Chapter 0053

Chapter 53: The Empress’s Dream

The star blotted out the sun and cast a huge shadow, covering the Red Dust completely. Lian Han Xing stared up, her expression out of control. Zhou Tong had dragged down a meteor and smashed it into the Lightning Tribulation. Waves of force swept across the sky and tore apart everything in their path.

After a long while, the clouds broke and the tribulation faded. The sky turned clear for ten thousand miles, and only Zhou Tong stood in the heavens like a god.

…

In the Heavenly Dao Domain, within the Ling Xiao Empire’s Imperial House, a woman jerked awake from a nightmare, her robe soaked with sweat.

“Your Majesty!” The night bodyguard rushed in, worry on his face.

The woman said calmly: “It’s nothing. I had the nightmare again. You may all leave.”

She rose, slipped off her golden night robe, and revealed a tall, full figure. She frowned and murmured: “How many times has it been? The same dream again.”

She was Qian Miao Yu, the supreme Empress of the Ling Xiao Empire, the most gifted ruler the empire had ever known. Ten thousand years ago, when the empire was founded, it could only hold a small corner of land. After twenty-six generations of hard work by its kings, in her era they finally swept the land and unified the whole Heavenly Dao Domain.

This went so smoothly because Qian Miao Yu formed an alliance with the Heavenly Dao Palace and appointed its sect master, Zhao Wu Tian, as State Preceptor, widening the gap with rival states. Now the Heavenly Dao Palace was the first great sect of the realm, and the domain itself took its name from the Heavenly Dao.

A cold wind blew in and dried the sweat, raising goosebumps along her skin. “So cold,” she whispered. She sat on the bed and wrapped herself tight in the quilt, as if it could shield her from danger.

Sleep would not come. She kept replaying the dream in her mind.

She did not know when the dream began, only that it clung to her like bone-deep rot, clearer each time. In it, countless experts came to wipe out the empire and the Heavenly Dao Palace. To survive, she and the Heavenly Dao Palace’s powerhouses joined forces and faced the armies together.

The battle was brutal. The Imperial Capital was smashed, and the Heavenly Dao Palace was torn up by the roots. Even so, they refused to yield and fought on, blood running like rivers, holding their ground. Then, at the deadlock, the sky burst open. A golden youth rode the wind and looked down on all, as if he had placed everyone beneath his feet. He was wrapped in mist. She could only see a blurred outline and a pair of eyes filled with boundless majesty, and she would never forget them. With one wave, he pulled down a flying star and launched a killing strike at the experts of the Heavenly Dao Palace and the empire.

Every time she reached that moment, terror tore her awake. Death felt so real that sometimes she could not tell dream from reality. Qian Miao Yu was also a cultivator, and a rare genius. She knew this dream was not groundless; it must reflect some cause and effect.

She called out: “Summon the State Preceptor. I have urgent business with him.”

Before her words had fully fallen, a familiar voice came from outside: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the State Preceptor requests an audience.”

She paused, then said: “Let him in.”

Zhao Wu Tian entered the hall, looking as cultured as a scholar, without any hint of madness or malice. He bowed and said: “Your servant greets Your Majesty.”

“What a meeting of minds,” Qian Miao Yu said, sitting straight with grace and dignity. “I was just about to summon you. Why have you come so late at night?”

“A small matter, Your Majesty,” Zhao Wu Tian replied. “Do you know about the auction five days from now?”

“Of course,” said the Empress. “You are hosting it yourself. Have you run into trouble? Speak, and I will help you solve it.”

“Many thanks, Your Majesty. It is not exactly trouble. To make sure the auction goes smoothly, I plan to invite a powerful helper to guard it, and I came to request your approval.”

He took out a communication Jade Pendant and crushed it right there. “Please look, Your Majesty.”

Thin smoke rose, and an image appeared. A woman’s face shone in the air. Qian Miao Yu kept her expression even, but her heart jolted. She had never met this woman in real life, yet she could say her name.

“Jade Purity Sect’s Mo Liu Su,” she said.

Both Zhao Wu Tian and the projected Mo Liu Su froze in surprise. Mo Liu Su asked: “How does Your Majesty know me?”

“You may not believe it,” the Empress said, “but I have seen you in my dreams several times, and you left a deep impression.”

Mo Liu Su chuckled softly: “Your Majesty knows how to joke.”

Qian Miao Yu’s fingers tightened, and her voice cooled: “Enough. You are a famous figure. You went to great effort to contact me. What do you want?”

Mo Liu Su was not foolish. She heard the displeasure in the Empress’s tone, though she did not know when she had offended her. Even so, she stated her purpose: “On behalf of the Jade Purity Sect, I wish to ally with the Ling Xiao Empire, to share hardship and never betray. In a few days, I plan to meet Your Majesty in person and present heavy gifts as a sign of sincerity.”

The Empress’s brow furrowed deeper. At any other time, she would have accepted such an olive branch at once. But because of the dream, her feeling toward Mo Liu Su was not good.

She turned to Zhao Wu Tian and asked: “State Preceptor, what do you think?”

“This is a good thing,” Zhao Wu Tian answered without hesitation. As the head of a great sect, he had already been in touch with Mo Liu Su. Earlier today, she had come to him to discuss a deal. When he learned the details, he agreed at once. Mo Liu Su wanted to join hands with him to wipe out the Joyous Union Sect. That fit his plans perfectly.

“In that case,” Qian Miao Yu said more mildly, “I have nothing more to add.” A dream was only a dream. As an emperor, she could not refuse a strong ally because of something so hard to grasp.

Mo Liu Su’s eyes gleamed, and she pressed on: “Your Majesty, I have another request.”

“Speak,” said the Empress.

“A few days ago, I learned that people from the Joyous Union Sect are heading to the Ling Xiao Empire. Our Jade Purity Sect has a mortal enmity with them. I ask Your Majesty to have them watched in advance so that when we arrive, we can deal with them together.”

“That is easy. Do you have their portraits?” asked the Empress.

“Naturally,” Mo Liu Su said. She traced the air with her palm, and three beautiful faces appeared: Mu Rong Ya, Long Ling Yun, and the little demoness.

The Empress sighed: “All of them are beauties. What a pity.”

Mo Liu Su said carefully: “These three may live or die as Your Majesty and the State Preceptor see fit. But the next person, I beg Your Majesty to protect at all costs. He may be injured, but he must not be killed.”

Another image surfaced: Zhou Tong’s face. The moment she saw him, Qian Miao Yu’s whole body went taut.