In the evening, after settling Little Light down in the nursery, Leon returned to Rossweise's room.
The bedroom was dark, but the light in the study was still on, indicating Rossweise was still working overtime.
Leon stepped to the doorway of the study and peeked inside.
The scene in the study was like a quiet painting. The silver-haired beauty sat upright at the mahogany desk, her back straight, her shoulders slightly trembling and lifting with each stroke of the pen on the paper.
A pair of long, slender legs rested on a high stool, with a pair of somewhat childish dragon-winged slippers dangling from her toes, swaying gently, creating a charming contrast to her elegance and focus.
Rossweise was draped in a soft nightgown, her silhouette simple yet exuding a hint of casual sensuality. The dragon tattoo on her chest came to life with each breath she took, dancing on the tender skin.
Her figure had returned to its pre-pregnancy state, slim where it should be, full where it should be.
Of course, Leon didn't come to the study to sneak a peek at his faux wife's figure.
If he wanted to look, all he had to do was ask; Rossweise had ten thousand ways to tease him into lighting up his dragon tattoo.
Leon silently watched Rossweise for a while, then, hesitatingly, he opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Rossweise was always serious when she worked, and Leon knew what it felt like to be interrupted when someone was focused on something.
Moreover, what Leon needed Rossweise's help with was indeed… difficult to bring up.
Leon thought to himself that he should probably look for another way to open the first gate. He was about to turn and leave.
"Is something the matter?"
Just as he was about to take a step, he heard Rossweise's familiar, unchanging voice.
Leon stood at the doorway, turning to look at her, but still remained silent.
Sensing Leon's gaze, Rossweise paused for a moment, then set down the pen in her hand and lifted her head to respond, "Well, speak up, is there something you need? I've finished my work."
Leon lowered his eyes, looking at the pile of documents on her desk. He had learned a bit about this stuff from her before, so he could more or less understand what she was dealing with.
Clearly… there was still a lot of work to be done, so why claim to be finished?
Well, whatever.
Since the queen had deliberately set aside time for him, it would be a downer if he hesitated any longer.
"I want to ask for your help," Leon said.
"Hmm, what kind of help?"
"Help me open a gate."
The queen paused, blinking. "Open… the gate? Don't you have the key to my room?"
General Leon's face reddened as he hesitantly took out the book, "Nine Gates of the Hells," from behind him.
Rossweise's gaze fell on the book.
She remembered it was the ancient book Tiger had given Leon a few days ago in the cave, containing records of some very powerful body techniques.
Rossweise leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand, and asked leisurely, "So, 'gate' is a term mentioned in this ancient text. Do you want me to help you with your cultivation?"
Leon nodded, "In simple terms, yes."
Rossweise had studied various magical arts and ancient texts, so when Leon brought out "Nine Gates of the Hells" and then asked for help "opening a gate," she probably guessed what he meant. She just didn't quite understand why Leon, who was usually shameless around her, would blush over a simple request for assistance with his cultivation.
Setting aside her inner doubts, the queen readily agreed, "No problem, what gate do you want to open, and what do I need to do? Just tell me."
"Open… the Ironbone Gate."
.
.
.
The crow outside really wanted to "caw" its way in, but the queen's study was not a place one could enter casually.
Even so, after Leon blurted out that abstract and outrageous request, the study was momentarily filled with an awkward atmosphere.
Rossweise's face reddened as well.
Now she understood why that man's dog had been stuttering earlier. So, he dared to make such a request…
After making an effort to calm herself, Rossweise tried to maintain her usual tone as much as possible.
"Leon, as you know, the Dragon race pursues pure love, and I am no exception. So, even though we are false spouses, I would never do anything to betray you."
"But your request… even the purest love might find it difficult to accept. At least, personally, I cannot accept it."
In the end, Rossweise muttered under her breath, "Tsk, didn't expect you to be such a player."
"No, Rossweise, let me explain—" General Leon tried to salvage his image.
"If you want to continue persuading me to accept your new play, you might as well save your breath," Rossweise expressed her slight disdain for the first time. Unfortunately, Leon wasn't one for enjoying such delightful disdain.
He quickly strode to Rossweise's desk and opened "Nine Gates of the Hells."
"It's not what you think it is. It's a concept mentioned in the book. See for yourself."
Rossweise skeptically lowered her eyes and hastily glanced over the contents of the book. Then, she rolled her eyes speechlessly.
"Why is your master's stuff so abstract?" she questioned.
Leon shrugged helplessly, "You know, abstraction is our family motto. I just added a bit of brilliance to that abstractness, being exceptionally outstanding."
Rossweise extended her long leg and kicked Leon's knee under the table. "Don't talk about your brilliance, captive."
With that, she stood up, straightened her nightgown wrinkled from prolonged sitting, and walked out of the study.
"Come on, let me help you—open the Ironbone Gate."
Why did it still feel chilly in his heart even though he knew this was just part of cultivation, and this Ironbone Gate was not what he initially thought…?
Leon swallowed hard, took a deep breath to adjust his mindset, then followed Rossweise to the bedroom.
The couple turned on the bedside lamp. Leon took off his shirt and lay flat on the soft bed.
Rossweise knelt beside him, holding "Nine Gates of the Hells" with one hand and lightly covering Leon's abdomen with the other.
"The first gate of the Nine Gates of the Hells is the essential path for practicing this body technique, and once opened, it will remain 'open' indefinitely. In subsequent training or battles, there is no need to open it again," Rossweise read from the book.
"So, in other words, the first gate is like the foundation when building a house. You have to lay the foundation first before you can continue building upwards."
"Although I'd love to compliment Your Majesty's rhetorical skills, can we start now?" Leon said. "I don't feel very secure with your hand on my stomach."
Being in physical contact with Rossweise while shirtless was probably akin to a little lamb washing itself white and then asking a wolf, "Mr. Wolf, please don't eat me, pretty please?"
Smack!
Rossweise patted Leon's abdomen. "Quiet. Let me see what I need to do… According to the book, the waist and abdomen are the core areas of physical strength. Hmm… I have quite a bit of experience in this."
Very deep experience.
"Simultaneously, it's also a kind of switch for physical strength. Only when both internal and external forces activate this 'switch' can the first gate be opened."
"And this force must be controlled and assisted by someone at the Dragon King level."
"It's not about reaching Dragon King-level strength, but rather the degree of fine control over the power…"
"Oh, in simple terms, it's just to avoid blowing up the practitioner with one mistake."
After understanding the principle of opening the gate, Rossweise looked at Leon, her fingertips gently tracing circles on his abdominal muscles. She smirked mischievously, her tone filled with feigned pity and coyness.
"Oh, darling, you really trust me, huh? What if I accidentally blow you up?"
"Then you'll get two husbands," Leon replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Your upper half and your lower half. You can choose which one you like and keep that one."
Leon accompanied her with a joke, though it was slightly hellish.
Rossweise giggled and pinched his waist. "I want both your upper half and your lower half. Okay, I think I know what to do now. Are you ready?"
Leon pursed his lips, took a few breaths, then nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Okay, feel my power, and at the same time, activate your own magic. Let both forces collide and try to open the first gate in one go."
"Got it."
Leon closed his eyes and began to channel the magic he had recently accumulated from his dragon tattoo.
Rossweise also slowly guided her own power from her body.
In the initial stage, the couple released a small amount of power to sense each other. Once they confirmed they could sense each other, they increased the output of their magic.
"Leon, the book says that in addition to magic, you also need to gather 'Qi and blood' in your abdomen. This will accelerate the opening of the first gate. Give it a try."
"Okay."
Leon recalled the book's detailed explanation. It described 'Qi' not as magic, but as the vital life force or internal energy inherent to all living beings. It was the fundamental energy that animated the body, governed growth, strength, and vitality. While magic was an external force drawn from the world and channeled through circuits, Qi was an internal power cultivated from within, flowing through pathways called meridians.
'Blood' was its physical counterpart—the literal blood that carried nutrients and oxygen, powered by the vital force of Qi.
Together, they formed 'Qi and blood,' the essential engine of the physical body. Where Qi and blood flowed vigorously, it enhanced the body's natural functions, increased the efficiency of the magical circuits, and accelerated healing and metabolism. As Rossweise had said, forcibly gathering this energy was key to forging the body and opening the first gate.
However, Leon was a master of magic, not this internal cultivation. He had never consciously guided his Qi before. For most mages, their innate magical circuits were sufficient; they didn't need this esoteric, physical reinforcement. But the Nine Gates of the Hells was a body technique that required both.
"Leon, focus, you can do it," Rossweise encouraged him amidst his distraction.
He opened his eyes and looked at his wife beside him. Strands of silver hair danced wildly in the flow of magical energy as she concentrated, furrowing her brows and controlling the intensity of the power.
Because there was a certain risk involved in opening the first gate, a slight mishap could lead to injury, although not as extreme as the joke they had just made about separating the upper and lower halves of their bodies.
Seeing Rossweise's seriousness, Leon smiled reassuringly. "Okay, I got it."
He closed his eyes again, focusing on both channeling magic and, for the first time, trying to sense and guide the flow of his internal Qi, urging it toward his abdomen along with his blood.
But mastering this wasn't something that could be achieved with just a few words of encouragement. Despite Leon's efforts, he managed to guide only a trickle of his Qi and blood toward his abdomen—nowhere near the concentrated surge the technique required.
"How can I make more Qi and blood gather here…" Rossweise muttered to herself. "Qi and blood… Qi and blood…"
Her peripheral vision caught sight of the dragon tattoo on Leon's chest, and immediately, a thought flashed through her mind.
"Leon, I have a trick to make more Qi and blood flow to the right place."
"What—wait, what kind of trick?" Leon's attention shifted slightly, his focus wary.
Rossweise didn't explain further, just smiling and saying, "Hang in there, it'll be worth it."
"Hang in where? Hey, Mother Dragon, clarify what you mean!"
Before Leon could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt a surge of heat in his chest.
Lowering his gaze, he saw the dragon tattoo on his chest emitting a deep purple light.
Leon couldn't help but be surprised. "Hey, hey, Mother Dragon, isn't this the wrong time for this?"
"Just trust me, Leon," Rossweise said, her voice a mix of concentration and amusement. "The dragon tattoo doesn't just store magic; it resonates with your very life force. It can stimulate your body's core energies, making your heart pound and your vitality surge. That intense physical reaction is what we need to mobilize your Qi. Once it's active and flowing, we can guide it."
"Are you using my body's own reactions as a shortcut?" Leon asked, understanding dawning.
"Well, do you have any other way to make your dormant Qi restless? If not, then we use the tools we have."
General Leon's use of the dragon tattoo to store magic was already quite extraordinary; now, Rossweise was using its symbiotic nature to agitate the very core of his being.
At this point, Leon truly had no other effective way to mobilize his Qi.
Well, let's give it a try.
.
.
.
As he felt the gradually ignited vitality within him and controlled his magic to clash with Rossweise's power, his body underwent subtle changes in this intense process.
Starting from Leon's abdomen, a continuous stream of energy slowly spread throughout his limbs and bones. His bones, blood vessels, and meridians seemed to be undergoing a special refinement.
With the surge of power, a faint white light seeped out from under Leon's skin, accompanied by traces of black substance. Rossweise remembered the book mentioning this as the "impurities" within the practitioner's body, and one of the benefits of opening the first gate was to remove these impurities, purifying the practitioner's physique.
In other words, their method had worked.
Returning to her senses, Rossweise could also clearly feel the strength in her palm. Leon's firm muscles felt like an awakening beast, brimming with fierce power even with just a touch.
The intertwining and entanglement of Leon and Rossweise's magic showed no signs of rejection. Leon kept his eyes tightly shut, surrounded by darkness, where a faint glimmer seemed to flicker.
The light grew brighter, as if impatiently rushing to burst through some barrier. When the light completely occupied his field of vision, Leon suddenly woke up from a daze.
He sat up abruptly, bare-chested, breathing heavily as if he had just had a nightmare. After calming down a bit, he felt a warm and gentle touch on his shoulder.
Leon slowly turned his head, and there was Rossweise, her hand gently resting on his shoulder.
Queen's hair was disheveled, her face flushed, and a smile played at the corners of her lips. "We did it, Leon, the first gate is open."
Hearing this, Leon was overjoyed. But amidst his joy, his first words were, "You're not hurt or anything, right?"
Rossweise blinked, arching an eyebrow. "You're so concerned about me? Well, if you insist, I'm injured. Ouch, my hand hurts, ouch, my waist hurts, ouch, my legs hurt. I hurt everywhere."
Leon rolled his eyes at her. "Childish."
Then, he glanced at Rossweise's cheeks. They were red. Hmm? Why were they red? They succeeded in opening the first gate, so why was she blushing?
It wasn't until Rossweise's hand quietly slid from his shoulder to his waist that Leon suddenly realized.
"Oh, the dragon tattoo!"