The Exquisite Empress of the Vast World, Xu Tun's Collapse

In the courtyard of the Su Family Villa, sunlight bathed the grounds, and the air carried faint ripples of spiritual energy.

Su Muwan was enthusiastically testing her newly acquired abilities after breaking through to the peak of the True Spirit Realm.

She stood at the center of the courtyard, while Qin Luo lounged in a reclining chair nearby, propping his chin on his hand as he watched her.

The next moment—

With a grand flourish, Su Muwan raised her hand and shouted, "Come forth!! Thrones!!"

Boom!

As spiritual energy surged, twelve frost-covered thrones abruptly materialized in the air above the courtyard.

Each throne was woven from pure icy energy and sword intent, hovering midair, exuding an aura of cold majesty.

Even more astonishing, from these thrones descended twelve spectral clones, each bearing Su Muwan’s exact face but dressed in wildly different attire:

Some wore ornate ancient court robes, others draped in flowing gauze dresses, and a few even sported form-fitting battle leather armor.

Their movements were graceful yet playful, as though twelve distinct versions of Su Muwan had descended at once.

"Luo Luo~"

One of the clones, clad in red, was the first to pounce on Qin Luo, clinging to his arm like a spoiled child. "I want strawberry cake!"

"Hmph!"

Another clone in a blue dress shoved the red one aside. "Strawberry cake? Ice cream is way better!"

Soon, the other clones swarmed around him, chattering all at once:

"I want new shoes!"

"Buy me a pearl necklace!"

"Take me shopping!"

Faced with this sudden "siege," Qin Luo could only offer a helpless smile.

While trying to placate the noisy clones, he searched for an escape. "Young Mistress, had enough fun? We’ve got business to attend to."

At his words, the twelve clones instantly fell silent, their eyes locking onto him in unison.

Even Su Muwan’s main body stopped controlling the clones, blinking in confusion. "What business? Didn’t we just get back? Why do we have to do more stuff already…?"

Her voice dripped with complaint, her face scrunched in displeasure.

The clones mirrored her expression, staring at Qin Luo with pitiful eyes, as if a single wrong word would trigger a collective meltdown.

Qin Luo sighed and ruffled Su Muwan’s hair. "I captured a T0-level protagonist. This person is a 'Yi Zi,' and their fate is tied to the Great Thousand Worlds..."

"Hey! Don’t just drop random lore like that!"

Su Muwan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What’s a 'Yi Zi'? What’s the 'Great Thousand Worlds'? What are you even talking about?!"

Qin Luo’s eye twitched. "Young Mistress, didn’t Doctor Ya explain this when we visited the mental hospital? Anyone with over a million units of destiny energy is called a 'Yi Zi.'"

"Oh… right…"

Seeing her hesitation, Qin Luo smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Just follow my lead and play your part."

"Use your best villain act—make them think we’re the bad guys."

"First of all, I’m not a villain!" Su Muwan shot to her feet, hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Second! This whole mess was your scheming! So why does everyone think I’m the mastermind?!"

Honestly, sometimes Su Muwan wondered—

Was Qin Luo the reason she kept getting misunderstood?

"So, are you coming, Young Mistress?"

"Hmph! Where… where to?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention. Inside the Bronze Gate, I’ve set up a base for the Shadow Garden."

"?! How many more secrets are you hiding from me?!"

"Young Mistress, what can I say? You were asleep every time I did this stuff..."

"Ahem..."

Meanwhile.

In the Great Thousand Worlds, within the Linglong Heavenly Domain.

A majestic palace towered above the sea of clouds, surrounded by countless floating islands, each shrouded in dense spiritual energy, resembling a celestial paradise.

This was the heart of Empress Linglong’s dominion.

A figure sat upon the jade throne at the palace’s center, draped in regal violet-gold robes, a radiant star gem embedded in her forehead. Her long, ink-black hair cascaded to her waist, exuding an aura of noble elegance.

Yet, her gaze betrayed unease, her slender fingers tapping the armrest as if pondering something grave.

This was none other than Empress Linglong!

"Your Majesty, still thinking about that person from the lower world?"

A low voice spoke from behind her.

Empress Linglong nodded faintly, not turning. "Xu Tun’s death line has been completely severed. He will inevitably ascend to the Great Thousand Worlds now."

"But something feels… off."

"Though I’ve laid out every preparation, an inexplicable dread lingers."

"For instance… the opportunity I arranged for him—he hasn’t seized it yet."

The attendant stepped closer, bowing respectfully. "Your Majesty need not worry. With your wisdom and power, no unforeseen event is beyond your control."

"Besides, that lower world is but one of our chessboards. Even if something goes awry, it’s merely the loss of a single piece."

Empress Linglong shook her head, her voice tinged with complexity. "You don’t understand. Xu Tun is no ordinary piece."

"He is my… never mind."

Her words trailed off as she lifted her gaze to the distant sky, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

Xu Tun… forgive me.

If I didn’t do this, you would surely perish in that lower world.

For our future… I had to reforge your fate.

——

A sharp, icy chill shot up his spine.

Xu Tun’s eyes snapped open.

Before him stretched an unfamiliar hall, its ceiling arched like a dome. The dark stone bricks were inlaid with countless faintly glowing shadow runes, casting an eerie blue light.

The entire space was thick with a stifling, sinister atmosphere, as though the air itself had congealed under some unseen force.

At the center stood a massive round stone table, its surface swirling with dark energy.

Crimson drapes hung along the walls, each embroidered with grotesque ghostly faces.

Their hollow eyes seemed to follow his every move, sending shivers down his spine.

But what truly unsettled Xu Tun were the figures stationed at the hall’s four corners.

Cloaked in black, their faces hidden beneath hoods, only their eerie, glowing eyes were visible.

Their presence exuded a bone-chilling menace, like specters from the abyss, stirring instinctive fear.

"Where… is this?"

Xu Tun’s voice was a dry rasp, as though scraped from his throat.

He tried to recall everything that had happened before losing consciousness, but only fragmented images flashed through his mind:

Qin Luo’s mocking smirk, Tao Tao’s disappointed gaze, and the sudden appearance of the Shadow Garden operatives…

!!!!

At this thought, a surge of fury and humiliation welled up in his chest.

"Why?! Why did you betray me?!"

"Why did you frame me?!"

In his past life, he had been backstabbed by the woman he trusted and loved most, leading to his rebirth.

In this life, he saved Tao Tao, only to be betrayed by her again!

Then, the Martial Arts Alliance branded him as a member of the Shadow Garden without even hearing his side!

To make things worse, the Shadow Garden themselves stepped in to deepen the misunderstanding!

Why, why, why?!

Why does this always happen to me?!

Struggling to his feet, his legs trembled weakly from disuse.

But when he tried to take a step, he found his ankle tightly bound by a shadowy chain, rendering him immobile.

Great. Now he was a prisoner. Things just kept getting worse.

Xu Tun had officially hit his breaking point.