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

[Demon God Ranking – Rank 4]

[Yan Lingji]

[Force: Hundred Yue City of Qin Dynasty]

[Cultivation: Great Perfection Mythical Realm Land Immortal]

[Technique: Hundred Yue Burning Fire Scripture]

[Reward: 5x Intermediate-Tier Enlightenment Card (Can be used for enlightenment, increasing comprehension two hundred times, duration one day!)]

==========

Her?

Both Lian Nichang and Huang Xuemei were a little surprised.

Yan Lingji actually cultivates a Demon Dao Cultivation Technique, not one from the Dao School?

Great Perfection Mythical Realm... she's that powerful?

Moreover, this woman and that guy... their relationship is quite ambiguous.

To have reached this realm, that guy must have played a significant role.

With his help, it wouldn't be surprising if she reaches the God Demon Realm before them.

"Nichang, now is not the time for us to relax."

"There are countless cultivators in this world. If we're careless, we will eventually encounter an opponent we can't overcome!"

"Only by reaching the God Demon Realm as soon as possible can we be truly safe."

After the battle at the Qing Imperial Mausoleum, both women were filled with a sense of crisis.

Even at the Mythical Realm, they felt extremely unsafe.

==========

Ming Dynasty, Imperial Palace.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the ranking, a flash of delight passing through his eyes.

But even so.

It was still caught by the Empress beside him, Wu Zhao.

Which made her take this Yan Lingji even more seriously.

Perhaps in the short term, it doesn't matter.

But in the future, she would become an absolutely formidable rival.

The most crucial point was that the power under her command was not weak.

And within the Imperial Harem, she even had absolute allies.

Hong Lian and Nong Yu.

Not someone Wu Zhao could take lightly.

It wasn't just Yan Lingji, there were also other beauties outside connected to His Majesty.

Especially those who had already reached the God Demon Realm, or were about to.

They were enormous threats.

Fortunately, over the years, her temper and personality had been greatly improved by Zhu Houzhao.

She wouldn't do anything reckless or irrational.

But the occasional small temper? That never diminished in the slightest.

"Your Majesty, since this Yan Lingji has such a close relationship with you, why not bring her into the Imperial Harem?"

"That way, at the very least, she'll be much safer."

"Based on what I know about Qin Dynasty's Ying Zheng, he would never allow such a huge threat like Yan Lingji to remain within Qin Dynasty Territory."

"Once he eliminates the remnants of the Six Kingdoms, he will absolutely target Hundred Yue City first."

"This woman may be strong, but I fear she still isn't a match for the Qin Dynasty."

Wu Zhao spoke with an ambiguous tone.

Zhu Houzhao was momentarily stunned. Her words sounded reasonable, but why did it feel... sour?

This was one of the rare times Empress Wu spoke with jealousy.

It seemed that, in her heart, she had already developed deep caution toward Yan Lingji.

Even within the Imperial Harem, few concubines made her this wary.

Only Xue Yuan and Murong Qiudi could compare.

The rest, she could handle with ease.

Among the beauties outside, only the Snow Moon Sword Immortal, Li Hanyi, held similar weight in her eyes.

Of course.

That was also because Zhu Houzhao kept things well hidden.

If the Empress found out that several of the Emperor's women outside had already reached the God Demon Realm, she would definitely become even more alert.

Being the Ming Empress and the woman of Zhu Houzhao was undoubtedly an immense honor.

But it also came with unprecedented pressure.

Thankfully, she had acquired a mysterious Ancient Inheritance, and her cultivation had been advancing rapidly.

In the future, even the Sage Realm may not be out of reach.

Otherwise, she truly wouldn't be able to suppress the many women around Zhu Houzhao.

Even so, as time passed, Wu Zhao increasingly felt the pressure.

She needed to evolve again, to elevate her strength further.

==========

Qin Dynasty, Land of Hundred Yue.

Hundred Yue City.

"Yan Lingji, you really hid it well. You even kept it from us!"

Zi Nu looked up at the ranking in the sky, then glared at Yan Lingji with mock annoyance.

Beside her, Fei Yan and Xue Nu were also visibly shocked.

They had always thought Yan Lingji was only at the Early or Intermediate Mythical Realm.

They never imagined she had already reached the Great Perfection Stage.

Just one step away from the God Demon Realm.

Her cultivation speed was simply too fast.

"Hehe, I was just copying that scumbag."

"That guy always hides his cultivation in front of us, making us guess."

"And every time, he surprises us."

"Now that I'm doing the same, I have to say, it feels pretty great."

"Seeing your shocked faces, I finally get it."

Yan Lingji giggled with a smug look on her face.

The three women rolled their eyes at her in unison.

This girl really picked up some bad habits from that scumbag.

"By the way, Yan Lingji, how did you progress so quickly?"

"Thanks to that scumbag, of course."

"I was only at the Late Stage before, but he came to Hundred Yue City recently and helped me again."

"He further refined my Cultivation Technique, and even said that breaking through to the God Demon Realm would no longer be too difficult."

"My current realm is also thanks to the cultivation resources he gave me."

"And it's not just me, you all also improved significantly after he came, didn't you?"

"I bet it won't take long before each of you breaks into the Mythical Realm."

Saying this, Yan Lingji gave the three of them a look, refusing to be outdone.

As if they could hide that secret from her.

That guy may be a scumbag, but he was never stingy with them.

Whenever he had good things, he never forgot them.

At least, being around him came with a strong sense of security.

"By the way, your current Cultivation Technique, is it a demonic one?"

"Will that affect your temperament?"

Zi Nu asked with some concern.

"No, that scumbag also gave me a method to temper my mind."

"Besides, the flame in my body is completely under control. There's no risk of backlash."

"He said that my personality isn't suited for Dao, Confucian, or Buddhist Cultivation Technique. Instead, I'm better suited for demonic cultivation."

"If it's not compatible, it'll actually hold back my future potential."

Fei Yan nodded.

"If that guy said so, then we can rest assured."

"Looks like we have to work harder too. If we fall too far behind, that would be unacceptable."

When the scumbag visited Hundred Yue City before, he naturally helped refine her own Cultivation Technique as well.

The power of her Buddha Wrath Fire Lotus became even more terrifying.

As long as she kept going, reaching the God Demon Realm was a clear path.

Catching up was only a matter of time.

And given Feiyan's pride, she definitely didn't want to lag behind for long.

Even if her rivals were her friends, like Yan Lingji.

Competitive to the core, even motherhood hadn't changed that.

Moreover, from what she knew, the scumbag had enough strength to support his "broad affections".

Both Zi Nu and Xue Nu had grown much stronger, surely with his help.

Even Yue'er had completely changed her Cultivation Technique.

Now she practiced an even more comprehensive and powerful technique.

As long as she stuck to the path and built a solid foundation.

Reaching the God Demon Realm was no issue at all.

Even the Sage Realm would not be out of reach.

Fei Yan couldn't help but feel jealous.

That scumbag treated his daughter way better than he treated her.

==========

Qin Imperial Palace.

Ying Zheng and his ministers stared at the ranking in the sky, brows deeply furrowed.

Especially Ying Zheng, who kept tapping the table with his finger, the rhythmic knocking echoing in the chamber.

Clearly.

He was not in a good mood.

"Sir, if I order Monarch Wu'an to set out now and destroy Hundred Yue City, what are the odds of success?"

He had long viewed Hundred Yue City as a thorn in his side.

He always wanted to uproot it.

But for various reasons, he had held off.

That didn't mean he had forgotten the city or its queen.

"Your Majesty, you must not."

"Right now, the top priority of the Qin Dynasty is still to eliminate the remnants of the Six Kingdoms and the resisting Hundred Schools of Thought forces."

"Hundred Yue City may be a threat, but it's not a fatal one."

"It poses no danger to the Qin Dynasty's foundation."

"In contrast, the remnants of Six Kingdoms are different."

"If left alone, they could truly fragment the Qin Dynasty. That would be the greatest catastrophe."

"No one knows what other schemes Xiong Qi might have."

"That man will never submit willingly."

"More importantly, Hundred Yue City is not as simple as it appears."

"To be designated a Forbidden Land of the Nine Provinces by the Golden Ranking, it is anything but simple."

"The Hundred Yue Queen is already in the Great Perfection Mythical Realm. If Monarch Wu'an is injured or killed by her, the consequences would be dire."

To Shang Yang, Hundred Yue City was indeed dangerous, but fundamentally, it was still a martial force.

No matter how strong, it couldn't threaten the core of the Qin Dynasty.

But the Six Kingdoms and Xiong Qi were different.

Their ultimate goal was to destroy the Qin Dynasty and replace it.

That made them an existential threat.

Once the Qin Dynasty eliminated the remnants of the Six Kingdoms, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with Hundred Yue.

"Your Majesty!"

Just then.

The Black Ice Platform Leader, Black Shadow, stepped forward to report.

"What is it?"

"Your Majesty, I've recently received intelligence that Hundred Yue City seems to be preparing for a major move!"

"What? Explain!" Ying Zheng asked with wide eyes.

Shang Yang also asked urgently.

"Are they planning to ally with the Six Kingdoms to resist the Qin Dynasty?"

The Hundred Yue and Qin Dynasty were fated to be enemies.

They might very well try to ally with the Six Kingdoms to secure their survival.

"Your Majesty, Lord Shang, it's not that!"

"I discovered that Hundred Yue City may be planning to relocate its base."

"Relocate? What do you mean?"

Both were confused.

"The Hundred Yue Queen wants to lead her people out of the Qin Dynasty and head to another dynasty."

"No! Absolutely not!"

Ying Zheng shot up in anger.

Hundred Yue City, after all, was in Qin Dynasty Territory. Sooner or later, it would be his.

If they fled to another dynasty, wouldn't that mean empowering his rivals?

"Black Shadow, are you sure?"

"This... I'm not entirely certain. I'm only speculating."

"Hundred Yue City is too dangerous. Black Ice Platform agents can't even infiltrate."

"Recently, we lost two Heavenly Human Realm cultivators inside. I don't dare send anyone else."

"It is a Forbidden Land of the Nine Provinces. Unless one is at the God Demon Realm, it's extremely dangerous."

"But judging from their actions, this possibility is at least sixty percent."

The Black Ice Platform Leader finally spoke cautiously.

"Sir, what should we do about Hundred Yue?"

"The Hundred Yue Queen making such a move at this crucial moment is clearly meant to trouble us."

"If we focus on eliminating the Six Kingdoms, we won't be able to stop Hundred Yue City."

"But if we split our forces to deal with Hundred Yue, then wiping out the Six Kingdoms becomes difficult."

"Even so, we may not be able to defeat Hundred Yue, and end up failing on both fronts."

"But if we ignore the Six Kingdoms and focus on Hundred Yue, then with Xiong Qi's ability, he could truly fragment the Qin Dynasty and rebuild Chu."

"That threat is far more terrifying."

Shang Yang's mind raced as he analyzed every possible outcome.

The more he spoke, the darker Ying Zheng's face became.

"Damn it. Are we just going to let them win?"

"Your Majesty, I have an idea!"

Shang Yang's eyes lit up as a plan formed in his mind.

He immediately began laying it out in detail.

Both Ying Zheng and the Black Ice Platform Leader nodded subtly as they listened.

Ying Zheng quickly approved the plan and immediately ordered Black Shadow to carry it out personally.