Sensing her gaze, Kai muttered softly, "Crap, meeting a beauty for the first time, and I forgot to change clothes. System, give me a cool outfit."
DING!
[Detected Host's Need for artifact]
[Reward Granted: Imperial Dragon Set]
In an instant, his attire transformed into an imposing set of robes with dragon print, exuding an aura of absolute authority. The sect elders gasped, seeing the Heaven-grade artifact.
"This… is the aura of a great emperor," one elder whispered in awe.
The Empress, though outwardly calm, couldn't help but reassess him. 'So, he truly is the great emperor. His cultivation… it's higher than mine.'
Stepping forward, she bowed gracefully. "Great Emperor Kai Wusheng, I am Feng Yanran." Her voice softened as she continued, "I humbly request your aid in saving the Scarlet Phoenix Dynasty."
Her words shocked the gathered elders.
"Why is she bowing to the Ancestral Master?"
"The Empress is bowing… to him?"
"This is the same Empress who has conquered nations! What could make her bow?"
Feigning hesitation, Kai Wusheng responded as though he wasn't used to people bowing to him.
"Please, rise. I have been living in seclusion for years, avoiding worldly affairs…"
But before he could finish, the Empress interrupted, her voice uncharacteristically soft and containing a hint of rare vulnerability. "If the great emperor deems it necessary… I am willing to offer myself to you."
The hall erupted in whispers of disbelief.
"The Empress… offering herself? This is… unheard of!"
Despite his composure, Kai Wusheng found himself momentarily speechless as the Empress was so straightforward.
'Tempting as this is, wouldn't accepting her bring countless troubles?'
The stage was set. A whirlwind of emotions, motives, and destiny swirled within the hall. Yet, in the end, the decision lay solely in the hands of Kai Wusheng. Would he rise to the challenge—or continue lying flat, as he always had?
As Kai Wusheng was pondering the trouble he would have to deal with, the system chimed in, "Master, the Empress possesses the rare Phoenix Physique!"
"Yeah, I know. It's probably related to dual cultivation, right?" Kai Wusheng spoke casually, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. After all, he'd read plenty of cultivation novels in his past life to predict where this was going.
The system's voice chimed in excitedly, "Yes, Master! Dual cultivation will help you both break through rapidly."
Though his thoughts were racing, he thought,
'This system knows very well how to tempt a person who has been single almost his whole life. But why does this feel like some cringe plotline straight out of a third-rate novel?'
"You know, System, I'm not doing this because I'm a simp or anything. I'm just helping out this beauty," he said, hiding his excitement.
Hearing his justification, she grinned mischievously but wisely kept silent. After pondering for a moment, Kai Wusheng came to a conclusion. This beauty was worth more than just some temporary trouble.
"Let's depart to the Scarlet Phoenix Dynasty," Kai Wusheng spoke without even asking what she needed help with, as if he already knew how the scene would unfold.
As he prepared to leave with the Empress, the sect leader hesitated, then spoke, his voice filled with worry. "Ancestral Master, who will protect our sect after your departure? With you gone, we'll be vulnerable to attacks from other forces."
DING!
[Detected host's desire to protect the sect.]
[Reward Granted: Nine-Dimension Sword Array.]
Kai Wusheng's mind was instantly flooded with information about the array. He raised his hand, and a brilliant formation materialized in the sky.
"This… this is a perfect barrier!" a great elder exclaimed. "Even a Tribulation Realm expert would struggle to break this!"
The Empress, stunned, murmured to herself, "Even our Scarlet Phoenix Dynasty only possesses a seventh-level formation… This is far beyond that."
Moments later, her imperial chariot arrived—a magnificent carriage pulled by a divine phoenix. The sect members were awestruck, having never seen such a high-level divine beast.
Kai Wusheng couldn't miss the chance to impress the Empress.
"System, give me a chariot."
DING!
[Detected host's desire for a chariot.]
[Reward Granted: Six-Dragon Chariot.]
A majestic chariot pulled by six colossal dragons materialized in the sky, leaving everyone wondering how many treasures this man possessed.
"Why not take my chariot instead? It's faster," Kai Wusheng suggested.
The Empress's composure wavered slightly as she watched him.
'This man… just how unfathomable is he?'
At the Azure Cloud Dynasty
The barrier surrounding the Scarlet Phoenix Dynasty trembled violently as waves of attacks struck relentlessly. The elders were struggling to maintain it.
"Hold on! The Empress will return soon!" the national advisor spoke desperately.
Beyond the barrier, a burly man in dark armor sneered. "Hand over the Empress, or this palace will become your burial ground today!" Xiao Zong, one of the Xianwu generals, shouted with murderous intent.
Just as the barrier was about to shatter, Kai Wusheng arrived in a grand display. "Lemme handle it," he urged the Empress to go help the elders.
Xiao Zong scoffed, unimpressed. "Is this the help the Empress sought? A mere Great Emperor? Boy, run away before you lose your life."
However, Xiao Zheng, another general, noticed Kai Wusheng's Imperial Dragon artifact and chariot. He stepped forward cautiously. "Sir, who are you? Your presence doesn't seem ordinary," he asked to verify if Kai Wusheng was from a high-level sect or some ancient hidden family.
Before Kai Wusheng could respond, Xiao Zong interrupted with a laugh. "Bah! Let me handle him. He's just a second-realm Great Emperor."
As the generals spoke, Kai Wusheng's system panel activated, displaying their information:
DING!
Name: Xiao Zong
Cultivation: Great Emperor, 3rd Realm
Special Bloodline: None
Affiliation: Xianwu Dynasty, General
Name: Xiao Zheng
Cultivation: Great Emperor, 3rd Realm
Special Bloodline: None
Affiliation: Xianwu Dynasty, General
"I am not worth mentioning. If anything, can you go back? I don't want to fight," Kai Wusheng asked lazily.
Xiao Zheng, still wary of Kai Wusheng's identity, asked, "Your majesty, can you give my Xianwu Dynasty some face and not meddle in? We will give you satisfying rewards later."
Kai Wusheng replied, "No," with a teasing tone. "If you were a beautiful woman, I'd think about it."
"Let's just kill him," Xiao Zong snarled.
Xiao Zong clenched his fists, golden energy surging around him as he sneered. "Boy, you think a mere second-realm Great Emperor can stand against me? I'll crush you like an ant!"
DING!
[Reward Granted: Heavenly sword]
Kai Wusheng smirked. "Let's see how long you can keep up your arrogance."
Kai Wusheng stood with his sword resting lazily on his shoulder and a calm expression. "You talk too much. Let's see if your fists can keep up with your mouth."
With a roar, Xiao Zong charged forward, his fists blurring as he launched a barrage of punches. Kai Wusheng dodged effortlessly. "Is this all? I've seen stronger gusts of wind," he taunted.
From the side, Xiao Zheng's sword burst out in rage, aiming for Kai Wusheng's unguarded side. "You're not walking away from this!"
Kai Wusheng's sword clashed with Xiao Zheng's in a sharp burst of sparks, forcing the latter back. "You need to work harder," he teased.
"Arrogant brat!" Xiao Zong barked, launching a glowing fist directly at Kai Wusheng's chest.