Heavenly Sword Villa—once hailed as the pinnacle among the Four Great Sects—had fallen from grace.
No one had predicted that the mighty sect, revered above even Frozen Cloud Asgard, would not only lose its prestige but be overshadowed by the Blue Wind Imperial Family, the Frozen Cloud Asgard, and even the Blue Wind Profound Palace in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. From first place, they had tumbled to fourth. A humiliating descent.
Worse still, none outside the core circle knew that the Grand Villa Master, Ling Tianni. once a fearsome cultivator at the Fourth Level of the Emperor Profound Realm, had suffered a crippling loss of power—reduced all the way down to the Peak of the Sky Profound Realm. It was the most disgraceful decline in sect history.
His powers absorbed by his own formation, backfired for trying to steal the power of the Ancient Moon Empress from Princess Cang Yue.
Now, only Ling Yuefeng, his son, remained as the last pillar of power—holding at the Third Level of the Emperor Profound Realm. But even he paled before the likes of Xue Ling, who had completely surpassed him, and the ever-watchful Butterfly Monarch, who now stood as a protector of the Imperial Family. To even consider retaliation would be tantamount to suicide.
"Father!" Ling Yuefeng burst into his father's quarters, only to freeze at the sight before him. The once-proud Villa Master was hastily packing his belongings, his hands shaking with urgency.
"Where are you going?" Ling Yuefeng asked, dread creeping into his voice.
Ling Tianni didn't look at him. "That brat…" he spat, teeth clenched. "That brat played us. All of us."
"The formation…" Yuefeng began, but his father cut him off.
"Damn the formation! He knew how to tamper with it. By now, the Butterfly Monarch surely knows everything."
"But—Elder Ling Kun, he might—"
"Ling Kun? Don't be a fool. Even he won't move. He's terrified of the Monarch. We all are." The Grand Villa Master paused, his voice sinking into desperation. "There's no one left to save us."
Ling Yuefeng clenched his fists. "What are we going to do then?"
His father's gaze turned cold. "If you value your life… run."
Ling Yuefeng took a sharp breath. "But my sons, the villa… I can't abandon them."
The Grand Villa Master turned his back to him.
"Then stay behind and die with them. I don't care anymore."
==================
At the gates of Heavenly Sword Villa, life moved with expected calm. Disciples wandered in and out, exchanging greetings, unaware that their peace was about to be shattered.
On a hill overlooking the villa, Cang Yue—or rather, her awakened self, Shin Yue—descended silently, her presence heavy with suppressed fury. She gently set Mei Mei down, her expression cold and unreadable. Moments later, Xue Ling, Lin Yueru, and Jin Mulan arrived, forming a quiet but formidable entourage.
"Stay here." Shin Yue's voice was calm, but layered with thunderous restraint. "I don't want any of you caught in my anger."
Mei Mei obediently nodded and retreated, finding her place beside Xue Ling. The others exchanged glances but said nothing. Only Yun Che might have the gall to question her in this state—but he wasn't here. And they all knew: when Shin Yue was like this, nothing would stop her.
With a flash of blue light, she took to the sky, her profound flying technique shimmering behind her like an ethereal comet. Within seconds, she descended at the main gate of Heavenly Sword Villa, the wind screaming at her heels.
Disciples froze. Conversations died. All eyes locked on the mysterious woman cloaked in a brilliant blue aura, pressure radiating from her like the tide of an angry sea.
She said nothing.
Her steps were slow. Deliberate. Every movement a warning.
Then—
Alarms blared.
The main gates slammed shut.
Steel bars locked into place.
Shin Yue stopped. She smirked.
Raising her right hand, water began to condense from the very air—shimmering, coiling, and twisting into a massive fist of liquid force, the size of a boulder, glowing with azure power.
With a single, casual flick—
BOOM.
The gates shattered into a thousand splinters, metal and stone flying like leaves in a storm. The earth trembled beneath the force. Disciples stumbled back in terror, their courage gone.
Shin Yue lowered her hand.
Her voice was barely a whisper—yet it echoed like thunder across the broken gate:
"Let your masters come out… before this empress drag them out herself."
The moment the gate crumbled, the world seemed to hold its breath—
Then a dark aura erupted from Shin Yue's body, black and indigo tendrils coiling outward like living shadows. The ground cracked beneath her feet. Air warped and screamed as a tornado of force surged around her, a barrier of chaos that kept disciples and elders alike frozen in fear.
"W-what is that pressure!?"
None dared approach.
Behind her, the massive watery fist she had conjured churned with unstable power, held in check only by her will. But it was the calm before the greater storm.
Without a word, three colossal water dragons burst forth from the shattered ground behind her. Formed from conjured moisture and infused with her profound energy, they coiled into the sky, roaring with elemental rage. Their scales shimmered like sapphire glass, eyes glowing with seething spirit.
Shin Yue rose into the air, graceful and terrifying. With a light leap, she ascended and landed upon the middle dragon's head, legs crossed, as if she were upon a throne.
From this perch, she looked down upon the villa like a sovereign returned from exile.
A queen of fury.
The dark empress herself.
Her dark aura merged with the blue of the dragons, creating a surreal spectacle—an empress cloaked in twilight, guarded by dragons of the deep.
The disciples fell to their knees in awe or terror. Even seasoned elders faltered under the spiritual pressure.
And still, she said nothing.
Her mere presence was a declaration of judgment.
"What's going on?!"
Ling Jie sprinted toward the shattered gate, Ling Yun close behind. The air was thick with pressure, the kind that crushed bones and twisted the soul. As they neared the ruined entrance, their eyes widened—a woman stood at the center of a storm, cloaked in a cyclone of dark aura, seated atop the head of a colossal water dragon.
She didn't need to speak to command attention.
She simply existed—and the world bent to her presence.
"Who… Who is that?" Ling Yun's voice trembled as he stared at the figure above. "That power…"
Ling Jie stepped forward, his heart pounding. "That's… that's Princess Sis…"
However, this was not the Princess Sis he knew.
The one he remembered had a gentle smile that could ease any storm. Her flowing fuchsia hair shimmered under the sun, and her eyes—soft and kind—radiated warmth. She was graceful, polite, and extremely beautiful. She carried an aura so serene it could calm even the most restless heart.
But the woman standing before him now was nothing like her.
This one radiated dominance. Her long obsidian-black hair flowed like a shadow, her golden eyes sharp and merciless. Her aura was no longer gentle—it was suffocating, oppressive, almost regal in its cruelty. This was no longer the sweet princess of old.
This… was an Empress. A ruler forged in fury and wrath.
Ling Jie's heart trembled. He refused—could not—believe that his beloved Princess Sis had transformed into this terrifying figure. It was as if the kind soul he cherished had been swallowed by a darker half he couldn't recognize.
Even Ling Yun, who had once met Princess Cang Yue was shaken.
This was a side of her he had never imagined—let alone witnessed. Gone was the elegant and composed Blue Moon Princess spoken of in reverence.
What stood before him now was a tempest in human form: wrathful, commanding, and utterly unrelenting.
The contrast was staggering. And terrifying.
With desperation in Ling Jie's voice, he called out, "Princess Sis! It's me, Ling Jie!"
The dragon beneath her rumbled.
Her gaze, once gentle and kind in another life, now glinted with imperial frost. Her lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Huh? And who are you, little one, daring to speak before this Empress?"
Ling Jie froze.
"P-Princess Sis… it's me… Ling Jie! Don't you remember?"
Her voice rang like a royal decree, thunderous and absolute.
"I don't know you. You waste this Empress's precious time. Begone."
His heart shattered.
Ling Yun grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. "Ling Jie, enough! That's not the girl you remember. She's… far beyond us now."
Above, Shin Yue's aura surged, her water dragons roaring in unison as if announcing judgment to heaven and earth. She stood tall, arms raised, gathering power as the wind howled.
Her voice boomed through the villa like a divine edict—
"LING TIANNI!"
"COME OUT BEFORE THIS EMPRESS!"
Ling Jie stumbled back a step, face pale.
His voice trembled, "…Princess Sis… what happened to you?"
There was no answer. No warmth. Only the crushing presence of someone far removed from the girl he once admired.
Ling Yun, older and more composed, put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "She's not the same, Jie. That's not the gentle girl from the palace. That's a cultivator far beyond us—an Empress born of wrath."
Before them, Shin Yue floated upon the dragon's head, her cold gaze sweeping over the gate's ruins, her voice echoing like divine judgment.
The gates to the inner villa creaked open slightly—elders peeking from within, faces etched with fear.
Then came the hurried footsteps of armored guards, and finally…
A group of old men in deep blue robes bowed low, all save one—an older man with a slumped posture and graying hair. His eyes were dull, devoid of the pride that once defined him.
Ling Tianni stepped forward with his son Ling Yuefeng, no longer the grand villa master he once was. His presence was withered, almost pitiful before the divine aura of Shin Yue.
"…So it was you," he rasped.
"Hmph! I told you this Empress would come back and settle the score." Shin Yue's voice sliced the air, sharp as ice. "Your sect dared to conspire against me, invaded my palace, tried to cut me down in secret—and now you cower like a beaten dog."
Ling Tianni flinched.
"Those acts," she continued, her tone rising like a rising tide, "Using cowardly means to enforce your pathetic wills upon others?!"
"Princess Cang Yue, please…" one of the elders tried to intervene, but a sudden howl from the water dragons silenced him instantly. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
Ling Jie, trembling, stepped forward once more.
"Princess sis! Even if you're angry… please, don't destroy everything."
Shin Yue's expression flickered.
A pause.
Then…
"You are not the one I seek vengeance upon. But if you block my path again—"
Her eyes glinted with golden malice.
"—I will bury this villa beneath the waves."
She raised her hand. Water around her surged upward, forming a massive tower of water shooting high to the heavens behind her, suspended in the air like a blade above the sect.
Everyone knew she could end them all—right now—with a gesture.
"And you!"
Shin Yue's voice cracked like thunder as she pointed a commanding finger at Ling Tianni, who had finally emerged from the inner villa, face pale and eyes hollow.
"You dare call yourself the Villa Master? What you've done is not leadership—it's greed cloaked in authority!"
Her voice boomed across the mountain, reverberating through the hearts of every disciple and elder present.
She stood atop the water dragon's head like an empress of the heavens, hair billowing with the storm that churned around her.
"This Empress shall defeat you again—not as a princess… but as the sovereign you scorned!
Now… kneel!"
Her last word was sharp, heavy, and absolute.
The water dragons encircling her roared in unison, their cries shaking the skies. Below, disciples froze in place. Some trembled. Elders exchanged panicked glances.
She swept her cold gaze across them. She aimed her gaze at Ling Yuefeng.
"This Empress came not to shed blood. But know this—if any of you dares to interfere…
Then I will show no mercy. You will not be collateral—you will be judged. You included."
Her dragons thrashed behind her, their power swelling. The pressure grew heavier, choking, like the weight of a tidal wave poised to crash.
All watched with bated breath, unsure whether they stood at the edge of justice—or annihilation.
"Death to you!"
Shin Yue's voice rang like a divine decree as she raised her hand. A beam of pure, radiant azure light exploded from her palm, hurtling toward Ling Tianni with unstoppable force.
Startled but prepared, Ling Tianni's final life-saving treasure ignited in a flash of golden brilliance—an ancient shield of light unfolding to intercept the blast.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire mountain. A wall of golden light strained against the heavenly azure beam.
But Shin Yue… only smirked.
"You think that trinket can defy me now?" she whispered, her voice laced with cold power.
Her aura surged—a synthesis of divine water essence and awakened ki, elevating her power beyond mortal limits. The beam intensified, roaring like a celestial river. With a final crack of light—
CRACK!
The golden shield shattered, splintering like glass struck by a divine hammer. Ling Tianni was flung skyward, desperation in his eyes.
He took flight, fleeing to the heavens.
But Shin Yue was faster. With a flash of light, she launched after him—two streaks of blazing energy tearing through the skies like clashing comets.
Azure against Gold.
Justice against Arrogance.
Empress against Fallen Master.
Each collision in the air sent shockwaves across the land. The heavens themselves seemed to tremble under their battle. Azure waves danced and surged, while golden light struggled to hold its ground.
From below, the entire Heavenly Sword Villa watched in silent awe. The clash above wasn't just a duel.
It was judgment.
From the distant ridge, Xue Ling, Lin Yueru, and Jin Mulan stood frozen—eyes wide with disbelief. Even the usually calm and quiet Mei Mei couldn't mask the shock on her face.
Moments later, Cang Wanhe, flanked by Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang, arrived on the scene. Their jaws dropped at the sight before them—the shattered gates, the chaotic air, and most of all, the aura of destruction that enveloped Shin Yue like a divine tempest.
Even the elite Imperial Protectors—sworn to protect the throne—found themselves rethinking their allegiance. Was it truly loyalty that had tied them to Princess Cang Yue, or was it the instinctive fear of standing against a force like Shin Yue?
High above the ruins, in a streak of azure light, Shin Yue reappeared—her boot crashing mercilessly into Ling Tianni's face.
CRACK!
He spiraled down like a broken meteor, slamming into the main hall, leveling a large section in a wave of debris and flame.
Hovering once more atop her massive water dragon, flanked by two others that snarled and coiled like celestial guardians, Shin Yue descended slowly—regal, calm, and terrifying.
Several stubborn elders, unwilling to yield, activated the sect's final defensive formation. A dome of brilliant golden light surged around the villa—its core pulsing with energy. But Shin Yue merely narrowed her eyes, lifting a single finger.
"Tsk. Resistance? How quaint."
She reached into the air, and the swirling waters around her answered her will. A thread-thin stream of condensed profound energy slithered into the formation's core—bypassing its external defenses like a snake through cracks.
A heartbeat later, the formation trembled.
The elders paled."No! The formation—!"
BOOM!
The core overloaded from within, shattering in a deafening blast. The golden dome flickered… then exploded into fragments of light, vanishing like dust in the wind.
Before anyone could recover, Floating War Arks stationed above attempted to retaliate—firing beams of destruction at Shin Yue.
She didn't flinch.
Water and ice spiraled up from the ground, coalescing into massive, radiant shields. Her dragons roared and surged forward, bursting through the clouds like avenging titans. Their bodies pierced the war arks with crushing force, ripping through steel and enchantment alike.
One after another, the war arks erupted in flames—tumbling from the sky like falling stars and crashing into the structures below in fiery ruin.
She sat upon the crown of her dragon's head like an Empress upon a throne. Her voice echoed across the ruined villa:
"Hmph. You lack the dignity to face your death with grace."
She raised her hand, fingers shimmering with divine azure light.
"Then allow me to grant you the justice you've tried to escape."
With a flick of her wrist, her dragon roared—and a colossal beam of compressed water energy, glowing with ki-infused brilliance, surged forth like a divine hammer.
Ling Tianni barely rolled aside, his robes scorched by the sheer pressure. In retaliation, he launched a Radiant Sword of Light, a condensed slash of Emperor-level might.
Shin Yue's response?
A raised eyebrow—and a dismissive slap of her hand.
CRACK!
The sword beam shattered like a toy, scattering into sparks against her palm.
"Is that all?" she said coolly. "Your sword once stood tall over this land… now, it crumbles like your pride."
Shin Yue stood tall upon her dragon's head, her expression cold and unwavering. Slowly, she raised her hands to the sky. The air rippled as moisture condensed, forming a massive sword of pure water and ki, swirling with azure lightning and divine energy.
The blade grew—ten meters… twenty… fifty… until it loomed above the Heavenly Sword Villa like a divine judgment.
Ling Tianni, bruised and weakened, looked up in terror. His legs trembled. He could feel the energy—too vast, too pure. There would be no defending against this.
"JUSTICE… BE DONE!" Shin Yue's voice rang like a divine verdict, echoing across the mountains.
With a single swing, she brought the colossal Water Sword down.
BOOOOOOM!
A thunderous shockwave erupted. The heavens seemed to tear. Wind blasted out in every direction as the sword cut through the air—an arc of death and righteousness.
At the last possible instant—
"FATHER!!"
Ling Yuefeng appeared in a golden flash, throwing himself into the path and grabbing Ling Tianni, pulling him back just as the sword struck.
The impact carved a three-hundred-meter-long trench into the earth—a scar of divine wrath, splitting stone, steel, and soil alike. Entire courtyards were obliterated. Debris rained down like falling stars.
A breathless silence followed.
Shin Yue lowered her hand, her expression unreadable as her glowing eyes focused on Ling Yuefeng—his body shielding his broken father.
"Still clinging to your bonds... Even now?" she said quietly.
The ground still trembled beneath her might. Her dragons coiled around her, roaring lowly—waiting.
Ling Yuefeng gritted his teeth and stood tall, his aura flaring around him. The pressure of a Third Level Emperor Profound Realm cultivator surged outward, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
He steadied his sword and charged. "I won't let you harm my father!"
SHING! His blade gleamed as he closed the gap.
But Shin Yue didn't flinch.
With a calm gaze and one graceful motion, she raised her fingers—two slender digits, gleaming with divine ki—and blocked his full-force strike mid-air.
A shockwave burst outward as metal met flesh.
CLANG!
The sword froze. Cracks spiderwebbed across the blade.
"What?" Ling Yuefeng's eyes widened in disbelief.
Shin Yue's voice cut through him like frost.
"A mere Third Level Profound Emperor… dares lift a sword against this Empress?"
He tried to pull back—but it was too late.
In that moment, the moonlight danced around her like a divine veil. The residual power from last night's Full Moon surged within her. Her cultivation had ascended three entire levels as Cang Yue was basking three nights in Full Moon, breaking through to the Third Level of the Sky Profound Realm—matching Ling Tianni's peak from before his decline.
Her hand blurred.
BOOM!
Her fist slammed into Ling Yuefeng's abdomen like a meteor strike. His body crumpled forward for a fraction of a second—before he was launched backward like a ragdoll, crashing through several ornate walls of the Heavenly Sword Villa.
"UAAAGH!"
Dust rose. Debris scattered. A pained groan echoed.
The entire villa fell deathly silent. Elders and disciples watched in disbelief. One punch—just one—and the prodigy of their sect, their last pillar, was utterly overwhelmed.
Shin Yue stood atop her dragon once more, eyes shining with imperial power.
"I have no quarrel with insects," she said coldly, "but step between me and justice again, and I will not show mercy."
"Father!"
"Grandfather!"
Ling Jie and Ling Yun shouted as they rushed to the fallen figures. Dust still hung in the air, remnants of Shin Yue's overwhelming power.
Then, Ling Jie dropped to his knees, his voice trembling, eyes desperate.
"Princess Sis! Please… don't kill my father or grandfather. We already lost Mother. Please don't take the rest of our family from us!"
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.
Shin Yue, atop her throne of water dragons, remained still. Her cold, imperial gaze looked down upon Ling Jie, unmoved. Her aura surged again, divine pressure thickening the air.
"Mercy?" she repeated, her voice calm—too calm.
"They dared raise a blade to this Empress. That offense alone is enough to warrant obliteration."
She raised her hand once more. The dragons stirred. The heavens trembled.
Then—a gust of profound energy tore through the air.
A figure landed between them, his aura calm yet immense. Ling Kun, with hands behind his back, faced Shin Yue with composed humility. The power of a Fourth Level Tyrant Profound Realm enveloped him like a quiet storm.
"Princess Cang Yue," he said respectfully, his tone careful but not pleading. "Please… end this battle here."
Shin Yue narrowed her eyes.
"Ling Kun. I should've known the loyal dog would come."
But she noticed something—his stance wasn't hostile. No killing intent. In fact… he couldn't even raise a hand against her. The command Yun Che implanted within him pulsed gently beneath the surface—compelling peace.
"You know I will not escalate this, Princess," Ling Kun continued. "Not against one favored by the Monarch. I am bound by oath."
Shin Yue scoffed.
"So you come to beg?"
"Not for them," he replied evenly. "For balance. You've already stripped them of everything. Their pride. Their power. Their place in the empire. Kill them now, and the Heavenly Sword Villa is erased entirely. Would that not stain your hands with needless destruction?"
"This Empress does not care for insects or sects. He tried to kill me. That alone is enough."
"Then allow them to pay for their arrogance another way," Ling Kun offered. "Let them live. Let the world see their disgrace. That is a heavier punishment than death."
There was a long pause. The winds blew gently across the scorched courtyard.
Shin Yue's lips curved into a scornful smirk.
"Tsk… very well. Let them crawl."
She raised her voice, echoing across the villa.
"This Empress demands compensation— ten million Purple Profound Coins and list of lands I can take. Delivered within three days. Fail, and I will return with judgment."
At her words, the three dragons dispersed into vapor. The towering water pillars and the fist of wrath dissolved with a low hum. Her divine aura slowly withdrew.
Ling Jie collapsed in relief. Ling Tianni coughed blood but remained silent. Ling Yuefeng was unconscious, his pride shattered.
Shin Yue turned away without another glance.
"Consider this mercy… a fleeting gift."
"Cang Yue!" Ling Yun shouted through clenched teeth, blood staining the corner of his mouth. His fists trembled with rage. "I won't forget this humiliation! What you did to my father, my grandfather, and our villa… I swear it! I'll return it tenfold!"
The air froze.
In that moment, Shin Yue stopped mid-flight. Her dragon's head swiveled, its sapphire eyes narrowing.
Without a word, she raised her hand. The moisture in the air churned violently—then SNAP!
A giant water hand materialized in a flash and snatched Ling Yun by the throat, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. Gasps erupted from the villa's survivors.
"Big brother!" Ling Jie cried out, rushing forward, only to be slammed back by the pressure of Shin Yue's aura.
Shin Yue slowly turned, her icy gaze piercing into Ling Yun's soul. Her voice was soft—but soaked in menace.
"You dare threaten this Empress… in my presence?" she hissed, the dragon behind her growling in tandem.
Ling Yun struggled in her grip, legs kicking in the air. But the water hand only tightened, making it hard to breathe. His face turned red. The bravado from moments ago—gone.
"Know this," she continued, her tone now chillingly regal, "You speak of vengeance, yet you know nothing of power. You stand there, broken and humiliated, and dare bark at the one who spared your miserable life."
The water hand flared brighter.
"If not for your brother's tears and your last speck of value to this empire… you would be nothing but a puddle beneath my feet."
She paused—then smirked.
"But… I want you alive. I want you to remember this moment. This Empress spared your father, grandfather and villa for their impudence against her."
With a flick of her fingers, the water hand hurled Ling Yun back like a ragdoll. He crashed into the remains of the inner courtyard, coughing violently.
"Remember the taste of powerlessness," she said, rising back into the sky. "And the mercy of the Empress you dared to insult."
Shin Yue hovered above the shattered ruins of the Heavenly Sword Villa, her dragons coiling beneath her in silent triumph. The wind howled through the broken stone, echoing with the cries of injured disciples and the bitter silence of defeat.
She turned slowly, her glowing azure eyes scanning the devastation below.
Cracked tiles. Collapsed halls. Crushed pride.
She exhaled sharply through her nose. "Tch."
In truth, she could have ended it all. Wiped the entire villa from existence. No one—not one soul—could have stopped her.
But a promise was a promise.
Her softer half, Cang Yue, had begged her not to kill. To uphold dignity even in wrath.
And so, she left them broken—but breathing.
"Let them wallow in their disgrace," she muttered, her voice barely more than a ripple across the air.
Down below, Ling Kun stood silently amidst the debris. The veteran elder, revered and feared by the villa's disciples, dared not move recklessly. He had the power to challenge her—but not the mind.
Not after witnessing what stood behind her.
The Monarch Butterfly—an entity who, mere days ago, crushed a Sovereign Profound Realm cultivator into dust—was a shadow at her back. That truth alone chained his hands more effectively than any profound technique.
And then… there was the strange voice in his mind. The mysterious command, implanted with a power not even he could resist. He had no choice. He could only watch. And reflect.
"She crippled their strength… shattered their pride… and still, that was mercy."
He gazed at Shin Yue as she reined in her dragons, withdrawing her aura like a curtain falling after a ruthless performance.
"Princess or not," Ling Kun whispered under his breath, "this woman is merciless… and untouchable."
With a swirl of her cloak and a final glance at the battered villa, Shin Yue vanished into the sky, leaving behind silence, ruin, and a lesson carved into the bones of the once-mighty Heavenly Sword Villa.
==================
Shin Yue descended onto the hilltop like a silent storm. Her dragons dispersed into mist, her aura retracted—but the pressure in the air lingered like a blade on the neck.
Cang Wanhe stood waiting, arms folded, a conflicted expression on his face. Behind him, Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang remained silent, their eyes sharp with both concern and awe. They had watched her grow. But this… this wasn't the Cang Yue they remembered.
This was Shin Yue—and none of them had the courage to meet her gaze.
"What?" Shin Yue's arms crossed, her eyes daring anyone to speak against her. Her voice cut through the wind like ice.
Cang Wanhe hesitated before finally speaking.
"We were hoping to make the Heavenly Sword Villa our allies, Yue'er… But you picked a fight with them before we could even negotiate."
He sighed deeply. Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang shared a look, knowing exactly what had happened. The rumors were true: Cang Yue could switch personas at will—and Shin Yue was the opposite of the kind-hearted princess they once knew.
"Allies?" Shin Yue scoffed, her gaze hardening.
"Like hell this Empress would ever align herself with that damned sect. They disgraced me, undermined the palace, plotted behind our backs… You call that worthy of alliance?"
The tension surged again. Even the wind dared not blow too hard.
"Princess!" Mei Mei shouted instinctively, then quickly clasped her hands over her mouth, realizing too late her mistake.
Shin Yue glanced at her—more amused than angry.
"You can't stop me from cursing, Mei Mei," she said with a sigh and pinches Mei Mei's cheek. "But I'll forgive you… because you care. Still, now that sect knows its place. They won't dare mess with my palace again. Maybe I should ask Yun Che to build me a personal compound in that empty area we took this morning—away from all this noise."
She turned, her piercing gaze sweeping over the Imperial Protectors nearby.
"You lot. Do you have something to say?"
Not one of them spoke. Not a breath. Not a twitch. They stood frozen, as if her words alone could ignite them where they stood.
Xue Ling stepped forward gently, her voice soft.
"You've already scared them enough."
Lin Yueru and Jin Mulan nodded in agreement. While they were still new to her inner circle, they had seen enough to understand: Shin Yue was no ordinary princess. She was a sovereign force unto herself—and defying her was nothing short of suicidal.
With a powerful gust of wind, Shin Yue soared into the sky, Mei Mei securely in her arms. Xue Ling followed closely behind, while Cang Wanhe flew beside his daughter, the rest of the Imperial Protectors trailing in disciplined formation.
From that vantage, Cang Wanhe felt it—the balance of power had irreversibly shifted.
With Ling Tianni broken, the Heavenly Sword Villa crippled, and Frozen Cloud Asgard withdrawn from worldly affairs, the true power in Blue Wind Nation now rested in three names: Cang Yue, Yun Che, and Xue Ling.
Upon their return to the Imperial Palace, Shin Yue casually stretched her arms, completely unbothered by the destruction she'd wrought. Mei Mei hovered near, nervously trying to adjust her attire and smooth her hair—though everyone knew it was less about tidiness and more about placating the volatile empress.
What stunned many was the strange, effortless grace with which a few—Cang Wanhe, Xue Ling, and Mei Mei—could speak to her without fear. To the court, they were either blessed or reckless.
Cang Wanhe finally stepped forward.
"Yue'er… if you don't mind me asking something."
Shin Yue stopped mid-stretch, one leg on the throne's armrest, another crossed above the other leg. She tilted her head, mildly curious.
"What if I passed the throne to you?"
The entire hall froze. The question struck like a thunderbolt.
Whispers of panic rippled through the ministers and attendants. What would become of the empire if the cold, merciless Shin Yue became Empress?
Shin Yue blinked… then sighed. She flopped onto the throne sideways, lazily pulling out a manga book and cracking it open with a yawn.
"Pass, old man."
Cang Wanhe's brow furrowed.
"Why? Isn't this better if you could rule the empire with you…ways?"
She didn't even glance at him, casually flipping a page.
"Ask Little Yue. That's her thing. She's the soft one, the kind ruler people love. The smiling mask the people need." She smirked slightly.
"Me? I'm the iron in the glove. The hammer behind the veil. You want to deal with diplomats and policies? Send her. You want to raze a city? That's when I clock in."
The ministers stood in stunned silence as she continued:
"Besides…" she waved a hand dismissively.
"I hate protocol. The titles, the rules, the endless meetings. Ugh. Let Little Yue deal with it. I'm lazy. I like naps, sweets, and reading nonsense." She glanced sideways at her manga.
"If Little Yue can't fix something with words… then I'll fix it with overwhelming force. That's the arrangement."
Xue Ling gave a soft chuckle.
"The gentle hand… and the closed fist. Together, they rule better than any single emperor."
Cang Wanhe looked at his daughter—no, daughters, in one body—and finally nodded.
"Then the throne shall remain where it is… for now."
Shin Yue lounged sideways on the throne like it was her personal sofa, one leg hanging over the armrest, the other propped up lazily. A half-eaten pastry rested on the throne's edge, and a manga fluttered in her hand.
She yawned.
"Besides, you're doing a better crap job than me, Father. I'm just a lazy arse. A damned good one."
Cang Wanhe exhaled deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He'd long accepted his daughter's dual nature—but hearing the self-proclaimed "Dark Empress" talk like a street brawler with a foul mouth still chipped away at his imperial patience.
"The throne belongs to the kind one," he murmured to himself, "while the terrifying one rules from the shadows."
"Princess!" Mei Mei gasped, hands on her hips, brow furrowed with righteous fury. "How many times must I tell you that kind of language is vulgar?"
Shin Yue didn't even look up from her manga.
"Don't know, don't care."
Mei Mei puffed her cheeks and launched into a full lecture on court etiquette and proper speech, fluttering around Shin Yue like a concerned governess. Shin Yue responded with a bored stretch and an exaggerated yawn, clearly more interested in the manga than social refinement.
"You'll never find a proper suitor if you keep talking like that!" Mei Mei cried.
Shin Yue cracked a grin.
"Yun Che's already mine—and Little Yue's," Shin Yue declared as she lounged sideways on the throne, flipping a page of her manga. "He 'll let me curse all I want and feed me like a queen. Want in on that luxury, Mei Mei? I'll have Little Yue make you a concubine. Once you taste his cooking, you'll beg for seconds. You'll know what kind of food I am talking about, Mei Mei."
"Y-Yun Che?!" Mei Mei's face lit up like a boiling kettle, steam practically rising from her ears. "T-That's not the point at all!"
"Tsk. You hopeless virgin." Shin Yue rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Princess!!" Mei Mei squealed, redder than a ripe tomato, flailing as she tried to hide her face behind her sleeves.
From the corner, Xue Ling chuckled softly, while Jin Mulan and Lin Yueru exchanged knowing smirks.
"She's not wrong though," Lin Yueru muttered with a shrug.
"The food is divine," Jin Mulan added, nodding with absolute sincerity.
Xue Ling stifled a laugh nearby while Cang Wanhe buried his face in his hands again.
"God help us…" he muttered. "She's going to break the Empire if she ascend to the throne one day."
Shin Yue cracked a grin, eyes still on her manga.
"Good. Now someone bring snacks. I'm starving."
Even the tension broke slightly, laughter bubbling from Mei Mei and a faint smile forming on Cang Wanhe's lips. The Dark Empress had no interest in thrones—only in ensuring no one dared threaten the empire ever again.
========================
Back at the Heavenly Sword Villa, the once-proud grounds now echoed with the sounds of labor and ruin. Disciples scurried like ants, working feverishly to repair the shattered gates, crushed halls, and scorched earth left in the wake of Shin Yue's wrath.
Inside the healing chambers, Ling Yuefeng and Ling Tianni lay quietly on jade beds, wrapped in layers of profound recovery arrays. Though their lives and cultivation had been spared, something far more important had been shattered—their pride. Once hailed as figures of indomitable might, now they lay broken in dignity, dethroned from power and overshadowed by the very forces they once looked down upon.
Whispers already spread among sects, and soon the news would ignite across the Blue Wind Empire:
The Heavenly Sword Villa, once unshakable, had been humbled.
Their standing? Tarnished.
Their prestige? Lost.
Their fortune? Crippled.
Standing by a shattered pillar, Ling Yun clenched his fists so tightly that blood trickled from his palm. His teeth ground together, his eyes burned with humiliation.
"Cang Yue..." he hissed through gritted teeth.
"You humiliated my father... disgraced my grandfather... trampled our legacy..."
His shoulders trembled—not from fear, but seething rage.
"You took everything. And Yun Che... he walks freely, basking in glory with the goddesses at his side. No..." His voice dropped, venom lacing every syllable.
"I won't let it end like this. I swear—
I'll make you pay. One day, Cang Yue...Yun Che… all of you!!! I'll make you regret ever crossing the Heavenly Sword Villa!"
A dark wind blew through the ruined villa—whether it was from nature or the first stirrings of vengeance, none could tell.