Empress Yue had already cultivated the Innate Moon Spirit Body. Although she had not yet broken through the third physical limit, she no longer needed to stay in the sky and could descend to slowly challenge this third limit.
“Let’s go down,” said Empress Yue.
Ye Tian followed Empress Yue as they flew down, quickly returning to the temporary cave dwelling where they had stayed before.
In the following days, Empress Yue began to challenge her third physical limit, which fortunately did not require guarding.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian continued to develop his brain domain. He still had some treasures for brain domain development, which he hadn’t used while cultivating at the Moon God Pavilion. He now planned to use them all, hoping to further enhance his cultivation.
On the third day, Empress Yue made a breakthrough, successfully shattering her third physical limit. Her strength greatly increased, now comparable to the Battle Axe Emperor.
Originally, Ye Tian had planned to continue cultivating with Empress Yue in this place until reaching the Emperor level.
But plans changed unexpectedly.
“Ye Tian, the Battle Axe Emperor has sent a message. Something has happened in the Beast World; the beasts are retreating, and that black beast has disappeared. The Battle Axe Emperor is preparing to establish a new base in the Beast World. We can go back now!” announced Empress Yue.
“Can we go back now?” Ye Tian felt a mix of happiness and loss.
He was happy to return, no longer trapped in the Beast World. However, he felt sad about parting with Empress Yue. Unconsciously, he had grown accustomed to their days together. Even the thought of separating from Empress Yue brought a sense of melancholy.
Although they could still meet after returning, the gap in their statuses was significant. Empress Yue, a powerful Emperor-level fighter comparable to the Battle Axe Emperor and the Sect Master of the Moon God Sect, wielded immense authority. In contrast, Ye Tian was merely a Saint-level cultivator, his power comparable to the weaker among the thirty-six Emperors but still at a Saint level. His Tian Pavilion was a minor force, hardly considered significant.
If they returned to Zhonghai Super Base, spending time together as they had been would be impossible.
Empress Yue seemed to realize this too, a faint sense of loss appearing on her face. Both remained silent in a poignant coincidence.
After a while, Empress Yue spoke: “Ye Tian, you are always welcome to visit the Moon God Sect, and you can… come to see me!”
Saying this seemed to take all of Empress Yue’s strength, her body trembling slightly.
“Of course, I will definitely come to see you!” Ye Tian replied with a happy smile.
He knew Empress Yue must have a fondness for him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have said such words. Normally, men were strictly forbidden from entering the Moon God Sect, even those married to its female disciples or part of its external forces. Only on grand occasions of the Moon God Sect, perhaps when few Emperor-level visitors came, one could enter. But for someone like Ye Tian to have the privilege of visiting any time and even seeing Empress Yue was unique.
“I’ll be waiting for you!” Empress Yue smiled, a joyous expression unlike her usual aloof, untouchable Moon Goddess demeanor, as if she had transformed into a different person.
If Ye Tian were now the foremost figure of Zhonghai Super Base, he might have embraced Empress Yue right then. But he was merely a Saint-level cultivator.
If he confessed his feelings to Empress Yue now and established a relationship, she might not mind and might even be overjoyed. But what would others at Zhonghai Super Base think?
They might label Ye Tian as a gold-digger attached to Empress Yue, or even worse. He didn’t mind what others said about him, but he wouldn’t allow anyone to speak ill of Empress Yue.
Thus, he resolved to confess to Empress Yue in the strongest manner possible, not now.
He believed that day wouldn’t be too far off.
The next day, Ye Tian and Empress Yue returned to the vicinity of the spatial rift.
Near the spatial rift, a brand-new base was under construction. Top-level formation masters, including a Morning Star-level formation master, were busy setting up a grand formation. It wouldn’t be long before this new base was completed.
Many sighed in relief with Empress Yue’s return. Recently, too many Emperors had fallen, particularly the devastating loss of the Blood Eye Witch Emperor, which had severely impacted the morale of Zhonghai Super Base. The Witch God Temple, having lost both the Blood Eye Witch Emperor and the Tyrant Dragon Emperor, was in decline, close to losing its status as one of the four major powers.
Empress Yue’s disappearance had also plunged the Moon God Sect into chaos, with many believing Empress Yue had fallen. Without Empress Yue, the Moon God Sect, lacking in depth, could hardly be considered a top-tier power anymore and would be reduced to an ordinary major force.
Fortunately, Empress Yue’s safe return brought a collective sigh of relief to the Moon God Sect.
As for Ye Tian, he didn’t attract much attention initially. However, soon after Empress Yue’s return, Ye Tian became famous. Empress Yue announced that Ye Tian was the Moon God Sect’s most favored guest, who could enter the sect anytime without hindrance, and she must be notified immediately upon his visit…
This news made Ye Tian the envy of many men and even the subject of jealousy among many women in the Moon God Sect.
In short, Ye Tian was in the limelight once again!
Upon Ye Tian’s return, Feng Luxue immediately sought him out for a chat over tea.
“Ye Tian, I didn’t expect you to return alive, don’t get me wrong, I’m not cursing you. You’re really incredible; so many Emperors have fallen, but you survived. Your top-level invisibility talent is amazing!” Feng Luxue exclaimed.
“It’s just luck!” Ye Tian replied with a smile, not elaborating further. If he had relied solely on his stealth talent, he would have perished many times over.
As they chatted, Feng Luxue suddenly asked in a low voice, “Ye Tian, what’s your relationship with Empress Yue? She allowed you to enter the Moon God Sect anytime and forbid anyone from stopping you. You know, you’re the only man in the entire Zhonghai Super Base with this privilege!”
“Maybe Empress Yue has taken a liking to me?” Ye Tian replied, half-jokingly yet seriously.
Feng Luxue rolled his eyes, “Cut it out. You’re not even as handsome as me. How could you win Empress Yue’s heart? I heard Empress Yue doesn’t even like men. Rumor has it she was severely injured by a terrifying beast and disappeared. Did you save her, and that’s why she treats you so well?”
Clearly, Feng Luxue’s imagination had run wild with this theory.
“Alright, I did save Empress Yue!” Ye Tian said, somewhat helplessly.
“I knew it! It must be for that reason!” Feng Luxue said smugly, believing he had figured it out.
“Ye Tian, do you know how many Emperors died this time?” Feng Luxue’s expression suddenly turned solemn.
“I don’t know,” Ye Tian shook his head. He had just returned and indeed didn’t know the exact number.
“The exact figures haven’t been released, but I heard that forty percent of the Emperors died, including sixteen of the thirty-six Emperors,” Feng Luxue sighed.
The loss of so many Emperors was more devastating than the war that happened ten or twenty years ago. Without at least a decade of accumulation, Zhonghai Super Base’s strength couldn’t return to its peak.