When the Empress exposed her embarrassing moment from that night, Shangguan Wan'er's beautiful face instantly turned bright red, and she was so ashamed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.
"Your Majesty...you...you knew all along?"
"Is there anything I don't know?"
Wu Zetian turned around, looked at the humiliated and indignant Wan'er, and laughed heartily.
"That night, even Qianyu heard your rapid breathing. He even asked me to shout louder, saying he wanted to teach this naive girl a lesson."
"But don't rush."
Wu Zetian suppressed her smile, turned her gaze to the distance, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in her eyes.
"Now that Qianyu has begun his plans, it won't be long before our Great Tang Dynasty becomes lively again."
"When the time comes, I will make the decision and let you taste that soul-stirring pleasure, so that you won't keep dreaming about it every day."
...
Poseidon Island.
In the plaza in front of the Sea God Temple, the Shrek Seven Devils were sitting together, and the atmosphere seemed somewhat somber.
Although Tang San has become a god, the lists that have been released in the past few days are like huge rocks weighing on everyone's hearts.
The rise of the Star Dou Great Forest, the upheaval of the Spirit Hall, and the sudden emergence of the Great Tang Empire and the Sea Moon Empire—the foundations of each power are unfathomable.
"Third Brother, we can't just wait like this anymore."
Ma Hongjun scratched his red hair in frustration and pointed to the list on the sky.
"Look at this Shangguan Wan'er, she's a level 99 Peerless Douluo, and she even got a divine skill reward. Why are there so many monsters on this continent? How come we've never heard of them before?"
Ning Rongrong also looked worried. Her brows were furrowed, and she suggested:
"Third Brother, how about we go and investigate the Tang Empire first?"
"Since they're all on the list, it means they pose a huge threat. If we can take advantage of their unstable foothold..."
"no!"
Before Ning Rongrong could finish speaking, Dai Mubai suddenly stood up, his evil eyes bloodshot, his emotions unusually agitated.
"If we're going to fight, we should fight the Sea Moon Empire first!"
"Zhu Qing... Zhu Qing has been captured by that Empress Haiyue!"
"His life or death is now uncertain, and he may even have been brainwashed and controlled by that woman. I absolutely cannot sit idly by!"
Dai Mubai clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms. The thought that Zhu Zhuqing might be kneeling at someone else's feet as a servant made his heart ache as if it were being cut by a knife.
"Mu Bai, calm down."
Tang San finally spoke. He was still wearing his blue and gold divine robe and holding the Trident of the Sea God, but his face now lacked the high spirits he had when he became a god, and instead showed a solemnity that was inconsistent with his godhood.
He raised his head, gazing intently at the sky, his voice low and somber.
"Neither the Tang Dynasty nor Haiyue can be easily shaken now."
"Haven't you noticed? Every single person on this list possesses strength that is close to that of a god, or even surpasses that of an ordinary Title Douluo."
"Moreover, the forces behind them... are too mysterious."
Tang San gripped the trident tightly, feeling the vast divine power within him, yet he felt no sense of security whatsoever.
"Even though I have now inherited the position of the Sea God, I am not necessarily confident of victory in the face of such unknown variables."
"unless..."
A sharp red light flashed in Tang San's eyes; it was the killing intent of the Asura God.
"Unless I can go to the City of Slaughter as soon as possible, completely inherit the position of the God of Asura, and achieve the coexistence of two gods."
"Only in that way will I possess the absolute power to suppress all variables."
After saying that, Tang San took a deep breath and made his decision.
"Let's go back to Jialing Pass first."
"That is the front line of the battle between Heaven Dou and Spirit Hall. We must stabilize the situation first, and then proceed slowly."
"As for Zhu Qing... I believe that with her personality, she will never give in easily. We should trust her."
Although Dai Mubai was unwilling, he knew that Tang San was telling the truth, so he could only angrily slam his fist on the ground and grit his teeth as he agreed.
...
Haiyue Empire, outside Hanhai City.
The sea breeze howled, swirling up thousands of piles of snow.
Bibi Dong and Hu Liena did not board the ship immediately with Zhu Zhuqing, but were arranged to wait in a VIP lounge at the dock.
As the image of "Shangguan Wan'er" vanished from the sky, Bibi Dong's face grew increasingly grim.
"Shangguan Wan'er...The Great Tang Empire..."
Bibi Dong held her teacup, her fingertips gently stroking the inside of the cup, her eyes filled with scrutiny and apprehension.
"Nana, don't you think the Tang Dynasty and the Haiyue Empire have striking similarities?"
Hu Liena stood to the side, having recovered slightly from the shock Zhu Zhuqing had just caused. Hearing her teacher's question, she thought for a moment and then nodded.
"That's true."
"They all rose to power suddenly, they were all women in power, and they all had terrifyingly powerful figures under their command."
"Teacher, do you think... there was a man standing behind Wu Zetian?"
These words instantly struck the most sensitive nerve in Bibi Dong's heart.
She put down her teacup, her gaze becoming incredibly deep.
"It's not a matter of right or wrong, it's definitely true."
"It is inherently difficult for a woman to hold power in this world. Without powerful backers with extraordinary abilities, how could Wu Zetian have built such a vast empire all by herself?"
"Haiyue, that woman, is the same."
Bibi Dong sneered, her tone tinged with disdain and bitterness.
"Back then, I also thought about joining forces with Haiyue, but she was arrogant and didn't take me seriously at all."
"Now it seems that she just found a good backer."
At this point, Bibi Dong's mind was once again filled with Qian Yu's face, which she both loved and hated, and a strong desire to compare them arose in her heart.
"Hmph, I wonder who these two empires are, and who the men behind them really are."
"But in any case, he is definitely ten thousand times better than that bastard Qianyu who only knows how to indulge in pleasure!"
"That good-for-nothing, besides having some tricks up his sleeve in bed and making a mess of the Spirit Hall, what other skills does he have?"
"If he were to run into the powerful figures behind these two, he wouldn't even be worthy of carrying their shoes!"
Bibi Dong felt increasingly relieved as she spoke, as if belittling Qian Yu could alleviate the pain of being abandoned in her heart.
Hu Liena, who was listening from the side, felt a little embarrassed, but she didn't dare to refute it and could only nod in agreement.
Just then, Zhu Zhuqing, who had gone to report, returned.
She was still dressed in tight black clothes, her expression aloof, but when she heard Bibi Dong's words, an extremely strange expression involuntarily appeared on her usually expressionless face.
It was an expression that suggested wanting to laugh but not daring to, even tinged with pity.
Bibi Dong keenly noticed this unusual sign, frowned, and asked in a cold voice:
"Zhu Zhuqing, what's with that expression?"
"Is what I said so funny?"
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