One more catty, one more attribute point

Ji Xuance had a stately expression, his face showing little emotion, "Sister, what brings you to see me?" Ji Huaxi hid the unease in her heart well, speaking calmly, "Some Demon Descendants were recently traced in the Mythical Battlefield, and these past days, I have been investigating. I found that a few of them linger in Central State, do you happen to know about this?" "Is that so?" Ji Xuance's face revealed a trace of doubt. "That means you don't know..." Ji Huaxi did not press further but earnestly advised, "Since that's the case, you must be extra cautious. Those Demon Descendants may have malicious intentions towards you." "I will." From deep within the palace, the melodious sound of a bell echoed. A chill wind passed by, rustling the trees lining the square outside. After a period of silence, Ji Huaxi spoke, "There's been trouble on the Wanyuan Plain before, and I've deployed the Imperial Army to suppress it. Now that the situation in the Mythical Battlefield is gradually stabilizing, there shouldn't be any major issues for the time being. These troops are of no further use in my hands, it's best to leave them here in the Imperial Palace for support." Amidst an almost tangible shadow, Ji Xuance's lips curled into a cold smirk, "Good, we'll do as you say." "That's settled then." Ji Huaxi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She sniffed her pert nose, picking up the scent of medicine that filled the Taihe Palace, "Take good care of yourself and don't rush your recovery." "I know." Ji Xuance seemed somewhat impatient, "Is there anything else?" "That's all." Ji Huaxi shook her head, "Take care." She nodded slightly to her brother upon the throne and then turned to leave, her slender, fiery red silhouette like a flickering candle flame, gradually disappearing into the darkness outside in the square. Creak! The ancient sound of friction as the bronze doors slowly closed. Inside the Taihe Palace, the firelight illuminated Ji Xuance's face, his expression growing increasingly indecipherable. "Damned smash to pieces!" he muttered under his breath, and the bronze wine jug squeaked in his grip. After having refused the Demon Descendants' offer to ally, these bastards began scheming in the shadows. They were deliberately exposing their tracks, leaking bits of information about their dealings with him. It was a low and shameless trick, but effective. If he didn't take the initiative, then Ji Huaxi might react unpredictably. What would she do when all was revealed? Imprison him? Or, more directly, cripple or kill him? Ji Xuance's pupils flickered with a molten golden flare as the bronze wine jug neared his lips. Snap! His fingers pressed forcefully. The already severely misshapen wine cup shattered completely, and the blood-red wine spread across the floor. Ji Xuance turned his head expressionlessly, his gaze falling on a Coiled Dragon Pillar in the side of the hall. Behind it was a deep shadow, which scattered slightly upon meeting his eyes. A slender, tall figure in a red palace dress emerged from behind, the smile on her face awkward. It was Ji Huaxi. Facing Ji Xuance's unpredictable expression, Ji Huaxi also felt rather embarrassed. She scratched her hair, "If I said I haven't been here in so long and accidentally took the wrong turn, would you believe me?" "What do you think?" Ji Huaxi lowered her head, "I came to bring you something, I just forgot earlier." She reached into her long sleeves to pull out a palm-sized wooden box, cherry red decorated with dark gold phoenix patterns. Although sealed with runes, when Ji Huaxi retrieved it, Ji Xuance could still sense a rich and majestic life force emanating from the small box. "What is this?" he exclaimed, surprised. "This may help you heal. If it's not enough, come find me again," Ji Huaxi didn't explain, simply leaving the wooden box in the air as she quickly turned to depart. Watching the wooden box floating in the air, after a moment of silence, Ji Xuance suddenly said, "Why are you still here?" His voice echoed in the empty hall, with no answer. Ji Xuance exhaled. She really left this time, yet he suddenly felt somewhat desolate. He dismissed such thoughts from his mind and with a light gesture, the wooden box fell into his hand. With a "pop," the lid opened, and the bright red glow of blood reflected on Ji Xuance's face. The life aura in that instant became a hundred times more intense. Inside the box, a vermillion elixir pill lay among soft, white feathers, its scent faintly carrying the fragrance of blood. With just one glance, Ji Xuance recognized the elixir pills were refined by Ji Huaxi using her own Martial Arts Blood Marrow. She was infused with the Phoenix Remains, brimming with life force, yet she had already been severely wounded on the Mythical Battlefield once before, and to concoct such elixir pills would surely injure her very foundation. It's just a pity... Ji Xuance's injuries have already healed; such elixir pills are of no great use to him. Clap! He closed the lid of the box and set it aside. The flames within the Taihe Palace were hazy, yet they could not dispel the chill and solitude that enveloped the space. Ji Xuance couldn't help but recall a time long, long ago, when he followed his elder brother on a hunt and discovered a rare and beautiful marten-tailed snow rabbit at the encampment. He wanted to skin it and present its fur to his father as a gift, so he pursued it alone, only to get lost in a mist-enshrouded valley. The trees surrounding him were tall and straight, piercing the skies, their lush canopies obscuring the sky. Moss climbed the rocky cliffs, and the silence of the environment was maddening, yet occasionally one could hear the distant roar of wild beasts. He was extremely frightened. Beside him was only his sister who had followed along. Strangely enough, although Ji Huaxi was clearly trembling in fear, the moment she took hold of his hand, he suddenly calmed down entirely. Ji Xuance's thoughts slowly peeled away from the memories, and that's when he noticed, unbeknownst to him, a smile had crept onto his lips. ... ... ... Ji Huaxi departed through a side corridor of the Taihe Palace, her smile gradually fading, her gaze turning somber. Her visit was ostensibly a courtesy call, but in reality, Ji Huaxi came with probing intentions. Although there was no direct evidence of Ji Xuance cooperating with Demon Descendants, some small details could not be concealed, especially since Ji Huaxi was not a Martial Artist skilled in stealth like an assassin. But as a bona fide old Realm Master, her Spiritual Cultivation was not weak at all. After leaving, she circled back. Managing to sense her despite her deliberate concealment, it was something that an Earth Immortal, severely injured at his peak, should not have been able to achieve. Moreover, Ji Huaxi had practiced magic methods passed down by Emperor Wu and could sense that the Dragon Qi accumulated in her brother should have dissipated somewhat. Compared to his peak, his power should have diminished substantially, yet his spiritual power had increased abnormally, which was very peculiar. To help him to this extent, as far as Ji Huaxi understood, could only be the doing of Demon Dragon Su Heng, the Demon Descendant Kings, the Descenders, or some ancient beings from the Realm of Immortality. Among these four forces, it was obviously impossible for Su Heng to casually treat and heal his brother for no reason. As for the remaining three, cooperating with any of them could hardly be considered a wise move. "Mistakes were still made... While some mistakes still leave room for repentance, others, once stepped forward, are an abyss of no return." Ji Huaxi lifted her eyes toward the distant sky; the sun had already risen, probably around eight or nine in the morning, hanging in the sky, but it could not disperse the darkness, resembling a boiled egg, with only a fuzzy halo of light. Below the leaden clouds lay a swath of undulating houses, pavilions, terraces, and towers with vermilion tiles, seemingly magnificent yet devoid of life. Ever since the battle where Yellow Earth Pass fell. Although the father dragged several powerful beings with him on the brink of death, the fierce battle also destroyed half the Royal City. And the wars that followed continued unabated; once, Central State was the land of supreme righteousness under heaven, but now this city resembled an old man on the brink of death, exuding a decayed aura of twilight throughout. The wind blew over from the distant city walls, lifting the Princess's dark red long hair and skirt hem. Her exquisite face was flawless, reflecting the glow of the sun in her pupils. With her Realm Master Cultivation and Phoenix Bloodline, she should have been the fieriest woman in the world, yet Ji Huaxi suddenly felt a chill rising from the depths of her heart. "Has something happened?" Ji Huaxi's brows furrowed slightly, filled with ominous premonitions. "Report!" A clear call to announce. A member of the Imperial Army, clad in black armor, was running from the other end of the square. "Boom!" Coming before Ji Huaxi, he placed his right hand over his chest at the heart, bent over to salute, and then spoke out, "Reporting to Your Highness, here is an urgent message from the front lines!" "What happened?" Ji Huaxi took the secret message from the Imperial Army's hand, asking subconsciously, "Is there another incident on the Wanyuan Plain?" "There's nothing unusual on the Wanyuan Plain, but massive swarms of insects have appeared throughout the Imperial lands." Each member of the Imperial Army had undergone trials and was completely trustworthy. This member of the Imperial Army clearly knew some inside information, even having witnessed such scenes himself. He swallowed hard, his face betraying his hard-to-conceal dread, "These strange insects are slaughtering the citizens of the Empire, city after city being destroyed, with corpses piled high and rivers of blood." "What!?" Ji Huaxi was shocked, her fingers clutching the secret message unconsciously tightening until they turned pale. She asked in disbelief, "What kind of strange insects?" "Very similar to the creatures we saw on the Wanyuan Plain," the Imperial Army answered. Ji Huaxi felt dizzy in her head, with the Leviathan King Worm already killed, the beings in this world capable of such a feat could only be...