Chapter 173: Exposed
Xiang Yu continued refining weapons within the spirit vein, his hands flowing perfectly despite his wandering thoughts. His junior sister had warned him about an impending conflict, so he deliberately chose not to feed the spirit vein with any more spiritual weapons this time.
Instead, he channeled his energy into creating an arsenal for the coming battle—weapons that would be distributed to core disciples from the Azure Cloud Sect as well as their new allies from the Lotus Jade Palace and Iron Spirit Mountain.
Though the threat of war loomed, Xiang Yu found himself less anxious than before. After scanning Li Yao earlier, even though she was merely at the second stage of the Golden Core realm, her combat capabilities far exceeded his own. He couldn’t match her at all. In fact he couldn’t even track her movements with his enhanced perception. Her speed and power existed in an entirely different realm.
Speaking of Li Yao, something peculiar had caught his attention—specifically, her so-called "clone." Though they appeared identical at first glance, his simulation function had automatically scanned the "clone", revealing something he hadn’t expected.
This was no mere clone, but an entity identified as "The Human Empress." What a strange name for anyone to possess, though Xiang Yu recalled that at truly high cultivation levels, mortal concerns like names became irrelevant, with cultivators primarily known by their Daoist titles.
"The Human Empress" certainly suggested someone of extraordinary rank and power. Yet her current form seemed somewhat incomplete. Drawing from the countless cultivation novels he’d consumed in his previous life, Xiang Yu recognized it as a common trope—the protagonist guided by the soul of an ancient expert. That would certainly explain Li Yao’s astonishingly rapid advancement.
What puzzled him was why such an exalted being would choose to reveal herself to him, of all people. There had to be an underlying purpose behind this unprecedented display, though he couldn’t quite discern it. Perhaps, he theorized, the Empress harbored suspicions about him. Ever since he’d awakened in this body, his behavior had undoubtedly seemed strange compared to before. It couldn’t just be explained by wanting to work hard. He had changed completely.
She might be testing him, gauging his reaction to determine whether he posed any threat to her disciple.
It made perfect sense that she would vet the people surrounding her chosen one. Li Yao clearly bore the blessing of heaven, she had the bearing of a genuine protagonist. It wouldn’t be unusual for higher beings to gather around her, each seeking to influence her trajectory or benefit from her inevitable rise to power.
Was the Empress trying to see if he would recognize her true identity? But since they appeared identical, how could he possibly distinguish them? Or was he simply overthinking the entire situation?
After considerable contemplation, Xiang Yu decided not to dwell on it further. Neither Li Yao nor the Empress had displayed any hostility toward him, so their secrets didn’t immediately concern his survival. Still, he found himself tempted to run a simulation against the Empress, hoping to glean insights into soul techniques that might prove valuable in the future.
But after some thought, he restrained this curiosity. He had no way of knowing the Empress’s true level of power. What if the simulation, which typically recreated beings at their peak condition, somehow became real? The entity he’d observed appeared weakened or injured, but what might happen if a perfected simulation of her full power managed to break free of the system’s constraints? Though the scenario seemed improbable when articulated, Xiang Yu wasn’t willing to take unnecessary risks.
Returning his focus to the task at hand, he continued crafting spirit weapons, though his thoughts occasionally drifted back to the mysterious Empress despite his best efforts. He firmly reminded himself to banish her from his mind—in cultivation worlds, some experts possessed the ability to sense when others were thinking about them. Better not to invite unwanted attention.
After completing a substantial inventory of spiritual weapons, Xiang Yu decided to transition to talisman making.
...
Xiang Yu began with the soul shock talismans, focusing his concentration as the soul infant contributed its unique energy to the process. The infant had improved considerably since their last session, managing to produce four complete soul shock talismans before collapsing from exhaustion. Xiang Yu carefully stored these powerful talismans in his spatial ring.
Combined with the three he’d previously crafted, he now possessed seven soul shock talismans—nowhere near the thousand he would have preferred for genuine security, but a respectable arsenal nonetheless. You win some, you lose some.
With the soul-based talismans complete, he shifted his attention to crafting several additional sixth-grade talismans for his personal use. These would serve as his last line of defense should the worst occur. After securing his own protection, he began mass-producing seventh-grade talismans for the sect’s collective use. With war looming on the horizon, the time for conservation had passed—now was the moment to commit fully to preparation.
He would have preferred to create sixth-grade talismans for everyone, given their superior power, but their creation consumed too much spiritual energy. Such production would need to wait until he broke through to the fifth grade of talisman making. Technically, he already had reached that level, but since the advancement hadn’t come through his system, he lacked the comprehensive insights that would have accompanied a proper breakthrough with the system. Developing these insights independently would consume too much time—a luxury he couldn’t afford with conflict approaching. Better to produce what he could reliably create now.
He continued this intensive production until realizing that lunch time approached. As he departed the spirit vein to prepare the meal, he encountered Elder Huang in the courtyard. Upon seeing her, he immediately adopted a pronounced pout, still nursing his grievance from her earlier abandonment.
She approached with an understanding smile. "Xiang Yu, don’t blame your martial aunt," she said soothingly. "Although I can always help you, some things you just have to go through yourself. You understand what I mean, right?"
Xiang Yu maintained his stubborn expression, refusing to be placated so easily. Elder Huang’s melodious laughter filled the air as she recognized his persistence.
"How about this," she offered, "I’ll make it up to you. I have some treasures I’ve gathered..."
The mention of treasures instantly transformed Xiang Yu’s demeanor, his face brightening with undisguised interest. Elder Huang’s expression shifted to one of exasperated amusement.
"You brat! I actually value our relationship, but you’re just after my money," she accused, now pouting herself.
Xiang Yu quickly assumed a contrite expression. "Martial aunt, you misunderstand. Am I really that kind of person?" he asked with feigned innocence.
Elder Huang studied his face, thinking to herself, "How can you say such a thing with a straight face when you’re practically drooling?"
Seeing that his performance failed to convince her, Xiang Yu swiftly changed tactics. "I’ve recently improved my cooking," he mentioned casually. "I was thinking of having martial aunt try it out."
Her eyes sparkled instantly at this proposition. "Xiang Yu, you really know how to take care of your martial aunt," she said warmly. "The next time Li Yao bullies you again, just come to me." She placed a reassuring hand over her heart.
"Of course, we’re family after all," Xiang Yu replied with a smile.
"Good, good. My senior brother is truly blessed to have such a good disciple," she said, her voice carrying a touch of pride. Her expression shifted slightly as a new thought occurred to her. "Oh, I just remembered—we might not be able to have lunch today."
"Why not?" Xiang Yu asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"The Golden Edge Sect’s Sect Master has arrived," she explained. "Since you’re the Grand Elder and also the one who made the deal with them, you should be present for the discussions."
"I understand," Xiang Yu responded, nodding respectfully before turning toward the main peak.
...
Author’s Corner
The reason why xiang yu says he doesn’t understand her strength despite him having scanned it with the system is because he doesn’t have much cultivation knowledge. For him, the details he’s seeing are just words and not a proper gauge of power.
I’ve decided not to show her stats for now as they are not important. Also because I want to be able to change them later because I’ve yet to completely map out her story. The empress has the largest story so far. If you’re still interested despite then not being the final product, ask me on discord and we can discuss.