I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress-Chapter 172: Arrival at the Red Velvet Pavilion

The very next second, the image of Zhou Mei’s livid reaction at the Celestial Silk Tailors flashed in his mind, and Yi Chen was reminded of the empress accepting a male concubine.

’Maybe it’s because of this condition of hers, the empress took in a concubine?’ Yi Chen thought in an attempt to justify her actions.

However, a doubt soon squashed those thoughts away.

’Wait...the Emperor is a Third Core Building Stage Cultivator. Why wouldn’t he be able to satisfy her needs even if they are a bit...on the extreme side?’

Meanwhile, seeing the Empress finally land on the fighting stage, Gao Zhen turned towards Yi Chen.

Noticing the bewildered expression on his face, she raised her head in understanding.

’Well...it’s his first time seeing someone apply law, so that’s understandable,’

"I understand the reason behind your reaction, Young Master Chen. I also felt the same when I first witnessed a similar scene," she commented the next moment in a tone of understanding.

"Uhm...you do?" Yi Chen turned towards her and asked with a weird expression apparent on his face.

Since the status panel was something which was only visible to him, he knew that she had misunderstood something.

"Of course," Gao Zhen nodded with an obvious expression and asked, "You’re still in disbelief, seeing how the Empress was able to form ice on thin air and walk on it, aren’t you?"

’Oh, she means that...’ Yi Chen nodded in realisation and said, "Yes...Madam Gao indeed has great perception. That’s exactly what I was thinking about."

He lied. In reality, he was so taken aback by the Empress’s status panel that he didn’t pay much attention to her descent and just thought of it as an advanced martial technique.

However, he didn’t want Madam Gao to know about this, so, feigning a frown, he asked, "Just how was the Empress able to do something like that...was it some advanced Tier 1 martial technique?"

Hearing Yi Chen’s words and the question he posed, a somewhat pleased feeling welled up in Gao Zhen’s heart as she shook her head while saying, "Although it would look like a martial technique, it’s not since both ice Qi and the air Qi were simultaneously being utilised.

The Empress’s move was a direct application of a concept which is known as Law."

A smirk formed on Gao Zhen’s face the next instant as she glanced towards Yi Chen’s face with an anticipatory expression.

"Law?" Yi Chen immediately asked with a deep frown as a wave of curiosity took over his eyes.

"Yes," Gao Zhen nodded, satisfied by his reaction and continued, "However, as Young Master Chen’s still in the Meridian Refinement Stage, your mental capacity is quite limited.

Without a spiritual sea, you will barely be able to understand what law is, even if I tell you, as it’s a very heavy topic even for us Qi Absorption Stage cultivators.

Therefore, I’ll just tell you what the comprehension of the law helps us achieve to satiate your curiosity instead."

Gao Zhen paused for a second and continued with a smile.

"It’s only after comprehending the law that a Core Building Stage cultivator attempts to break through to the Heavenly Ascension Stage.

If they attempt that without sufficient understanding of the law, then the only fate that awaits them is being turned to ashes by the Heavenly Lightning strikes"

"Heavenly Lightning Strikes?!" Yi Chen exclaimed as an image of a lone cultivator sitting on a mountain peak being struck several times by lightning strikes appeared in his mind.

It was a scene from one of the novels he had read, which had left a very vivid impression in his mind.

’So I’ll have to experience that as well...’ he thought with both fear and anticipation welling up in his heart.

"Indeed," Gao Zhen nodded, mistaking his exclamation as a query and explained, "To advance from the Core Building Stage to the Heaven Ascension Stage, one has to resist a barrage of continuous lightning strikes.

Under this barrage of intense strikes, even the strongest will fall if they have not comprehended the Law.

Knowing any more than this will make it difficult for Young Master Chen to digest, so I’ll refrain from doing that." Gao Zhen stated the next second.

"Thank you for your help and guidance, Madam Gao," Yi Chen thanked gratefully.

He got to know a lot of new things about both the Qi Absorption Stage and the Heaven Ascension Stage, all thanks to her.

"It was my pleasure," Gao Zhen stated with a pleased smile as she turned back towards the fighting stage the next moment.

Many management staff with trays covered in red silk were currently standing on stage at the moment.

Taking a tray from one of them, the Imperial Envoy accompanied the Empress towards the Tang Clan’s Patriarch.

After saying a few congratulatory words, the Empress pulled off the red silk and passed the bottle containing a few pills to him before moving to the ninth-ranked clan.

While this was going on, just like everyone else, Yi Chen was also closely observing the fighting stage.

However, unlike then, his eyes were completely focused on the empress’s status panel.

Apart from her unexpected ’extra’ information, there was another thing that was keeping Yi Chen’s mind busy.

"Madam Gao..." He called a few moments later.

"Yes?" Gao Zhen turned towards him in curiosity.

"May I know at what cultivation level the Empress is?" Yi Chen asked the next second.

"The Empress? She’s in the Second Core Building Stage...Why do you ask?" Gao Zhen asked back a second later.

"...just curious," Yi Chen forced a smile while focusing his attention back on the fighting stage.

’Just like I thought...something is indeed not right about her.’

Yi Chen thought to himself while glancing at the Empress’s cultivation level. She was clearly at the Fifth Level of Core Building Stage and not the Second.

’Doesn’t that mean that instead of the emperor, it’s the empress who’s the strongest cultivator in the Kingdom?

Despite this, why is she hiding her cultivation form from everyone? Does the emperor know about it or... is he too kept in the dark?"

Many questions popped up in Yi Chen’s mind, but with the limited information he had, he was unable to find an answer to them.

’Forget it,’ he finally cleared his mind of those thoughts and said, while thinking, ’While I don’t know why she’s hiding her strength, one thing is very clear. I must maintain my distance from her no matter what.

Meanwhile, the Empress had finished handing out all the awards to the Patriarchs, and with that, the Inter-Clan Tournament finally came to a close.

The Empress and her entourage were the first ones to leave the arena, which was followed by the people on the second floor.

"Shall we leave then, Young Master Chen?" Gao Zhen stood up and asked with a smile.

"Alright," Yi Chen nodded while returning the smile, and they soon left the Soaring Dragon Arena and left for the Red Velvet Pavilion in Gao Zhen’s luxurious carriage.

’Looks pretty sick...’ Yi Chen thought while looking around the carriage’s interior along the way

The ceiling was layered with white jade, on which golden engravings of dragons, mountains, and trees added a noble feel to it.

An hour later, the familiar view of the majestic six-storeyed pagoda entered Yi Chen’s view.

Getting out of the carriage, he momentarily admired the white lanterns which hung down the flying eaves and were delicately swaying with the wind.

Taking in a deep breath, he felt his entire body relax and followed Gao Zhen inside.

"Greetings! Pavilion Manager!" Yue Rue, who had her shift this afternoon, bowed respectfully and welcomed Gao Zhen.

"Mhm," Gao Zhen hummed with a nod and continued walking towards the staircase.

Meanwhile, when Yue Rue raised her head, the next second, Yi Chen’s familiar figure appeared in her eyes.

’Isn’t that Young Master Chen?’ she thought with widened eyes. She still vividly remembered the day when she was forgiven by him.

It was also thanks to him that she learnt to always behave appropriately with all the guests, no matter their cultivation or appearances.

That very instant, Yi Chen’s gaze met hers, and with a trace of realisation, he smiled and nodded back at her.

She immediately responded with a deep bow as Yi Chen followed Gao Zhen inside.

’H-he still remembers me...’ Yue Rue couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth rising in her heart because of this small interaction.

It had been several months since that incident, and therefore, she wasn’t expecting Yi Chen, who was someone with an incredible status, to remember her, much less be the one to greet her first.

’...he’s also grown more handsome,’ Yue Rue thought with a dreamy look while glancing at his back.

Meanwhile, walking along with Gao Zhen, Yi Chen soon reached the Sixth Floor and entered her office.

"Take a seat," Gao Zhen gestured with a pleasant smile while searching for a scroll in her table’s drawer.

A few moments later, on the glass table in front of him, a scroll was neatly opened up for him to see.