Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 420 - Your Majesty?

“Her Majesty has awakened?” Xu Ming looked at Xiaolan, a hint of surprise in his expression.

It was certainly good news that the Dragon Empress had regained consciousness, but in Xu Ming’s mind, he had assumed it would take much longer. He hadn’t expected her to wake up so soon.

Xiaolan smiled and said, “Lord Xu will understand once you come with me.”

She turned and began walking ahead, leading Xu Ming toward the inner palace of the Dragon Palace.

This time, however, Xu Ming was not taken to the Dragon Empress’s bedchamber.

Instead, he was led to a secluded courtyard on the southern side of the Dragon Palace.

The courtyard was filled with numerous pale blue trees. Their shape resembled phoenix trees, but their branches and leaves were slightly sparser. Each leaf emitted a faint blue glow, creating a serene yet mystical atmosphere.

“These trees are called Blue Maple Trees,” Xiaolan explained when she noticed Xu Ming’s curiosity. “They grow in a remote wilderness of the Northern Sea and are a specialty of our region. Blue Maple Trees can thrive in water, much like how phoenix trees flourish on land.”

Xu Ming nodded in understanding, choosing not to comment further.

He did, however, notice that Xiaolan’s attitude toward him seemed noticeably warmer than before.

Previously, while Xiaolan had always been polite, her demeanor had been purely formal, treating him no differently from anyone else. There had been no particular warmth or special regard.

But now, she seemed to trust him more.

A simple example was that, in the past, when she led him through the inner palace, she never explained any of the sights or treasures they passed.

Yet now, after merely walking through a grove of Blue Maple Trees, she had taken the initiative to explain them to him.

This subtle shift in behavior suggested that she now saw him as someone closer to their own.

Thinking about it, it made sense. After all, he had saved the Dragon Empress’s life.

Not only that, but he had carried her back while she was unconscious. A servant like Xiaolan would undoubtedly remember such a deed.

Passing through the Blue Maple Grove, Xu Ming soon encountered a dense layer of white mist.

The mist was so thick that visibility was less than five meters.

It carried a faint fragrance, resembling the scent of gardenias mixed with osmanthus.

There was also a certain moisture in the air, making it feel almost tangible.

Soon, the sound of flowing water reached Xu Ming’s ears.

Xiaolan came to a stop and turned to face him, offering a polite bow. “Lord Xu, please proceed straight ahead. Her Majesty is waiting for you.”

Xu Ming nodded, returning the gesture. “Thank you for guiding me, Miss Xiaolan.”

Xiaolan smiled. “You are too kind, my lord. I will remain here and await your return.”

Straightening himself, Xu Ming looked ahead and stepped forward.

As he advanced, the mist thickened, becoming so dense that it resembled a solid mass of white cotton. It felt as though a scalpel could slice through it.

Xu Ming estimated that he had walked about a mile when the mist finally began to thin.

In its place, the sound of water grew louder and clearer.

At last, he realized what he was hearing—it wasn’t just flowing water, but the crashing sound of a waterfall.

When the last of the mist dissipated, Xu Ming found himself standing at the edge of a pool.

In the water, the Dragon Empress was partially submerged, her long hair floating on the surface.

Crystal-clear droplets slid down her fair skin, tracing smooth paths before falling back into the water without the slightest obstruction.

The water level reached just below her collarbone.

Her slender swan-like neck, delicate collarbones, and the soft, generous curve of her chest were fully visible above the waterline.

Below the surface, her silhouette remained faintly discernible, but nothing beyond that could be seen.

But it was precisely this veiled, indistinct glimpse that made the scene all the more tantalizing.

Around the Dragon Empress, small golden dragons leaped from the water, dispersing into mist before reforming again. The ripples of spiritual energy in the air carried a soothing warmth, like the gentle breeze of spring.

Xu Ming guessed that ever since the Dragon Empress had returned, she must have been using this pool to heal her wounds.

At first, he had thought he would no longer have to visit her bedchamber and be forced into awkward situations where he unintentionally took advantage of her.

Yet now, he had somehow ended up at the very place where she was bathing.

Even though he couldn’t see beneath the water, in a certain sense, he had already seen everything there was to see.

Xu Ming was certain—aside from the Dragon Empress’s lover from ten thousand years ago—he was likely the second man to witness such a sight.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he realized there was no escape. He cupped his hands in salute and spoke, “Your subject greets Your Majesty.”

His voice drifted through the misty air, and in response, the Dragon Empress’s long lashes quivered slightly before her pale blue eyes slowly opened.

She glanced at Xu Ming, and then, without a word, she raised her arm above the water. Droplets cascaded down her fair skin, slipping off effortlessly.

Then, with a mere flick of her finger in Xu Ming’s direction—

In an instant, his clothes exploded into nothingness.

Xu Ming: “???”

Standing stark naked before the Dragon Empress, Xu Ming didn’t feel embarrassed—he was completely dumbfounded.

His mind went blank.

He had never expected himself to be the one to experience a wardrobe malfunction.

To put it another way—was he actually being teased by this ancient Empress?

He had no idea how to react.

Before he could say anything, the Dragon Empress hooked her finger at him.

An invisible force pulled him forward. His entire body plunged into the pool, sending up a spray of water.

He had no control over his movements—he was being drawn straight toward the Dragon Empress.

The closer he got, the faster his heart pounded.

A flood of wild speculations surged through his mind.

The boldest, yet most logical, conclusion was this: perhaps the Dragon Empress believed he was the reincarnation of her lost lover.

That, combined with the gratitude for saving her life, had built up an emotional storm that was now about to explode.

Was she planning to claim him right here, in this very pool?

Thankfully, just as he was about to reach her—stopping at a mere half-meter away—the force that pulled him ceased.

Xu Ming now hovered in the water, facing her at an unsettlingly close distance. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Even with just this short gap between them, he could almost feel her softness through the water.

The Dragon Empress said nothing. She simply stared at him, blinking slowly, her expression unreadable.

Xu Ming hesitated, then cautiously called out, “Your Majesty...?”