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“The Imperial Dao Codex—Soul Codex.”
“First Edict: All under Heaven belongs to the Emperor.”
The Empress’s crimson imperial robe fluttered in the wind. As night fell, she stood with her back to the full moon, resembling a Nine Heavens Maiden descending to the mortal world, pure and holy.
With a delicate motion of her jade-like finger, the divine soul fluctuations of a half-step Sky-Reaching Realm spread out, enveloping a hundred-zhang radius.
Qiong raised her eyes indifferently, her heart sinking slightly. She could feel her divine soul being suppressed, as if she were in a forbidden zone of soul power, her combat strength directly reduced by thirty percent.
“As expected of the Empress, whose ambition can swallow the four seas. The principles she cultivates are domineering and unreasonable.”
“But don’t forget, my principles are those of space.”
Qiong’s voice was cold. With just a slight shift of her steps, the mountains and rivers within a hundred-zhang radius folded up like a piece of flat paper being folded by hand.
The [All Under Heaven Belongs to the Emperor] domain was also folded into the inner space, unable to affect Qiong.
“Continue, let me see how capable the Emperor of Great Jin, who aims to unify the Wilderness, truly is,” Qiong said calmly.
Dongfang Liuli closed her eyes in mid-air, showing no anger, a stark contrast to her usual domineering and ruthless demeanor. She slowly uttered each word:
“Imperial Dao Second Edict: The Great Era Crushes, Epochs Fall.”
In an instant, a desolate and wild aura rushed forth. Three feet above, it seemed as if the gods were peering through the heavens, ready to cast darkness upon the world at any moment.
Qiong saw the twilight of the gods, the heavens weeping blood, pouring down a crimson rain. She saw the historical scrolls unfurling, countless heroes in the rolling waves, once unparalleled in talent and invincible, ultimately unable to withstand the blade of time. She saw the hopelessness of immortality, lovers abandoning, friends spitting in contempt, feeling desolate and defeated…
Vast emotions surged into Qiong’s mind, gradually influencing her.
“In the end, it’s impossible to escape death. Cultivating for thousands of years in solitude, is it really worth it compared to a single cup of wine in the mortal world…”
Qiong murmured to herself, her eyes filled with despair and confusion. Her jade-like hand slowly raised, aiming at her forehead, intending to pierce her spiritual sea and end her life.
“The Master has married, has a loving companion, I am redundant now.”
“The Master has forgotten me, forgotten the bits and pieces from thirty thousand years ago. My current unwillingness is just an extension of my obsession over thirty thousand years. I have become stubbornly possessed.”
“Since it’s destined to have no result…”
“Why not…”
Tears welled up in Qiong’s eyes as she murmured, like an abandoned wild cat, her expression revealing fear and helplessness.
She had always known, always understood, that the Sword Saint Master no longer needed her. Her existence was just an obstacle.
But thirty thousand years was too long, long enough for the gods to perish, for the human race to prosper, long enough for the Emperor Grade protective spiritual treasure the Master had given her to decay in the passage of time.
And she, holding onto her obsession for thirty thousand years, finally got her wish to see the Sword Saint Master alive before her eyes, and her obsession instantly turned into possession.
This deep-rooted obsession could not be forgotten even with amnesia, unless, she perished in this life…
“You…”
Dongfang Liuli’s eyes trembled upon hearing these words, unable to resist opening her eyes, staring blankly at Qiong.
The second volume of the Imperial Dao Codex, the Soul Dao chapter, required the caster to keep their eyes closed during the spell, otherwise, it would be interrupted.
Indeed, the ruthless Empress had softened.
Seeing this, Su Qingqiu couldn’t help but shout anxiously:
“Your Majesty, you can’t! This concerns the Empress’ Husband, don’t let your compassion overflow.”
Wu Die glanced at the naive Sword Immortal and couldn’t help but say, “Are you really that indifferent? Didn’t you hear what the Lord of the Ancient Divine City said? Do you really feel nothing?”
Wu Die was somewhat doubtful.
Perhaps the title of Cold and Gorgeous Sword Immortal was wrong, and it should be Cold and Indifferent Sword Immortal instead.
“Of course not.” Su Qingqiu pouted, somewhat lacking confidence, her voice soft and childish, muttering, “But this concerns the Empress’ Husband, I can’t worry about much else. Our family can’t lose the Empress’ Husband.”
Wu Die rolled her eyes and helplessly held her forehead:
“Are you stupid? The Empress’ Husband is just an excuse to vent the long-hidden conflict between the Empress and the Lord of the Ancient Divine City.”
“Otherwise, why didn’t the Lord of the Ancient Divine City, who captured the unconscious Empress’ Husband and controlled the principles of space, just leave?”
“And why hasn’t the Empress rushed to take back the Empress’ Husband immediately?”
“Because the Empress’ Husband is free, and he is the Space-Time Sword Saint. Not long ago, he beheaded two late-stage Morning Glow Realm Great Beings. If he wanted to leave, who could stop him?”
Su Qingqiu’s eyes widened in realization, and after a long pause, she suddenly woke up and hurriedly shouted to the sky:
“Hey… Your Majesty, let’s just forget it. After all, Great Jin and the Ancient Divine City are neighbors, there’s no deep hatred between neighbors.”
Dongfang Liuli couldn’t help but glance back towards Present Village, hesitating to speak.
Maybe it would be better to throw this silly girl into the mortal world for some training. She’s so naive, it’s unbearable to watch.
The atmosphere had built up to this point, and Dongfang Liuli didn’t know what expression to make after being interrupted by the naive Sword Immortal.
To be honest, Dongfang Liuli didn’t want to kill Qiong.
After all, Qiong just wanted to see the Sword Saint Master who had accompanied her day and night thirty thousand years ago, the first ray of moonlight she saw when she gained sentience.
She never intended to harm Meng Qingzhou, nor did she plan to kill Dongfang Liuli, because she knew that if she did, the Sword Saint Master who had once cared for her so much would never return.
Buzz…
Just as Dongfang Liuli was about to lift the Imperial Dao Edict, a simple and ancient small sword pendant on Qiong’s chest emitted a gentle glow, enveloping Qiong in a warm light.
It was as if someone was gently stroking Qiong’s head, softly comforting her by her ear.
“Master…?” Qiong’s eyes gradually cleared, looking down at the pendant, dazed for a long time.
Her sobbing stopped, a smile appeared on her lips, her eyes filled with affection, she murmured to herself:
“I thought you had abandoned me, but it turns out, you were always there.”
“What is this?” Dongfang Liuli was extremely surprised.
To break the second edict of the Imperial Dao, this pendant was definitely not an ordinary Emperor Grade treasure, it must have some special use.
Qiong caressed the small sword pendant, her tone proud, like a child showing off, she said:
“The Sword Saint Master’s token, this, you can’t take away.”
Qiong’s eyes were still unfriendly, but her tone returned to normal, she said calmly:
“Your principles are very powerful, among all the principles I’ve encountered in my long life, they rank in the top five.”
“In this respect, you and the Sword Saint Master are quite similar. The sharpest blade in the world can’t match the passage of time, and your second edict of the Imperial Dao can make someone self-pity and take their own life…”
“I almost fell for it.”
Dongfang Liuli remained silent, quietly watching her.
“Forget it…” Qiong suddenly said, “I’m tired, I want to go home and sleep. If you need anything, come to the Ancient Divine City.”
With that, Qiong pretended to leave nonchalantly, but after a few steps, she paused, slightly turned, as if admiring the mountains and rivers under the moonlight, but her eyes were always on the distant sleeping figure…
For a long time.
Qiong’s eyes dimmed a bit, forcing a calm expression, and in the blink of an eye, she had traveled thousands of miles, leaving the territory of Great Jin.
“Is this her true mastery of space?” A Moon Shine Realm minister’s pupils contracted in shock.
In less than a second, she had returned to the Ancient Divine City from the Imperial Capital of Great Jin!
Thinking back, if Qiong had been determined to leave when she captured the Empress’ Husband, she could have returned to the Ancient Divine City in an instant. With the terror of the Ancient Divine City, even a Sky-Reaching Realm cultivator wouldn’t gain any advantage, let alone the Great Jin Dynasty.
Dongfang Liuli said softly, “With her mastery of space, it’s hard for me to even touch her.”
“But from beginning to end, she never attacked me, silently enduring two Imperial Dao edicts before decisively leaving…”
“She did it on purpose.”
Saying this, the Empress sighed softly, bathing in the moonlight, looking up at the sky, as if turning into a stone statue, motionless.
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