This Farce Should End As Soon As Possible!

Upon hearing Zhou Linglong's command, the generals exchanged uneasy glances, but none made a move.

Who would volunteer for a death mission?

"Good. Very good!" Zhou Linglong's laughter erupted, her fury barely concealed. She could no longer suppress her rage, and in an instant, a dazzling aura surged from her body.

The imperial might radiating from her was overwhelming.

"Your Majesty..." The faces of the generals paled as they felt the crushing pressure emanating from the Empress.

Xiao Shan, standing closest to her, was a seasoned warrior, a semi-saint at that. Yet, even he found himself trembling under the weight of her power. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. His heart raced in disbelief.

"How... how has Her Majesty become so terrifying?"

He remembered Zhou Linglong as a capable, but relatively modest Martial King. But now, her presence was something far greater—something primal.

At that moment, the space around them seemed to warp. From the distorted air, a figure in a black robe materialized. The moment he arrived, the temperature seemed to drop, and the aura of authority around Zhou Linglong intensified.

A flicker of surprise crossed the man's usually calm face.

"Hah, so this is the Holy Body His Highness treasures so dearly," the black-robed man muttered to himself, admiration hidden behind his indifferent tone. "To think the meager luck of a mortal dynasty could be pushed to such extremes."

He had come here for her—Zhou Linglong. She possessed one of the ten legendary Holy Bodies, the Body of the Holy Emperor. The ultimate vessel for channeling imperial fortune. If properly nurtured, her power could raise a dynasty to the heavens, defeating gods and shattering kingdoms.

Sensing the growing might radiating from Zhou Linglong, the black-robed man flicked his fingers. The nearly palpable pressure in the air shattered like glass, dispersing into nothingness.

The generals, previously gasping for breath under the oppressive aura, immediately felt the weight lift. They slumped with relief, utterly shaken by the Empress's newfound strength.

"Is she… was she hiding this power all along?" Xiao Shan thought, fear mingling with awe.

None of the generals knew the truth of Zhou Linglong's power, nor of her sacred Holy Body. But all their attention shifted to the man in the black robe, whose sudden appearance unnerved them even more.

When their gazes met his, a sharp, stabbing pain struck their minds, freezing their consciousness. Fear settled deep in their bones, as if their very souls recoiled from the mere presence of the stranger.

Just as the generals reeled from the shock, Zhou Qianfu, the Emperor Ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty, appeared.

"Ancestor Emperor," Zhou Linglong greeted him with respect, but Zhou Qianfu ignored her completely. He walked past her without a glance, stopping only to bow before the man in black.

"My lord," he said obsequiously, his voice filled with flattery, "to what do we owe the honor of your presence?"

"Smack!"

A sudden, sharp sound echoed through the room as the man in black slapped Zhou Qianfu across the face, hard enough to leave a red mark.

Gasps filled the air. The mighty Emperor Ancestor, struck by a mere envoy?

"How dare you disrespect the Emperor's daughter!" the black-robed man growled, his voice chilling. "If you wish to die, simply say so."

Zhou Qianfu, stunned, trembled before the envoy's wrath. He had dared to approach Zhou Linglong as if she were beneath him, failing to acknowledge her divine destiny. In the envoy's eyes, Zhou Qianfu was nothing. Ten thousand of him were not worth a single hair of Zhou Linglong's head.

Had it not been for his connection to her, the envoy would have killed him on the spot.

Swallowing his pride, Zhou Qianfu immediately turned to Zhou Linglong, his head bowed in shame. "Forgive me, Empress, I was wrong. I should not have ignored you."

His words were bitter, the apology stinging his pride, but his life was more important. Resentment simmered beneath his eyes, but he dared not show it.

The man in black, however, noticed everything. He smiled coldly. To him, Zhou Qianfu's thoughts were as transparent as glass, his life as insignificant as an insect. Should the need arise, he would crush him without a second thought.

Seeing her imperial ancestor bow before her, Zhou Linglong hurriedly responded, her own fear creeping in. "It's... it's fine, Emperor."

Her mind raced. This man—he must be the envoy from the upper realm. That could be the only reason Zhou Qianfu, who usually feared no one, would submit so easily. Her anxiety spiked. This was no mere mortal.

Gathering her courage, Zhou Linglong spoke again, this time with urgency. "Ancestor Emperor, Orion's forces have reached the city's western camp. They're slaughtering our men. The powerful allies you summoned... they should act now, shouldn't they?"

Zhou Qianfu, still nursing his wounded pride, stole a glance at the envoy. Seeing no sign of disapproval, he quickly nodded. "Yes. We'll send them to engage first. If they fail..." He bowed deeply to the black-robed man. "We may need to ask for your assistance, my lord."

The allies they had summoned, powerful though they were, were merely Martial Saints. Impressive on the battlefield, but against Orion and his forces? They would be nothing more than cannon fodder.

Their true hope lay with the envoy.

"Humph," the man in black snorted. "How pathetic."

He shook his head. The idea of dealing with Orion's forces himself bored him. But now, his patience was wearing thin.

"Fine," he muttered. "I'll accompany you. Let's end this farce quickly."

With those words, the final act of the battle for Chang'an City began.