C348 The Female Emperor
The Terra Fiend Bai Shang and the white-haired crone held the Silvermoon Queen in the highest esteem, their respect for her genuine and heartfelt.
Legend had it that the woman who led the Lee family to the throne, a woman in her own right, was forever accompanied by three shadows.
Bai Shang and the white-haired crone were clearly two of them.
Upon discovering Bai Shang's identity as a Terra Fiend and the crone's as a demon snake, people naturally assumed that the empire's female emperor was likely a puppet controlled by Bai Shang, the Terra Fiend, and the white-haired demon snake.
They were at the mercy of the three Aberrant Souls that stood behind her.
It was believed that the Silvermoon Queen must have submitted to the will of these three demonic entities to claim her royal seat.
The Lee family, and the whole of the Silvermoon Empire, seemed to be mere marionettes dancing on the strings of these manipulators.
Holding this bias, Yan Qiling and Xu Zixi, within the realm of the Fallen Star Eyes, took it for granted that the Silvermoon Queen was nothing more than an impostor.
That is, until this very moment!
Witnessing the profound respect, even awe and deep-seated fear, that Bai Shang and the white-haired crone showed towards Her Majesty shattered everyone's preconceptions.
Had Su Xiangtian been present, he would have believed the Silvermoon Queen's words.
Her intent was not to consort with evil spirits and fiends, but to bend them to her will!
This represented a fundamentally different paradigm.
The empress, with her slender figure and clad in silver, exuded a gentle and delicate demeanor, reminiscent of a sheltered noblewoman.
No matter how one looked at her, it was hard to connect her with the malevolent fiends.
She even lacked the commanding presence and regal poise expected of a sovereign!
Her presence paled in comparison to Shen Feiqing's imposing aura and even Xu Zixi's elegance.
Yet, this seemingly fragile woman was none other than the Silvermoon Queen, the sovereign to whom the Terra Fiend Bai Shang and the white-haired crone pledged their unwavering allegiance!
They were not co-conspirators but devoted servants to the Silvermoon Queen.
"You all have worked hard," said the Silvermoon Queen, her voice as soothing as a soft rain.
With a graceful gesture, she captured the Soul Orb, extracted from Lee Yu's body, in her palm. It burst into a brilliant glow, dazzling all who beheld it.
Countless wraiths and strands of soul threads flickered within the purple crystal ball with striking clarity.
All the formidable individuals surrounding the pit felt a jolt in their souls, as if they were on the verge of being absorbed into the crystal ball.
The Soul Orb, when held by her, seemed entirely different from when it was in Lee Yu's possession.
Yan Qiling, Xu Zixi, Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi, and other nefarious cultivators, whether in the Spirit Walk state or possessing equivalent combat prowess, all felt an intense discomfort as the purple crystal ball came into the Silvermoon Queen's grasp.
Their Lunar Spirits seemed to hear an eerie sound that penetrated straight to the soul's magnetic field, a sound that appeared to emanate from the Soul Orb itself, beckoning and summoning their Lunar Spirits.
It enticed their Lunar Spirits to leave their bodies and delve deep into the purple crystal ball.
Yan Qiling's face paled as he let out a muffled grunt and hastily made his way toward Tong Laoqian.
In the jade-built pavilion, the portly Tong Laoqian hesitated briefly before yanking a copper coin from his waist and pressing it into a specific point in the air.
A cascade of golden radiance showered down from above the pavilion.
Suddenly, a golden portal brimming with dazzling light burst open in the void.
Yan Qiling's figure, a mix of black and white, slipped into the portal in an instant, his presence muted like a candle flame shielded by a lantern, no longer flickering wildly.
"Thank you."
Yan Qiling bowed with his hands clasped in gratitude to the notorious figure renowned across the Aetherius Continent.
His situation was unlike Xu Zixi's.
Originally the artifact soul of the Soul Splitting Staff, he had completed his soul in the Moonfall Sanctuary and, thanks to Yu Yuan, broke free. Employing a unique cultivation method, his realm had surged dramatically.
Yet, fundamentally, he was akin to the Golden Fiend, both being spirited bodies.
Even after forming a physical body in the later stages, his soul's integration with it remained significantly incomplete.
Confronted by the Silvermoon Queen, wielding the Soul Orb, he experienced the most intense pressure, nearly succumbing to the orb's terrifying magnetic field that twisted the soul, almost pulling him into its depths.
He was aware that this was merely the Soul Orb.
The Soul Chart, with which the Silvermoon Queen cultivated her life force, had consumed innumerable spirits from the Forgotten Ruins. The thought of the combined might of the Soul Chart and Soul Orb, once unified, was something he dared not even contemplate.
One thing he was acutely aware of was that the Soul Orb and Soul Chart had the power to restrain beings like himself.
Both he and the Golden Fiend, who had slipped away from his flowing robes into the Shura Eye within the Dark Realm, would find themselves at a disadvantage under the Silvermoon Queen's Soul Orb and Soul Chart.
"Feiqing."
The Silvermoon Queen looked up at the imposing figure of the commander standing on the purple silk.
Shen Feiqing seemed to understand her intent and nodded subtly.
These two women, commanding respect across the vast lands of the Sunblessed Empire, the Crimson Sun Empire, and the Silvermoon Empire, had silently forged an alliance. They were undoubtedly the most influential and powerful women within millions of miles.
A female commander and a female emperor had already joined forces.
"Zixi."
The female commander, steadfast on the purple silk, suddenly addressed her old friend, "I didn't plan against you and Cangmin. Your presence was truly unexpected."
"Unexpected?" Xu Zixi scoffed.
Shen Feiqing hummed in acknowledgment and gestured for her to leave quickly. "Whatever we intend to do, you and Cangmin can't stop us. We were indeed short on souls, but now that some are willingly walking into their demise, we have enough."
Her gaze shifted to Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi, whose faces registered shock.
"You better leave, and the faster, the better. You'd do well to head to Shadow's Keep and avoid lingering in the Forgotten Ruins," Shen Feiqing advised earnestly.
Xu Zixi paused for a few seconds, then asked, "What if they hadn't come?"
Shen Feiqing remained silent.
"I understand," Xu Zixi said, her complexion ashen. "Without them, I wouldn't even think about leaving, right? And Cangmin, is he safe?"
The last question was directed at the Silvermoon Queen.
"The esteemed state preceptor, with his profound mastery of the magic arts, has already made his escape, even from a Lunar Spirit," the Silvermoon Queen replied with composure and a soothing voice. "Out of respect for Feiqing, I will allow you to depart."
Qi Hongyi, clad in a vivid red gown and cradling a lute, suddenly let out a mocking laugh.
As Shen Feiqing, the Silvermoon Queen, and Xu Zixi turned their attention to her, she challenged the Silvermoon Queen, "Why are you so confident of your victory? Do you really believe that you have complete control over the situation?"
"I want to know as well," Xu Zixi huffed.
Her odds of success with Yan Qiling were slim, but with the addition of Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi to their ranks, they stood a fighting chance. Even against the Silvermoon Queen, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage when considering the overt display of power. Yan Qiling could keep Bai Shang in check, and she could counter the demon snake. If Tong Laoqian managed to contain Shen Feiqing and Qi Hongyi could prevent the Silvermoon Queen from acting rashly, they wouldn't be outmatched strategically.
If Yu Zhu could regain some of her combat prowess during this time, she would be a valuable ally. Should the Golden Fiend manage to free himself, he would undoubtedly join their cause, adding yet another source of strength.
Why should Shen Feiqing and the Silvermoon Queen, so assured of their victory, take pity on her and offer a chance at survival?
"You three have come to the Forgotten Ruins at my invitation," the Silvermoon Queen disclosed to Qi Hongyi with deliberate calm. "You were the sacrifices I had chosen. It was the need for your souls that allowed you to be summoned here."
"It was you!"
"So it was you!"
Upon her revelation, Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi's faces turned pale once more. The enigmatic figure who had gone to great lengths to find them, sending messages to coax them back to the Forgotten Ruins, was none other than the Silvermoon Queen herself!
Her Majesty had harbored ill intentions all along, luring them to their doom. With years of plotting, she had ensnared Bai Shuang from Dragon Lake, Jiang Moyan from the Thunder Sect, and Zou Jin from Winter's Bite, exploiting their greed. How could her plan possibly fail?
