Yan Ruyu Arrives

At the edge of Hua Qiang's Small World, there was a deathly silence, like solidified ink.

The suspended gray sphere barrier exudes a cold aura; it is where Hua Qiang placed the "Exile Ruins" after refining it.

The Heavenly Emperor Xing Ming huddled beside a moss-covered stone, his once majestic and noble robes now tattered and torn, hanging like withered leaves on his body.

He looked up at the sky, where the blood-red setting sun, like a tear about to fall, cast its light, making his face appear even paler and more haggard.

He had been inside this barrier for an unknown amount of time. His power was completely sealed, and the mighty Heavenly Emperor was now as powerless as an ant.

Every day, he would occasionally find a few spiritual herbs Spirit Fruit to consume, but after finally generating some Spiritual Power, before he could even feel the Spiritual Power flowing smoothly in his body, the Spirit Devouring Insect would swarm in like a bone-deep infection.

Those tiny yet greedy insects swarmed all over his body, their sharp mouthparts piercing his skin, frantically sucking away his hard-earned Spiritual Power.

The pain felt like thousands of tiny needles piercing his flesh at the same time, or like a raging fire burning in his meridians, each time causing him unbearable agony.

In moments of despair, the thought of ending my life flashed through my mind more than once.

But whenever this happens, the images of the three thousand beauties in the Heavenly Gate Palace, especially the gentle and beautiful Empress Mi Yue, will appear before his eyes.

How could he bear to abandon them? They were the softest part of his heart, the only thought that kept him going through this suffering.

Just as Xing Ming was immersed in pain and longing, the space suddenly trembled violently.

The air twisted and deformed, and a pitch-black rift tore open in the void.

Immediately afterwards, a group of figures fell from the crack. They looked haggard, their hair was disheveled, and their beautiful palace dresses were covered in dust and stains.

"Thump, thump," they fell one after another in front of Xing Ming.

Xing Ming's pupils widened suddenly, and his heart almost jumped out of his chest.

The woman before him was not the Empress Mi Yue, whom he longed for, and who were the most favored concubines?

How did they end up in this cursed land?

He staggered forward, his voice trembling with excitement and shock.

"Moon, what... what exactly happened? Where is Heavenly Gate Palace?"

Mi Yue struggled to get up, tears instantly blurring her vision.

She threw herself into Xing Ming's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Majesty, we've finally seen you! You've suffered so much..."

"That Hua Qiang is truly despicable! He led a group of rebels into the Heavenly Gate Palace."

Our 10,000 Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were utterly powerless before him and surrendered completely.

He seized control of all restrictions within the Heavenly Gate Palace and exiled us here.

We thought we would never see Your Majesty again in this lifetime, but we never expected that Your Majesty would be here.

Your Majesty, what exactly happened?

The other concubines also gathered around, hugging Xing Ming tightly, weeping and recounting Hua Qiang's evil deeds.

One of the concubines choked back tears and said, "Your Majesty, that villain has looted all the treasures of the Heavenly Gate Palace, one by one. Those were our palace's most treasured possessions!"

Another concubine shouted angrily, "He stole our home! We have no home anymore! If it weren't for the hope of seeing His Majesty one more time, we would have..."

"That thief is too powerful. We are no match for him at all. Even the Ten Great Titled Immortal Emperors came to help us, but they were all injured by him and then surrendered to him."

"Your Majesty, that traitor has already unified the entire Immortal Realm. He has now usurped your throne as Heavenly Emperor and is now the ruler of the Immortal Realm!"

Xing Ming listened to the cries and complaints of the crowd, his anger erupted like a volcano.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, oblivious to the blood seeping out.

The majesty of the Heavenly Emperor, once so powerful, now seemed to solidify. He gritted his teeth and said, "Hua Qiang, if I don't avenge this, I, Xing Ming, swear I will not be a man!"

"Moon, and all my beloved consorts, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to recover my strength, seize the Heavenly Gate Palace, and make that villain pay the price he deserves!"

The group huddled together around Xing Ming. In this cold and desolate barrier, they shared each other's warmth and unwavering faith, striving to be the only light to dispel darkness and despair.

A flame of revenge quietly ignited in this small corner.

Inside the Imperial Study of the Heavenly Gate Palace, gilded dragon candlesticks emitted wisps of smoke, yet they could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere in the room.

Hua Qiang slumped behind the rosewood desk, the morning light filtering through the ebony beaded curtain making the dark circles under his eyes appear even more pronounced.

The mountain of documents piled up in front of him almost blocked his view. The topmost document, "Memorial on the Repair of the Nine Heavens Cloud-Thunder Formation," was slightly wrinkled by the marks of vermilion annotations. The scent of ink mixed with the smell of old paper made him yawn.

"This isn't the Heavenly Emperor; he's clearly a slave to the files!"

Hua Qiang irritably loosened the jade belt around his waist and casually tossed a copy of the "Tianhe Flood Season Dispatch Table" onto the table, the parchment striking the jade paperweight with a crisp sound.

He gazed at the Immortal Crane flying past the window, recalling his Xiaoyao days, and a sense of unease crept into his heart.

"If I had known that being the Heavenly Emperor would be so difficult, I wouldn't have become one!"

"Is His Majesty complaining again?"

Ye Bingxue stepped in lightly, carrying a baby in her arms. The child in the swaddling clothes had big, dark eyes and chubby little hands that were clutching the pearl tassels in her hair.

Consort Mo Yanran followed behind, waving a bamboo fan, her silk skirt sweeping across the gold-brick floor, stirring up a few wisps of sandalwood incense.

The two looked at Hua Qiang, who was slumped over, and smiled wryly at each other.

Ever since her husband took over Heavenly Gate Palace, this expression of utter despair has become a frequent sight in the Imperial Study.

"Bing Xue, Yanran."

Hua Qiang suddenly sat up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

"How about you take my place on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor?"

He pointed to the pile of memorials on the table and said, "Both ladies are Bing Xue intelligent; they are certainly a hundred times better than me at handling these matters!"

Ye Bingxue raised an eyebrow slightly and tapped the baby's rosy cheek with her fingertip. "Dream on!"

"There are long-standing rules in the Three Realms that women are not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the Heavenly Emperor?"

She moved gracefully and sat down on the rosewood couch, saying, "Besides, if we sisters really took over, wouldn't others gossip about His Majesty?"

Mo Yanran covered her mouth and chuckled, "Does Your Majesty intend to become a hands-off ruler? We are unwilling to bear the stigma of 'causing chaos in the Heavenly Court '."

After saying that, she took Ye Bingxue's arm, the two smiled at each other, and got up to walk out the door.

"Etc!"

Hua Qiang was so anxious that he almost knocked over the inkstone on the table, but he only had time to see two beautiful figures disappear outside the carved door.

He gazed at the empty study, sighed deeply, and slumped back onto the dragon throne.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of two figures playing chess in the stone pavilion outside the window.

Ye Wendao was hesitant, holding Heizi, while Hua Xingchen calmly waved his folding fan, the black and white pieces locked in a fierce battle on the chessboard.

"I've got it!"

A cunning glint flashed in Hua Qiang's eyes, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, instantly appearing in the stone pavilion.

He pressed down on the chess piece that was about to be placed, saying, "What a refined taste you two old men have!"

Hua Xingchen paused in his folding fan, raised his eyes and smiled, "You wouldn't come here without a reason. So, what are you up to this time?"

Ye Wendao put away his chess piece and glared at Hua Qiang with annoyance. "Spit it out if you have something to say, don't delay our game of chess."

Well, it's still the same recipe, the same taste!

Hua Qiang smiled ingratiatingly as he poured tea for the two of them, "It's like this, I have to go on a long trip in a couple of days to take care of some personal matters..."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and seeing that the two did not respond, he quickly added, "I'll trouble you, Father, to take care of all the affairs of the Heavenly Gate Palace for a few days!"

"Nonsense!"

Ye Wendao slammed his chess piece onto the board with a "thud," causing several white pieces to roll around in disarray.

"The entire Heavenly Court is busy with countless affairs of state; do you think this is child's play?"

He raised his hand and gave him a flick on the forehead.

"We two old folks, used to being idle, what do we know about the affairs of the Three Realms? If trouble comes out, all the hard-earned foundation you've built will be destroyed!"

Hua Xingchen stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "Qiang'er, your father is right!"

This task is simply beyond our capabilities.

Hua Qiang squatted dejectedly by the stone table, staring blankly at the tangled chess pieces on the chessboard.

The sounds of his twin children playing in the distance, accompanied by the clear ringing of bells, made him, this "heavenly laborer," seem even more pitiful.

Seeing the two elders return to the game, he had no choice but to consider finding another way...

Suddenly, a heavenly voice rang out, making him beam with joy.

"Young master, your servant is back!"