Inside Jinluan Hall, which had nearly half collapsed.

The Throne, originally forged from special materials, had been crushed to dust by the aftershocks of the battle.

Gongsun Jinghong lay paralyzed in the pile of dust, the whites of her eyes showing as she foamed at the mouth, completely unconscious.

Zou Feng, on the other hand, had finally faced enough pressure during the grueling battle to seize the long-awaited opportunity for a breakthrough.

Thus, without even pausing to pull up his pants, he immediately sat cross-legged on the spot to strengthen this sliver of enlightenment.

Of course, this opportunity was mainly thanks to the Dao Skill-quality Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill.

"Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill (Peak of Perfection), Progress: 3%"

Zou Feng wasn’t at all surprised that the cultivation progress of this Skill had suddenly surged, allowing it to break through directly to the Peak Realm.

After all, this Skill originally required "Dragon and Tiger Convergence" to display its true cultivation effects.

Furthermore, this "dragon," Gongsun Jinghong, was a Second Grade master—that much was obvious. More importantly, she had also taken advantage of the climactic duel at the Celestial Sacrifice Platform to steal the luck of the Great Yan Royal Family.

With all these boons, it was only natural for the Skill to break through in one fell swoop.

And with the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill reaching the Peak Realm, every Cultivation Skill Zou Feng practiced had now achieved the magnificent feat of reaching the Peak Realm as well.

And on top of that, there was his Five Poison Sacred Lotus Palm, which was at the level of Extraordinary to Saint...

The next moment, Zou Feng, who was deep in meditation, snapped his eyes open.

Two streams of True Qi, one representing a dragon and the other a tiger, swirled and converged unceasingly within his Dantian.

Although that final strike had caused some damage to his body and consumed a portion of his Life Energy, the benefits he received from the positive feedback of the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill far outweighed the minor loss.

Right now, it was as if a dragon and a tiger were clashing fiercely within Zou Feng’s Dantian, and all the power generated by their collision could be absorbed and put through Refinement by him.

Amidst the roars of a dragon and a tiger, Zou Feng felt his True Qi become more condensed than ever, completely preventing it from leaking out.

The True Qi of a Third Grade Martial Artist is actually "scattered." When they are cultivating, some of it inevitably dissipates, and its quality isn’t condensed enough.

But upon advancing to Second Grade, the True Qi no longer dissipates. The body becomes, in a word, leakless.

This is the greatest difference between the Third and Second Grades.

To put it bluntly, because they cannot prevent their True Qi from leaking, a Third Grade Martial Artist’s energy is consumed extremely quickly in battle. In a battle of attrition, they are no match for a Second Grade Martial Artist, whose True Qi does not dissipate.

Thus, the Second Grade Realm is also known as the Leakless Realm.

As for a First Grade Powerhouse, not only is their True Qi leakless, but they can also constantly replenish it with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, strengthening themselves at all times.

This isn’t an absorption that only occurs when actively cultivating. Even in deep sleep, their bodies automatically absorb the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

First Grade is the Spirit Body Realm.

Now, Zou Feng’s body was leakless; he had successfully broken through to the Second Grade.

Feeling the changes in his body, Zou Feng glanced at Gongsun Jinghong, still paralyzed on the ground with a flush that hadn’t faded from her face. He couldn’t help but give a self-deprecating smile.

’So I reached the Second Grade by... doing it with the future Empress... ’

’Speaking of which, since the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill is so incredible, shouldn’t I join a Sect like the Joyful Union Sect when I make it to the Eastern Land?’

"Ngh... unh..."

With a soft moan, the whites of Gongsun Jinghong’s eyes rolled back down. She was clearly recovering from her dazed state.

Though her body was still limp, the benefits she had reaped were far greater than Zou Feng’s.

"My dear minister, you are truly blessed with Divine Power..."

Gongsun Jinghong’s eyes were filled with satisfaction. "Once We have properly... digested this, breaking through to First Grade will be just around the corner!"

’Huh? She still needs to digest?’

Zou Feng wanted to ask what exactly Gongsun Jinghong needed to "digest," but the sound of footsteps was gradually growing louder outside. It was clearly the Imperial Guard, and they were on their way. This was no time for teasing.

However, one look at Gongsun Jinghong’s current state told him she wasn’t bluffing.

After reaching the Leakless Realm, Zou Feng’s perception of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi had improved dramatically.

He could now clearly sense the nearby Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi converging upon Gongsun Jinghong, being absorbed by her body.

He, on the other hand, couldn’t even get the scraps.

So, Gongsun Jinghong’s claim that she was about to break through to First Grade was undoubtedly true.

"Someone’s coming! My dear minister, protect Us!" Gongsun Jinghong had heard the footsteps too.

But she was still caught in the afterglow, her body in the process of evolving toward the Spirit Body Realm. She couldn’t act rashly.

Shouting "protect Us" so naturally, Gongsun Jinghong had obviously fully slipped into her role as Empress and was lost in it.

Gongsun Jinghong’s Dragon Robe had also been disintegrated into dust by True Qi during their grueling battle. To prevent the Empress from being exposed, Zou Feng flicked his hand, conjuring a cloud of poisonous smoke to conceal her body.

He then quickly hoisted her onto his shoulder and leaped out just before the Imperial Guard burst in.

The Imperial Guard who rushed over at the sound of the commotion didn’t even catch his shadow.

In the Second Grade Impermeable Realm, since one’s True Qi doesn’t leak out, it’s nearly impossible to be detected by someone of a lower Realm if one fully conceals their presence.

Just like that, Zou Feng quickly left the Imperial Palace with Gongsun Jinghong slung over his shoulder.

He looked up. Had the battle between Su Qingyu and Gongsun Xiang still not been decided?

"Tch, that old scoundrel hasn’t croaked yet?" Gongsun Jinghong murmured, gazing into the distance with a frown.

As Zou Feng drew closer to the Celestial Sacrifice Platform, he began to see the situation more clearly.

Although Gongsun Xiang was still fighting desperately, any expert could see that he was a spent arrow at the end of its flight.

A Poison Cultivator like Zou Feng, especially, could sense that Gongsun Xiang was too deeply poisoned to have any chance of a comeback.

Looking at Su Qingyu, however, filled even Zou Feng with a sense of profound mystery.

’It’s like Su Qingyu is a completely different person from when I left...’

’Did she completely integrate her Poison Domain into her own body?’

Zou Feng quickly confirmed this suspicion.

In fact, Gongsun Xiang’s Supreme True Dragon Body worked on the same principle: taking a Domain that could normally be deployed externally and re-integrating it into oneself, producing an effect akin to a transformation.

However, under normal circumstances, only a First Grade Powerhouse could accomplish such a feat.

After all, if an ordinary Second Grade master tried to integrate a Domain into their body, their physical form—not yet having reached the First Grade "Spirit Body" level—would be unable to withstand the strain. It would be tantamount to self-mutilation; their body would quickly collapse.

’I just wonder if my own body, fortified by so many Cultivation Skills at the Peak of Perfection, could withstand such a technique while still in the Second Grade... ’

"The victor has already been decided, exactly as Your Majesty predicted. Gongsun Xiang’s defeat is certain!" Zou Feng declared.

By now, Gongsun Jinghong could also see what was happening. She nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent!"

She then turned to Zou Feng. "Zou Feng, you have now earned the merit of ’aiding the dragon’s ascent.’ How do you wish for Us to reward you?"

She had brought this up so suddenly mainly because her current situation was extremely awkward.

The reason being, she ultimately couldn’t account for every single contingency...

Gongsun Jinghong had calculated that she would influence Gongsun Xiang, causing him to lose the final battle.

She had also calculated that, by relying on the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill, she would successfully advance to First Grade during her... encounter with Zou Feng.

What she hadn’t calculated, however, was that Zou Feng’s final "Giant Dragon Impact" would actually cause her to lose consciousness briefly.

Even after regaining consciousness, her body still needed time to complete its transformation into a "Spirit Body," leaving her unable to function normally even now.

She could only act like a helpless woman, temporarily placing all her hope in Zou Feng to keep her safe.

It couldn’t be helped. What Gongsun Jinghong had just done was an act of supreme treason. If her own father, Gongsun Ye, were to arrive, he would most likely choose to execute his kin for the sake of justice.

Of course, that "justice" would only be carried out if he discovered Gongsun Jinghong in her current weakened state.

If he arrived to find Gongsun Jinghong’s First Grade Realm completely stabilized and her strength fully recovered, then his "justice" would instantly transform into a bow of submission.

Therefore, no matter how wildly ambitious Gongsun Jinghong was, she had no choice but to be pliant now.

After all, strictly speaking, her life now depended entirely on whether this Poison Cultivator, Zou Feng, was a ruthless killer or a man of some honor.