On both sides of the hundred steps in front of the Heavenly Harmony Imperial Palace , dozens of imperial guards stood solemnly with spears in hand.
Tong Zilan, wearing a golden robe and her Phoenix crown, followed Grandmaster Qi, walking step by step toward the palace gate with her back straight.
Suddenly, a lightning bolt flashed across the sky, causing her to stop and turn her head. She saw a golden dragon appear above the Justice Division Office building, eyes glowing and emanating divine power.
Grandmaster Qi also stopped and turned his head to look, his eyes narrowed slightly. "The Holy Emperor's dragon body? It seems that the rumors in the market from a few days ago were true. The Empress actually found the Holy Emperor's bloodline to help. It's no wonder that you have the guts to do such traitorous things... But do you think that you can defeat the Emperor just with this Holy Emperor legacy and the Demon King? Empress, you are too naive..."
Tong Zilan looked over angrily and laughed. "Master Qi, seeing as you've been in this Imperial Sect for seven hundred years, I'll give you a piece of advice. If you kowtow now and ask for forgiveness from the Eternal Bliss Palace servants, then maybe you can still die with your body intact."
"Hehe... Empress, you should wait until you come out alive from the Emperor before telling me this. Please--"
Grandmaster Qi interrupted with a sneer and walked to the entrance of the Heavenly Harmony Palace , knocking lightly twice. After the imperial guards inside the room opened the door, he led Tong Zilan into the hall.
Two rows of imperial guards stood solemnly on both sides of the royal hall. After walking twenty steps on the red carpet, they stopped in front of a veiled screen. A little dim candlelight shone through the veil, and a man could be vaguely seen sitting sideways on the dragon throne, supporting his face with his right hand, while two maids were fanning him with large fans.
"Pay respects to the Emperor!!!"
Grandmaster Qi's voice boomed, and then he used the horsetail whisk in his hand to lift the veil.
After ten years, Tong Zilan finally saw the man she had followed all her life again, but the man in her eyes was completely different from the one in her memory.
The man who used to be considerate to her, and promised to stay with her for ten thousand years and never betray her, was now staring at her with an extremely cold look.
However, she was not the one who asked the question.
"Empress, I still remember the oath you and I made in front of the cultivators from the three regions on our wedding day. What made you become like this?"
"Nangong Cheng, our bond as husband and wife ended fourteen years ago."
Nangong Cheng slowly closed his eyes as he listened, waved his hand to let the two maids beside him leave, and then asked, "So, this is your reason for colluding with the Demon Clan ? Because of this temper tantrum of yours, how many cultivators in the Central Region died at the hands of the Demon Clan ? How many more pass cities did the Imperial Sect lose?"
Tong Zilan was silent for a while, then asked back with a smile. "Colluding with the Demon Clan ?"
"Isn't it? The Demon King suddenly attacked the Central Region and headed straight to the Heavenly Gate City . Wasn't it you who instigated it?"
"Nangong Cheng, I have my reasons for wanting to kill you. The Demon King has his reasons for breaking through the Central Region . I am a cultivator from the Immortal Family. Would I be in the same boat with the demons? But since it's the enemy of my enemy..."
Nangong Cheng frowned slightly. He had always believed that it was Tong Zilan who had planned this and secretly instigated the Demon King to attack the Central Region . But looking at her eyes now, he felt that there seemed to be something else going on.
Someone wanted him dead, and for this reason, they provoked the Demon Clan and even turned his wife into a pawn.
Who in the four regions could do such a thing?
"Are you saying the matter of the Demon King attacking the Central Region has nothing to do with you?"
"Of course it has nothing to do with me. I just borrowed their power."
Tong Zilan narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Nangong Cheng, when I walked through this palace gate today, I didn't plan to walk out alive. Either you die or I die. As a mother, I must avenge my two daughters."
With a gesture, Tong Zilan took out a dagger emitting golden spirit light from her storage bag. She clenched it with both hands and rushed towards Nangong Cheng who was sitting on the dragon throne.
Her cultivation was only in the middle stage of Core Formation , and two of the people present were the Emperor of the Central Region , a cultivator in the Void Returning middle stage, while the other one, Grandmaster Qi, was a cultivator in the Deification stage.
To deal with Tong Zilan, they didn't even need to raise their hands, just a flick of fingers was enough.
But neither Grandmaster Qi nor Nangong Cheng made any move.
The next moment.
Boom---
When Tong Zilan touched the first step of the imperial platform, an invisible force instantly slammed directly into her chest, knocking her back and sending her flying out. Only Grandmaster Qi using his horsetail whisk to catch her, stopped her from flying out through the gates of the Heavenly Harmony Palace .
Although it looked like she had just bumped into something, Tong Zilan knelt on the ground immediately after landing, covered her chest, and spat out a large mouthful of blood.
The dagger emitting golden light also fell in front of her knees.
Nangong Cheng glanced at the dagger and said calmly, "Is this the dagger I gave you?"
"Cough -- Nangong Cheng, you... cough cough--"
Seeing that Tong Zilan's meridians were already affected, Nangong Cheng shook his head slightly. "Indeed, I promised that if I betrayed you, you could stab me to death with this dagger, but I didn't say that this dagger could break through the void."
Tong Zilan glared at Nangong Cheng with bloodshot eyes, wrapped her hands around the dagger again, and struggled to stand up, but she fell back to the ground.
Nangong Cheng sighed. "Empress, you can't kill a Void Returning cultivator with anger or some petty tricks. Besides, Heavenly Gate City is my territory. Even if you lead the Demon King here, it will only increase the casualties in the city. I am not afraid of him."
"...Then... cough - are you afraid of the Red Moon Immortal Matriarch?"
"Red Moon Matriarch?" Nangong Cheng frowned slightly but felt that it was unlikely to happen. "She wouldn't even take a step out of her Black Star Sect. Do you think she will help you kill me?"
"..."
"Well, let's not prolong your suffering then."
Nangong Cheng glanced at Master Qi and gave him a signal with his eyes. Master Qi nodded, then took out a short dagger from his storage bag and walked slowly toward Tong Zilan.
"Empress, I told you that if you had apologized to His Majesty the Emperor right now, he could have pretended nothing happened. Why did you have to do that?"
"Immortal Qi..."
"Empress, I am just following orders. Sorry for the offense."
Grandmaster Qi raised the dagger, holding it backward, aimed at the back of Tong Zilan's neck, and swung it down with force.
Looking at the falling dagger, Tong Zilan couldn't help but close her eyes. "Sorry, my child..."
But right at this time.
Ding---
A sound of iron striking resounded in Tong Zilan's ears, making her head buzz.
Master Qi's smiling face now showed a trace of shock. A short girl had appeared beside Tong Zilan without any warning and used the half sugar painting in her hand to stop his dagger firmly in front of Tong Zilan's neck.
The girl was wearing a bamboo hat, so her face could not be seen, but her long black and white hair fluttered with her movement.
"Who is this?"
Master Qi froze, feeling that this visitor was out of the ordinary. He immediately turned around and waved his horsetail whisk, but saw the sugar painting in the girl's hand shake slightly.
Boom---
A burst of energy erupted. Master Qi could not control his body, so he crashed into a pillar beside him, and his whole body was directly embedded in it.
Tong Zilan looked up at the girl who saved her and stared in shock at her strange yin and yang eyes. "Young Miss Xuanji?"
"Hmm~" Si Xuanji touched her hat and smiled at her. "Xuanji is late to protect you, I hope the Empress will forgive me."
"..."
Tong Zilan didn't know what to say and stood there in a daze.
Si Xuanji walked in front of her and swung the sugar painting to the side before throwing the bamboo hat with her left hand. "Empress, leave the rest to the hero Xuanji."
The bamboo hat flew upward, sending the black and white hair flying.
Nangong Cheng, who was sitting on the dragon throne, recognized Si Xuanji's identity when he saw her strange eyes. A trace of shock appeared on his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
He greeted in a light tone. "Immortal Red Moon, after not seeing you for one thousand two hundred years, you look quite a bit younger."
Hearing Nangong Cheng's words, Tong Zilan widened her eyes and looked at Si Xuanji in disbelief, but Si Xuanji pursed her lips as if she were dissatisfied.
"Nangong boy, are you trying to ruin my show?"
Nangong Cheng was taken aback, then hurriedly stood up from the dragon throne, and cupped his hands. "Immortal Red Moon, I apologize for upsetting you, but I'm afraid it's not good for you to interfere in my family affairs?"
Si Xuanji was not impressed when she heard this and walked toward Nangong Cheng with her bare feet. She raised her hand slightly, and a five-colored pennant suddenly appeared behind her shoulder.
"Nangong boy, no matter how big a mistake your wife made, a husband and wife are bound by love for life. Killing her is a bit too much, don't you think?"
Hearing Si Xuanji's words, which meant that she wanted to protect Tong Zilan, Nangong Cheng paused and simply stopped worrying about his wife. Now he had to figure out what Si Xuanji was here for.
Tong Zilan had just asked him if he was afraid of Si Xuanji, and now Si Xuanji suddenly came in front of him, which most likely meant that she was the one who facilitated the arrival of the Demon King.
Nangong Cheng was a little intimidated, but he didn't believe Si Xuanji would take action. This was his territory. Even if Si Xuanji wanted to kill him, it would not be without repercussions.
He smiled and nodded, then waved his sleeves and took out a chessboard from his storage bag.
"Immortal Red Moon, I know you like playing chess very much, so why don't we play a game?"
Si Xuanji glanced at the chessboard. Now was not yet the right time to take action. She had to wait until Ye Anping broke the Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal . Otherwise, the cost of killing Nangong Cheng would be too great. Therefore, she nodded in agreement, jumped onto the dragon throne, sat cross-legged, and used her spiritual power to bring the chessboard in front of her.
Nangong Cheng was a little unhappy when he saw that his throne was occupied, but he didn't say anything. He walked to the throne, summoned the black and white chess basket with his spiritual power, and placed the chess pieces on the chessboard.
Click---
"So, why did you suddenly come to the Central Region ? And why didn't you notify me ahead of time so I could greet you properly?"
Si Xuanji replied with a smile, "I took my good-for-nothing girl out for a trip, but I heard you were refining some strange pill, so I came to take a look."
"Strange pill?"
"The Heavenly Reverse Pill ... right?" Si Xuanji narrowed her eyes and looked up at him. "Using spiritual roots as medicine, stealing the qi luck of heaven and earth, and even sacrificing your own flesh and blood. You are not a good father, are you?"
Are you here to question me? ... Nangong Cheng kept a smile on his face. "Immortal Red Moon, this is not a good thing to say. You are also a Void Returning cultivator who has lived for thousands of years, so you should know the truth."
"What's the truth?"
"The strong are respected."
Nangong Cheng stared into Si Xuanji's eyes. "The Central Region belongs to me, so everything in it is my property. As a cultivator, I am just using my things to make pills, which doesn't affect you, right?"
"Indeed, whether you fall into the demonic ways or make pills off human beings, it is none of my business. If I intervened, it would mean meddling in other people's business. After living for thousands of years, I am no longer at the age of meddling in other people's business and proving the justice of Heaven."
Nangong Cheng's hand suddenly stopped. "Then, why did you mention this matter?"
"Well, because..." Si Xuanji paused, flipped the white piece in her hand on her fingers, and replied, "The strong are respected."
"Eh?"
"These three regions: Southern , Western , and Central are all my property. Nangong boy, I only gave you the Central Region for safekeeping, but you messed up things here, so I am ready to take it back now."
"...The three regions are all your property? You gave it to me for safekeeping?!"
"What? You don't hear well after living so long?!"
"..."
The sudden raised voice made Nangong Cheng take a step back.
He quickly put his hands behind his back and readied his sword fingers hidden in the golden sleeves of the dragon robe, watching Si Xuanji's every move.
"What?"
Si Xuanji slightly widened her yin-yang eyes, and stood up on the dragon throne, reaching Nangong Cheng's height. She flicked her sleeves and put her hands on her waist. "Need I repeat myself? These three regions of the world! Every blade of grass and tree! Every mountain and stone! They are all mine."
"Red Moon, do you know what you are talking about? In the three regions, Southern , Western , and Central , five Void Returning stage cultivators each took one part, and you only control the Western Region . This was the oath made by the immortals, and now you want to break this oath and take the three territories for yourself?"
Si Xuanji squinted her left eye, smiling. "Back in the old times, the Holy Emperor united the Immortal Heavenly Realm as the Immortal and Demonic paths, but he was killed by the leader of the Immortal Path. Over the next thousand years, these two factions became thousands of sects that are still in existence today. Bright Star Sect, Imperial Sect in the Central Region , Awareness Sect, Cold Country in the Northern Region , and Black Star Sect, with you, me, and Bright Star Sect Patriarch as the highest cultivation base, we have united to form the Immortal Alliance, set the Immortal Rules, and swore that there will be no war between the sects."
"If the five main sects of the Immortal Family start a war, the world will be devastated." Nangong Cheng took another step back. "Are you crazy?"
"No... After staying in the Black Star Sect for thousands of years, I figured out one thing."
"What?"
"Between me, you, the Bright Star Sect's Patriarch, and the Awareness Sect's baldy chief, our cultivation level is not too different. If you try something against me in the future, can I do something other than watch helplessly? So, for a very simple reason, I decided..."
Si Xuanji raised the chess piece in her hand and said, "I will send you to reincarnate one by one so that no one in this world will dare to challenge me anymore. The four regions of the Immortal Family, and even the Eastern Region of the Demonic Path, are all my possessions!!"
The childish voice spread as Si Xuanji raised the chess piece in her hand and drew a vertical downward glow on the chessboard.
Ta---
The white piece landed on the "star position" in the lower right corner of the chessboard. A purple spiritual power expanded from it, clearing the remaining surrounding clouds and sweeping the thousand-mile territory around Heavenly Gate City .
"I've made my move. Nangong boy, it's your turn."
Nangong Cheng looked at Si Xuanji, who was as tall as him, standing on the dragon throne. His eyes were full of anger, but there was fear on his face. He advised, "Red Moon, you are courting death. How can you go against the four sects of the Immortal Family with only you and the Black Star Sect?"
Si Xuanji narrowed her eyes slightly and asked back, "Who said it's just me? Nangong boy, I've taught you the Star-Reading Art before, so you should know the appearance of the Big Dipper Heavenly Pivot ?"
"Red Moon, you're not the Heavenly Pivot's Destiny ."
"I am not, but I have it on my side."
After hearing this, Nangong Cheng finally understood where Si Xuanji got her confidence from.
---She wanted to use the Mandate of Heaven as a pretext to achieve what she wanted.
In other words, Si Xuanji wanted to use the Heavenly Pivot as her pawn, so that the Heavenly Pivot would help her kill the other four Void Returning cultivators.
Nangong Cheng glared. "Red Moon, throughout history, those who used the Heavenly Pivot as their chess pieces never had a good ending. You should know this."
"There's still the Reverse Star , isn't there?"
Si Xuanji raised her slender fingers slightly, and a crystal glass bell appeared on her right hand. She smiled. "That kid is quite handsome, much more handsome than you. Do you want to meet him later?"
"Immortal Red Moon..."
"You say, I am listening."
"This city is my territory. Even if you have great abilities, you can't..."
Si Xuanji interrupted him. " Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal ?"
"..."
Suddenly, a drake-like voice came from the side window. "Everything is ready!! Everything is ready!!"
Nangong Cheng immediately turned his head alertly to see what made the sound. Seeing that it was a parrot, he was a little confused. "A golden-feathered parrot?"
Seeing him staring, the parrot puffed out its chest and raised its head, scolding him. "What are you looking at?! What are you looking at?!"
Si Xuanji shrugged and raised her hand to shake the bell. "Let me translate it for you. Everything is ready means that your Nine Dragons Heavenly Seal has been removed, and the Demon King has arrived. So, do you want to surrender now and let me destroy your ephemeral body, or do you want to struggle a bit? You're going to die anyway, so why should you involve the hundreds of thousands of cultivators in the city?"
Nangong Cheng's eyes widened with anger, and he stopped the pretense of a friendly talk. Suddenly, golden light shone all over his body, and in an instant, he was in front of Si Xuanji with a spear in hand.
Boom---!!
Under the silver moon, a golden light shot up into the sky above Heavenly Gate City . The mountains and rivers thousands of miles around the city were shaken, and the night sky suddenly turned into daytime and was stained with a layer of blood, as if the sky was crumbling and weeping.