Chapter 854

She could tell that the silver needles Dongfang Bai sent at Zhang Wuxia were almost all killing moves.

Every move she wanted to receive would cost her a great deal of effort.

Zhang Wuxia was clearly weaker than her, so why could she advance instead of retreat?

"That Miss Dongfang, we truly do not mean to make an enemy of you. Please cease fighting for now. Let me have Zhang Wuxia treat your wounds, how about it?"

Wu Zetian stood far away, yet she could also see that Dongfang Bai was wounded at this moment.

It was not that she was purely merciful; it was just that someone had already ambushed them earlier.

If not for the Great Tang's Nation-Protecting Attendants secretly following at her side,

she feared that she and Shangguan Wan'er, the three of them, would all have perished here.

This place was a land of many troubles; having one fewer enemy would only be better.

Besides, this Dongfang clearly bore no hostility.

"Until I kill this wretched slave, I swear I will not stop."

Hearing Wu Zetian's goodwill, Dongfang Bai did not accept it, but instead continued her fierce assault on Zhang Wuxia.

It was just that she had been injured first by that Extreme Yin force from Zhang Wuxia, and now fully half of her true essence was being dragged on by this Extreme Yin force.

Although her strikes against Zhang Wuxia were vicious, she only felt that across this wasteland, half the space was filled with silver needles and silk threads.

A moment's carelessness, and she feared she would die here.

But the fiercer her offensive grew, the harder Dongfang Bai's injuries became to suppress.

In just this short while, she had already vomited several mouthfuls of black blood.

Zhang Wuxia, too, under Dongfang Bai's vicious assault, could no longer press forward.

She could only rely on her movement art, dodging before her.

Even so, her sleeves, the hem of her skirt, even her arms—non-vital spots—

were still pierced full of wounds by Dongfang Bai's silver needles.

Shangguan Wan'er saw the two sides had truly come to blows; steeling herself, she prepared to coordinate with Zhang Wuxia to take down Dongfang Bai first.

Just at that moment, a thunderclap-like sound rang out across the wasteland.

The tremendous noise came precisely from behind Shangguan Wan'er.

"Not good! Meiniang!"

Shangguan Wan'er thought someone was once again sneaking up from behind to attack Wu Zetian.

How could she still spare a thought for Zhang Wuxia and Dongfang Bai? She turned around at once, wanting to go protect Wu Zetian.

The moment she turned, she immediately saw a wondrous sight.

She discovered that the wasteland, which had been a stretch of scorched earth, now displayed a magnificent city in the void above.

The city's grandeur was not merely comparable to Changancheng.

Even its layout, architectural style, and the rest bore some resemblance to Changancheng.

"A mirage?"

Shangguan Wan'er found it strange, but a great sense of alarm rose in her heart. She immediately rushed to Wu Zetian's side without a care, shielding her tightly behind her.

"Meiniang, it's dangerous here. You should quickly take the National Treasure and the Jade Jue and leave this place!"

The Jade Jue was naturally the jade token bestowed by Wangqinglong Society, meant to guide the few of them to Wangqinglong Society.

As for the National Treasure, it was Wu Zetian's means of preserving her life.

She was the Great Tang's Empress; having secretly come out this time, how could she not bring some trump cards?

"How can that be? If we go, we go together!"

Wu Zetian had first been entranced by that mirage-like scene in midair, and also felt this sight greatly resembled Changancheng.

Hearing Shangguan Wan'er's words, she was unwilling to abandon Shangguan Wan'er and leave alone.

"Very good, very good!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from level ground.

"Who?"

Shangguan Wan'er called out in warning.

The next moment, she saw a sovereign in splendid, magnificent attire, regal and noble, drift out from that city that resembled Changancheng.

Then, stepping through the void, each step sent a ring of ripples across the empty air—appearing slow, yet in truth swiftly descending toward those below.

"I am the Great Tang's Empress. You, seeing My imperial presence, do you not yet kneel?"

That person came to a stop not far from Wu Zetian and the other, then pressed her hands down lightly and spoke coldly toward the two.

"The Great Tang's Empress?"

Wu Zetian and Shangguan Wan'er were utterly astonished.

After exchanging a glance, each saw shock in the other's eyes.

It was only because this person who called herself the Great Tang's Empress had features, appearance, bearing, and the rest that were identical to Wu Zetian's.

"Precisely! Do you not yet kneel?"

That Great Tang's Empress stood high in midair, looking down at the two.

"What evil apparition has come from who knows where, daring to impersonate Her Majesty the Empress and blaspheme the Great Tang? Seeking death!"

Although Shangguan Wan'er could see this person's strangeness and terror, she still boldly struck out to attack.

Before launching her attack, she even struck out with a palm, wanting to push Wu Zetian away.

"Hmph! Daring to strike at the Sacred Presence—a capital offense!"

That person, seeing Shangguan Wan'er attack, gave a cold shout.

Then the air around her rippled in waves, sweeping toward Shangguan Wan'er.

"Wan'er…"

These ripples — anyone with eyes could see their extraordinary power.

Wu Zetian, sent stumbling back several steps by Shangguan Waner's palm-strike, could not help but cry out in anguish.

"Do not harm Your Majesty!"

Just as Wu Zetian was worrying about Shangguan Waner, Zhang Wuxia — who should still have been fighting Dongfang Bai — suddenly rushed over from behind, charging furiously toward the figure in the sky.

Seeing Zhang Wuxia coming to reinforce her, Wu Zetian felt a surge of joy in her heart.

Facing Zhang Wuxia, she could not help but say,

"Zhang Wuxia, you finally…"

Before the words were finished, the moves in Zhang Wuxia's hands suddenly all came attacking toward Wu Zetian.

Caught completely off guard, Wu Zetian was jabbed in several vital acupoints by her fingers.

A bone-piercing, frigid extreme-yin force instantly surged into Wu Zetian's eight extraordinary meridians.

It made Wu Zetian shiver involuntarily all over, feeling as though she had fallen into the depths of the coldest winter.

"Zhang Wuxia, you… what are you doing?"

Even a peak Earthly Immortal Realm master like Dongfang Bai, once jabbed by Zhang Wuxia's extreme-yin force,

could only mobilize barely more than half his true essence to suppress it, unable to be careless in the slightest.

Wu Zetian, as empress and sovereign of the Great Tang, in truth could not even match Dongfang Bai in strength.

Moreover, Zhang Wuxia had been by her side for many years; one could say that throughout the entire harem, apart from Shangguan Waner, Zhang Wuxia was the one she trusted most.

Zhang Wuxia's sudden strike now left Wu Zetian unable to make sense of the situation, and made her feel an utterly bone-chilling cold.

"Of course — to see Your Majesty off!"

Zhang Wuxia let out a cold laugh and reached into Wu Zetian's embrace.

She actually pulled out a strangely shaped cup, its front end resembling a peculiar beast's head, crystalline and translucent.

"Do not harm Your Majesty…"

Shangguan Waner had originally been heading toward the disturbance in the air.

But halfway there, she realized that this disturbance looked terrifyingly fearsome,

yet in truth was all thunder and no rain.

It was as if someone had conjured an illusion.

Once Zhang Wuxia seized the chance to pin down Wu Zetian, she finally reacted, turned in midair, and rushed back to reinforce Wu Zetian.

In her heart she too felt as puzzled as Wu Zetian — why would the ever-loyal Zhang Wuxia suddenly turn against Her Majesty the Empress?