Night and day alternated rapidly when the young woman opened her eyes.

People’s eyesight returned to normal after a short while. They saw the young woman drag the Black Dragon by its tail and disappeared in the Dragon Gate.

The Black Dragon ate hundreds of cultivators and almost reached the Golden Elixir Realm. Nevertheless…

It was subdued effortlessly by a young girl playing the flute and was dragged on the ground like a dead dog.

It was out of the blue for everyone in the imperial garden.

Who was the young woman?

Who else besides Lu Ping’an of White Jade City could have such capacity?

The Black Dragon was already exceptionally strong in people’s eyes. The Tianji Pavilion of White Jade City had clearly explained the levels of the cultivation realms to the public.

The Golden Elixir Realm was a realm above the Internal Organs Realm.

There weren’t many cultivators in the Internal Organs Realm since the age of cultivators had just started.

However…

The Black Dragon had already reached the Golden Elixir Realm. Despite that, the Black Dragon in the Golden Elixir Realm was still brought to its knees.

The cultivators’ world was truly unfathomable and formidable.

People who were much more powerful might be watching you in the dark just when you thought you were unparalleled.

Nie Changqing was at a loss for words.

The young woman on the Buzhou Peak… had such intimidating power?

Was she in the Golden Elixir Realm?

No…

The young woman was definitely not in the Golden Elixir Realm. Even so, her strength was enough to make people shiver in fright.

Nie Changqing might not believe it back in the day…

But practicing in the Trial Pagoda made Nie Changqing understand how important it was to control the strength.

Since the Black Dragon only ate other cultivators and human beings to achieve a break through, it didn’t master the art of strength controlling.

The Young Master was right. The road of cultivation was a long and ardous journey. Nie Changqing was only getting started.

Nie Changqing glanced at the cracked butcher knife in his hand and shook his head.

He was going to go back to Beiluo through the Dragon Gate.

However…

Much to his surprise, the bronze Dragon Gate above the pond suddenly closed shut.

Nie Changqing exerted his strength to push it open, yet the door didn’t budge…

It didn’t move at all.

Nie Changqing’s face turned gloomy.

“Young Master… I’m not back yet!!”

******

Dragged by the young woman, the Black Dragon didn’t dare to move a muscle. Along the iron chain, the young woman slowly walked through the terracotta warrior area and the floating sky island.

Dragon Gate of Beiluo.

The Dragon Blood Army who were fighting against the terracotta warriors were astounded.

The soldiers of the Dragon Blood Army who newly started cultivation were paralyzed by the oppressive energy as if they encountered the scariest creature in the world.

The young woman walked at a leisurely pace. She held the flute in one hand and dragged the giant Black Dragon with the other.

The terrifying feeling spread in the Dragon Gate and put people in a nervous state.

Even a junior general of the Dragon Blood Army who had a ninth-level Qi Core was fretful under the pressure released by the young woman.

They didn’t feel relieved until the young woman—hauling the Black Dragon with her eyes closed—walked out of the Dragon Gate.

Every soldier of the Dragon Blood Army had soaked their clothes with cold sweat at that point.

The little Responsive Dragon laid on the Dragon Gate in boredom.

The Tianji Pigeon flew away some time ago after playing with it for a while.

The little Responsive Dragon could only chase its own tail for fun.

Suddenly…

The little Responsive Dragon stood upright on the Dragon Gate. It spread its wings and grimaced ferociously.

Roar!

The water in Beiluo Lake vibrated with the dragon’s roar.

Stern and alert, it stared at the Dragon Gate.

The young woman walked out of the Dragon Gate.

The little Responsive Dragon’s expression became stiff. Then, it spurted a stream of water out of its mouth.

The water hit the young woman’s face. She opened her eyes a little bit, her eyelashes fluttering.

The scales around the little Responsive Dragon’s body bristled at once. It immediately hid behind the Dragon Gate, flapping its wings in fear.

However, the young woman chose not to open her eyes completely. She raised her face as if she was looking at White Jade City Pavilion in the distance.

She seemed to see the man in a white robe on the second floor of the pavilion.

The little Responsive Dragon craned its head from behind the Dragon Gate and saw the tail the young woman was pulling.

The young woman walked out of the Dragon Gate and floated above the water.

Under the little Responsive Dragon’s close watch, the tail gradually came out of the Dragon Gate, looking longer and thicker…

Eventually, a fierce Black Dragon came into sight.

The little Responsive Dragon opened its mouth. With a vicious countenance, it slapped one claw hard on the Black Dragon’s face. In response, the Black Dragon grinned in anger and showed its teeth.

The little Responsive Dragon was intrigued and pleased right away.

A deep resounding roar.

The little Responsive Dragon spread its wings and blotted out the sky and the sun. It grew rapidly into a giant monster, the size of a mountain.

The intimidating stature of the dragon gave off an intense feeling of oppression.

The Black Dragon shut its mouth and quieted down immediately.

All of a sudden…

A soft voice sounded.

“Behave.”

The little Responsive Dragon stopped roaring. Its body shrank quickly, and it spurted out a stream of water on the Black Dragon’s eyes.

A thundering sound.

A young man in a white robe sitting in a wheelchair appeared on the calm surface of the lake.

The wheelchair moved automatically without creating ripples on the lake surface at all.

The little Responsive Dragon snorted at the Black Dragon, then flapped its wings rapidly, and landed on Lu Fan’s shoulder, playing cute.

The horrifying energy emitted from Lu Fan’s body made the Black Dragon shake like a leaf.

Zhu Long bowed slightly toward Lu Fan.

Lu Fan smiled and raised his hand. The Spirit Qi instantly transformed into a drop of blue Spirit Fluid.

His hand gestured at the island, and a petal of peach blossom flew to him. The petal carried the Spirit Fluid and floated to Zhu Long.

Zhu Long sniffed before taking it.

She pursed her lips.

She turned around cheerfully and returned to Buzhou Peak through the Dragon Gate.

Zhu Long left.

However…

The Black Dragon was even more scared.

Because an even more frightening person had arrived.

Sitting in the wheelchair, Lu Fan looked at the Black Dragon calmly.

******

Capital city.

Inside the chaotic imperial garden.

The mood slowly returned to normal.

It was over…

The Black Dragon was subdued. The pressure weighing on everyone’s head dissipated after the Black Dragon in the Golden Elixir Realm was hauled away by the young woman with her eyes closed.

Tantai Xuan released a long breath. The young woman was frightening just as he remembered.

He would never forget the moment when the young woman opened her eyes and turned his army into a field of dead bodies and dry bones at Buzhou Peak.

That was why the young woman immediately reminded him of the fear of being dominated.

Tantai Xuan felt much better now that he witnessed the Black Dragon with the Dragon Pearl Golden Elixir being overpowered by the young woman.

It was not because he was too weak, but because she was too powerful.

The Overlord gazed at the young woman’s receding figure somberly.

There were so many high-powered cultivators in the world.

He had fallen behind so much. He had to catch up!

With the butcher knife fastened to his belt, Nie Changqing knocked on the Dragon Gate, yet couldn’t get in. He had no choice but to turn around and walked into the snow with frustration.

Yuwen Xiu trembled.

The pond was blanketed in snow, falling down from the sky. Yuwen Xiu’s body was ice cold.

He was still staring in disbelief at the closed Dragon Gate where the Black Dragon disappeared.

Wearing a golden armor, he collapsed on the floor.

“Give me back my Black Dragon!”

“It was my Black Dragon!”

Yuwen Xiu’s lips quivered.

The Black Dragon was the only trump card he held in his hand. He placed all of his hopes on it, yet now… The Black Dragon was seized.

It was not only the Black Dragon that was taken away but also the future and hope of the Great Zhou Dynasty!

“Why…”

Yuwen Xiu clenched his teeth. He didn’t know who the young woman was or why the mysterious girl was so powerful.

All he understood were that the Black Dragon was dragged away, and his hopes of snatching a victory went up in smoke.

The miracle didn’t happen again, even after he gave his all.

Like a desperate gambler, he bet everything on the Black Dragon.

And he brought himself to ruin.

He lost everything.

He lost his country.

Yuwen Xiu was not resigned. Holding his head, he howled in anguish. He felt like the entire world was working together against him. Even a strange young girl he had never met came out of nowhere to shatter his dreams!

Only Yuwen Xiu’s roar could be heard in the imperial garden.

The roar of total despair filled the air and blasted the snowflakes away.

Desolation, helplessness, and desperation.

It was an agony of hopes being crushed into pieces.

Tantai Xuan watched him in silence.

He raised his head and looked at the snow. He had sympathy for Yuwen Xiu. Nonetheless, their positions made it impossible for him to show any mercy toward Yuwen Xiu.

The snow melted on his face.

He looked at Yuwen Xiu again. It was the trend of the times. Yuwen Xiu… overestimated himself and tried to hold back an overwhelmingly superior force.

From what Tantai Xuan could see, Yuwen Xiu was doing pretty well already.

He was brave enough to give his all and didn’t succumb to enormous pressure.

It was not easy to achieve.

Jiang Li also put down his silver spear.

His expression was inscrutable. The situation here was settled.

The last hope of the Great Zhou disappeared as Yuwen Xiu lost the source of his power.

He didn’t save the Great Zhou from perishing after all.

Jiang Li listened to the wail that lingered in the air. The hoarse and rasping cry was filled with sorrow and despair and left people bereft of speech.

Jiang Li chose not to fight anymore.

He turned around silently. Wearing a silver armor and holding his silver spear, he walked out of the imperial garden.

Tantai Xuan didn’t stop him.

The Overlord’s eyes were fixed on Yuwen Xiu. He carried the giant ax and shield on his back. His towering figure was intimidating.

“Your success and failure are due to the same Black Dragon.”

“It’s not the Black Dragon’s fault. You can use it as your trump card if you play it well… Unfortunately, one wrong step and all would be lost.”

“Among the eight Dragon Gates, you probably have the closest relationship with the Black Dragon. Making the Black Dragon help you to such extent was both an advantage and a weakness for you and the Great Zhou,” Overlord said.

The wail in the imperial garden faded.

Wearing his golden armor, Yuwen Xiu slowly stood up from the ground, shaking and stumbling.

“Don’t lecture me with that victor’s attitude.”

“I only lost to the will of Heaven…”

“I didn’t lose to you!”

Yuwen Xiu raised his head, refusing to concede.

He picked up the golden Emperor’s Sword and pointed at the Overlord and Tantai Xuan.

“So I caused the collapse of my country. So what?”

“I have prepared for today since the moment I sat on the throne. The officials cast their covetous eyes on my position and wanted to take advantage of my power. With treacherous officials inside and militant insurgents outside, I still managed to get this far!”

“You call me immoral. But it was all because you pushed me!” Yuwen Xiu bellowed.

“Come!”

“Even if I’m the only one left in the Great Zhou, unless I die…”

“The country still belongs to Yuwen Xiu!”

Yuwen Xiu stuck the Emperor’s Sword into the ground. He held the sword with both hands and glared fearlessly at the Overlord and Tantai Xuan, as well as the Xuanwu Guard and the Xiang Family’s Army.

Suddenly.

Yuwen Xiu heard the high-pitched voice. He shivered and looked at the old eunuch next to him.

“Your Majesty… You still have me. The Great Zhou still has me.”

The old eunuch raised his head, waved the fly-whisk, and shielded Yuwen Xiu from the front.

“I promised the late Emperor to protect Your Majesty. Therefore, even if we’re going to die, I will die before Your Majesty,” the old eunuch said with a smile.

Yuwen Xiu looked at the old eunuch’s stooped figure, dumbfounded.

He thought the old eunuch had betrayed him a long time ago.

To his surprise…

It was the old eunuch he bossed around who stood by him at the last moment.

The Overlord stared at the old eunuch. He didn’t fight personally.

He waved his hand.

Soldiers of the Xiang Family’s Army darted at the old eunuch, brandishing the axes and stomping through the snow.

Tantai Xuan also waved his hand slightly while looking at the old eunuch.

The Xuanwu Guard also pulled out knives and rushed toward him.

The old eunuch smiled.

The snow on the ground blew up as he swung the fly-whisk. At the peak of the Qi Core Realm, the old eunuch dashed against the army of hundreds of cultivators.

He wasn’t afraid at all.

However, the old eunuch was only one person.

And he was not facing an ordinary army.

He was outnumbered and outpowered, especially since he was fighting against the Xuanwu Guard and the Xiang Family’s Army, two well-trained cultivator armies.

Soon, the old eunuch depleted the Spirit Qi in his Qi Core. The weals and wounds from knives and axes started to show on his body.

Blood saturated the ground.

His hat was flung away, and his hair blew wildly in the wind.

The old eunuch didn’t seem like a feeble, elderly person, but a vigorous young man.

Without Spirit Qi, he used the Qi and blood to dash against cultivators.

Sharp and cold blades pierced through his body.

His blood stained the snow on the ground.

The old eunuch was only a cultivator in the Qi Core Realm.

He couldn’t save the overall situation.

But at least he kept his promise. He would protect Yuwen Xiu even at the cost of his life.

Yuwen Xiu looked at the old eunuch standing steadfastly in front of him like a mountain.

He was in a daze.

The old eunuch watched him grow up and take over the throne.

In the end…

The old eunuch buried the Great Zhou with him.

Yuwen Xiu was deeply moved. The past flashed before his eyes…

The eunuchs in the palace came and went, yet the old eunuch was always by his side.

Actually, the old eunuch could have left a long time ago.

But he didn’t. He kept Yuwen Xiu company until the last moment.

Leaning on the Emperor’s Sword, Yuwen Xiu pursed his lips. He swallowed back the tears stubbornly. He didn’t cry out.

The old eunuch lost.

All the words turned into a long sigh full of mixed feelings.

“Your Majesty…”

It was the last time he called him “Your Majesty.”

His voice faded away.

The old eunuch finally dropped his head in the snow, still standing.

Yuwen Xiu raised his head, eyes red.

“Success and failure are due to the same Black Dragon…”

“I am still the Emperor of the Great Zhou!”

Yuwen Xiu picked up the Emperor’s Sword and placed it on his shoulder. He slashed his throat decisively without any more words.

Blood sprayed and dyed the snow red.

The Emperor’s Sword, no longer golden, was dropped on the ground.

Yuwen Xiu, wearing his golden armor, fell on his back into the pond and splattered the water high into the air.

He laid in the pond and looked vacantly at the snowy sky. His world became quiet.

Numerous faces flashed before his eyes.

The blurry face of the Father Emperor…

The smiling face of the Master…

The docile face of the old eunuch…

He hoped he wouldn’t be born in the imperial family in his next life.

Yuwen Xiu’s body was engulfed in water.

He became cold. Blood poured into the pond and swirled in the water.

The golden armor lost its luster.

His body sunk…

And settled at the bottom of the pond where white bones piled high.

…