A massive explosion left Qin Yu’s ears ringing, temporarily robbing her of her hearing.
The scorching shockwave battered the barrier, its radiance flickering, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Luo Shangyu shielded Qin Yu, who was lying on top of her, both of them clinging tightly to each other, hiding within the barrier to escape the terrifying explosion outside.
Judging by the explosive force, Luo Shangyu estimated it was at least an Eighth-Tier shell.
An Eighth-Tier Quasi-God’s full-force strike would be no more than this.
Standing at the center of the blast, Luo Shangyu relied on her barrier to withstand it, deeply realizing just how powerful an Eighth-Tier’s attack could be.
As a peak Seventh-Tier, Luo Shangyu could barely withstand such an immense assault—something the assassins could never have anticipated.
After the explosion faded, the Magic-conducting Guns began to unleash a furious barrage, but the bullets posed no threat at all to Luo Shangyu’s barrier.
At the very instant of the explosion, Qin Yu’s carriage sent out a message to the outside via magic; the Yulin Army received news of the attack, and Left Yulin Commander Zhong Chang Gong hurriedly mustered his forces to rush to the scene.
Along the way, Zhong Chang Gong silently prayed for Qin Yu’s safety.
After all, Qin Yu had saved his life once, so the loyal Zhong Chang Gong had always been deeply grateful to her.
***
“We’re pulling out!” Spotting the distant Yulin Army hurrying over, a masked man gave the order to the others.
All the other masked men hurriedly jumped onto the carriage they’d arrived in, preparing to make a swift getaway.
Zhong Chang Gong, seeing the bandits about to escape, signaled his men to open fire on the enemy.
The Yulin Army’s gunners, ordered into action, operated the 50mm recoilless cannons mounted on horseback, calmly aiming at the enemy vehicles and pressing the trigger.
With a thunderous bang, one carriage was reduced to wreckage, wisps of black smoke still drifting upwards.
The gunner reloaded, the shell casing clattering out as a new round was loaded.
Another explosion, and a second carriage was turned to ruins.
“Commander, reporting in: enemy vehicles destroyed, no enemy survivors.”
***
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu, hearing the sudden silence after the gunfire, then caught the sound of the retreat order.
They guessed the enemy had already withdrawn.
As the two sat up, preparing to dispel the barrier, two cannon blasts thundered out, the force shattering what was left of the carriage’s cabin, leaving the barrier—protecting the pair—exposed to the air.
Now they could observe the outside world through its translucent glow.
From afar, Qin Yu saw Zhong Chang Gong galloping towards them on horseback, and glanced at the enemy vehicles reduced to ash in the distance.
She let out a long sigh of relief: it seemed they were safe now.
Zhong Chang Gong rode up to Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu, then leaped from his horse and kowtowed in apology, “I arrived too late…”
Qin Yu hurried to help Zhong Chang Gong up as she said, “Commander, you don’t need to do this. This was a sudden incident, no one could have predicted it. Who could say you came late? The fact you managed to destroy the enemy on the spot is a great merit.”
At that moment, a whistling sound rang out from the direction of the Imperial Palace—a bright red flare shot into the sky, clearly visible even against the afternoon sun.
“That’s a distress signal, and the highest level at that!” Shock filled Zhong Chang Gong’s eyes as his pupils contracted.
A red flare: the Imperial Palace is under attack and is requesting aid from the Yulin Army encampment.
And it’s the highest grade, demanding an urgent response.
Two thousand Jingshi Army soldiers are stationed in the palace, all under the command of the Jingshi Army Commander.
Though small in number, every one of them is at least a Second-Tier mage—a true elite among elites.
If even they can’t deal with the enemy, then this foe is far from ordinary.
The faint sounds of explosions could still be heard coming from the direction of the palace.
“We must hurry back!” Qin Yu was anxious.
Most members of the Lingyan Pavilion were out on duty lately, only a few weaker ones remained on watch.
Aside from those and the mages on duty in the pavilion, the palace had only Yin An as its sole mage—making it the weakest moment for the palace’s defenses.
“At our fastest, it’ll still take almost an hour…” Zhong Chang Gong reminded from the side.
“We’ll have to fly.” Qin Yu seemed to steel her resolve, speaking slowly, “There’s a Yong An City Flight Ban over the Yongan City Airspace, but right now we have to lift the restriction if we’re to reinforce the Imperial Palace in time. Luo Shangyu, I’ll leave lifting the ban to you.”
“Me?” Luo Shangyu asked in disbelief.
The method for lifting the Yong An City Flight Ban was a closely guarded secret of the Chengji Empire, passed down through generations.
And now, Qin Yu was actually telling her in person?
“Yes… lifting it requires the power of a Seventh-Tier Quasi-God. Only you can manage it here.” Qin Yu could see the hesitation in Luo Shangyu’s eyes.
“All right!” Luo Shangyu nodded, focusing intently as she mastered the method to lift the ban.
A few minutes later, Luo Shangyu and Qin Yu succeeded in lifting the flight ban.
“You lead the Yulin Army to the palace at once. We’ll go ahead and support them!” Qin Yu commanded Zhong Chang Gong.
“Yes!”
Under Zhong Chang Gong’s watchful gaze, Luo Shangyu took Qin Yu’s hand, soaring up into the sky and flying toward the Imperial Palace.
Watching the two fly away, Zhong Chang Gong began carrying out standard procedure: sealing off Yongan City, dispatching the Yulin Army Elite to the Imperial Palace.
***
“Are you sure it’s really okay to share such a secret with me?” Amidst the howling wind, Luo Shangyu turned her head and asked Qin Yu.
“It’s all right. You are the most important person in my life—I trust you.” Qin Yu’s words were clear and distinct, even amid the rush of wind.
Ever since Luo Shangyu had come to her side, it was as if color had returned to Qin Yu’s world; with Luo Shangyu’s company, Qin Yu had found her lighthouse in the long night.
Clearly, Luo Shangyu had become an inseparable part of Qin Yu’s heart.
“……”
The corners of Luo Shangyu’s lips curled into a slight smile, her grip on Qin Yu’s hand tightening.
***
“Commander, there are more and more of them!” On top of Zhengyang Gate, a soldier shouted to the Jingshi Army Commander.
“Hold the line! His Majesty is right behind us!” The Jingshi Army Commander was fighting on the front, answering his men without even turning his head.
At the foot of the gate stood mages of the Third and Fourth Tiers, raising their Magic Staffs to bombard the city gates.
Atop the gate, Jingshi Army soldiers likewise wielded their Magic Staffs, taking advantage of their high ground to attack the enemy below.
So many Third and Fourth-Tier mages in the rebel ranks showed this uprising had been long in the planning.
The Jingshi Army numbered two thousand; leveraging the terrain, they attacked the enemy.
Though the rebels’ strength generally outstripped the Jingshi Army, the rebels were still suffering constant casualties.
The tide of victory was gradually shifting toward the Jingshi Army.
Just then, a man stepped forward from the rebels, cloaked in black, his face hidden by his hood and impossible to see.
The black-robed man produced his Magic Staff and with a light tap on Zhengyang Gate, the tall, imposing main gate of the Imperial City shattered into ruins.
All the Jingshi Army soldiers atop the gate perished.
The rebels broke through the road to Weiyang Hall, marching forward in great strides, the black-robed man at their head.
Before Weiyang Hall, Yin An stood at a distance, gripping his Magic Staff and watching the rebels approach.
From his staff surged forth immense primal mana, enveloping the rest of the palace in a protective barrier.
Usually, the job of maintaining such a massive barrier would fall to the members of the Lingyan Pavilion.
But today, most were coincidentally away on assignment.
‘If only there were someone on duty in the Lingyan Pavilion, Zhengyang Gate wouldn’t have been breached!’ Yin An sighed deeply in his heart.
“The Chengji Empire has enjoyed peace for too long and neglected the defense of the Imperial City. If only there were a magic array to generate a barrier, even without the help of the Lingyan Pavilion, the gates wouldn’t have fallen!”
Now, the strongest person left in the palace was Yin An alone.
Even though he was a civil official, in the face of the rebels, Yin An had no choice but to stand forward.
Sensing the aura of the rebel leader—the black-robed man—Yin An felt a faint fear: ‘the mana within the black-robed man was as deep as an abyss, impossible to fathom.’
At the very least, he was an Eighth-Tier Quasi-God, perhaps even a Ninth-Tier False God!
The distance between the two sides gradually closed.
Suddenly, the black-robed man halted, and with a swift wave of his Magic Staff, dark Elemental Power surged forth, condensing into a Dark Element Whip stretching across the sky.
Dark Element opposed Light Element.
When the Dark Element Whip lashed out, even the sun overhead dimmed.
The whip struck the barrier, then, following its momentum, struck Yin An.
“Ah!” Unable to defend himself, Yin An let out a scream as he was knocked backward, the barrier he’d sustained instantly collapsing.
Seventh-Tier Quasi-God Yin An fell, and chaos erupted among the palace staff.
Yin An struggled to his feet, raising his Magic Staff again.
This time, his eyes were filled with determination to live and die with the Imperial Palace.
‘Crown Princess, you must live well from now on…’ Yin An thought, then stepped forward and shouted, “I swear to live and die with Weiyang Hall!”
This was a cry filled with the resolve to die with honor.
The palace servants were all roused, their hope for resisting the rebels ignited anew.
***
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu reached the skies above the Imperial Palace in only fifteen minutes.
At the sight of the devastated Zhengyang Gate, the two realized things had gone badly!
Immediately, Luo Shangyu sensed that Dark Element Whip arcing across the sky.
She saw the caster, the black-robed man, whose body was wreathed in intense dark Elemental Power.
As an elf skilled in Light Element, Luo Shangyu loathed the Dark Element most of all.
With the enemy a Dark Element mage, Luo Shangyu held nothing back as she attacked.
While still airborne, Luo Shangyu thrust her Magic Staff forward—”Saint Light Sword, release!”
A sword of light shot down from the heavens, piercing the left rear of the black-robed man, passing through his body and emerging from his chest.
Light Element was naturally the bane of Dark Element.
The black-robed man stood no chance of survival.
The black-robed man—dead!
With their leader gone, the rebels were quickly wiped out.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu descended from the sky, as Yin An finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Although Yin An had already guessed that Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu were unharmed, it was only when he saw them with his own eyes that he could finally relax.
“His Majesty…” Yin An reported to Qin Yu about Qin Ling’s situation, “…His already frail body was frightened, and he’s now extremely weak. The imperial physicians say His Majesty’s life isn’t in danger, but he needs rest. So, you must act in his stead.”
“…” Qin Yu had never expected this day would come so soon.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu, under Yin An’s guidance, entered Weiyang Hall.
Qin Ling lay weakly on his sickbed inside the hall.
Qin Yu hurried to Qin Ling’s bedside.
Seeing his pale face, she choked up a little.
“Father…”
“Qin Yu, pull yourself together. Your father isn’t dying so soon. From now on, it’s your era, your turn to take the stage.” Qin Ling spoke weakly, pointing at the empty dragon throne.
“By Heaven’s Mandate, His Majesty decrees: Crown Princess Qin Yu shall act as Regent, overseeing all civil and military affairs!”
Yin An took up the edict that Qin Ling had just drafted, reading it aloud in a clear voice.
Entrusted with this heavy responsibility in a moment of crisis, Qin Yu knew she must take up the Crown Princess’s duties.
Qin Yu stepped slowly up to the dragon throne and said, “By order of the Emperor, I shall not fail in my duty!”
Then, Qin Yu slowly sat upon the dragon throne—the symbol of the Chengji Empire’s highest authority.
Gazing at Weiyang Hall, acclaimed as the empire’s political heart, she truly realized: her era had come!
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