I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 231 The Secret of Twin Demons!
Chen Mo didn't think much of it.

After all, judging from the situation over the past six months, the Empress has indeed been helping Bai Yujing rebuild his sword heart. Although the time allocated to Bai Yujing each time is not much, she has kept her promise.

Unlike those truly wicked and evil people.

Moreover, an empress of such a high and mighty status would not stoop to doing anything bad.

Chen Mo agreed, "I'll change my clothes and then go."

He then welcomed Bai Yujing into the room, opened the wardrobe, and took out a fine robe to put on.

After Chen Mo finished dressing, Bai Yujing went over to smooth out the wrinkles on his upper body, and then hung up a jade pendant and a sachet for him. Finally, she took a green jade hairpin, stood on tiptoe, and put it in Chen Mo's hair.

Chen Mo hadn't been served like this in a long time.

What's more, he's now being served by Bai Yujing, the Great Qian Sword Saint, which feels pretty good.

"When did Xiaoye learn to serve people?"

Bai Yujing glared at Chen Mo. "Serving your man doesn't require learning; it's just a matter of willingness. You are, after all, the second strongest person in the Great Qian Dynasty, second only to Empress Dowager Xiao. Now that you're in Beiliang, you should be more respectable when you meet the Empress."

Chen Mo smiled, but in his heart he was thinking: Second place is still a bit of an exaggeration.

The third is about right.

After all, Bai Yujing's sword spirit is recovering.

If Empress Xiao was a master who had achieved immortality through partial corpse liberation, then Bai Yujing's strength was roughly equal to hers.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo spoke up: "Second is an exaggeration. I am below you."

Bai Yujing's eyes softened with gentleness. "You need to have confidence in yourself. You'll soon surpass me. I'm still counting on you."

After saying that, Bai Yujing quietly nestled in Chen Mo's arms, "Although the Empress has a bold and unrestrained personality, we are, after all, outsiders. We must observe due etiquette. Most imperial families are unpredictable."

Chen Mo reached out and embraced Bai Yujing's slender waist, feeling the smooth silk fabric as he gently stroked it. "I know. With you by my side constantly reminding me, I can't be presumptuous even if I wanted to. By the way, how is your sword heart recovering?"

Bai Yujing murmured softly, "The Empress guided me down a different path."

Chen Mo was taken aback. "Another way?"

Bai Yujing said, "Yes. The Empress instructed me not to reforge my original sword heart, but to use my current understanding to walk a new path of the sword."

Chen Mo's biggest concern wasn't whether it would succeed, but whether there was any danger. "Could it be very dangerous?"

Bai Yujing said, "The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with difficulties. How can it be without danger? However, I feel that this method is feasible. My current understanding is much higher than before, and my starting point is also much higher. If I can find another path of swordsmanship, I may be able to surpass my previous achievements."

Chen Mo said, "That would be wonderful. Who knows, we might eventually break free from the shackles of this world and become a pair of carefree immortals together. There's a saying, 'I only envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals,' but I think that's mostly just sour grapes. If the mandarin ducks were also immortals, wouldn't that be even better?"

Bai Yujing looked up and glared at Chen Mo: "You're quite the talker. Alright, hurry up and go. Don't keep the Empress waiting."

After saying that, Bai Yujing stood on tiptoe and kissed Chen Mo on the cheek.

Although the two had spent a long time together, two blushes still appeared on Bai Yujing's face.

Chen Mo pointed to the other half of his face.

Bai Yujing's face turned even redder. "You're truly insatiable."

Chen Mo laughed and said, "My little Ye's kisses are never enough. How could I possibly be satisfied?"

Bai Yujing pushed Chen Mo away: "You go first, and I will reward you when you come back."

"Then you'll have to reward me even more." Chen Mo didn't mince words, jokingly before leaving.

The Dao Palace was bathed in the soft glow of the moon and the stars, its high location and howling mountain winds adding to the chill. There was no one else on the summit. Chen Mo crossed the vast courtyard and headed towards the main hall of the Dao Palace.

As I approached the hall, I could vaguely hear two people talking inside.

One was the Empress's voice, and the other was a resentful female voice. They chattered indistinctly, but their words seemed to express great dissatisfaction with the Empress.

This made Chen Mo very curious.

Isn't this a place where only the Empress lives?

Who is she talking to?

Suddenly, Chen Mo remembered seeing a chessboard covered in pieces and scattered all over the ground when he came here before.

It's quite obvious... the Empress seems to have a chess partner.

Could it be that this chess player can't handle the game?

Even so, this chess player is far too presumptuous. How dare he be so disrespectful to the Empress? Shouting insults at her?

It seems this chess player is no ordinary person.

The conversation inside stopped when we reached the entrance of the main hall.

I could vaguely see lights shining in the main hall, and a woman in a red, fitted robe stood upright in the center. The robe resembled a cheongsam, tightly hugging her curvaceous figure, and its high slit revealed her long, fair legs. She wore embroidered shoes, not high heels, but her legs were so long that they created an effect even better than high heels.

Her long, flowing hair, adorned with a gold hairpin, combined with her red robe, made her appear even more beautiful and aloof.

Like a fully ripe rose.

"Your Majesty the Empress."

Chen Mo went in and bowed.

"You've arrived." The Empress took her seat at the long table beside her, crossing her long legs and spreading her skirt to reveal her fair skin.

They're really bold, not caring at all that Chen Mo is an outsider.

The Empress seemed to see Chen Mo's doubts, so she picked up the teapot and poured tea while saying, "Do you think my behavior is too bold and does not conform to the virtues of women in this world?"

Chen Mo: "I wouldn't dare."

The Empress slowly pushed a cup of tea towards Chen Mo. "I spent a lot of time with Bai Yujing in my early years. She told me that she often had dreams, and in her dreams, there was a different world. In that world, women and men were equal, and their clothing and appearance were very open. I think that makes a lot of sense. A beautiful woman should naturally be seen by others. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of such a beautiful body?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo felt that the Empress was no ordinary person. "Your Majesty's thinking is advanced, and it is only right that we do this. Good things should be shown."

The Empress wholeheartedly agreed: "The fact that you can say this shows you have a broad perspective. It resonates with me. I've been promoting laws for gender equality in Northern Liang, but women are still not very open about it. I know the reason why; the security of this world is ultimately not as good as the world in the White Jade Capital Dream. Many bandits are eyeing it, especially scoundrels with ulterior motives. If some women without ability or status dress too provocatively, they will inevitably attract trouble."

Chen Mo was taken aback. "That makes sense."

Women's clothing and appearance are related to the openness of society and public security.

Otherwise, trouble will come sooner or later.

However, the Empress... does not have this worry.

Who the hell in the world would dare to lay a finger on the Empress?
I don't want to live anymore.

The Empress smiled faintly and said, "I summoned you here to ask how your recent enlightenment is progressing."

Chen Mo hadn't expected the Empress to be so concerned about his progress. Although he sensed something was amiss, he still spoke truthfully: "I retrace the Heavenly Ladder every day. Each day brings different insights. My Great Perfection cultivation has been strengthened, but I'm still far from breaking through the barrier. May Your Majesty tell me what this Heavenly Ladder is? It's so wondrous! Also, as I retrace the Heavenly Ladder and continuously strengthen my Great Perfection cultivation, is it possible to eventually break through the shackles?"

These speculations troubled Chen Mo for a long time.

He had pondered it himself and discussed it with Bai Yujing, but it was all just speculation.

Ultimately, only the Empress can make the final decision.

The Empress gazed at Chen Mo for a moment, then smiled and said, "I knew you would have these questions. I summoned you here to explain things clearly. You saw Xiao Nanfeng's elderberry in the Great Qian Palace before, so you should know what elderberry means."

Upon hearing that the Empress had relented, Chen Mo immediately became interested: "I heard it's the Ascension Tree that guides souls to heaven?"

The Empress said, "That's right. Elderwood does indeed have the effect of guiding souls to heaven. However, that was a method borrowed by the Twin Demons from the thirty-sixth heaven of Northern Liang. Do you know what the tree beneath your feet is?"

Chen Mo said, "Bai Yujing told me it's called the Returning Dao Tree. Could it be that the Returning Dao Tree is also an Ascension Tree?" The Empress smiled and said, "That's right. The Returning Dao Tree is not only an Ascension Tree, but also the purest Ascension Tree. This is a seed I found on the ghost ship back then, along with a book. The book tells the scriptures of the Thirty-Six Heavens of Taoism. After the seed grew up... it became the Returning Dao Tree we know today."

Ghost ship?
Chen Mo finally realized something.

So it turns out that the Daoist concept of the Thirty-Six Heavens, and this giant tree, both originated from the ghost ship.

No wonder the Empress worshipped that ghost ship.

It seems that the ghost ship's origins are far more significant than Chen Mo had imagined.

The ghost ship was, after all, the Empress's secret, so Chen Mo didn't press the matter further.

The Empress suddenly leaned closer, her deep eyes fixed on Chen Mo: "Don't you want to know the secret of the ghost ship?"

Chen Mo said, "This is Her Majesty the Empress's secret, and I'd better not ask too much. Don't you know the saying that the more you know, the faster you die?"

"Hahaha."

The Empress suddenly burst into loud laughter, "You're quite sensible. I like that kind of personality."

Chen Mo didn't respond to that, and instead chose to tactically drink water.

The Empress rested her chin on her hands, gazing intently at Chen Mo. "I think I understand why such an outstanding woman as Bai Yujing is so devoted to you. Very well, I summoned you here to tell you that your enhanced cultivation has reached its limit. There's no need to retrace the Heavenly Ladder anymore. Continuing to do so would only be a waste of time."

Chen Mo then replied, "Please speak plainly, Your Majesty."

The Empress said, "Because no matter how many times you traverse the Heavenly Ladder, you will never be able to break through the constraints. Martial Arts Grandmasters, the Corpse Ancestor, and the Ghost Emperor are the limits of this world. External forces cannot break through these limits. How can I explain this to you... By the way, Bai Yujing mentioned that in her dream world, there is something called gravity, you know?"

Chen Mo was greatly surprised: "Your Majesty the Empress actually knows about gravity, which is truly admirable. Bai Yujing also mentioned it to me, so I have a general idea."

Empress: "If you know, it will be easier to explain. The inability to break through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level in this world is similar to the gravity in Bai Yujing's dream world. Nothing can escape gravity. But there is something called a rocket. Once its speed breaks through a certain limit, it can break through gravity and rush out of the planet. If you want to break through the limits of the Corpse Ancestor and the Ghost Emperor, you also need this rocket. Do you know what the rocket in this world is?"

This empress is pretty awesome.

It's astonishing that an ancient person could accept such new knowledge.

It was also thanks to Bai Yujing's excellent teaching.

This makes the exchange quite interesting.

Chen Mo shook his head: "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Hahaha.

The Empress was overjoyed: "I didn't know how to explain it before, and I couldn't see through it. It was Bai Yujing who told me all that, and that's how I came to understand. The rockets of this world are just like that ghost ship."

what?
The ghost ship... is the key to breaking through the limits of this world?

Chen Mo was quite surprised.

The Empress continued, "I wasn't originally destined to be so exceptionally talented. It was because I discovered a ghost ship when I was young. I went aboard and got infected. That's how I became a twin demon."

Chen Mo stared wide-eyed at the Empress in disbelief: "Your Majesty, are you a twin demon?"

The Empress said, "Yes. Actually, there was another person who went to that ghost ship back then and became another Twin Demon. However, I defeated this fiend and he fled from Beiliang in his early years and went to Daqian to cause trouble. He is the Twin Demon you know in Daqian."

Chen Mo felt his heart pounding.

This information is absolutely explosive.

He never expected that the person sitting opposite him was... the Twin Demons.

But upon closer reflection, it seems quite reasonable.

A twin demon has thrown the Great Qian Dynasty into chaos.

Let alone the Empress of Northern Liang?

No wonder this woman was able to unify the sixteen kingdoms of Northern Liang and ascend to the throne at the age of twenty.

So they were twin demons.

However, the feeling the Empress gave me was completely different from that of the Twin Demons of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The Empress seemed to sense Chen Mo's curiosity and laughed, "Have you seen that Twin Demon's terrifying appearance? Hahaha, actually, it was me who beat them up. Although the Twin Demon is a demon, their appearance isn't actually that scary. Look at me, I'm quite beautiful, aren't I?"

"..."

Chen Mo was speechless for a while. "Your Majesty the Empress is indeed very beautiful."

Hahaha.

The Empress laughed heartily: "You're saying Empress Xiao absorbed the Twin Demons?"

Chen Mo nodded: "Yes."

The Empress shook her head: "Impossible. You don't understand the Twin Demons. The Twin Demons cannot be absorbed and refined by anyone. That Empress Xiao will eventually fall into a trap. Or perhaps she really has some secret treasure that I don't even know about. If that's the case, then that wretched woman is lucky."

Chen Mo already felt a chill run down his spine.

Just then, the Empress suddenly moved even closer, resting her chin on her hands and scrutinizing Chen Mo up close.

Although Chen Mo didn't deny that the Empress was very beautiful, especially her luscious red lips, which were undeniably sexy, the fact that she was the Empress made him feel immense pressure being stared at like that.

The Empress then spoke, “In this world, to break through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level and to achieve Immortality through Corpse Liberation, the key lies in two things. One is the Immortality Tree, and the other is the Twin Demons. Or rather, the Demons.”

After saying that, the Empress pointed to Chen Mo's abdomen: "I know that there is a demonic fetus inside you. You must have a secret technique that surpasses the Crimson Moon Mirror to fuse with this demonic fetus. Otherwise, you would have died long ago."

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine.

This empress is truly amazing.

You even noticed that.

They were practically confessing they had some kind of cheat code.

What a scary woman.

Perhaps sensing that Chen Mo was now more wary, the Empress said, "Don't worry, I'm not your enemy. I'm just too lonely and want to find someone to keep me company and help me with some things."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief: "Please speak freely, Your Majesty."

The Empress said, "No rush. You're too weak right now to help me. I'll help you achieve immortality through corpse liberation first. Although you possess an unknown secret technique to fuse with the demonic fetus, the fusion is not going well. The progress is very slow, isn't it?"

Chen Mo nodded noncommittally.

My progress in merging the demonic fetus has been stuck at 1000/10000.

So much time has passed, and there has been absolutely no progress.

Chen Mo had no idea where the problem lay.

The Empress said, "That's because you don't understand the Twin Demons. The Twin Demons... as the name suggests, are essentially twins. If you want to fuse the demonic embryos, you can't do it alone. You need someone to help you share the burden. In all the world, only I have the method to fuse the demonic embryos."

Chen Mo was taken aback: "You need someone else to share the burden? What do you mean?"

The Empress took out a booklet and handed it to Chen Mo: "This is the Twin Cultivation Magic. You can find a man, or even better, a woman. Cultivating together will speed up the fusion of the demonic fetus. With your current cultivation level, combined with the Twin Cultivation Magic, you can complete the fusion in just six months."

Chen Mo suddenly looked up at the Empress, thinking to himself: No way?
The Empress waved her hand and said, "What are you thinking? I have ruled the world alone for over a hundred years, unlike you. I don't need to find someone to cultivate with. Go find your Bai Yujing. It's a good opportunity for Bai Yujing to reforge his sword heart. You may not know, but Bai Yujing's sword heart is extremely outstanding, a natural sword seed. If he re-establishes a sword heart, it will be enough to cleanse the world, and he may even reach my level in the future."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that this was all good.

If the Empress were to force herself upon him, he would not be willing.

He closed the booklet, thanked her, and then said, "From what Your Majesty the Empress said, the Twin Demons came from that ghost ship. Doesn't that mean there are other demons on the ghost ship?"

(End of this chapter)