“Ding! Side quest completed. Host receives 50,000 contribution points.”

“Ding! Sect contribution points: 98,800/70,000.”

“Ding! Sect contribution points overflow…”

“Ding! Congratulations to host for completing side quest and triggering hidden rewards. Received New Seal-Breaking Talisman ×1, Experience Talisman ×10.”

Hearing the beautiful notification sounds in his ear, Jun Changxiao was stunned.

Earlier, using various trump cards to thoroughly thrash the Rose Empress hadn’t met the requirements. Why had he suddenly completed it now!

“Hahaha!”

After brief confusion, Jun Changxiao covered his face and laughed loudly.

This super elite quest reward was indeed generous—just the contribution points alone were fifty thousand, plus a Seal-Breaking Talisman and ten Experience Talismans!

Awesome!

Too awesome!

Jun Changxiao, who had been regretting using various trump cards without completing the quest and feeling he’d suffered a huge loss, now felt it was totally worth it!

“Has he gone mad?”

The Rose Empress’s gaze showed surprise.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Just then, a powerful advancement aura suddenly surged around Jun Changxiao, and he smoothly broke through from Second-Rank to Third-Rank Sword and Martial Dual Saint!

This sudden cultivation advancement surprised the Rose Empress even more.

“I understand now…” Sensing his strength had greatly increased again, Jun Changxiao thought: “At my current level, to break through one rank requires at least ten Experience Talismans!”

He reached this conclusion because he had just crushed six talismans, and adding the four he’d crushed earlier made exactly ten.

The system said: “Which means that completing a super elite quest that gives ten Experience Talismans is equivalent to gifting one rank!”

“Give me six more quests like this!” Jun Changxiao said excitedly.

A one-rank increase meant he didn’t think pure strength alone could defeat a Martial Saint Grand Perfection, but if he advanced a few more ranks, there would definitely be no problem!

“Host is very beautiful.”

The system mocked: “Beautiful dreaming!”

“Ding! Side quest triggered.”

“Ding! Side quest triggered!”

Hearing two quest notifications, Jun Changxiao was overjoyed.

The system collapsed and roared: “I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth!”

“Whoosh!”

Jun Changxiao opened the side quest panel, which displayed two quests—

Side Quest One: As the saying goes, a gentleman’s word cannot be taken back. Please ensure you help the Rose Empress reclaim her lost throne [Super Elite Quest].

Side Quest Two: This quest is a continuation of Side Quest One. After helping the Rose Empress obtain the throne, you must obtain equal status with the empress, such as becoming Regent King. If you cannot complete Side Quest One, this quest will also be considered failed [Super Elite Quest].

“Damn!”

“Damn, damn, damn!”

Seeing the second quest, seeing “such as becoming Regent King,” Jun Changxiao roared: “Is this forcing me to become her husband?”

The system mocked: “The second one is no different from a hell-level quest for host.”

“…”

Jun Changxiao fell silent, then turned his head and looked at the Rose Empress with a beaming smile.

Both super side quests were related to her. If he successfully completed them, not only could he obtain generous rewards, he might even get more Experience Talismans!

Seeing him smile so lecherously, the Rose Empress said in panic: “You… what are you going to do!”

“Whoosh!”

Jun Changxiao walked over step by step.

He stopped in front of the Rose Empress, removed his straw hat, gently placed it on her head, and looked at her with unprecedented seriousness: “Everything you lost, I’ll help you reclaim.”

The system roared: “Where did the straw hat come from!”

The Rose Empress’s expression gradually became dazed. She tried hard to look up at this man, and ripples arose in her heart.

She, who had ruled the Soul Clan for thousands of years with absolute supreme royal authority, now felt like a weak and delicate woman before Jun Changxiao.

…

Night fell.

Flames burned in the cave, dispelling the cold and bringing warmth.

The Rose Empress leaned against the stone wall, thoughtfully watching Jun Changxiao sitting cross-legged by the fire. The more she looked, the more pleasing he became; the more she looked, the more manly he seemed.

“If he shaved his head, he’d have even more appeal.”

“Ahhh!”

Just then, Jun Changxiao clutched his head and cried out.

With so much contribution overflow, he’d impulsively decided to refresh the mid-tier shop, but after spending over twenty thousand, nothing good came out.

The system said: “Would have been better to buy two recipes in the high-tier shop.”

“Sigh.”

Jun Changxiao shook his head, looked at the Rose Empress, and said: “I need to understand how many powerhouses were in the palace where you used to live, and what level they were.”

“Also.”

“What realm is the Lingping Empress!”

Helping the Rose Empress reclaim the throne—the simplest method was to use violence to resolve everything.

“Crossing Void Realm, sixty-nine.”

“Spirit Union Realm, one.”

The Rose Empress informed him of the palace powerhouses’ overall strength, then added: “As for that woman, when I fought her back then, she was only at Crossing Void Realm.”

According to Xingyun Continent realm classifications, Crossing Void Realm equals Martial Saint, Spirit Union Realm equals Martial Saint Grand Perfection, and above that are Return to Simplicity Realm and the Returning to Truth Realm that can shatter the void.

“The old man who struck me with a palm was Spirit Union Realm?” Jun Changxiao asked.

“Correct.”

Jun Changxiao fell into thought: “Excluding the Lingping Empress first, as long as I can handle that old man, reclaiming the throne should be possible.”

“Oh right.”

He asked: “You mentioned the nine hall masters before—what’s their status in the Soul Clan?”

“Beneath one, above ten thousand.” The Rose Empress said. “They even have the power to decide the empress’s succession.”

“That powerful?” Jun Changxiao said in surprise.

The Rose Empress said: “Of course, the nine hall masters must be unanimous to have decision-making power. If any one opposes, they cannot shake the empress’s supreme position.”

“In that case.” Jun Changxiao said: “As long as we find those nine, we wouldn’t need to use force at all to restore you to the empress position?”

“No.”

The Rose Empress said with a bitter expression: “When the nine hall masters left the Soul Clan continent, it was still during the Lingping Empress’s reign. She became the third-generation empress with their backing. Even if they came, they wouldn’t help me.”

Honestly, if the nine hall masters hadn’t gone to attack the Xingyun Continent and never returned, even if this woman could defeat the Lingping Empress, she couldn’t have become empress—because the nine hall masters might not acknowledge her.

“Hey.”

The Rose Empress said: “Why did you stop talking?”

At this moment, Jun Changxiao was sitting cross-legged, having already entered the Heaven’s Origin Soul-Suppressing Pagoda. He held the Soul-Suppressing Whip, pointing it at Soul Dogs One and Two cowering in the corner, cursing: “You two bastards deceived me so badly!”

“Snap! Snap!”

“Ahhhhh—”

“Jun… Jun Sect Master… we’ve been on the Xingyun Continent so long, we had no idea the Lingping Empress had abdicated… ahhhhh!”

Soul Dogs One and Two were beaten until they wailed miserably.

Soul Dog Three, cowering in the distance, trembled in fear.

The Rose Empress probably never dreamed that three hall masters representing the Soul Clan’s strongest combat power and having the authority to dismiss and appoint empresses would fall to such a pitiful state.

“Er Ya!”

After beating them awhile, Jun Changxiao stopped furiously: “How’s the training of these two bastards going?”

“Master, they’ve been trained well. If you tell them to go east, they absolutely won’t dare go west.” Er Ya said.

“What about Number Three?”

“It…”

“Jun Sect Master, I’m willing to obey your commands!”

The Fifth Hall Master had been quite manly when he first came in, but after Er Ya’s training, he finally understood why the Third and Fourth Hall Masters were so cowardly.

Jun Changxiao gripped the whip, his gaze cold: “This seat is giving you three a chance to reform today. Whoever performs well won’t suffer torment anymore!”

“Thud!”

The Fifth Hall Master ran over and knelt directly on the ground, shouting loudly: “For Jun Sect Master, I’m willing to brave water and fire, die ten thousand deaths without regret!”

The Third and Fourth Hall Masters nearly vomited blood.

If we two hadn’t just been whipped, how could you have seized the initiative!

“You three.”

Jun Changxiao said lightly: “Come out with me.”

“Yes!”

—