Within the Chao Ge Palace, the heart of the Great Ci Dynasty, Emperor Yao Guang's voice, as gentle as her motherly smile, echoed through the grand hall.
“Qing Qiu, sister, you have brought back Emperor Xin’s Human Sovereign Sword and the Imperial Seal of the Shang Dynasty. I am most pleased. You have worked hard these past few days. Please rest now.”
Qing Qiu spoke, “Yes, Elder Sister.” She turned and walked out of the palace.
Outside, the officials and palace guards stared at her with envy. They were all newly appointed, a mix of noblewomen from various kingdoms and skilled cultivators from the martial world.
Only those with exceptional backgrounds were eligible for such rapid advancement, rising to positions of authority within the Great Ci Dynasty.
But even they looked up to Qing Qiu.
Sage Ruler.
Those two words were the pinnacle of their dreams, perhaps even more desirable than achieving immortality.
“Sage Ruler Qing Qiu is so beautiful! She’s like a celestial being!”
“I heard she only accepted two disciples. One has already completed their training, and the other is still cultivating. Who could be so fortunate? I want to be her disciple too!”
“Emperor Xin’s Human Sovereign Sword and the Imperial Seal of the Shang Dynasty – those are treasures fit for an Emperor. How did she obtain them?”
“When will I become as accomplished as Sage Ruler Qing Qiu?”
Their whispers, filled with admiration, worship, and even infatuation, reached Qing Qiu’s ears.
She could sense their emotions, but her heart remained calm, like still water.
For a long time, she had felt like an outsider within the Brahma Sound Pure Land. And now, it seemed impossible to truly integrate into the Great Ci Dynasty.
A strange thought arose within her.
‘What will happen to these women when their fantasies about the Pure Land are shattered?’
The thought was unsettling, making her feel like a traitor, even though she had always been a staunch defender of the Pure Land’s laws since her arrival.
“What am I thinking? Who can give me the answer? Fan Li…”
Inside the palace hall, an unsettling silence fell.
Emperor Yao Guang’s smile remained fixed, her benevolent face as cold and lifeless as a clay statue.
Below, a woman trembled. She looked up at Yao Guang with pleading eyes.
“Elder Sister… I’m not resigned to this. But… I lost. What should I do?”
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It was Bai Shijiu. The Sage Ruler of Chess, a Great Vehicle realm expert, was reduced to a pitiful state. Her appearance, if seen by the officials and citizens outside, would shame the entire Great Ci Dynasty.
Yao Guang wouldn’t allow that.
“Would you like me to kill Fan Li for you?” Yao Guang was as sweet as honey, like a gentle elder sister comforting a younger sibling.
“No!” Bai Shijiu cried out in terror. “Fan Li can’t die! I have to defeat him myself! Otherwise, how can I overcome my heart demon? Elder Sister, he can’t die!”
It was ironic. The Brahma Sound Pure Land, the only force in the world actively seeking to eliminate Fan Li, now had a Sage Ruler who wished for him to remain alive above all else.
“Elder Sister, trust me this once,” Bai Shijiu pleaded. “I may have lost, but I understand why. I was too arrogant. Fan Li playing black already gave him an advantage. Then, I missed several opportunities to attack his stones because I was trying to drag out the game…”
She rambled on, as if she could rewrite the past and avoid her defeat.
“Oh?” Yao Guang looked at her, a knowing smile on her face. “So, when do you plan to overcome your heart demon? Once you’re ready, I’ll ensure Fan Li plays another game with you. I won’t give him a chance to refuse.”
Bai Shijiu’s face paled. She shook her head instinctively.
“No! Not yet!”
Her eyes were filled with fear. A heart demon was a terrifying thing. She didn’t have the courage to face Fan Li again.
“Elder Sister, please give me a few more months, no, a few years. I need to travel the world, searching for ancient Go manuals. The ‘Manual of Plants and Trees,’ the ‘Manual of Blood and Tears,’ the ‘Manual of Vomit and Blood’… Once I’ve mastered them all, no one in the world will be my match! Then, I’ll seek revenge against Fan Li.”
Yao Guang studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. I’ll grant your request.”
“Thank you, Elder Sister!” Bai Shijiu kowtowed deeply.
Bai Shijiu departed. The position of Sage Ruler of Chess was now vacant. She wouldn’t return for at least three to five years.
A chilling silence fell over the grand hall. Emperor Yao Guang’s benevolent façade crumbled. Her eyes were cold, and a hint of killing intent flickered within them.
“Useless…”
She rose from the dragon throne, holding the Imperial Seal of the Shang Dynasty in her left hand and Emperor Xin’s Human Sovereign Sword in her right.
A surge of spiritual energy, vast and boundless, flowed into the two treasures.
Her voice, amplified by a mysterious force, echoed throughout the Great Ci Dynasty, reaching every corner of the empire.
“From this day forward, the Imperial Seal of the Shang Dynasty shall be known as the Imperial Seal of Great Ci, protecting the destiny of our nation and ensuring its eternal prosperity!”
In the sky, majestic characters materialized within the clouds:
"By the Mandate of Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous."
The citizens of Great Ci, regardless of their location, knelt and kowtowed nine times in the direction of the Chao Ge Palace.
“Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand ten thousand years!”
“Long live the Great Ci Dynasty! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand ten thousand years!”
Yao Guang’s voice continued to echo.
“From this day forward, Emperor Xin’s Human Sovereign Sword shall be known as the Emperor’s Sword of Great Ci! With this sword, I shall conquer the world for our dynasty!”
“Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand ten thousand years!”
“Long live the Great Ci Dynasty! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand ten thousand years!”
Hundreds of thousands of voices joined in a thunderous chorus.
The significance of possessing both the Emperor's Sword and the Imperial Seal was profound. Yao Guang could sense the destiny of the Great Ci Dynasty flowing into her. A mysterious power within her stirred, as if on the verge of awakening.
She knew it was the Emperor’s divine ability, Pangu’s Giant Body.
With this ability, an Emperor was practically invincible within their own territory, unless their land was conquered and their people slaughtered.
“Almost…” she whispered. “Almost there… Diao Chan!”
She called out.
A figure emerged from behind the screen – it was Diao Chan.
“Ahem, Elder Sister.”
Yao Guang’s eyes lit up at her appearance.
“You’ve worked hard, sister. But I’m in a hurry. You know how much I despise this Phoenix destiny, forcing me to rule only over women. Only you can help me! I don’t want a crude method like Dong Zhuo’s Devouring Demon Arts. I want to truly defy fate!”
Diao Chan replied, “Your Majesty… I will obey your command.”