Yu Yin opened her eyes. Her skin was like flawless jade, her gaze bright and full of spirit. Every movement she made carried an innate nobility, an aura that revealed the bearing of one born to command.
None of those present dared to admire her beauty. Instead, cold fear crept up from the depths of their hearts. How terrifying was a ruler at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage?
No one could imagine. Among the Nine Great Imperial Dynasties, there was at this moment only one such existence—Yu Yin.
Run.
No one spoke the word, yet all understood it instinctively. Terror turned into motion; they all made the same choice. Yu Yin’s slender, snow-white finger pointed lightly forward.
In that instant, aside from General Divine Might, everyone froze in place, completely unable to move. A faint, proud smile appeared on her lips.
“As expected of Jiang Li’s favorite move... it does feel rather satisfying to use.”
General Divine Might understood there was no hope of fleeing. Even if he could run, his army could not. Without his troops, he was merely a Union Stage cultivator—he could never hope to escape from Yu Yin, who controlled the entire Heavenly Origin Bureau.
There was only one path left—fight with all he had. Though he too had reached the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, that was in name only. He could not wield the true powers belonging to that realm.
For example, one at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage could imprison space itself. Human Emperor Jiang, lacking spatial talent, could not—Yu Yin, however, could. As for him, he could not grasp such laws at all.
But perhaps, he thought, the other party had only just entered the Tribulation Transcendence Stage and had yet to master its powers fully. If he relied on brute force, could he not snatch victory from defeat? General Divine Might tried hard to steady his confidence.
Yet Yu Yin gave him no chance to turn the tide. With the blessing of national fate pressing down upon her, she summoned forth the incomplete Fate Chessboard. Her slender fingers fell onto four star positions—each a deadly note struck.
Suddenly, one hundred and eight thousand weapons of every imaginable shape and form were conjured into existence, filling the entire space. Above the head, beneath the feet, forward and back, left and right—all sealed. The weapons formed a giant sphere, blades turned inward, surrounding General Divine Might from all sides.
Yu Yin lightly waved her hand. The countless weapons pierced inward at once. When they vanished, nothing remained but a thick mist of blood.
Rebirth from a drop of blood—such an ability of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage was something General Divine Might did not possess. He did not even manage to utter the plea that he was an important figure in the Divine Repository Cult and could yet render merit.
With his death, the army lost its commander, and the Fate Chessboard formed by the nation’s fortune resumed its complete, radiant state. News of Yu Yin’s ascension into the Tribulation Transcendence Stage had already spread across the Imperial City. Everyone knew the outcome was decided—no more surprises could occur.
Courtiers and citizens streamed out to kneel and offer worship to their Empress. The earlier battle had long destroyed the Imperial Palace. Yu Yin slowly floated upward, and with her rose seven others—Prince An and his followers.
Before the eyes of all, she would execute them. Everyone understood clearly: when the Empress reigns supreme under Heaven, traitors cannot be allowed to live! Even their nine clans would likely be exterminated.
The former royal line would be erased; no blood of the old dynasty would remain. The Five Thunders True Law Sect, the Heavenly Sky Sect, and Lake Cloud Dream would all decline under her suppression. The Minister of War and the Minister of Justice would soon face investigation.
As for the kin of King Qiongqi—Empress Baize would be delighted to see one of the Eight Vassal Kings’ bloodlines eradicated. The other officials who had cast their lot with Prince An—the Minister of Rites and the like—none could tell whether their punishment would end with their own deaths or extend to the extermination of their clans.
Only the Minister of Personnel, Sun Yuan, would rise in fortune. He had rendered great merit joining the Empress’s cause. From now on, he would be second only to one, above ten thousand.
None of this had yet happened, but all in court knew Yu Yin’s nature and were in awe of her talent. Now that she had entered the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, all was decided. Such was the prestige of Yu Yin within the Heavenly Origin Dynasty.
She never relied on cunning imperial stratagems, on loyal lonesome ministers, or on factional alliances. She had only a few trusted aides. Prince An finally understood that Yu Yin was unlike any Heavenly Origin Emperor before her.
She was closer to the Human Emperor himself! The Human Emperor sought only strength, never caring for worldly power. The former Heavenly Origin Emperors, knowing their limits, had resorted to politics—gathering factions, winning over ministers, struggling to maintain imperial authority.
Prince An had imitated them, forming cliques, thinking the greater trend was in his favor. Now he understood—before absolute strength, such schemes were childish toys unworthy of the grand stage. Yu Yin’s execution was swift and ruthless.
The seven traitors’ corpses lay exposed for all to see, bones bleaching under the sun.
“Sun Yuan, your loyalty is commendable… what are you doing!?”
Yu Yin turned, intending to reward him, but froze in shock. A twisted smile appeared on Sun Yuan’s lips. And with that smile came a sudden surge of power—a grand formation unfolded, instantly encompassing the entire Imperial City.
Yu Yin’s pupils contracted sharply. She recognized that formation. Absolute Spirit Extermination Array!
This was a killing formation of the Demonic Path, one capable of annihilating an entire city—or even an entire nation! Ordinarily, such a vast formation would be easily detected by the court’s protectors. Yet this Absolute Spirit Extermination Array had been hidden within a parallel spatial layer, existing alongside the capital itself.
Now, that hidden space had merged with the Nine Provinces, and the array had appeared full and whole within the empire’s heart!
“Sun Yuan, you deserve death!”
Her usually cold voice carried rare fury. It would take several breaths for the array to fully activate. If she could immobilize him now, there might still be hope to reverse it.
However, Sun Yuan easily broke free of her spatial binding, a power emanating from him nearly equal to hers. He too was at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage!
“How could you break through to the Tribulation Stage without a single sign or ripple of Heaven’s will?”
Yu Yin’s voice trembled with disbelief. When she had broken through moments ago, the entire Nine Provinces had felt the heavenly resonance—that was normal. But Sun Yuan?
He had silently crossed that threshold, deceiving even the heavens?
Impossible!
“In the face of the Power of the Divine Repository,” Sun Yuan said with a cruel smile, “nothing is impossible. Absolute Spirit Extermination Array—activate!”
The vast and intricate array began to turn. Lines of ancient runes interlocked, constellations shifted, dragons and serpents crawled, heaven and earth inverted. Within three breaths, silence reigned.
The empire was gone. Blood mist filled the heavens, lingering like a nightmare. Everywhere, clothes hung in the air—but the bodies within had vanished.
The garments remained upright, still performing the motions of their masters, yet the people were no more. The Imperial City turned into a blood-drenched phantom, eerie and quiet. Moments later, the mist dispersed; clothes drifted gently to the ground, as if their owners had never existed.
From the lowest Qi Refining citizen to the Early Union Stage vice pavilion master of the Heavenly Slaughter Pavilion—all perished instantly. Nine hundred thousand souls—one million soldiers—together over nine million lives, obliterated in the blink of an eye. The Divine Repository Cult’s supposed limit was the slaughter of a mere thousand at once.
That rule, decreed by the so‑called Divine Repository Venerable’s will, had been set by Sun Yuan himself—to prevent others from gaining power beyond his reach. But he, of course, would not bind himself by such rules. Now, nine million dead filled his body with the Power of Virtue twisted and devoured into Demonic strength.
He was a single step away from Ascension.
“Die!”
Yu Yin struck in fury, but her throat filled with sweetness—blood gushed forth from her lips, and her aura plummeted. The nation was gone, the army vanished—what was the ruler of a shattered realm? As her country’s fate collapsed, the backlash struck her body.
Wounded to the core, her strength fell sharply.
“Your Majesty,” Sun Yuan said calmly, “in the Heavenly Origin Dynasty, might decides sovereignty. It’d be better for you to yield your throne.”
Decades of plotting had finally borne fruit. He could already see victory beckoning. Their powers clashed, yet he held complete advantage.
Even Yu Yin, dazzling as she was, could not win. She had just entered the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, unstable, grievously wounded. His strength had reached the threshold of Ascension.
He had prepared for every detail. Jiang Li, who should have been present as her Protector, was not here. Those few who could intervene were far away and could not arrive in time.
As long as he killed Yu Yin, seized the throne, and wove the Absolute Spirit Extermination Array as part of the National Fate Chessboard, the Power of the Divine Repository would push him to stand equal with Human Emperor Jiang himself. He would become the second existing being to reach the Mahayana Stage!
“Farewell, Empress.”
Victory assured, Sun Yuan raised his hand for the final strike. But before he could unleash it, an iron hand gripped his wrist, locking it in place. Horror froze his expression.
He turned, trembling, to see a young man with a face dark as storm clouds glaring coldly at him. Human Emperor Jiang.
[End of Chapter]