desperate situation, you can still counter-attack with clear logic and effective threats."

He shook his head with a look of regret. "Unfortunately, Your Majesty, you overlooked one thing."

Ni Chang frowned. "What?"

"You overlooked that I don't listen to reason at all, and... I have a few more trump cards than you imagined."

Smiling, Chu Ye pulled out a porcelain bottle as white as jade that was specifically effective against those in the Emperor Realm from his robes—actually from the System space—as if by magic.

As soon as the stopper was pulled, an indescribable strange fragrance that seemed to stir an Emperor's Origin filled the air. Even the several Great Emperors nearby subconsciously took half a step back, their faces showing wariness.

As he spoke, he flipped his palm, and a Medicinal Pill the size of a longan appeared at his fingertips. It was Chaos-colored throughout, with countless fine golden runes flowing on its surface, emitting an eerily tranquil aura.

The moment the Medicinal Pill appeared, the Phoenix shadows and rosy light flowing around them paused slightly.

"This pill is called the [Emperor Puppet]."

Chu Ye's tone was flat, but it caused an extremely dangerous warning sign to suddenly rise in Ni Chang's heart! "The only one, bestowed by the System... er, by immortal fate. As the name suggests, after taking this pill, even a Great Emperor will no longer be in control of their own body."

Ni Chang's expression changed drastically. She wanted to close her mouth and struggle, but under the suppression of the great Formation and Chu Ye's personal action, she had no way to resist.

Chu Ye's movements were as fast as lightning. He pinched her jaw, forced the soft Medicinal Pill inside, and gave her back a slap, sending the pill instantly into her stomach.

The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering her mouth, turning into a stream of Chaos Qi that ignored all resistance, instantly merging into Ni Chang's limbs and bones and reaching the core of her Divine Soul!

Ni Chang's delicate body shuddered violently! She could clearly feel that her consciousness, thoughts, and memories were all still there, perfectly clear!

But... her control over her body was being rapidly stripped away by an irresistible, cold, and eerie power!

She couldn't move her fingers, she couldn't mobilize her Emperor Essence, and she couldn't even shift her gaze!

Only her thoughts remained, feeling the horror of her 'Soul being trapped within its shell' with absolute clarity!

Those Phoenix eyes that once ruled the world and made all living beings submit were now staring fixedly at the nearby Chu Ye. Deep in her pupils, shock, anger, humiliation, and a hint of... terror that she didn't want to admit even to herself intertwined into a complex storm.

Chu Ye looked with satisfaction at the shame, resentment, anger, and hint of panic rising in Ni Chang's beautiful eyes, finally unable to suppress his own burgeoning aggressiveness.

Chu Ye took his time appreciating the rare and intense fluctuations in the eyes of this peerless Empress. He tilted his head slightly, revealing a smile that seemed incredibly hateful to Ni Chang:

"Your Majesty, now... we can properly discuss the specific details of our 'cooperation.' For example, starting with... undoing this bothersome Emperor's robe?"

He reached out and gently brushed against Ni Chang's cold cheek, his tone seductive: "Your Majesty... don't be in a hurry. In a moment, you will know that Cultivating with me is much more interesting than being this lonely and aloof Empress."

Ni Chang's eyes were almost dripping with ice, but she could only let Chu Ye pick her up and carry her toward the sleeping palace already prepared within the hundred phoenix diagram.

Chu Ye lowered his head and whispered in her ear: "Empress Qin, next, I'll let you taste the flavor of this pill, and... my flavor."

Behind them, Su Wu and the others looked at each other and tactfully withdrew, leaving only layers of Formations to completely isolate this area.

The night within the hundred phoenix diagram was still very long. And the pride of this Empress of Great Qin would eventually crumble inch by inch under Chu Ye's steady pressure.

As the medicinal effects of the Emperor Puppet Pill took hold, Ni Chang felt an unprecedented horror. Her consciousness was perfectly clear, but her body was like a delicate doll, completely following Chu Ye's commands.

She watched as her hand was raised and then lowered uncontrollably; she couldn't even make her eyelashes flutter.

Chu Ye tried giving a few simple commands in his mind: "Raise your hand," "Turn around," "Blink your left eye."

Ni Chang's body immediately executed them with precision, without the slightest error, and was even faster and smoother than when she controlled it herself.

"Tsk tsk, products from the System are always high-quality!"

Chu Ye couldn't help but remark. This was much more useful than any Puppet technique or Soul-controlling curse; it was practically a damage-free remote-controlled Emperor-level action figure!

With a thought, he directly issued the core command: "Give up all resistance, seal all your cultivation, and sign a life blood pact with me. Using your Soul as the contract, as long as you exist, you shall be driven by me forever, without a time limit."

Ni Chang's body immediately complied.

The majestic Emperor Essence receded into her Dantian like a tide, sealed away by layers of invisible shackles.

A drop of essence blood containing her Soul Origin and life imprint floated out from between her brows, automatically sketching a complex and mysterious blood-colored contract rune in front of Chu Ye. With a flash of light, it merged into Chu Ye's body.

A subtle yet stable connection was instantly established. Chu Ye could clearly perceive the state of Ni Chang's life and Soul; with a single thought, he could decide her life or death.