Investing in the Reborn Empress, Rewarded With 10x Returns

[Rewards will be distributed in stages...]

[Next reward: Three vials of Emperor’s Nectar.]

Three vials of Emperor’s Nectar. That would last her a long time. Even after using it, she would still reap the benefits for years. The punishment seemed strict, but compared to the rewards, it almost felt insignificant. At this thought, Liana’s mind momentarily stalled.

If the subject of the punishment hadn’t been him. Would she still feel the same way?

The steady, strong heartbeat and breathing beside her grew closer, clear and real. The confusion in her heart seemed to dissipate bit by bit.

One thing was certain. She was definitely not in the midst of an illusion or a tribulation for immortality.

"He probably isn’t conscious right now."Under the moonlight, Liana studied the young man lying just inches away from her.

His features were gentle, his face as fair as jade, tinged with a faint flush from the alcohol.

With his refined appearance, he would look quite the scholarly type if dressed in robes.

Yet, the silly grin on his lips contrasted sharply with his usual quick-witted nature.

Even lying beside her, his body radiated warmth, unaffected by the bone-chilling cold of the room.

To speak without bias... He was quite handsome.

And it was this very person who, through sheer coincidence and twists of fate, had usurped her place at the top.

Having lived two lives, he might be the only one who had ever surpassed her.

Even by Liana’s standards, she had to admit.

Theo truly had what it took to stand among the prodigies.

But this would be the last time.

Next time.

Just then.

Suddenly, an arm draped over her, resting heavily on her body.

Theo had rather poor sleeping habits, often ending up in awkward positions.

"..."

This night felt endlessly long.

The next morning.

"Who am I?"

A certain young man blinked groggily as he stared at the ceiling. His mind blank rather than aching.

After a moment of emptiness, his memories finally trickled back.

He recalled drinking with his master last night.

"Alcohol and indulgence are truly dangerous."

"Starting today, I quit drinking!"

Theo swore to himself.

Sitting up, the familiar furnishings of the room struck him as odd.

And then there was that faint, familiar fragrance drifting into his nose.

If I slept here, where did the ice block sleep?

His ears twitched as he caught the sound of a blade from downstairs.

Peering out the window, he saw that aloof figure, her weapon moving in harmony with the falling petals.

The familiar ice block had returned.

[Congratulations, Host, for successfully helping ’Liana’ regain her confidence.]

[Investment reward: Phoenix Cries Over Heaven’s Marsh.]

Theo smiled in satisfaction.

Seems like last night’s motivational talk worked.

Young girls in their teens really do love stories. Maybe he should tell more in the future.

This martial art, just from the name alone, was clearly no ordinary technique.

Still grinning, Theo checked the skill description. Then his smile froze.

[Phoenix Cries Over Heaven’s Marsh: A dual-cultivation martial art with profound applications. Allows two individuals of similar cultivation levels to harmonize their spiritual intent. At higher levels, it can even manifest celestial phenomena.]

Such a dignified name, yet it is a dual-cultivation technique?

Who am I supposed to practice this with?!

After flipping through the first few pages, however, Theo admitted he misunderstood.

While it was indeed dual-cultivation, it didn’t follow the path of yin-yang absorption. In fact, even individuals of the same gender could practice it, provided their compatibility was high enough.

But who should he practice with?

Theo headed downstairs and immediately saw Liana finishing her practice. Her gaze lifted to meet his.

Wait... Speaking of which, if he slept here last night, where did she sleep?

"You drank too much last night," Liana said softly.

"..."

Theo’s throat tightened.

He must have just gotten up to relieve himself and forgotten he changed rooms.

"Uh... I didn’t do anything inappropriate while drunk, did I?" Theo asked nervously.

Liana shook her head. "You slept like the dead."

"That is a relief." Theo exhaled.

Thank goodness it was the ice block in the room. If it had been any other woman, things would be complicated.

"How far have you gotten with those two blade manuals?"

True to form, Liana didn’t dwell on last night’s events.

Theo nodded.

"Those two manuals were originally one, right?"

This conclusion was courtesy of Elara.

The girl had taken the manuals and started practicing both the Solar Wheel and Moonlight canons simultaneously.

Upon realizing they were parts of a single technique, she excitedly rushed to tell him, thinking it was her teacher’s test.

"You figured it out."

Liana’s tone was casual, but a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes.

"In that case, let us use this technique for today’s sparring."

Theo fell into deep thought.

He hadn’t actually learned it yet.

A peerless art like this would undoubtedly require a significant amount of martial insight.

But some things were worth spending on.

If his skills didn’t keep up, he wouldn’t be able to keep earning rewards between the two of them.

"Give me a moment."

[Fifty years of martial insight successfully invested.]

As enlightenment filled his mind, Theo sighed softly.

Initial mastery was barely enough to use.

"Ready."

Half an hour later, the two sheathed their weapons.

"We didn’t achieve spiritual harmony."

"At this rate, achieving perfect synchronization will be impossible in the short term."

Liana lowered her gaze, clearly dissatisfied with their joint practice.

Strange.

Theo’s talent wasn’t lacking.

And he had indeed mastered a peerless art in an impressively short time.

So why did their coordination feel so off?

For a moment, she couldn’t tell whether the issue lay with her or with Theo.

"Maybe we are just not in sync enough."

Theo scratched his head.

He suspected the problem was mostly his own inadequacy. He just couldn’t keep up with Liana’s level.

What to do?

Come to think of it, mastering this technique alongside Liana should count as an investment, right?

The trouble was, even if he poured all his remaining martial insight into the Sun-Moon Crossed Blades, it still wouldn’t be enough to reach perfection.

"Synchronicity requires spiritual harmony between two individuals..." Liana mused.

Suddenly, inspiration struck Theo. "I have a dual-cultivation technique that might help..."

"Huh?"

Though Theo knew the ice block certainly didn’t mean it that way, he instinctively took a half step back. No helping it.

"The Aurora Spark is unstable. I have not fully recovered and cannot completely control my inner energy."

"If I do this through your clothes, you might get hurt."

Liana’s tone was light. Devoid of emotion... It made Theo feel like he was the one overreacting.

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