174: The incompetent Han Yueyi

Deep within the dragon head warship, in the Town Emperor Pavilion.

There was no darkness here, but instead an extreme whiteness.

All four directions, above and below, were warm, jade-like white walls; the material was indistinguishable, and there wasn't a single crack.

There was no sound, no wind, and even the passage of time became blurred.

To a Mortal, this might just be a quiet secret chamber.

But for a powerhouse at the Great Emperor level, this was the most cruel execution ground.

Because it isolated the Dao.

When Han Yueyi woke up, she only felt a splitting headache, as if her Divine Soul had been forcibly torn apart and crudely stitched back together.

She subconsciously tried to mobilize the Emperor Yuan within her body, but discovered in horror...

That the Spiritual Power, which was originally like a vast ocean, was now as stagnant as a pool of dead water.

In her Qi Sea, Sea of Consciousness, and even at the nodes of every inch of her Meridians, a pitch-black "Seal" character nail was driven.

This was the Nirvana Seal of the Second Ancestor of the Jiang Family—one hundred and eight nails, each one severing her life force.

"Ugh..."

Han Yueyi tried to open her mouth, but her throat could only produce a dry hiss.

She struggled to stand up, only to find her limbs as heavy as lead.

The former Cangwu Empress, who could command the laws with a word and freeze the vast sea with a thought, now found even turning over to be an extravagant hope.

She slumped wretchedly on the ground, the cold sensation seeping into her skin through her tattered Emperor's Robe.

Memories surged back like a tide.

Betrayal.

The sister she had cherished like a treasure, even going so far as to make an enemy of the whole Cangwu for her, had dealt her the most fatal blow in front of the myriad armies.

"Lin Yue..."

Han Yueyi's fingers clawed at the smooth floor, her nails breaking and oozing golden blood.

The confusion in her eyes quickly faded, replaced by overwhelming resentment and unwillingness.

Why?

She had clearly given her the best of everything.

To prevent her from dying young due to a lack of Origin, she had searched the Cangwu for divine medicines; to keep her from being bullied, she had granted her power second only to one and above ten thousand.

Besides that great emperor fruit position which might destabilize the nation's foundation, what had she not given her?

That slut actually colluded with outsiders to seize her foundation!

"Creak—"

Just as Han Yueyi was immersed in her hatred, the originally seamless wall suddenly split open.

Han Yueyi snapped her head up, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes.

Had someone come to save her? Or had that slut found her conscience?

However, it wasn't a person who walked in.

It was a palm-sized, entirely black paper crane.

The paper crane wobbled as it flew in front of her, landing and transforming into a light screen.

On the light screen was the high platform of the Yuedu imperial palace.

The image was extremely clear, even the sound of the wind blowing the flags was perfectly audible.

Han Yueyi saw the figure she hated to the bone—Lin Yue.

She was wearing the Purple-Gold Phoenix Robe that should have belonged to her, with the Imperial Crown symbolizing supreme imperial power on her head, kneeling most piously at the feet of a black-robed man.

"Cangwu World, Lin Yue, requests the Imperial Son to bestow imperial power and allow me to ascend the imperial throne!"

Lin Yue's voice was loud, passing through the light screen like slaps, fiercely striking Han Yueyi's face.

"No... shut up! You traitor! You have no right to wear those clothes!"

Han Yueyi roared at the light screen, pouncing like a madwoman, wanting to tear the image apart.

But her hands only passed through a void of light and shadow, crashing heavily against the wall.

In the image, that black-robed youth—Jiang Yuan—casually uttered a single word: "Granted."

Immediately after, the Luck Golden Dragon entered her body, and ten thousand people bowed in worship.

Han Yueyi watched helplessly as the Cangwu Luck that belonged to her, like a submissive dog, wagged its tail and burrowed into that slut's body.

"That's mine... that's my Luck!"

She trembled all over, tears mixing with blood as they flowed down.

But she could do nothing.

She could only watch powerlessly as the Cangwu Luck supported Lin Yue in ascending the throne.

Then, the scene changed, and the perspective zoomed in.

A wretched face suddenly occupied the entire light screen; it was the Sixth Ancestor of the Jiang Family, Sixth Ancestor.

He seemed to be the person who had specifically recorded this footage.

He was currently making faces at the camera.

"Hey, Han Yueyi, seeing this? Your sister looks much more flavorful in those clothes than you do. What's this called? It's called the waves of the Yangtze River behind pushing the waves ahead, and the waves ahead dying on the beach.

Just stay here in peace. Once your good sister has served my Yuaner well, maybe she'll even throw you a scrap of leftovers."

"Oh, right, this Town Emperor Pavilion has excellent soundproofing. You can scream all you want, no one will hear you even if you scream your throat raw. I'll leave this Image-Recording Crane here to play on a loop to keep you entertained. No need to thank the Sixth Master; the Sixth Master is kind-hearted."

As his voice fell, the light screen flickered and restarted the scene of Lin Yue kneeling and requesting the title.

"Cangwu World, Lin Yue..."

Again and again.

That voice echoed in the enclosed space like a curse.

"Aaaahhh—!!!"

Han Yueyi wanted to drive that voice out of her mind, but it was pervasive, drilling into her ears and piercing her Soul.

She finally understood.

This wasn't imprisonment at all.

This was domestication.

That devil Jiang Yuan wanted to completely destroy her persona as an Empress.

To make her admit her failure from the depths of her Soul, to admit that she was just a stray dog.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Yueyi's voice went hoarse, and her strength was spent.

With disheveled hair, she curled up in a corner, staring blankly at her sister's glorious image on the light screen.

"Lin Yue..."

She gritted her teeth, the voice squeezing out from the depths of her throat, carrying an indelible scent of blood.

She hated.

She hated Jiang Yuan's despicableness, but there was nothing to say about winners and losers.

She hated Lin Yue's betrayal even more.

Han Yueyi believed that anyone in the Cangwu could betray her, except Lin Yue!

Just then, a harsh scraping sound rang out.

A beam of black light squeezed in through the crack in the door.

Jiang Yuan walked in with unhurried steps, carrying a jar of wine in his hand.

Han Yueyi snapped her head up, her blood-red eyes staring fixedly at him.

"He seems to be in good spirits.."

Jiang Yuan stood three feet away from her, and with a casual wave, a chair appeared out of thin air.

He sat down and poured himself a cup of wine; the pungent aroma of the wine spread through the cold pavilion.

"Kill me."

Han Yueyi's voice was raspy.

"Your sister said that back then, and you've said it too. Saying it too much makes it boring."

Jiang Yuan took a sip of wine. "I came today to tell you some good news. Lin Yue has ascended the throne. The entire Cangwu is cheering; no one remembers you, the former master."

As he spoke, he noticed the looped footage.

He immediately realized it was the Sixth Ancestor's wicked sense of humor.

"Oh, so you already know."

"Your sister is very moist and very obedient. I believe that under her leadership, Cangwu will move toward a bright future."

Han Yueyi's body trembled violently as she tried to struggle; invisible chains appeared, making a crisp clinking sound.

"She's not worthy! She's just a lowly substitute!"

"Whether she's worthy or not isn't up to you."

Jiang Yuan put down his wine cup, his gaze turning cold.

"That lowly substitute you speak of is currently purging your loyalists outside to stabilize her position. Red Lotus was personally crippled by her and hung on the city gate. Those so-called Quasi-Emperor Elders of yours are now kneeling at her feet begging for mercy."

Han Yueyi was stunned.

She hadn't expected Lin Yue to be so ruthless.

"This is the good sister you raised."

Jiang Yuan stood up, looking down at her from above. "You treated her as a shadow, so she treated you as a stepping stone. It's quite fair, isn't it?"

"What exactly do you want?"

"I want you to live."

Jiang Yuan let go of his hand. "Watch how she turns your Cangwu World into my back garden, and watch how those female cultivators who once looked up to you now beg for mercy like dogs just to please me."

Han Yueyi let out a desperate laugh, the sound echoing through the empty pavilion, desolate and bone-chilling.

Jiang Yuan ignored her breakdown and walked out of the Town Emperor Pavilion.

He hadn't come specifically to mock her.

He wasn't that idle.

Suppressing her spirit to facilitate stripping her of the great emperor dao fruit later and minimizing losses was the fundamental objective.

Two great emperor fruit positions, no matter in what form... must both be incorporated into the Jiang Family!

...