The Forgotten Celestial Valley remained as it had always been—a serene haven untouched by the turmoil of the world. Bai Qingyu and Li Yuexin, however, were not blind to the storm brewing beyond their sanctuary. The power struggles within the Celestial Dao Alliance and the Demonic Abyss League were growing more intense, and though they watched from afar, the weight of their influence could already be felt.
The two Empresses, once feared and revered across the realms, now stood at the precipice of the world's next great upheaval. The factions, ignorant of their true power, were beginning to fall into a trap of their own making. In the silence of the valley, Bai Qingyu stood still, her silver hair flowing like liquid ice, reflecting the pale moonlight as she surveyed the landscape. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, were fixed on the distant horizon, where the empire lay in disarray.
"They're growing desperate," Bai Qingyu said, her voice soft, but carrying an undeniable weight. "The Celestial Dao Alliance's hold on the Empire is weakening. They don't understand that the world is not the same as it was when they ruled it. These so-called geniuses—they are like children playing at power, and the true forces behind them are unaware of what they're stirring."
Li Yuexin, her fiery presence contrasting with Bai Qingyu's calm, stepped forward, a playful grin on her face. "Oh, I love it when they scramble like this. It's like watching ants try to fight a storm." Her golden-red eyes gleamed with excitement, her energy sparking around her like a living flame. "Let them fight. Let them think they can outsmart us. I'm ready to set everything ablaze."
Bai Qingyu's lips curled into a faint smile, but her eyes remained cold and focused. "The time for flames will come soon enough. But for now, we wait. The Alliance, the League—they will tear each other apart before they even realize it."
Li Yuexin raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "I thought you said patience was the key?"
"It is," Bai Qingyu replied, her gaze never leaving the distant horizon. "But patience doesn't mean idleness. We need them to be at their weakest before we make our move. Only then will we be able to reshape the world in the way it's meant to be."
In the Imperial City, the Celestial Dao Alliance was falling apart from within. The once-mighty organization, a beacon of righteousness, now stood on the brink of collapse. The younger generation, impatient and eager for power, clashed with the elders, whose rigid traditions no longer seemed to hold sway. The Alliance's once-unified front had splintered into a patchwork of factions, each leader trying to secure their own power, oblivious to the forces that were about to sweep them all away.
Elder Zhang, the leader of the Celestial Dao Alliance, paced back and forth in the council hall, his face lined with frustration. Around him, the leaders of the various sects and families whispered among themselves, the air thick with tension. The Alliance's once-solid foundation had begun to crack, and it was clear that the Empire's fate hung in the balance.
"The younger sect leaders are restless," Elder Zhang said, his voice heavy with concern. "They believe they can challenge the old ways. They don't understand the weight of history or the power we once held. The League is already stirring, and the Empresses…" His voice faltered as he spoke their names. "We cannot allow them to return unchecked."
General Li, a seasoned leader with years of battle-hardened experience, spoke up. "The League is our immediate concern. But the Empresses… they are a wildcard. If they choose to reveal themselves, it will be our undoing."
A murmur ran through the room at the mention of Bai Qingyu and Li Yuexin. The two women, once lost to myth and legend, were now a very real threat. The power they had wielded was beyond anything the Celestial Dao Alliance could fathom. Even now, their influence could be felt, like the pressure before a storm.
"We must act quickly," General Li continued. "The League will not wait for us to gather our strength. We need to consolidate our position before we deal with the Empresses. If we don't move now, we risk losing everything."
Elder Zhang nodded, his expression grim. "We will take action, but we must do so carefully. We cannot let the younger generation push us into reckless action. We will reclaim control, and then we will deal with the League. As for the Empresses…" He paused, his voice lowering. "They will come, but they will not find the Empire they once knew."
At the heart of the Demonic Abyss League's stronghold, the Abyssal King sat in a darkened chamber, his thoughts turning inward. The League had been in the shadows for centuries, biding its time, waiting for the moment when the Celestial Dao Alliance would crumble. Now, with the Emperor's death and the Alliance's fractured state, that moment had come.
"The Celestial Dao Alliance is weak," the Abyssal King said, his voice filled with dark satisfaction. "The Empresses are still a threat, but they are not our primary concern. The Alliance will fall apart on its own. It is time for us to rise."
One of his lieutenants, a tall woman cloaked in shadow, stepped forward. "The Empresses are not so easily ignored. They hold the power to reshape the world. If we make our move, we risk provoking them."
The Abyssal King's lips curled into a smile, his eyes glowing with cold amusement. "We will not provoke them. Not directly. But the Alliance's collapse will give us the opening we need. Once we control the Empire, the Empresses will have no choice but to bend the knee or be crushed."
The lieutenant hesitated. "And if they choose to fight?"
The Abyssal King's smile widened, his confidence unwavering. "Then we will crush them, just as we will crush the Alliance. They are not invincible. They are not gods. They are mortals, just like the rest of them."
Bai Qingyu and Li Yuexin, sitting in the peaceful silence of their valley, felt the world's tremors with each passing day. The forces that had once believed themselves invincible were now scrambling for control, unaware that their efforts were already doomed. They would fight, they would struggle, and they would lose—because they were never truly in control.
Li Yuexin stretched, her fiery aura flaring as she turned to Bai Qingyu. "It's almost time, isn't it?"
Bai Qingyu's eyes glinted with quiet intensity. "It is. The Alliance is too fractured to hold. The League is too arrogant to see their own weaknesses. And the Empire itself is on the brink of collapse. All we have to do is watch as the pieces fall into place."
Li Yuexin grinned, her energy crackling with excitement. "And then we'll step in and take what's ours. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they realize who's been pulling the strings all along."
Bai Qingyu's lips curled into a faint smile. "They'll know soon enough. But for now, we wait. The storm is coming. And when it does, it will sweep away everything in its path."