"What is going on?!" Duke Huai shouted, standing up from his throne.
The changes had happened so suddenly that he and everyone else in the hall didn't even have time to react!
"Yun Qinghong, is this your doing?!" Yan Zijing's expression shifted as he turned to Yun Qinghong, questioning him in a harsh tone.
The attention of the other clans was drawn to the exchange, and they looked at Yun Qinghong and Yan Zijing with varied expressions. Some cast disdainful glances at Yan Zijing, thinking he was still trying to suck up to Duke Huai, even in this situation.
How could the weak Yun Clan be the one behind this?
"..." Yun Qinghong didn't answer; he slowly stood up from his wheelchair, revealing his 6th Level Sovereign Profound Realm. He no longer needed to keep up the act.
He had originally been crippled, but after Yun Wuji healed him, he regained his 5th Level Sovereign Profound Realm. Then, after Yun Wuji gave him a level-up pill, his cultivation rose to the 6th Level Sovereign Profound Realm.
"You-!" This caught everyone off guard! It was common knowledge that Yun Qinghong was half-crippled, with almost no profound energy, and he could barely walk.
Suddenly, before they could react, a crack in space appeared!
From it, a tall, woman in a grey robe slowly emerged. Her skin was as white and flawless as jade, (standard jade-skinned beauty). Long, silken hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, swaying gently with each step. Her features were exquisite, delicate, and refined, with high cheekbones, a perfect nose, and lips as bright and red as freshly bloomed petals. Her robe hugged her figure, her perky breasts were erected under her robe, and her legs were long and round.
For a moment, everyone in the hall was entranced by her appearance, nearly forgetting to breathe! The whole world seemed to lose its brilliance all of a sudden, and their understanding of beauty was completely shattered. It was as if her presence redefined perfection, making everything else seem dull and insignificant in comparison.
Everyone in the hall had one thought in their mind; this was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen in their lives!
Her beauty was literally 'breathtaking!!
"Y-Yow... Erugh...! Who are you?! How dare you intrude into the imperial palace?!" Jiufang Kui was the first to regain some composure. He pointed at the woman, stammering and barely able to form words under the shock of her beauty.
There was a strange sense of familiarity about her, yet he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.
"..." Huan Caiyi didn't bother answering him; her gaze remained locked on Duke Huai, who stared back at her in horror.
"How... how... could you still be alive?!" He stammered, barely able to comprehend what he was seeing. He knew exactly who she was; he could recognize Huan Caiyi even if she'd turned to ashes! He had seen her self-detonate with his own eyes, so why was she here? How had she survived?!
"Little Demon Empress, please give the order, and we shall massacre these traitors!" both Yun Qinghong and Mu Feiyan said respectfully.
Back then, when they saw her after only a month, they couldn't hide their shock and surprise. The Little Demon Empress they knew was a "mini empress", how did she suddenly transform into a "pro max" empress in just one month?!
Huan Caiyi had long been celebrated as the most beautiful woman in the Illusory Demon Realm, but now, after her transformation, her beauty and charm had multiplied many times over. It was no wonder that every man present was left utterly stunned by her presence.
"Little Demon Empress?!"
"Wait a minute... now that I think about it, she does look quite similar to her."
"Impossible! She's supposed to be dead! We attended her funeral!"
Like a rock thrown into a calm lake, her name jolted everyone in the hall out of their trance. Horror filled their faces as they stared at her; even the dumbest among them could put two and two together, this had to be part of a huge conspiracy!
From the reaction of Duke Huai, it seemed that he had plotted against her; however, it seemed that he was double-plotted against, not only him but all of them as well. The Little Demon Empress had faked her death and gathered everyone here to clean up the house!
Huan Caiyi opened her mouth and spoke, "Surprise, motherfuckers!" Cough! No, she didn't actually say that. Instead, she looked at Duke Huai and said, "I told you that you would face retribution."
As her words echoed through the hall, the sub-formation inside the palace activated, unleashing purple pillars that shot up into the sky all around the palace.
"Arg! What is this?!"
At the same time, everyone present felt a powerful force pulling them toward the ground. It was as if an unseen power was binding them, sapping their strength by at least 30%!
"Your Majesty! What are you doing?!" Yan Zijing looked up at Huan Caiyi, his face pale with dread. "We didn't mean to betray you! We just wanted to choose a new emperor for the sake of this continent's stability! For the greater good!"
"..." Huan Caiyi didn't bother to answer or even glance at him. Instead, she turned her attention to the three clans and commanded, "Kill them all!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" they pledged loudly.
Yun Qinghong and the members of the Yun Clan were the first to make a move, their bodies enveloped in crackling purple lightning from the Purple Cloud Art. Unlike the other clans, the three clans felt no oppression or pressure from the formation.
"Helian Kuang! Didn't you always want to show the world that you were above me?! Let's settle the score today!" Yun Qinghong grinned at Helian Kuang and stomped the floor, shooting toward him like a cannonball, with the other clan members following closely behind.
"Yun Qinghong, you're just a crippled loser! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?!" Helian Kuang's expression darkened. He knew he was weaker than Yun Qinghong, being only at the 5th Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, and with the pressure of the formation weighing him down, he had no hope of winning.
Their clan did have another powerhouse, the previous clan head, who was at the 8th Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, but he wasn't present at the moment.
"Hahaha! Bastard Su! Daddy will kill you today!" Mu Feiyan shouted as he chose his target and charged forward, flanked by his clan members.
Mu Feiyan was at the 8th Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, but after taking a level-up pill, he broke through to the 9th Level. Now, he was the strongest person in this hall!
"Your majesty, we didn't mean to betray you! Please have mercy!" Su Xiangnan's expression darkened as he quickly retreated with his clan members. He was only at the 5th Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, he knew he stood no chance against Mu Feiyan.
"Your majesty! Please have mercy; we never intended to betray you!" the patriarch of the Elf Clan, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, pleaded desperately.
"Dog Yan Zijing! Grandpa is here to give you a whipping!" Xiao Xifeng didn't want to be outdone by the other two, so he targeted the Yan Clan and shot toward them. His strength wasn't as great as theirs; he had originally been only at the 2nd Level Sovereign Profound Realm, but after taking a level-up pill, he broke through to the 3rd Level Sovereign Profound
He targeted Yan Zijing because he was the weakest among all the patriarchs present, only at the 1st Level Sovereign Profound Realm.
'Damn it! How could this happen? Where is father?!' Duke Huai cursed as he glanced between
Huan Caiyi in the sky and the other clans. Aside from the Yan, Su, and Helian clans, who were engaged in battle against the three clans, the others merely watched or pleaded for mercy. Taking a deep breath, he declared, "Everyone, it has already come to this! This villainous woman wants to kill us all! Our only hope of survival is to fight back!"
"..." Greatest Ambition Under Heaven was the first to take action. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "Helian Kuang, let me lend you a hand!" He and his clan members surged forward, rushing to support Helian Kuang in the battle against Yun Qinghong.
He was from the same generation as Yun Canghai and Mu Feiyan, so his strength was greater than the other patriarchs; he was at the 7th Level Sovereign Profound Realm.