Thick, oppressive, and alien mana saturated the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, distorting the air and space, warping vision and suffocating the mind as if oxygen itself had been drained away.
The First Emperor, floating midair, stared in astonishment at Roy, watching as his aura and mana surged uncontrollably, soon reaching a level nearly equal to his own perfected human form.
The First Emperor had spent his entire life, exhausting the resources of his empire and seizing a stroke of luck, to ascend from mortal flesh to the realm of gods, attaining power akin to the ancient deities. Yet he had never imagined that Roy, too, possessed such strength.
No—he should have realized it sooner. Roy was a man from beyond this world. Whatever power he wielded should have been expected.
"I was arrogant..."
The First Emperor composed himself, sighing as he shook his head in resignation.
He had calculated everything meticulously, believing no opponent in this world could rival him. But in the end, the First Emperor had overlooked one thing.
True, in this age where the Age of Gods had faded, no one could stand against him. But he had failed to account for the world beyond—for outsiders like Roy.
This was a battle between a dimension-hopper and the chosen son of this world!
"Your Majesty..."
The beauty Yu Ji's eyes sparkled with an unusual brilliance, her worries completely put to rest. The power Roy displayed now was something even she in her prime wouldn't dare claim she could defeat. Of course, Yu Ji felt her chances of victory might still be slightly higher—after all, she was a spirit, a True Ancestor, possessing formidable immortality and nearly limitless magical energy. Even if it came down to attrition, she could outlast any opponent.
However, Yu Ji had little interest in power itself. Roy's display of such strength only brought her joy. From the very beginning, she hadn't fallen for him because of his power. Even if Roy were just an ordinary man, she would willingly follow him without hesitation.
What she loved was Roy himself, not the god-slaying might he possessed!
Both Yu Ji and Tamamo-no-Mae felt their hearts settle as they watched his advancing figure, an unprecedented sense of security enveloping them. Immediately, Tamamo-no-Mae set her sights on Daji, while Yu Ji focused on Xu Fu. Since Roy had ordered them not to be disturbed, the two women were determined to carry out his command without fail.
Daji couldn't help but gloat. Seeing the First Emperor's stunned expression, she sneered mockingly. If anyone understood Roy's power best before this moment, it was undoubtedly Daji. At the Yellow Emperor's tomb, Tamamo-no-Mae and Yu Ji had only witnessed her being instantly defeated, unable to gauge Roy's true strength. But Daji, in that brief encounter, had sensed the abyssal, oceanic depth of Roy's power.
Though not yet equal to her nine-tailed form, even during the Age of Gods, the power Roy wielded was sufficient to stand against the deities. Just as he claimed, he was a true Campione—a god-slayer.
"Hmph, fight on! It'd be best if you both end up crippling each other," Daji thought with vicious satisfaction. The First Emperor had rejected her proposal and even threatened her, earning her undying hatred. As for Roy, he had literally skinned her alive at the Yellow Emperor's tomb—a torture so excruciating she would never forget it. Thus, her feelings toward Roy were a volatile mix of fear and loathing. Seeing these two enemies now locked in combat brought her immense pleasure.
Had the First Emperor accepted her proposal, Daji might have warned him to beware of Roy. But since he refused to cooperate, she couldn't care less about his survival.
"Tch, what a nuisance! To think my first move would fail so spectacularly," Daji mused. "This world can no longer form an 'Alien Zone.' I'd better find another place."
Roy's power had already proven troublesome for the First Emperor to handle. With Yu Ji and Tamamo-no-Mae present—both capable of unleashing their ultimate techniques—the First Emperor's defeat was inevitable. Staying here served no purpose.
Moreover, if Tamamo-no-Mae truly intended to devour her to regain her nine-tailed form, that was an outcome Daji absolutely couldn't allow. The Qin Emperor's mausoleum had become far too dangerous for her; escaping was the wisest course.
Having made up her mind, Daji prepared to activate her unique ability to teleport elsewhere.
Just then, Tamamo-no-Mae charged straight at her, shouting, "...You thieving fox! Hand over what you stole!"
The sudden interruption of her teleportation ability enraged Su Daji. Hearing Tamamo-no-Mae's taunts, she snapped angrily, "...You love-obsessed fox! Just because he told you to leave seeds behind, you actually obeyed? Are you his dog or something?!"
Tamamo-no-Mae completely ignored Su Daji. Her eight tails flared dramatically as she chanted incantations, summoning numerous orbs around her that shot toward Su Daji.
Su Daji dodged clumsily while cursing, "...Oh, I get it now. Could it be... hah, you shameless fox has fallen for him? Too bad he's already taken!"
The vulgar insults made Tamamo-no-Mae seethe with rage, her fox ears standing straight up. Her attacks grew even more ruthless, vividly demonstrating the saying "I'm my own worst enemy."
Meanwhile, Xu Fu ran frantically around the alchemy furnace, wailing, "...Goddess, fairy, divine maiden, grandma—Grandma Yu! I'll call you grandma, alright? I'll stand right here and not move a muscle, just stop hitting me!"
"...Ouch! I'm just a charlatan, I really can't fight!"
Xu Fu was miserable. Though well-versed in occult arts, his expertise lay in formations, astrology, and alchemy—making him more of a scholarly mage than a fighter. Against Yu Ji, a battle-hardened immortal who had fought for millennia, he stood no chance.
"Easy, easy! Grandma Yu, take it easy! My old bones can't take this—have mercy!" Xu Fu nearly sobbed. Fortunately, as the most gifted occultist since the Shang Dynasty's Age of Gods, his defensive magic kept him barely alive under Yu Ji's onslaught, especially since she was only at 10-20% of her full power.
Yu Ji remained expressionless, ignoring Xu Fu's pleas. Each time he called her "Grandma Yu," her eyebrow twitched, her fury mounting.
Her logic was simple: Since the king ordered Xu Fu not to interfere, killing him would guarantee compliance. She took Roy's command very seriously.
At some point, Yu Ji had changed back into the revealing outfit she wore when first meeting Roy. This time, however, she obediently draped a black fox-fur cloak over herself to shield her jade-like skin from other men's gazes.
Barefoot and ethereal, she wielded twin crimson swords like a celestial maiden or an aloof sword fairy. Her movements were graceful, robes fluttering with lethal elegance.
When autumn comes on the eighth of September, my bloom shall end all other flowers!
Yet no one could appreciate her beauty—to Xu Fu, she was a vengeful wraith.
With Tamamo-no-Mae and Yu Ji handling potential nuisances, Roy now faced the First Emperor directly. Summoning the "Sword of Judgment" with a wave of his right hand, he advanced—each step amplifying his aura, each stride surging with magical energy.
At this moment, all curses upon humanity dissipated. The "Human Order Correction Formula," created eight centuries prior by the deceased King Solomon with his lifetime's wisdom, activated fully. The First Emperor had become a threat to human history itself, and the Correction Formula would now rectify this anomaly.
The power of human order itself flowed into Roy, empowering him.