CHAPTER 169: WU ZETIAN’S PET PEEVE

Turning the clock back a short while—right after Xu Tao and Jehanne rushed off in their respective directions—Wu Zetian calmly stepped out of the castle’s vicinity, her black and gold robes fluttering in the strong winds.

She did not run, nor was she in a hurry. She simply walked, as though stepping into a palace courtyard rather than a battlefield.

Yet, with each step she crossed several dozen meters. With only a few strides, she arrived at her destination.

The southeastern wall came into view. It should’ve been drowned in chaos, and yet what she found was...

"...They fled already?"

The monsters had indeed arrived, but to her surprise no one but her Celestial Beasts were protecting this point. It was close enough that the remaining fighters among the refugees should have been able to reinforce the defenses, but not even a shadow could be seen.

Zetian narrowed her eyes.

She had no real issue with cowardice. Cowards existed in every kingdom. What irritated her was that they hadn’t even tried to hold the line—evident from how clean the inside of the walls were. Not a single footprint in sight.

"No discipline, no loyalty, and no shame..."

She flicked her fingers, brushing her sleeve as though she were dusting away the sight itself. "What pathetic, worthless insects who can only beg to be saved. Protecting trash like them is a waste of time..."

She drew in a slow, deliberate breath, and let out a soft exhale.

Then—

BOOM!

A wave of thunderous Qi exploded from her body like the beating of a colossal heart.

In response, the charging monsters halted, as though bound by invisible chains. Even the earth and sand beneath her feet trembled.

"Since none of you know how to hold a line... Very well. I shall show you how an Empire wages war."

Her hands moved gracefully. One sleeve swept forward like a fan in a court dance... and in the next moment, the heavens opened.

A rip in the sky tore itself into existence. Purple-black constellations swirled behind it. It was an otherworldly sight, but Zetian acted as though she had seen it countless times.

A single howl echoed from beyond the rift... and then hundreds of Star-Eater Hounds poured forth.

Each one stepped onto the battlefield with jaws dripping stardust and eyes swirling like black holes. They bowed their heads toward Zetian, like loyal soldiers paying respect to their Queen.

"Devour them. Leave nothing behind."

There was no dramatic speech. Just a cold command.

The next moment, lightning burst to life as the celestial beasts charged, tearing through the monsters in organized formations—as though they had trained for this moment a thousand times over.

This was no battle... It was an organized execution.

On the southwestern side, Jehanne was like a storm. In the south, Xu Tao was like a razor, single swings severing entire hordes. But here, in the southeast... Wu Zetian alone was an entire imperial army.

Not a single monster came within thirty meters of the wall. Every time a hound tore one apart, another appeared behind it, already shifting formation to intercept the next.

She watched in silence, one hand gently hugging Pepe, the other holding her fan before her lips. No emotion showed on her face.

Occasionally, however, her eye would twitch whenever a monster tried to flee.

Not because she feared their escape.

But because fleeing from a superior foe without dignity was the thing she despised most. Even if despair was the only outcome, she wished they would face it head-on, with pride and bravery.

Instead, they fled in terror, their metaphorical tails between their legs.

Zetian lifted her index finger without a word.

"Divine Auspice of the Black Phoenix."

A ring of starlight spiraled around her fingertip. In the next instant, a gigantic flaming phoenix materialized behind her—black feathers, white tongue of flame, the embodiment of imperial wrath.

It screeched once, and the entire space before the southeastern wall was engulfed in a sweeping wave of purple fire.

The escaping monsters were reduced to ash.

The reinforcing ones were burned and crushed before they could even draw near.

When the flames faded, the ground and rocks had melted, forming pools of molten lava. The sand had turned into glass, reflecting the countless stars above and the vast rift Zetian had opened.

The Celestial Beasts howled, bowing to her in a chorus of obedience before rising into the sky and returning to where they came from.

Watching them retreat, Wu Zetian lowered her hand and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Humph. At least you understand how to follow orders," she scoffed.

She cast one last sweep across the battlefield. As expected, no monsters remained—only loot boxes, scattered across the molten-red terrain like coal-black gems.

Only when she was sure the area was secure did her expression soften. Her shoulders relaxed and she exhaled quietly.

"Good. The damage to the surrounding area was minimized," she muttered in satisfaction.

Despite everything she had unleashed, this wasn’t even a fraction of her strength. She had restrained herself, afraid of altering the terrain too greatly. Wu Zetian, who feared nothing in heaven or earth... was genuinely afraid of upsetting Xu Tao, her Emperor.

Turning toward the south, she sensed that the battles there had already ended. Only faint traces of Qi remained—the kind used to collect loot boxes.

With a faint smile, she whispered, "I definitely wouldn’t want to upset my Emperor and be ignored."

In a single step, she vanished.

She still had more things to take care of.

🔷🔷🔷

Zetian’s current stats:

[

Name: Wu Zetian

Level: 950

Stats:

STR: 581

INT: 1,550

VIT: 388

AGI: 969

DEX: 388

Cultivation: 3,875

Hidden Stats:

Charm (CHA): 98/100

Luck (LCK): 85/100

Leadership (LDR): 99/100

Faith (FTH): 15/100

Aura (AUR): 100/100

Note:

The Black Phoenix, Sovereign Empress of a fallen dynasty. A master of imperial warfare and curses alike. She disdains cowardice above all—and rewards loyalty with fervent protection. Her arrogance is not an act, but a certitude born from power earned through centuries of conquest.

]