A video call via the Dust Destiny Necklace connected Fan Li with Xiang Ning and Han Yue.

"Nascent Soul?!"

Xiang Ning's pretty face was startled.

"You reached Nascent Soul already? You are almost catching up to me!"

She was unaware that Fan Li was the one truly stunned.

What was this?

Han Yue and Xiang Ning, together, and so… harmonious?

He had expected, at best, a frosty truce, certainly not this display of amicable closeness. Xiang Ning sat beside Han Yue, her arm linked through the Sage Ruler's, the picture of close female companions.

"It wasn't that fast. I'm actually rather slow…"

Fan Li was still trying to process the scene. He couldn't resist asking, "Your Majesty… what is the nature of your relationship with Sage Ruler Han Yue?"

"What about it?" Xiang Ning looked at Fan Li, then at Han Yue, as if his question were absurd.

Frustrated, Fan Li clarified, "You two are… getting along?"

His words seemed to trigger something in Xiang Ning.

"None of your business!" she retorted, puffing out her cheeks and glaring at him. That treacherous minister! That scoundrel! Pledging his eternal love to Han Yue in a letter, yet still addressing her so formally in my presence! "Sage Ruler Han Yue," he says! The nerve!

Fan Li, feeling guilty, wisely remained silent.

Xiang Ning, however, wasn't finished. She shook Han Yue's arm and said, "Look at him, Han Yue! He's terrible! You should scold him!"

Fan Li rolled his eyes. What was this? He had initiated the call to check on their well-being, and now he was being scolded? And what was this sudden display of female camaraderie? Was forging such close friendships truly this easy for women?

"Fan Li…" Han Yue was clearly flustered.

Fan Li understood. She was too embarrassed to show affection in Xiang Ning's presence. But why wasn't Xiang Ning embarrassed?

Has my… relentless teasing… thickened her skin? he wondered. Thinking back, it seemed plausible. Xiang Ning, usually so quick to tears, often displayed surprising resilience. She had even escaped the Chao Ge Palace alone, at night, to seek out Han Yue. Perhaps, beneath her timid exterior, she possessed a surprising amount of courage.

"Are… are you well?" Han Yue finally asked softly. Ignoring the incident with the Dust Destiny Necklace, their last proper parting had been at the Luming Academy. She had restrained him, kissed him forcefully, and imprinted her presence upon his heart. The memory made her blush. To force herself upon a man… even recalling it now filled her with shame. She wished she could disappear.

"Me?" Fan Li stammered, scratching his head. "I'm… fine. How about you?"

"I'm well, too." Her gaze darted around, avoiding his eyes.

Thus began the most inane conversation in their history.

"Have you eaten?" Fan Li asked.

"No," Han Yue shook her head. "I'm fasting. How about you?"

"What a coincidence! I haven't eaten either. I'm also fasting. Lovely weather today, isn't it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of distant thunder rumbled through the video call.

The Traitor System helpfully interjected:

"Today's Weather:

Peng City: Sunny, 15-20 degrees Celsius.

Pure Land: Overcast, intermittent thunderstorms, -2-8 degrees Celsius."

Fan Li's lips twitched, but he maintained his composure. Next topic.

"That's a lovely dress."

"Mmm," Han Yue nodded. "I bought it in Chang'an."

"Really? You have excellent taste."

"You bought it for me," she corrected him.

"Did I? It looks familiar. The woman beside you looks familiar too. Have we met? Ahem, Your Majesty, I apologize. A slip of the tongue." He couldn't maintain the charade any longer. The more he spoke, the worse it became. He wished he could sew his mouth shut.

But it was too late.

Xiang Ning's eyes were practically spitting fire. She ground her teeth, as if imagining chewing on his bones.

"You two chat. I'm going for a walk."

Seeing her leave, Fan Li quickly added, "Be careful of the thunder."

"Let it strike me dead! Hmph!" Xiang Ning stomped off, picking her way across the rocky terrain. A hundred paces later, she stopped and turned back.

"Fan Li! You never buy me pretty dresses!"

Fan Li swore, if Han Yue hadn't been present, he would have mumbled, "Next time, I promise." But he couldn't bring himself to utter the words.

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With Xiang Ning gone, the atmosphere between Fan Li and Han Yue relaxed considerably. He wanted to say something, but his mind was blank, replaying the same inane question: Are you well? He had already asked that.

Han Yue, as if sensing his thoughts, said softly, "I'm well, truly. I reached the fifth rank of Great Vehicle yesterday."

Fan Li was speechless. For a true genius, cultivation was as easy as breathing. He could imagine the effort required to maintain the hundred-mile barrier of the Zhu Xian Sword Formation. Such a feat was both arduous and an incredible opportunity for growth. True geniuses always seized such opportunities. Perhaps this was the fundamental difference between the exceptional and the ordinary.

Seeing his strange expression, Han Yue, mistaking it for worry, quickly added, "Do not fret. I shall not draw my sword for Yao Guang again. If I draw my sword, it will be to protect the true Pure Land… or you." For her, this was a profound declaration of love. She blushed.

They fell silent, a comfortable silence, unlike any they had shared before.

Then, a scream shattered the tranquility.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Xiang Ning's scream came from the distance.

Han Yue's hand instinctively went to her sword, but she saw Xiang Ning running towards them, unharmed. Not injured?

Someone pursuing her?

Impossible. They were within the protective barrier of the Pure Land. Aside from themselves, only the hundred swordswomen, utterly loyal to Han Yue, resided within its boundaries. If Empress Yao Guang were to attack, Han Yue would sense her presence long before she breached the formation.

"The… the sky… look!" Xiang Ning gasped, her face pale, her hand trembling as she pointed towards the heavens.

The sky? What about it? The azure expanse above was clear, not a cloud in sight.

Then, both Fan Li and Han Yue saw it.

A gigantic gate, shimmering in and out of existence, its dimensions immeasurable, spanning millions of miles, perhaps even more.

The Heavenly Gate? The Immortal Gate?

The words flashed through Fan Li's mind.

Every mortal in the world, looking up at that moment, would witness this unprecedented celestial phenomenon. Was someone ascending to immortality? He dismissed the thought immediately. The Fan Clan's library contained detailed accounts of ascension. Since the Qin Dynasty, those who ascended had done so by enduring heavenly tribulation, not through some… gate. This was unheard of.

Han Yue said quickly, "Fan Li, even I, with my experience, have never witnessed such a thing. The Pure Land's archives contain no record of this. I believe even Empress Yao Guang would be baffled."

Fan Li's unease deepened. The Brahma Sound Pure Land possessed vast knowledge, accumulated over centuries. If even Han Yue was unfamiliar with this phenomenon, what did it signify?

The answer soon revealed itself.

The Heavenly Gate opened.

Figures emerged, not just a few, but a vast army, hovering above the clouds. Their formations were precise, their discipline impeccable. Even from thousands of miles away, Fan Li could sense their power. A truly formidable force, numbering perhaps three hundred thousand.

Then, the army divided into three distinct groups, their uniforms, banners, and armor styles clearly differentiating them. Three separate factions emerging from the Heavenly Gate? The situation was becoming increasingly complex.

Xiang Ning's voice trembled. "Fan Li are those… celestial soldiers?"

"I don't know."

Celestial soldiers? They were powerful, certainly, but they didn't exude the overwhelming aura he would expect from divine beings. He sensed they were mortal, albeit exceptionally powerful mortals. To hover in the air without the aid of spirit treasures suggested their cultivation was at least at the Nascent Soul, perhaps even Divine Transformation, realm. Such an army could conquer the world.

The three armies lingered briefly before the Heavenly Gate, then departed in different directions. The gate began fading until it vanished completely, leaving no trace in the azure sky, as if it had never existed.

But just half a day later, the deep, resonant sound of bells and drums echoed throughout the world.

"Ommmmmmmm! Dong! Dong! Dong!"

The world fell silent, all living creatures seemingly holding their breath. Fan Li's expression turned serious, Han Yue's brow furrowed, and Xiang Ning's lips pressed tightly together. They all sensed something momentous was about to occur.

Three hundred thousand celestial soldiers, or perhaps three mysterious factions? Where had they come from? Where were they going?

Suddenly, Fan Li, both his Peng City and Jin City bodies, received reports from different sources.

"Your Majesty/Duke Jin! One of the three armies has descended within Great Ming territory!"

Fan Li's heart sank. One hundred thousand soldiers emerged from the Heavenly Gate, their power was unimaginable… Were they reinforcements for Emperor Jiajing? Had Empress Yao Guang's pressure finally forced him to reveal his true strength?

Then came news of the other two armies.

"One army has descended within Great Chu territory! The last has vanished into the Southern Ridge Mountains!"

Fan Li's worry lessened slightly. The mysterious armies had appeared in Great Ming, Great Chu, and the Southern Ridge Mountains. Two of those locations were within his sphere of influence. He knew the army in the Southern Ridge Mountains posed no threat to him. And Emperor Xiang Chong couldn't possibly command such power. Therefore, the army that had appeared in the Great Ming was likely not under Jiajing's control either.

"Fan Li, will Great Chu be alright?" Xiang Ning asked.

Fan Li opened his mouth to speak, but a powerful voice, amplified by a sound transmission technique, resounded throughout the world, cutting him off.

"I am Shi Jingtang, Emperor of Jin! I once journeyed to the immortal realm, ruler of the Celestial Empire! I have returned to the mortal world! All those who seek glory, pledge your allegiance to me!"

Fan Li thought he had misheard. The Celestial Empire? Jin? Shi Jingtang? Even with his limited knowledge of history, he recognized the name of the infamous Later Jin Emperor.

Before he could process this, a second voice, equally shocking, echoed through the air.

"I am Li Yu, Emperor of Tang! I once journeyed to the immortal realm, ruler of the Celestial Empire! I have returned to the mortal world! All those who seek glory, pledge your allegiance to me!"

Fan Li's expression turned even more bewildered. Li Yu? The last ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty? The renowned poet?

Han Yue frowned. "Have you heard of these names, Li Yu and Shi Jingtang? They emerged from the Heavenly Gate, claiming to be rulers of the Celestial Empire. If they truly possess divine power, countless mortals will flock to their banners. The mortal kingdoms will surely weaken."

Her logic was sound, but Fan Li felt strangely… unconcerned. In his previous life, neither Shi Jingtang nor Li Yu were known for their competence as rulers. Still, he couldn't afford to be careless. Their arrival was… concerning.

"Shi Jingtang… Li Yu…" He was trying to explain when Xiang Ning interrupted him.

"I know them!" she declared. "Before the Qin Dynasty, during the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, the Warring States period lasted for centuries. Powerful Hegemons rose, challenging the Zhou's authority. Shi Jingtang and Li Yu were figures from that era."

She finished, looking prideful. She rarely had the opportunity to display her knowledge before Fan Li and eagerly awaited his praise.

"What?!" Fan Li was stunned. Those two… figures from the Warring States period? Then he remembered. In this world's history, it was true.

Han Yue was impressed. "I have always focused on cultivating the sword, neglecting my studies. Thank you for enlightening me."

"Hmph." Xiang Ning pouted and was disappointed that the praise hadn't come from Fan Li. She was pleased, but not entirely.

"There was one more," Fan Li murmured, "I wonder who it is."

As if on cue, the third voice echoed throughout the world.

Unexpectedly, it was a woman.

"I am Wu Zhao, Empress of Zhou! I once journeyed to the immortal realm, ruler of the Celestial Empire! I have returned to the mortal world! All those who seek glory, pledge your allegiance to me!"

Fan Li's eyes widened in disbelief. Wu Zhao? The Wu Zhao? With that name alone, the opening of the Heavenly Gate couldn't be a good omen.

"Heavens!" Xiang Ning gasped. "It's her!"

"Who is she?" Han Yue asked, seeing Xiang Ning's reaction.

Xiang Ning swallowed hard. "I mentioned the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, the rise of the Hegemons… Wu Zhao… she was one of them…"