Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 360 - I Am Not the One Your Majesty Is Looking For.

“Wu Kingdom’s Xu Ming greets Your Majesty.”

Xu Ming bowed and saluted the woman before him.

To be honest, Xu Ming had no idea how the Heavenly Dao was so aware of his particular preferences.

From his perspective, the Dragon Empress was just as beautiful as Shi Xin. There was no clear distinction in their beauty—only that they were beautiful in different ways.

In fact, he might even prefer the Dragon Empress’s type more.

So if he absolutely had to choose who was more attractive, based on his own aesthetic taste, he would likely cast his vote for the Dragon Empress.

Perhaps it was some special genetic inclination toward wealthy women at work?

After greeting her, Xu Ming noticed that the Dragon Empress did not immediately turn her gaze toward him. Instead, she continued to look out over the sea at a forty-five-degree angle.

Xu Ming followed her line of sight.

There was nothing there.

‘What exactly is this Empress thinking about?’ Xu Ming was puzzled.

Time passed, minute by minute.

Xu Ming didn’t think it appropriate to repeat his greeting, so he simply continued to wait.

The Dragon Empress was over ten thousand years old, but she wasn’t deaf.

Let alone the fact that she was a cultivator at the Ascension Realm.

She had likely been aware of his presence the moment he stepped into this garden.

Xu Ming didn’t believe she was intentionally ignoring him or trying to put on a show of authority—there was no need for that. If anything, it might even cause a diplomatic incident.

Even though the Wu Kingdom had only been established for 300 years, its strength was still formidable. Even the North Sea Dragon Palace could not truly afford to look down on it.

Not to mention, there was no existing conflict between the Wu Kingdom and the North Sea Dragon Palace.

Speaking of which, the breathtakingly beautiful woman before him was already over ten thousand years old.

But then again, a dragon living for ten thousand years wasn’t that remarkable, given that dragons, as a species, were essentially immortal.

By common understanding, dragons had a lifespan of at least a hundred thousand years.

However, the longer they lived—especially past the ten-thousand-year mark—the more calamities they would face.

If they survived these trials, they could continue to live even longer.

If not, that was the end for them.

These calamities weren’t the ordinary tribulations like lightning strikes; rather, they came in various imperceptible and insidious forms.

Thus, very few dragons actually died of old age.

Most perished because they failed to overcome one of the great tribulations of their dragon lives.

When these true dragons perished, their bodies and Dao would dissipate into the world as spiritual energy.

Then, new serpents or flood dragons would evolve, and the cycle would continue endlessly.

Finally, after half an incense stick’s time, the Dragon Empress’s deep blue eyes flickered with a trace of awareness, as if she had just woken from a trance.

Xu Ming even wondered if she had dozed off just now and had only just regained consciousness.

The Dragon Empress turned to face him.

When her sapphire-colored, slit-pupiled eyes locked onto Xu Ming, he suddenly felt as if his very soul—his entire being—was being laid bare.

A terrifying pressure surged through him, shaking even his spirit.

Cold sweat formed on Xu Ming’s forehead.

If it weren’t for the system’s enhancements, which had significantly strengthened his mental resilience, he might have already collapsed to his knees before her.

He suspected that what he was experiencing was Dragon Might.

Not the mere imperial majesty of a ruler, but the sheer dominance of a higher lifeform over a lower one!

This was pure bloodline suppression!

Fortunately, he was human and not a demon race member.

As a human, he had a greater natural resistance to such high-bloodline coercion.

Otherwise, even with the system’s enhancements, he might have instinctively knelt before her just now.

“You are that Xu Ming from the Wu Kingdom?”

The Dragon Empress scrutinized Xu Ming repeatedly, as if searching for something.

Xu Ming nodded and said, “Yes, Your Majesty. It is truly an honor for the Wu Kingdom to receive an invitation from the North Sea Dragon Palace.”

The Dragon Empress nodded slightly. “Not bad. As expected of someone ranked on the Qingyun List—your sword aura is sharp, your true qi solid, and you remain composed under pressure. Even in the face of My Dragon Might, you managed to stay calm, only breaking into a slight sweat. You’re the first to do so.”

Xu Ming replied, “Your subject is humbled.”

The Dragon Empress rose to her feet, placing her hands gracefully in front of her as she walked toward Xu Ming, step by step.

“Raise your head. No need for excessive formalities.” She stopped five meters away from him.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Xu Ming lifted his head.

Looking at the Dragon Empress, who stood at an impressive 1.8 meters tall, Xu Ming felt as if she were towering at two meters.

“Do you know why I summoned you here?” the Dragon Empress asked.

“I do,” Xu Ming responded.

“Oh?” The Dragon Empress raised an eyebrow, showing a trace of interest. “Then tell Me, why have I called you here?”

Xu Ming answered truthfully, without hesitation or evasion. “Your Majesty summoned me because I might be the reincarnation of someone important to you. That’s why those two were sent to invite me earlier. However, I was preoccupied at the time. I ask for Your Majesty’s understanding.”

The Dragon Empress looked directly into Xu Ming’s eyes. “You’re quite straightforward—unlike others, who would act reserved and feign ignorance.”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Xu Ming spoke calmly. “Your Majesty is the eternal Dragon Empress. No matter what I may be thinking, none of it can escape Your Majesty’s perception. Since that’s the case, I might as well be direct. There’s no need to play clever tricks before Your Majesty.”

The Dragon Empress regarded him silently.

“For nearly ten thousand years, many have come to this place. Some knew why they were here, while others did not.

“But no matter who they were, once they realized they might be the reincarnation of the one I sought, they all felt a sense of elation.

“They thought they hid it well. Yet, I could clearly see the excitement in their eyes—the longing to rise to the heavens in a single leap.

“But you... you seem different.”

She stepped forward, now standing eye-to-eye with Xu Ming. “You... don’t care?”

Xu Ming smiled, took a step back, and bowed slightly. “Regardless of whether I am the one Your Majesty seeks, I am simply myself.”

The Dragon Empress blinked. “But what if I told you that if you are the one I seek, then not only will I belong to you, but the countless lives of the entire North Sea will also be placed under your command?”

Xu Ming still shook his head. “Your Majesty is as beautiful as a celestial being, unmatched in this world. The North Sea is vast, home to tens of thousands of races. To possess both such beauty and such power—this is the dream of every man.

“But my aspirations do not lie here.

“Besides, I am not the one Your Majesty is looking for.”