CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116 - FAIRY YU XIANG’S AMBITIONS

He was clearly enchanted by her beauty, while uncaring about the nonsense his uncle uttered about that old man achieving such a feat that he, who was favored, had yet to accomplish.

Outwardly, he kept his composure, nodding toward her. "What brings you here with my... uncle?" The word uncle carried an edge of disdain, but his eyes stayed on Yu Xiang, drinking in her form.

Yu Xiang’s smirk deepened, her violet eyes flicking over him appraisingly.

Internally, she scoffed.

’Men and their dicks,’ she thought, noting the way his gaze lingered on her curves, the subtle shift in his stance that betrayed his lust.

’They see a pretty face and a body, and suddenly their brains leak out their ears. This one’s no different—falling for the bait without even knowing he’s hooked, just like his foolish uncle.’ Even though Yu Xiang clearly kept her composure, inwardly she thought how stupid this man was—just like his uncle—to think for even a moment that she cared for them.

Especially considering how she had reached this point in her life on her own, and now, by using these two idiots, she would make sure to earn favors from that emperor and ascend to the upper realm.

And once she ascended, she would make sure to throw that emperor aside too... But for now, she needed to act and tolerate all these lustful idiots who were meant to rot in this lower realm.

’Focus, Xiang, I’m here for the real prize: that ascended Emperor. If the rumors are true, allying with him could catapult me to the upper realms. This boy? Useful, perhaps, but hardly worth my time.’

Out loud, she replied smoothly, her voice like silk over steel.

"I’ve heard interesting tales, Zhao Chen. An emperor rising from the dead, ascending to the Great Vehicle realm? It’s the kind of opportunity that draws... ambitious souls." She stepped closer, her presence intoxicating, though her eyes held no warmth—only calculation.

Chen felt his resolve waver, the lust clouding his judgment.

’She’s perfect,’ he thought, imagining those violet eyes glazing over in pleasure, her body writhing beneath him. ’I’ll help her. Whatever she wants from Grandfather, I’ll make it happen. She’ll see—I’m the one worth her attention.’

"Let’s walk," he said, falling into step beside her and Zhao Wuji, who watched the exchange with a sly grin as he felt his ambitions were successful, unaware that he was just a stepping-stone pebble who had been used.

As they conversed—Yu Xiang probing for details on the Emperor’s location, Chen deflecting with vague answers as even he himself was unaware, while stealing glances at her curves—their path led them toward a nearby camp.

Tents dotted the clearing, campfires flickering, but the atmosphere was tense, whispers buzzing like angry bees.

As they entered, a scout rushed up, face pale. "Young Master Zhao! News from the southern territories—the Immortal Sect... it’s been destroyed!"

Chen froze, his golden hair whipping as he turned. "What!? Destroyed? By whom?"

The scout swallowed hard. "Your... your grandfather, sir. Emperor Zhao Tianlong. He’s not dead—he’s ascended to the Great Vehicle realm. And he’s not leaving for the upper realms. He’s reclaiming his empire. The entire southern force surrendered to him without a fight."

Shock hit Chen like a qi blast, his bronze eyes widening, since he had not trusted his uncle’s word. But now, everything struck him as if he were hearing it for the first time.

"Grandfather... alive? Great Vehicle? But he was dying, poisoned... how?" His mind reeled, the image of that withered old man clashing with this new reality.

Zhao Wuji’s body broke into a sweat as he lowered his head.

Meanwhile, Zhao Chen clenched his jaw and swiftly sprinted toward a nearby tree, standing there as he clenched its bark. Instantly, he called upon the ancient artifact at his waist—a ring containing his hidden master, a true immortal woman sealed within.

"Master," he whispered urgently, "what does this mean? Wasn’t I the chosen one by heaven? How could Grandfather—that old fool—ascend like this?"

The ring glowed, and an ethereal voice responded, cool and reassuring.

:: Why do you care about a mere Great Vehicle realm, child? You are destined for far greater things—to become a True Immortal, ruling over realms beyond his wildest dreams. Heaven’s favor on you is absolute; this is but a minor ripple. ::

Chen’s chest swelled with pride, his earlier shock fading into arrogance. "Indeed," he murmured, a smirk forming. "I shouldn’t focus on short-term gains. After all, isn’t the Great Vehicle realm just the strongest in the mortal world? I’ll become the strongest in the immortal world too."

As he emerged from the tent, resolve hardened, he caught Yu Xiang’s eyes sparkling as she drew information from that scout about the Emperor, causing frustration to rise in him as he clenched his jaw. Somehow, he felt intense anger toward that man.

’She is smiling because of another man!’ An illogical, confusing thought burst inside him as his anger flared. He clenched his fists before his mind automatically calmed down, thanks to the artifact he wore. It gave him a calm mind even in situations of battle, emotional turmoil, or anger—a boon he had received from one of the hidden dungeons.

’I need to tell that—!’ Chen’s thought was cut short as an overwhelming presence crashed over the camp like a tidal wave of absolute authority.

The very air grew thick, pressing down on every cultivator present with the weight of cosmic power.

Campfires flickered and dimmed, as if the flames themselves cowered before the approaching aura.

Weaker disciples dropped to their knees involuntarily, their cultivation bases trembling like leaves in a hurricane.

"Great Vehicle realm..." Yu Xiang gasped, the words barely a whisper but carrying across the suddenly silent camp.

Chen’s bronze eyes snapped toward the source, his body instinctively tensing as every warrior instinct screamed danger.

Even with his hidden master’s artifact calming his emotions, the primal recognition of overwhelming power made his muscles coil like a spring.

’Zhao Tianlong?’ The thought flashed through his mind, a mix of anticipation for battle and dread. ’Has he come for me?’

Yu Xiang’s violet eyes lit up with unmistakable excitement, her perfect lips curving into that infuriating smile that made Chen’s jaw clench.

She straightened, her voluptuous form radiating anticipation as she smoothed her robes with deliberate grace.

’Finally,’ she thought, her heart racing with ambition rather than fear. ’The Emperor himself comes. This is my chance to—’

A figure materialized from the treeline, moving with the fluid grace of absolute mastery. Tall, steel-gray hair tied in a simple knot, weathered features that spoke of decades spent perfecting deadly arts.

Most striking was the sword at his side—not ornate or decorated, but radiating an aura of such refined lethality that the very air seemed to part in respect.

The camp fell into deeper silence, confusion rippling through the gathered cultivators.

This wasn’t the Emperor they’d heard described.

This man was older, more austere, carrying himself with the bearing of someone who had spent lifetimes in pursuit of a single, perfect technique.

The scout who had delivered the news stumbled backward, his face pale with bewilderment. "I... I don’t understand. The reports said—"

"Were you talking about this senior, not the Emperor, all this time?" Chen interrupted, his voice sharp with confusion and barely contained frustration. ’Were these idiots telling me lies all this time?’

Zhang Wuji—for that could only be who this was—came to a stop exactly thirty feet from their group, following his Mistress’s orders regarding her brother. He found them confused as he stood there with the quiet authority of absolute confidence. "No."

"My master has indeed ascended to the realm I now inhabit," Zhang Wuji continued, his hand resting casually on his sword hilt—not threatening, but ready. "But his power transcends simple classification."

The reaction was immediate and devastating.

Yu Xiang’s violet eyes widened, her calculating composure cracking for the first time as understanding crashed over her like a qi backlash.

Her perfect lips parted in shock, the implications hitting her with the force of divine lightning.

’A Great Vehicle realm cultivator... serving another Great Vehicle realm as master?’

Her mind reeled, fragments of cultivation knowledge piecing together a picture that defied conventional wisdom.

In the cultivation world, the title master isn’t used lightly—it implies not just respect, but a fundamental gap in power that makes service natural, inevitable.

For someone of Zhang Wuji’s obvious power to willingly call another master...

’He must be so far beyond the Great Vehicle realm that even his peers acknowledge the gap,’ she realized, her ambitious plans suddenly seeming woefully inadequate. ’I must leave some impression on that man at any cost!’