Long time no see...

"Now, this empress is fair; I shall grant you all one last chance: become a slave or face destruction." After dealing with the clans, Huan Caiyi turned her attention to the Dukes. Among the hundred and three Duke Palaces, there were dozens with Dukes in the Monarch realm.

{ I'm not sure how many dukes are in the Sovereign Profound Realm, so I'll choose a conservative estimate. However, I do know that the number of Sovereign Profound Realm experts in the Illusory Demon Realm is greater than in the Sky Profound Continent, but they don't have as many peak and late-level Monarchs. }

"I will never submit! Little Demon Empress, you killed Duke Zhong! I will never forgive you, I want you to die an ugly de—" Duke Han, the uncle of Duke Zhong, roared in rage at Huan Caiyi, his eyes spitting fire, blazing with hatred.

However, before he could finish his words, a golden flame engulfed him, burning him to ashes.

The Dukes watched in stunned silence as Huan Caiyi incinerated Duke Han without a moment's hesitation, each of them sucking in a deep breath!

"I am willing to submit to the Demon Empress!"

With Lin Guiyan's example, the other clans' submission, and the brutal end of Duke Han seared into their minds, the Dukes felt powerless to resist. Reluctantly, they bowed their heads, choosing humiliation and submission over ruin, hoping to preserve their duke palaces.

Naturally, Duke Huai Palace wasn't afforded that mercy.

"Take them all to the prison!" Huan Caiyi commanded coldly, her gaze fixed on Duke Huai, his bodyguards, and Duke Ming. She then addressed the guardian clans and duke palaces, issuing her orders; "Demon King, take them with you and subdue the Helian Clan!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" they all pledged, bowing before departing.

The great elders and elders from their respective clans were already on standby, waiting for the command. As soon as Huan Caiyi gave the order, they were swiftly mobilized, heading out to deal with the Helian Clan.

In the hall, Huan Caiyi was the only one left. She walked slowly and sat on her throne.

"How was it? Do you feel any joy?" Yun Wuji's voice broke the silence as he casually appeared beside her and asked.

"...Perhaps a little," Huan Caiyi replied, not surprised by his sudden appearance. She remained silent for a long moment before answering.

"Since you're in a bad mood, how about I cook something for you to lift your spirits?" Yun Wuji proposed with a smile.

Back then, whenever he felt down, he would cook something delicious for himself.

Good food is the best remedy for depression, which is why people often say that depression can lead to obesity.

"Really?!" Huan Caiyi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She recalled the delicious meal he had prepared during her first week in his palace, a taste she would never forget. After that, this stingy bastard refused to cook anything for her again, so she was pleasantly surprised by his offer this time.

"Don't get too used to it; this is an exception. Seeing you like this reminds me of myself," Yun Wuji chuckled, finding her reaction cute. He instinctively reached out to pat her head but caught himself just in time and pulled his hand back.

He had gotten so used to patting the heads of his disciples and his women that it had become a habit.

"Hmph! Stingy!" Huan Caiyi huffed, crossing her arms in feigned annoyance. Subconsciously, her lips curled into a small smile as her depressed mood began to shift.

....

In the days that followed, shocking news spread throughout the entire realm:

The Little Demon Empress didn't die! And it had all been a plot by Duke Huai Palace!

Under her command, Duke Ming and Duke Huai were brought to the city's public square, where the Yun Clan used the profound handle to reveal all their crimes to the entire realm!

When the truth was unveiled, shock, fear, fury, and hatred filled every corner of the realm. Even the guardian families and dukes who had fought alongside Duke Huai were stunned by the revelation. None of them had imagined that such a venomous snake had been lurking in their midst!

Rebelling against the monarch is one thing, but betraying his realm and his people is another. No one would want to work with someone like that! Who knows when he might stab you in the back for the slightest gain?

Following this, the Little Demon Empress commanded the execution of Duke Huai Palace's entire lineage, eradicating eighteen generations. Every person remotely related to Duke Ming by blood was killed, except Duke Ming, his son, and his two grandsons.

The guardian families and duke palaces united, sparing no effort in carrying out this ruthless extermination.

When Yun Wuji learned of this, he was genuinely shocked. He had always thought of himself as ruthless, but compared to Huan Caiyi, he realized he had a long way to go.

He couldn't bring himself to wipe out an entire family just because a few had provoked him. Yun Wuji never judged an entire group based on the actions of a few, like in the case of the USA; just because millions might believe milk chocolate comes from brown cows, he would not assume that education is illegal there.

After news of Duke Huai Palace's destruction spread, many more monarchs flocked to submit to the Little Demon Empress, no! She is the Demon Empress now. Most of them had secretly sided with Duke Huai, but after witnessing his palace's cruel end, they hurried to pledge their loyalty, because they were afraid of being implicated.

Lu Zhanfeng, Bai Jinghong, Tang Luanli, Xiao Qingshan—the 'Four Absolutes of the Southern Sky'—Qing Zheng, the lord of the second largest city in the Illusory Demon Realm's Sky Demon Region, Bai Guiming and his twin brother Bai Guihun, among others, were among the many who submitted to her.

In the following period, Huan Caiyi focused much of her time on rectifying the realm, managing the guardian families and duke palaces, and integrating the newly 'loyal' subjects who had submitted to her.

And every day she would take time to torture Duke Ming! She made him be raped by his son and grandsons, dogs, cats, pigs, horses, goats, and more! After his ass became numb to this, she burned his soul with fire, skinned him alive, and deboned him. She even cut off his flesh and forced him to eat it! When he became numb to pain, she killed his son and grandsons in the most cruel ways in front of him!

"It's getting boring..." After torturing Duke Ming today, Huan Caiyi felt no satisfaction, only emptiness. She left the torture chamber, summoned the torturers, and handed them the book Yun Wuji had given her. She ordered them to continue torturing Duke Ming and to make sure he wouldn't die until his natural lifespan ended.

After returning to the palace, she flew to the Yun Clan. When she arrived, she spread her senses; however, after a while, her brows furrowed... she couldn't detect Yun Wuji's aura.

"Your Majesty!" At that moment, Yun Qinghong hurriedly flew toward her. Looking at Huan Caiyi's mature body, he felt quite strange. After more than 150 years of interacting with her, he was so used to her loli appearance that he couldn't get accustomed to her mature form in such a short time.

"Patriach Yun, where is Yun Wuji?" Huan Caiyi nodded and asked.

"I don't know. Lord Yun Wuji mentioned he had something to take care of and would be gone for a few days," Yun Qinghong replied, shaking his head as if anticipating her question. By now, everyone among the guardian families and duke palaces knew there was something between the Demon Empress and Lord Yun Wuji, so Yun Qinghong wasn't surprised when she asked about his whereabouts.

"...Alright," Huan Caiyi muttered, frowning once more. Where did this guy run off to? Wasn't he the one urging her to attack the sacred grounds of the Profound Sky Continent? She shook her head, before nodding to Yun Qinghong, and then left.

"You Majesty wait! Before leaving, Lord Yun Wuji instructed me to remind you not to neglect training on the formation," Yun Qinghong called out as he saw her turning to leave.

"Alright," Huan Caiyi replied before departing.

...

Meanwhile, on a mist-shrouded mountain peak in the Azure Cloud Continent. Towering pine trees loomed on either side, their branches swaying gently in the breeze, adding a whisper of life to the quiet. Nestled at the foot of one such ancient tree was a nameless tomb.

Yun Wuji approached the grave with quiet steps. He knelt before it, lowering himself onto one knee as he spoke in a soft, gentle tone. "Long time no see, master... Another year has passed by yet again."

Yep, Yun Wuji had left the Illusory Demon Realm and traveled across the vast ocean to return to the Azure Cloud Continent, because today is the anniversary of his master's death.