Before long.
On the outskirts of the Blackflame Mountain Range, Ji Fuyao suddenly stopped.
Her gaze was profound as she looked towards the dense woods behind her. "Come out, all of you," she said coldly.
As her voice fell, the scarred man and his cronies emerged from the dense woods, their eyes glinting with lecherous intent, their lips curling into cold sneers.
"My dear girl, rather than perish in the jaws of savage spirit beasts, why not satisfy us brothers instead? What do you say?" one of them sneered.
"Don't worry, for a beauty like you, we'll be gentle. It won't hurt... Hehehehe!" another cackled.
Ji Fuyao's face twisted with disgust. She was about to retrieve a Saint-tier talisman. This time, Lu Xuan had truly armed her to the teeth for her journey. Even a Half-Emperor attempting to ambush her here would meet their end!
Just as Ji Fuyao prepared to strike, an incomparably terrifying aura suddenly surged from the void above.
Profound Venerate pressure!
Quasi-Emperor Realm pressure!
The vast, surging power of the aura, like an ocean surge, poured down upon the entire area, stilling the heavens and earth.
The scarred man and his group were utterly dumbfounded. They stared, aghast, into the distance.
"What the actual hell is this?!" one of them shrieked internally, barely able to process the sudden, overwhelming power. "How could such a powerful being appear on the outskirts of the Blackflame Mountain Range?"
Swoosh!
A flash of spear light, its intent transforming into a soaring dragon, whistled directly towards the scarred man and his companions.
In an instant, their bodies exploded into blood mist!
"Dare to covet Her Imperial Majesty? Die!" A voice, colder than winter ice, rang out.
The next moment, several figures landed heavily before Ji Fuyao.
Thump!
Thump!
These figures immediately dropped to their knees before Ji Fuyao.
Ji Fuyao inclined her delicate, snow-white neck, her eyes shimmering with divine light as she carefully observed them.
"Rise," she said. "Wang Man, Qing Yan... you've come..."
A flicker of emotion crossed her face. Three thousand years. Finally, she saw her Dragon Guards again.
Hearing her words, Dragon Guard Commander Wang Man and Qing Yan trembled, while the other figures looked at Ji Fuyao with immense excitement.
It was undeniably Her Imperial Majesty's aura!
"Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty..."
Their voices choked with emotion, a thousand words dissolving into two streams of clear tears that traced paths down their faces. When the Fuyao Dynasty had fallen, Empress Fuyao alone had stood against three Great Emperors from the Heavenly Net Temple, buying their three great factions a chance to escape. They knew that when she embarked on the ancient secret art of reincarnation and re-cultivation, the Empress had no guarantee of success.
Three thousand years of desolate waiting. And now, the Empress had finally returned! She had succeeded!
At this point, Qing Yan wiped her tears and said, "Your Majesty, let's return to our Blackflame Mountain Range territory first."
Ji Fuyao nodded.
Wang Man looked at the Black Robe Half-Emperor beside him, his face etched with murderous intent. "Go deal with those insects that dared to cross your path just now."
The Black Robe Half-Emperor nodded. "As you command!"
Ji Fuyao and Qing Yan, along with the others, rose into the air, flying towards the deeper parts of the Blackflame Mountain Range.
The Black Robe Half-Emperor, meanwhile, concealed his presence and left the Blackflame Mountain Range.
Killing intent.
Dare to covet Her Imperial Majesty? Death!
He quickly ascertained what had happened. The Black Robe Half-Emperor immediately arrived at the territory of the Black Wolf Mercenary Group.
Boom!
With a raised hand, a terrifying palm print descended, blotting out the sky.
Countless cultivators were instantly pulverized into blood mist.
Screams rose and fell incessantly.
The pressure of a Half-Emperor's might, like a collapsing ocean, swept through, leaving devastation in its wake as if autumn winds were sweeping fallen leaves.
Life and death, bestowed and taken at will!
Within the mercenary group's stronghold, cries for help roared like thunder.
"Commander, save us!"
"A powerful enemy has invaded our Black Wolf territory!"
"We can't stop them at all!"
From deep within the Black Wolf Mercenary Group's territory, a middle-aged man with streaks of white in his hair appeared. He stared icily at the Black Robe Half-Emperor.
"Who are you, esteemed sir? Is there some misunderstanding between my Black Wolf Mercenary Group and yourself?" The middle-aged man's face was extremely grim.
The Black Robe Half-Emperor replied coldly, "You offended someone you shouldn't have."
The middle-aged man's brow furrowed. The Black Wolf Mercenary Group had too many enemies. Which cursed bastard had provoked this Half-Emperor realm expert this time?
Damn it all.
The middle-aged man forced a smile. "Esteemed expert, I am willing to offer half of my Black Wolf Mercenary Group's resources..."
He hadn't even finished speaking when the Black Robe Half-Emperor struck again.
Another palm descended!
A Half-Emperor's power was unstoppable; the heavens and earth changed color directly. Incredibly terrifying spirit energy formed a storm vortex, slamming down onto the Black Wolf Mercenary Group's territory.
Boom!
The Black Wolf Mercenary Group was annihilated.
The Black Robe Half-Emperor stated coldly, "Those who covet Her Imperial Majesty shall die! The factions that covet Her Imperial Majesty shall be annihilated!"
The terrifying fluctuations here immediately alerted cultivators near Luoshui City. They watched the direction of the Black Wolf Mercenary Group's territory with immense shock.
Half-Emperor pressure!
What kind of existence had they provoked?
At this moment, the Black Robe Half-Emperor stepped directly into Luoshui City.
The Wang family, annihilated with a raised hand!
The Li family, annihilated with a raised hand!
Why?
They were precisely the powers the scarred man's group belonged to!
The Black Robe Half-Emperor gave a cold sneer and vanished instantly.
Upon Her Imperial Majesty's return, she had actually encountered a few insects! To think such a thing would happen in the Blackflame Mountain Range, which was supposed to be the territory of their Imperial Dragon Guards!
At this time, Luoshui City's City Lord was so frightened that he hid directly in his mansion, not daring to show his face. He knew that the power within the Blackflame Mountain Range had acted!
Only the City Lord and a very few others in this area knew that within the Blackflame Mountain Range existed a forbidden power.
How many of them were there? How powerful were they?
They knew nothing of these details.
Only after the Black Robe Half-Emperor left the city did the City Lord dare to emerge.
He knew that a storm was likely brewing in the Blackflame Mountain Range.
...
Blackflame Mountain Range.
Imperial Dragon Guard territory.
Dragon Guard Commander Wang Man immediately initiated a beast tide in the Blackflame Mountain Range.
Suddenly, spirit beasts below the Quasi-Emperor Realm went into a frenzy, rushing towards the Blackflame Mountain Range like a raging tide.
They fled in utter disarray!
Cultivators currently exploring the Blackflame Mountain Range chose to escape en masse!
Too terrifying!
They had never witnessed such a horrifying beast tide!
Even Profound Saint Realm spirit beasts were enveloped in fear, fleeing wildly as if they had lost all direction.
This was a clearing!
Her Imperial Majesty Fuyao's return this time was of paramount importance! There could be absolutely no mishaps.
Soon, the Black Robe Half-Emperor returned and reported to Wang Man, "Commander, it has been handled."
Wang Man nodded faintly.
Qing Yan immediately activated the sealing restrictions of this area.
All the Imperial Dragon Guards had assembled before the altar.
Ji Fuyao, clad in fiery red phoenix robes, exuded unparalleled grace and an aura of imperial majesty as she swept her gaze over everyone.
Three thousand years had passed.
These Dragon Guards had all grown old with the passage of time.
Commander Wang Man now had streaks of white at his temples and wrinkles etched on his face.
Commander Qing Yan had become an old woman; her skin was no longer delicate, bearing the marks of age. To think that once, she had been a female War God!
As for the other Dragon Guards, she saw many familiar faces.
Three millennia was truly too long, even for Saint-Kings and Half-Emperors.
But her Dragon Guards had waited all this time for her return.
Thinking of this, a ripple of emotion stirred within Ji Fuyao's heart. She slowly said, "You've all toiled hard these past years."
Hearing her words, Wang Man and Qing Yan immediately understood her meaning.
Wang Man let out a booming laugh, pounding his chest. "Your Majesty! What does graying hair matter? You have returned! Our Fuyao Dynasty can make a comeback and rise again!"
Qing Yan's eyes were no longer clouded; with a thought, her withered skin began to peel away.
Rejuvenated, as if reborn!
She had cultivated the Withered Wood Art, and the long, despairing wait had caused her condition to deteriorate day by day. But now, with the Empress's return, her obsession immediately dissipated.
Boom!
A terrifying aura erupted from Qing Yan's body, and her cultivation actually advanced directly.
At this moment, the other Dragon Guards let out earth-shattering cries.
Battle intent!
Vast, surging battle intent, like mighty rivers converging, began to gather incessantly!
The aura of the Imperial Dragon Guards abruptly changed.
Ji Fuyao inclined her snow-white neck, her eyes shimmering with divine light. She murmured, "They're back. All of them."
Commander Qing Yan and Commander Wang Man began to report on the situation of the Qingcheng Ye Family.
"Your Imperial Majesty, the Qingcheng Ye Family has developed discreetly these past millennia. Unfortunately, their potential is limited, and some Quasi-Emperors and Half-Emperors have already perished."
"However, the Ye Family still has three Quasi-Emperors!"
Hearing this, Ji Fuyao nodded. This situation was already quite good. Three thousand years was truly too long; those aging Quasi-Emperors and Half-Emperors simply couldn't endure it.
The Fuyao Dynasty did not die, but it was gradually withering.
Commander Wang Man's expression changed slightly as he continued, "As for another faction, we're not sure about their situation. The summons we sent out recently have not received any response."
As his voice fell, a terrifying killing intent erupted from the bodies of all the Dragon Guards. If that faction dared to betray Her Imperial Majesty, they would be executed without mercy!
Ji Fuyao's beautiful brows furrowed slightly. She slowly said, "Continue to contact them."
Commander Qing Yan respectfully said, "The Qingcheng Ye Family's Old Ancestor wishes to meet you personally before pledging continued loyalty."
Ji Fuyao replied, "Very well. I will cultivate in the Blackflame Mountain Range for a period, and then I will personally visit Qingcheng, the Ye Family!"
Next, Commander Wang Man and Qing Yan reported a few other matters. Ji Fuyao approved of their handling.
Before long, Ji Fuyao and Qing Yan, Wang Man, and the others entered a pavilion.
Everyone took their seats.
Qing Yan asked curiously, "Your Imperial Majesty, how have you been faring at the Grand Dao Sect?"
Everyone looked at Ji Fuyao. They knew that the Grand Dao Sect was a dominant power in the Southern Barrens, far stronger than the Fuyao Dynasty even at its peak. It was a good thing that Empress Fuyao had joined the Grand Dao Sect!
Ji Fuyao offered a faint smile. "The Grand Dao Sect is as the legends say, transcendent from the conflicts of the Southern Barrens. I have already met an Old Ancestor; he likely detected a trace of my origins."
"But he also made his stance clear. The Grand Dao Sect does not concern itself with a disciple's identity."
Hearing this, Wang Man and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Their enemy, the Heavenly Net Temple, was far too powerful!
In these three millennia, their Fuyao Dynasty had stagnated, and even suffered significant decline.
But the Heavenly Net Temple had, in contrast, annexed several other great powers, and their strength had increased manyfold!
Just thinking of the Heavenly Net Temple, Wang Man and the others' faces became savage, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.
The revenge for the destruction of the Fuyao Dynasty, they had never forgotten in three thousand years!
Hatred, like a blazing fire, had burned for three millennia!
Vengeance!
This had become an unwavering obsession in their hearts!
However, Wang Man and the others retained their reason and said in a deep voice, "Your Imperial Majesty, we still need to proceed slowly. The Heavenly Net Temple has risen too quickly in these three millennia. They are no longer what they once were!"
Ji Fuyao's eyes burned with a fierce flame. She nodded. "Don't worry, in this life, I will go even further."
Everyone became somewhat agitated. "Your Imperial Majesty, have you obtained new opportunities at the Grand Dao Sect?"
Ji Fuyao nodded. "I have already become a disciple of Azure Mystery Peak."
Qing Yan was shocked. "Your Majesty, your Master is...?"