Reincarnated as a Mosquito, the School Beauty I Sucked to Tears is a Reborn Empress

「At the same time.」

The group that had just sped past Chu Sheng and Gu Yuexi came to a sudden halt after traveling some distance. The veiled woman at their head reined in her horse.

A tall man behind her immediately rode forward and asked respectfully,

”Holy Daughter, what is it?”

The veiled woman, addressed as the ”Holy Daughter,” pulled a peculiar, palm-sized container from her robes. It was fashioned from some unknown beast’s bone, and her expression grew solemn.

”Just now, the Hui Wang showed signs of waking on its own.”

The man’s face filled with disbelief upon hearing this.

”How is that possible? Isn’t the Hui Wang always in deep hibernation? Unless... it encountered another top-tier Insect Beast Bloodline that piqued its interest.”

He thought for a moment before continuing, ”We did see an Insect Beast just now, but it seemed to be just an ordinary mosquito. Its Bloodline aura was impure, hardly the kind of existence that would attract the Hui Wang’s attention.”

The Holy Daughter shook her head, her tone turning icy.

”We can’t be careless. That young woman’s power is unfathomable. Anyone who can make it this far alone with a Contracted Beast is no ordinary person.”

Her gaze swept back in the direction they had come from, a flicker of killing intent in her eyes.

”Leave a few people behind. Get rid of them!”

”Yes!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man chose three subordinates. They turned their horses around and headed back the way they came.

The Holy Daughter wasted no more time, leading the rest of her people deeper into the forest.

Soon, the phantom of a massive palace began to appear and disappear in the mist between the trees ahead.

The Holy Daughter’s eyes lit up.

’This is it! The Holy Land recorded in my ancestor’s journal—this is the place!’

”Let’s go!”

They picked up their pace, passing through the last stretch of the mystical forest.

In the next moment, at the edge of the still forest, the massive palace finally revealed itself in its entirety.

It was a magnificent palace constructed entirely from an unknown type of jade that emitted a soft, white light. Its style was simple and grand, filled with a sacred aura that had settled over countless ages.

Before the main gate of the palace, a staircase also paved with white jade extended from the Divine Hall’s entrance above all the way down to their feet.

One hundred and eight steps, no more, no less.

This was the Divine Hall of Stagnation.

...

The Holy Daughter and her party soon arrived at the base of the Divine Hall.

Their mounts grew restless as they approached the white jade steps, halting in their tracks. No matter how they were urged, they dared not take another step into the Divine Hall’s domain.

Seeing this, the Holy Daughter didn’t force them. She dismounted and walked toward the jade steps alone.

She took a deep breath, lifted her foot, and cautiously stepped onto the first stair.

The moment the sole of her foot made contact with the jade stair, her expression changed drastically.

Though nothing had happened, a deeply ominous premonition rose in her heart without warning, as if something terrible would occur if she lingered for even a second longer.

Almost instinctively, she pulled her foot back.

She stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the one hundred and eight jade steps leading to the Divine Hall. Beneath her veil, her brows furrowed tightly.

After a moment, she turned her head and gave a cold command to one of her subordinates behind her:

”You. Go up.”

The man who was called out stiffened slightly but stepped forward without hesitation.

He walked to the front of the stairs, glanced at the inscrutable Divine Hall above, gritted his teeth, and began to climb.

One step, two steps...

The man stepped onto the stairs and found nothing unusual. Feeling slightly relieved, he began to quicken his pace and ascend.

His Speed was fast. In the blink of an eye, he had already climbed over ninety steps and was just a stone’s throw away from the Divine Hall’s main gate.

However, just as he was about to take the final few steps,

his body suddenly swayed without warning, and then he fell backward, stiff as a board.

He was dead.

He hadn’t suffered any external harm; his face was even frozen in the joyous expression of imminent success.

But just like that, he was dead.

His corpse tumbled limply down the smooth jade steps, finally coming to a rest at the feet of the Holy Daughter and her people.

The people below were all stunned by this bizarre scene. They stared at one another, completely baffled as to what had just happened.

Just then, a somewhat mocking voice drifted out from the nearby woods.

”Heh, the cause of his death is quite simple.”

”His Lifespan simply ran out.”

As the voice faded, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

The newcomer was none other than Qin Wudao.

His appearance instantly put the Holy Daughter and her group on high alert, and they all assumed combat stances.

However, Qin Wudao acted as if he hadn’t seen their hostility at all. He strolled to the foot of the jade steps and continued in that same playful tone,

”These one hundred and eight steps leading to the Divine Hall... each one you climb consumes a year of your Lifespan.”

”To reach the entrance of the Divine Hall, you need a full one hundred and eight years of Lifespan.”

”If you think you have the life to spare, feel free to come on up.”

Qin Wudao’s words stunned everyone present.

A single step for a year of Lifespan? The price was far too steep!

Even for those who practiced Cultivation, whose Lifespans were much longer than ordinary people, they couldn’t afford to burn through it like this!

Besides, if what he said was true, how did he dare to stand there?

Just as everyone was filled with shock and suspicion, Qin Wudao moved.

As he spoke, he started walking, stepping onto the life-stealing jade stairs as if he were on a leisurely stroll.

One step, two steps, three steps...

He walked slowly, but each step was incredibly steady.

The Holy Daughter and her people could only watch, wide-eyed, as he ascended step by step, completing all one hundred and eight stairs and finally arriving before the gates of the Divine Hall.

Then, under everyone’s astonished gazes, he reached out and gently pushed open the two closed jade doors, which were carved with ancient patterns.

RUMBLE—

As the gates swung open,

an indescribable, ancient, and vast Power of Time erupted from within the Divine Hall!

At that moment, all the Power of Space-Time on the second level became incredibly violent and chaotic!

In the still forest, all the trees began to tremble violently, as if enduring immense pain.

「On the other side.」

The Chrono Shadow Wolves that had been tangling with Gu Yuexi and Chu Sheng all showed expressions of utter terror upon feeling this surge of chaotic Power of Space-Time. Without hesitation, they abandoned their Attack and quickly dove into the rifts of time, vanishing from sight.

Gu Yuexi’s gaze sharpened as she looked toward the Divine Hall.

’The Divine Hall’s gate is open. How could this be!’

Panic flared in her heart. There was no more time to hesitate.

’No time left! You useless mosquito, let’s go!’

At some point, the simple, ancient longsword was once again in her hand.

And this time, with a sharp pull—

The longsword emerged three inches from its sheath!

SHING—

A sharp and domineering wave of invisible Sword Qi burst forth from the blade. It tore through the air, shooting toward the distant Divine Hall!

Wherever the Sword Qi passed, everything in its path—be it towering ancient trees or the omnipresent force of temporal stasis—was brutally sliced open, carving a straight, clear path to the Divine Hall!

The Sword Qi carved a path!

Wherever the Sword Qi passed, the stasis fields retreated!

Gu Yuexi and Chu Sheng seized the opportunity. Without a shred of hesitation, they unleashed their maximum Speed, rushing along the path carved by the Sword Qi toward the now-open Divine Hall!