Qingming Cultivation Forest.
The wind changed without warning.
Spiritual energy surged violently—not the restless movement of beasts, but something far more dangerous.
The sky cracked open
Beams of light tore through the clouds one after another.
True elites of the Immortal Realm had descended.
At the same time, shadows moved on the forest floor.
Human assassins. Imperial spies. Hidden blades trained for decades.
Their targets were the same.
The Emperor.And the Empress.
The White Spirit Beast crouched beside Su Wan, fur bristling, tail snapping against the ground.
"Grr—!"
Xiao Xuanyin's gaze turned icy. His hands formed seals as imperial destiny surged through his body.
"Come," he said calmly."Let me see what the combined might of three realms is worth."
Su Wan smiled.
Her finger brushed across her phone.
[Global Analysis: ONLINE][Auxiliary Combat Strategy Activated][Enemy Classification Complete][Priority Targets: Immortal Elites > Corrupted Beasts > Mortal Assassins]
She leaned slightly toward Xiao Xuanyin and spoke softly.
"Kill the most troublesome ones first."
The sky ruptured.
A black shadow dropped from the clouds like a falling star.
The Blackshade Immortal Lord.
An existence that never obeyed rules.
His descent crushed the air. Spiritual energy poured down like a storm with every step he took.
Su Wan lifted her hand gently, phone glowing like a conductor's baton.
The White Spirit Beast roared.
Its body expanded violently, silver light exploding outward as it transformed into a towering spectral beast, blocking the Blackshade Immortal's advance.
Xiao Xuanyin stepped forward.
Dan-fire ignited around his fist, condensing into a blazing imperial strike.
He smashed downward.
The ground shattered.
The Blackshade Immortal laughed coldly, waving his hand as several arcs of immortal light rebounded the attack.
The clash shook the forest.
For a moment—
They were evenly matched.
Su Wan glanced down at her screen, lips curving upward.
[Enemy Attack Path Optimized][Counter-Route Suggested][Spirit Beast Combat Amplification: ACTIVE]
She swiped casually.
The White Spirit Beast lunged.
At the same time, several corrupted beasts she had marked instantly descended into chaos, colliding with one another and turning into living cover.
Her fingers tapped a virtual formation.
The forest responded.
Trees rotated unnaturally, roots tearing from the ground as a defensive barrier formed, splitting enemy fire and distorting attack trajectories.
The Blackshade Immortal's expression finally changed.
"Someone is interfering with spiritual flow itself?"
Su Wan smiled gently.
Her voice was light—but cold.
"We cultivate together," she said."Don't tell me you've never heard of that."
Xiao Xuanyin struck again.
This time, there was no restraint.
Imperial destiny.Cultivation.Authority acknowledged by the world.
All of it converged into a single blow.
His fist collided head-on with the Blackshade Immortal.
The shockwave ripped the air apart.
The White Spirit Beast followed with a thunderous charge, slamming its body into the Immortal Lord and forcing him back several dozen meters.
At that instant—
Human assassins moved.
Blades flashed.
Their speed surpassed mortal limits, cutting through the battlefield toward Su Wan.
She raised her hand.
The phone lit up.
[Projection Duplication: ACTIVE][Micro-Displacement Assistance: ONLINE]
Her figure flickered.
She vanished. Reappeared. Split.
Each assassin's strike missed by a hair—only to crash into one another.
Some were even thrown directly into the Blackshade Immortal's path.
Chain collision.
Chain disruption.
The forest descended into controlled chaos.
The remaining beasts panicked—but the White Spirit Beast herded them deliberately, turning them into a moving tactical wall.
Immortal elites in the sky launched long-range suppression strikes.
Brilliant beams carved through the heavens.
Yet every single one—
Was predicted.
Redirected.
Or neutralized using spirit beasts, formations, or terrain manipulation.
Ten breaths.
That was all it took.
The Blackshade Immortal, corrupted beasts, and mortal assassins—
All forced into retreat positions.
The Blackshade Immortal let out a hoarse, furious roar.
"How can someone control rules, spiritual energy, and the battlefield at the same time?!"
Xiao Xuanyin exhaled slowly, eyes sharp as frost.
"Remember this," he said calmly."You're not facing just an emperor."
Su Wan stepped to his side, her smile colder than ice.
"You're facing us."
The White Spirit Beast raised its head and unleashed a deafening howl.
Heaven and earth trembled.
Spiritual energy.Imperial destiny.Rules.
Three forces converged.
In that moment—
Everyone understood.
Even if all three realms joined hands—
They still might not be able to keep these two.
Night fell.
The battlefield quieted.
Residual spiritual energy drifted away with the wind.
The Blackshade Immortal and the remaining forces withdrew in disarray.
Su Wan glanced at the data still scrolling across her phone.
"First joint operation," she said softly."Efficiency looks good."
Xiao Xuanyin lowered his gaze to her and pulled her close.
"We're becoming more synchronized."
She smiled, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Next time," she said lightly,"They won't get off so easily."
Qingming Cultivation Forest returned to silence.
But the three realms now understood one truth—
The Emperor and the Empress were no longer controllable variables.
They were—
The center of the new order.