176: We're all the same, he's mine.

Lin Ziyao cried out in alarm, wanting to rush over, but found herself trapped in place by an invisible, icy force, unable to move.

Chu Yuehua extended her jade-like hand with an expressionless face, grasping at the air towards Qin Wushang, who had turned into an ice sculpture.

The next moment, the space around the ice sculpture where Qin Wushang was located distorted violently, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped it into its palm.

With a flash of light, the humanoid ice sculpture instantly shrank, turning into a palm-sized, crystal-clear ice figurine that landed steadily in Chu Yuehua's fair palm.

She lowered her eyes, looking at the tiny Qin Wushang in her palm, as if admiring an exquisite piece of captive art.

"Enough! Chu Yuehua!"

Lin Ziyao's eyes were wide with rage, her voice trembling with anger and anxiety as she roared: "What are you doing?"

"You are only his Revered Master! By what right do you treat him like this? Aren't you overstepping your bounds?"

Chu Yuehua slowly lifted her eyes, looking at the agitated Lin Ziyao with cold, indifferent eyes, while her palm slightly curled, tightening her grip on the ice figurine.

"This Empress insists on interfering."

"And you, what can you do about it?"

She took a step forward, her Imperial Might pressing down like a mountain upon Lin Ziyao, her voice carrying a question that pierced through the heart.

"Lin Ziyao, is he really that good?"

"Good enough to make you abandon the ambition of dominating the world in your past life, and now that you've been granted a Rebirth, you only focus on this petty romance?"

"When did your vision become so narrow and laughable?"

Lin Ziyao gritted her teeth and straightened her spine, resisting that terrifying Imperial Might, her eyes flashing with obsession.

"I want him!"

"I missed out in my past life, watching him... In this life, I will never let go again! You simply don't understand!"

"Don't understand?"

Chu Yuehua scoffed, her tone filled with undisguised mockery as she said disdainfully.

"Having been granted a Rebirth, instead of plotting for your imperial throne and empire, or gathering strength to face the great catastrophe of the future, you are here acting like your life depends on a man?"

"Lin Ziyao, did you leave your brain in your previous life when you underwent your Rebirth?"

"Spare me that!"

Lin Ziyao retorted unceremoniously, her eyes gleaming with the light of someone who saw through everything.

"Trying to use these tactics to trick me into giving up?"

"Chu Yuehua, do you really think I am still the Lin Ziyao from the past life who could be easily led by the nose by you?"

"He is the Emperor of this life! The true Emperor! The undisputed Emperor!"

"To possess him is to possess everything in the future!"

"Do you dare to say that when you took him as your disciple, you truly had none of these intentions?"

Chu Yuehua's gaze narrowed slightly, but her face remained frosty as she responded: "None."

"This Empress took him in only to guide him onto the Righteous Path and prevent him from falling into the path of the Devil, nothing more."

"Give it a rest! Chu Yuehua!"

Lin Ziyao sneered, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Do you think I don't know you?"

"We have fought for so many years; I know exactly what kind of person you are!"

"Outwardly cold and arrogant, but in reality, your desire for control is stronger than anyone's! Your schemes are far-reaching, and your plans never fail!"

"You would make an investment with zero return? Only a ghost would believe that!"

Chu Yuehua fell silent for a moment, the chill around her intensifying, to the point where frost patterns even began to form on the walls of the room.

She looked at Lin Ziyao and said, word by word: "So, are you determined to fight this out with this Empress to the very end?"

"And what if I do?"

Lin Ziyao raised her chin, not backing down.

"Happiness must be fought for by oneself! Now that that woman Ye Hongfu is not here, this is my Opportunity!"

"Naive! Foolish!"

Chu Yuehua's tone suddenly turned sharp, and she sneered: "Do you really think you are the only one who has established a connection with him?"

"Chu Yuer has mediocre Aptitude and might be willing to be a secondary wife, and you might think you can manipulate her like a maid, but what about Su Qingjue?"

"Can you order her around?"

Hearing the name Su Qingjue, Lin Ziyao's expression changed abruptly, a flicker of shock and doubt flashing in her eyes.

"You... what did you say? Su Qingjue? She also..."

"Why wouldn't she be?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Chu Yuehua's eyes.

"Do you think you are the only one who obtained an Opportunity and was granted a Rebirth?"

"This Empress can tell you clearly that Su Qingjue is just like us."

"And she hides deeper than you and is much more troublesome."

Lin Ziyao's pupils contracted slightly, her heart shaking violently.

Su Qingjue, that mysterious and unfathomable Demoness with a hidden background, was actually also a person who had experienced Rebirth?

That Demoness was the key to Qin Wushang falling into the path of the Devil!

If she had experienced Rebirth, she might truly devour Qin Wushang!

Chu Yuehua did not wait for her to digest this news and continued to throw out even more shocking information.

"It's not just Su Qingjue."

"There is also Mu Bingyun, that iceberg Saintess of the Heaven Mending Sacred Sect; she also has problems, and... something is very wrong."

Mu Bingyun!

A top-tier proud daughter of Heaven!

Terrifyingly beautiful!

Extremely pure, known as a killing machine for male cultivators; everyone who sees her is captivated, calling her Fairy at every turn!

Lin Ziyao frowned, feeling unprecedented pressure.

If all these women were surrounding Qin Wushang with the memories and goals of their past lives...

"Of those stunningly talented women in the Imperial City back then, almost all are here, except for the one from Taihuang Heaven."

Chu Yuehua said in a haunting tone: "This Empress even suspects that the one from Taihuang Heaven is likely the same as us."

"After all, we have all touched that thing..."

Lin Ziyao's breath hitched; she knew what Chu Yuehua was referring to...

That forbidden object closely related to the mystery of their Rebirth, which had restarted everything!

Perhaps the one from Taihuang Heaven was the same!

"And what of it?"

Lin Ziyao forced down the turbulence in her heart and said stubbornly.

"The one closest to the water gets the moon first! Now that he is by my side, I have plenty of opportunities!"

"Opportunities?"

Chu Yuehua acted as if she had heard a joke, lifting her palm to look at the frozen Qin Wushang.

"Now, he is in the hands of this Empress."

She slowly curled her fingers, gripping the ice figurine tightly, her gaze once again becoming cold and overbearing.

"This Empress has the final say."

"Lin Ziyao, you had better watch yourself."

As the words fell, Chu Yuehua did not spare Lin Ziyao another glance, her left hand casually slicing through the Void Realm beside her.

"Riiiip!!"

Space was easily torn apart like a piece of tattered cloth, revealing a pitch-black crack leading to an unknown, deep place.

The terrifying aura of the Void Realm turbulence spilled out from within, yet could not shake her in the slightest.

She tightened her grip and stepped into the crack in one stride.

"Chu Yuehua! Put him down!"

Lin Ziyao was overcome with anxious rage and wanted to rush forward, but was pinned down by the residual Imperial Might, unable to move.

She could only watch helplessly as that moon-white figure disappeared into the crack, which then rapidly sealed itself as if it had never appeared.

In the room, only Lin Ziyao remained, along with the chill that had yet to dissipate.

She stood dazed in place, looking at the spot where Chu Yuehua had disappeared, then looked at the position where Qin Wushang had been standing just moments ago; it was empty, with only a few ice crystals remaining on the floor.

A few seconds later.

"Bang!"

A violently surging purple-gold Divine Power suddenly erupted from Lin Ziyao's delicate body!

Everything in the room developed cracks, and the entire inn shook violently!

Lin Ziyao's chest heaved violently, her stunningly beautiful face slightly twisted by extreme anger and frustration.

"Chu! Yue! Hua!"

"Fine! You are very fine!"

"To actually... actually dare to ruin my plans!"

"And... and you stole him... away!!!"

She gritted her teeth, every word seemingly bursting from between her teeth, filled with endless resentment and unwillingness.

"No!"

"Brother Wushang is mine!"

She stamped her feet, her figure flashed, and she left the inn, heading toward the Chu Clan Ancestral Land at top speed.