Shrouding the Heavens: Empress, I am truly not the Desolate Heavenly Emperor!

Deep within the desolate and forbidden land lies Peach Blossom Spring.

The white-clad empress, seated cross-legged beneath the old peach tree, remained with her eyes closed, deep in a state of enlightenment.

All the noise and commotion outside seemed to have nothing to do with her.

Time has settled upon her, and eternity has flowed through her fingertips.

however.

Just as the giant black hand was about to touch Ye Chen's head...

Just as that trace of malevolent killing intent from the outside world locked onto the soul possessing the aura of "the older brother".

The Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly.

That's not thinking.

It's not a trade-off.

It was not an outburst of emotion.

That was simply an instinct.

It's like a dragon in its slumber feeling an insect crawl onto its most cherished, unsustainable scale.

That was her anchor point.

It was her only bond in the mortal world.

It was a lingering obsession she would hold onto even if it meant fighting against the entire universe.

"court death."

Two words floated lightly from her red lips.

There was no earth-shattering roar, nor any violent outburst of energy.

She simply kept her eyes closed, without even changing her posture, except that her jade-like hand, which had been resting on her knee, was now gently pointing towards the void...

I flicked my fingernail.

……

"boom!!!"

At this moment, all was silent.

The massive black hand, which was originally unstoppable and about to crush Ye Chen, suddenly froze just three inches above Ye Chen's head.

Followed by.

It's like snow under the scorching sun, or a pencil drawing erased by an eraser.

That colossal energy hand, imbued with the power of a Saint Lord, along with the boiling space behind it, instantly...

Annihilation.

There was no explosion.

Because even the sound has been erased.

There is only one kind of obliteration, belonging to the "Tao".

"puff--!"

On the warship, the Holy Son of Yao Guang was struck as if by lightning. He was sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto the deck, spitting out blood.

"Snap!"

The replica of the dragon-patterned black and gold cauldron, which was suspended in the air, let out a mournful cry, and a shocking crack appeared on its body!

"Holy Child!"

"What...what kind of power is this?!"

The four elders fared even worse; under the impact of that backlash, they all bled from their seven orifices, and their souls nearly shattered on the spot.

fear.

An overwhelming sense of fear instantly enveloped the entire warship.

They didn't even know what had happened.

They felt a will from countless ages ago that nearly annihilated them with just a glance.

"Great...Emperor..."

The Holy Son of Yaoguang was disheveled, his face covered in blood, and he had long lost his former high spirits.

He looked up in horror at the white-clad figure below, who was still completely unharmed, with not even the hem of his clothes disheveled.

That mortal.

He was still standing there.

Even the posture didn't change.

It was as if that earth-shattering blow was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.

At this moment, in the eyes of the Holy Son of Yaoguang, Ye Chen's figure was no longer insignificant.

Instead, it became infinitely tall, so tall that even his soul trembled.

What kind of realm is that?

Faced with a blow from a Saint Lord level, he neither dodged nor avoided, nor even made a move. He could shatter the Saint Weapon and severely injure everyone with just his protective aura!

This is no ordinary person.

This is clearly an unparalleled taboo in the mortal world!

"Who...who did I offend...?"

The Holy Son of Yaoguang's teeth chattered; the fear of surviving such a calamity made his legs go weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.

At this time.

Ye Chen slowly raised his head.

He glanced at the warship swaying precariously in mid-air, then at his still-bleeding hand—cut by the wind pressure earlier.

"Tsk."

Ye Chen clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible in the deathly still air.

Everyone on the warship held their breath instantly, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Ye Chen stretched out his hand and pointed to the nine-aperture stone man not far away, who was awakened by the commotion and was on the verge of exploding in rage.

Then, he looked at the Holy Son of Yaoguang and gave a gentle, kind, yet chilling smile.

"You guys are disturbing my walk."

Ye Chen's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable tone of command.

"As compensation."

"Go, kill that stone man."

"or……"

Ye Chen paused, his eyes turning slightly cold, and mimicking the Empress's tone, said casually:

"I'll kill you all."

The wind stopped.

It wasn't because the air stopped flowing, but because even the concept of "wind" was forcibly paused at that moment by some supreme will.

Ye Chen stood amidst the chaotic rocky forest, his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering. Before him stood a colossal black divine hand, capable of blotting out the sky and crushing mountains, only three inches from the top of his head.

That suffocating, Lord-level pressure was like a Damocles' sword hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment.

But he didn't move.

Because he saw a touch of pink.

That was a peach blossom petal.

It drifted leisurely from the mist deep within the forbidden land, looking so delicate and ordinary, like fallen petals that could be seen everywhere in spring, carrying a touch of languor and a touch of melancholy. It flew very slowly, so slowly that Ye Chen could see every delicate line on it; yet it also flew very fast, so fast that even space and time could not leave a trace on it.

"They're here."

Ye Chen's heart pounded wildly in his chest, but he forced a smile. He was gambling that the proud empress, though cold-hearted, would never allow anyone to touch her "medicinal ingredient."

As it turned out, he won his gamble.

That peach blossom petal lightly bumped into that terrifying black giant hand.

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

There was no deafening roar.

There wasn't even the slightest spark of energy collision.

It was like a scalding hot knife cutting through butter, or like the invisible road erasing all traces of its existence.

The giant black hand, which had gathered the full power of the Holy Son of Yao Guang and even borrowed the power of the replica of the Supreme Emperor Weapon, vanished the moment it touched the petals.

Yes, it disappeared.

It wasn't just scattered, it was erased. From the fundamental, microscopic level, from the level of rules, it was completely wiped out, as if it had never existed in this world.

"this……"

On the warship, the Holy Son of Yaoguang, who had been grinning and preparing to watch Ye Chen being crushed into mincemeat, suddenly froze on his face.

His eyes were wide open, reflecting not fear, but a bewilderment beyond comprehension.

Even after the giant hand was removed, the peach blossom continued its relentless march.

It streaked across the void, leaving a faint pink trail. The trail wasn't dazzling, yet it seemed to divide the world in two.

"No--!!"

The guardian elder on the warship let out a piercing scream, a primal warning from the depths of his soul against death. He frantically waved the array flags, trying to activate the warship's defensive formation.

However, it was too late.

Or rather, in the face of absolute overwhelming power, all struggles are futile.

The petals gently brushed against the bronze warship.

In that instant, the world before Ye Chen seemed to freeze completely.

In the scene, the Holy Son of Yaoguang's mouth gapes open in terror, the elders wave their arms in despair, the banners on the warship flutter in the wind, and there's a replica of the dragon-patterned black-gold cauldron radiating a dark light...

At this moment, everything transformed into a shower of light.

Those were the faint glimmers of light after everything had collapsed.

There was no blood splattering, no severed limbs.

This is an extremely cruel yet beautiful and unpredictable method of killing.

One second the mighty, domineering force of the Eastern Wilderness, which was clamoring to crush the forbidden land, was transformed into a dazzling display of fireworks, dissipating into the hazy sky above the ancient forbidden land.

Not even ashes were left.

Only that peach petal, having fulfilled its purpose, gently spun twice before finally collapsing, exhausted, onto a rock, and dissipating into specks of light.

The world was utterly silent.

Only Ye Chen's slightly heavy breathing echoed in the empty, rocky forest.

"Gulp."

Ye Chen swallowed hard.

His legs were trembling, a tremor that came from the depths of his soul. Although he knew the Empress was strong, he hadn't expected her to be this ridiculously strong.

That's the Holy Son! That's a team carrying replicas of imperial weapons!

That's it...gone?

Is it easier and more effortless than swatting a mosquito?

"This isn't just a thigh..." Ye Chen roared inwardly, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. "This is simply the most solid backing, an unparalleled taboo that can sweep across the ages!"

After the immense fear subsided, a surge of ecstasy welled up from the bottom of my heart.

Steady!

This time it's really secure!

As long as he clings to this powerful figure, he'd dare to slap even the most powerful beings from the forbidden zones of life, let alone the Holy Land of Yao Guang!