Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1366: 735: Competing for Favor and Xuan Jing’s Recent Situation

Sixty years slipped away in the blink of an eye, for time holds little meaning during the long journey of Cultivation.

To the southwest of the Wolong Mountain Range, in the vicinity of Baizi Peak, a sprawling complex of towers and pavilions clings to the mountainside. The architecture is both refined and opulent, creating the illusion of a terrestrial Immortal Realm where streams wind like ribbons of green jade, carving paths deep into the rugged terrain.

Upon the primary slope of Baizi Peak, a collection of palaces with a distinct, exotic aesthetic stands prominently.

Inside the central sleeping quarters of this estate, the air felt suffocatingly heavy today. Maids stood beside a Jade Couch with lowered heads, barely daring to draw breath for fear of waking their mistress from her slumber.

In recent decades, the Master had visited Yumin Palace less frequently. This neglect had caused the mistress’s character to become increasingly volatile and harsh, her temper sharpening with every passing year.

The slightest oversight by a servant often resulted in a physical beating or a verbal lashing. In the worst cases, maids were banished from the palace entirely, sent to the servant yards to endure a life of grueling slave labor.

Eventually, the oppressive silence was broken by soft footsteps. A young woman clad in a white skirt hurried into the room, carefully carrying a delicate jade box.

Approaching the Jade Couch, the girl in white observed the elegant figure resting there. She leaned down slightly and whispered, “Madam, the Qin family has delivered a gift for you!”

“Hmm!”

Kang Min stirred suddenly, as if jolted from a dream. She opened her eyes with a lazy gaze before slowly rising to a sitting position. “The Qin family understands how things work,” she remarked coldly. “That is their second tribute this year. Peng Jian, open it for me. If the contents please me, I shall overlook the offense committed by that young brat of theirs.”

“As you command, Madam!”

The girl, Peng Jian, responded obediently. She reached out to lift the lid, revealing the treasure concealed within the jade box to Kang Min.

Resting inside was a Five-Colored Ganoderma. Its cap was smooth as jade and the size of a human palm. A cloud of five-colored mist hovered above it, within which a faint, three-inch-tall figure could be seen flickering.

“A ten-thousand-year-old Five-Colored Ganoderma!” Kang Min’s interest was instantly piqued. Her eyes shimmered with a mixture of shock and pleasure.

The Five-Colored Ganoderma is a rare miracle of nature, saturated with spiritual essence and considered a top-tier medicinal treasure.

This particular specimen was over ten millennia old; its spirit had already begun to manifest, standing on the very threshold of gaining true spiritual wisdom and transforming into a spirit of heaven and earth.

Crucially, this herb was known to nourish the yin and replenish one's vitality, possessing a legendary effectiveness for aiding conception.

This specific trait was what Kang Min coveted above all else.

Nearly a century had passed since she had followed her husband to the Wolong Mountains.

During those hundred years, she had exhausted every method imaginable, yet she remained unable to conceive her husband’s child.

Although she had reached the stage of Foundation Establishment Success—which granted her the gift of eternal youth—she felt the weight of time more heavily with each passing day. She feared she was "fading," a feeling compounded by the fact that she was losing her husband's favor.

Her anxiety was fueled by the Zhao Family and their various Vassal Forces, who competed annually to present new "beauties." This had caused the "harem" of concubines to grow to over a hundred women.

The newer "wenches" entering the palace were younger and more radiant, often possessing unique physical constitutions or mastery over various Dual Cultivation Secret Techniques.

Kang Min was under no illusions; she knew she could not win a contest of pure beauty against such a crowd. Her only leverage was her "status as the First Concubine" and her husband's lingering respect.

To the outside world, Kang Min remained a formidable figure of great importance.

As the "First Concubine" of a Returning to Void Ancestor, she held a prestigious rank within the Zhao Family and was a person whom many Vassal Forces sought to please at any cost.

In any era or world, the influence of "pillow talk" was something no one dared to dismiss!

Consequently, for the past century, Kang Min had lived as one "below only one, but above ten thousand." Almost no one dared to cross her, and she was constantly surrounded by those seeking to flatter her for favor.

Even as she felt her personal charms waning, she managed the internal affairs of the harem with such precision that she earned significant praise from Zhao Sheng.

This allowed her position to stabilize, clearly elevating her above the other concubines and giving her the aura of a "Main Palace Master."

Yet, the lack of an heir left Kang Min in a state of perpetual unrest.

The passing years only deepened her dread. A recent turn of events had pushed her simmering fear and resentment to a breaking point.

“Take it away and place it in the Treasure Pavilion,” Kang Min snapped, her irritation flaring as she slammed the jade box shut.

Peng Jian’s heart hammered against her ribs. She grabbed the box quickly, bowed low, and began to back out of the hall.

Just as she reached the exit, a disturbance broke out. A group of people seemed to be approaching rapidly, and muffled voices drifted in from the corridor: “Madam is resting... entry is forbidden...”

Peng Jian frowned, her face darkening with anger, when a sharp voice rang out from the entrance: “Get out of the way! Who do you think you are to block our Madam?!”

The voice was clear and piercingly close.

Peng Jian looked up just as a pair of girls in red robes rudely shoved the guards aside and marched into the room, followed by a procession of maids in blue.

Behind them, a large entourage escorted two women dressed in formal palace attire. One appeared ethereal and dignified, while the other possessed a charming, innocent beauty that was nearly incomparable.

Peng Jian’s face paled as she tried to move aside. However, before she could clear the way, the two girls in red intentionally lunged forward and shoved her with great force, sending her sprawling to the floor.

Crack!

The jade box hit the ground hard. The ten-thousand-year-old Five-Colored Ganoderma tumbled out, rolling to a stop right in the center of the doorway.