Chapter 892: The End of Imperial Control

Chapter 892: The End of Dominion

Ye Wuming was slightly surprised, though not entirely unexpected.

This man she had watched grow, knowing full well that sometimes he seemed only concerned with showing off or chasing women... but in truth, there was always calculation within, and those deceived by his outward demeanor now had grass growing tall over their graves.

From a mere pawn to now, they stood on equal footing, whether in strength and status or in his understanding and analysis of cultivation.

She just hadn't expected that he had already discerned the application of different systems merely by observing... Oh, of course, he hadn't only observed; the moment he cleaved the Hero Pavilion, he had deeply engaged with the composition of energy.

"Different systems, after all, are but one type of energy, and energy can be mutually transformed. Long ago, Old Xia's Six Harmonies Divine Art had the function of transforming different energies; at that time, Old Xia had already seen through the essence. In these matters, he is an absolute genius." Zhao Changhe took the Heavenly Book from Ye Wuming's hand, saying, "My thirty years of slumber were actually a state of deep meditation. I knew nothing of the outside world, but my inner cultivation has always been clear."

The Heavenly Book in his hand turned its pages without wind, opening to the title page.

"In the past, our cultivation was divided into two categories: external techniques and internal energy. I have always been a representative of external technique body refinement, converting internal energy into external energy for use, to the point where I almost forgot I even had internal energy. When I rebuilt my cultivation, I thought, why not unify them? Energy is energy; just understand its most fundamental core." Zhao Changhe spoke slowly: "So now, my cultivation is neither the Blood Fiend Art, nor the Six Harmonies Divine Art, nor the Blood Demon Indestructible Body... It is a technique I created myself."

He paused, looking at Ye Wuming: "No matter the origin, personal intent determines that any self-created technique will have a personal direction. Mine, unsurprisingly, still leans toward the vast starry sky, the shining galaxy, the sun and moon moving in parallel. This technique is yet unnamed. In your opinion, what name would be fitting?"

Ye Wuming tilted her head: "Why ask me? You created it; name it yourself."

"But this direction was guided by you all along. Originally, I was still a successor of the Blood Fiend Art... You must take responsibility."

"Lie's legacy is better than mine, isn't it?"

Zhao Changhe: "?"

Ling Ruoyu: "..."

Ye Wuming fell silent.

Women... Zhao Changhe's expression twisted oddly for a moment, then he finally said, "Fine, if it's unnamed, so be it. What I mean by all this is that the power I cultivate now can be easily transformed into any nature. I completed the analysis while observing the guards fighting inside the Hero Pavilion."

As he spoke, the pages rustled, flipping through. The five elements, yin and yang, truth and illusion, life and death, light and shadow, time and space—profound and mysterious laws of the Dao scattered through the air.

Unlike the previous page-by-page display, now they were fused into one, interwoven within each other.

They had always been one...

Ling Ruoyu looked up, her heart stirred and enchanted. Countless indescribable insights seeped into her heart, as if bathing in the light of the Dao. The world's most supreme power lay before her, freely accessible, laid open for interpretation.

For a martial artist, nothing was more moving than this feeling.

Ye Wuming stared at the scene, somewhat lost in thought, then suddenly said, "Your power is stronger than when we fought yesterday?"

"Yes." Zhao Changhe said, "I was awakened early. I still needed a few more days in seclusion to continue growing... But I was disturbed by my own girl, so my cultivation has been steadily increasing these days..."

Ling Ruoyu: "..."

How did the melon end up on her head...

"During this time, I have seen time flow like a river, seen the vicissitudes of the sea... Now, following you through the passage of time and space, folding the bridge of realms, I have witnessed the bizarre wonders of another time and space, seen different cultivation systems... This is cultivation." As Zhao Changhe spoke, the light emanating from the Heavenly Book suddenly retracted.

Ye Wuming suddenly felt a terrifying, unmatched suction force, tens of thousands of times stronger than the cloth bag artifact seen earlier at the Hero Pavilion, encompassing everything with no escape.

Beyond the power of the Heavenly Book artifact itself, Zhao Changhe's strength had at least reached the mid-stage of the Imperial Realm's third tier, enabling him to drive the artifact to unleash such complete power. This growth was too astonishing. During this time, was he training the child or training himself?

Or was the point of leveling a secondary account to nourish the main account?

But unfortunately, no matter how strong the Heavenly Book's power, it could not affect Ye Wuming. She was the Heavenly Book; how could she slap herself?

Thus, Ye Wuming stood unmoved within the light, while Ling Ruoyu, who had been watching nearby holding the Star River, suddenly saw darkness before her eyes. She and her sword were swept away by the light and trapped inside the Heavenly Book.

Ling Ruoyu: "???"

"Cough." Zhao Changhe cleared his throat and quickly released the poor child: "Still unskilled in operation, accidental, accidental."

Ling Ruoyu was dazed from entering to exiting. She had been carrying the Star River; in that state, her strength could carve out a domain in another world. The cloth bag at the Hero Pavilion couldn't touch her at all, yet she was caught by a stray hit without even reacting...

This wasn't even the real Heavenly Book, just its manifestation, which her father called a mold...

Then if one held the real Heavenly Book, which was this world, how great would its power be?

But the real Heavenly Book had a book spirit... If the book spirit didn't acknowledge its master, it couldn't unleash its maximum power. So what were you two, husband and wife, testing the Heavenly Book for? Ling Ruoyu stole a glance at Ye Wuming and dared not speak.

Zhao Changhe withdrew his wrist. The Heavenly Book closed, becoming an ordinary-looking tome again.

He handed the book back to Ye Wuming, a hint of depth in his eyes, but said nothing more, only: "Absorption and control are just one of its functions... There are more wonders I won't demonstrate one by one. You know I can use them."

Ye Wuming took the book expressionlessly and hummed in acknowledgment.

The two fell silent, the atmosphere growing very quiet.

The wind of the Night Palace blew gently, carrying the fragrance of heavenly treasures from the distant garden, but there was no birdsong or cicada chirping—still as the Abyss of Nine Serenities of old.

Zhao Changhe had come to the Night Palace to discuss two matters with Ye Wuming: first, to ask if there were materials to reforge the Dragon Sparrow; second, to discuss how to deal with the Heavenly Dao. The former was resolved, but the latter was always hard to articulate—as allies against the Heavenly Dao, it seemed a relationship that naturally formed without words, yet both knew that such a relationship alone was not enough.

If strength could not break that line, it was still short by that line, at most achieving results similar to thirty years ago, never reaching an end.

The plan to merge the Ye sisters into one—they would not agree, and even Zhao Changhe himself was unwilling. Was there another plan? Perhaps there was—Zhao Changhe wielding the Heavenly Book.

"Lady Book Spirit, would you consider... letting me use it?" Zhao Changhe's seemingly teasing words had already said it all.

But relying on "negotiation" for such matters would never yield results.

In fact, even whether this plan was effective remained unknown... The two had tacitly conducted a simple test, but such a test might not mean much.

The tacit understanding between adults was something Ling Ruoyu could not grasp. She only felt the strange and oppressive atmosphere between them, making her heart feel stifled.

After a long while, Zhao Changhe finally said, "I've been away for a day and a night; I need to take Ruoyu back."

Ye Wuming said, "Go ahead if you must... Ruoyu has nothing left to train in the mortal world. It would be better for her to stay here. Whether it's heavenly treasures or experiences from other worlds, I can provide what you cannot."

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Do you think Ruoyu truly lacks that bit of training and improvement?"

Ye Wuming said, "She likes it herself."

Zhao Changhe said, "Ask her yourself. If she is willing to stay, is it for those things, or to be with you?"

Ye Wuming's heart twitched. She looked at Ling Ruoyu and said nothing.

Ling Ruoyu lowered her head and whispered, "I want to be with Mother."

Ye Wuming's face lit up with joy: "Then stay, okay?"

Ling Ruoyu said seriously, "Why can't Mother come back with us?"

Ye Wuming was truly exasperated: "He and I are not in that kind of relationship. What do you mean by 'come back with us'?"

Ling Ruoyu pretended not to understand: "What kind of relationship is that? Queque and I live together every day. Why can't you?"

Ye Wuming wanted to say you're sixteen, not six, and you've witnessed so much—how can you not understand? What are you pretending for...

But looking at the girl's innocent expression, she couldn't bring herself to scold her. She could only say, "You and Queque are both girls, so of course it's fine."

Ling Ruoyu said, "But Dad and the aunties can..."

Ye Wuming could no longer hold back: "It's precisely because I cannot be one of them!"

Ling Ruoyu said, "What if it were only Mother?"

Ye Wuming choked, unable to answer for a moment. After a pause, she said, "What meaning does such an impossible hypothesis have? Do you really want your master to stay away from this dog of a man? Your master would beat you to death first, you little thing."

Ling Ruoyu did not answer that sentence. Her task was actually already complete.

Making Ye Wuming hesitate for that moment—its significance was boundless.

Zhao Changhe chose that moment to say, "Let's go. Someone values their pride more than you, so don't cling to her."

Ye Wuming: "You..."

“Did I say something wrong?” Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes. “I’m off.”

What face... That fellow Zhao was a master of equivocation. Not going down to the mortal realm to see Ruo Yu might be about face, but it was impossible for him to develop that kind of relationship with her—that wasn’t a matter of face. He had conflated two concepts, and for a moment she couldn’t figure out how to argue.

By the time she sorted it out, Zhao Changhe had already vanished from the Night Palace with Ling Ruoyu, absconding with the ball.

Ye Wuming swallowed back a bellyful of words, looking around at the Night Palace that had instantly fallen silent like a ghost prison. Its usual tranquil beauty now seemed dry and hateful.

A loneliness she had never felt before spread silently.

Forget it, she might as well go see what that father and daughter were up to.

Peering through heaven and earth, she saw Zhao Changhe getting beaten.

...

“Let you sneak off to see Ye Wuming, let you be so self-righteous, let you disregard your own safety!”

Beneath the palace, under the dome of the sky, on the Star Observation Platform, the once cocky Zhao Changhe was crouching with his head in his hands, while Yuan Sanniang, Huangfu Qing, and Xia Chichi took turns kicking him. Ling Ruoyu had long since wisely hidden herself with the Dragon Sparrow—only a fool would get involved in this battle.

“Injustice...” Zhao Changhe protested. “I went to find materials from beyond the heavens to reforge the Dragon Sparrow...”

Huangfu Qing grabbed him by the collar. “Think we’re easy to fool? Where are the materials?”

With a “ding,” a piece of meteor iron appeared before them.

Huangfu Qing: “...”

There really was some.

He’d only been gone a day, and he’d already obtained such a troublesome, peerless material...

Sanniang asked suspiciously, “Did you sell yourself to Ye Wuming?”

Zhao Changhe laughed bitterly. “Even if I wanted to sell myself, she’d have to want me. The situation now is that I’m the one unilaterally wanting her; she has no interest in me.”

“That’s not necessarily true. Otherwise, why would she not beat you and instead give you things?”

“We got the things by going out and killing people for loot.” Zhao Changhe produced a ring as if offering a treasure, then pulled out a golden rope from the ring. “This magic artifact is called the Immortal Binding Rope. It’s perfect for you, Sanniang. In the future, we can use it for the turtle shell tie...”

“Get lost.” Sanniang snatched the rope, intrigued by the strange energy emanating from it, and studied it with delight. “Since this stinky pig remembered to bring me a gift when he went out, I’ll let you off this time.”

“What about mine?” Huangfu Qing held out her hand.

Zhao Changhe smiled apologetically and handed her a bead. “This seals a kind of flame called the Samadhi True Fire. Take a look...”

Xia Chichi held out her hand. “What about mine?”

Zhao Changhe produced a pill as if offering a treasure. “This nourishes the immortal fetus; it can cultivate immortal spiritual power. Nothing is more important.”

Xia Chichi took the pill with satisfaction.

Ye Wuming: “...”

So you had me pick out things suitable for them just so you could curry favor with them later... All my hard work sorting and labeling treasures by category was for you to use to please your women?

What have I done...

And yet Zhao Changhe actually spoke up for her: “These gifts were chosen by Ye Wuming for you, to express her goodwill...”

Xia Chichi asked in surprise, “What goodwill does she have toward us?”

Ye Wuming herself didn’t know what goodwill she had toward them.

Zhao Changhe said, “She is the genuine Night Emperor; I’m a fake. Originally, you all worshipped her and were her people. There must be some lingering bond...”

Ye Wuming nearly spat blood. How dare you say that?

The three women exchanged glances, not knowing how to comment... How to put it? When Zhao Changhe first rose to power, the two venerables themselves had prostrated themselves at the man’s feet, so even though they knew he wasn’t the Night Emperor, they tacitly twisted the doctrine to let him seize the throne. In other words, they were all traitors, usurpers. As the true Night Emperor, Ye Wuming would be magnanimous just by not killing these traitors...

Thinking back, to prevent the cult that worshipped her from being treated like a brothel by this man, Ye Wuming had even deliberately tampered with fate, trying to throw obstacles in the way of their red threads. In the end, nothing changed, and the Four Symbols Sect was completely overrun.

But then again, it was Ye Wuming herself who ultimately went along with making Zhao Changhe the Night Emperor, because his later interpretation of the night sky’s meaning was exactly what Ye Wuming herself had been pursuing in ancient times. Only he, as a visitor from another world, could be so clear and fitting. The “twisting of doctrine” by Sanniang and Huangfu Qing was, strictly speaking, not a twist at all—it was the very path the Night Emperor herself was seeking.

So there was no reason to blame them for betrayal. Ye Wuming had no grudge against them. If one wanted to talk about lingering bonds, there was indeed some. If they were willing to acknowledge her as the Night Emperor, they could even be considered on the same side.

The Four Symbols Sect faction in his harem had grown again... Er, no, pfft.

Then they heard Sanniang say hesitantly, “Changhe...”

Zhao Changhe responded with a questioning “Hm?”

Sanniang said, “In that battle thirty years ago, Ye Wuming meant for her to be the vast Heavenly Dao and you to be the Night Emperor. Now, do you mean the opposite—let her be the Night Emperor again, while you take control of the Heavenly Book?”

Ye Wuming’s heart stirred.

This did seem to be the most essential point of conflict between herself and Zhao Changhe.

In her own perspective, Zhao Changhe was always below, arranged and appointed by her. But Zhao Changhe only wanted to put her underneath.

Whether in terms of power and status or the war between men and women.

Ye Wuming looked up at the sky. How ridiculous—she had schemed and laid plans for two epochs to break free from another’s control, only to find that the pawn she had drawn into the game was now trying to control her.

Wasn’t that like driving out a tiger from the front door only to let a wolf in through the back?

But the most ridiculous thing was that her rejection and resistance toward this wolf were not as strong as they had been toward the previous Heavenly Dao... The feeling of absurdity in her heart overshadowed everything else.

Lost in thought, she vaguely heard Zhao Changhe’s response to Sanniang: “Controlling the Heavenly Book is a typical symbol of the Other Shore. Only by leaping out can one control it. From the concept of ‘control’ in our world’s martial arts classification, controlling the Heavenly Book is the end of the path. But I have no interest in controlling the Heavenly Book. At most, I would use it to resist the Heavenly Dao...”

Sanniang asked in surprise, “What does ‘Other Shore’ mean? Have you been reading Buddhist sutras again?”

Zhao Changhe explained Ye Wuming’s theory: “According to Ye Wuming, it should be the ultimate realm of the Heavenly Dao.”

Everyone nodded, digesting the concept.

Knowing that Zhao Changhe had no lust for power, Xia Chichi still couldn’t help asking, “Since it’s the path to the Other Shore, why do you say you have no interest in it?”

“Controlling the Heavenly Book is a symbol of the Other Shore, but the Other Shore doesn’t necessarily have to be achieved through that. Understand the difference between sufficient and necessary conditions.” Zhao Changhe spoke seriously. “Since we allow all gods and buddhas to disperse, there is no need for Zhao Changhe in this world either... This world doesn’t need anyone’s control; otherwise, our lifelong journey would be a joke.”

Ye Wuming’s heart stirred again, and she heard Zhao Changhe continue: “For me... anyway, my interests are very mundane.”

“How mundane?”

“Rather than controlling the Heavenly Book, I only want to control Ye Wuming.”