'As extravagant as ever.'
Azrail mused as his group walked forth, his eyes meeting all the beautiful places around, the well-kept gardens even within this loading bay, to the majestic palace, its walls reaching towards the sky, the spirals shining forth with all the gems placed on it, the walls themselves being made of very expensive materials.
Thus with one hand romantically intertwined with Valencia while the other one taken in by Xuanyin, she possessively holding onto his arm, thus all Azrail could do for now was go with the flow, his group soon reaching one of the palace doors, its height towering over everyone and for the moment the front lead being the head maid, Meng Yao.
The moment they reached the door, an arrangement of different beautiful maid women would be seen, all of them waiting in line for their entry, and the moment they arrived at the door, a respective bow left them all, each one of them being high beauties yet in the presence of the women in Azrail's group, all of them were overshadowed.
"This is quite the arrangement for us."
Yun spoke with a calm gaze as she looked at the arrangement, while Raena whistled at it.
Raena spoke, while Azrail just remained silent, to this Meng Yao spoke in a respectful voice.
"The Emperor didn't want you all to feel a loss of anything, he hopes you would all have your best time in the ball to come, especially when you wait."
To her words, Yun asked.
"Yes, the ball will soon start, and the Emperor would like for all of you to have a grand entrance, so I hope it won't be an issue for all of you to wait sometime in a designated room, we have prepared the best."
To these words of Meng Yao, Yun turned to look at Azrail, who lightly nodded her head, this situation being even better for them, hence Yun spoke.
"We will take it, lead the way."
Her voice was commanding as Meng Yao with a bow started to lead them forth, even with such high cultivation and standing not an ounce of arrogance leaked out of her as the rest of the maids in a line started to follow, their steps controlled and silent.
'Some are trained assassins.'
Azrail remarked and he wasn't the only one as Valencia too spoke to him about it, from what he could gather, they weren't here to hurt him but to see and understand the group better, to be prepared for a future that might turn bad, thus the movement was silent as the group kept being led.
Azrail took it all freely as he just kept looking around the palace, the insides being even more extravagant, with there being several sections and split to the place, there being the main palace, the Empress halls, the wives and the concubines' places, all well-built and spread around, the size of the palace area itself being a city.
The halls are decorated with several beautiful art pieces, the floors are laid with gems and more, not to mention that the Qi itself inside is warmer and controlled, cultivating in here will be 10 times more effective than the outside place, and this is just the more visitor area, one can only hope how the deeper areas would be.
Meng Yao spoke as she stood in front of a door, it opening to provide a well-furnished and lavish room, with several relaxing spots, the purity of the Qi even being higher inside the room. Yun didn't say anything as she just entered inside with the rest taking it in, the door closing as they entered with Meng Yao too entering.
With controlled movements, Azrail and the rest easily took a spot on a couch, their presence now fully commanding as Meng Yao asked.
"Do any of you need anything?"
To this, Azrail turned to look at Valencia, no words needed to be said as the full force of Valencia's charm burst out of her, controlled enough to fully focus on Meng Yao. The woman didn't even feel anything before which she fell into a daze, her mental realm was now fully down, and thus Azrail accessed to his mental power.
The colorless energy swirling from deep within Azrail, right now he hasn't started to cultivate it, but he still has higher mental energy from after his talent got a boost, also during the week Azrail dived deep into the limbo and swallowed the soul of a mental cultivator, a very powerful one that has now granted him some very dangerous technique, surprising ones.
Thus with the mental energy in his hand, he supplied his soul energy to it, the power and penetration of the mental energy being boosted, and thus following the technique a rumbling started to be heard from the energy, Azrail going forth to produce a vibration to his energy while he blasted it towards Meng Yao's mental realm.
It easily penetrated deep into her mind, and with speed it started to crawl all around, due to her not being a mental master, her mental realm being small, not to mention that her cultivation is below Azrail's, with slighting tentacles, the mental energy started to wrap around Meng Yao's mental realm, slowly starting to wrap it whole.
While this whole thing kept happening Meng Yao couldn't react at all. The room seemed still as Azrail's mental energy weaved its way into Meng Yao's mind. The subtle vibrations of the technique echoed in the air. As the mental tendrils extended, they delicately encased Meng Yao's consciousness, wrapping around it like an intricate web.
Azrail's technique, acquired from the swallowed soul of a mental master, was known as the "Sovereign Mind Bind." It was a forbidden art that allowed the user to infiltrate, manipulate, and dominate the mental realm of others. The technique didn't just control thoughts, it shattered the existing ego, breaking down mental barriers, and subjected the target to complete mental dominance.
The process was meticulous, with Azrail's mental energy navigating through the intricate pathways of Meng Yao's consciousness. It probed deeper, uncovering memories, emotions, and fears. The Sovereign Mind Bind was not just about control, it was about restructuring the very fabric of the target's mind, eroding their sense of self until nothing but subservience remained.
Within the mental realm, Azrail began to see fragments of Meng Yao's memories—a childhood home, moments of happiness, and glimpses of her training. As he delved further, he found her loyalty to the Emperor, her dedication to her duty, and the unyielding will that defined her character.
The Sovereign Mind Bind, however, worked relentlessly. It targeted the core of Meng Yao's being, slowly dismantling her existing mental defenses. It unraveled the threads of her ego, stripping away the layers that defined her individuality. Azrail's mental energy asserted dominance, imprinting an unspoken command within the recesses of Meng Yao's consciousness.
Meng Yao's eyes glazed over, a subtle shift occurring in her demeanor. Her poised stance wavered, replaced by a subtle relaxation. The mental realm manipulation took its toll as her mind became an open book for Azrail to read and influence.
Azrail withdrew his mental energy, retracting the Sovereign Mind Bind. The room returned to its serene state, and Meng Yao, seemingly unaware of the intrusion, stood there with a placid expression.
The technique had successfully taken root, and Meng Yao's mental landscape now molded to Azrail's will. The once formidable head maid, now subtly influenced, awaited Azrail's commands like an obedient servant.
With a mere thought, Azrail initiated communication within their newly established mental connection.