[Sword Immortal Ranking – Rank 9]
[Long Bixia]
[Identity: Imperial Consort of Ming Dynasty]
[Cultivation: Early Heavenly Human Realm Land Immortal]
[Sword Dao Comprehension: Second Cycle, Forming]
[Reward: Heaven-Grade Top-Tier Pill – Glazed Sword Bone Pill, upon consumption, one's physique will transform into Innate Sword Bones, greatly enhancing comprehension in the Way of the Sword]
As the Sword Immortal Ranking refreshed, a familiar name appeared.
Imperial Consort Long Bixia of Ming Dynasty?
Wasn't she still on the Hidden Dragon Ranking not long ago?
Back then, she was merely a Great Grandmaster.
How could she have reached the Heavenly Human Realm in just a few months?
Even more astonishing, her Sword Dao Comprehension had surpassed that of Xiao Meiniang.
She was already this formidable, and with the Heaven Dao Reward pill added, she would become even more incredible.
With the Supreme Yin Physique and now supreme Sword Bones, her future achievements were unimaginable.
With the Ming Emperor, Zhu Houzhao, supporting her from behind, there was no risk of premature death.
==========
Murong Qiudi Palace.
Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up. His Long'er had truly not disappointed him.
Reaching the Mythical Realm was no longer a question of possibility.
Even the God Demon Realm might be within her reach.
Another powerful aide had joined his side.
Nearby, the four women including Murong Qiudi exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the others' eyes.
All this time, they had only regarded Empress Wu Zhao as their greatest rival, overlooking Long Bixia.
Now, it was clear they had made a mistake.
A woman favored by that scoundrel Zhu Houzhao and granted the title of Consort, second only to the Empress, could not possibly be ordinary.
Even though Murong Qiudi prided herself on her talent, she still lagged behind Long Bixia.
However, none of them were disheartened.
Back on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, several of them had even ranked higher than Long Bixia.
Her early breakthrough to the Heavenly Human Realm was only because of Zhu Houzhao's favor.
As long as they received similar resources, they believed they too could catch up in no time.
==========
Empress Palace.
"Miss, this Long Bixia really is not to be underestimated."
"No wonder His Majesty protects her so much, dispatching people in the open and in secret to guard her at all times, terrified she might get hurt."
The Palace Maid Qing'er and Shangguan Wan'er couldn't help sighing.
Empress Wu Zhao curled her lips.
"Which woman favored by His Majesty is ever simple?"
"Long'er is like that, and the new additions to the Imperial Harem are just as strong."
"Fortunately, Long'er is by nature quiet and dislikes worldly affairs. She is truly a transcendental woman."
"In that regard, even I am not her equal."
Over the years, the Empress had long since come to understand Long Bixia.
"The good thing is, she will never be my enemy."
"So, her Sword Dao Comprehension has already reached the forming stage of the second cycle?"
"She's already crossed the biggest threshold to becoming a Mythical Realm Sword Immortal. All that's left is to raise her cultivation and catch up in martial insight, and she'll ascend completely."
"Compared to her, Xiao Meiniang may not be the first to ascend after all."
==========
Tang Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
"First it was the Sui Empress, now it's the Imperial Consort of the Ming Dynasty. Are all the Consorts from other nations this powerful?"
"And they hide it so well?"
"Could it be that there are also hidden figures in my own Imperial Harem?"
Li Shimin couldn't help but become suspicious.
He even started to doubt whether his own Empress might be hiding her true strength.
But after verifying, he was certain, his Empress had little to no martial ability.
She definitely could not have reached the Heavenly Human Realm.
Though he felt slightly disappointed, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
He honestly did not want his own women to be that powerful in martial arts.
As an Emperor, his sense of caution meant that even those closest to him were viewed with suspicion until fully under control.
What if one day, they turned against him?
No matter how unlikely, the possibility could not be ignored.
Leave the fighting and killing to the court officials.
The Imperial Harem was meant for bearing heirs, nothing more.
He had no desire to follow in the footsteps of Yang Guang or Liu Hong.
If not for Zhu Houzhao's overwhelming strength, the entire Ming Dynasty might have already fallen into chaos.
==========
Northern Song Imperial Palace.
Zhao Ji looked at the name on the ranking in the sky with scorn.
"What a disgrace, allowing an Imperial Consort to become so powerful. Completely ridiculous."
"Zhu Houzhao's way of handling things will be the ruin of his nation sooner or later."
Zhao Ji held nothing but disdain for Zhu Houzhao's methods.
To him, Imperial Consorts should be masters of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, skilled in poetry and literature.
What use was martial strength?
Such women were sure to threaten the authority of the Emperor.
If not handled properly, they could bring about the downfall of a dynasty.
Hearing this, Huang Shang couldn't help but shake his head in secret.
This was a cultivator at the Land Immortal Realm!
To a nation, that was of immense importance.
Moreover, as an Imperial Consort, she would be one of the Emperor's most trusted individuals.
With their help, imperial power could become even more solid.
Besides, the Ming Dynasty's national condition was different from others.
The Emperor himself, Zhu Houzhao, had the strength to suppress everything.
What did a Heavenly Human Realm count for?
Even the Mythical Realm was nothing before Zhu Houzhao.
Should they become like the Song Dynasty, where any nation could bully them at will?
Whether it was Liao Kingdom, Jin Kingdom, or even small nations like Tibet Kingdom and Western Xia Kingdom, Zhao Ji dared not confront any of them.
Always either paying reparations or sending tributes.
No dignity as an Emperor whatsoever.
Instead, the court was rife with infighting.
Treachery and corruption ran rampant.
Experts at the Land Immortal Realm were extremely rare.
If anything, the Song Dynasty was the one facing the real risk of collapse.
The more Huang Shang compared, the more uneasy he became.
He felt the future was bleak and uncertain.
So be it. Everything would follow fate's course.
He had already done his best.
The kindness of the Former Emperor had long been repaid.
From now on, he would devote himself entirely to cultivation.
Reaching the God Demon Realm as soon as possible was what truly mattered.
He had no intention of changing Zhao Ji's mind anymore. He would remain a bystander.
All he cared about was protecting the safety of the palace.
==========
Southern Song Imperial Palace.
Zhao Gou looked at the ranking in the sky with a playful smile.
"This Zhu Houzhao really is enjoying his fortune."
"He may be riding high now, but one day, he'll cry for it."
"With so many dangerous Consorts in the Imperial Harem, if things go wrong, even the Ming Dynasty might be dragged down."
"From prosperity to ruin, even to destruction, I'm very much looking forward to witnessing it!"
Zhao Gou was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred toward Zhu Houzhao.
Both were Emperors, yet Zhu Houzhao lived carefree with barely any worries.
Meanwhile, he had to worry day and night over countless matters.
One day it was an invasion by the Yuan Dynasty.
Another day, it was generals defying orders.
Then there were the endless factional struggles in court.
Even Qin Hui, whom he had trusted most, was constantly playing tricks behind the scenes.
There wasn't a single loyal minister in the entire court.
Why could Zhu Houzhao live happily every day while the Ming Dynasty grew stronger and stronger?
And yet he, Zhao Gou, who worked tirelessly for the nation, saw his nation invaded more and more with each passing day?
Where was the justice in that?