The interior of the ancient hall was clean and tidy, thanks to the previous formation seals.
Nine chairs made of special materials were placed in the great hall, with nine portraits hanging on the wall behind them.
The paintings depicted the nine hall masters. At this moment, three of them were nurturing their bloodlines in the Bloodline Pool, slowly recovering their strength.
Jun Changxiao sat in the seat that once belonged to the First Hall Master, legs crossed, fingers interlaced. His soul merged into the Heaven’s Origin Soul-Suppressing Pagoda as he inquired: “Are you certain that even after they recover their cultivation, you can absolutely control them?”
Er Ya declared confidently: “As long as a soul has been trained by me, even if they ascend to the upper realm with even greater strength, they must still obediently obey Master and me.”
“Good then.”
Jun Changxiao completely relaxed, then said to himself with great anticipation: “Once the three hall masters recover their cultivation, doesn’t that mean I’ll have three super bodyguards?”
The system said: “If host had done this from the start, you could have saved the Seal-Breaking Talisman and Universe Talisman.”
As the Soul Clan continent’s strongest combat power, with noble status—having three of them at once meant the Rose Empress would be easy to handle, and the entire world would be his to control at will!
“…”
Jun Changxiao clutched his chest: “My heart hurts, it hurts so much.”
“Of course.”
The system consoled: “Host’s luck was terrible coming in—running into the Rose Empress right away. Even if you came here, you wouldn’t have had the opportunity.”
“Makes sense.”
Jun Changxiao looked at the Rose Empress sitting in the second seat, speaking in a commanding tone: “Hurry up and pour me some tea.”
The Rose Empress glared: “Are you treating me as a maidservant?”
Jun Changxiao turned sideways: “You’re the Soul Clan continent’s empress, and I’m a guest from outside. As the host, shouldn’t you fulfill your duties as a proper host?”
“You clearly snuck in as a thief.”
The Rose Empress said: “Besides, no one’s been here in ages—where am I supposed to find water to make you tea?”
“How about this.”
Jun Changxiao leaned back in his chair: “Come massage my back and shoulders.”
“…” The Rose Empress’s beautiful eyes turned cold. If she weren’t seriously injured with no cultivation remaining, she would definitely slap him and give him the most sour and refreshing massage.
The three hall masters were immersed in the Bloodline Pool nurturing themselves. To fully recover from their weakened state would naturally take some time.
Jun Changxiao wasn’t in a hurry, because the two side quests had no time limit. So he temporarily stayed in the ancient hall, occasionally enjoying the scenery and teasing the Rose Empress. His days were quite carefree.
“Creak!”
Five days later, the tightly closed door of the Bloodline Hall was pushed open. Waves of powerful auras surged out from inside, blowing away the scattered leaves covering the courtyard.
To the BGM of “Superstar,” the three hall masters walked out with imposing bearing and overwhelming dominance. The profound auras gathering around them were in no way inferior to the Rose Empress at full strength—in fact, even stronger!
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
The entire ancient hall began trembling slightly the moment they emerged, as if welcoming the return of its masters!
The Rose Empress, sitting on the great hall steps, sensed something. She looked toward the Bloodline Hall, her willow eyebrows furrowing: “Our Soul Clan’s strongest combat power has returned.”
Jun Changxiao walked out: “They don’t seem much stronger than you.”
The Rose Empress said: “If they hadn’t slumbered for ten thousand years on the Xingyun Continent, they would probably have already begun glimpsing the Returning to Truth Realm.”
Though the three hall masters’ recovered cultivation was only at Return to Simplicity Realm, this was their strength from ten thousand years ago. If they had successfully invaded the Xingyun Continent back then and obtained more martial arts knowledge and resources, they would probably have soared to great heights by now!
However.
They never would have imagined that the Martial Emperors of the Xingyun Continent’s ancient era also possessed extremely powerful combat strength.
Even when they and the other hall masters acted, even using divine abilities to possess bodies and triggering the Battle of the Emperors, they still couldn’t take them down. Instead, they ended up slumbering for ten thousand years.
Honestly.
Judging from the final result, the nine hall masters’ expedition to the Xingyun Continent was victorious.
Because they not only ended the ancient era but also caused all the Martial Emperors to perish. From then on, the continent split into four parts, spiritual energy withered, and to this day it still hadn’t recovered its vitality.
If no uncertain factors appeared.
When they awakened from their slumber and repeated their old tricks, occupying the entire continent would be no problem at all.
Unfortunately.
Jun Changxiao was that uncertain factor.
His transmigration, his arrival not only reversed the Xingyun Continent’s fate of suffering a second calamity but also trained the culprits into meek lambs. He even counterattacked to Soul Clan continent territory and thoroughly thrashed the fourth-generation empress.
“Step!”
In front of the great hall, the Third Hall Master stopped first.
The Fourth and Fifth Hall Masters arrived afterward. The three stood in a row, the auras they emanated quite powerful indeed.
However, these three who represented one-third of the Soul Clan continent’s strongest combat power were especially well-behaved and cautious when facing Jun Changxiao.
“Whoosh!”
The three cupped their fists: “Jun Sect Master, we have recovered our cultivation.”
Jun Changxiao sat on the highest step, hands resting on his thighs, fingers interlaced, his gaze cold: “Kneel down. Call me Master.”
“Thud!”
“Thud!”
“Thud!”
The three hall masters simultaneously bent their noble knees, kneeling as they called out: “Greetings, Master!”
“…”
The Rose Empress fell silent.
Three hall masters who had the power to shake the empress’s authority were actually bowing and calling a Xingyun Continent martial artist their master!
Jun Changxiao leaned back slightly in a tactical lean, looking up at the firmament: “In the ancient era, the countless ancestors who sacrificed themselves in the Battle of the Emperors to defend our homeland—if your heroic spirits are present…” He shouted loudly: “Please applaud me, please be proud of me!”
The clouds in the sky seemed to transform into individual figures, seeming to become the Great Desolate Martial Emperor, the Five Elements Martial Emperor…
These ancestors who once sacrificed themselves to resist foreign invasion and protect their homeland smiled as they looked at the man sitting on the steps.
Ten thousand years of humiliation—avenged today!
If the heroic spirits of our ancestors are present, they must feel immensely gratified!
“Whoosh!”
Jun Changxiao stood up. With a wave of his hand, the True Yang Cloak bearing the colors of the prosperous Flower-Planting Family fluttered and rustled. He declared heroically: “All of you, follow me to the Empress City!”
“Yes!”
The three super bodyguards followed close behind.
Watching that imposing, extraordinary figure, the Rose Empress muttered: “Sometimes this guy is actually quite manly.”
…
Empress City.
The enthronement ceremony had ended, but the city was still decorated with lanterns and streamers, quite lively.
For ordinary citizens, it didn’t matter which Soul Clan empress it was—they still lived their lives as usual. Only occasionally would they secretly gossip about how their previous empress had eloped with someone.
“That Ye Xingchen has quite the nerve, daring to elope with our previous empress.”
“Every major city has his wanted portrait. No matter if he flees to the ends of the earth, he can’t escape being caught.”
Ye Xingchen, currently cultivating in the Eternal Sect, never would have imagined that while sitting at home, the blame for eloping with an empress fell from the sky!
…
Palace great hall.
Tuoling cupped his fists: “Empress, your subordinate has already mobilized the entire Soul Clan’s forces to search for Ye Xingchen and Hua Meigui. It won’t be long before we have news.”
“Mm.”
The Lingping Empress, who had reclaimed the throne, nodded: “Immediately abolish all the regulations that woman established, as well as the ten major cities she focused on developing.”
“This…”
Tuoling frowned: “Empress, after thousands of years of development, the ten major cities have become extremely powerful overall. If we abolish them, it might be inappropriate.”
“There’s nothing inappropriate about it.” The Lingping Empress said lightly.
“Yes!”
Tuoling was merely a subject—when the empress commanded, he must obey.
“What’s the situation with the Xingyun Continent?” The Lingping Empress inquired further.
“Reporting to the Empress.”
A Soul Clan powerhouse answered: “The space-time tunnel leading to the Xingyun Continent has been sealed. We cannot enter.”
The Lingping Empress said with surprise: “How could a tunnel opened by a Space-Time Worm be sealed?”
“Empress.”
Tuoling said: “Do you still have the Space-Time Worm you used back then?”
“I do.”
The Lingping Empress waved her palm to retrieve a creature resembling a caterpillar, shaking her head: “Unfortunately, after opening the space-time tunnel ten thousand years ago, it’s remained in slumber ever since. Otherwise, occupying the Xingyun Continent would be eas—”
“Pardon the interruption.”
Just then, a voice came from outside the palace hall.
“Whoosh!”
Jun Changxiao, wearing the True Yang suit, strode in with great strides. He pointed arrogantly at the Lingping Empress and declared sternly: “Treacherous subject and rebel, plotting to usurp the throne—I, Ye Xingchen, have come today to purge the court!”
…