Chapter 480: Crescent Moon Empress

The Ice Flame detached from Yun Che’s palm and adhered to the stone door. There was no roar of power, no explosive bursts of Phoenix Flame or Ice Cloud, not even a sound or a glint of released energy. It simply extinguished and vanished, slowly and silently.

The section of the stone door where the Ice Flame had adhered now bore a fist-sized indentation!

The indentation was a perfectly regular hemisphere, exquisitely smooth inside, comparable to the most flawless mirror, as if polished by the world’s most masterful craftsmanship.

Gazing at the nearby indentation, Yun Che’s face lit up with surprise and delight. Before, even with his strongest attacks after activating the Samsara and shattering his Dragon Fault, he had only managed to create a nail-sized crack, which barely offered a glimmer of hope for escape. But now, the miracle wrought by the Ice Flame made him feel as though he could already clearly see the day he would walk out of this place!

"Excellent!" Yun Che clenched his fists in excitement. "At this rate, in a few hundred attempts at most, I can blast open a large enough hole!"

Yun Che opened his hands again, igniting Phoenix Flame and condensing Ice Cloud. But this time, before the fusion even began, his mind swam, and a deep sense of exhaustion rose within his profound veins. The reaction from his profound energy and spiritual power made him hesitate. He then withdrew the Phoenix Flame and Ice Cloud, closed his eyes, and focused on fully recovering his profound energy and spiritual power.

Half a day later, Yun Che’s profound energy and spiritual power finally recovered to their peak, and he began to fuse the Ice Flame again. This time, the fusion seemed to take slightly less time than before. As he blasted the Ice Flame towards the stone door, directing it to the previous indentation, the fist-sized hollow noticeably expanded in both width and depth, yet remained as smooth as a mirror, without any roughness or sharp edges, as the Ice Flame silently consumed and destroyed.

In this place that had imprisoned him for eighteen months, his only goal was to escape. For the following period, Yun Che spent almost all his time fusing the Ice Flame and recovering his profound energy and spirit. He repeated the same actions and procedures every day… Unconsciously, his speed of fusing the Ice Flame grew faster and faster, from a maximum of twice a day initially, to three times, then four times a day… After five months, under extreme conditions, he could barely manage to fuse it five times a day!

Compared to the beginning, both the time required for fusion and the consumption of profound energy and spirit had decreased by several times.

Moreover, during this process, his profound energy and spiritual power were also greatly tempered…

***

Profound Sky Continent, Blue Wind Nation.

By this time, two full years had passed since the news of Yun Che’s demise in the Primordial Profound Ark had arrived. While Yun Che struggled in the Primordial Profound Ark, the Blue Wind Nation had already fallen into utter chaos, with the smoke of war rising everywhere.

The capital of the Blue Wind Nation, Blue Wind Imperial City.

"Your Majesty, Empress, terrible news! New Moon City has completely fallen. City Lord Murong and General Zhen Huai have both fallen in battle. A portion of the New Moon Profound Palace disciples spontaneously organized resistance… and all of them were killed… Now, New Moon City, Blazing Fire Region, and Thick Earth Realm… have all been lost…"

The grim news caused everyone present to turn pale. Oriental Xiu, the Blue Wind Palace Master, exclaimed in shock, "How could it be so fast?! Didn't New Moon City have a full four hundred thousand defending soldiers?!"

"To reply, Palace Master Oriental, the Divine Phoenix Empire's siege force suddenly gained four powerful experts from the Divine Phoenix Sect yesterday. They are said to be all Sovereign Profound Realm experts… More than half of the four hundred thousand defending soldiers died beneath their Phoenix Flames… Half of New Moon City has also been burned to ruins!" The wounded soldier cried loudly as he spoke.

Four Sovereigns…

All those present were figures of extremely high authority in the Blue Wind Nation. But upon hearing such news, they still turned ashen, broke out in cold sweat, and even felt a sense of despair. Their gazes all focused on Cang Yue.

Cang Yue, clad in golden robes and wearing a purple-gold crown, stood atop the city wall, gazing south, as if seeing the relentless smoke of war from afar. Her expression remained majestic, and her beautiful eyes were calm. The news of New Moon City's fall seemed to have no impact on her whatsoever.

She was no longer the gentle and delicate Princess Cang Yue, whose life revolved solely around Yun Che. Instead, she was Empress Cang Yue, holding the highest power in Blue Wind, leading all its citizens amidst the chaos of war.

She turned around, her phoenix eyes sweeping over everyone, her voice as calm as still water: "My lords, regarding the fall of New Moon, do any of you have something to say?"

The generals exchanged glances, but not one stepped forward to speak. The Divine Phoenix Empire was simply too powerful. Compared to it, the Blue Wind Nation's strength was so vastly inferior it could be called the difference between heaven and earth. The clashes with the Divine Phoenix Empire could not even be called war; they were a one-sided slaughter and crushing defeat. In less than two years since the Divine Phoenix Empire's sudden invasion, over half of the Blue Wind Nation's territory had been lost, and its five most important major cities had all fallen. It wouldn't be long before they attacked Blue Wind Imperial City itself… Forget the current Blue Wind Nation; even a Blue Wind Nation ten times stronger would likely have no chance of resisting.

In the face of absolute power, any strategy or fighting spirit was a useless delusion.

In the deathly silence, someone finally couldn't hold back, stood up, and shouted, "Imperial Sister! We can't possibly win this war. All resistance is meaningless, only increasing casualties! The Divine Phoenix Empire's army is already at our borders; it won't be long before they reach Blue Wind Imperial City. Surrendering now, as early as possible, to end this war, is the most correct choice!"

The one who spoke was none other than the Second Prince, Cang Ye… No, with Cang Yue’s ascension to Empress, his current title was Prince. The moment his words came out, anger flashed across the faces of some generals… but these were only a small minority. The gazes of most others, however, flickered with uncertainty, because Cang Ye had voiced what they had kept suppressed in their hearts for a long time, yet dared not utter.

"Impudent!" Cang Yue reprimanded furiously. "With the nation in peril and New Moon City fallen, not only are you unconcerned about the national crisis and fail to hate the Divine Phoenix, but you shamelessly shout about surrender in public! You have truly disappointed this Empress!"

Cang Ye glanced at the reactions of those around him, gritted his teeth, and said sharply, "Imperial Sister! We all know perfectly well how powerful the Divine Phoenix Empire is, and whether the Blue Wind Nation will even exist in a few years! All this so-called resistance is utterly meaningless! If we surrender and proactively welcome the Divine Phoenix army, the war can stop immediately. After the Divine Phoenix Empire incorporates our Blue Wind Nation, they will not only spare our lives but also grant us respectable positions…"

"Silence!" Empress Cang Yue’s delicate eyebrows slanted upwards in a fit of rage. "Cang Ye! As a Prince of the Imperial Family, how dare you utter such treasonous and shameless words! Have you forgotten how the Divine Phoenix army rampages across our Blue Wind territory? Have you forgotten how many Blue Wind citizens have lost their lives defending our lands? Have you forgotten how Father Emperor died…? In the face of such national hatred, family vengeance, and the countless bones of our fallen heroes, how can you be so cowardly and willing to become a slave of a subjugated nation…?"

Her chest heaved violently, clearly overcome with extreme disappointment and rage. "Considering this your first offense, this Empress will temporarily overlook what you just said. But if you dare utter a single word that compromises the dignity of my Imperial Family again, this Empress will show you no mercy!"

Being reprimanded so fiercely by Cang Yue in front of all the important ministers, Cang Ye’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and roared unwillingly, "Imperial Sister! This Prince is absolutely not afraid of death! It's for the sake of our Blue Wind Imperial Family, for the safety of everyone present, for the entire Blue Wind Nation! Wherever the Divine Phoenix Nation's forces go, major sects have surrendered, even sects like the Xiao Sect have proactively welcomed them and sworn loyalty… Only with life is there everything! A truly great man knows how to endure temporary humiliation… Furthermore, Imperial Sister, you are now the Empress of Blue Wind. If you surrender proactively, the Divine Phoenix Imperial Family might even still recognize you as the ruler of Blue Wind. Otherwise, you only face a dead end. Our fates would be vastly different… Imperial Sister, please don't be so stubborn!"

"Scoundrel!" Empress Cang Yue exploded in complete fury, her majestic gaze turning bone-chillingly cold. "Guards! Seize Cang Ye and bring him down from the city wall for public execution!"

As soon as Cang Yue’s words fell, everyone present was greatly startled. A dozen or so old ministers hastily stepped forward. But before they could even open their mouths, Cang Yue coldly stated, "Anyone who dares to intercede will be implicated!"

Two gold-clad guards immediately flew forward, firmly seizing Cang Ye and dragging him backward. Cang Ye had never imagined that Cang Yue would actually execute him… He was, after all, Cang Yue’s own brother and a Prince of the Blue Wind Imperial Family. As he struggled, he shrieked, "You… you dare to kill me? I am a Blue Wind Prince, your Imperial Brother… All my words were for the sake of the Imperial Family's bloodline! How can you kill me…? If you kill me, how will you face our deceased Father Emperor!"

"If this Empress does not kill you, then I will be letting down Father Emperor and all the ancestors of my Blue Wind Imperial Family! It is an absolute disgrace that my Blue Wind Imperial Family has produced a coward and a traitor like you, willing to be a slave to another nation… No need to drag him further! Execute him on the spot!!"

"Imperial Sister… you… wait, Imperial Sister… Ahh!!"

*Schlick…*

As the gold-clad guard’s hand moved swiftly and decisively, the blade fell, and Cang Ye’s head flew from his neck before everyone’s eyes, spraying blood, then thudded to the ground and rolled far away, leaving a crimson trail.

Everyone swallowed hard, and those who had stepped forward to plead for Cang Ye hastily retreated, their legs trembling. After Cang Yue ascended the throne, the Blue Wind Profound Palace, under Oriental Xiu's leadership, had pledged complete loyalty to her. Controlling the power of the Blue Wind Profound Palace, combined with her status as Empress, meant she wielded absolute power of life and death. Even if Cang Ye was a Prince, if she wanted him dead, no one dared to obstruct or express dissatisfaction.

"Blue Wind can fall gloriously, but it will never survive in humiliation! If Blue Wind perishes, this Empress will die. As long as this Empress draws breath, I swear to fight the Divine Phoenix Empire to the very end… Is there anyone else among you who wishes to surrender?"

Empress Cang Yue’s gaze swept over every person, her voice carrying weighty authority and a faint killing intent. As her voice fell silent, all hundred-plus important ministers present hastily knelt, as silent as cicadas in winter, no one daring to utter the word "surrender" again.

Oriental Xiu stood at the very front, silently watching Empress Cang Yue, a long sigh echoing in his heart. Having long served by Cang Wanhe’s side, he had watched Cang Yue grow up. In a place like the Imperial Family, where schemes and struggles were rampant, her heart had been like a clear, tranquil pool of water, a soft and delicate flower. She detested conflict, never used her princess status to bully servants, and was gentle and kind. Not to mention killing, even a small animal, she had never been willing to harm since childhood.

After she married Yun Che, she no longer concerned herself with imperial affairs, even completely forgetting her princess status, her entire heart devoted to Yun Che. After Yun Che left for Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, she would lean by the window every day, yearning for him, even secretly asking all the palace maids around her to learn various things a wife should know, only thinking about how to become Yun Che’s most excellent and perfect companion.

Now, however, she had completely transformed into another person: decisive in action, awe-inspiring, sometimes even ruthless and cold-hearted. Her former gentleness had vanished entirely.

Two years ago, when news arrived of Yun Che’s demise in the Primordial Profound Ark, Cang Yue fainted on the spot and fell gravely ill. Three months later, the Divine Phoenix Empire’s three-million-strong army forcibly crossed the border and launched a full-scale invasion. Blue Wind was plunged into chaos and became precarious… Three more months passed, and Cang Wanhe was assassinated. On his deathbed, he could find no one to inherit the throne… While the princes normally schemed against each other, trying every means to curry favor with Cang Wanhe and dreaming of inheriting the throne, at that time, with the Divine Phoenix Empire's army invading and Blue Wind facing certain destruction, who would be willing to become the ruler of a doomed nation? They couldn’t flee fast enough.

At this very moment, Cang Yue, still immersed in the grief of Yun Che’s demise, appeared at Cang Wanhe’s bedside and, with her seemingly delicate shoulders, voluntarily took on the heavy responsibility of a nation on the brink of collapse. In the history of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, there had never been a female emperor, yet when Cang Yue ascended, none of the princes objected; instead, they all let out long sighs of relief.

Oriental Xiu still remembered that at that time, Cang Wanhe had grasped Cang Yue’s hand, his eyes filled with tears, and softly said, "Yue’er, you have suffered…" His gaze then fixed, old tears streamed down, and he passed away with his eyes wide open in unfulfilled wishes.

Indeed, she had suffered. She was simultaneously enduring the pain of losing her husband and the calamity of her nation’s downfall… An ordinary woman would never have been able to bear it. But she endured it. After her ascension, she never shed another tear, and her temperament completely transformed… Or rather, in the face of national crisis, she had no choice but to change.

She had been on the throne for a year and a half, and what she had experienced and endured was more than Cang Wanhe had in decades of his reign. Her current majesty and imperial bearing were now no less than Cang Wanhe’s once were. Every word and action carried imperial might.

Oriental Xiu didn't know whether to feel comforted or pained.

"General Feng, immediately lead all your Iron Cavalry south. At the same time, send a sound transmission to Great Desert Lord Geng Wanli, telling him to abandon the northwest and immediately set off south… Travel day and night; you must rendezvous within the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range north of New Moon City within fifteen days! Then, divide and conceal yourselves on both sides of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. Once the Divine Phoenix army arrives, ambush them from both flanks!"

"Remember! The deeper into the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range you go, the fiercer the profound beasts become. So, hide in the outer perimeter; absolutely do not go deep!"

When the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range was mentioned, Cang Yue’s heart trembled… It was there, amidst shared hardships in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, that their feelings for each other had blossomed.

"Your servant obeys!" A majestic general, clad in silver armor and radiating authority, stepped forward, saluted, and then raised his head to ask, "Your Majesty, if Geng Wanli is to head south, he will pass through the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range. Should he once again seek aid from the Heavenly Sword Villa?"

Empress Cang Yue's delicate brows furrowed sharply. She turned her gaze towards the Heavenly Sword Villa, her voice cold as she spoke: "A thousand years ago, our Blue Wind ancestors and the Heavenly Sword ancestors were sworn brothers, bound by life and death. They supported each other, one wielding imperial power, the other controlling martial might, and swore a blood oath to live and die together: if one faced the threat of destruction, the other must provide full assistance… Years ago, when my Blue Wind Imperial Family was in turmoil and Father Emperor was poisoned by a traitor, they ignored our plight, which was already unrighteous. But at that time, the Imperial Family was not facing a life-or-death crisis, so they could still be forgiven.

"But now, Blue Wind faces imminent destruction. In the past two years, we have sought aid from Heavenly Sword Villa nine times, even humbling ourselves, yet they have sealed off their villa and never responded. Since they have cut off all ties of righteousness, why should we continue to bring humiliation upon ourselves?!"

General Feng slowly nodded. "Your servant understands. Your servant takes his leave."

"Wait!" Empress Cang Yue turned around. "Although all ties of gratitude and righteousness have been severed, a trip to Heavenly Sword Villa is indeed necessary."

As Empress Cang Yue’s voice fell, she unfurled a pale golden silk handkerchief in her hand. Her finger, imbued with profound energy, swiftly wrote on the silk…

"The hatred of injustice, the vengeance for blatant disregard, this Empress will never forget! If Blue Wind is not annihilated this time, Blue Wind and Heavenly Sword will have no past kindness between them, and will forever be enemies!"

Empress Cang Yue did not conceal what she wrote. Anyone close enough could clearly see her words on the silk handkerchief. After finishing, she folded the silk handkerchief and handed it to General Feng: "Send someone to Heavenly Sword Villa. There's no need to see anyone; simply throw this at the foot of the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range! Whether Blue Wind survives or perishes this time, this Empress’s words will never be retracted!"

Looking at the elegant yet imperious handwriting on the silk handkerchief, General Feng nodded heavily, carefully put away the silk, and quickly withdrew.

Empress Cang Yue watched him leave, then turned around, gazing into the distant horizon. No one knew what she was thinking.

"…I am a daughter of Blue Wind, and Yun Che’s wife. Even if I die, I will never tarnish the reputation of my family or my husband!"