Chapter 82: Tianyuan
Outside the city, an army of a million troops, under the command of General Shenwei, assembled and marched into the city. Their discipline was ironclad, their movements perfectly synchronized—highly trained soldiers.
The citizens of the imperial city, seeing the army enter, dared not linger outside. They hurried home, praying for the battle to end quickly.
Some, out of curiosity, secretly peeled back a layer of their window paper to glimpse toward the imperial palace.
At this moment, the palace was the center of converging storms—clouds shifting unpredictably, with yin transforming into thunder and yang into lightning, crackling across the sky. Mist surged, rising as rain and falling as rivers. A crimson-winged tiger roared in the downpour, making the entire city’s bricks and tiles tremble. Above, the phantom of a divine figure fought arrogantly in the sky, seemingly trying to strike down the stars themselves.
Inside Zhonghe Hall, six renowned Soul Formation cultivators confronted Yu Yin, unleashing an aura so overwhelming that ordinary people would have died instantly.
The court ministers who were qualified to attend had formidable cultivation themselves and were not heavily affected. However, they had no desire to be caught up in a battle of this magnitude.
For now, everyone was still in the Soul Formation Stage. But with the power of national fortune, the empress could instantly ascend to the Tribulation Stage. Likewise, Prince An wouldn’t launch a rebellion with only Soul Formation cultivators—he had to have a way to counter Yu Yin. Ultimately, this was bound to escalate into a battle between Tribulation Stage cultivators.
If they didn’t leave now, they might never leave.
The ministers hurriedly evacuated the hall—except for two who remained.
The Minister of War and the Chief Judge of the Court of Judicial Review, both at the Soul Formation Stage.
“Both of you, it’s about to rain. Aren’t you going to find shelter?”
Seeing them stay behind, the Minister of Personnel made his decision—he remained as well, positioning himself in front of his two colleagues.
“Sun Yuan, do you really think you alone can stop the two of us?” The Chief Judge sneered. He and Sun Yuan had often clashed in court, their duties frequently putting them at odds. It was well known that, according to Tianyuan Dynasty’s traditions, the two of them were destined to fight one day. No one had expected that day to be today.
“Prince An has planned meticulously. The empress is doomed. Minister Sun, I advise you not to make a meaningless struggle.”
The Minister of War and the Chief Judge attacked in unison, attempting to suppress Sun Yuan with their combined Soul Formation power.
“If you two are so blind, maybe I should gouge your eyes out and pickle them in wine!”
Sun Yuan showed no fear—he faced both of them head-on!
At the same time, Prince An and his allies made the first move, aiming to catch Yu Yin off guard.
The Grand Elder of the Five Thunder Orthodox Sect acted as Heaven’s executioner, his entire body crackling with lightning. His five viscera resonated in unison, channeling the power of heaven and earth to summon a tribulation bolt that pierced through Zhonghe Hall!
“Without the Ruyi Gourd, our Five Thunder Orthodox Sect is the true harbinger of tribulation!”
The Lord of Yunmengze and the Sect Leader of Vast Sky Sect also unleashed their full power against Yu Yin, not daring to hold anything back.
A dreamlike mist pulled victims into an illusion, forcing them to endure the sufferings of life. Behind the Vast Sky Sect Leader, a towering shadow loomed, throwing punches that tore through the air itself.
Had Jiang Li not been here, the person before them would have been the Human Sovereign! No one dared underestimate Yu Yin, even though they outnumbered her.
“Prince An, don’t forget the lands you promised us after this is over!”
Both Yunmengze and the Vast Sky Sect were major sects in the Tianyuan Dynasty, but they were not content. They sought independence, like the Six Great Sects, and wanted territory from Prince An in exchange for their support.
King Qiongqi’s robes burst apart as he transformed into a thousand-zhang-long winged tiger, his body gleaming with murderous intent. He spoke in a human voice.
“And me! Don’t forget to betroth your twin daughters to me!”
Prince An agreed without hesitation. Land? Daughters? Expendable. As long as he became the Emperor of Tianyuan, it would all be worth it!
But—
With the power of national fortune, Yu Yin’s Tribulation Stage aura suppressed everything! Before Yunmengze’s illusions or Vast Sky Sect’s deadly strikes could even reach her, they inexplicably vanished into nothingness.
No magic could touch her!
Yu Yin lifted her slender hand. The tribulation lightning curved sharply back into the sky, merging with the yet-unfallen bolts and detonating the storm clouds.
“Brainless fools. You dare compare your fake tribulation to the Ruyi Gourd?”
Her white dress swayed as she descended from the throne, revealing a glimpse of her sock-clad calf. With each step, an invisible force preemptively formed beneath her foot, lifting her up.
A chessboard of thirty-eight intersecting lines hovered in midair, motionless. Yu Yin placed a white stone in the center—the Tianyuan position. A soft click echoed.
“A game of national fortune. Tianyuan makes its move. This entire space is now her domain—she was never injured at all!”
Prince An’s eyes widened in horror. He let out an involuntary cry.
Suddenly, everyone felt their ability to fly vanish, and they plummeted to the ground.
Tianyuan Dynasty’s national fortune was a Go board, where the entire nation was the board itself. Its cultivators were the pieces, and their battles were the moves. The more intense the fights between cultivators, the stronger the national fortune grew!
But if the devouring of pieces went too far, it would throw the nation into chaos and destruction—rendering the board meaningless.
The central position of the board—the Tianyuan spot—created an imperial domain under the ruler’s absolute control.
The Tianyuan Game had begun!
“I have no interest in warming up with you.”
Yu Yin’s voice was cold. Not only had she stripped them of flight, but she had also frozen all spiritual energy in this space. Now, except for her and the Minister of Personnel, no one could absorb any energy.
If they didn’t end this quickly, the rebels would be drained dry and lose!
Meanwhile, the soldiers in the imperial city formed ranks, their auras linking together, their minds in perfect unison. Their formation was solid, neither chaotic nor disorganized.
Their battle intent surged, treating Yu Yin in the palace as their enemy. An unseen force gathered above them, condensing onto General Shenwei, pushing his strength to the Tribulation Stage—even surpassing Yu Yin!
“I don’t know who killed Che Wu, but fortunately, General Shenwei is here to take his place.”
Prince An’s heart settled as he watched General Shenwei move.
“She’s just a woman who didn’t even dare to compete for the position of Human Sovereign and withdrew immediately. What’s there to be afraid of?”
Prince An laughed heartily.
Yu Yin surviving was unexpected, but it didn’t change the overall situation. They still had the advantage.
“Prince An, what’s so funny? I heard that you and the empress are the same age, yet you weren’t even a Human Sovereign candidate. And just hearing the name ‘Jiang the Butcher’ still makes you tremble. So tell me—which embarrassing memory are you laughing about?”
Despite gradually falling into a disadvantage, the Minister of Personnel sneered and taunted Prince An, even at the cost of injury.
Prince An’s laughter immediately stopped.
The place where the Outer World Demon’s self-destruction occurred was in the Tianyuan Dynasty. From a distance, he had watched Jiang Li go on a mad, frenzied slaughter, losing himself in the bloodshed. The sight had terrified him—nearly shattering his Dao heart.
No one had ever dared bring this up in front of him. But now, the Minister of Personnel had said it publicly.
This man would die for his insolence!
Prince An was furious.
The army was an integral part of the dynasty. Their betrayal meant a massive portion of the Go board was now missing, causing the Tianyuan Game to collapse!
Yet even so—Yu Yin remained at the Tribulation Stage!
She softly uttered one word—”Kill.”
Then, she charged straight at General Shenwei and the five Soul Formation cultivators, despite their overwhelming momentum.