The Empress's Trap

The imperial palace of the capital rose in majestic layers, its red walls and golden tiles gleaming with splendor—carved beams, painted rafters, halls and towers stretching in an unbroken chain. It was a grand masterpiece upon the soil of the Nine Provinces.

But at this moment, all royal dignity had been swept away. Xiao Chen stood above the palace, gripping the golden divine halberd, and called out Zhao Lin'er's name directly, demanding she come out to meet him.

The palace guards dared not speak in anger. In recent years, with flying cultivators appearing across the Nine Provinces, imperial authority had been gravely challenged. Those who could soar through the heavens seemed to fear no mortal sovereign.

Several long howls rose from the ground below. From one of the halls, nine Sun Knights shot into the sky, clad in golden holy armor and bearing bloodstained divine weapons. Without a word, they charged straight at Xiao Chen, their bodies blazing with golden radiance like nine divine flames leaping across the sky.

Blazing sword-light and saber-aura streaked through the air like falling stars—brilliant, yet so brief! A flash of splendor, then swift decay, fading like fireworks into darkness.

The golden sword-light that surged up was all shattered by a single divine halberd! Xiao Chen swept the golden spear in a wide arc, severing the divine weapons of the Sun Knights and reducing them to scrap metal.

Then the halberd spun in a horizontal slash. Nine hideous heads flew sideways, blood spurting several meters high from the headless bodies. The sky itself was stained crimson, misted with gore.

Xiao Chen descended slowly, the dripping golden divine halberd in hand, walking through the sovereign's magnificent palace as though it were an empty field. No one dared to block his path.

Everyone retreated involuntarily as Xiao Chen strode deeper into the palace complex.

Qingqing and Keke had not followed. Xiao Chen did not want them to become the focal point of the half-ancestor disciples' hatred. He would do everything himself. His "evil reputation" was already widespread; a few more sins would not matter.

Of course, Qingqing and Keke were not idle either. If they did not go on a looting spree, it would be a waste of their talents.

"Xiao Chen, you've gone too far!" A furious roar came from a side hall. Two members of the Tiger Clan rushed out, glaring at the hated enemy before them. Having been discovered, even knowing they were no match, they leapt forward—their hatred for Xiao Chen was too deep. This madman had bathed the Tiger Clan's sacred grounds in blood, an irreconcilable enmity.

"The white cat clan?" Xiao Chen pointed the halberd at them. "I was just looking for you. Where is the old tiger? And Hai Yunxue? You can remain silent if you wish, but I will search your divine consciousness myself."

The hatred between them could not be resolved. No more words were needed. The two young Tiger Clan experts charged forward, their tiger roars shaking the capital as deathly sonic waves struck at Xiao Chen.

But at Xiao Chen's level—practically unmatched among the younger generation—his spatial divine art was more than enough. He sealed the deathly sound waves, then slashed out with a spatial rending blade, cleaving both Tiger Clan youths in an instant.

Clean and efficient. The gap in power was too great; killing was as simple as weeding grass.

He swept his powerful divine consciousness out, searching the residual wisps for memory imprints, but found no information about the Tiger Clan. They had been too cautious; the secrets learned by their dispatched disciples had been erased.

Ahead lay the imperial garden. Spring water gurgled, strange rocks stood in rows, lush trees clustered, and numerous pavilions dotted the landscape.

Zhao Lin'er stood on a white marble arch bridge, wearing a glittering dragon-phoenix robe and a brilliant crown studded with pearls. The already stunning woman now possessed an additional air of majesty and nobility, fitting her status as empress.

No experts guarded her. It seemed she had been waiting here deliberately for Xiao Chen.

"Should I address you as Empress or as the Sun Saintess?" Xiao Chen's lips curled in mockery, but the blood-dripping golden divine halberd in his hand exuded murderous intent.

Zhao Lin'er smiled radiantly. "Call me whatever you like. You can even use my name directly." She did not put on imperial airs, seemingly well aware of her current predicament.

The two now held vastly different positions. When both were mortals, Zhao Lin'er had been a royal princess, unrivaled under heaven. She had pursued Xiao Chen all the way from Kunlun to the ends of the earth, finally forcing him to flee into the World of Immortality.

But now, with experts from the Cultivation World and the World of Immortality entering the mortal realm, even a mortal empress could not command the world without recruiting enough powerful cultivators to protect her.

"Were those six thousand iron cavalry sent by you to attack the Dead City?"

"What if I said it wasn't me? Would you believe it?" Zhao Lin'er's smile was deeply enchanting. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "In truth, it was not my intention. I would push the blame onto the Sun Church."

Xiao Chen cut her off. "Stop right there. There's no need to hear your excuses. You'd definitely pin it on the Sun Church."

"Xiao Chen, are you going to kill me?"

Xiao Chen did not answer. He simply raised the dripping golden divine halberd and pointed it at her from afar.

"Do you still remember Sister Lan Nuo?" Zhao Lin'er's eyes shimmered. "She said we should support each other, not kill one another." She sighed deeply. "But alas, many things are beyond our control."

Xiao Chen snorted coldly. "As I recall, you were always the first to strike against me. Isn't it a little late to say such things now?"

"Sigh... Are you really so heartless? If you kill me, the world will surely fall into chaos. My brothers will fight for the throne, and the common people will suffer the scourge of war."

"As if you were some savior. The world goes on without anyone. Kill you, and someone else will take the throne soon enough."

"Very well, then I have no choice but to make a deal with you." Zhao Lin'er remained remarkably calm, her smile still radiant, her eyes sparkling—beautiful beyond measure, without a trace of fear.

"What makes you think you can bargain with me?" Xiao Chen laughed scornfully. "Your beauty? Sorry, but there are plenty of peerless beauties in this world. You're not unique."

This merciless strike finally shattered Zhao Lin'er's composure. As a woman—especially the former number one beauty of the Nine Provinces—she valued her appearance greatly. To be mocked so cruelly, even if she kept her face composed, burned with fury inside.

The stunningly elegant Zhao Lin'er gradually turned cold. "I will tell you the whereabouts of one person. With your current strength, you can rescue her easily. Our grudges will be wiped clean. How about it?"

"Su Ying?" Xiao Chen had been searching the Tiger Clan's and the Sun Church's strongholds precisely to rescue his childhood companion, the gifted girl who had followed him calling him "big brother" since they were young. But he had found no trace of her.

"Yes," Zhao Lin'er nodded, adding warily, "Don't try anything reckless. This is only an incarnation of mine. If you try to capture me and search my memories, my true body will have enough time to destroy itself."

"Speak."

"After I tell you, we will have no more grievances between us. I trust your character."

"But I don't trust yours."

"You...!" Zhao Lin'er flushed with anger, her crown and robe trembling, but in the end she could only swallow her pride and reveal Su Ying's whereabouts.

"Fine. I'll believe you this once. But if it's false information, you know the consequences." Xiao Chen put away the golden divine halberd. "What about Hu Ben and the Sun Holy Son?"

"They left a few days ago."

Xiao Chen turned and vanished into the air. But he did not leave the palace grounds. Instead, he charged murderously into the complex of halls, cutting down dozens of Sun Knights and disciples of other half-ancestors.

He swept through the entire palace, wielding his blade against the sovereign of the Nine Provinces—such means shocked everyone who heard of it.

Meanwhile, Qingqing and a fully satisfied Keke returned, laden with spoils. The little beast was ecstatic, chattering away in ya-ya sounds.

Qingqing laughed softly, pinched Keke's delicate nose, and took it flying into the sky.

For days, the news of Xiao Chen's rampage through the palace shook the capital.

On the road outside Luoyang city, Qingqing spoke bluntly: "That woman cannot be trusted. I suspect it's a trap to lure you in."

"I don't trust her either. But with the Yellow Clay Altar, my safety is assured. This time, don't follow me in. I'll tear things up to my heart's content."

Luoyang—the ancient divine capital through the ages.

Its sprawling walls stretched like the Great Wall, giving a sense of immense grandeur from afar.

By now, Qingqing and Keke had stopped and hidden themselves in the shadows.

Arriving here, Xiao Chen frowned. At the previous peony gathering, rumors had spread that this place possessed power that could rival the Primordial Ancient Village. Could it be that the half-ancestor disciples had truly found something?

Circling the city once, Xiao Chen flew east for twenty or thirty li until he reached a mountainous region.

According to Zhao Lin'er, this was a secret ground of the Sun Church.

Standing in the sky, he sensed not a ripple of energy. Extending his divine consciousness, he probed carefully. There seemed to be human life signs in the valley below.

He descended into the valley, one war sword in hand.

But at that moment, he knew Zhao Lin'er had lied—staking everything on a desperate plan to kill him!

The scene around him transformed completely. The Heaven and Earth God-Slaying Demon-Exterminating Ancient Formation fully materialized, one of the five deadliest killing formations of the World of Immortality, trapping him within.

Moreover, suspended within were multiple treasures: the Sun God Scripture, the White Tiger Holy Patterns, the Three-Infant Divine Lamp—all arrayed in the eight directions, sealing the gates of the compass.

Inside the God-Slaying Demon-Exterminating Formation, the world shifted. In an instant, mountains of blades and seas of flame appeared, a hell of death surging toward Xiao Chen to devour him.

He faced it without fear, raising his war sword to meet the assault.

At that moment, a thunderous boom echoed. Xiao Chen's scalp tingled as the ground beneath him, already sealed by the formation, cracked apart—all from the immense pressure above.

It was the legendary Heaven-Overturning Seal, descending like a mountain range to crush him into meat paste!

The Yellow Clay Altar materialized on its own beneath Xiao Chen's feet, Xuanhuang qi surging skyward.

So—the disciples of Primordial, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, could no longer sit still and had finally made their move!

"Motherf***er, drool-worthy..." From within Xiao Chen's divinely transformed acupoint space, the Dark-Iron Seal sighed regretfully. "If I weren't so badly wounded, I'd suck it dry in one go—that would be a real tonic!" Only an ancient demonic treasure like itself dared to speak so wildly.

But hearing this, Xiao Chen simply flung the Dark-Iron Seal straight at the Heaven-Overturning Seal.

"I a#%$... Kid, you want my old life! Damn it, I haven't recovered yet—this is a dragon stranded in shallow water, toyed with by shrimp!"

"Smash it to pieces for me. Later I'll feed you the Indestructible Imperial Heavenly Bell."

"Hell yeah—ROAR!"

The Dark-Iron Seal's display left everyone stunned. Even the enemy forces were taken aback—a talking magic weapon was rare enough, but one that could yell and shout was almost unheard of.

"CLANG!"

A giant bell came crashing in, its somber toll nearly shattering Xiao Chen's soul. It was the Chan Sect's spirit treasure, the Soul-Falling Bell.

Xiao Chen hurriedly unleashed the Om syllable's heavenly sound, calming his soul just as it was about to depart his body.

The Chan Sect had mobilized in force. After lying low for so long, their disciples appeared in droves in the distance, striking out with various spiritual treasures. At the same time, Sun Church experts filled the distant sky, divine light blazing like thousands of suns rising together, beaming down upon Xiao Chen.

The Sun Holy Son himself came, holding a divine mirror and firing beams of annihilation.

"AOOOOW!" A white tiger roared. Tiger Clan experts swarmed in as well, their divine arts streaming like lightning tearing through the air.

On another side, Ye Xiao—beloved daughter of the Three-Infant Grand Matriarch—led a host of disciples and followers, raining down countless cultivation treasures like a torrential storm.

Added to that were disciples of several other half-ancestors. It was a veritable grand assembly, all attacking Xiao Chen within the God-Slaying Demon-Exterminating Formation!

The onslaught engulfed the center of the formation.

"Screw this, I'm out!" The Dark-Iron Seal howled and retreated back into Xiao Chen's acupoint space.

Xiao Chen, war sword in hand, stood on the Yellow Clay Altar and charged upward with all his might, trying to break out of the killing formation as fast as possible.

He knew the enemy must have an even deadlier trump card—they wouldn't rely on a human wave to kill him. They knew he had the Yellow Clay Altar and wouldn't make such a low-level mistake.

"BOOM!"

The Heaven and Earth God-Slaying Demon-Exterminating Formation finally unleashed its full power. The half-ancestor holy artifacts arrayed in the eight directions blazed with light that pierced the sky.

The Sun God Scripture flipped violently; each page that turned swept a blinding beam of annihilation toward Xiao Chen. The White Tiger Holy Patterns densely filled the sky, pressing down like countless ancient incantations of unimaginable terror. The Three-Infant Divine Lamp's flames rose to the heavens, illuminating all directions, scorching the Yellow Clay Altar. Then Zhunti's Seven-Colored Murderous Sword appeared as well, sealing one side.

The half-ancestors themselves had not acted, but their disciples and followers had borrowed all these treasures, hanging them in the eight directions to block and kill Xiao Chen.

Something was very wrong. Xiao Chen sensed that this could not be the final killing stroke. There had to be an even more lethal follow-up. He had to break out immediately.

The Yellow Clay Altar shielded Xiao Chen as it shot upward, meeting the half-ancestor's spiritual treasures head-on. Though the half-ancestors' artifacts could not shatter the altar, they effectively held it at bay for a time.

Just then, heaven and earth shook. In the distance, Luoyang city was filled with dazzling holy light. A pillar of light shot up into the sky, then was channeled by an ancient stone bridge toward this direction, hurtling into the valley!

The brilliant holy light was vast and thick enough to engulf the entire valley. The disciples of the various sects had already withdrawn in advance. The sacred radiance from Luoyang enshrouded the God-Slaying Demon-Exterminating Formation.

Xiao Chen and the Yellow Clay Altar were forcibly pressed down, forced to land in the center of the killing formation. The whole formation seemed to come alive, its power multiplying, trapping Xiao Chen within.

In that instant, Xiao Chen understood—this was the true killing stroke.

In ancient times, Luoyang had been a key site of the world. Ancestral Gods like Nuwa, Fuxi, and Shennong had all left indelible marks here. These seemed to be remnants of their divine power. The legends that the divine capital Luoyang could rival the Primordial Ancient Village were not unfounded.

The Yellow Clay Altar trembled violently, as if restrained by the holy light of Luoyang.

The half-ancestor disciples had actually found the terrifying power dormant in Luoyang and, using the Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge, successfully channeled it here.

Xiao Chen felt immense pressure. The Yellow Clay Altar might not be able to protect him much longer.

The half-ancestor artifacts guarding the eight directions—the Sun God Scripture, the White Tiger Holy Patterns, the Three-Infant Divine Lamp, the Seven-Colored Murderous Sword—all flared with even greater power, endlessly sweeping down beams of destruction.

At the same time, the sky was filled with densely packed figures, all striking with their divine arts or hurling spiritual treasures in a furious assault to destroy Xiao Chen.

The Yellow Clay Altar could no longer fully shield Xiao Chen. The divine light channeled from Luoyang hammered it relentlessly, setting the Xuanhuang qi into violent turmoil.

"BAM!"

The Heaven-Overturning Seal slammed down, breaking through the weakest point of the defense, and struck Xiao Chen heavily. He coughed up a great mouthful of blood. A treasure that could make even gods drink bitter defeat, and he had taken half the blow with his physical body—that alone was something to be proud of.

The experts in the sky all struck together, trying to shatter the Yellow Clay Altar and kill Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen's fury blazed. At that moment, the demonic pattern in the center of his forehead trembled like a vertical eye, then leapt out with churning black flames. A pitch-black passage opened before him, emitting an aura of terror from within.