Within the grand Chao Ge Palace, the heart of the Great Ci Dynasty, the city was draped in white.
Officials wore mourning clothes, citizens donned white headbands, and enormous white banners hung on either side of the palace gates. The spirit tablet of Diao Chan, the Sage Ruler of Fate, was enshrined with the utmost solemnity.
Empress Yao Guang had issued a decree, summoning all female officials to the palace to mourn.
Among these officials were daughters of prominent families who had recently pledged their allegiance to the Great Ci Dynasty and powerful female cultivators from various sects and lineages. Every one of them was a woman of exceptional talent and beauty, their hearts filled with pride.
Mourning the Sage Ruler of Fate?
A stranger's death, even if she had been a Sage Ruler, hardly moved them to tears.
Even in the Golden Luan Palace, Empress Yao Guang herself wore white mourning robes that was white as snow.
“Elder Sister, how did Diao Chan suddenly die?!” Sage Ruler Jin De asked in astonishment.
Among the Pure Land's ten great Sage Rulers, Diao Chan held the position of Fate, second only to Yao Guang, the Supreme Sage Ruler. However, Diao Chan's cultivation level was relatively low. She was the only Sage Ruler who hadn’t reached the Great Vehicle realm.
In a world where strength reigned supreme, even Jin De, a Confucian cultivator who valued hierarchy and decorum above all else, rarely bothered to address Diao Chan as "Second Sister."
Yao Guang glanced at her, then her gaze swept across the faces of Qing Qiu, Han Yue, Miaoyin, and finally settled upon a young woman.
“Diao Chan’s fate in this lifetime has reached its end.”
Her answer surprised everyone. They couldn’t understand. Fate had reached its end?
Although it clearly meant that Diao Chan was dead, it sounded strange.
Yao Guang continued, “Today, we mourn as a nation. I shall grant Diao Chan a grand funeral, sending her on her final journey with dignity.”
Han Yue asked, confused, “Elder Sister, we Sage Rulers are like sisters. Why are several of our sisters absent from the funeral today?”
Only five Sage Rulers were present, plus the unfamiliar young woman. Han Yue vaguely remembered her surname was Bai? Her cultivation level was at the first rank of the Divine Transformation realm?
How old was Bai Rong? Had she even reached twenty?
Han Yue marveled at her talent but couldn’t understand why Bai Rong was qualified to stand alongside the Sage Rulers.
“I shall offer my respects to Diao Chan on their behalf.”
Seeing that Yao Guang didn’t intend to elaborate, Han Yue held her tongue.
The Empress approached Bai Rong, taking her hand with a gentle smile.
“Allow me to introduce you all. This is Bai Rong. I ordered my officials to search the world for talented women, and we found nine with exceptional aptitude and potential, all willing to join the Pure Land. Bai Rong stood out among these nine. She is the most exceptional.”
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Han Yue assumed that Yao Guang intended to take Bai Rong as her disciple.
“I have decided to grant Bai Rong half the authority of a Sage Ruler to aid her future cultivation. If she reaches the Great Vehicle realm before the age of fifty, she shall immediately inherit the position of the tenth Sage Ruler!”
Yao Guang’s declaration left everyone stunned.
Han Yue, in particular, was shocked. She hadn’t been born or raised in the Pure Land. She was a sword cultivator who had caught the Pure Land’s attention and had been selected as the Sword Sage, a rare exception to their rules.
She knew firsthand the strict requirements and arduous training involved. Her achievements weren’t simply a result of “hard work.”
Bai Rong, at the first rank of the Divine Transformation realm, was also from the martial world. How could she be granted such preferential treatment, groomed as a future Sage Ruler?
A flicker of jealousy stirred within Han Yue’s heart.
‘The Pure Land has lost two Sage Rulers in quick succession, and we have just founded a new dynasty. Now is the time to replenish our ranks and strengthen ourselves.
Look at Fan Li, diligently attending to official matters in the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion, wholeheartedly serving the nation. When has he ever complained? How can I be so petty as to envy Bai Rong?’
Fan Li would never have imagined that he, the infamous traitor of the Great Chu, would one day be hailed as a model of selfless service.
Han Yue, lost in her self-reproach, quickly accepted Bai Rong’s status. But she still had doubts.
Assuming Bai Rong was twenty years old, could she truly reach the Great Vehicle realm within thirty years?
Unless she consumed Heavenly-grade medicinal pills like candy, it seemed impossible…
Lost in her thoughts, Han Yue was startled by the Empress’s voice.
“I have a task for you.”
“Please command me, Elder Sister,” Han Yue replied hastily.
Yao Guang smiled. “I need you to accompany Bai Rong to Xue Feng’s former cultivation grounds and inherit everything she left behind. Then, bring Bai Rong back safely.”
“Of course, Elder Sister.”
Han Yue agreed without hesitation, but her heart was filled with questions.
What could she possibly have left behind?
Judging by Yao Guang’s tone, inheriting the legacy seemed dangerous. Otherwise, why would she emphasize bringing Bai Rong back “safely?”
‘But with my Four Swords of Zhu Xian, aside from Emperor Jiajing’s Golden Luan Palace, is there any place in the world I cannot go?’ Han Yue thought confidently.
“Ah, I almost forgot.”
Yao Guang took Han Yue’s hand, , like an elder sister caring for her younger sibling.
“Xue Feng’s legacy is a secret passed down through her lineage. It would be best if you could avoid witnessing Bai Rong’s inheritance, Han Yue. But if you cannot, please forget everything you see.”
Han Yue blushed. She was a pure sword cultivator, her life dedicated to her own path. She had no interest in stealing another’s legacy.
“Elder Sister! How could you think that of me? I…”
She was about to swear an oath, but Yao Guang gently placed a finger on her lips, silencing her.
“Don’t misunderstand, Sister. I’m just reminding you, not doubting your integrity. If I didn’t trust you, I would have sent someone else to protect Bai Rong.”
Yao Guang clapped her hands.
“My officials and citizens are waiting outside. Let us go and pay our respects to Diao Chan.”
The palace doors swung open.
Surrounded by her entourage, Yao Guang gracefully ascended the platform. Below, countless citizens of the Great Ci Dynasty cheered and screamed as they caught sight of their Empress. Then, as one, they knelt in worship.
If Fan Li had witnessed this scene, he would have exclaimed, “It’s like a celebrity meeting their fans!”
“My sister has died,” Yao Guang was like a mother comforting her children.
As if sensing her grief, countless women wept softly.
“I, too, am saddened.”
“And I have heard rumors.”
“Some say that the Pure Land once had ten great Sage Rulers, their beauty and power unrivaled, leaving men trembling in their presence.”
“Now, only eight remain. This is a sign of decline.”
“Hahahahahaha~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!”
Suddenly, Yao Guang burst into laughter, shattering the solemn atmosphere. It wasn’t the gentle, motherly laughter of before. It was domineering, arrogant, a king looking down upon the world.
“The rise and fall of the Great Ci rests upon my shoulders, not on the lives or deaths of one or two Sage Rulers!”
“The Emperor’s Divine Ability!”
An astonishing scene unfolded before the eyes of the citizens, a spectacle that would forever be etched in their memories.
Countless white rays of light converged from all directions, like threads, connecting to Yao Guang’s body. She grew larger, transforming into a colossal figure, like a mythical giant.
Those with even a rudimentary understanding of cultivation immediately recognized the technique. They had heard of Emperor Liu Xie defeating Dong Zhuo using this very ability.
It was the divine ability only an emperor could cultivate: