Golden Ranking Appears, My Empress Turns Out to Be Wu Zhao

Watching Jin Shiyi and Gu Zhihua's departing figures, Lu Siniang wore a complex expression.

"Come out."

As soon as she spoke, a black-clad figure appeared before her.

"Does His Majesty have any instructions?"

"Yes. His Majesty has ordered that all Land Immortals under the Ming Dynasty, whether they are at the Heavenly Human Realm, Mythical Realm, or God Demon Realm–"

"No matter which organization they belong to, they must obey unconditionally."

"They are to proceed to the Qing Dynasty's Dragon Vein Ancestral Land and eliminate someone who should have died long ago."

"This time, besides you, the Azure Dragon Association, the Dark Guard, and the Inner Guard will all participate."

The black-clad figure spoke calmly.

"His Majesty is really making such a big move this time?"

"If other nations get involved, what should we do?"

"Anyone who intervenes, aside from the Ming Dynasty, must be killed without mercy."

"Whether they're from Qin Dynasty or Tang Dynasty, no leniency is to be shown."

"Who exactly is the target this time?"

"Unclear. But what is certain is that the target is a former powerful figure of the Qing Dynasty."

"Their cultivation is at least in the Mythical Realm, possibly even in the God Demon Realm."

"Very well. I understand. I will set out immediately for the target location."

"Farewell. I still need to notify the others."

Lu Siniang didn't hesitate. After giving her instructions, her figure blurred and vanished into the distance.

Judging by her strength, she was at least at the Heavenly Human Realm.

Possibly even at the Mythical Realm.

If she hadn't had sufficient power, she would never have succeeded in assassinating Emperor Yongzheng back then.

Even with assistance from others, tremendous strength would have been necessary.

==========

Dongfang Bubai's Hidden Location.

At this moment, Dongfang Bubai had just used an Enlightenment Card.

It did not disappoint. She successfully broke through another minor stage.

She had now fully comprehended the path to the Mythical Realm.

As long as she cultivated steadily, breaking through was only a matter of time.

The effect of the Enlightenment Card was beyond expectations. Truly worthy of being the Heaven Dao Reward.

She still had two left, and planned to save them for the moment her cultivation reached Great Perfection.

She didn't dare delay. She needed to rendezvous with the Azure Dragon Association's high command as soon as possible.

Apparently, they were about to carry out an extremely important mission.

To gather so many Land Immortals, the task must be extraordinarily significant.

==========

Buzz!

A terrifying aura suddenly spread outward in all directions.

Following a loud explosion, a graceful figure shot through the air.

She landed elegantly on the ground.

"So this is the power of the Mythical Realm? It's indeed incomparable to the Heavenly Human Realm."

"Right now, I could easily kill the Great Perfection version of my former self."

"It seems the difference between realms is far greater than I imagined."

"Those who challenge higher realms, how strong must their foundations be?"

With her breakthrough, Li Shengnan was filled with joy.

She had obtained five Enlightenment Cards as a Heaven Dao Reward, and after killing Pang Ban, found two more on him.

She had just used three of them to break through.

She still had four left. Whenever she encountered a bottleneck in the future, she could use them without hesitation.

If even Low-Tier Enlightenment Cards had such amazing effects, then the Top-Tier ones must be unimaginable.

Even she couldn't help but feel a trace of envy for those ranked at the top.

Of course, it was only a passing feeling.

With her character, she would never stoop to jealousy.

If she had the cards, that was great. If not, it wasn't a big deal either.

At most, it would take her more time.

With her talent, and the foundation that person had helped her lay, she was confident she would reach that level one day.

She believed in herself.

"I've wasted enough time. I need to set out immediately for the rendezvous."

"After this mission, my position within the Azure Dragon Association may rise again."

"Those pointless minor missions, I probably won't need to take them anymore."

Li Shengnan smiled confidently, feeling fantastic.

Her steps grew lighter, and her mood lifted with each movement.

==========

Qing Dynasty Territory.

In the northeastern region, a range of mountains stretched endlessly.

Dongfang Bubai sat in a merchant wagon, dressed like a young nobleman, holding a folding fan and quietly observing the surrounding scenery.

The guards around the caravan were all on high alert.

It was as if they expected an ambush at any moment.

Strangely, Dongfang Bubai herself appeared relaxed, showing no concern whatsoever.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

At that moment, a rain of arrows came hurtling toward them.

The targets weren't just the guards, but also the passengers inside the wagons.

"Careful! We're under attack!"

"Everyone, stay alert!"

With a loud shout, the caravan came to a halt. All the guards quickly grouped together.

Their swift, disciplined response clearly indicated professional training.

They were far from ordinary merchant caravan guards.

Swish swish swish!

Drawing their blades, they struck down all the incoming arrows in an instant.

Not a single person was injured or killed.

"Who dares to ambush us? Show yourselves!"

The guard leader's expression darkened as he bellowed the demand.

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of mysterious figures dressed oddly, with long rat-tail braids, surrounded them swiftly.

There were at least a hundred of them.

Each one radiated a terrifying aura.

The weakest among them had cultivation at the Great Grandmaster Realm.

Clearly, these were hidden forces of the Qing Dynasty.

Invisible to the public.

Unknown even to those who might stumble upon them, who would soon be silenced.

Of course, this only applied within the Qing Dynasty.

To the Ming Dynasty's secret agents, these people had long been exposed.

The Qing Dynasty was the archenemy of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, Ming Dynasty's knowledge of their foes far surpassed ordinary forces.

"You are the Qing Mausoleum Guard?"

The caravan's guard leader's eyes flickered with sharp light, showing no trace of fear.

Instead, he was the first to speak.

"So, you really aren't ordinary merchants."

"You're from the Ming Dynasty, aren't you?"

The Qing Mausoleum Guard Leader's tone was icy, his voice full of murderous intent.

"If you're the Qing Mausoleum Guard, then that makes you one of our mission targets."

"Hmph. In that case, none of you will leave here alive."

"Everyone, prepare to eliminate them!"

At the guard leader's command, all the guards raised their blades and charged at the Qing Mausoleum Guard.

To everyone's surprise, every one of these guards was also a Great Grandmaster.

Inside the wagon, Dongfang Bubai had of course sensed the commotion outside.

Her eyes gleamed with thought.

Qing Mausoleum Guard?

So the Qing Dynasty had such a force?

As the Demon Cult Master, she belonged to a Martial World force, yet she had a fair understanding of the Nine Provinces and its nations.

To her knowledge, the only truly fearsome group in the Qing Dynasty was the Flying Guillotine Division.

When did the Qing Mausoleum Guard emerge?

More importantly, these guards even know them?

That meant the Ming Imperial Court had thorough intelligence on the Qing Dynasty's inner workings.

From this, one could see clearly.

Martial world forces, in the end, were just Martial World forces. Compared to the governments of the various dynasties, they were simply not on the same level.

Even the powerful Azure Dragon Association was created with the support of the Ming Imperial Court.

In terms of foundation, they couldn't compare to the national powers.

Watching the fierce battle unfold outside, Dongfang Bubai showed no intention of taking action.

Instead, she was curious to see what would happen next.

Even with her current cultivation, she was still just a piece on the chessboard.

If she wanted to become a player in the game, her strength was still far from enough.

"Aaaaahhh!"

Miserable screams rang out endlessly.

Some came from the caravan guards, while others were from the so-called Qing Mausoleum Guard.

At that moment, waves of terrifying internal force surged from afar.

Their target was the caravan's many wagons.

This time, no guards stepped forward to intercept.

The energy blasts met no resistance and struck the wagons directly.

In an instant.

With thunderous explosions, one terrifying figure after another shot out from the wreckage.

Among them was Dongfang Bubai.

The auras of the surrounding figures were no weaker than hers either.

All of them were Heavenly Human Realm cultivators.

To suddenly have so many Heavenly Human Realm cultivators appear, and for their enemies to still dare attack, clearly, the enemy's strength couldn't be underestimated.

"Insolent insects. How dare you attack me? Courting death!"

One of the unknown Heavenly Human Realm cultivators roared in anger.

He struck with a palm at the advancing Qing Mausoleum Guard assassins.

Fast, precise, and ruthless.

In a flash, he reduced several Great Grandmasters into pulp.

But before he could celebrate, a slash of black blade energy blasted into his chest from a distance.

A miserable scream followed.

He died instantly.

His corpse crashed into the ground, smashing a huge crater.

Dongfang Bubai's expression darkened.

The attacker's strength clearly surpassed the Heavenly Human Realm.

They were a Mythical Realm cultivator.

Even Mythical Realm cultivators had been deployed this time?

"Kill!"

A cold voice echoed across the battlefield.

Immediately after.

Over ten Qing Mausoleum Guard members at the Heavenly Human Realm revealed themselves and swiftly closed in.

They didn't say a word. They attacked with full force.

It seemed they intended to wipe out every martial Heaven-Man present, including Dongfang Bubai.

What surprised everyone was.

Three Heavenly Human Realm opponents were assigned to attack Dongfang Bubai alone.

Clearly, they were taking her very seriously.

However, Dongfang Bubai was not to be underestimated.

Her figure flickered continuously, leaving afterimages behind.

She weaved through the gaps between her enemies.

Silver needles shot out from her hands in rapid succession.

They struck her opponents.

Instantly, their formation crumbled.

One of them was even seriously injured after getting hit in a vital spot.

Unfortunately, while Dongfang Bubai remained unharmed, the other Heavenly Human Realm cultivators were all gravely wounded.

The enemy's preparation was extremely thorough.

It seemed they were more than ready.

They were determined to eliminate every one of these powerful yet suspicious Ming Dynasty cultivators.

"Where are the reinforcements?"

"Why haven't they arrived yet? With the wisdom of the Fourth Dragon Head, he couldn't possibly have failed to make arrangements."

"Have we been used as cannon fodder? Or is there some other reason?"

Even Dongfang Bubai began to grow anxious, her heart filled with suspicion and doubt.

She even had the urge to flee.

But in the end, she clenched her teeth and held on.

Until the very last moment, she would keep fighting.

If she fled now, she might be declared a fugitive by the Azure Dragon Association, and there would be no place left in the world for her.

Would she really have to beg that man?

Even if it meant death, never!

She would keep going.

She wanted to see exactly what kind of game that Four Dragon Cult Master was playing.

If they let all these Heavenly Human Realm cultivators die here, regardless of what happened within the Azure Dragon Association, the Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao would never forgive them.

To the Ming Emperor, Heavenly Human Realm cultivators were a critical asset.

Losing one or two might not matter.

But losing over a dozen at once, that would be a complete disaster.

==========

Ding ding ding...

Clang clang clang...

At this perilous moment, a wave of zither music echoed across the battlefield.

"What's going on? Where is that music coming from?"

"No... My head is killing me!"

"Same here. My true essence is stuck. I feel like I can't breathe."

"My blood is boiling. My body feels like it's going to explode!"

The Qing Mausoleum Guard members locked in fierce combat with Dongfang Bubai and the others began showing signs of distress.

Their faces twisted in pain.

Their movements slowed dramatically.

Suddenly, Dongfang Bubai and the others found themselves under much less pressure.

"Ah!"

At that moment, one Heavenly Human Realm Qing Mausoleum Guard let out a wretched scream.

The next instant.

His body exploded into pieces.

The unexpected turn stunned everyone.

"Quick! Be careful, everyone! Fall back now!"

Dongfang Bubai and the others quickly retreated.

They regrouped, cautiously watching their surroundings.

That first explosion seemed to trigger a chain reaction.

One after another, every Heavenly Human Realm Qing Mausoleum Guard let out howls of agony.

They all exploded in succession.

The scene turned horrific.

These were Heavenly Human Realm cultivators!

They weren't ordinary people or average cultivators.

They were true Land Immortals.

And now, they have died here so easily.

It felt far too cheap.

Even these Heavenly Human Realm killers, hardened by countless deaths, were struck with fear.

Whoever had done this was unbelievably powerful.

Slaughtering Heavenly Human Realm cultivators was as easy for them as killing chickens.

If that person wanted to kill them too, it would likely be effortless.

Could it be that this person was actually an ally?

"How dare you!"

"Damn it!"

"Stop right there!"

Three furious and venomous roars rang out in succession.

Then, three terrifying figures emerged.

Judging from their clothing, they were certainly part of the Qing Mausoleum Guard.

But their garments were far more ornate and refined.

"Mythical Realm!"

Dongfang Bubai's face turned grim.

She hadn't expected the Qing Dynasty to have three Mythical Realm cultivators.

If that was the case, then why hadn't they intervened against the Ming Army's external attacks?

Why hide themselves away in some remote northeastern region?

What exactly were they planning?

As the three appeared, another figure floated over from the distance.

In her hand was a pitch-black ancient zither.

She landed in front of Dongfang Bubai and the others.

Her gaze was calm and superior as she stared at the three new arrivals.

"Qing Mausoleum Guard."

"You've finally shown yourselves. I've been waiting a long time for you."

The mysterious woman showed no fear at the sight of the three Mythical Realm cultivators.

Instead, her expression remained indifferent.

Her eyes were filled with disdain.

Clearly, she didn't take them seriously at all.

"Heavenly Demon Zither!?"

"You're..."

The three Qing Mausoleum Guard members immediately focused on the zither in her hand.

Their bodies trembled.

Their eyes widened in shock as they stared at her.

They instinctively stepped back a few paces.

But with three Mythical Realm cultivators on their side, they quickly shook off the fear.

They fixed the woman with sharp glares.

Murderous intent radiated from their bodies.

The battle between the two sides was on the verge of erupting.

At that moment.

High above, the Demon God Ranking suddenly burst into dazzling light.

A new ranking was about to appear.

One line after another of new text began to manifest.