My Celestial Ascension

In the Imperial Garden, the entire Imperial Family sat in heavy silence. The pot of tea before them had grown cold, yet no one reached for their cup, even though they were well aware of its temperature. The tension in the air was thick, and not a single word had been spoken for quite some time.

Daniel took a deep breath before turning to his father, his curiosity evident in his expression. “Father, how do you plan to handle the Holy Church? They won’t just let this go after learning that we’ve captured their Holy Son and thrown him into prison to rot.”

“I agree with our son, Husband,” Empress Selena said, nodding as she met her husband’s gaze. “The Holy Church will undoubtedly arrive within a few days, demanding his release. And even if we comply, I doubt they’ll leave peacefully.”

Emperor Philip listened carefully, considering the possibility of the Holy Church causing chaos in the city upon their arrival. Yet, despite the weight of the situation, his expression remained calm and unwavering.

“That is indeed a concern,” he admitted. “However, let’s not forget—we have the Holy Son in our custody. He is our leverage. We can use him to deal with the church and break their arrogance.” His voice was steady, completely devoid of worry.

Empress Selena pondered his words for a moment before nodding in agreement. The Holy Son was the key to negotiations. If the Holy Church attempted anything reckless, they would have the means to counter it.

“A brilliant strategy, I must say… I can’t wait to see them grovel before us, begging for his release,” she said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “It will be a most satisfying sight when they get on their knees… Hahaha!”

Daniel grinned widely. “I can’t wait to see their pathetic expressions as they beg us… That will be a sight to behold!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Emperor Philip cautioned, his voice calm yet firm. “For now, we wait for their arrival. Also, send a request to one of Yuan’s wives—Emma—to prepare a potent poison for the Holy Son. We cannot afford to take any risks.”

A sly smile crossed Empress Selena’s lips. “Allow me to handle this. I’ll go to Valeria’s mansion myself. I doubt Yuan would appreciate another man being too close to his women.”

Emperor Philip chuckled, nodding in approval. “That would be best. Very well, you will be the one to go.”

—

“It’s hard to believe you let that idiot from the Holy Church live, Darling. What were you thinking? You should have killed him when you had the chance.”

Anna Grace gazed at her beloved son with a curious gleam in her eyes, studying him closely, trying to understand his reasoning.

Such a perfect opportunity to eliminate the Holy Son of the Holy Church wouldn’t come twice, yet Yuan had let it slip away. This wasn’t like him at all. So why did he choose to spare Arthur?

“Well, I realized the plan Philip was devising and decided to let him handle the situation. After all, he is Valeria’s younger brother. I can’t make things difficult for him,” Yuan explained with a calm smile.

“I see…” Anna Grace nodded, though she still felt a pang of disappointment that Yuan hadn’t ended that fool once and for all.

Valeria moved closer and sat on his lap, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Yuan smiled back, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

“Thank you for considering the Imperial Family. I truly appreciate it,” Valeria whispered softly, bringing her face closer to his before pressing her lips against his.

They kissed passionately for a few moments before pulling away, gazing at each other with affection. A soft blush appeared on Valeria’s cheeks as she smiled shyly.

“Since the Emperor is handling the Holy Church, what should we do now?” Lily asked, raising a brow at Yuan. “There’s nothing else for us to do besides cultivate, and I’m not in the mood for that right now.”

“How about we go shopping today?” Rose suggested with a small but excited smile. “It’s been a while since we’ve bought anything.”

As soon as the others heard her suggestion, their eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Yuan sighed inwardly, already feeling a headache coming on. He knew all too well how long they would take just to choose a single dress. And, of course, none of them would be satisfied with just one.

However, seeing their excitement, he knew there was no way he could refuse. Besides, he didn’t want to upset his wives.

With no other choice, he accepted the idea of going shopping. In any case, he also needed a few new outfits—especially clothes suited for colder climates since they would soon be visiting the Blank Clan, which resided in the snowy mountains.

The Blank Clan was surrounded by four towering, snow-covered mountains, providing it with natural protection from invaders. To reach it, one had to pass through the Holy Light Empire.

The Holy Light Empire itself was also a cold region, where snowfall was common. Because of this, everyone needed to wear clothing suitable for harsh winter conditions when traveling through the empire.

“Alright, let’s go shopping today and buy some winter clothes from the market,” Yuan said with a smile before turning to Valeria. “Valeria, do you know a good shop where we can find quality winter clothes?”

“I do! There’s a boutique that sells a wide variety of clothing—including winter wear. They also offer custom-made outfits tailored to the customer’s exact measurements,” Valeria responded quickly, her face lighting up with excitement at the prospect of shopping with Yuan.

“In that case, you’ll be leading the way, Valeria. I hope you don’t mind,” Emma said with a slight smile.

“Not at all! Why would I mind? You’re all my family, after all,” Valeria replied warmly.

Meanwhile, at the front gate of the mansion, Empress Selena arrived. The guards stationed there immediately bowed their heads upon seeing her approach.

“We pay our respects to the Empress!”

Empress Selena nodded gracefully and asked with a small smile, “Tell me, are Valeria and the others inside?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please go ahead. Lady Valeria and the others should be in the living area right now,” one of the female guards responded respectfully.

“I see…” Empress Selena murmured, nodding as she stepped into the mansion, a hint of curiosity on her face.

She didn’t need any assistance finding them. Having spent countless hours in the mansion chatting and spending time with Valeria in the past, she was familiar with every corner of the residence. With confidence, she made her way toward the living area to meet Valeria and the others.

Upon arriving at the living area of the mansion, Empress Selena immediately noticed the lively atmosphere. Everyone was chatting excitedly about their upcoming shopping trip, but her gaze quickly settled on Valeria, who was sitting comfortably on Yuan’s lap with a gentle, loving smile.

Her brows furrowed slightly in surprise.

‘It’s hard to believe Valeria has fallen so deeply for Yuan. She’s even sitting on his lap so naturally, without the slightest hint of shyness—even in front of everyone…’

“My, my, would you look at this lovely couple… enjoying each other’s company,” Selena’s sweet yet playful voice rang out across the room, instantly drawing everyone’s attention to her.

As soon as Valeria spotted Selena standing nearby with a smug grin, her face turned bright red with embarrassment. She had never expected to be caught in such an intimate position by her longtime friend.

“Oh my, this is quite a surprise! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get this flustered before. I suppose things really have changed, haven’t they?” Selena chuckled, clearly amused by Valeria’s reaction.

Valeria quickly composed herself, narrowing her eyes at Selena. “Enough with the teasing, Selena. You’re not here just to chat, are you? What’s the real reason for your visit?”

Selena’s playful expression faded, replaced by a more serious demeanor. She let out a deep sigh before turning her gaze to Yuan.

“As expected of you, Valeria. You know me too well,” Selena admitted. “I came here to make a request—specifically, to ask Lady Emma to create a special poison for us to use on that idiot we imprisoned today. A poison that remains dormant as long as we administer an antidote at regular intervals.”

Her voice grew colder as she continued, “And if the Holy Son doesn’t take the antidote every six hours… the poison will begin to melt his body from the inside, killing him in the most excruciating way possible.”

Emma, who had been listening quietly, responded in a calm, almost indifferent tone, “That’s easy enough. I just need a few seconds to formulate it. I’ll also create a combination of ingredients to temporarily neutralize the poison.”

Selena raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised by Emma’s nonchalant attitude toward such a dangerous task.

Without another word, Emma closed her eyes, concentrating as she carefully selected and combined the necessary ingredients. Within seconds, she had crafted the perfect poison—one that could be kept dormant with a controlled antidote.

Opening her eyes, she retrieved a small pill container and handed it to Selena with a subtle yet dangerous smile.

“Here’s the poison you requested. To keep it inactive, prepare a potion using ginger and garlic. That will suppress its effects for a few hours. Also, the poison will only remain potent for a month—after that, it will dissipate from his body naturally.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!