16: Chapter 16: Storms Rise in the Southern Region! A Battle for the Fate of Two Great Empires!

Great Zhou Empire, Imperial Capital.

This was one of the most prosperous centers in the Southern Region, where purple clouds gathered from the east and dragon veins converged.

However, at this moment, inside the magnificent Imperial Study, the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.

The Great Zhou Emperor, Wu Tong, a powerhouse at the Late Nascent Soul Stage who shook the Southern Region, was staring fixedly at the Imperial Jade Seal before him.

The jade seal, which originally symbolized the eternal stability of imperial power, was currently trembling violently, emitting wails as if in fear, and the luster upon it was fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Aww—!!"

Above the imperial palace, the Imperial Dynasty Golden Dragon of Fortune, which could only be seen by successive emperors through secret arts, was circling and roaring uneasily.

Its massive body rolled through the clouds, its huge dragon head staring fixedly to the north. In its dragon eyes, there was no longer the usual majesty, but rather a gaze filled with vigilance and trembling!

It was as if in that direction, some terrifying existence had been born that made it feel Bloodline suppression!

"The north... That is the direction of Azure Cloud City..."

Wu Tong's face was livid, his hands gripping the armrests of the dragon throne so hard his knuckles turned white.

"What exactly has been born? To be able to suppress the Luck of my Great Zhou for five thousand years!?!"

"Is it an Awakening ancient imperial tomb? Or a peerless demon emperor attempting to reach the Soul Transformation Realm?"

"No... If it were a demon emperor, the Golden Dragon of Fortune would be angry, not fearful!"

Regardless of the possibility, for the Great Zhou Empire, which relied on Luck to establish its nation, this was a disaster capable of shaking its very Foundation!

If the Luck were devoured, the national strength of Great Zhou would decline, and those covetous Sects and neighboring countries would absolutely pounce like sharks smelling blood!

"It must be investigated clearly! Before it gains momentum, eradicate it or control it!"

A flash of ruthlessness flickered in Wu Tong's Heavenly Eye.

"Come here! Summon the Grand Princess to audience immediately!"

A moment later, a crisp yet rhythmic sound of metal clashing rang out.

A woman dressed in a crimson gold phoenix-patterned battle robe, with a sword named Dragon Slayer hanging at her waist, walked in with long strides.

She was tall, with long, powerful legs, and the curves wrapped in battle armor were both full of strength and feminine softness.

Her jet-black hair was tied high, revealing a smooth, full forehead and an extremely cold and beautiful face.

Most striking were her slightly upturned phoenix eyes; as she looked around, there was a domineering and sharp aura that did not lose to any emperor.

This was the Grand Princess of Great Zhou, known as the Valkyrie, Wu Qin!

She was not only the strongest Prodigy of the younger generation of the Great Zhou royal family, having reached the Late Golden Core Stage at only thirty-five years old, but she had also awakened the diluted True Phoenix Bloodline, making her the candidate most likely to inherit the throne and even challenge the legendary Soul Transformation Realm.

"Father Emperor, you summoned me so urgently, is it because of the anomaly in the north?"

Wu Qin bowed slightly, her voice as cold and clear as ice springs striking stone, without a hint of a daughter's tenderness.

Wu Tong pointed to the north, his tone unprecedentedly solemn.

"Qin'er, since you can also sense it, I will speak plainly."

"The national Luck is warning us; there is a rebellious dragon born in the direction of Azure Cloud City in the north! And that newborn Luck is so strong that it is even devouring the national Luck of my Great Zhou in reverse! If it is allowed to grow, my Great Zhou is in danger!"

"I must sit in the imperial capital to suppress the national Luck so it does not disperse; I cannot easily leave the capital. Looking at the court and the wild, only you have the ability to handle this matter."

"Take your Heavenly Dragon Guards and head to Azure Cloud City immediately! At all costs, find out the source!"

Hearing this, a fierce cold light surged in Wu Qin's beautiful eyes:

"Devouring national Luck? How bold!"

As someone with the True Phoenix Bloodline, she was most sensitive to such provocations.

She slowly stood up straight, and a noble aura belonging to an emperor erupted instantly, faintly echoing with the Golden Dragon of Fortune above, emitting a clear phoenix cry!

"Father Emperor, rest assured. Under the whole heaven, is there any land that is not the king's? Within the borders of the land, is there anyone who is not the king's subject."

"No matter what kind of demons or monsters they are, if they dare to touch the Foundation of my Great Zhou, I will definitely slay them under my sword, bring them back to the imperial capital, and behead them in public to serve as a warning!"

"Heavenly Dragon Guards, set off!"

...

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away.

Great Qin Empire, Xianyang Palace.

Unlike the magnificent Great Zhou, the palaces of Great Qin were built entirely of obsidian, exuding a sense of murderous, iron-blooded, and ancient mystery.

Above the main hall, the Great Qin Emperor, Ying the Third, leaned lazily on a three-headed dragon throne cast from the skulls of three black dragons with glaring eyes.

He wore a black dragon robe, his face was resolute, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, the sound echoing in the empty hall.

"Interesting..."

A playful smile curled the corner of Ying the Third's mouth, his gaze seemingly piercing through mountains and rivers.

"That old guy Wu Tong must be jumping with anxiety right now, right?"

"The Golden Dragon of Fortune of Great Zhou is actually wailing? Heh, after all these years, this is the first time I have seen that old loach in such a sorry state."

"It seems that in our south, an incredible variable has appeared."

Azure Cloud City was located right at the border between Great Zhou and Great Qin.

Although nominally under the jurisdiction of Great Zhou, because it was remote and barren in resources, it had always been on the edge of Great Zhou.

But now, there was actually the Qi of a True Dragon rising into the sky there?

For Great Qin, which had always wanted to annex Great Zhou and unify the Southern Region, this was a once-in-a-thousand-years Opportunity!

"Come here, let Yue'e come."

A moment later, in the main hall, the space fluctuated slightly, as if ripples appeared on the water surface.

A figure as cold and hazy as moonlight slowly emerged.

She was wearing a light purple fairy dress, her face covered with a light veil, and her features could not be seen, but the eyes exposed outside were like a deep starry sky, full of wisdom and mystery, as if they could see through people's hearts.

This was the most mysterious National Preceptor and Grand Princess of Great Qin—Ying Yue'e.

It is rumored that when she was born, there were anomalies in the sky, a bright moon in the sky, and she was born with the "Taiyin Moon Physique," and she was also proficient in the Dao of deduction and divination, making her the mastermind of the Great Qin Empire.

"Imperial Brother." Ying Yue'e's voice was ethereal, without a trace of worldly aura.

Ying the Third pointed to the south:

"Yue'e, you should have sensed it too. There is a change in the direction of Azure Cloud City. Wu Tong will definitely see this as a reverse scale, and he will certainly send people to suppress it."

"But this... isn't it an Opportunity for my Great Qin?"

Ying Yue'e did not speak, but stretched out her slender, jade-like fingers and quickly calculated in the Void Realm.

However, as she deduced, her brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Every time she wanted to see the source of that Luck clearly, there was always an extremely domineering, chaotic mist that seemed to come from ancient times that pushed her Divine Sense away!

"Pfft!"

Ying Yue'e's body suddenly trembled, a trace of blood overflowed from the corner of her mouth, and her beautiful eyes were full of horror.

"What's wrong?" Ying the Third was shocked and stood up quickly.

Ying Yue'e waved her hand, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and instead, an unprecedented excitement shone in her eyes:

"Imperial Brother... Incredible!"

"The hexagram shows... the hidden dragon is in the abyss, the flying dragon is in the sky! That Luck is not only terrifyingly high in Rank, but... it is not a dead object, it has an owner!"

"It is not an evil spirit, but a true omen of auspiciousness!"

"If it can be brought into my Great Qin, perhaps... Imperial Brother can not only unify the Southern Region but even have a chance to break the shackles of this Southern Region and impact the legendary Soul Transformation Realm!"

"What!?!"

Hearing the words Soul Transformation, Ying the Third's breathing instantly quickened, his eyes full of ambition, and he could no longer remain calm.

"Good! What a great auspicious omen!"

"Since it is an auspicious omen, it naturally belongs to those with virtue. If Great Zhou cannot keep it, I will keep it!"

"Yue'e, you go personally. Take the most elite Shadow Guards and go to Azure Cloud City."

"If the master of that True Dragon can be recruited, then offer heavy rewards, and even... marriage is not impossible. My sister is worthy of any hero in the world!"

"If not..."

A flash of ruthless murderous intent crossed Ying the Third's eyes:

"Then destroy it! I would rather betray the people of the world than let Great Zhou get this Opportunity and turn over to ride on my head!"

Ying Yue'e bowed slightly, her figure dissipated into moonlight again, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance.

"Yue'e accepts the order. I will definitely bring back this auspicious omen for Imperial Brother."

...

At this moment, in the Su Family of Azure Cloud City.

Su Feng was lying leisurely on the rocking chair in the courtyard, with Yan Ling'er snuggled affectionately in his arms.

He had no idea that the Golden Dragon of Fortune that had just awakened had completely stirred up the winds and clouds of the entire Southern Region.

Great Zhou, Great Qin.

The strongest imperial princesses of the two Empires were rushing toward this small border town with completely different goals!