Chapter 145 The Golden Empress Descends, Even a Half-Step Great Luo Bows His Head

The cold voice fell, and the entire venue instantly fell silent.

The immortal flowers dancing in the sky suddenly stilled, and even the howling wind seemed to hold its breath. Everyone's gaze was cast uniformly toward the white figure on the high platform, their eyes filled with awe and infatuation.

Baihua Yilan stood there quietly, her plain white long dress trailing on the ground, the hem embroidered with never-withered Tianshan snow lotuses. Her three thousand strands of dark hair were loosely pinned up with a white jade hairpin. Her unadorned face was cold and stunning, with a sense of detachment in her brows and eyes as if she were looking down upon all living beings. She did not deliberately release any pressure, yet she carried an innate imperial aura, far stronger than the nominal emperor, Emperor Baihua Gan.

As the true power behind the Baihua Dynasty, she had broken through to the Golden Immortal realm at twenty, stepped into the peak of the Golden Immortal realm at thirty, and was now a cultivator at the Half-Step Daluo Golden Immortal realm—the youngest top expert in the Eastern Region in ten thousand years. If it weren't for her constant seclusion and lack of interest in worldly affairs, the Baihua Dynasty would not have been the weakest among the seven great regions for so long.

"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty!"

Everyone in the venue knelt down in unison. Even the civil and military officials who had been arrogant just moments ago were now prostrate on the ground, not even daring to raise their heads. Only Emperor Cao Xukun remained standing where he was, hands behind his back, observing the woman before him with great interest.

[Ding! Detected a top-tier Golden Luck character!]

[Name: Baihua Yilan]

[Identity: Empress of the Baihua Dynasty, Master of Destiny of the Eastern Region]

[Cultivation: Half-Step Daluo Golden Immortal]

[Luck: Golden Luck, top-tier, bearing the Flower Dao luck of the Eastern Region for one hundred thousand years]

[Note: Born with the Hundred Flower Immortal Body, source of the same origin as the ten thousand flowers thousand threads spiritual root, she is the key to the Host's conquest of the Eastern Region.]

As the system notification rang in his mind, a faint smile curled at the corners of Emperor Cao Xukun's mouth. Sure enough, the true trump card of the Baihua Dynasty was never that old emperor who only knew how to posture, nor that empty-shell holy son, but this cold, aloof empress before him.

Baihua Yilan slowly walked in front of Emperor Baihua Gan. Without even glancing at him, she gently waved her hand. A gentle spiritual power lifted him up, and her tone was flat yet carried unquestionable majesty: "Father, stand down. Leave this to me."

Emperor Baihua Gan's face flushed red and pale by turns. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sighed and retreated to the side with his head bowed. He knew in his heart that in the entire Baihua Dynasty, only Baihua Yilan was qualified to fight Emperor Cao Xukun.

Baihua Yilan turned around, her cold gaze falling upon Emperor Cao Xukun. She looked him up and down, her tone carrying a faint disdain: "You are Emperor Cao Xukun? The wild cultivator who ascended from the mortal realm and wiped out the Qingyun Dynasty?"

"It is I." Emperor Cao Xukun nodded faintly. "It seems you have heard of my name."

"Naturally, I have heard of it." Baihua Yilan snorted coldly. "Relying on petty tricks to steal opportunities, relying on brute force to steamroll weak dynasties, yet daring to style yourself as Emperor Xuan and claim supremacy in the Immortal Realm? If I were you, I would have found a crack in the ground to crawl into long ago."

She raised her hand and pointed at Emperor Cao Xukun, her eyes icy: "You stole the ten thousand flowers thousand threads spiritual root from my Hundred Flower Holy Realm, snatched my dynasty's legacy, the Baihua Immortal Canon, caused chaos at my Ten Thousand Flowers Ceremony, and injured members of my royal family. Every single act is a crime punishable by death."

"Considering it wasn't easy for you to ascend and that you have some opportunities in your cultivation, I will give you a chance. Return the spiritual root and the Immortal Canon immediately, take your people and get out of the Eastern Region, and cripple half of your cultivation, and I can spare your life. Otherwise, today will be your burial ground."

These words were extremely arrogant; she did not take Emperor Cao Xukun seriously at all. In her view, Emperor Cao Xukun was just a lucky wild cultivator from the mortal realm. Even if he destroyed the Qingyun Dynasty, it was only because the Qingyun Dynasty was too weak. Her Half-Step Daluo cultivation was enough to crush any peak Golden Immortal.

The sect masters of the vassal sects below the stage echoed:

"Her Imperial Majesty is right! Emperor Cao Xukun, hurry up and return the supreme treasures, and get out of the Eastern Region!"

"Her Imperial Majesty is a Half-Step Daluo, invincible in the world! You are no match for her at all!"

"Surrender if you know what's good for you, otherwise, once Her Imperial Majesty makes a move, you will surely die!"

General Black Tiger exploded on the spot. He stepped forward, carrying his great saber, and shouted sternly: "Bullshit! My Emperor destroyed the Qingyun Dynasty and pacified the Southern Region based on real ability! You, a woman hiding in the deep palace, what do you know about the trends of the Heavenly Dao! Half-Step Daluo? I think you're half-step full of hot air!"

"Presumptuous!" Baihua Yilan's eyes turned cold, and she unleashed a pink spiritual power, striking directly at General Black Tiger. This attack looked gentle but contained the power of a Half-Step Daluo, enough to instantly kill a mid-stage Golden Immortal.

Emperor Cao Xukun waved his hand casually, a strand of Chaos Spiritual Power blocking in front of General Black Tiger, easily neutralizing the attack.

"You dare to touch my people?" Emperor Cao Xukun's tone turned cold. "I gave you face by calling you Empress. Don't push your luck."

"You are courting death!" Baihua Yilan was furious. As the Empress of the Eastern Region, when had she ever suffered such an insult?

"Since you are unappreciative, then I will suppress you myself! I will let you know what a true Immortal Realm expert is!"

She spread her arms wide, and a dazzling white light erupted from her body. The immortal flowers in the sky gathered frantically, forming a massive pink barrier that enveloped the entire high platform. Countless complex Flower Dao runes flowed on the barrier, emitting a terrifying binding force that completely sealed off even the space.

"Eternal Hundred Flower Barrier!"

Baihua Yilan's cold voice resonated throughout the venue: "This barrier is the number one national defense barrier of my Baihua Dynasty, capable of trapping and killing all cultivators below the Daluo Golden Immortal realm! Emperor Cao Xukun, today I will let you be trapped here forever and become nourishment for the barrier!"

The entire venue was in an uproar!

"Oh my god! It's the Eternal Hundred Flower Barrier! The legendary ultimate barrier that no one has been able to break in one hundred thousand years!"

"Cao Xukun is dead for sure now! Even if he is at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, he absolutely cannot break a barrier driven by a Half-Step Daluo!"

"Long live Her Imperial Majesty! Finally, she is going to deal with this arrogant wild cultivator!"

Everyone believed Emperor Cao Xukun was doomed to lose, and even the soldiers of the Xuan Armor Army beneath the high platform could not help but break into a cold sweat.

However, Emperor Cao Xukun, who was enveloped by the barrier, still looked indifferent. He even had the leisure to reach out and catch a falling petal, crushing it gently.

"You call this broken barrier a national defense barrier?" Emperor Cao Xukun sneered. "The toys my Cao Yao makes with mud are sturdier than this."

As his voice fell, he slowly raised his right hand, and Chaos Spiritual Power gathered in his palm.

"Break."

As the word fell, he gently slapped the barrier with his palm.

"Crack—!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out. That Eternal Hundred Flower Barrier, which was said to have been unbroken for one hundred thousand years, was instantly covered in cracks like glass. Immediately after, with a loud "bang," it shattered completely, turning into countless pink light spots that dissipated into the air.

The entire venue fell into instant silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone widened their eyes, mouths agape wide enough to fit an egg, their faces filled with disbelief.

The national defense barrier driven by a Half-Step Daluo was actually shattered by Emperor Cao Xukun with a single palm?! How was this possible!

Baihua Yilan's expression changed drastically. She staggered back a few steps, a mouthful of blood nearly spraying out. She looked at Emperor Cao Xukun in disbelief, her eyes filled with shock: "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! My Eternal Hundred Flower Barrier can even trap a Daluo Golden Immortal! How could you break it with one palm?!"

"There is no such thing as impossible." Emperor Cao Xukun walked slowly to her, looking down at her from above. "Your Half-Step Daluo cultivation, which you are so proud of, is nothing but a paper tiger that can be broken with a flick of a finger in my eyes. Your so-called orthodox destiny is worthless in front of me."

His gaze was deep, carrying the power to see through everything: "You know in your heart that the Baihua Dynasty has long since rotted. The old emperor is incompetent, the princes are extravagant and lewd, and the holy son is just an empty shell. Even without me, it wouldn't be long before the Baihua Dynasty would be annexed by other dynasties."

"Instead of guarding a rotten shell, it is better to submit to me. I can guarantee that the people of the Eastern Region will live and work in peace, and the Flower Dao legacy will be carried forward. And you, too, can achieve better development, break through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, and even reach higher realms."

Baihua Yilan trembled all over, looking up at Emperor Cao Xukun with complicated eyes.

She had to admit that Emperor Cao Xukun was telling the truth. Over the years, she had watched the Baihua Dynasty move step by step toward decline, and her heart was already exhausted. And Emperor Cao Xukun's strength, vision, and courage were far beyond any man she had ever seen.

But she was the Baihua Empress, bearing the one hundred thousand years of luck of the Eastern Region; how could she surrender so easily?

She gritted her teeth and gripped the long sword in her hand: "I am the Baihua Empress. I am of the Baihua in life, and I shall be a ghost of the Baihua in death. If you want me to submit, you will have to kill me!"

Emperor Cao Xukun looked at her stubborn appearance, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Is that so? Then I would like to see how long you can remain stubborn."

He did not make another move, just turned around and waved to the Xuan Armor Army below the stage: "Pass the order down: the army will set up camp here and surround Baihua City. I will give you three days to consider. After three days, if you still do not surrender, I will trample Baihua City flat and take over the Eastern Region."

After speaking, he did not look at Baihua Yilan again, took General Black Tiger and the Xuan Armor Army, and turned to leave the square.

Leaving Baihua Yilan standing alone on the high platform, watching the back of Emperor Cao Xukun as he left, her eyes extremely complicated.

Her heartbeat, when she did not know, had actually become chaotic.