Ming Dynasty, Capital.
In the eastern district, the streets were bustling with people.
At some point, a new inn called Taibai Inn opened here.
It exclusively sold Taibai Immortal Brew, and in just a few days, its name had spread widely.
Many wine enthusiasts came after hearing the news.
All of them simply wanted to take a sip of the renowned Taibai Immortal Brew.
"Sister Zi Nu, now that we've arrived in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, why don't we just approach him directly?"
"Why are we opening an inn here instead?"
"Are you afraid of that so-called Empress?"
Hong Lian, with her blunt personality, couldn't understand Zi Nu's decision.
"Hong Lian, calm down. Sister Zi Nu surely has her reasons for doing this."
Nong Yu knew Zi Nu's nature very well. She never acted without careful thought.
"Hong Lian, in the past we didn't know his whereabouts, so it was normal to feel anxious."
"But now that we've found him, we must not act rashly."
"The issue before us now isn't that scumbag, but someone else."
"Until we understand her true stance, we should not make any reckless moves."
Zi Nu spoke in a quiet voice.
Hong Lian was not inexperienced. Her eyes shifted quickly as she realized something.
"You're worried that Empress Wu Zhao will be a threat to us?"
"That possibility certainly exists."
"This woman hides her true self very deeply. She's clearly not to be underestimated."
"If not for that scumbag's tricks, I suspect she might have already seized power in the Ming Dynasty."
"With such ambition and cunning, shouldn't we be cautious of her?"
"If she uses schemes against us, we might not only suffer ourselves, but it could also implicate Hundred Yue City. That would be disastrous."
"To her, our existence is a massive threat."
"If you were in her position, wouldn't you feel the same way?"
The women fell silent after hearing these words.
"Now we understand why that scumbag hasn't come to see us for so many years."
"Even after learning about little Su Yue, he only sent people to secretly protect her."
"He's been protecting us all this time in secret!"
"Until we grow strong enough, revealing ourselves even slightly might bring greater danger."
Hong Lian gritted her teeth in frustration, then suddenly suggested.
"What if I sneak into the palace alone to meet that scumbag?"
"With my current lightness skill, Wu Zhao definitely won't notice."
"Don't be impulsive, Hong Lian."
"I suspect he already knows we're here."
"If he really wants to see us, it won't take long. Just be patient."
Zi Nu stopped her immediately.
Then she turned to Nong Yu and said.
"Nong Yu, send word back to Hundred Yue City right away. Let Yan Lingji and the others know we're safe."
"Also, tell them to pay close attention to the upcoming update of the Martial Force Ranking."
"There's a good chance Hundred Yue City will make the ranking."
Only they knew how powerful Hundred Yue City had become.
Though they might not match the major forces in sheer numbers.
In terms of top-level strength, Hundred Yue City had nothing to fear.
They might not make the top five, but competing for a place just behind was entirely possible.
==========
Ming Imperial Palace.
Reading the intel from the Dark Guard, Zhu Houzhao smiled faintly.
It had been so long since he last saw them.
He never thought they'd come looking for him.
If he still didn't go to meet them, they would surely feel resentful.
After all these years, their growth had not fallen behind at all.
Without informing anyone, he casually changed into plain clothes.
With a flicker of movement, Zhu Houzhao vanished from the palace.
==========
Land of Hundred Yue.
Hundred Yue City.
"You little girl, be obedient. Surrender and come with me."
A burly middle-aged man approached Princess Su Yue with bad intentions while she was playing.
He intended to kidnap her from Hundred Yue City.
"Who are you? Why are you trying to capture me? You're not from Hundred Yue City!"
Though young, Su Yue was incredibly clever.
Not only did she not give up, but she gathered her internal energy, ready to fight back at any moment.
"Top rank of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Innate Realm. Remarkable indeed."
"There's a high chance she'll reach the Land Immortal Realm in the future."
"She's a perfect candidate for an elite assassin."
Greed flashed in the man's eyes.
His desire to capture her grew even stronger.
"Unfortunately, you're still too young!"
Without hesitation, the mysterious man unleashed his strongest power, attempting to grab her before the Hundred Yue Queen could react.
Once she was taken, Hundred Yue City would be under his control, forced to obey orders.
But at the critical moment.
The platinum necklace around Su Yue's neck suddenly glowed with a dazzling light.
A sharp, blinding sword aura materialized out of nowhere.
Without any pause.
In a flash, the sword aura pierced through the middle-aged man's forehead.
Before he could even react, he collapsed dead on the ground.
The disturbance quickly caught the attention of Yan Lingji and Yan Fei, who rushed over immediately.
Seeing that Su Yue was unharmed, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mother!"
Seeing Yan Fei, Su Yue quickly ran into her arms.
"Yue'er, are you alright?"
"It was this necklace that saved me!"
Su Yue lifted the necklace around her neck. Aside from its beauty, it didn't look unusual.
"Who gave you this necklace?" Yan Lingji asked curiously.
To kill a Great Grandmaster with a necklace... What kind of power was that?
Even she couldn't do such a thing.
"Huh? Wasn't it my mother who put it on me?"
"It just suddenly appeared around my neck. I thought you gave it to me while I was sleeping."
Su Yue tilted her head, puzzled.
Both Yan Lingji and Yan Fei were utterly shocked.
They had never seen this necklace before.
How did it suddenly appear?
Judging by its power to instantly kill an enemy, it clearly activated at a critical moment to protect Yue'er.
It must be a top-tier treasure.
Suddenly, a figure flashed through their minds.
It was him.
He must have secretly arranged for someone to place it on Yue'er to protect her.
Just like this time, when they made a small oversight and Yue'er nearly got harmed.
With this thought.
Both Yan Lingji and Yan Fei couldn't help but smile with relief.
It seemed he had always been protecting them in secret.
They just hadn't known.
"Alright, Yue'er, from now on, you must wear this necklace at all times, understand?"
"Yes! Ever since I put it on, my cultivation speed has gotten faster."
"And the things I used to not understand are much easier to grasp now."
From her words, it was obvious to them both that this necklace was an extraordinary treasure.
"Feiyan, do you know who this man is?"
Looking at the corpse on the ground, Yan Lingji's eyes turned cold.
These people had crossed the line.
"Net Trap's Heaven-Grade Assassin, Yan Ri."
"What? Is it him?"
"What a Net Trap, what a Zhao Gao, what a Ying Zheng!"
"Yan Lingji, now that Yue'er is safe, let's set this aside for now and settle the score later. Hundred Yue City isn't ready to go to war with the Qin Dynasty yet."
"Otherwise, it'll only benefit the Six Kingdoms and the Hundred Schools of Thought."
"We'll just tighten security from now on."
"As for the body, burn it and pretend we never saw it."
Yan Lingji thought for a moment, then nodded.
But the debt with Net Trap would be settled one day.
==========
Just as the women were preparing to return to the Queen's palace.
The ranking in the sky refreshed.
[Martial Force Ranking – Rank 9]
[Hundred Yue City]
[Leader: Yan Lingji]
[Cultivation: Mythical Realm Land Immortal]
[Expert: Two Heavenly Human Realm Land Immortals, more than ten Great Grandmasters, more than one hundred Grandmasters, Innates not included]
[Total Member: More than ten thousand]
[Reward: Heaven-Grade Low-Tier Treasure – Fire Spirit Pearl, infused with immense fire-element power, greatly enhances fire-based attacks and defense. Especially effective for those practicing fire-element Martial Techniques]
Upon seeing the updated ranking, even Yan Fei was deeply shocked.
Yan Lingji was at the Mythical Realm?
She had always thought Yan Lingji was still in the Heavenly Human Realm like herself.
Clearly, she had underestimated Hundred Yue City's strength.
It was far more powerful than she had imagined.
Even the Yin Yang School was weaker by comparison.
Yan Lingji smiled as she looked at the Fire Spirit Pearl in her hand.
But she didn't keep it.
Instead, she handed it to Yan Fei.
"Feiyan, you also cultivate fire techniques. This pearl is yours."
"With it, your Buddha Wrath Fire Lotus will be even more powerful."
"No, this is too valuable. You should use it instead."
"Your strength affects Hundred Yue City's future."
Yan Fei was proud and unwilling to accept.
"Feiyan, this treasure is not that useful to me."
"Look."
Yan Lingji flipped her fair hand, and an azure flame appeared in her palm.
Immediately, the temperature around them soared.
"I was able to reach the Mythical Realm so quickly because of this flame!"
"With it, I have all I need."
"Although the Fire Spirit Pearl is good, it's not that significant for me."
"If you can also reach the Mythical Realm, it will benefit Yue'er, Hundred Yue City, and even us when we stand before that scumbag in the future."
"You haven't forgotten, have you? That Empress is the biggest mountain blocking our way."
"Even with Yue'er, she remains a great threat."
"We must grow stronger."
Even Zhu Houzhao could not have imagined that every woman associated with him, after learning his true identity.
Had instinctively regarded Empress Wu Zhao as their greatest threat.
And the biggest obstacle in their path.
Murong Qiudi, Lin Shiyin, and the others thought this way.
Zi Nu, Nong Yu, and their group too.
Now, Yan Lingji and Yan Fei also believed the same.
Later, even Wan Wan, Shi Feixuan, and Huang Rong would not stand down.
Zhu Houzhao had expected that trouble would come his way eventually.
But he never expected that all the firepower would be aimed at the Empress instead.
As for Imperial Consort Long Bixia, she was nearly ignored by all of them.
Such twisted thinking was truly beyond his expectations.
And once again, Empress Wu Zhao had unknowingly become the scapegoat.
She herself was completely unaware.
==========
Yin Yang School.
"Lord Eastern Sovereign, should we still proceed with our actions against Hundred Yue City?"
Xing Hun asked nervously.
Since Yan Fei had "defected" and taken refuge in Hundred Yue City, Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi had never given up on confrontation.
He was even preparing for war.
But now, after seeing the ranking in the sky.
He realized that he had severely underestimated the Hundred Yue Queen.
Even without considering Yan Fei.
He alone was no match for her.
If a war truly broke out, the Yin Yang School would suffer massive losses.
He might not even survive.
For a moment, a heavy sense of dread surrounded him.
If they continued to antagonize Hundred Yue City, they would be crushed.
But if they retreated now, his authority would be completely undermined.
He found himself stuck.
"We'll put this matter aside for now. I need to reconsider. We need more allies."
"As you command, Lord Eastern Sovereign."
Xing Hun let out a sigh of relief.
He was merely a Great Grandmaster. Even though he was ranked 24th on Bai Xiaosheng's Heaven Ranking.
He did not dare interfere in battles between Land Immortals.
Otherwise, he could easily die.
He still wanted to witness the power of a Land Immortal firsthand.
He could not die just yet.
One day, he too wanted to be on the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking.
To be known across all of Nine Provinces.
Bai Xiaosheng's ranking was decent.
But they still lacked that final touch.
==========
Mohist School, Mechanical City.
Currently, all members of the Mohist School were trapped inside.
Outside, the Qin Army had completely surrounded them.
Net Trap, Quicksand, and the Yin Yang School were all watching, ready to pounce.
Once Mechanical City fell, they would devour the Mohist School's vast resources.
Looking at the ranking in the sky, the Mohist School Giant, Yan Dan, had a sharp gleam in his eyes.
What if he pulled Hundred Yue City into the Anti-Qin Alliance?
Wouldn't that be a tremendous boost to his cause?
After all, the Hundred Yue and Qin Dynasty were enemies, not allies.
Such a force was too valuable to pass up.
"Xiao Gao, what do you think are the chances of convincing Hundred Yue City to join the alliance?"
Gao Jianli was startled.
They wanted to bring Hundred Yue City into this?
This wasn't one of the Six Kingdoms.
This was a superpower with multiple Land Immortals.
Even the Mohist School at its peak would have had to tread carefully.
Now, the leader actually wanted to play political games with them?
Gao Jianli did not reply.
Instead, Zhang Liang beside him looked thoughtful.
He was familiar with Yan Lingji, Zi Nu, Nong Yu, and Hong Lian.
They had a very good relationship.
Back when the Han Kingdom still existed, they had been allies.
Hong Lian was even a Princess of the Han Kingdom.
It was only right to lend a helping hand.
If there was a chance, perhaps he should go and give it a try.
Even if Hundred Yue City didn't join directly, some covert support would still be a victory.
If Yan Lingji knew what they were thinking, she would surely scoff.
Did they think they could manipulate Hundred Yue City?
As long as their actions didn't harm Hundred Yue, fine.
But if they ever crossed the line, she, the Hundred Yue Queen, would make them pay.