Chapter 353: Little Yuli's Nightmare
Luo Wusheng had already envisioned many possible scenarios after learning of the Immortal Nation's response.
And after witnessing the rather tragic state of Night Crow and Xuanming outside, he could finally confirm one thing—the empire had discovered the Nether Formation laid down by the Netherkin Race.
Although he had no idea what that large, strange contraption strapped to Xuanming's back was, his recent frequent contact with the power of heaven and earth allowed him to quickly sense its function.
It was a device to alter the natural flow of the world's energies.
A tool like that, used at a time like this… there was only one target it could be aimed at: the Nether Formation.
"The Netherkin Race's method of concealing their Nether Formation relies heavily on the natural currents of the world," the Empress said lightly, her fingers brushing across the surface of the table. Her flowing sleeves trailed behind her hand like drifting clouds.
"If the existing flow of spiritual energy is not disturbed, then even a Nascent Soul cultivator might overlook its presence completely."
Her voice was calm, detached, but her sharp eyes remained fixed on Luo Wusheng's face—it's beautiful, yet unreadable. There was no joy or anger visible in those regal features.
This version of her—the Empress—was strikingly different from her other two Alter Egos.
And for some reason, she seemed especially different when she was with him.
There was something… strange about that. Luo Wusheng could feel it in his gut, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Still, upon hearing her words, he was stunned for a moment.
The Nether Formation… was discovered because of him?
He quickly sifted through his memories.
Yes, in the original story, the existence of the Nether Formation had been mentioned—briefly. It was a minor side plot, ultimately irrelevant to the true protagonist.
Back then, Luo Wusheng had only known that the formation existed, and that the Immortal Nation would, belatedly, destroy two of them.
But now… he knew far more, thanks to the intel he'd gotten from when Yao Ji possessed Yue Xuanji.
(So it turns out… that half-completed tribulation back at the inn actually caused a stir in the natural spiritual flow, and helped the empire prepare?)
"…How many of the Formations have been eliminated so far?"
As he asked, Luo Wusheng took another sip of the fine spirit tea before him, letting its gentle energy spread throughout his limbs.
This really was the good stuff—nothing but the best from Her Majesty.
"Three," the Empress replied.
Three? That was already more than what had been achieved in the original timeline.
Good. Very good. The Netherkin Race's plans were already falling apart.
Even in the original story, the Netherkin Race lost that war miserably. At this rate, the Immortal Nation's advantage would only grow stronger.
"If my calculations are correct, the Netherkin likely managed to set up close to ten of those formations over the past three years, even with their stealth and resource constraints."
He counted lightly on his fingers, then smiled.
"But there's no need to worry, Your Majesty. I have a method to destroy the majority of those Formations."
. . . . . .
Daoist Artifact Pavillion
Somewhere else, a certain Sword Fairy finally awoke.
"No! You two cannot be together!!"
That single cry—tinged with four parts sorrow, three parts frustration, two parts complicated feelings, and one part "this world is doomed, might as well let it burn"—rang out through the silent chamber.
It was as though all the grief buried deep in her heart had erupted at once, triggered by the final, horrifying scene of a long nightmare… and in the next moment, she woke.
A petite girl bolted upright in bed, eyes locking with another pair just as beautiful. For a heartbeat, the room was filled with awkward silence.
Ji Yanyao, clearly more worldly and composed, calmly watched the flustered expression rise on the young Sword Sect genius's face whose cheeks blazing crimson.
She immediately understood the situation.
"I'll give you some space," she said softly, rising from the wooden chair beside the bed.
But just before she left, she added a single line—soft, knowing:
"I'm just a friend of the Demon Sect's Holy Saint."
The girl before her had used a disguised appearance when they last met, so now she had to act as though this were their first encounter.
"This is the Royal Capital. Everything is over. The chicken Netherkin has already been slain by the Demon Sect's Holy Saint…"
"Once your condition stabilizes, tap on the headboard—I'll sense it and come to you. Then I can explain everything in detail."
With those words, the Chief Disciple of the Daoist Sect gave one last glance at the girl in bed—a glance so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
(Her bone age is quite close to that of the Demon Sect's Holy Maiden… both slightly younger than him… So this is the age he prefers?)
(The memory hasn't fully synced yet… I wonder how the Imperial Alter Ego is doing…)
(To make a man lose focus without the use of any external power… According to Wutong, my Imperial Alter Ego attire should have been just right—presenting him with a completely new version of myself.)
(But I wonder how far the [Heart Mirror] will actually take us…)
Click
The door shut with a soft sound.
Now alone in the room, Lu Yuliu—her face still thoroughly flushed—glanced around nervously, then slowly lay back down, curling into the warmth of her blankets.
A long moment passed before she cautiously peeked out, revealing just a pair of glistening eyes and the top of her head.
"A dream… it was just a dream…"
"Thank goodness it was only a dream…"
Her voice was muffled beneath the quilt, somewhat unclear—but the emotion in it was unmistakable.
Yet as if remembering something dreadful, the look in her eyes began to show signs of another emotional collapse.
On her forehead, the sword mark that once shimmered with a faint glow had now vanished entirely—no trace remained.
Just as Luo Wusheng had suspected, the remnant of the Sword Emperor's broken sword had indeed transferred to the Sword Fairy —it was the legacy of none other than the Sword Ancestor.
Unlike that ridiculous inheritance that the headless Buddhist statue had once bestowed, this time the gift was a proper one—real, effective techniques.
It elevated Little Yuli in almost every aspect except for sheer spiritual energy.
Even the Sword Ancestor's wooden sword had undergone some subtle changes…
But for all these sudden power-ups, Little Yuli felt little joy.
As mentioned before, this inheritance was not merely a cultivation boost. It also brought with it a final trial.
A tempering of the heart.
And in that trial… she witnessed a nightmare.
Her master had met the Demon Sect's Holy Saint.
Right there in a city she couldn't even name—her master, who always seemed so distant and untouchable, stood face to face with that annoying man, while the latter casually recited stories like he was chatting with an old friend.
Worse still, he easily and naturally exposed the truth behind that old transmission incident.
The scene had been blurry. Many of the finer details had faded, yet it all felt disturbingly real—so real it made her heart thump in terror.
And then…
Little Yuli's eyes froze for a moment, confusion surfacing in their depths.
What happened after that?
Just like with regular dreams, the moment she awoke, the contents began to dissolve.
The more she tried to remember, the more the details slipped away, leaving only vague fragments.
(There was… some kind of fight? Then… something strange happened… it turned dark… and there was the sound of running water…)
The girl frowned, trying to piece it together.
But before she could make any progress, her whole body shuddered again.
Whatever happened in the middle might not have been important enough to remember.
But the ending—that she remembered all too clearly.
Time in the dream had passed quickly. Before she knew it, it was already the day of the Human Immortal List.
Somehow, her dream-self had come across her master again—joyfully introducing the Demon Sect's Holy Saint as if he were some kind of friend.
And what followed after that… was a memory she refused to recall.
Too terrifying.
That kind of thing could never be allowed to happen in real life!
Thankfully, reality was still safe.
Her master and that guy hadn't met yet.
She'd protected that bond. Kept them apart.
"But… time's running out…"
"Aaaaaah! If it hadn't been for that damned Bai Xiaoyao, everything should've gone so differently this time… it should have…"
She muttered and mumbled under her breath, voice filled with frustration and regret.
And before long, her face was flushed red again.
With an audible fwump, she dove back under the covers..
<+>
Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD[1]
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[1] https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
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