It felt as though her body was no longer her own. Her consciousness remained trapped inside, reduced to a mere spectator without any command over her movements.

Losing control of one’s body.

She was both shocked and furious: “Fu Lingchuan, you dare to lay hands on me!” Fortunately, she could still move her eyelids and open her mouth.

Fu Lingchuan stepped around the table and approached her step by step, his tone ominous: “Your Majesty’s health is poor. It would be better to return to the palace and rest properly.” As he finished speaking, he waved his left hand, and Feng Miaojun finally saw him clutching a black wooden tablet of unknown material with a rough surface texture that emitted a faint red glow.

“What is that?” she demanded loudly. “What evil trick are you using!”

“A Puppet Wood Command Tablet,” he said, pulling out shackles wreathed in a faint light with his other hand, intending to place them around her neck. “Your Majesty is learned. Do you know of two peculiar creatures in the Thousand Silk Forest of the Southern Continent called the Thousand Silk Worm and the Puppet Wood? This piece in my hand is made from Puppet Wood.”

Feng Miaojun’s gaze focused, finally showing fear on her face: “When did you make your move?”

The Thousand Silk Forest was located in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains at the southern end of the Southern Continent, rarely visited by humans and one of the ancient forests that remained from before the great cataclysm. People knew little about it, but Feng Miaojun had read about it in the Smoke Sea Tower and knew of the unique symbiotic relationship between the two creatures Fu Lingchuan mentioned.

The Puppet Wood in the Thousand Silk Forest was carnivorous and could capture prey with its vines, but it moved relatively slowly and was rooted to the ground, unable to move. If it merely waited for prey to fall into its trap, it might take years before it could eat meat. Therefore, it found an accomplice—the origin of the forest’s name—the Thousand Silk Worm.

These small insects were even smaller than caterpillars and often moved in swarms. They could secrete silk threads and invisibly descend from trees onto prey. Their bodies were covered with fine powder, and if a creature was contaminated with a large amount, it would fall under the control of the Thousand Silk Worms, slowly walking toward the Puppet Wood, and eventually be bound and devoured!

Interestingly, the Thousand Silk Worms had no eyes yet could guide creatures directly to their matching Puppet Wood—there was a peculiar bond between them. The worms themselves had no teeth and couldn’t devour large animals. The digestive fluid injected by the Puppet Wood into prey bodies broke down flesh into nutrients that the Thousand Silk Worms could consume.

The seamless cooperation between these two created invisible demons in the Thousand Silk Forest. Explorers who entered often disappeared without even bones to be found. Occasionally, only hair and clothing would be discovered under trees, with no trace of blood. It took people a long time to find the true culprits. The miscellaneous records in the Smoke Sea Tower mentioned that Southern Continent cultivators followed ancient methods to sacrifice Thousand Silk Worms and Puppet Wood together, obtaining worm powder and the Puppet Wood Command Tablet. By sprinkling highly refined worm powder on living beings, one could control their movements with the Command Tablet.

The guards nearby reacted and rushed forward to save their ruler. Fu Lingchuan fought them off while laughing: “You moved from the palace to here, not daring to bring servants or food, thinking you would be completely safe?”

Feng Miaojun blinked several times. Indeed, after relocating to White Horse Lake, she had used only her own set of people. Even the food was personally purchased by Chen Dachang and other trusted aides. As for water, there was no need to mention—White Horse Lake’s water was fresh and flowing, and poison couldn’t be administered in running water.

As for curses, she feared them even less. Fu Lingchuan knew she had a drop of Golden Branch Jade Dew from the Yan King that could neutralize all curses, but he didn’t know she had already used it. How would he dare curse her?

Having eliminated these sources, why had she still fallen victim?

“Unfortunately, you still need to wear clothes! Clothes that had to be brought from the palace!” Fu Lingchuan laughed loudly, unable to hide his satisfaction. “I had the laundry bureau mix Thousand Silk Worm powder into your clothing. This substance can last for months and cannot be washed away!”

The guards couldn’t withstand a few strikes and were hit in the chest by Fu Lingchuan’s fist, blood spattering five steps away.

However, those few moments were enough. Feng Miaojun’s fingertips suddenly moved, and the Star Heaven Awl shot toward Fu Lingchuan’s chest. She chose a tricky moment, precisely when the guard was sent flying. His body blocked Fu Lingchuan’s line of sight, and by the time he saw the Star Heaven Awl emerging from the gap beneath the guard’s ribs, it had already reached Fu Lingchuan’s chest.

Knowing this object could specifically break through protective spiritual barriers, he dared not pursue further and sharply moved sideways. The Star Heaven Awl flew past, grazing his chest, its tip stained with a drop of blood.

Looking down, he saw his robe had been pierced, revealing the protective treasure garment beneath, which also had a small tear.

Her magical weapon was indeed formidable.

Fu Lingchuan frowned, suddenly feeling as if his body had been pierced, with life force seeping out, flowing to unknown places. Simultaneously, deep fatigue began to spread through his body, even his bones aching…

Was this Changle’s divine ability or a special effect of the weapon? He couldn’t afford to ponder. His right hand powerfully squeezed the Puppet Wood Command Tablet, causing the red light on the wooden tablet to intensify—clearly, he had activated the evil art of puppet control to its maximum.

Now, Feng Miaojun couldn’t even move a finger. Fortunately, at this moment, Chen Dachang broke through the window, his sword aimed straight at Fu Lingchuan’s face.

His cultivation level was much higher than the guards’. Feng Miaojun stared fixedly at Fu Lingchuan: “So you’ve been planning to deal with me for some time.” The Thousand Silk Worms and Puppet Wood Command Tablet were rare secret objects in the world. For Fu Lingchuan to obtain them must have required considerable effort.

These cousins, each wary of the other, each plotting against the other.

Fu Lingchuan snorted derisively: “The feeling is mutual!” He had launched this sudden attack intending to subdue Changle in the shortest time possible. If he could destroy her cultivation and keep her under control, he could likely quell the current storm.

Chen Dachang had been by Feng Miaojun’s side for over a year and had received many private teachings on movement techniques and divine abilities. He was much more difficult to handle than the guard earlier, especially with his pair of flying sickle claws that could attack from a distance or defend up close. The hooked claw tips gleamed with a green light, obviously dipped in deadly poison. Despite this, he still struggled against the enraged Fu Lingchuan, like a man facing a wild lion alone—perilous at every moment, in danger of being torn to pieces at any time.

Feng Miaojun said hatefully: “Stop! I am the Queen of New Xia. How dare you treat me like this…”

Fu Lingchuan laughed angrily: “If you are the Queen, then stay obediently in the palace. After you give birth to a child, you can enjoy a life of ease!”

Hearing these words, both Feng Miaojun and Chen Dachang felt a chill in their hearts. So that was Fu Lingchuan’s plan—first, destroy her cultivation, then after she bore a child to continue the New Xia royal bloodline, she would no longer be of use?

Feng Miaojun took a light breath and suddenly raised her voice by several pitches: “I’ve heard enough. If you don’t act now, you’re waiting to die.”

At this moment, Chen Dachang roared in anger, clutching his shoulder and staggering two steps—he had finally been wounded by Fu Lingchuan’s sword. The special effect attached to his sword was called “Bone-Clinging Maggot,” which could cause an opponent’s muscles to rapidly necrotize, with the poisoned blood circulating throughout the body. Chen Dachang dared not be careless and quickly fed himself two medicinal pills to temporarily slow the poison’s attack on his heart.