Chapter 913

"As for the rest, when you return, simply say that Faming couldn't be found and the mission wasn't completed."

"Just ask her to send more personnel."

Wu Zetian had long been accustomed to flattery and paid it no mind.

"Yes! Your servant humbly obeys Your Majesty's command."

Cang Qu immediately bowed and accepted the order.

"Then return quickly! After finishing affairs in Tang, go straight to Qinglong Peak."

Wu Zetian truly wished to return to Jiuzhou, but she wanted even more to find Shangguan Wan'er.

Now, the only one who could find Shangguan Wan'er was the Qinglong Society.

"Your Majesty, take care."

Cang Qu nodded and instantly vanished.

Wu Zetian looked at the empty palace chamber, then suddenly smiled.

"Wu Zhao, since you wish to swap places with me as Empress, then let us truly compete."

Back then, on that wasteland, although Wu Zhao and Wan Wan had struck unexpectedly,

the greater reason was that their strength was far superior, nearly crushing Wu Zetian's side.

Now Wu Zetian holds Cang Qu's demonic cultivation secrets and the Primordial Demonic Seed.

Added to that, the Wu Zhou Empress's celestial mandate still clings to her; given time, her power will surge forward.

What I lost with my own hands, I will reclaim with my own hands!

This is the Empress of Tang, Wu Zetian!

Great Yuan, Imperial Court.

Since the Heavenly Dao Combat Power Top List from Jiuzhou was revealed, the entire Great Yuan court had been envious of the Three Supreme Divine Arts and the Sword Emperor's teachings.

After all, it wasn't just that the Three Supreme Divine Arts had produced three Heavenly Dao Golden List experts.

Simply put, everyone knew that the Sword Emperor Mu Yingxiong and Wu Ming both originated from the same sect—the Yunzhoujian Sect.

Though over the years, one took the path of Heavenly Sword, the other the Sword Emperor's way, diverging somewhat,

yet all sources flow together—both cultivated techniques stemming from the Jian Sect.

And the Great Yuan still vividly remembered how Wu Ming had once crushed the entire Yuan court and slain Po Jun.

They knew the Jian Sect's teachings were truly an extraordinary art.

But Wu Ming had already fallen out with the Great Yuan, so the Sword Emperor's teachings were naturally out of the question.

Thus, the Yuan court turned their attention to the Three Supreme Divine Arts.

After thorough analysis, they also felt that Watching Bu Jingyun and Seeing Nie Feng were not inferior.

Xiong Ba and Dongfang Sheng were newly risen Heavenly Dao Golden List experts, and both had elusive whereabouts.

Xiong Wu, though slightly weaker in strength, had the Yunzhou Imperial Court behind him.

The Yunzhou Imperial Court showed no outward signs, yet it had once halted the You Dongying invasion—truly unfathomably deep.

After much thought, the only convenient way to obtain the Three Supreme Divine Arts was to target Qin Shuang alone.

Thus, the Yuan court dispatched Lotus Living Buddha as leader, accompanied by over ten honored experts, heading to the northeastern Fuyu Kingdom.

Although Qin Shuang was already an honored guest of Dongfang Sheng, the Yuan court had confidence.

Lotus Living Buddha would not be weaker than Dongfang Sheng!

After all, Dongfang Sheng had already made the Golden List, but Lotus Living Buddha had not yet!

If Dongfang Sheng dared to interfere foolishly, they could simply "invite" him back to the Great Yuan to study the secrets of the Three Supreme Divine Arts.

Every time he thought of his plan, the newly appointed Great Khan of the Great Yuan, Ögedei, felt a surge of self-satisfaction.

Now that the Great Yuan had undergone dynastic change, its spirit was renewed.

Tuo Lei had vanished, and Shu Chi was about to become a woman.

As for the final rival, Cha Hatai, he had already been sent to Qinglong Peak.

With this, no force within the Great Yuan could now hinder Wo Kuo Tai.

In court, the civil ministers led by Yelu Chu and Boyan had already bowed in submission.

Among the generals, Mu Huali and General Zhebie, upon their return, also knelt in obedience.

The Imperial Protecting Honored Ones, led by Lotus Living Buddha and Zi Yi Jing Wang, also gave their approval.

Except for the still-absent Master Changsheng, the Immortal God of Longevity.

He had become the true Son of Heaven!

Since all rear concerns were now gone, shouldn't he enjoy himself?

At this moment, Wo Kuo Tai was in the imperial study, savoring fine wine and delicacies.

Countless beauties surrounded him.

Just as he was slightly intoxicated, not by wine but by pleasure, about to hold a grand unobstructed gathering,

"Report..."

A shrill, falsetto voice jolted Wo Kuo Tai back to awareness.

"What damn business dares disturb my leisure?"

Wo Kuo Tai first barked a curse—he had just been holding soft jade in his arms and wine at his lips, truly blissful as a god.

"Great Khan..."

Adu was Wo Kuo Tai's trusted confidant, now promoted by him to Imperial Commander, solely responsible for Wo Kuo Tai's personal safety.

Thus, all the Qixie guards in the palace were under Adu's command.

He had already seen that the messenger held a urgent report with three chicken feathers stuck in it.

Three chicken feathers — that means an eight-hundred-li express, the highest-grade urgent dispatch!

Though he could see Wokuotai's displeasure, Aodu still took the urgent report and respectfully placed it before Wokuotai's desk.

"This is an eight-hundred-li express dispatch. It seems to be truly urgent business; I beg the Great Khan to forgive me."

Wokuotai was not truly a fool to the extreme — it was only that, having at long last tasted the fulfillment of his long-cherished wish, he had grown somewhat unrestrained.

Hearing that it was an eight-hundred-li express dispatch, he too fully roused himself, sat up straight and proper, and proceeded to open that urgent report.

Those palace attendants and beauties immediately tactfully withdrew to one side, no longer daring to disturb this Great Khan.

"What! The Great Tang bullies me far too much!"

After reading the urgent report, Wokuotai, in a rage, slammed the dispatch onto the Great Yuan desk in one throw.

In his fury, the desk — crafted from thousand-year sandalwood — was actually made to shudder from the impact.

"Great Khan, what has happened? Could the Great Tang have raided the border again?"

Aodu saw that Wokuotai had erupted in thunderous fury, and could not help but give a start.

And hearing Wokuotai's words mention the Great Tang, his heart leapt even more anxiously.

Last time, over the Lanyou Temple of Youzhou, Tang Yuan erupted into great war.

In the end, the upper echelons of the Great Yuan were nearly bloodily purged, with only Yelu Chu, Boyan and a mere handful of others surviving.

Of the expeditionary army, only Mu Huali and General Zhebie returned alive, alone.

Such a terrible defeat was truly one of only two great routs since the founding of the Great Yuan.

The other, naturally, was the matter of Prince Tuo Lei personally leading a hundred thousand Kesig troops to be annihilated at the northern frontier pass of Western Xia.

At this moment Aodu's mind was racing with wild thoughts — could this Great Tang be seeking to take advantage of the Great Yuan's weakness to come and recoup something from the Great Yuan?

If that were so, then he himself, as the Great Khan's trusted confidant, would surely have to volunteer to take the field and slay the enemy.

But bullying the weak tribes on the steppe — that, Aodu was very skilled at.

Yet to deal with a behemoth like the Great Tang, especially one that had won a great victory last time —

Aodu truly did not wish to go and get himself killed!

How could Wokuotai know the little schemes churning in the heart of this burly, thick-set fellow before him who looked every inch a loyal hound.

He was only seething with rage; after his outburst, he gradually calmed down.

Hearing Aodu's question, he did not answer, only ordered,

"Go and summon the Grand Preceptor and the King of Lu."

The Grand Preceptor was naturally the Chancellor Yelu Chu; as for the King of Lu, that was Mu Huali.

Although Mu Huali had suffered defeat this time, a thorough and crushing rout —