225: Kneel before me

"Hahaha, my dear younger brother, you truly make your Imperial Sister look at you with new eyes. All these years, you've been so quiet, yet you've hidden such terrifying strength."

"Compared to Imperial Sister, this subject's methods are like a gentle breeze and fine rain, not worth mentioning at all."

Scheming and concealing had become commonplace between this brother and sister.

Nalan Mingyue and Nalan Shu would stop at nothing for power.

"Then let me experience just how far your Imperial Martial Treasure Codex cultivation has reached."

"Since Imperial Sister invites, this subject naturally obeys. Take this!"

As their words fell, surging Dao Rhyme immediately rose from their bodies.

Sima Jinghan and Lin Qianqiu frowned simultaneously and immediately retreated from the battle circle.

A duel between Limit-Breaking Realm experts was no longer something their level could participate in, even for a moment.

"Ya~"

"Hah~"

Brilliant light bloomed freely on Wuji Peak.

Nalan Mingyue and Nalan Shu both let out a deep shout, directly attacking each other.

Jie—

Just as an extreme clash was about to erupt, a Phoenix cry suddenly echoed across the sky.

Clang—

With a clear chime, a Spirit Sword shimmering with Saint Devil Qi shot down from the Void Realm, directly positioning itself between the two who were about to clash.

Boom—

With a loud explosion, Nalan Shu and Nalan Mingyue were both forced back more than ten steps.

"Who's there!"

The brother and sister looked up simultaneously.

They saw flakes of goose feather-like snow falling from the high altitude of Wuji Mountain.

As the snowflakes landed, they all blossomed into ice crystal begonia flowers.

A chill swept through, and the dark clouds in the sky transformed into a snowy vortex.

An unparalleled figure slowly stepped out from the vortex, gracefully descending towards the mountain peak.

"For imperial ambition, regardless of the year."

"Fleeting glory, the Empress descends to reopen Yintian!"

As the clear poetic verse resonated, the snowy figure that had descended lightly tapped the sword hilt with her toes. An extreme chill swept across the entire Wuji Mountain Range, bringing with it a powerful deterrent.

Facing the intervention of a third party, Nalan Mingyue and Nalan Shu both paused their fight, gazing with an unusual look at the stunning figure standing in the center.

"Impudent! Who dares to trespass into my Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty!"

After a brief moment of distraction, Nalan Mingyue waved the Holy Judgment in her hand, sharply questioning the newcomer.

"You, Xuan Sheng Empress Nalan Mingyue?"

The cold face swept a glance at Nalan Mingyue, uttering a cool question.

"Who permitted you to address me by my name! Kneel before me!"

Nalan Mingyue swept her silver spear, and the surging Spiritual Qi transformed into a tornado, striking towards the newcomer.

"How dare you refer to yourself as 'I' in front of me? Where do you get such courage?"

With a light wave of her palm, the silver spear's Qi immediately dispersed.

"Kneel before me and declare yourself a subject, and I can forgive your disrespect!"

"Joke! An emperor kneeling? How can I endure such humiliation?"

"Since that's the case, Yintian Empress Yu Xiyan, shall experience the Xuan Sheng Empress's high moves."

Yu Xiyan raised an arm and pointed, signaling Nalan Mingyue and Nalan Shu that they could attack.

"The loser kneels or dies; this is the consideration I give you."

"You're asking for death!"

The repeated provocations completely made Nalan Mingyue lose control of her emotions.

With a wave of the Holy Judgment, three streaks of spiritual light around her immediately transformed into Dragon Qi.

Yu Xiyan, however, merely curved her lips slightly, not even bothering to take a closer look. She stood on the sword hilt with her hands behind her back, awaiting their attack.

"Holy Judgment Ten Directions."

With a sweep of her spear, three streams of Dragon Qi surged out, heading straight for Yu Xiyan's face.

However, such a powerful strike vanished into nothingness three feet before it could even get close to Yu Xiyan.

Nalan Mingyue was stunned: "What? How is this possible..."

Yu Xiyan mocked her with an expressionless face: "With such strength, you dare to call yourself an Empress? From this day forward, the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty shall cease to exist. The Holy Domain will be replaced by Yintian."

"Impudent! You wish to seize my foundation? Simply wishful thinking!"

"Three chances. If you can withstand three moves, I will immediately retreat. Otherwise, kneel before me and become my subject."

"Dream on!"

Nalan Mingyue was furious, fiercely activating her Imperial Qi, instantly raising her inner true essence to its peak.

Yu Xiyan merely glanced at her, then slowly raised her left palm.

In just an instant, all the Dao Rhyme on Wuji Mountain was drawn into her palm, quickly condensing into a falling sun meteor.

"First move!"

At Yu Xiyan's command, the falling sun meteor shot directly towards Nalan Mingyue.

Nalan Mingyue's face instantly changed drastically. She quickly switched from offense to defense, desperately protecting her surroundings.

But an unprecedented pressure forced the Spiritual Qi within her body to wildly surge.

Boom—

The moment she received the blow, the Holy Judgment could not withstand the elemental force of Yu Xiyan's attack and immediately broke.

But the residual elemental force did not diminish, directly striking Nalan Mingyue's body.

Her long hair, along with blood, scattered in the air.

Nalan Mingyue, who was sent flying, could not believe that one day she would be so weak, unable to even withstand a single move from her opponent.

When she stabilized herself, she found that she was already kneeling on one knee, unable to move a single inch to stand up again.

"Second move!"

Just then, in Yu Xiyan's left palm, the two Qi of water and fire condensed into a ball of light, slowly rotating back and forth.

"Puff—"

She spat out a mouthful of blood, but Nalan Mingyue no longer had any strength left to receive the next move.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! How could I be so weak!"

Unwillingness, humiliation, anger—various strange emotions filled Nalan Mingyue's mind, driving her to the brink of madness.

Yu Xiyan lightly tapped her toe, gracefully landing on a begonia ice crystal, and walked step by step towards Nalan Mingyue.

With each step she took, the surrounding air grew colder.

By the time her figure stood before Nalan Mingyue, the entire Wuji Mountain was enveloped in deadly frost and snow.

"Submit to me, and I shall grant you eternal life!"

Yu Xiyan's words provoked a surge of anger in Nalan Mingyue.

She angrily looked up, staring at Yu Xiyan's face, and said word by word: "From the day I was born, I have never knelt before anyone. Even the gods in heaven cannot make me bow my head."

Yu Xiyan: "That's a pity. I saw you as a talent worth cultivating and intended to spare your life to conquer the world together. Since you are unwilling, then..."

Just as Yu Xiyan was about to deliver a fatal blow to Nalan Mingyue, Nalan Shu suddenly knelt down on one knee before her: "Greetings, Empress. Please show mercy and grant us, this brother and sister, a way to live."

Yu Xiyan heard this and turned to look at Nalan Shu: "You are willing to submit to me?"

Nalan Shu: "Empress's cultivation reaches the heavens, possessing the ability to seize the fortune of heaven and earth. To oppose you would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating oneself. How could I be so foolish?"

Yu Xiyan sneered: "You are quite sensible, at least a hundred times stronger than her."

Nalan Mingyue spat, glaring fiercely at Nalan Shu: "Nalan Shu, you truly disgrace our Nalan Imperial Clan."

Nalan Shu: "Imperial Sister, the situation is already decided, why must you be so stubborn? It is not shameful to kneel before a strong person. Since the Empress intends to recruit us, we should reciprocate."

Nalan Mingyue: "Nalan Shu, you truly disgust me."

Slap—

As her words fell, a five-finger mark appeared on her face.

Before she could turn around, Yu Xiyan's cold voice rang in her ear: "You dare to call yourself 'I' in front of me? This is a minor punishment. If I hear you refer to yourself as such again, it won't be as simple as a slap."

After speaking, she flicked her Phoenix sleeve and said to Nalan Shu: "Nalan Shu, I have a task for you now."

"Please instruct, Empress."

"Exterminate the Haoyang Sect and restore peace to the Holy Domain."

"This subject obeys the decree."

Nalan Shu decisively stood up and turned to Sima Jinghan and Lin Qianqiu, who were not far away.

"As for you..."

Yu Xiyan looked at Nalan Mingyue again.

"Temporarily detain her in the prison, awaiting judgment."