Zhou Linglong: Listen, Do You Have Any Words?

As Orion pretended to help the black-robed man, he swiftly slipped the space ring off his finger.

Black-robed man: "????"

The man didn't have time to react before Orion's quick hands made the ring disappear. When he finally realized what had happened, his eyes widened in shock.

"How dare you! Give me back my space ring!" he roared, ignoring his injuries and jumping to his feet with surprising agility.

Orion, however, looked unfazed. His eyes flicked to the man in surprise at his sudden recovery, but he shrugged it off. Was he faking his injuries all along? The thought crossed his mind, but it didn't matter now.

Xu Chu and the other guards were quicker to react. One stepped in front of Orion, shielding him, while the other lunged toward the black-robed man.

Panic flickered in the man's eyes as he raised his hands in a desperate attempt to de-escalate. "Wait! Wait! We can still settle this! Return my ring, apologize, and ensure Empress Zhou's safety. Then I'll forget this happened."

He stood there with an air of entitlement, despite his defeat. His voice, though laced with fear, was filled with a certain arrogance—he couldn't fathom that someone would actually cross him, especially a lower realm mortal like Orion.

Orion didn't bother to respond at first. The smile faded from his face, replaced by cold impatience. He glanced at Xu Chu and said in a flat voice, "Take him away. Question him. If he's of no use, kill him."

A chill swept over the scene as Orion's words sunk in.

Xu Chu grinned menacingly. He had been waiting for this moment. "With pleasure," he said, stepping toward the man in black.

"What?! You can't do this to me!" the black-robed man shouted, his disbelief evident. His pride as someone from the upper realm blinded him to the reality of his situation. He had always been treated with respect, feared even—until now.

But Orion wasn't interested in the man's disbelief or his past reputation. As Xu Chu dragged the man away, Orion turned his attention to Zhou Linglong.

She was barely conscious, her body battered and broken, the once-majestic aura of the Empress now utterly shattered. She lay on the ground, hair disheveled, a far cry from the regal figure she once was. Yet, beneath the physical defeat, there was still defiance in her eyes.

Orion noticed her trembling but couldn't help but smirk. He activated the aura bracelet he had just acquired. "Aura bracelet, bind."

The device glowed, and Zhou Linglong's body was instantly restrained, her spirit energy locked down. She flinched, her whole body quaking, but still, she managed to glare up at Orion with murderous intent.

"Still angry?" Orion said, mockingly lifting her chin.

"Kill me if you can!" Zhou Linglong spat, her voice hoarse yet fierce. "If you let me live, I swear I'll rip you apart, limb by limb."

Orion's expression darkened for a moment, but then he leaned closer, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Oh, I will kill you, eventually. But not until you've felt a pain worse than death itself."

His words were cold, dripping with malice. Zhou Linglong's face paled at the realization of what awaited her, but she refused to show weakness.

The tension was broken by the sudden arrival of Yuan Zuozong, bloodied and grim, kneeling before Orion. "My lord, Chang'an City has been completely taken. All enemy Martial Saints are dead, and their three million-strong army has been wiped out. We're currently hunting down the stragglers."

Orion sighed, glancing over at the battlefield behind them. The Dragon Cavalry, with only 100,000 men, had defeated a million-strong army, but at great cost. Only 70% of his forces remained, and many were seriously wounded.

"Thank you, Zuozong. You and the Dragon Cavalry have fought bravely," Orion said solemnly.

"It is our duty to serve the Lord," Yuan Zuozong replied, though there was pain in his voice. The loss of so many comrades weighed heavily on him.

Orion's gaze drifted toward the sprawling city of Chang'an ahead of them. "Now, let's enter the city," he said, his voice filled with quiet determination.

As they marched into the heart of Chang'an, Orion couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. His father had spent his entire life trying to conquer this city, but never succeeded. Now, Orion had done it.

He looked at Zhou Linglong, who had been dragged along behind them, her body beaten but her spirit still unbroken. "If it weren't for your little 'help,' I wouldn't be standing here today," he taunted, watching her seethe with rage.

Her eyes burned with hatred, but she said nothing.

She was defeated, for now—but in her heart, she vowed this wasn't over.