The air in the Forgotten Celestial Valley was still, almost eerily so. Bai Qingyu and Li Yuexin stood atop a jade pavilion, the structure floating gracefully above the lush valley. The valley itself, once a place of serenity, now seemed like a brewing storm. The two women were at its center, poised like the calm before the tempest, knowing full well the chaos that was soon to unfold.
The sky stretched above them, its celestial blue dotted with drifting clouds. A soft breeze fluttered through Qingyu's silver hair, while Yuexin lay lazily beside her, her fingers lazily flicking a flame between her palms. The scene, both peaceful and menacing, set the stage for what was to come.
"Do you think they've figured it out yet?" Yuexin's voice was teasing, but her eyes glittered with fire.
Qingyu, her expression as serene as ever, took a delicate sip of her tea. The crystal cup caught the reflection of the twin suns overhead, their rays casting a soft golden hue. "The Celestial Dao Alliance?" she asked, her voice almost amused. "I suspect they still think they control the game. But I doubt they'll see the real players until it's too late."
Yuexin stretched lazily beside her, enjoying the luxury of the moment. "Well, let them have their delusions for now," she replied with a mischievous grin. "They think they can force us into submission. But we both know how that's going to end."
Qingyu's icy blue eyes flickered with faint amusement. "They have yet to learn that submission is not a concept they control. But they will soon. For now, we let them play their hand."
The silence between them was comfortable, but it was short-lived. A sudden ripple of energy pierced the tranquility of the valley. Powerful auras, unmistakable in their authority, were drawing closer. The 'righteous' sects, as they liked to call themselves, had finally gathered their top elders and were marching to meet the Empresses. The tension in the air was thick, as if the entire world was holding its breath in anticipation.
Yuexin sighed dramatically. "And here they come, the grand procession of the righteous sects. Why do they always make such a show of it?"
Qingyu placed her cup down, her eyes never leaving the approaching figures. "Because they think they are the rightful rulers. They cannot help but flaunt their false sense of superiority. Let them come."
From the swirling mist at the valley entrance emerged the first of the sect elders. Cloaked in celestial robes, they were adorned with symbols of power and authority. The leader, an ancient man with a long silver beard, stepped forward. His aura, though impressive, failed to match the gravity of the situation. His eyes, however, were filled with both pride and fear—a mixture that did not escape Qingyu's sharp gaze.
"Divine Frost Empress, Everlasting Flame Sovereign!" The leader's voice rang out, firm but laden with hidden trepidation. "You have interfered in the cultivation world for far too long. We demand that you cease your actions and submit to the Celestial Dao Alliance."
Yuexin snorted loudly, her tone dripping with amusement. "Submit? To what exactly? To the same sects that collapsed the moment we left our sanctuary? How quaint."
Qingyu's voice was calm, almost indulgent, as she spoke. "Submit, you say? Elder Su, what would submission entail, I wonder? Tell us, exactly what do you think you can offer that we would ever consider worthy of such an act?"
Elder Su hesitated, clearly taken aback by the mocking tone in her voice. "We... we simply wish for balance to be restored. Your presence disrupts the natural order of the world."
Yuexin's laugh rang out, light and carefree, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere. "Balance? How rich," she said, still toying with the small flame in her hand. "These are the same sects that crushed weaker factions for centuries, exploited rogue cultivators, and hoarded resources with no concern for the world's true balance. You claim to seek harmony, but only when it suits your purposes."
Qingyu's expression softened slightly, but her voice remained as cold as ice. "Indeed. If anything, we have brought balance. The ones who once trampled the weak now kneel in humility before us. Perhaps that disturbs your sense of righteousness, but we cannot help that."
The elders were beginning to shift uneasily, their faces betraying the growing tension. Some, clearly feeling the weight of their words, exchanged glances. They had not expected the confrontation to escalate so quickly, but their pride would not let them retreat.
The younger elder, more hot-headed than his counterparts, stepped forward, his voice rising in defiance. "You speak as if you are above the heavens themselves! Do not mistake our patience for weakness. If you will not submit, then—"
Before he could finish, Yuexin's hand rose lazily, and in an instant, a wave of scorching heat cascaded through the air. The once fertile valley beneath them cracked and turned to ash as the heat intensified. The elders, now sweating and scrambling to activate their defensive talismans, found their powers barely holding back the inferno.
Yuexin's voice was casual, almost bored, as she asked, "Then what? Will you attack? Would you truly risk everything, knowing that you would fall before you even drew your weapons?"
Silence descended upon the group. None dared to answer, the weight of their collective power a mere whisper against the crushing pressure Bai Qingyu and Li Yuexin exuded with barely an effort.
Elder Su, gritting his teeth, took a step back, his pride shattered. "This isn't over. The Celestial Dao Alliance will not stand idly by. If you insist on defying order, you will make enemies far greater than you can handle."
Qingyu sighed, as if she were speaking to a particularly obstinate child. "You already are our enemies. The question now is whether you're worth exterminating."
Yuexin smirked, her fiery energy swirling around her hands. "But please, keep talking. It might just convince us to speed up the process."
The elders, their heads held high but their shoulders stiff with barely concealed humiliation, turned and left. As their forms disappeared into the mist, Yuexin leaned against Qingyu, a grin still on her face.
"Do you think they'll try to ambush us?"
Qingyu, ever composed, gave a small pat on Yuexin's cheek. "Of course. It's their nature."
After a brief pause, Yuexin laughed. "Shall we make it entertaining then?"
Qingyu's lips curved into a smile. "Naturally. Let's remind them why the heavens once trembled at our names."
Later that night, the celestial moonlight bathed the valley in an eerie stillness. The Celestial Dao Alliance had retreated, but their presence lingered, a heavy weight hanging in the air. Yuexin, her crimson robes flowing around her like fire, gazed at the moon's reflection on the calm lake beside the pavilion.
"They won't accept defeat so easily," she murmured, her voice low.
Qingyu, seated beside her, nodded with quiet resolve. "No. When one fears irrelevance, they fight tooth and nail to retain whatever semblance of power they have left."
A gust of wind stirred, carrying with it a faint whisper. Both women turned in unison. A shadowy figure darted through the trees, barely perceptible in the darkened night.
Yuexin's eyes narrowed. "Assassins? Really? This is the best they can come up with?"
Qingyu's lips curled slightly, amused by the challenge. "It's amusing. Shall we entertain them?"
Yuexin's fiery energy ignited around her fingertips, a wicked grin forming. "Oh, Qing'er, you always know how to make our nights interesting."
With a single, fluid movement, they descended upon the would-be attackers, their combined power turning the serene valley into a battleground. Yet another reminder of who truly held dominion over the cultivation world.