Shu Region, Mountain Range.
Zhu Houzhao scanned his surroundings in confusion.
Empress Wu Zhao was just right in front of him.
The next moment, she vanished into thin air?
Strange!
Could she have already entered the so-called Phoenix Nest?
Looks like there's definitely some kind of formation at play here.
He immediately activated his true essence, channeling it into his eyes.
In an instant.
The entire scenery before him transformed.
A massive volcano appeared in sight.
And not far from it stood the familiar figure of Wu Zhao.
Without hesitating, Zhu Houzhao flew straight toward her, ignoring whatever dangers might lurk in the Phoenix Nest.
==========
Heat.
Pain.
Beyond these sensations, Wu Zhao could feel nothing else.
Earlier, when she approached the volcano's crater, for some inexplicable reason, she lost control over her own body and fell directly into the lava.
Had she not been at the Great Perfection Mythical Realm, almost breaking into the God Demon Realm, she would've been reduced to ashes the moment she fell in.
Even so, she couldn't hold out much longer.
Was she really going to die here?
And in such a humiliating way?
She was unwilling.
She still wanted to stay by the Emperor's side!
She hadn't helped him fulfill his ambition of unifying the Nine Provinces!
How could she just die like this?
"Calm your mind!"
"Circulate the Nirvana Art within you!"
Just as despair, unwillingness, and regret consumed her, a voice like heavenly music rang in her ears.
A cool, soothing power surged into her body, alleviating the burning pain.
It was the Emperor!
He had come at her most desperate, most hopeless moment.
Joy and relief overwhelmed her. For a moment, she even forgot the pain.
"Stop daydreaming, focus!"
A stern voice snapped her back to reality.
Wu Zhao quickly began circulating her Nirvana Art.
In the blink of an eye, an immense surge of terrifying energy from the lava began flooding into her body.
And unexpectedly.
Not only was she unharmed, her injuries began healing rapidly, and her aura surged at astonishing speed.
"Holy sh–!"
Zhu Houzhao couldn't help blurting out a curse as he watched her transformation.
Through that destructive-rebirth cycle, her body was actually evolving again.
Even more, her bottleneck had shattered completely.
In other words.
She could now break through to the God Demon Realm anytime she wished!
Even though Zhu Houzhao had anticipated this, seeing it happen in real time still left him speechless.
This cheat is too ridiculous!
Not even pretending to follow the rules!
Just then, the lava completely erupted.
A phantom image of a phoenix materialized above Wu Zhao's head.
It was the embodiment of Nirvana Art!
The lava that had once violently attacked her now calmed, as if attuned to her breathing.
Wu Zhao now seemed like the very heart of this molten domain.
Zhu Houzhao leapt to a patch of solid land deep within the lava.
With his cultivation, mere lava couldn't harm him.
Still, the formation here had nearly tricked even him.
No wonder the Golden Ranking had warned that even God Demon Realm cultivators could be wounded or sealed here!
If he weren't an absolute anomaly, well-versed in countless arts, he might've fallen for it too.
"Hmm? A Formation Disk?"
"The Heaven Dao Reward is here?"
So the Phoenix Nest was this volcano, or perhaps the lava itself?
Well, it didn't matter.
It was clearly meant for the Empress anyway. Let her handle it.
Given everything so far, Zhu Houzhao was now certain, this was a destiny trial tailor-made for her by the Heaven Dao.
And his curiosity about her true identity only deepened further.
==========
"Ah! Help me!"
Suddenly, a desperate cry rang out.
Startled, Zhu Houzhao turned, thinking Wu Zhao might be in trouble again.
But no.
It was an unfamiliar figure.
Upon closer inspection, he froze for a moment.
Isn't that the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty?
What was she doing here?
Did she also fall into the lava like Wu Zhao?
According to intelligence from the Ming Dynasty's secret network, the Qing Emperor Hongli wasn't her biological son, but one she had adopted and raised.
It was even said that the previous Emperor Yongzheng had been angered to death by her.
She was practically identical to a villainess from a Qing Imperial Palace drama back in his past life.
He hadn't expected her to possess the cultivation of a Great Grandmaster.
But in lava like this, a mere Great Grandmaster was as fragile as an ant.
Did she get pulled in by the same mysterious "calling" that had drawn Wu Zhao?
If so, this woman was beyond foolish.
Probably dumped all her talent points into palace scheming.
Upon seeing Wu Zhao undergoing her enlightenment not far away, the Empress Dowager desperately hurled herself toward her, hoping to grab hold of a lifeline.
Zhu Houzhao's eyes turned cold.
Courting death!
He flicked his fingers, a sword beam shot forth, blasting her away into the lava.
She was instantly submerged.
If she'd stayed away, he might've spared her for being a familiar character from a drama.
But trying to harm his Empress?
Unforgivable.
Besides, the Qing Dynasty and Ming Dynasty were enemies anyway.
There would eventually be a war to the death.
Taking out one Empress Dowager early was just interest on the debt.
If one had made it in, the others wouldn't be far behind.
These were clearly all contenders for the Phoenix Nest.
Perfect. He'd deal with them all now, save trouble later.
Women were scary, petty, and vindictive.
If any of them escaped and discovered Wu Zhao was the one who beat them, they'd definitely mobilize their nations for revenge.
While Zhu Houzhao wasn't afraid of war, going to battle over something this petty was just stupid.
Splash!
Another figure fell into the lava.
"Hmm? One of Temujin's Imperial Consorts?"
"Interesting."
He hadn't guessed wrong, these were all rivals.
Before she could even scream, Zhu Houzhao sliced her down with another sword beam.
Her body turned to ash in the lava.
Almost all the ones falling into the lava were women.
Their escorts likely got trapped in the formation outside.
If even Zhu Houzhao had nearly fallen for it, what hope did they have?
As time passed.
More figures dropped in.
Unfamiliar faces? One sword slash each. No mercy.
"Huh? The Queen Dowager Xiao of the Liao Kingdom? She's at Half-Step Land Immortal?"
"Didn't expect that."
"No wonder she crushed the Song Dynasty so easily, brains, schemes, and power all on point."
"Too bad. You met me."
He struck her down with a touch of regret.
Within minutes.
He had slain no fewer than ten Queens, Consorts, Queen Dowagers, and Empress Dowagers from across the Nine Provinces.
Was Heaven Dao really offering them up as sacrifices for Wu Zhao's breakthrough?
Zhu Houzhao certainly didn't think he was behind it.
If anything, it reeked of Heaven Dao's own scheming.
Though it had given Wu Zhao many benefits, he'd never once let his guard down toward Heaven Dao.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from the lava below.
An overwhelming aura burst forth.
The surrounding lava churned even more violently.
"God Demon Realm!"
Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up.
She'd really broken through!
"Your Majesty!"
Wu Zhao's figure flashed and appeared before him, beaming with joy.
Zhu Houzhao starred in a daze.
After her breakthrough, Wu Zhao's aura and appearance had both ascended to a whole new level.
Even he was briefly stunned.
Before, there were still other women who could match her beauty and presence.
Now?
She stood above them all.
It felt like she had stepped into a higher tier of existence.
Among all his women, none could rival a God Demon Realm cultivator.
Though the Mythical and God Demon Realms were both within the Land Immortal Realm.
There was a fundamental gap between them.
"Is the Phoenix Nest still without a master?"
Zhu Houzhao asked curiously.
"Just now, while immersed in the lava, I absorbed a mysterious energy."
"After that, I felt incredibly attuned to this place."
"It's like this volcano, this lava, they've all become a part of me."
"I can sense everything here clearly."
Wu Zhao smiled warmly.
"Looks like you're the new master of the Phoenix Nest."
"The Formation Disk here must be the Heaven Dao Reward. Better get familiar with it."
"Yes, Your Majesty. But before that, I need to clean out the rats hiding in the formation."
Zhu Houzhao paused, then understood.
They must be the martial escorts of those foreign Imperial Consorts, Queens, Queen Dowagers, and Empress Dowagers.
"Can you handle them all?"
"Easily. Even Heavenly Human and Mythical Realm cultivators would struggle against the formation."
Soon after, Wu Zhao returned with a report.
"All dealt with. Some of them were quite powerful."
"There were even two Heavenly Human Realm cultivators."
"Likely from the Qing Dynasty and Liao Kingdom."
Zhu Houzhao nodded.
Probably the escorts of Queen Dowager Xiao and the Qing Empress Dowager.
Only women of their standing would have such protection.
Unfortunately for them, they ran into Zhu Houzhao and Wu Zhao.
Even Mythical Realm cultivators would fall before them.
"How does your strength feel now?"
"Early God Demon Realm, the weakest tier of the realm."
"But I'm more than satisfied."
"In under a year, from Half-Step Land Immortal to full God Demon Realm..."
"Even I can hardly believe it."
Wu Zhao seemed a bit dazed herself.
Zhu Houzhao rolled his eyes.
You think it's unbelievable too?
It's not just unbelievable, it's outright absurd!
The Heaven Dao is clearly power-leveling you at full throttle.
And the worst part? You're not even unstable at all!
Wu Zhao glanced around and said.
"Your Majesty, we've been away from the palace too long."
"We should return, or trouble may arise."
"Agreed. But... are we just leaving the Phoenix Nest like this?"
"It's a legit Forbidden Land. Properly managed, it could be a huge asset."
"And I sense this place will be very important to your future cultivation."
"There's even a deeper secret hidden here..."
Zhu Houzhao looked meaningfully at the lava depths.
Even he felt an aura there that chilled him.
Far beyond the God Demon Realm.
"Your Majesty, I'd like to establish a secret base here."
"Do as you see fit."
Zhu Houzhao didn't mind.
Aside from Wu Zhao, few could endure this place anyway.
==========
Meanwhile, across the Nine Provinces.
Many who had felt the mysterious pull of the Phoenix Nest now experienced a jolt.
That deadly temptation they'd sensed earlier?
Gone.
Even their connection to the Phoenix Nest's location had vanished.
A single thought surfaced in all their minds.
The Phoenix Nest now has a master.
==========
Han Imperial Harem, Jiang Yuyan Chambers.
"Damn it! Already gone?!"
"Who got it in the end?"
"Was it the Ming Empress, Wu Zhao?"
Jiang Yuyan immediately suspected Wu Zhao.
She also considered the Empresses of the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty.
Such a massive opportunity, snatched away... How could she feel anything but resentment?
"Hmph. It's just the Rank 9 Forbidden Land."
"Someday, when I rise to power, wherever I go will automatically become a Forbidden Land!"
"Just like Zhu Houzhao himself."
==========
Sui Imperial Palace, Empress Xiao Meiniang Chambers.
When the temptation vanished, she felt both relief and disappointment.
The Phoenix Nest was no longer hers to claim.
Though she had been mentally prepared, bitterness still lingered.
"Time to focus on what's right in front of me."
"There's an even bigger headache to deal with."
"Why has Supreme Master Yuwen been asking me so many strange questions lately?"
"Could the Emperor be testing me through him?"
Suspicion swirled in her heart.
She believed Yuwen Tuo's probing came from Emperor Yang Guang's orders.
As a result, she became even more reserved around Yuwen Tuo.
She couldn't afford to reveal her true thoughts.
The Emperor was becoming more and more unfamiliar to her.
Frighteningly unfamiliar.
She needed power to protect herself.
Not only was she cultivating the Longevity Art, but she was also focusing on teaching it to the Twin Dragons.
In a crisis, they might be her only hope.