The eaves were like cliffs, and the wind chimes like the vast sea.


    The high walls of the inner pce courtyard divided the sky into square fragments; birds soared with the wind and vanished in an instant.


    A woman dressed in a crimson-purple pce gown sat by the water’s edge, gazing at the fish drifting across the water’s surface. Her face radiated an otherworldly beauty and purity that was almost indescribable. Wherever she appeared, the scene seemed to transform into a living painting.


    “The ancients spoke of beauties who made fish sink and birds fall, and our imperial consortdy is no less,” one pce maid whispered with augh. “Every time she sits here, these fish swim over and blow bubbles as if they want to get close to her.”


    “Watch your words,” another pce maid replied.


    The teasing pce maid was younger and didn’t quite understand the decorum, so she simply stuck out her tongue, unbothered.


    “You two go inside first and let me have some peace alone,” the beautiful woman referred to as the imperial consort said, turning to them.


    “Yes, mydy,” the two maids curtsied and stepped back.


    However, they didn’t dare leave entirely, instead watching from a short distance. If anything happened to someone of such status due to theirck of attention, they would surely lose their heads.The maids could only see the imperial consort sitting alone by the water, unaware that the fish surfacing in the water were making sounds.


    "That maid can''t be kept alive," It was a chubby five-colored koi that spoke. Even though it looked very pleasing to the eyes, its voice sounded very aloof and cold.


    "Give it a few days. I can’t keep having people disappear from my pce every other day. It’s bound to raise suspicion." The imperial consort seemed to be gazing into the distance, replying casually, "Besides, it’s rare to find a maid who can''t seem to hide anything. At least I know she’s not a spy sent by another consort."


    "If she slips up outside one day and the wrong person overhears, it could kill both of us," the chubby koi continued.


    "Then we’ll make her fall ill someday. When she recovers, she’ll be mute." The imperial consort spoke lightly.


    "That will do." The chubby koi said and no longer mentioned this anymore. It then said, "The Celestial Master has instructed us to prepare for action. Did you make your selection out of the two people?"


    "Hmm..." The imperial consort hesitated slightly. "The second prince is weak in character and easy to manipte, but he’s upright by nature, so it may take some time to get him to cooperate. The thirteenth prince is ambitious, but he’s cunning and won’t obey us easily."


    "Then choose the thirteenth prince," the chubby koi immediately replied. "It will work as long as he has ambition and desire... the Celestial Master can fulfill anyone’s desires."


    "Very well," the imperial consort said with a gentle nod.


    "You must be careful in theing days, and avoid making any moves except when contacting me," the chubby koi continued to warn. "Ever since we have started making a move against Empress Wu, many have turned their eyes on you. Ever since that incident eighty years ago, the court has kept a strict watch over the pce. This time, their response to what we stirred up was even faster and more intense than before."


    "I’ll be careful," the imperial consort replied, "You all—"


    Just as she was about to say more, a young pce maid hurried over, “Mydy, Warrior Lao has arrived.”


    The chubby koi ducked underwater, disappearing from sight. The imperial consort quickly rose and asked, "What is it?"


    “He mentioned that the Assembly of Immortal Sects has been quite spectacr recently, and His Majesty is interested in attending and wants to bring you along to observe,” the young maid reported as she walked.


    The imperial consort''s eyes sparkled, and she replied, “I’ll go at once.”


    The pce had strict rules. If the emperor summoned several imperial consorts to attend a ceremony, Warrior Lao would first visit the Empress Wu''s pce, and it would be an ordinary eunuch paying a visit to the imperial consort. If Warrior Lao himself arrived, it meant the emperor had called only her.


    Sure enough, when she followed Warrior Lao to the Night Dragon Hall, she saw the emperor approaching with just a few pce attendants.


    “Haha, I hadn’t nned on this, but I heard this Assembly of Immortal Sects has been quite exciting, so I couldn’t resist going to see it,” the emperor said as he took the consort’s hand. “I hope you don’t mind apanying me on this trip.”


    "I’m delighted to be traveling with Your Majesty," the consort lifted her eyes with a tender yet slightly aggrieved look. "However, Your Majesty’s frequent closeness to me could make the other consorts unhappy. It’s one thing if the court officials and citizens outside call me a beauty that will ruin the country… but if the sisters in the pce refuse to associate with me, how will I survive? I only ask that Your Majesty bring along a few more consorts, rather than just me."


    “For this trip, I won''t be wearing the clothes of an emperor. I will be traveling light and avoiding the burden of arge entourage,” the emperor replied with a wave of his hand. “So go with confidence, and let them talk if they dare—I’ll tear their mouths to shreds!”


    …


    This year''s Assembly of Immortal Sects was indeed far more thrilling than previous ones. The shocking loss of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau in the first round was just the beginning, but it was the nearplete defeat of the Peni Supreme Sect in the second round that truly stunned everyone. News of these dramatic events spread like wildfire throughout the capital of Yu, and it was only a matter of time before it reached every corner of the nine provinces.


    Yang Shenlong single-handedly wiped out two teams, while Chu Liangunched a night assault on Misty Waters City in revenge, breaking through four defenses and ttening the entire city, grinding the supposedly invincible Yang Shenlong into the ground... The whole storyline was filled with dramatic ir.


    It was rumored that a storyteller in the capital of Yu, who had recently been beaten up on ate-night walk, couldn’t resisting out to tell this tale despite his injuries. After all, he wasn’t going to die immediately, and if he didn’t ride this wave now, it would soon be toote.


    People loved listening to this old storyteller because his tales were always different from everyone else''s.


    His story exined why Yang Shenlong was really aiming to eliminate the Mount Shu Sect.


    These were the storyteller''s own words: "Is it really because of Taotie City''s bribery? That would be absolutely wrong. He had harbored a secret love for Jiang Yuebai for years, and since he couldn’t have her, he sought to destroy her. But Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai were deeply in love, leading Chu Liang to fight for his beloved."


    Only someone who had been secretly watching these three for over a decade could unravel thisplex web of love and hate in such vivid detail.


    At this moment, the light screen was disying the fierce battle between the Night Saber Sect team and the Valley of the Three Absolutes team.


    It was another extraordinary sh.


    The Night Saber Sect was infamous for their treachery, while the Valley of the Three Absolutes prided themselves on their deceptive methods. When these two forces shed, they truly breathed life into the word "cunning."


    As soon as Luo Yao made a move, the four from the Night Saber Sect turned and fled. The Valley of the Three Absolutes team had just begun their pursuit when the Night Saber Sect members turned mid-air, and Guo Zhanfeng''s Shadow Gnat, instantly closed in.


    <em>Swish—</em>


    Arge, plump white ghostly figure appeared in front of Luo Yao, blocking all the sneak attacks aimed at her.


    At that moment, the attacks from the Valley of the Three Absolutes also reached them. Though they showed no visible action, several small, swift ck insects had somehow crawled up to the feet of the Night Saber Sect members.


    "Watch out!" Guo Zhanfeng yelled.


    His nose twitched as he swung his saber toward hispanions, killing the small ck insects crawling on them. Even with brief contact, the legs of his twopanions had begun to emit dark energy—if those insects had burrowed into their skin, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    These seemingly insignificant insects were, in fact, one of the curse poisonous insects that the Valley of the Three Absolutes had carefully created and nurtured[1].


    At the same time, Guo Zhanlei emerged from behind the Valley of the Three Absolutes disciples. It turned out that the one who had fled with his teammates was merely a clone; his true self had hidden underground and now emerged tounch a surprise attack.


    But when his saber struck down on the Valley of the Three Absolutes disciple, what burst forth was not blood but a cloud of dark mist.


    <em>Puff—</em>


    He almost inhaled the poisonous mist, but his quick reaction saved him as he flipped away; however, Luo Yao''s curved saber was already following closely.


    A ck-d ghostly figure held Luo Yao, moving as fast as lightning, leaping twice to catch up with Guo Zhanlei,unching several swift saber strikes in session.


    Among the three ghosts that always apanied Luo Yao, there was the strongest one, the ghost kid dressed in red, and he had now been released as well.


    While Luo Yao chased down Guo Zhanlei herself, the ghost kid dressed in red went after the other three members of the Night Saber Sect. His aura of killing intent soared skyward, and his strength was immense.


    Guo Zhanfeng stepped forward, swinging his long saber, only for the ghost kid d in red to catch it barehanded! Fortunately, he swiftly drew another saber from thin air, managing to force the ghost kid back.


    The Night Saber Sect wielded an array of hidden weapons, while the Valley of the Three Absolutes employed venomous curses and deadly poisons. Though the fight didn''t seem fierce, each strike was cunning and lethal.


    After a brief sh, the Night Saber Sect team found themselves at a disadvantage. They were, after all, the youngest and weakest of the sects in the Terrestrial Ten, so losing to the Valley of the Three Absolutes was not surprising.


    But just then, another team appeared from afar, their arrival marked by a fiery ze streaking across the sky like a meteor!


    It was Samadhi True Fire!


    1. A reminder of what the curse poisonous insects in this trantion really mean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_(poison) The process is that they would seal several venomous creatures and the strongest one thates out would then be the curse poisonous insect. Technically, it might not actually be an insect but a creature of thebinations of different forms. ?<blockquote>


    GLTD Alternate Universe''s Thoughts


    Trantor: GT</blockquote>