Volume 9, Chapter 604 – Wait Until They’re All Dead Before Acting

“First layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Real, but that was an hour ago. Now, I’m a master of the seventh layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.”

Qi Huang slightly raised her smooth, delicate chin.

“What? Seventh layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm? How is that even possible?”

Cheng Hongling asked in disbelief, “Didn’t you say you needed to consume a lot of Ghost Tomatoes to break through each layer? How could you possibly ascend six layers in one go?”

“Yes, but I couldn’t help it, I got lucky. Did you see that spatial rift just now? When I was fighting that Zhen Feiyan, I accidentally got thrown into it. I thought I was dead for sure, but who would’ve thought that on one of the planets inside, the entire place was covered in Ghost Tomatoes! I only spent two quarters of an hour there and reached the seventh layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.”

Qi Huang looked at her dirty clothes and excitedly explained, “See this? These purple stains are Ghost Tomato juice. If it weren’t for this ridiculous stroke of luck, forget about me, even the entire Huangtian County… no, the entire Western Radiance Dynasty, even the entire cultivation continent would’ve faced certain annihilation this time.”

“Half an hour to climb six layers? Are you cultivating immortality or climbing stairs? Even Sect Master Qin couldn’t climb stairs this fast! Are you trying to drive the old man to his grave from sheer anger?”

Cheng Hongling shook her head with mixed emotions. If Qi Huang weren’t her own doppelgänger, she might’ve actually been infuriated to death by her.

“Is Sect Master Qin really that fragile?”

Qi Huang couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Now that you’ve reached the seventh layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, doesn’t that mean you have no rivals in the cultivation world anymore?”

Cheng Hongling’s eyes lit up as she asked.

Qi Huang thought for a moment before replying modestly, “If we’re talking purely about Divine Sense, yes, I’m currently at the highest level on the entire continent. But in the end, I’m still a crippled cultivator, my combat power is reduced. From that fight with Zhen Feiyan just now, it’s clear enough. Even though I was a layer above her, winning wasn’t easy. If I had to face someone like the Immortal Alliance’s leader, things would probably get worse. After all, someone in that position has been entrenched for many years and must have powerful treasures at hand.”

“True enough.”

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Cheng Hongling nodded thoughtfully.

“But one thing’s certain, at least in terms of cultivation level alone, there’s probably no one in the entire cultivation world who can defeat me now… unless, of course, there are hidden peerless experts or some absurdly strong malevolent entities lurking around.”

Qi Huang quickly added, boosting her own confidence.

“That’s good. With your current cultivation, dealing with Huarong Sect shouldn’t be a problem anymore, and your chances of ascending within seven years have increased a lot.”

The icy frost on Cheng Hongling’s beautiful face gradually melted away. If not for the harshness of life, she wouldn’t have developed such an unapproachable personality.

“If only that spatial rift hadn’t been so narrow. If I’d had just a bit more time, I could’ve become an immortal today.”

Qi Huang sighed regretfully.

“You should learn to be content! Just like you said earlier, if you hadn’t stumbled upon this miracle, forget about becoming an immortal, you’d probably have died here today.”

Cheng Hongling resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her doppelgänger, secretly thinking, ‘Truly insatiable… If I had even half your cultivation speed, I’d spend the rest of my life living in a dream.’

“Hehe!”

Qi Huang gave a silly laugh. She understood the logic, of course, but when the ‘cheats’ were this outrageous, even she’d grown somewhat numb to it all.

“What’s your plan next?”

Cheng Hongling asked curiously.

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“I obtained a lot of Ghost Tomato seeds in that spatial rift. I need to plant them first. After that, it’s time to settle some scores. As for Huxiao Sect, anyone who took part in awakening that Zombie Crown Prince, I won’t spare a single one!”

Qi Huang’s gaze gradually sharpened.

Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling returned to Honghua Sect and immediately reported everything that happened at Pingshan Mass Burial Ground.

Qin Quan’s mouth nearly split from grinning. He instantly issued a public notice, announcing that the source of the yin miasma at Pingshan Mass Burial Ground had been resolved.

Pingshan Mass Burial Ground had been the primary source of yin energy in all of Huangtian County, tormenting the locals for thousands of years. Naturally, the news spread like wildfire.

At first, the common folk were skeptical. After all, that place was a malignant tumor that even the Immortal Alliance couldn’t handle. How could a small sect like Honghua Sect possibly eradicate it?

Qi Huang knew time would prove everything, so she focused solely on figuring out where to plant the tens of thousands of Ghost Tomato seeds she held.

Initially, Qi Huang thought of planting them within Honghua Sect. But after some hesitation, she gave up on the idea. These were, after all, toxic plants. They had once caused a disaster in Bajiao Village, and nearly everyone in Huangtian County knew about it. If she planted them on a large scale, gossip and suspicion would inevitably follow.

“Where would be a good place then? Pingshan Mass Burial Ground?”

Qi Huang considered the location again, but quickly dismissed the idea. She’d already subdued the yin energy there, and the news was public. Sooner or later, some brave souls would surely try exploring the area. Moreover, the Ghost Tomatoes had been classified by the Immortal Alliance as forbidden plants. Cultivation in the wild was strictly prohibited. If someone discovered them, wouldn’t that give others a handle against her?

Worse still, there was another critical problem: no matter where she planted them, tending tens of thousands of Ghost Tomato plants would require a massive labor force. Where was she supposed to find so many completely trustworthy workers? And considering the plants were poisonous, she could even end up harming them.

“Wait… the Immortal Alliance!”

Qi Huang’s eyes lit up as an idea struck her. Why should she personally handle the farming? She could have the Immortal Alliance grow them for her!

A bold plan gradually formed in her mind: she would sell the Ghost Tomato seeds to Elder Zuo, then later buy back the matured Ghost Tomatoes with that same money. Wouldn’t that basically mean she got free labor? As for price differences, well… since she’d be the only buyer, she could set the price however she wanted.

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‘When the time comes, I’ll just lower the purchase price. That’ll take care of the profit margin.’

Qi Huang’s rosy lips curved upward into a sly smile as her decision solidified.

Meanwhile, Chief Steward Zhong had already returned to the imperial palace, carrying Thousand Shadow’s soul. Without resting, he rushed to report this “great victory” to Lin Tu, and shamelessly credited himself for awakening the source of the yin energy.

“Splendid! Chief Steward Zhong, you’ve rendered great service this time! I will reward you heavily!”

Lin Tu rose to his feet in excitement.

“It is this old servant’s duty to ease Your Majesty’s worries. I dare not claim any credit.”

Chief Steward Zhong bowed low, his demeanor humble and respectful.

“Very good. Entrusting the Inner Court to you was indeed the right decision.”

A pleased expression crossed Lin Tu’s face. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Since the Source of the Yin Miasma energy has awakened, Huangtian County will soon be wiped clean. That malignant tumor that has plagued Huangtian County for thousands of years will finally be removed! At that time, no one will dare ridicule our Western Radiance Dynasty again! Moreover, Honghua Sect and Qi Huang will receive the punishment they deserve!”

“Indeed! Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations!”

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Chief Steward Zhong congratulated repeatedly, but then cautiously reminded, “Forgive this old servant for speaking out of turn, but since the Source of Yin Miasma is so terrifying, for the sake of Your Majesty’s empire, you should inform Elder Zuo as soon as possible.”

“Rest assured, I would never bring fire upon myself.”

For once, Lin Tu didn’t scold Zhong for overstepping his bounds. Instead, he immediately picked up the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube and contacted Elder Zuo.

“What? the Source of Yin Miasma at Pingshan Mass Burial Ground has awakened?!”

Elder Zuo, the old farmer-turned-cultivator, nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Yes. For the sake of the people, I’ve been secretly keeping watch over the area for years. Just yesterday at noon, the source awakened. Now, the entire populace of the Western Radiance Dynasty faces grave danger. I hope the Immortal Alliance, for the sake of the common folk, can step in and resolve this matter.”

Lin Tu painted himself as a benevolent ruler.

“Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I’ll report this to the Alliance Leader immediately.”

Elder Zuo promised without hesitation. After all, the Immortal Alliance’s very foundation lay in protecting mortals from evil entities. If they ignored this crisis, their reputation would suffer immense damage.

Once Lin Tu ended the call, he sat back on his dragon throne, completely at ease. The dark clouds on his face finally dispersed. Soon, all his troubles would be resolved.

In another palace, Consort Jin’s chambers, Lin Ran silently watched everything unfold through the Shadow-Retaining Mirror. Her beautiful eyes shut tightly in pain as tears streaked down her pale cheeks. She couldn’t bring herself to believe it. Her own father, the emperor, would sacrifice an entire county just to preserve his own dignity.

Elsewhere, Elder Zuo originally intended to contact the Immortal Alliance headquarters immediately. But after hesitating, he put down the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube. A sinister smile slowly crept across his wrinkled face.

“Why should I panic? Isn’t there still Honghua Sect? We’ll wait until they’re all dead before acting.”