Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor

Chapter 1950: Her Era

Borderworld, Earth Sovereign World

The third avatar sat on a pavilion floating above a man-made river with a tea set on the table, waiting for her guest. A few minutes later, Nie Rouxin, clad in a blue hanfu, walked over gently.

”D-Divine —”

”What? You donʼt recognize me as your sister anymore?” Wu Hong said while gently pouring tea.

”No, no, I thought that you —”

”How I feel about you wonʼt change no matter how much I despise your husband.”

Nie Rouxie sighed in relief. But then, she immediately said, ”Sister, Aojing is not that bad.”

”Do you know the first thing he did after leaving his retreat?” Wu Hong asked. ”He tried to secretly remove my access to the Destiny Hope Array. After I went above board to repair, upgrade, and spread its power to the central area, he tried to cut me off after he received the benefit.”

”He-He, I, He just —”

”Adding the fact that he didnʼt dare meet me in person, I have many reasons to despise him.”

Nie Rouxie didnʼt know what to say, so she sipped her tea; it was delicious, probably the best she ever had. However, the Second Madam of the Long Clan couldnʼt completely enjoy such a once-in-a-lifetime delight.

”I know youʼre here about the expedition, and I can tell you it wonʼt happen — at least not now. My plan in the central areas is almost complete, and I do not need any variables influencing it. So, tell Long Aojing to wait until Iʼm done.”

”Sister, you know the current peace is the calm before the storm. Instead of waiting for them to strike, isnʼt it better to strike first?”

”You are right, but we are not ready.”

”But we are. Our military is the strongest it has ever been, and the Destiny Hope Array is repaired.”

Wu Hong stopped stirring her tea and glanced intently at her. ”I know youʼre smarter than that. Long Aojing might be drunk on power, but you should be able to see the current situation clearly. Three Saints tried to solve the problem, but he failed. Do you think Long Aojing — with his Quasi-Saint cultivation and the Destiny Hope Array — can?”

Nie Rouxi was quiet.

”If he was serious about this expedition, he could have allied with the Holy Lands, but no, he wants to charge directly into the Red Cloud. Then what? Does he have a way to push the Red Cloud back? He probably wants to use the [Power of Hope] to clear it, which is feasible. But do you know how wasteful that is?”

”You have a way?”

”Of course I do, but my method requires time and preparation.”

”...He just wants to help.”

”He can help by staying out of my way.”

Nie Rouxie sighed deeply. The expedition cannot start without Wu Hongʼs approval. Over the years, her reputation as the [Rune Sage] has made her almost deified. More importantly, she also used Long Aojingʼs absence to gain control of most of the border military. If not for a few commanders who fought desperately, all of Long Aojingʼs military strength would have been annexed. On top of that, she also controls half of the Destiny Hope Array — which is Long Aojingʼs greatest reliance.

”Alright, letʼs not talk about him. Here.”

”Whatʼs this?” Nie Rouxie asked, holding a purple crown with intricate phoenix designs.

”This is a Soul Artifact I prepared for you. It can protect you from the Forbidden Knowledge Curse,” Wu Hong explained before summoning a jade talisman and handing it to her. ”You have talent for runes: donʼt let it go to waste.”

Nie Rouxieʼs eyes lit up, but only for a second. ”I-I canʼt accept this.”

”Since you call me sister, Iʼll give you a piece of advice,” Wu Hong said. ”What do you think love is? Do you think itʼs about sacrificing yourself — your interest and future — for your partner? Thatʼs not love. Love is about mutual support; itʼs about being each otherʼs anchor in times of prosperity and hardship. Love never asks that you sacrifice your individuality for someone else. Never.”

Nie Rouxie paused for a few seconds before taking the talisman. Then, she quietly left. Wu Hong calmly watched her back. ”Gu Changʼan will definitely try to corrupt Long Aojing, using his ambition and frustration. If he succeeds, I can use this opportunity to remove his access to the array.”

”Shadow.” A set of runes flew out of Wu Hongʼs shadow, rapidly morphing into a figure with a mask.

”Lord.”

”If I know this girl, sheʼll probably hide the inheritance from Long Aojing. Find the right opportunity to have him discover her.”

”As you wish.”

”How is avatar twoʼs situation?”

”Sheʼs almost done. Itʼs probably going to take another 20-25 yuan epochs.”

”I can sense my main body is about to leave seclusion, which is just in time,” Wu Hong nodded. ”What about Avatar 1?”

”The final repairs have halted due to the severe attack of the Red Cloud.”

”Heʼs desperate, huh,” Wu Hong uttered. ”However, the fact that he didnʼt take even more drastic measures means that Emperor Sui and the others were somewhat successful, which is odd given the difference in power.”

”The most likely explanation is that his defeat of Lady Ai was not without a significant price,” Rune Shadow added.

”Thatʼs what Iʼm thinking. Anyway, this is good news for us.” She sipped her tea. ”By the way, what are the holy lands planning? Theyʼve been awfully quiet.”

”They are planning to stop us — even if it means using a Saint Artifact.”

”Thatʼs to be expected, but do they know what weʼre doing?”

”No, but they know they must stop it at all costs.”

Wu Hong pondered briefly. ”Tell the holy to accelerate the Xu Clanʼs takeover; I want to be able to use their Saint Guardian Beast.” Although she was confident she could face the two holy landsʼ artifacts with only one of her own, it was better to be prepared.

”Very well.”

Source Qi Space, Symbol Master Inheritance:

Wu Hong opened her eyes and exhaled deeply. As she sensed the vast amount of Grand Dao Qi inside her body, a small smile hung on the corner of her mouth. This journey was not easy. She was not sure whether Grand Dao was making it harder to use Grand Dao Qi from the source, which is why Wu Hongʼs speed barely improved even after creating techniques and pills for the process. There were many times Wu Hong almost couldnʼt resist using the [Causality Feedback Technique] to accelerate the process, but she convinced herself to stick with it to perfect the Quasi-Saint Realm. And now that it was done, it was time to exit the retreat.

”Synchronized,” Wu Hong thought, instantly accessing all of the avatarsʼ memories, knowledge, and experience. ”Hmm? She chose this for an array? Worthy of me.” Without wasting a moment, she headed directly to the Emperor Dao Holy Land. After working with them for so many years, they had proven to be trustworthy.

By the time Wu Hong arrived, the Holy Lord, Peak Masters, elders, and elite disciples were already waiting. Everybody had a smile on their face; for the first time, the Saintessʼ true body showed up, which meant she had finally accepted them.

”Saintess,” the crowd bowed in unison.

”Why are you acting like this? Itʼs not your first time seeing me,” Wu Hong said with a gentle smile.

”We know, but —”

”Alright, letʼs not waste time. Where is the list?”

Han Guo stepped forward. ”Here.”

Wu Hong swiftly flipped through it. Everyone inside was one of the best Emperor Cultivators in certain fields or Dao. Most were from the Holy Land, which was intentional, while the rest had deep ties to it.

”Since everything is ready, letʼs begin.”

A vision spread to every territory ruled by the Emperor Path, showing a magnificent white and gold palace surrounded by a purple cloud condensed from Dao Rhymes, and a Qi Luck Dragon with 270 legs. Every cultivator and mortal — whether from the Borderworld, the Central Area, or the Samsara Battlefield — stopped what they were doing to observe this vision.

Wu Hong — clad in a dark gold Emperor robe and a phoenix crown — walked in front of the palace. ”I am Wu Hong, the Divine Seal Empress, the Rune Sage, the Alpha and Omega. Heaven and Earth are in shambles; Grand Dao has scattered; the rules are collapsing; the people are in despair.

”I take it upon myself to become the Heavenly Emperor and rectify all this chaos; I wish to bring order to the world. Grand Dao, if you exist out there in any shape or form, bless me with this Karmic Position. Join me in fulfilling this once-in-a-lifetime task.”

After uttering her declarations, Wu Hong flicked her wrist to summon one of the 3800 Grand Seals: the Heaven Seals. The Heavenly Court — which was the core of the array — resonated with the seal to amplify its power, spreading to every corner of the universe.