"What is the meaning of this?" Lin Yueru snapped, planting herself in front of Cang Yue. "Are you trying to offend the Emperor by laying hands on his daughter?" Her voice rang out, hot and protective.
Around them, bows were raised — arrowheads catching the light, strings drawn taut to hum. The courtyard froze.
"You couldn't let it go, could you, cursed child?" Cang Lingwu barked, that ugly mixture of rage and wounded pride twisting his features. "Everything was set! The Wu Clan would back me, your brothers' rebellion would distract the capital — my brother would be sick and put to death. You were supposed to lose. Your family was supposed to fall. My coup was supposed to begin from that chaos! You just had to ruin it all!"
His words tumbled out in a frantic rush, accusations and bitterness spilling into the night. Courtiers pressed back; even the guards nearest him looked unsettled. Cang Yue stood like a statue — small, veiled, and utterly unafraid — as the echoes of his confession hung in the cold air.
Cang Yue's eyes narrowed beneath her veil. With a faint shimmer, golden rings of light flickered into being over her pupils — Eagle Vision activated.
At once, the world sharpened. Threads of energy flared in her sight: the soldiers surrounding her pulsed with a familiar signature — Wu Clan bloodlines and red pulses. Every heartbeat, every movement screamed loyalty to her uncle and the intention to cause harm to her.
"So it's true…" she whispered to herself. "You've already given the city away."
Her heart sank. She had come hoping to resolve things without bloodshed — to cleanse corruption through reform, not ruin. But this… this rot ran deep. The city was dying from the inside, and the Wu Clan were part of its poison. If she let this fester any longer, there would be no saving it.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she lowered them to her side.
I didn't want it to come to this.
Then, a familiar voice brushed her mind — soft, amused, echoing like ripples over still water.
"Hey, Xueruo…"
Her breath caught. "Shin Yue?"
"Mm. Looks like you've walked into a nest of rats." The tone was light, but there was steel beneath it. "Want me to take over? I know your heart seeks peace… but I don't mind getting my hands dirty."
Cang Yue closed her eyes for a heartbeat, steadying her breath. "No… I'll handle this myself. I don't want unnecessary deaths — or collateral damage."
"Suit yourself." A chuckle ghosted through her mind. "But if you get hurt… I'll step in. You know that, right?"
"I know," she whispered. "Thank you."
The presence faded, leaving only silence — and the rising tension of drawn bows.
Cang Yue opened her eyes once more. The faint glow of Eagle Vision dimmed, but her expression had changed. Calm. Composed. Resolute.
She couldn't rely on Shin Yue. Not yet. This was her trial — a test placed before her by the heavens themselves.
And this time… it was family again.
Just like before — when she stood against her elder brothers. She had lost Cang Shuo, who betrayed her for ambition, and her eldest brother lay crippled, imprisoned for his crimes. Now, another relative pointed blades at her throat.
Cang Yue's heart ached beneath her calm exterior. Even now, she could not bring herself to harm her uncle — not truly. Even if he was willing to kill his own niece to bury his sins.
With a soft breath, she lifted her hand. Wadō Ichimonji shimmered into existence — the pure white katana glinting beneath the courtyard lights. The aura around her changed instantly, quiet and sharp as falling snow.
Beside her, Lin Yueru stepped forward, her own profound energy blooming. With a flick of her wrist, a bow appeared in her hands — but this was not her old Qinglong Sect bow.
This was the Jeweled Longbow.
Simple. Elegant. Its frame was a seamless curve of silvery-white crystal, veins of luminous gems running through it like captured starlight. The gemstones pulsed faintly with life, each one resonating with Yueru's energy as if the bow itself breathed alongside her.
On close examination, its craftsmanship was unmistakable — Yun Che's work. And yet… the bow felt new, untouched by time.
How could this be brand new? she'd wondered when she first held it that morning. He had smiled, half-amused, and said something about "crafting it from a game. "She hadn't understood a word of it.
But when she had drawn the bowstring for the first time — when the air itself seemed to tremble from the sheer purity of its energy — she understood one thing clearly.
This was not a simple weapon. This was a Throne-level profound treasure, rivaling even Xue Ling's Yubashiri katana. It was far beyond her old Spirit Profound Realm bow, a masterpiece that could shake the arena with each arrow loosed when she fought Cang Yue.
Even now, as she nocked her first arrow, the Longbow's glow rippled softly — a silent promise of destruction and protection intertwined.
Cang Yue exhaled slowly, the blade at her side humming with restrained power. They stood together — princess and guardian — surrounded, outnumbered, yet utterly unshaken.
And as the first arrow of rebellion took aim, the night itself seemed to hold its breath.
"Uncle," Cang Yue's voice was calm, but beneath it ran the weight of imperial authority. "I will not pursue this matter further. Stand down and obey Father's decree… or I will consider this an act of treason. Think of your family — do not drag them into your folly."
Her tone softened briefly, almost pleading. "Father still wishes for you to lead a new colony, to build anew… not to bleed this province dry out of greed."
Cang Lingwu's face twisted with venom. "You… if you hadn't been born… if you and that cursed mother of yours—"
The air shattered.
A surge of invisible force exploded from Cang Yue — her Haoshoku, the Conqueror's Will.The ground cracked beneath her feet; the torches flickered violently. Dozens of soldiers crumpled where they stood, consciousness snuffed out like candles in a storm.
Cang Yue's voice cut through the stunned silence, cold and steady."Uncle Lingwu… you may insult me. You may curse me. You may even slander me before the court if you wish."Her eyes blazed with quiet fury."But you will not insult my late mother. Her time in this world has ended. Do not drag her innocent name through your filth."
Cang Lingwu's hands trembled — not from guilt, but rage. "That power of yours…" he hissed. "Since you've branded me a traitor, I have no reason to hold back!"
With a single motion, his arm dropped.
The Wu Clan soldiers unleashed a storm of arrows.
Cang Yue exhaled, raising Wadō Ichimonji in one graceful arc. A spiraling gale erupted around her — a twister of pure profound energy, its current shimmering with silver-blue light. Every arrow that entered the vortex splintered to dust before touching her or Lin Yueru.
"So… it's come to this after all," she whispered, her voice tinged with sorrow.
Beside her, Lin Yueru raised the Jeweled Longbow. Its crystalline frame sang as she drew the string; the gems along its body pulsed with Yun Che's profound craftsmanship. Arrows of light shot forth in rapid succession, striking cleanly into the ranks of ranged soldiers — piercing armor, but never hearts.
Non-lethal. Controlled. Precise.
Yet the sheer force of each shot made her eyes widen — she had never felt such power flow through her hands before. So this… is the strength of a Throne-level weapon.
For the first time, her potential truly shone — the guardian revealing her fangs in defense of her charge.
Cang Lingwu's voice cracked through the chaos."This was supposed to be my kingdom!"
Cang Yue turned to face him, her blade still humming softly in her grasp.
"This empire," she said, each word echoing through the courtyard, "was forged by the Moon Empress and our ancestor Cang Xue, three thousand years ago. It was never promised to you — or to anyone. Just because you want it, doesn't mean you can take it."
Her gaze hardened. "You walked into this land, drained its wealth, stole their rights and oppressed its people — the same people the Jin Family swore to protect. And you call that rule?"
The wind howled, carrying away the last of the smoke and arrogance that lingered between them.
The niece stood tall, veiled and radiant — an emperor's daughter. The uncle, cornered and trembling, clung to his ambition like a drowning man to driftwood.
Cang Lingwu gritted his teeth as he trembled as Cang Yue's aura burst out. The last time they met, the niece was only Peak True Profound Realm. Now, she possessed Third Level Sky Profound Realm power. A breakthrough a few days since the tournament. Little that he knows that the same niece has now a combat prowess of a Third Level Emperor Profound Realm.
As for Lin Yueru, she already in Fifth Level Earth Profound Realm. These two already surpassed everyone in the palace.
It didn't take long.
Within minutes, the courtyard that once teemed with soldiers was silent — dismantled with precision. Cang Yue had used only one sword, not even bothering to draw the other two. Each strike was elegant and measured, a dance of wind and light that left no blood spilled — only broken weapons and unconscious foes.
Now, she walked forward, each footstep echoing against the cracked tiles.Her uncle stumbled backward, his face pale, sweat glistening on his brow.
"You… stay back!" Cang Lingwu stammered.
Cang Yue said nothing. Her gaze — calm and unblinking — carried the quiet weight of judgment.
Then—
"Insolent!"
A thunderous voice descended from the heavens.
A crushing aura slammed into the courtyard like a falling mountain. The air itself twisted under the weight of the Emperor Profound Realm. Dust and debris spiraled upward, and Lin Yueru dropped to her knees, gasping for air as her bow trembled in her grasp.
Before the aura could crush her completely, Cang Yue's arm extended.Her Haoshoku Haki surged outward — invisible yet absolute. It clashed with the oppressive aura like colliding storms, neutralizing the pressure around Lin Yueru and shielding her from harm.
"Haki…" Yueru gasped. "It's… canceling the aura?"
"Stay down," Cang Yue said softly, eyes fixed skyward. "I'll handle this."
From the clouds above descended an older man in regal robes embroidered with the crest of the Wu Clan. His eyes burned with disdain, his profound energy coiling around him like a tempest.
Wu Lang.Third Level Emperor Profound Realm.
Cang Yue's frown deepened slightly. An Emperor Profound expert… troublesome, but not impossible.If she had faced him months ago, it might have frightened her. But not anymore.
Not after everything she had survived.
"Wu Lang!" Cang Lingwu shouted, finding courage in the presence of his ally. "This insolent niece of mine has attacked the royal family! Restrain her at once!"
Wu Lang's glare turned toward Cang Yue. "Princess or not," he barked, "raising your blade against a royal bloodline is treason!"
Cang Yue exhaled, the faintest huff escaping her lips — not fear, but annoyance. "So that's how it is…" she murmured. "You were being protected all along."
Her hand moved — and three flashes of light streaked through the air.All three blades materialized at once, orbiting her like silent moons — Wadō Ichimonji, Shusui, and Shisui. Their combined aura rippled through the courtyard, slicing through the residual pressure of the throne's profound energy.
"Ru'er," Cang Yue said, voice steady, "protect the innocents. If they try something deceitful, act immediately."
Lin Yueru rose to one knee, bow at the ready. "Be careful, Yue'er."
Cang Yue nodded once. "Always."
With that, she leapt — her figure blurring into the air as she ascended to meet Wu Lang above the palace.
Now, she stood before a Throne-level opponent.And she would not yield.
She couldn't rely on Xue Ling or Yun Che forever. They had guided her, protected her — but this was her fight. Her test.
If she fell here, her uncle would use her death as a weapon — a rallying cry for the Cang Outer Family to move against her father. But that contingency had already been prepared. Should they try to twist this event, the imperial court would turn it against them instead.
For now, none of that mattered.
Cang Yue hovered in the skies above the outer palace, her robes swaying gently in the storm-wind that rose between her and her opponent. Across from her floated Wu Lang, elder of the Wu Clan, his aura pressing down on the city like a tidal wave.
She steadied her breathing.This wasn't just any opponent — this was one of the elders of the Wu Clan, a family rumored by Yun Che to possess the forbidden ability to transform — into beasts… or something far darker.Hollows, he had called them.
Cang Yue knew that if she fought recklessly, even a moment's hesitation could turn fatal.
In the tournament arena, she had faced opponents weaker than her — opponents bound by rules, held back by pride.But here?Here stood an Emperor Profound cultivator, free to unleash everything.
Wu Lang gave a low, rumbling laugh, his voice echoing through the clouds. "So, you are the famed Princess Cang Yue… I must say, it's an honor to face you in person. To think that a woman who once stood in the True Profound Realm now stands firmly in the Sky Profound Realm, third level no less. Impressive… but naive."
His eyes gleamed. "You've made a meteoric rise, Princess — but you're still an entire major realm beneath me. Surrender now, and I'll make your death painless."
Cang Yue's eyes narrowed, her tone even and unshaken."I'm not here to incite conflict. I came only to deliver justice — for the people of this city."Her gaze flicked briefly to the courtyard below, where Lin Yueru and the remaining innocents stood under her protection."But since you choose to defend this uncle of mine… I no longer have a reason to be courteous."
The Wadō Ichimonji resheath back to her waist.In its place, Shusui and Shisui gleamed in her hands — twin blades that hummed with killing intent, one black as midnight, the other red as a rising dawn.
Her aura tightened.Wind coiled around her form like ribbons of blue fire.
Wu Lang smirked. "So you do intend to fight a Throne? Very well. Let me see what makes you so bold!"
Cang Yue's eyes flared — returning to their natural hue, a deep, serene sapphire that glimmered beneath the wind-tossed veil.
Then—
They clashed.
The sky erupted in thunderous sound.Each blow sent shockwaves rippling outward, shattering clouds, bending air, and parting the heavens themselves. The elder's profound aura swelled like a hurricane, heavy and suffocating, every motion honed for domination — brute strength, precise killing intent.
But Cang Yue's rhythm flowed differently.
Where his movements were weight and rage, hers were grace and water — soft yielding that turned aside force, precision cutting through excess. Her twin blades, Shusui and Shisui, traced arcs of silver and crimson, deflecting, redirecting, and answering every strike with quiet inevitability.
Each parry hummed with wind.Each counter danced like rain.
The clash carried them far beyond the city's outer walls, tearing through clouds until the battle's sound reached the distant forests. Trees bowed, branches severed cleanly by stray slashes that cut through trunks like ribbons.
Cang Yue felt her pulse steady — the Wings of Descension unfurled behind her, translucent and ethereal, fluttering in the violent wind like a divine mantle.
As long as the city remained below her line of strike, there would be no collateral damage. She would not allow it.
Sparks flared again. Steel screamed.
Wu Lang staggered backward midair, barely blocking the twin-blade whirlwind that came from below. His smirk wavered, eyes wide with disbelief.
Impossible…!
Her aura measured barely at the Third Level of the Sky Profound Realm, yet every clash carried the weight, rhythm, and precision of a Throne-level master. The difference in realms should have made this fight a slaughter — yet the only one being pushed back was him.
Cang Yue landed lightly upon the broken ground below, her veil fluttering. With one hand, she caught the edge of her veiled hat before the wind could take it, her blades still humming at her side. Dust circled her like a halo.
Wu Lang clenched his jaw, veins rising along his neck as he steadied his trembling arm."How—" he spat, blocking another elegant sweep of Shusui. "Your cultivation is a full realm below mine, yet your strength—!"
Cang Yue lifted her gaze. "Perhaps the heavens favor those who fight for others… not themselves."
Wu Lang's expression twisted into something between admiration and fury."Hah… so you really are the Emperor's daughter. Looks like you're stronger than you look beneath that hat of yours."
He exhaled slowly, eyes burning crimson."You might even be able to force this old man to go all out."
Cang Yue straightened, her twin blades crossing before her in quiet readiness. Her gaze locked on his, calm and unyielding — yet behind that calm, her profound energy swirled with purpose, the storm tightening.
The wind paused — as if the world itself inhaled in anticipation.
She turned her blade, channeling her energy through both swords. The wind coalesced, swirling into a vast spiral of silver light — a silent storm forming behind her.
Her next strike sent him flying backward, crashing through a cloud bank, his robes scorched by the blade's sheer spiritual pressure.
Cang Yue didn't pursue immediately. She adjusted her stance midair, breathing evenly, her swords still glowing faintly.
Across the sky, Wu Lang steadied himself, fury and disbelief mingling in his gaze. His aura began to darken — veins of black energy crawling up his arms.
The air shifted.
He was beginning to transform.
Cang Yue tightened her grip on her blades as she felt his aura twist — no longer purely human, no longer the clean flow of profound energy she recognized. This was beast essence, ancient and distorted, bleeding into the air like poison.
Wu Lang's lips curved into something between a smile and a snarl."Interesting…" he rumbled, his voice deepening, resonant with something otherworldly. "To think a mortal body could hold such power across a realm's divide. How many secrets lie inside you, Princess? How many could be… dissected?"
The ground trembled beneath him. Smoke erupted around his form — thick, swirling, shimmering with streaks of violet and black.
Cang Yue's expression darkened.She had seen transformations before — beast forms drawn from essence bloodlines. A bull-type opponent she once faced in the arena. A panther-type that Retsu fought. A wolf-type, savage and cunning, that fair against Yun Che.
But this… this was different.
The smoke pulsed once — then dispersed.
Elder Wu Lang stood revealed, his body reshaped and towering. His skin was mottled in golden patches that shimmered like scales; his neck elongated, vertebrae crackling as his body grew to unnatural proportions. The veins of profound energy glowed through his limbs, and a long mane, striped like a celestial flame, ran down the back of his neck.
His eyes gleamed a feral amber as his laughter rumbled through the clearing.
Cang Yue's gaze sharpened as she realized what she was seeing."A… giraffe?" she murmured.
Not quite.
The elder's form shifted between shapes, alternating fluidly — at one breath, a giraffe-human hybrid towering with monstrous muscle and sinew, and at another, a full beast of monumental size, hooves crushing the earth beneath him.
Each transition sent shockwaves through the ground. His long neck granted him reach beyond expectation — his strikes came with both speed and weight, unpredictable and crushing. His height allowed him vantage, his kicks like iron pillars driven by thunder.
The sheer pressure of his aura doubled, then tripled — until even the air began to crackle from the force.
Cang Yue's eyes narrowed, the wind tugging at her veil.His energy had completely stabilized — no longer chaotic. No longer at the Third Level.
She could feel it clearly now.
Fifth Level Emperor Profound Realm.
A small frown crossed her lips. This was far beyond the edge of her usual limit.
The beast's amber eyes bored into her. Wu Lang's laughter rolled like distant thunder. "Let's see, Princess," he rumbled, "if that pretty resolve of yours can withstand this."
A faint voice slid into her mind like silk stretching taut.What kind of animal is that? Some kind of giraffe? Shin Yue asked.
Most probably, Cang Yue thought back.
Want me to take over? the other presence prodded.
No, she answered aloud to no one but herself. I'll play along first. I want to see my limit. Giraffe or not, I will cut it apart.
Suit yourself, Xueruo. I'll watch from the sidelines. Don't let yourself get hurt or my mind might force me to take over, Shin Yue warned, amusement and steel braided together.
I'll try, Cang Yue nodded, steady.
She let the exchange settle like a second skin, then moved as if responding to some ancient bell. From the sheath at her waist Wadō Ichimonji slid free in a whisper of cold steel. Where she had drawn two swords already, she now claimed the third — the trio completing a perfect, dangerous geometry in her hands.
Without hesitation she raised the white blade to her mouth and bit down, not from fear but as a ritual: teeth on steel, blood mingling with spirit, binding blade to bone, will to weapon. The small sting grounded her. The three blades sang together, a chord of intent that sharpened the world.
Her aura tightened, compact and severe. The Wings of Descension flared behind her like a monarch's cloak, catching the torn light. She inhaled slowly, tasting the charged air, noting the way the giraffe-beast's weight shifted, where its neck arced for reach, where its hooves hinted at an opening.
The creature's long neck coiled like a serpent, muscles rippling beneath patterned skin — and then shot forward, the head lunging with terrifying speed.
Cang Yue barely had time to breathe.Instinct took over.
In a flash, she coated her swords in Armament Haki — black sheen blooming across the twin blades as the raw force of the elder's strike crashed against her guard. The impact thundered through her arms, sparks scattering like shattered stars.
She slid backward through the air, the shockwave tearing at the earth below. Wind ripped through her veiled hat, sending it spiraling into the sky — before vanishing into the storm.
Her face, at last, was revealed.
The noon light spilled over her — porcelain skin, eyes of tranquil frost, and hair the color of dark fuchsia silk. For an instant, even the monstrous elder faltered.
Wu Lang's wild gaze widened. "My… my… so this is what you've been hiding beneath that hat." His voice dripped with a coarse awe, quickly curdled by greed. "To think such divine beauty lies beneath that veil. But don't think it will sway me!"
With a guttural snarl, the beast twisted its neck like a spring. Bones cracked, joints retracted — and then it launched again, the elongated head spinning violently, turning its neck into a whirling drill of bone and horn.
The air screamed.
Cang Yue braced herself, three swords in motion — Shusui and Shisui crossing before her, Wadō Ichimonji clenched firmly between her teeth. She met the rotating strike with an explosion of sparks and wind, her body flickering through the air in controlled bursts of movement.
Every collision between sword and beast sent shockwaves racing across the sky, scattering leaves and shattering stones below.
His reach… that's his weapon. His neck gives him angles I can't predict.
Her mind raced even as she deflected each strike, her blades carving defensive spirals of air around her body. She shifted between offense and evasion seamlessly, her every motion measured — not with fear, but with the calm of someone analyzing the storm in real time.
The pressure kept building.
Each of Wu Lang's blows came heavier, faster — no rhythm, no pause, only the relentless force of something monstrous determined to break her. The air cracked with every strike, each collision like thunder against metal.
Cang Yue parried again and again, her movements still graceful but increasingly strained. The elder's towering form pressed forward like an avalanche, his elongated neck whipping through the air with impossible reach, forcing her to meet him head-on each time.
The earth below began to fracture.The sky above shimmered with rippling distortions of power.
And still, she endured.
Cang Yue's eyes sharpened, her breathing steadying. Then—her aura changed. A faint green glow began to seep from her blades, coating them like living light. The air around her vibrated with newfound density.
When Wu Lang's next strike came — a coiling thrust meant to pierce her guard — her swords flashed.
The collision echoed like a bell across the valley.
This time, she didn't move.She didn't yield.The shockwave rippled outward, but her stance held firm, anchored by sheer will.
The elder's eyes widened. "What—!?"
Cang Yue's voice cut through the roar of wind, low but resonant."All this time… I was supported."
Her grip tightened. The green energy flared brighter, veins of light running through her blades and down her arms.
"People fought my battles for me — Yun Che, big sis Ling, Retsu… everyone. I hid behind their strength, their shadows."
Her gaze lifted, calm and fierce."I was a sheltered princess. A cursed child."
She took a single step forward — the ground beneath her feet cracked from the pressure.
"No longer."
With a surge of power, she swung upward.The twin swords blazed, cutting through the air like twin comets. The impact struck Wu Lang squarely beneath the chin — the sheer force of it sending his beast head snapping upward, his neck twisting painfully as shockwaves ripped through his colossal body.
Before he could recover, her form flickered.
In an instant — she vanished.
A heartbeat later, she reappeared above him, golden light trailing behind her as she raised her blades high. Her silhouette cut against the clouds like a divine executioner.
"I've had enough!"
Her voice rang with finality as she descended, all three swords striking in unison. The collision detonated with a deafening boom, the sky flashing emerald and white.
Wu Lang's massive body was driven straight down, slamming into the ground with an impact that split the earth. Dust and debris erupted outward, a shockwave flattening the nearby trees.
When the wind finally cleared, Cang Yue hovered above the crater — her blades still glowing, her breath steady, her eyes burning with resolve.
Wu Lang groaned as he pushed himself from the crater, the ground cracking beneath his hooves. Dust fell from his shoulders in thick sheets. A cruel smile twisted across his beastly face.
"Not bad…" he muttered, wiping the blood from his lip. "To think you were hiding this much power all along."
Cang Yue remained still in the air above him, her three swords drawn, each blade faintly humming with restrained power.
Wu Lang's laughter echoed like a drumbeat. He leapt into the sky, his enormous form twisting midair. Dozens—no, hundreds—of sword lights burst from his claws and hooves, scattering like shards of crystal rain toward her.
But Cang Yue didn't flinch.
She closed her eyes for a brief heartbeat. The world around her slowed to a crawl.
When she opened them again, her gaze glowed faintly golden—her Observation Haki awakened to its fullest. Each incoming blade gleamed as a clear thread in her vision, trajectories mapped before they were even unleashed.
She moved.
Each flick of her wrist sent a sword light spinning harmlessly aside; each tilt of her body let another pass inches from her veil. To an onlooker, it was a blur of motion—grace and precision interwoven with effortless calm.
Wu Lang roared in frustration. "Whatever power you have, I'll just slash you apart!"
He drove forward, raining strikes like thunderbolts.
Cang Yue met him head-on, parrying one after another, the rhythm of steel on steel singing like a storm symphony.
Then, between clashes, his laughter turned bitter."Slash you? You—" he sneered, "you're nothing but a pampered doll! A good-for-nothing princess who hides behind her beloved protector! I've heard the stories, Princess Cang Yue—the sheltered girl who lets others fight for her. Always standing behind someone else's sword!"
Cang Yue's lips parted—but no words came.She simply stared at him, her silence louder than any retort.
He saw it and pressed on, venom dripping from every word."Besides—" his grin widened, "—the destruction of your Empire means nothing to the world at all!"
Time froze.
Her pupils shrank, the words striking deeper than any blade. For a moment, the wind around her stilled—utterly silent. Then—
Boom.
A sudden flare of light burst from her body, emerald and red fusing in a spiral of raw pressure. Her swords hummed violently as a single pulse of energy radiated outward.
Wu Lang's eyes widened just before the shockwave hit.
The explosion swallowed him whole, ripping through the air with blinding brilliance. His massive body was hurled backward, crashing through several layers of rocky cliffs before vanishing behind a storm of debris.
"Then show me that anger!" Wu Lang bellowed, and the sky obeyed.
The air itself folded inward — the world around them warped as the elder activated his domain. Blade-ghosts multiplied, each sword light now laced with explosive Emperor-profound energy. The clouds darkened; the gravity of the place seemed to thicken. Even Lin Yueru's breath caught as the landscape bent under the elder's will.
"Yue'er…" Lin Yueru mouthed, helplessness cracking her voice.
Wu Lang unleashed a torrent. Sword lights screamed toward Cang Yue, each one detonating into concussive blasts on contact. She slashed at them, but they kept coming — some exploding close enough to singe her robes. The ground shattered in rings around her. Flames and wind braided into a storm of ruin.
"How's that?" Wu Lang roared with savage delight. "You may have the strength of a throne in moments, but you're still a Heaven Profound Master. Against true Throne power, you're nothing!"
When the smoke cleared, Cang Yue stood in the center of the carnage, her three swords crossed before her like a living shield. Scorched but intact, she showed only the faintest smudges along the blades — as if the explosions had been little more than gusts on her skin.
Wu Lang's grin snapped. He gathered everything — his domain, his fury — and concentrated it into a single, titanic sword light the size of a mast. It pulsed with black-gold energy as he hurled it like a falling moon.
"Yue'er!!!" Lin Yueru screamed.
Her uncle grins wider seeing his own niece defeated. seems to be certain of her defeat.
"Worthless woman," Wu Lang hissed, "she took it head-on. I'll take what's left of her!" He lunged to finish.
The flames of the explosion still clawed at the air, yet through the inferno her silhouette emerged—tall, unbroken, framed in light and smoke. Her three swords remained crossed before her, edges glimmering red-gold. The glow in her eyes flared like twin stars as she brought the blades to her chest, the motion slow, deliberate, ritual.
Her voice carried over the roar of fire."Santoryu—(Three Sword Style)."
She moved.
Flames bent around her instead of touching her, her body carving a bright path through the burning air. Every step left streaks of fire that refused to scorch her hair or skin. The wind screamed as she accelerated, the world collapsing into a single point between her and her foe.
"If being born a cursed child makes me worthless," she called, voice steady even with a sword between her teeth, "then what does it make you—a man about to be defeated by one?"
Wu Lang snarled, summoning another massive sword-light, a blade of pure Throne energy. He hurled it forward in desperation.
Cang Yue met it head-on. A single twist of her wrists sent the energy shearing away, split in half like silk. Sparks burst around her, trailing her movement like a comet's tail.
She inhaled once, grounding herself. Her aura surged crimson."Rengoku Oni Giri—(Purgatory Ogre Cutter)!"
Power detonated from her core. Her eyes burned red, her entire form wreathed in a spiraling purple aura that shimmered with Armament Haki. The air around her warped as she vanished from sight. A heartbeat later the ground exploded beneath her takeoff, fissures carving through stone as she blitzed the elder faster than his senses could track.
Wu Lang's eyes widened—shock, disbelief, then terror. She's gone—where?
The answer came as a flash.
Cang Yue reappeared before him, three swords cutting in unison, each strike merging into one seamless motion. The force of the slash roared through the battlefield. A blinding X-shaped arc of light cleaved through the sky and the elder's body at once. The shockwave that followed swallowed the world in thunder.
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then the mark of her cut ignited.
Energy ruptured through Wu Lang's frame, his body splitting along the glowing X-scar. His Throne aura shattered with a shriek, collapsing inward before exploding outward in a second, greater blast. The unstable energy he'd hoarded tore free, blooming into another cataclysmic eruption that devoured his own power.
When the fury subsided, the world was a haze of ash and heat. Trees bowed outward from the pressure wave. Stones glowed red from friction.
And far from the crater's edge stood Cang Yue.
Her three blades were already sheathed, the fire curling harmlessly around her boots as it faded. Her expression was calm again, the fury gone as quickly as it had come. Behind her, the ruined earth steamed; ahead of her, there was only silence where the elder had stood.
Lin Yueru let out a long, shaky breath. The courtyard finally felt still. Wu Lang had fallen hard, his body a ruined husk at the bottom of the crater. With his men still unconscious and chains of leadership broken, there was nothing left to shield him. He tried to scramble away, but an arrow thunked into the flagstone before him — Lin Yueru's warning, sharp and unflinching. Stay. Don't move.
Cang Yue stood at the rim, watching the smoking crater where the elder had been. She had just broken a Wu Clan elder — a man who'd borrowed power he could not truly hold. Yun Che's warning about elixirs and unstable throne-energy replayed in her mind. That was what had fed the elder's transformation: borrowed might with a rotten core.
When her blades bit him, that unstable energy had detonated from within. She had not meant to kill him. The domain collapsed the instant his power ruptured.
A warm, smug voice slid into her thoughts. Woah—nice one, Xueruo. Guess I didn't have to take over this time.
Cang Yue felt the corners of her mouth lift. "I can't rely on you every time."
You wouldn't want me to, Shin Yue replied, amusement braided with steel. You needed this for yourself.
She reached into the smoking branches and plucked her veiled hat free — improbably snagged on a high limb, as if the tree itself had decided to hide her from prying eyes. No one, not a single witness, had seen her face. The city hadn't been given that secret.
Is my help really that bad? Shin Yue pouted in her mind.
Cang Yue shook her head and turned the hat in her hands, thoughtful. "No. But I wanted to win this one on my own."
Well, you are the future empress. Good thing you know how to fight, Shin Yue said.
She glanced at him — not outwardly, but inwardly, smiling at the thought. "You can rule if you want. Father did suggest after all."
Aren't you going to ask why I don't? She teased.
"Because I'll go to those endless council meetings. You'll throw nobles off balconies."
Is that a problem? she asked, amused.
"Be civil," she said.
I'm the bad version of you, Shin Yue answered with a grin that was almost a purr. So—no.
The smell of ash was still heavy in the air when Cang Yue exhaled, ready to let her muscles unclench. Shin Yue's quiet hum in the back of her mind was almost teasing.
Then the ground shuddered.
A pulse of sinister pressure rolled from the crater. Cang Yue's eyes widened as fragments of the elder's body began to knit themselves back together. From the molten dust rose Wu Lang, or what had once been him—his torso twisting, bone forcing its way through flesh, a pale mask sealing over his face.
"This…" she whispered. The remnants of his throne-energy boiled, eating away the man until nothing human remained. The elder had crossed the line between life and monster.
A guttural roar tore through the field as the hollowfied beast lunged. Cang Yue barely had time to raise her blades before the air itself split under the force of its charge.
For a heartbeat, the world slowed. Then—the light in her eyes vanished.
It returned as molten gold. Her hair spilled longer, brighter, a corona of light flaring around her.
"You're not the only one having fun, Xueruo," Shin Yue murmured through her lips, her smile sharp and amused.
The creature hesitated, instincts screaming. Too late.
A golden blade of energy bloomed from Shin Yue's hand, pure will made form. It pierced straight through the hollow's chest with a thunder-crack, the force lifting it from the ground.
"This Ki Blade is convenient," she mused, twisting her wrist. Using the skewered body as leverage, she flung it high into the air. In a streak of gold she was after it, cutting through the smoke and fire.
One sweep severed the mask, another the neck, a third the body itself. The hollow shattered mid-sky, dissolving into burning motes that rained down like dying stars.
Shin Yue landed lightly, the Ki Blade evaporating from her hand. She watched the last fragments drift away and smirked. "You couldn't end a life without reason," she said to the voice inside. "So I did it for you."
Hey! I could have handled it! Cang Yue's protest echoed in her mind.
Shin Yue laughed softly. "Consider it a favor. Besides…" her tone turned almost playful, "I wanted to test a few things."
"Test? You just wanted to kill it!" Cang Yue snapped.
"Maybe," Shin Yue purred. "Well, I've had my fun."
The gold drained from her eyes, her hair settling back into its fuchsia sheen. Power ebbed, leaving only the faint shimmer of heat in the air.
Shin Yue's last words faded like a sigh. "It's nap time."
"Shin Yue…" Cang Yue exhaled, pressing a hand to her temple as the last traces of golden light faded from her body. The air was still thick with the scent of ash and scorched earth. She stared into the empty crater, watching the final embers of the hollow's remains drift away. "You're impossible."
Her voice held equal parts irritation and gratitude.
Inside her mind, the other presence had gone silent — no smug remark, no teasing whisper. For once, Shin Yue was resting. And though Cang Yue would never say it aloud, she was thankful. Her dark twin might be reckless, infuriating, and far too eager to draw blood… but she had saved her life.
Cang Yue sighed quietly. I didn't even react fast enough, she admitted to herself. If not for her… I might've been too late.
The silence that followed was heavy but peaceful — until the soft crunch of boots on broken stone drew her attention.
Lin Yueru approached, her steps hesitant, the bow she'd used moments ago slipping back into her spatial ring with a dull metallic chime. Her fingers still trembled; she hadn't dared move until the golden aura vanished. The memory of Shin Yue's presence — cold, commanding, inhumanly calm — lingered like a chill on her skin.
Now, standing before Cang Yue once more, she found herself staring, uncertain. The princess looked the same as before, veil fluttering gently in the wind, but the air around her still carried the faint echo of something divine… or dangerous.
"Yue'er…" Lin Yueru's voice cracked slightly as she spoke. "Are you—are you hurt?"
Each word was fragile, trembling with a mixture of fear, awe, and relief.
Cang Yue turned toward her friend, her expression softening beneath the veil. For a moment, she said nothing — just took in the sight of Lin Yueru's worried face, the shaking hands that still clutched at empty air.
Cang Yue adjusted her hat and pulled the veil down once more, the familiar weight settling over her like armor. Her gaze swept the battlefield — the scorched earth, the unconscious soldiers, the stunned silence that followed victory.
"I'm fine," she said simply.
Lin Yueru exhaled shakily — and before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around the princess. "I'm sorry…" she whispered into her shoulder. "I'm supposed to be your protector."
Cang Yue's hand came up gently to pat her back. "I can't be protected all the time, Ru'er. There are battles I must fight myself. Well, sort off... if my other half didn't take over."
She stepped back slightly, meeting her friend's tearful eyes with a faint, tired smile. "Besides," she continued, "I didn't even let Shin Yue take over, even though she could've ended this easily with the ancient arts. I wanted to win this… my way."
Lin Yueru bit her lip, eyes glistening. "I know… I just— I don't want to be a useless protector to you."
Cang Yue shook her head softly. "We're friends, Ru'er. Not just princess and protector. Remember that."
For the first time since the battle began, Lin Yueru smiled — a small, trembling smile that still carried traces of fear and pride.
Moments later, the Jin Family soldiers poured into the courtyard, their banners snapping in the wind. Their formation was precise, their movements disciplined — Jin Zhuo's forces, unmistakably. They had arrived not by chance, but by design.
Yun Che's plan had unfolded perfectly.His group had split into four coordinated assaults — the First Gambling House, the marketplace, the road to the Jin Watchkeep, and finally, here. Each strike hit its mark. Each root of corruption torn cleanly out.
By the time they reached Cang Yue's location, the battle was already over.
"Yue'er! Have mercy on your uncle! Please—!"
The cry came from the ground. Cang Lingwu, once proud and regal, now knelt in the dirt, trembling. His robes were torn, his authority stripped bare. The soldiers surrounding him made no move to help.
Cang Yue didn't answer. She didn't even look at him.An invader who sold his own province for greed did not deserve her words.
To her, Cang Lingwu was no longer family — merely another liar, another thief.
Jin Family soldiers began to secure the grounds. Every member of the outer palace was placed under arrest. The servants, trembling, knelt before Cang Yue and Lin Yueru — swearing their allegiance to the Jin Family. They had seen what happened, and they understood the tides of power had shifted for good.
Those who had been truly innocent — the women and children bound by blood, obligation, or fear — were spared the punishment that fell upon the guilty. Cang Yue had made her judgment clear: guilt would not be inherited.
The palace courtyard, once filled with shouting and steel, now echoed with quiet sobs and the rustle of departing footsteps.
Many of the women chose to return to their birth families, to reclaim names long buried under the shadow of Cang Lingwu's control. Others, uncertain of the world beyond the palace walls, stepped forward to kneel before Cang Yue.
"Your Highness… we have nowhere to go," one of them whispered. "Please… we do not wish to serve another tyrant, only to live quietly. We will work—anything, so long as we are safe."
Cang Yue regarded them through the thin veil that hid her face. There was no contempt in her eyes — only a steady, thoughtful silence.
"You owe no debt to the sins of others," she said at last. "But the world beyond these walls can be cruel to those without protection. Take what you need to start anew at the Jin Family. Where your safety is guaranteed."
Gasps rippled through the gathered women. Even the Jin soldiers exchanged surprised glances.
Cang Yue turned slightly toward the soldiers. "See that they're escorted safely," she instructed. "Those who wish to return home will be guarded on the road. Those who wish to stay may serve under the Jin Family. They will be treated as citizens — not property. I am sure Jin Zhuo have the same opinion."
The soldiers nodded in understanding.
Cang Yue's gaze swept over the small crowd — women clutching their children, others supporting the elderly or injured. The despair in their eyes had begun to lift, replaced by something fragile but real: hope.
She nodded once. "The chains of my uncle's household end here. You are free — to leave, or to begin again."
A murmur spread through the group. One by one, the women bowed deeply, some with tears on their cheeks, others with trembling hands pressed together in gratitude.
When the soldiers led them away, the younger mistresses and illegitimate heirs approached quietly. Though their bloodline tied them to Cang Lingwu, their eyes held no trace of arrogance — only fear of the uncertain world ahead.
"Please… Princess," one of them said, voice barely a whisper. "We have nothing left. May we… may we serve under the Jin Family? If we are promised a simple, peaceful life, we will follow willingly."
Cang Yue inclined her head. "You will have that chance," she said gently. "A comfortable life, away from the corruption that tainted this house. Discard your titles. Live honestly."
Relief swept through the group like a warm wind. They wept openly now, bowing as they were escorted by Jin Family soldiers toward the carriages waiting outside the gates.
From the balcony, Cang Yue watched them leave — not with triumph, but quiet reflection. Mercy had cost her nothing, yet it carried the weight of something far greater: a new beginning.
These people were no longer prisoners of Cang Lingwu's greed. Under the Jin Family's protection, they would finally be free to rebuild their lives—untouched by the cruelty that had ruled this province for too long.
Already, the seeds of renewal were taking root. The Jin Family's numbers would soon swell, strengthened by the efforts of Yun Che, Retsu, Xue Ling, and now, Cang Yue herself. Together, they had restored more than order—they had restored hope.
The servants and noblewomen from the fallen palace pledged themselves to the Jin Family, their loyalty born not of fear but gratitude. The former mistresses, eyes still wet with tears, swore solemn oaths to raise their children free from the sins of their former master. They would use this second chance not to cling to the past, but to build something better—a household of dignity rather than deceit.
And for the first time since the battle began, Cang Yue's heart eased.Not because she had conquered, but because she had saved what could still be redeemed.
By dusk, the fires had quieted, and the province itself seemed to breathe again. The banners of the Outer Cang Family were torn down and cast aside. The last vestiges of the Wu Clan's dominance crumbled to dust.
For the first time in years, the Jin Family stood once more as the rightful ruler of their own province—recognized by imperial decree and sanctified by the will of the people.
Cang Yue stood on the balcony of the fallen palace, her veil tugged gently by the wind. Below, soldiers and citizens alike filled the courtyard, their voices rising in a single, thunderous cheer. It was the sound of a people who had waited too long for justice—and now, finally, it had come.
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the wind carry that sound across her heart. The battle was over. But the work of rebuilding the Jin Family had only just begun.
"Well, I see you're done here."
Cang Yue turned at the familiar voice. When she opened her eyes, Yun Che, Mulan, and Xia Qingyue floated in the dusky sky before her, their auras soft against the fading light.
"Che'er? Mulan, Qingyue…" Cang Yue's shoulders relaxed, the tension finally melting from her face. "What are you three doing here?"
Yun Che landed first, his usual grin in place. "We wrapped up our part. Managed to recruit over three thousand new members for the Jin Family. Even Retsu got in on it—she's scaring people into loyalty now."
Mulan sighed, crossing her arms. "She didn't scare them. She persuaded them. Dramatically."
Xia Qingyue stepped forward, serene as ever. "We heard Sister Yueli cleared the northern route as well. The path to the Jin Watchkeep is secure. Supplies and reinforcements can move freely again."
Mulan nodded. "With the women and servants you've rescued here, we'll have plenty of hands for rebuilding. The Jin Family once commanded ten thousand strong. After today…" She gave a small, impressed exhale. "We might surpass that. More than we'd hoped for."
Cang Yue looked up at the half-broken palace, its ruined towers catching the last orange rays of sunset. "Then we shouldn't let this place go to waste," she said softly. "It's large enough. Strong foundations. We could turn it into a second watchkeep—a new headquarters for the Jin Family."
Mulan's eyes lit up with pragmatic interest. "A secondary fortress, a center of trade and governance… Yes. We can garrison troops here. The layout's ideal."
Yun Che gave a low whistle. "You're already thinking like an empress."
Before Cang Yue could reply, he stepped closer and reached out—gently patting her head, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Also, we saw your fight."
Her eyes widened slightly behind the veil. "You… saw that?"
"Every second," he said, grin widening. "Good work, Little Yue. Guess you don't need our help after all."
Even Mulan and Qingyue refused to believe their eyes as they saw her defeat a mid Throne level expert on her own.
A faint blush colored her cheeks, and she ducked her head slightly. "Ehee… thanks."
Lin Yueru huffed softly beside her. "So? Are matters settled on your end too?"
Yun Che turned toward her, grin never fading. "Well…"