Qin Imperial Palace.
Ying Zheng stared at the ranking, his heart stirred.
He even considered sending the Black Ice Platform Leader to the Ming Dynasty to stir up some trouble.
Unfortunately, he was immediately stopped by the middle-aged scholar beside him.
"Your Majesty, our top priority right now is to eliminate the forces of Monarch Changping."
"The Ming Dynasty and Emperor Zhu Houzhao are not our main concern for the moment."
"I believe the other nations will not sit idly by."
"They are bound to fan the flames from behind the scenes, though I suspect, judging by what I know of Zhu Houzhao, they are likely to fail."
Ying Zheng shook his head.
"No matter what, we must take action."
"Send the deputy Black Ice Platform Leader to the Ming Dynasty. What can be done depends on fate."
Ying Zheng was not one to miss any opportunity to weaken Zhu Houzhao or the strength of the Ming Dynasty.
No matter how proud he was, even Ying Zheng felt the pressure that Zhu Houzhao and the Ming Dynasty brought.
He was confident he could eliminate Monarch Changping.
That prince might be a future threat, but he would never be a true equal.
Someone like Monarch Changping simply wasn't worthy.
But Emperor Zhu Houzhao was different.
He had to remain vigilant.
"Summon Wang Jian and Meng Tian. Have them each lead two hundred thousand troops and join forces with Monarch Wu'an, Bai Qi, to surround and suppress Monarch Changping."
"Whatever trump cards that rebel hold will soon be forced into the open."
"I want to see what else he's hiding."
"On the path to my dominion, any challenger will be mercilessly destroyed."
Ying Zheng declared coldly, his presence menacing.
==========
Han Dynasty, Imperial Harem.
Jiang Yuyan Palace.
After advancing to the Heavenly Human Realm, Jiang Yuyan's power within the Han Imperial Court had skyrocketed.
Outside the capital, rebellion and unrest were rampant, but within the court and the capital, Jiang Yuyan controlled more than half the power.
The rest was divided among military generals and aristocratic families.
"Ming Empress Wu Zhao!"
"I will surpass you one day!"
Jiang Yuyan had always harbored deep jealousy toward Wu Zhao.
Unfortunately, she had never been in a position to act on it.
The gap between them had been far too wide.
But now things are different.
In terms of status, as an Imperial Consort of the Han Dynasty, she was not much lower than Wu Zhao, the Ming Empress.
In terms of strength, she had also reached the Heavenly Human Realm and was no weaker than Wu Zhao.
With her talent, she was confident she would catch up and eventually surpass her.
In the future, she would become the most powerful and exalted woman in all the Nine Provinces.
No.
Not just surpass women.
She would surpass all men as well.
She would become the most powerful and respected individual in all of the Nine Provinces.
Her heart was full of grand ambition.
Who said only men could unite the Nine Provinces?
She would do it as a woman.
Become an invincible Empress of the ages.
At this moment, rather than being discouraged by Wu Zhao's achievements, Jiang Yuyan's ambition surged even more wildly.
She already saw the entire Nine Provinces as something within her grasp.
==========
Han Dynasty Territory.
Heaven Gate Headquarters.
"Ming Empress Wu Zhao?!"
"You've grown this much? You'll definitely be a major threat to this deity in the future!"
Di Shitian glared viciously at the ranking.
Between Wu Zhao, Netherworld City, and himself, there could be no reconciliation.
If not for Zhu Houzhao's protection, he would have already struck her down.
Now, watching her grow stronger by the day filled Di Shitian with unease.
But thinking of Zhu Houzhao's terrifying power, even he dared not act recklessly.
All he could do was scheme from the shadows.
But for someone like Wu Zhao, such tricks were useless.
Especially now that she had inherited the legendary Ancient Phoenix Empress, she had become an even greater threat.
This couldn't continue. Something had to be done.
She had to be eliminated completely.
That cunning and treacherous Jiang Yuyan of the Han Dynasty might prove to be a useful pawn.
She might bring him an unexpected advantage in the future.
Just then.
"Master, we've just received intel. The agents we sent to monitor Jiang Yuyan were once again killed by the Han Dynasty's Stitched Cloth Guard."
"At the same time, the Stitched Cloth Guard also perished with them."
"Mutual destruction."
Luo Xian entered and calmly reported.
"Interesting, haha, very interesting!"
"Mutual destruction?"
"This is the third time, isn't it?"
"That little ant dares play me like a fool? She's seeking death!"
Di Shitian laughed in fury.
With his cunning, it was obvious that both Heaven Gate agents and the Stitched Cloth Guard had been manipulated.
They were all dancing in the palm of Jiang Yuyan's hand.
What a waste of resources!
"Master, shall we take care of her? She clearly doesn't respect Heaven Gate in the slightest!"
"No need. Jiang Yuyan still has her uses."
"Keep her alive. I want to see how far she can go."
"No matter how strong she becomes, she will never escape the palm of my hand."
Di Shitian was full of confidence, bordering on arrogance.
Below, Luo Xian seemed thoughtful.
She felt a great sense of danger from Jiang Yuyan.
That woman was definitely not simple.
But she didn't voice any warning to Di Shitian.
Perhaps Jiang Yuyan truly would cause him some serious trouble.
She looked forward to it.
At that moment, another person arrived and respectfully reported to Di Shitian.
"Master, the Divine Dragon you ordered us to monitor has shown signs of activity. It appears it could awaken at any moment!"
"What? Impossible! It's not yet the Day of Awakening. How could it be waking up now?"
Di Shitian was visibly shaken and questioned loudly.
"Master, it's true. I speak no lies!"
"Our agents have frequently heard dragon roars in the area, accompanied by tremors and quakes!"
"There was even a tsunami near Dragon Island."
"The Divine Dragon may emerge at any moment!"
"Continue surveillance immediately. Report any unusual activity at once!"
"Yes, Master. I shall take my leave!"
Di Shitian now seemed restless, pacing nonstop within the grand hall.
The Divine Dragon was about to awaken.
But it was far ahead of the Day of Awakening he had calculated.
What a surprise!
The seven chosen dragon slayers had not yet been selected.
He needed to hurry!
Fortunately, now that the Heaven Dao Ranking had appeared, many of those ranked were decent candidates.
He would choose them.
As for whether they would accept, that was not up to them.
"Luo Xian, stay here and continue guarding the Heaven Gate Headquarters. I'm heading out!"
"Yes, Master!"
Watching Di Shitian vanish in a flash, Luo Xian's eyes grew calm.
Her thoughts stirred.
"A Divine Dragon? It seems Di Shitian is hiding a great secret!"
"I must report this to my new master. He will definitely be very interested in this matter."
With that, Luo Xian used the unique communication method she shared with Zhu Houzhao and sent the message.
==========
Phoenix Nest.
Depths of the volcano, a spacious chamber.
Empress Wu Zhao sat cross-legged.
Her aura fluctuated wildly, sometimes strong, sometimes weak.
Her original God Demon Realm cultivation suddenly plummeted.
Mythical Realm, Heavenly Human Realm.
Then it continued to drop, Great Grandmaster Realm, Grandmaster Realm, Innate Realm.
Eventually, she became an ordinary person with no cultivation at all.
"Nine Cycle Nirvana, turn!"
At that moment, a multicolored radiance enveloped Wu Zhao from the sky.
A vast, gentle force surged through her, madly transforming her physique.
Her already formidable Indestructible Divine Phoenix Physique advanced further.
It evolved into the Indestructible Divine Phoenix Immortal Physique.
Its divine qualities multiplied.
Its power reached new heights.
Wu Zhao remained expressionless on the surface, but deep inside, she was incredibly calm.
Originally, she had only a seventy percent chance of succeeding in the next phase of the Nine Cycle Nirvana Scripture.
Now that her physique had undergone complete transformation, she had full confidence, one hundred percent.
The Heaven Dao Reward had arrived at the perfect moment.
With a gentle shout, her cultivation surged out of nothingness.
It rapidly expanded, flowing swiftly through her body.
Innate Realm, Grandmaster Realm, Great Grandmaster Realm.
Boom!
A bottleneck shattered.
Wu Zhao returned to the Heavenly Human Realm, the Land Immortal Realm.
And still, her power kept rising.
Mythical Realm, God Demon Realm!
What surprised everyone was that, despite her rapid progress, her foundation showed no signs of instability.
In fact, it was more solid, ten times more profound than before.
Was this the true marvel of the Nine Cycle Nirvana Scripture?
A terrifying aura erupted from Wu Zhao.
Thankfully, this was within the Phoenix Nest, surrounded by powerful formations.
If it had happened in the outside world, storms would have raged across the land.
Only when she reached the Intermediate God Demon Realm did the growth stop.
Not because she couldn't continue, but because she chose to pause and refine her control.
Even without flaws, she would remain cautious and prudent.
==========
At the same time.
Outside the Phoenix Nest, Zhu Houzhao suddenly sensed something.
He had just received a special message from Luo Xian.
After reading the contents, he understood everything.
His eyes showed deep thought.
The Divine Dragon was about to awaken?
Dragon Essence.
Interesting.
So Di Shitian was determined to get this dragon.
The Seven Dragon Slayers?
This time, Zhu Houzhao was planning something big.
Something that would shake the entire Nine Provinces.
Last time, when Nameless received the Heaven Dao's Dragon Essence reward, countless people in the Nine Provinces were filled with envy.
Now, with an even greater chance to obtain Dragon Essence, how could the powerful cultivators across the land let it slip by?
It was the perfect time to see how many hidden cultivators the Nine Provinces truly held.
"Dark One!"
"Your Majesty!"
The Dark Guard Leader appeared before Zhu Houzhao in an instant.
"I have a task for you."
A few minutes later.
"I understand what must be done!"
"Then go!"
==========
Soon after, a message swept through the entire Nine Provinces like a storm.
Countless people were shocked the moment they heard it.
Even powerful cultivators were stirred.
One after another, they made their way into the territory of the Han Dynasty.
The Han Martial World was in complete turmoil.
Even the ongoing wars between rebels and insurgents came to a halt, as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
"Hey, did you hear? The Divine Dragon really exists in this world!"
"Yeah, who would've thought?"
"We used to think it was just a myth, but now it's showing up for real!"
"I wonder what it looks like?"
"Could it really summon rain and control the skies like in the legends?"
"Who knows? But I've heard that many powerful cultivators are preparing to slay the dragon!"
"Slay the dragon? Are they not afraid of divine punishment?"
"Heh, divine punishment? To those strong enough, a so-called Divine Dragon is just a rare beast!"
"Every part of the dragon is a treasure. If you eat it, it might boost your cultivation or extend your life!"
"Besides, even Land Immortals are appearing this time."
"Wow, that's incredible! Are they coming to slay the dragon too?"
"Exactly. They're after the Dragon Essence!"
"Oh my god! Even the Mythical Realm desires that treasure!"
"Let's go too! Maybe we'll get lucky and grab a piece of dragon liver or dragon meat!"
"Let's all go! Slay the dragon, ha! Soon I'll be able to call myself a dragon slayer!"
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
T/N: I want to translate many wuxia novels, but I don't think I could upload it here since they're original books. But, I want you guys to be able to see it too. Any idea how?
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
List of Characters:
Number One Under Heaven ( 天下第一 )
・Zhu Houzhao ( 朱厚照 ) — Emperor of Ming Dynasty
Sun Moon In The Sky ( 日月当空 )
・Wu Zhao ( 武曌 ) — Empress of Ming Dynasty
Qin's Moon ( 秦时明月 )
・Ying Zheng ( 嬴政 ) — Emperor of Qin Dynasty
A Step Into The Past ( 寻秦记 )
・Shang Yang ( 商鞅 ) – Prime Minister of Qin Dynasty
Xiao Yu'er and Hua Wuque ( 小鱼儿与花无缺 )
・Jiang Yuyan ( 江玉燕 ) — Illegitimate Daughter of Jiang Biehe
Wind and Cloud ( 风云 )
・Di Shitian ( 帝释天 ) — Master of Heaven Gate
・Luo Xian ( 骆仙 ) — Ghost Divine Mother of Heaven Gate