[Hidden Dragon Ranking – Rank 2]
[Wu Zhao]
[Identity: Empress of the Ming Dynasty, Lord of the Netherworld City]
[Cultivation: Half-Step Land Immortal (Life and Death Threshold) (Originally a full Land Immortal, but due to a cultivation technique, she crippled her own cultivation and fell in rank!)]
[Technique: Nirvana Art]
[Reward: Immortal-Grade Pill – Divine Phoenix Nirvana Pill. After consumption, it transforms the body, granting the Indestructible Divine Phoenix Physique]
Pfft!!
Wu Zhao?!
The Empress of the Ming Dynasty?
Ying Zheng had just taken a sip of tea and immediately spat it out before he could swallow.
"The Empress of Ming Dynasty made the ranking?"
"And I remember her name was Li Meiniang? How did it become Wu Zhao?"
Ying Zheng was both shocked and furious.
"Zhao Gao, what are you doing? How could something this important be wrong?"
It was already unacceptable to make a mistake on minor martial artists' information.
But an error about the Emperor or Empress of a rival nation? That was an unforgivable failure.
"Your Majesty, I do not know what happened either!"
"No one expected that the Empress of Ming Dynasty was hiding so deeply!"
"She's even more terrifying than Murong Qiudi!"
"I suspect even the Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao might not know her true identity!"
Zhao Gao looked utterly distressed.
He used to think his Net Trap intelligence organization was formidable, but it was becoming increasingly useless.
Why are the people of the Ming Dynasty so hard to deal with?
Luckily, it was only the Empress who had this issue.
If they had made a mistake about the Ming Emperor as well, Ying Zheng might truly want to kill him.
"Netherworld City?"
"National Master, have you ever heard of the Netherworld City?"
Ying Zheng squinted and asked again.
This Empress of the Ming Dynasty was without a doubt a formidable enemy.
She must be harboring a massive conspiracy.
"Your Majesty, I have not heard of it," said Yue Shen, shaking her head.
"What about you, Zhao Gao?"
"I have not heard of it either. The Empress of the Ming Dynasty has hidden herself too well."
Feeling Ying Zheng's gaze, Zhao Gao clenched his teeth and answered with difficulty.
"If the Heavenly Ranking revealed it, then the Netherworld City must truly exist. Investigate!"
"Find out everything about the Empress of Ming Dynasty!"
Ying Zheng gritted his teeth, his tone vicious.
Unlike Murong Qiudi, who could potentially be recruited, the Empress of Ming Dynasty was a clear-cut enemy.
Given how well she hid herself, her ambition must be extraordinary. She was an unrivaled threat.
Extreme caution was necessary.
Ying Zheng continued to ask several questions, but neither Zhao Gao nor Yue Shen had any answers.
He was quite disappointed.
Yue Shen, once all-knowing and all-powerful, and the capable Zhao Gao, had now both let him down.
"You may leave."
After Yue Shen and Zhao Gao left, Ying Zheng's expression changed.
"Come out."
"Greetings, Your Majesty," said a black-robed old man who appeared before him.
"My loyal subject, do you know of the Netherworld City?"
"I do. It's an extremely terrifying organization. Anyone who knows its name is usually already dead."
The old man clenched his jaw.
"My Black Ice Platform has clashed with them many times. Many of our people died at their hands."
"If not for a secret technique, I wouldn't even know anything about them."
"Even so, we still have very little intelligence on the Netherworld City."
Ying Zheng was stunned.
Even the Black Ice Platform had been thwarted?
In the Qin Dynasty, the main intelligence networks on the surface were the Net Trap and Shadow Secret Guard.
But the one Ying Zheng truly relied on was the Black Ice Platform.
It was like the Bad People of Tang Dynasty.
Or the Imperial City Division of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Or the Dark Guard of the Ming Dynasty.
All of these had Land Immortals among their ranks.
The black-robed elder before him was one of the Qin Dynasty's hidden aces.
A true Land Immortal.
His strength was unfathomable.
Even Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi of the Yin Yang School might not have the upper hand against him.
This was the source of Ying Zheng's confidence.
"Continue investigating. You must uncover the full truth about the Netherworld City, or I will not sleep peacefully!"
Ying Zheng barked sharply.
"Also, do you know the Empress of Ming Dynasty's true background?"
"She cannot possibly be someone called Li Meiniang. That must be a fake name!"
"Her infiltration into the Ming palace surely has a sinister motive."
"Could she be like Jiang Yuyan of the Han Dynasty, trying to usurp the throne?"
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up with interest.
If Emperor Zhu Houzhao of Ming Dynasty and Wu Zhao ended up in internal conflict, it would be most entertaining.
Even if Zhu Houzhao were useless, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty was formidable.
No matter the outcome, the national power of the Ming Dynasty would take a massive hit.
This would be their opportunity.
"Your Majesty, I fear you will be disappointed."
"The foundation of the Ming Dynasty surpasses even that of our Qin Dynasty."
"Wu Zhao alone is not enough to harm Ming Dynasty's roots."
"Moreover, the Black Ice Platform has never ceased its surveillance of the Ming Dynasty."
"Even I dare not approach the Ming royal palace lightly."
"Emperor Zhu Houzhao is not as simple as he appears."
"Do not underestimate them."
When the black-robed elder spoke of the Ming palace, a rare look of caution flashed across his face.
Clearly, he had suffered a setback there before.
"Is that so?"
"My loyal subject, you are in the Land Immortal Realm. What does it mean that Wu Zhao was once a Land Immortal but crippled herself and started over? Why would she do such a thing?"
Ying Zheng couldn't understand the hint provided by the Heavenly Ranking.
And he certainly didn't understand her reasoning.
"It may be due to her cultivation technique."
"But one thing is clear. This woman has an exceptional mind, immense willpower, and great wisdom."
"Not everyone who reaches the Land Immortal Realm would dare to cripple themselves."
"It is very likely that she will soon reclaim her status as a Land Immortal."
"Plus, the heavenly reward has upgraded her physique, making her even more terrifying."
"In the future, I might not be her match."
The black-robed elder sighed.
Ying Zheng looked disappointed and waved his hand.
"In any case, uncovering Wu Zhao's true identity and the secrets of the Netherworld City is our top priority!"
"Understood. I take my leave."
Ying Zheng once again sank into deep contemplation.
He now took the Ming Dynasty far more seriously than before.
If not for the long distance between Qin and Ming, he would have already sent troops to test their strength.
==========
Tang Dynasty Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
Li Shimin was utterly stunned.
Even Yuan Tiangang had a flash of astonishment in his eyes.
Wu Zhao!
What a name!
Sun and moon in the sky!
This Empress of the Ming Dynasty clearly had great ambition.
The most shocking part was how well she had hidden herself.
If not for the Heavenly Ranking, even he would have had no suspicions.
That was truly frightening.
To have avoided the eyes of Yuan Tiangang meant she was no ordinary woman.
"Master Yuan, have you heard of the Netherworld City?"
Li Shimin gritted his teeth and asked.
For some reason, he felt an unprecedented threat from Wu Zhao.
A sense of unease.
Even the Qin Emperor Ying Zheng did not make him feel this way.
Wu Zhao had now become the enemy he most wanted to eliminate.
Even more than Zhu Houzhao.
"Not only have I heard of it, I've dealt with them many times."
"But it should have been destroyed. I had the Bad People wipe it out long ago."
Yuan Tiangang looked confused.
Then suddenly, realization dawned on him.
"What a clever Wu Zhao. She let me destroy a decoy of the Netherworld City."
"The real organization went into hiding again."
"I may have been fooled."
"I was careless!"
After hearing this, Li Shimin's wariness only grew.
He had great faith in Yuan Tiangang's abilities.
For someone to deceive him so thoroughly and only be discovered after the fact, Wu Zhao's capabilities were terrifying.
"Master Yuan, is there a way to eliminate her? No matter the cost!"
"No."
Yuan Tiangang shook his head without hesitation.
"Wu Zhao is only one step away from returning to the Land Immortal Realm."
"With the heavenly reward and her upgraded physique, she could break through at any moment."
"More importantly, she is currently inside the Ming royal palace."
"Until we fully understand her relationship with Zhu Houzhao, we must not act recklessly."
Li Shimin looked deeply disappointed.
"Master Yuan, it's obvious that Wu Zhao became Empress with an ulterior motive. Could she be planning to usurp the Ming throne?"
"If so, then her relationship with Zhu Houzhao must be irreconcilable."
"Could our Tang Dynasty take advantage of this?"
Li Shimin's eyes lit up.
"It is possible, but we need to observe more closely."
Yuan Tiangang nodded.
"Good. Then I leave this matter in your hands."
"And we must uncover Wu Zhao's true background and everything about the Netherworld City. There must be no mistakes!"
"This time, not only our Tang Dynasty, but all the major dynasties will be investigating Wu Zhao."
"If she has ever existed in history, we will find something."
"I want to see exactly what Wu Zhao wants!"
Even now, the pressure Wu Zhao brought him had not faded.
That sense of dread remained etched in his heart.
As if carved into his very blood.
Within the Han Dynasty
In a vast and desolate mountain range.
This was the location of the Heaven Gate.
A massive organization unknown to the world.
"Reporting to my God, Di Shitian. We finally have news of the Netherworld City."
A stunningly beautiful woman knelt respectfully on the ground and reported to a distant patch of empty space.
"Oh? Hahaha, interesting. To have avoided my detection for so long, that little girl has some skill."
"Where is she? And where is the Netherworld City?"
A faint voice echoed through the air.
"In the Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace!"
"She has become the Empress of the Ming Dynasty!"
"As for the Netherworld City, we still have no concrete information. Only by capturing her can we uncover everything."
The beautiful woman responded immediately.
"In that case, send someone to capture her. As for the Ming royal family, destroy them."
"If they dare to hide someone from me, they do not deserve to exist."
The cold voice was filled with indifference.
As if the Ming royal family were mere ants to be crushed at will.
"Isn't that a bit too bold?"
"It does not matter. This would not be the first time I have wiped out a royal family."
"Insignificant ants!"
"All shall obey the will of the god!"