Chapter 412: So the Demon Sect's Holy Saint Is Nothing Special…???
Above the imperial capital, two figures slowly emerged from the void.
"...Your Majesty, there's no need for you to accompany this old one to investigate this matter."
The elderly woman in Daoist robes, wearing a tall crown and holding a horsetail whisk, hesitated briefly before speaking to the young lady beside her.
The Empress shook her head.
"No, I must. This matter concerns the capital itself, so I cannot stay away. Besides, the Human Immortal List is different now from how it once was… with the Netherkin Race on the verge of unrest, any sudden changes at this time must be investigated carefully."
"That can't be done, this matter concerns the capital city, so I must participate. Moreover, the current Human Immortal List is unlike the previous one... with the Netherkin Race on the verge of upheaval, any sudden changes arising at this moment need to be thoroughly investigated."
She pressed her lips together. "It's just unfortunate that I must trouble Elder Yun once again."
Hearing this, the robed crone chuckled.
At that, the old Daoist laughed softly.
"Think nothing of it. Such small matters aren't worth mentioning. When we return, simply have Yanyao call me 'Martial Aunt' a few more times—that alone will please me. After finishing comprehending the Great Forgetfulness of Emotion Path, this is all I still care about."
The Empress did not respond, instead rising into the higher skies.
This Daoist-robed elder was none other than the Daoist Sect's Divine Transformation Realm cultivator stationed to protect the capital. Although her Daoist Alter Ego had never formally been accepted as a disciple by any sect elder, everyone could see that this generation's Daoist Sect Chief Disciple was unlike any before her—half a personal disciple of the Daoist Sect Master himself.
By seniority, it was indeed proper to call the elder beside her "Martial Aunt."
But after making that remark, Elder Yun's expression grew more serious, her tone dropping slightly.
"Your Majesty, since you've come to seek my help at such a time… does that mean the Imperial Ancestral Temple has still not opened?"
The Empress answered lightly, as if the matter carried no weight. She nodded.
"Yes. It has not opened."
"It has already been three years… yet at such a critical moment, there is still no sign of movement…"
The elder frowned, but after noticing the Empress's calm expression, she chose not to press the matter. With a wave of her horsetail whisk, she said,
"Very well. This old one has no right to meddle in the Immortal Nation's affairs. Still, Your Majesty need not worry too much about the Netherkin Race's unrest. If things truly reach the breaking point, the Daoist Sect will step in."
The Empress inclined her head slightly.
"Rest assured, Elder Yun. I know my limits."
Her thoughts remained unreadable, but her right hand unconsciously brushed against the sleeve covering her left wrist.
Knowing full well the abilities of the sovereign who had pacified nearly all of the Immortal Nation's chaos within a single year, Elder Yun smiled and nodded.
By then, the two had risen into the cloud layers. A faint rumble of thunder could be heard from within the mist.
"In short, Your Majesty, take care—especially with regard to your three Alter Egos. Do not allow anything to go wrong. Haha~ though perhaps I hardly need to say such a thing. At present, Your Majesty's only true weakness lies in your Mortal Alter Ego. And as for where that Alter Ego is hidden… perhaps only Your Majesty yourself knows."
As the Daoist Sect's appointed guardian of the capital, Elder Yun was naturally qualified to know of the Trinity of Pristine States technique.
The identities of the Empress's Daoist Alter Ego and Imperial Alter Ego were no secrets to the Daoist Sect's upper ranks. But her Mortal Alter Ego remained utterly concealed.
The Empress only gave a faint smile at the elder's words.
Her Mortal Alter Ego's identity was buried beneath countless layers of protection. She had even placed binding secret arts upon herself, ensuring that not even she could reveal the truth to anyone.
In normal circumstances, there was no way for anyone to discover it.
'At most, some people might think my Mortal Alter Ego is just my younger sister...'
Feeling the cool pressure at her wrist, the Empress sighed inwardly.
Meanwhile, Elder Yun continued without pause:
"Once Your Majesty resolves the flaws of the Trinity of Pristine States, and your Daoist attainment advances further—when the three bodies merge into one—perhaps even this old one will no longer be your match."
She chuckled.
"By then, no one will dare pressure Your Majesty to wed early, and you will no longer have to endure such vexations."
She failed to notice the faint shift in the young woman's expression, and continued speaking at ease:
"This old one has always supported Your Majesty's choices... Among the men of this generation who could be called your peers, which of them is truly worthy of you?"
"If one must be mentioned, perhaps only that Demon Sect's Holy Saint comes close—yet even he falls short!"
"Still, that boy has been in the spotlight lately. Some have even begun to compare him to Your Majesty... Hehe~ Yet who would suspect that the foremost genius of both the Immortal Nation and the Daoist Sect is in truth Your Majesty herself? Who would imagine that, had you not been cultivating the Trinity of Pristine States, you might already have stepped into the Divine Transformation Realm?
"In comparison to you, he is nothing special."
Her tone softened into curiosity.
"By the way, how does Your Majesty view the Demon Sect's Holy Saint?"
"..."
The Empress fell silent for a moment.
'Martial Aunt Yun... when did you become such a chatterbox?'
Keeping her face perfectly composed, she finally replied, "He is not bad. Quite talented, thoughtful in his approach, and... conducts himself with proper restraint—"
Wait. Was that last part right?
'Restraint? Didn't his dream-self dual cultivate with my dream-self just a few days ago?'
...Forget it. At the very least, he pretends to be restrained.
"But in this old one's eyes," Elder Yun went on, "he is still far from enough. With Your Majesty's ability, there is no need—hm?"
Mid-sentence, she suddenly stopped, raising her eyes to the heavens.
High above, a vast square-shaped shadow flickered in and out of sight, wrapped in thunderclouds.
"It seems we are nearing the Ascension Platform…"
The Empress also noticed. She coughed lightly, seizing the chance to redirect the conversation.
"If this disturbance truly is caused by the Netherkin Race, Elder Yun, what sort of Netherkin do you think it might be?"
The Dao-robed elder quickly regained her calm.
Hm? Heh, the most likely kind able to gather thunder and storm clouds at such heights would be a flood dragon. If it is at the Divine Transformation Realm and armed with certain secret Artifacts, this much commotion would indeed be possible."
The Empress frowned slightly.
"If so, with the flood dragon's gift for soaring through the skies, we may already be too late…"
"Alas, such is the nature of the Netherkin Race. If it truly is a flood dragon—even if we arrive now, and even if it is only a true spirit—this old one may not be able to restrain it completely. Still, the odds of that are low. With this much exposure, a Divine Transformation Realm Netherkin shouldn't be moving so openly. Mm, of course, it might also be nothing more than an accident. After all, relics of the Ancient Heavenly Gate are unpredictable."
"In any case, we must see it for ourselves."
Elder Yun nodded to herself and pressed on with her teleportation techniques. Yet in her heart, her thoughts drifted back to the Empress's earlier words about the Demon Sect's Holy Saint… only for her to dismiss them with a shake of her head.
She simply didn't believe there existed a man who could truly match this young sovereign.
To be precise—she didn't believe her Martial Niece would ever even look at one.
And if someone were to catch her eye… well, at the very least, he would need to catch a flood dragon with a single hand.
The Demon Sect's Holy Saint? Hah. Nothing special. Still—
?!
The two figures had just stepped out of the void when they froze.
...
The black flood dragon was already on the verge of collapse.
What sort of monster had it encountered?
Its first strike had been effortlessly blocked, leaving it shaken and uncertain.
That hazy figure—what kind of existence was it, to actually be able to block its attack?
Elder Jiao had thought to end things in a single attack. But now, it hesitated, unable to decide whether to strike again or flee.
Too late. The figure burst from the swirling clouds once more and seized its still-extended tail, which it had failed to withdraw in time.
This time, the opponent had taken the offensive.
A provocation? How could it endure that?
In the minds of most Netherkin, the word "cowardice" only appears at the moment of death.
And at first, the grip on its tail didn't seem strong enough to make it retreat.
So—it charged.
So—it knelt.
As it was swung through the air, its massive body whipped counterclockwise by a single hand, the black flood dragon submitted.
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/u93297024/posts/chapter-571-to-163855664
[2] https://www.patreon.com/u93297024/posts/chapter-571-to-163855664