Inside the finest restaurant owned by the Ten Thousand Oceans Commerce Guild, a place where even high-ranking nobles or Great Emperors had to reserve years in advance, soft laughter mingled with the drifting melodies of a spirit zither. The fragrant aroma of Emperor-grade dishes lingered in the air, gently weaving through the space.
At the most luxurious private table in the heart of the banquet hall, five people sat gathered in casual conversation, eating and drinking together with ease. Yet the eyes of the four men seated around the table were all drawn toward the only woman among them, as if there was nothing else in the world worth looking at. Her face was a masterpiece sculpted by the heavens themselves, and oddly enough, anyone who had known Su Baining before would have been utterly shocked for this woman looked exactly like her in every way. From her features to her laughter, there was no difference whatsoever. The only distinction was that this woman felt far more approachable than Su Baining had ever seemed.
One of the men, whose handsome face looked as though it had been painted by a master artist and who carried a carefree, charming air, spoke up with a sly smile at the corner of his lips.
"Brother Zhao... is it really true that the Tomb of the Herbal God will open in five days? Or are you just using this rumor as an excuse to bring Miss Su out for a little stroll?"
The man seated across from him had sharp eyes, thick brows, and a handsome but slightly more reserved demeanor. He slowly set down his wine cup and spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Of course it's true, Brother Qin. I'm not a trickster like you."
In that instant, waves of spiritual power surged from both their bodies unintentionally. A subtle clash of pressure rippled across the table, making the dishes and cups tremble slightly. The atmosphere began to shift...
But before things could escalate further, the woman who looked identical to Su Baining raised her hand gently and spoke in a soft voice.
"That's enough, both of you. Whether that tomb exists or not doesn't really matter. Let's just think of this as a break from cultivation. Don't ruin the mood."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it immediately calmed the spiritual pressure of the two men. It was as if they had been silenced by a mysterious spell or perhaps it was simply the pull of a woman whose charm was impossible to resist.
The two men exchanged glances for a moment before sighing and backing down.
"My apologies, elder sister."
"Likewise, I was too hasty. Forgive me, Sister Su."
After that, the atmosphere gradually relaxed once more. The wine flowed without pause, the dishes were replenished faster than they could be eaten, and laughter once again filled the air.
Beyond the borders of the Boundless Spirit Realm No. 23, the place was void of all things, as though it didn't truly exist. There was no ground, no sky, no direction, no sound only a crushing silence that felt like an entire mountain bearing down on one's soul.
In the heart of that boundless emptiness sat Sui Zimeng, motionless as a stone, her posture calm and serene, her eyes tightly shut.
Behind her were her seven adopted daughters, each one taken in from different corners of the world. All of them had undergone training and nurturing directly from Sui Zimeng's hands. Not only were they formidable in combat, but each of them harbored unwavering loyalty toward her.
In that very moment, the space before them began to tremble. The dimension warped as if ripples had been stirred across the surface of still water, and then a tear slowly split open, revealing a dimensional rift filled with swirling black mist like a storm in motion.
From within the rift, two figures stepped out slowly. Sui Zimeng opened her eyes at once, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Welcome…"
...
...
Five days later, outside the Lower World No. 23.
A colossal airship drifted slowly through the pitch-black void. Atop the deck stood a lone young man, his gaze steady and cold as it fixed forward into the unknown.
Suddenly, the vessel came to a halt, and twelve spherical objects were hurled across space toward the ship. They pierced through the ship's protective barrier without resistance, making only faint thuds before rolling to a stop right at his feet.
The man glanced down slightly, and in that instant realized those round objects were the severed heads of his twelve shadow servants.
Then, a mocking voice echoed out from the void.
"Do you like it? The little gift I've prepared for you… you cursed children born from hell."
That voice belonged to none other than… Sui Zimeng.
But before she could say another word, the void surrounding the airship began to twist and shatter, revealing an army of ten thousand cultivators surging in from all directions. Dressed in pitch-black uniforms, each of them was a high-tier cultivator, far surpassing even the strength of most Great Emperors.
The young man glanced down at the twelve severed heads of his attendants with an expression of cold indifference before speaking.
"What is the meaning of this? As I recall... this isn't what we agreed upon."
A soft chuckle followed. Sui Zimeng stepped forth from the rift, accompanied by her black dragon. Her face, still as beautiful as ever, was now unbearably cold.
"Stop pretending to be stupid."
The moment her words fell, the black dragon that had been coiling around her transformed into a long sword in her hand. She swung it upward with no warning, slicing into the empty space above without cause.
Boom!!
The void split apart under her strike, revealing dozens of warships hovering high above her. Each one bore the banner of the Zhou Clan.
Sui Zimeng's voice rose with fury.
"Zhou Luochen… you truly are scum."
The young man standing on the lead ship let out a quiet laugh and replied with a calm expression.
"I'm no more despicable than you… or that other woman."
As the tension reached its peak, another rift tore open in the void. From within came a wave of serene yet unfathomably deep spiritual energy that swept across the battlefield.
Mu Nansi emerged at the center of the disturbance, flanked by hundreds of black-clad cultivators standing in immaculate formation, each exuding an air of pride and power.
Her eyes calmly swept across everyone present. The expression on her elegant face remained undisturbed as she offered a faint smile and spoke in a voice as placid as still water.
"Please, do not compare me to degenerates like the rest of you."
A smirk played at the corner of Sui Zimeng's lips. She raised her chin, casting a mocking glance at the enemies encircling them, her eyes brimming with scorn and disdain.
"How would you like to die? Go on… pick your own ending."
Zhou Luochen chuckled softly before replying in a voice cold as ice, laced with derision.
"Kill me? I think you're slightly mistaken. The authority to decide… isn't in your hands."
Sui Zimeng kept smiling. "Suit yourself."
Suddenly, the void behind her distorted once more. Without a sound, a new rift was torn open, and two figures slowly stepped through. Their presence exploded outward, a force so overwhelming that everyone present immediately felt it bearing down on them.
The first was a young man clad in silver-white robes. His beauty was ethereal, nearly feminine, with features sculpted like pure jade. Thin lips, amber eyes devoid of emotion. He was Bai Xian, the Holy Son of the Immortal Blossom Land. Behind him stood hundreds more from the same sacred domain.
At his side stood a seductive woman dressed in a sheer, form-fitting silk robe, her long black hair cascading down to her waist. She was Jin Su, Mistress of the Ten Thousand Oceans Commerce Hall, with her own retinue following closely behind.
Zhou Luochen chuckled softly when he saw the two newcomers arrive.
"Oh… the two of you actually lowered yourselves to side with someone whose son cultivates demonic power? You're tarnishing the reputation of the Ten Thousand Trash Alliance. Though I suppose your methods are as disgraceful as one would expect from that alliance."
Jin Su waved her hand lightly and spoke up.
"It's the Ten Thousand Heavens Alliance, thank you very much! Hmph… say what you will, aren't you also someone who cultivates demonic power? Did you forget to look at your own shadow?"
Zhou Luochen replied in a voice that remained calm and composed.
"Where is your proof? Making wild accusations like this doesn't look good on you. But then again, it's typical behavior for someone from the Ten Thousand Trash Alliance."
Sui Zimeng cut in, her voice filled with weariness.
"Enough with that nonsense. Let's just kill them already."
Standing nearby, Mu Nansi clasped her hands behind her back and spoke in a friendly tone.
"All this over the tomb of the God of Herbs… are you really going to start a bloodbath over something like that?"
Bai Xian laughed, his face as divine as ever.
"Sister Mu… how can you say that? Aren't you the one who started all this in the first place?"
Zhou Luochen immediately chimed in, as if he had been waiting for that very moment.
"Indeed, just as Sister Bai says. You, who erased your own memories and spun lies that sent greedy people like us running in circles… do you really have the right to say anything now?"
Bai Xian interjected, "I'm a man, Brother Zhou."
Zhou Luochen didn't acknowledge Bai Xian at all and kept his eyes on Mu Nansi, who was still wearing that faint, unshaken smile.
"Who told you all to be so foolish in the first place?"
That sentence was like tossing fuel onto a roaring fire.
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. Spiritual pressure surged from all directions as high-level cultivators unleashed their might, causing the void itself to tremble violently.