Ye Ziling’s footsteps were heavy, each one feeling like stepping on a thousand-pound stone.
Qing Bai, clad in white, watched the person before him, his brows furrowed, a storm gathering in his eyes.
"Tu Yao?" The jade cup in his hand shattered. Qing Bai looked up, gazing at her.
"The Goddess seems particularly fond of my sleeping chambers?" Qing Bai's tone was laced with sarcasm, a smirk curving his lips, his eyes chilling. "Have you finally decided to hand over the military tally?"
The man stood up, his cold gaze sweeping over the long sword in her hand, and he let out a cold snort. "Or perhaps you intend to rebel?"
Ye Ziling’s eyes flickered upon hearing this, her palm clenching, the veins on her arm bulging.
"Rebel?"
She parted her red lips, speaking slowly, her voice as calm as water yet each word imbued with power. "Then I shall show you a rebellion."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she swung her long sword, sharp as a blade, directly at his chest!
Qing Bai’s pupils dilated, his expression changing drastically. He quickly retreated several steps, evading her fierce attack.
Seeing this, Ye Ziling shifted the tip of her sword and lunged again.
Qing Bai retreated several more steps, his body moving rapidly, weaving and dodging her sharp assault within the room.
The sword wind howled, sweeping through the room in all directions.
The furnishings in the room were reduced to powder under Ye Ziling’s onslaught, scattering into the air.
She held the long sword, her eyes as cold as ice, radiating a terrifying killing intent.
Qing Bai pinched the sword with two fingers, catching the blade that pierced towards him. With a flick of his wrist, the sword snapped, breaking into two pieces that fell to the ground.
Ye Ziling narrowed her eyes, her toes lightly touching the ground, her body like an arrow loosed from a bow, rushing towards Qing Bai.
"Qing Bai, today marks your death day." Her eyes flickered, a murderous aura gathering between her brows, and she spoke each word deliberately.
As soon as she finished speaking, she flipped her palm, and a giant python formed from spiritual energy within her palm lunged towards Qing Bai, its mouth open to exhale.
Qing Bai’s expression changed drastically, and he hastily dodged. The barrier of white airflow condensed in his palm, but he was still hit squarely by the force.
The man frowned, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his face etched with pain.
Ye Ziling smiled enchantingly, her eyes blazing with light, laughing with unrestrained wildness. "Qing Bai, do you know how long I've waited for this day?"
"Heh, you think you've won like this?" Qing Bai laughed up at the sky.
Seeing this, a bloodthirsty killing intent flashed in Ye Ziling’s eyes. Her wrist flipped, and immortal power converged.
Qing Bai clutched his chest, his usually calm eyes widening, filled with disbelief.
After a moment, the curve of his lips slowly rose.
"Tu Yao... you thought the military tally in your hand could threaten me?"
Qing Bai sneered, his gaze contemptuous, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "With you? You think you can kill me?"
Ye Ziling's pupils contracted, a strong sense of crisis rising in her heart.
Footsteps approached from outside the door, like a charging army, shaking the heavens and earth.
She felt a premonition.
Damn it.
Could it be that Qing Bai had other military authority besides the tally?
As expected, with a push of the door, thousands of heavenly soldiers entered the room, instantly surrounding the entire space impenetrably.
"Protect the Emperor, capture the criminal alive!"
The heavenly soldiers roared, their momentum surging, quickly encircling Ye Ziling.
"Qing Bai, I truly underestimated you." Ye Ziling sneered, looking at the person before her, her gaze as sharp as a blade.
From the moment of the celestial collapse, Qing Bai had been secretly amassing troops, having made preparations long ago.
The military tally was merely one-third of his military power, intended to lure her into a trap.
Ye Ziling, still holding her long sword, refused to yield.
Even if she died here today, she would take Qing Bai's head.
With death on both fronts, it was better to fight.
She was willing to accept utter annihilation, eternal damnation, or becoming a sinner for eternity.
It was just a shame that her meticulously planned scheme had been reduced to ashes in an instant, leading to such a tragic end!
Ye Ziling smiled darkly, the cold wind blowing in her face ruffling her hair. Her raven-black hair, flowing like a waterfall, danced in the wind, making her look like a demon.
The heavenly soldiers' swords were poised, their eyes fixed on Qing Bai, awaiting his command.
"I never imagined that my many years guarding the Heavenly Realm would end like this." Ye Ziling laughed cryptically, her gaze as dark as frost, her voice laced with self-mockery.
This was a dead end from the start, and no one within the game could break free.
"Tu Yao, I gave you a chance. It was your arrogance, your ungratefulness, that wasted my efforts!" Qing Bai sneered, his gaze sinister, his words chilling, like a voice from the abyss, sending shivers down one's spine.
Upon hearing this, Ye Ziling's lips curved into a seductive, wicked smile. "The same old tune. Save it for when you return to hell."
Qing Bai’s face turned ashen, his eyes deep as the sea, fixed intently on Ye Ziling.
At this moment, footsteps sounded from outside, like thousands of troops galloping, bringing a strong gust of wind that made the curtains rustle violently.
A man in silver armor strode in, his familiar face appearing before everyone's eyes.
"Listen to my command, surround them all!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Outside the door, tens of thousands of elite soldiers had the Heavenly Palace completely encircled. Spears and swords clashed, and candlelight illuminated every corner of the heavenly court, making the entire palace as bright as day.
Ye Ziling's eyes widened, and she looked at the tall, majestic, and imposing man with a jolt.
He was clad in armor, a sword at his waist, exuding a heroic aura. He stood not far opposite her, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
That smile was like a gentle warm sun melting an iceberg, carrying a sense of long-lost familiarity.
A look of shock flashed through Ye Ziling’s eyes. Her palm clenched tightly as she gazed at Bai Yu’s familiar face, momentarily stunned and at a loss.
"By the Emperor’s decree, Emperor Qing Bai, having repeatedly failed to correct his ways, has secretly amassed troops, privately annihilated the Sacred Physician Clan, and disregarded the suffering of the common people and the righteousness of the human world… He is hereby stripped of his heavenly position and imprisoned in the Heavenly Dungeon."
Bai Yu's voice was powerful and resonant, his words striking the ground with force. His gaze was sharp, filled with solemnity and rigor.
Qing Bai's eyes trembled, his face suddenly turning as pale as paper.
He never imagined he would be defeated so thoroughly, so utterly!
"Bai Yu, how dare you! I don't believe it!"
Qing Bai’s voice was hoarse, his face deathly pale, his body swaying, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Bai Yu looked up, a mocking smile playing on his lips, ripples of amusement in his eyes. "The evidence is here, Emperor. What else do you have to say!"
With a "clatter—" Bai Yu threw a booklet onto the ground and sneered, "This booklet is the spiritual correspondence between Sect Master Shen, several major human sects, and you. Can the words written on this white paper be faked?"
Everyone knew that the aura of spiritual correspondence was connected to its owner, making it impossible to fake.
Ye Ziling’s gaze fell upon the item on the ground, and her eyes trembled slightly. She suddenly remembered the booklet that Ling Xi had taken from Qing Bai's chambers when they went to find spiritual artifacts.
At that time, Ling Xi had kept the booklet, but she hadn't known then that it contained the evidence of Qing Bai's crimes written by Shen Qingfeng and other major sects.
It turned out that Ling Xi had been collecting evidence to help her back then.
"The evidence is conclusive, Emperor. Do you wish to walk down yourself, or shall I escort you?" Bai Yu’s lips curved into an arc, his tone indifferent.
Seeing this, Ye Ziling seized the opportunity and slowly stepped forward, saying, "Qing Bai, don't forget, the matter of you privately using mortal bodies to forge treasures is not yet settled."
Ye Ziling waved her sleeve, and the Ji Xin Flute at her waist appeared in her palm. It spun in the air, emitting a mournful cry. The melodious flute music, in the desolate night, conjured familiar scenes.
"These crimes shall all be settled here together," Ye Ziling continued.