CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 81: CONFLICT! DISPUTE IN THE SKY

While Chen Pingchuan was enjoying the fun of his real-life simulation, he was still in the mood to tease the cute little nurse. He had no idea that his awakening had thrown the real world into an uproar.

Above the coastline, the mythical Celestial Palace No.1 Mechanical Fortress floated in the sky. Upon its central tower, a woman stood quietly at the edge of the observation deck. She rested one hand gently on the railing, her gaze distant as she looked out into the deep night sky.

The woman wore a suit of blood-red, flame-like metal armor. Its surface was engraved with complex circuit patterns, and embedded lights flowed across it like liquid fire, exuding an air of nobility as it gleamed in the dark of night.

Through the narrow slit of her visor, her sharp gaze held the arrogance and indifference unique to the nobility. Her jet-black hair was encased by the armor, with only a few strands left to flutter in the wind, adding a touch of wildness to her appearance.

This woman in red armor was none other than Xia Qingxue, who had been missing for a year.

"Third Sister, has this been going on for a week now?"

The quiet scene was abruptly shattered by a cold female voice. The speaker was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, dressed in a white silk robe adorned with exquisite embroidery. A pattern of a phoenix wreathed in white flames stood out prominently, looking as if it could fly right off the silk at any moment, radiating a breathtaking beauty and majesty.

"What?"

Xia Qingxue didn’t react for a moment. This wasn’t a battlefield, after all, so she had been quite relaxed. Despite her keen sensitivity to killing intent, the sudden voice still startled her.

The woman in white frowned and said coldly, "I said, you’ve been in this state for a week. How much longer are you going to mope?"

"Has it been a week already? I thought it was much longer. So long I’ve almost forgotten who I am."

"But, my dear sister, I have already followed your instructions. I annihilated every last one of those forces that dared to oppose us."

Xia Qingxue still looked completely listless. Her dispirited attitude was enough to make her sister, Yang Fengyi, the Palace Master of Celestial Palace No.1, laugh in exasperation.

Yang Fengyi raised her chin slightly, her expression solemn. "Do you remember our family’s ancient precept?"

"Under the firmament, across the four seas and eight wildernesses, everything in the world must obey the command of the Celestial Palace," Xia Qingxue repeated the precept instinctively, her voice a dull monotone.

Yang Fengyi’s brow furrowed, her expression laced with dissatisfaction and anger.

"Since you remember, then look at yourself. Third Sister, you are to be the future Lord of the Celestial Palace, yet you’re acting like a little girl."

"What will outsiders think?"

"Do you realize your every action represents the majesty and glory of the Celestial Palace? How can you be so careless?"

Although it was impossible to see Xia Qingxue’s expression through her mask, her posture made it clear she wasn’t listening. She turned slightly, the blood-red armor emanating a defiant aura in the night, as if in silent protest to Yang Fengyi’s words.

Just as Yang Fengyi’s anger was about to boil over, a reply finally came from Xia Qingxue. It would have been better if she had remained silent.

"Oh."

"I don’t want to be the Lord of the Celestial Palace. Besides, we still have you and Brother, don’t we?"

Yang Fengyi had been hopeful that her sister would come to her senses, but the moment she heard that single, dismissive "Oh," her composure shattered. Her face darkened as rage ignited in her heart, burning fiercely.

"Insolence! Don’t even mention that useless brother of yours to me. He can’t handle the simplest of tasks, yet he still had the gall to face me again. If he hadn’t been merciful, that little beast would never have survived."

However, as Yang Fengyi finished speaking, a strange silence fell over the platform. An aura of killing intent suddenly erupted, spreading like a surging tide.

Yang Fengyi’s expression changed drastically. She quickly retreated several meters, her eyes wide with disbelief as she exclaimed, "Qingxue, are you insane? Are you really going to attack me over a mortal?"

Yang Fengyi was shocked beyond words by Xia Qingxue’s reaction. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the killing intent vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

However, Xia Qingxue’s voice was now stripped of its former languor. In its place was an extreme coldness—a chill like bone-piercing frost, laced with a murderous intent that would make anyone shudder.

"Sister, didn’t anyone ever teach you to watch what you say?"

"I don’t want to hear that term again. If there is a next time, I don’t care what becomes of the Celestial Palace—I will turn on you."

Looking at the sister she herself had so carefully trained, Yang Fengyi was overcome with a complex mix of emotions, unsure whether to be pleased or furious.

To everyone’s surprise, Xia Qingxue had been like a different person ever since she returned from her last trial. Not only did she throw herself into arduous training, but she also successfully mastered one of the few Profound-grade armors in the Celestial Palace—the Valkyrie.

Mastering such a high-grade suit of armor was no easy feat. It required not only an extremely high degree of physical control but also even more rigorous mental fortitude. The ability to pilot it signified Xia Qingxue’s future potential; she had a chance to break through to the ninth level and become a legend.

However, one thing greatly displeased Yang Fengyi: her sister’s Heaven’s Chosen was still alive. She blamed herself. She had thought sending their second brother would resolve the matter, allowing her to rest easy. To her dismay, she only learned the man had survived long after Xia Qingxue had already achieved so much. And now, sure enough, the backlash had come. Because of a man she had barely known, her sister was now openly defying her.

Just as Yang Fengyi was mentally plotting how to dispose of Chen Pingchuan without a trace, Xia Qingxue spoke again.

"Although our bodies have been replaced by metal, our human souls still belong to us."

"So, Sister, I know what you’re thinking."

Xia Qingxue’s gaze was firm and limpid, as if it could pierce through all deception.

"I hope this won’t be the last time I call you Sister. You are well aware of my strength. If I were to oppose you, I’m sure you would not wish to see what would become of the Celestial Palace."

After speaking, Xia Qingxue raised her chin slightly, exuding an undeniable aura. Their once-cherished sisterly bond now seemed to have been pushed to the edge of a precipice by the great wheel of fate. It was no longer pure, and fissures had begun to form.

"You!"

Yang Fengyi glared at Xia Qingxue, her eyes burning with rage. Yet, she could see no sign of wavering in her sister’s expression.

In the end, she gritted her teeth, flicked her long sleeves, and stormed off in a fury.

It was the first time in more than a decade, since replacing her flesh with a metal body, that she had felt such intense anger. Until now, she had believed herself to be completely assimilated by her metallic form, free from the frailty of human emotion. But now, it seemed, that was not the case. Yang Fengyi began to re-examine the human soul still trapped within its metal shell.

Meanwhile, on Spirit Beast Island, the atmosphere was far more harmonious than at Celestial Palace No.1.