Evil Empress! Intercepted by An Old Enemy!

[A/N: Alright, this chapter's a bit of a mess on purpose, yeah? You might feel like you're getting slapped around by the plot, but stick with it—this chaos is setting up some juicy stuff for later! Just hang in there, and things will be back on track next chapter.

Thanks for not throwing tomatoes!]

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In the heart of another world...

Far beyond the reaches of White Cloud Star, where the Su Xiaobai met its tragic fall...

Rain Immortal Valley, Soaring Dragon Continent!

Near Nine Cloud Mountains — Explosions rocked the valley as a bloodied figure staggered through the miasma-filled forest, each step heavier than the last.

"Tch, those bastards cost me too many life-saving treasures!" Ning Gufan cursed, wiping blood from his mouth. "Once I recover, I'll turn this entire mountain to ash!"

ROAAAR!

Suddenly, a feral roar pierced the air, and a two-tailed white tiger lunged from the shadows, its claws gleaming with murderous intent.

Ning reacted instantly, flames surging from his back. "You're lucky, beast," he spat through gritted teeth, "you'll be the first two-tailed tiger to burn in my Infernal Flames!"

WHOOSH!

The flames roared to life, consuming the tiger in a searing blaze.

"Whimper..."

The creature's agonized cry echoed briefly before being silenced. The scent of burnt fur and charred flesh filled the air as the tiger's body crumbled to ashes.

Panting, Ning stumbled forward, battered but unbroken. His enemies were dead, but his body was close to collapsing.

Blood—none of it his—painted the ground behind him. "Damn… bastards," he muttered.

For all his power, Ning Gufan wasn't supposed to be in this lower realm. An immortal from the higher planes, he'd once been a terrifying force, feared and revered across the entire Four Heavens.

But after a catastrophic battle with the Prison Emperor that poisoned his veins, he was forced to flee to the lower realms to find a cure—or die in disgrace.

But even here, in the pitiful mortal plane, he had enemies.

And now, his senses screamed a warning. Something was coming.

BANG!

A colossal cauldron, glowing with golden light, smashed into the earth before him, its impact sending tremors through the ground. Ancient runes flickered along its surface, radiating an ethereal power.

Ning's heart pounded in his chest. "A treasure like this… in the lower realm…?"

Before he could react, a voice boomed from the sky.

"Oi! Old monster Ning, your grandma's here to rob you blind! Hand over your tax for entering my territory, or I'll split your old skull open!"

Ning's expression darkened. Her of all people?

Hovering in the air above him was the Evil Empress, her crimson eyes glowing with power. Her rose-pink hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like strands of silk, catching the fading sunlight.

The wind carried a delicate fragrance, intoxicating and sweet, a scent that lingered long after she moved. Her armor, form-fitting and gleaming, hugged every curve of her voluptuous body, the shape of her ample breasts pressing tightly against her chestplate, threatening to spill out.

Her waist was slender, flaring into hips that swayed provocatively with every step. Her lips—cruel and seductive—A beauty in every sense, but dangerous as hell.

Like Ning Gufan, she too was from the higher realms. Once a mighty ruler, the Empress had been betrayed by her own disciple, her meridians—pathways that allowed cultivators to channel spiritual energy—shattered in a brutal betrayal.

Forced to flee, she'd come to the lower realms in search of a cure, leaving a scent of devastation and fear wherever she went.

The world knew her for one thing: taking what wasn't hers, basically robbing others!

Ning sneered despite his pain. "Evil Empress," he growled, "you think you can threaten me? I'd have crushed you like an insect if I were at full strength. If I were in my prime, you'd be calling me Ancestor Ning, not robbing me like a street rat."

"Ha-ha-ha," She laughed—a sound so sweet yet chilling, that it sent a shiver down his spine. Her laugh was like the caress of soft petals before they turned into thorns. "Hah! Big talk from a fossil on his last breath! Everyone knows your veins are shot, old man. The world of cultivation has no place for the weak. After I turn you to charcoal, your treasures are mine!"

Ning clenched his fists, feeling his body strain under the pain. He knew his situation was dire. He watched as the cauldron's light flickered off her armor, casting an unearthly glow across her ample figure, her round hips swaying as she descended.

The curve of her breasts rose with each breath she took.

Her heady fragrance filled the air, mixing with the scent of blood and smoke, arousing and unnerving all at once.

Then she made her move.

FWOOOOSH!

She summoned a wave of black flames from the cauldron, forming a colossal dragon that reared back and roared, shaking the sky.

ROAAARRRR!

The fire dragon lunged toward Ning, flames swirling around its massive jaws. The heat was suffocating, burning the air as it closed in.

Ning gritted his teeth, his spirit refusing to yield. "You want my treasures, Empress? Then come and take them!"

With a roar of his own, Ning summoned every last drop of strength. He swung his sword in a wide arc, a blinding light clashing with the dragon, sending shockwaves through the valley.

The ground trembled under the impact, but the Empress's flames were too strong.

CRACK! SIZZLE!

His broken veins screamed in protest, his body collapsing under the pressure. The flames pushed forward, scorching his flesh, his robes burning away as his skin bubbled and sizzled.

Sizzle… Pop! Crack!

The fire consumed him, burning away his defenses. The heat was unbearable, his skin blackening under the intense flames.

POP! went his muscles as they tore from the bone, the stench of his own flesh roasting filling the air.

"AAAAAAGH!

Ning screamed in agony, his body twitching violently. Flames crawled up his legs, his arms, his back—he was nothing but a torch, a shadow of the powerful figure he had once been.

Thud!

He hit the ground, his body twitching and spasming in the dirt. His vision blurred, the world fading around him. No… not like this…

The Empress landed with an alluring swagger, her waist swaying seductively as she approached his broken form.

Her face twisted into an evil grin, her lips glistening like blood-soaked rubies as she towered over his scorched body. Her heavy breasts heaved with excitement as she knelt, ripping the rings from his charred fingers. "Once feared, now fucking forgotten," she sneered, her warm breath brushing his burned skin. "This is what happens to trash like you. Your grandma's here to collect!"

Ning coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, his strength gone. If only… if only I had my strength…

But the Empress wasn't done. Her crimson eyes glinted with sadistic amusement as she kicked his twitching form, the impact shattering more of his brittle ribs with a crunch.

Kacha—!

"Fucking idiot! Is this all you got, old monster?" she spat, glaring at him. "What the hell's in these rings, huh? You better not have wasted my time, you old sack of bones!"

She flipped open one of the spatial rings and her expression darkened with disbelief.

"A COFFIN?!"

She rifled through the contents, rage swelling in her chest. "You carried around a goddamn coffin?! What, were you planning your own fucking funeral, you piece of shit?!"

BAM!

Her frustration reached a boiling point, and with a growl, she drove her foot into Ning's charred body again, sending him rolling like a burnt log.

CRUNCH!

Ning groaned, his body a broken, smoldering wreck. His skin peeled away in chunks, leaving exposed flesh that sizzled in the heat of the remaining flames.

The Empress sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Fucking garbage! You think you can hide something from your Grandma? Hah, your grandma doesn't play games. I came to rob, and I'm gonna take everything."

SQELCH!

Her armored boot came down hard between his legs with another crunch, her heel grinding into his bones. "You like that, huh?! That's for wasting my time, you worthless old bastard!"

"Ah..." Ning's vision swam as the pain overwhelmed him. This is how it ends… he thought bitterly, his pride shattered as completely as his body. Ants treating me like this?

The Empress wasn't finished. She spat on his broken form, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "I was expecting something legendary that can heal my meridians, and I find you carrying around your own damn coffin—You're just a fucking disappointment."

BAM!

She kicked him one last time, her her silken pink hair swirling seductively in the wind as she turned and strutted away, her hips swaying provocatively with each step, her armor creaking in rhythm with the motion of her body.

The smell of seductive fragrance was the last thing that entered Ning Gufan's memories.

His vision blurred, his last thoughts full of bitterness and rage. If only… if only I had one more chance… But it was too late. His body twitched one final time before going still, leaving behind the stench of charred flesh and a sense of profound defeat.

As the Empress vanished into the mist, a twisted smirk still lingering on her lips, the once-feared Ning Gufan was nothing more than a broken corpse—another victim of the ruthless world of cultivation.

For her, it was just another day of conquest.