Chapter 517: Chapter 161: The Empress’s Willful Choice of Husband! (First Update)

As Mu Qingge was in shock, she also heard Mo Yang’s astonished voice shout, "Miss!"

’It’s really Aunt!’

Mu Qingge exclaimed in her heart. Mo Yang’s words confirmed that she wasn’t seeing things.

Aunt Mu Lianrong was traveling in the Ancient Witch Country; this she knew. But she didn’t expect such a surprising reunion. She hadn’t thought that coming to watch the excitement, she’d find that the main character of this excitement was her own aunt!

What surprised her the most was that her aunt was actually competing with the Empress of the Ancient Witch Country for a man!

Competing! For a! Man!

"Little Lord, what should we do? Should we step in to help?" Mo Yang whispered in Mu Qingge’s ear for instructions.

The shock in Mu Qingge’s eyes slowly subsided. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, "There’s no hurry. I also want to see what choice the man favored by my aunt will ultimately make."

"Either come with me to the palace or die." The Empress of the Ancient Witch Country dominantly gave two choices from the spire.

Mu Lianrong’s face changed, and her expression became conflicted.

She looked at the man in front of her, suddenly pursing her lips. It seemed she had no standing to help him make this choice.

For a time, the surroundings of the square fell silent. The onlookers, whether they were from the Ancient Witch Country or travelers from other countries, were all waiting for the man’s answer.

Moreover, many people looked up at the lofty Empress atop the spire. Though her appearance couldn’t be seen clearly, judging by her figure and voice, she was certainly a peerless beauty. Furthermore, given the Ancient Witch Country’s lineage, there were hardly any unattractive women; she being the Empress should be more beautiful.

Many men in the crowd quietly made their own choices, thinking if it were them, they’d probably only choose the former.

After all, it’s no loss!

Amidst everyone’s eager anticipation, the man finally made his choice.

He sneered disdainfully at the Empress on the spire and straightened his back, saying, "I won’t go to the palace with you, nor will I easily give up my life. My life and death are not for you to decide!"

"Good!"

"Well said!"

"With valor!"

"Like a man!"

The man’s words immediately garnered much applause.

Although in their hearts, they all chose the former, seeing the protagonist dare to resist, they couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up. As for whether they would secretly curse him as a fool afterward, that was another matter.

"Aren’t you afraid of death?" The Empress’s proud voice fell from the spire.

From her voice, it was hard to tell any emotions. It was impossible to determine if she was angry because of the man’s choice.

"Afraid!" the man candidly answered, "But I can’t make a choice against my conscience just because I’m afraid of death. Also, if you want to kill me, it doesn’t mean you necessarily can!"

The man’s confident words made him appear more dazzling.

Mu Qingge noticed that after he finished speaking, the look in Mu Lianrong’s eyes as she looked at his back had a bit more sparkle.

That kind of look was something she had never seen on her aunt before.

The man’s response left the spire silent for a while.

Just as everyone was curious about the Empress’s decision, wondering if she would order the couple captured in a fit of anger or even executed on the spot, she spoke again.

"Is your choice because of that old woman behind you?"

Oh dear, my goodness!

Mu Qingge’s brow twitched slightly.

This woman dared to insult her aunt as an ’old woman’!

Although Mu Lianrong was already thirty, she showed no signs of aging. She was still radiant, bright and captivating, with a distinguished look. Compared to ordinary women or those young girls in their teens, she had a mature charm.

Mu Qingge’s gaze unintentionally fell on the man, and a hint of disdain flashed through. She still thought the man was a bit young. Although his looks were indeed good, he seemed somewhat immature and not suitable for her aunt.

Of course, as long as the man’s character was good, she wouldn’t interfere with her aunt’s choice.

"Don’t insult Sister Rong!" came the man’s angry voice.

The words of the Empress did not anger Mu Lianrong; instead, they evoked his dissatisfaction.

"Xue Qiao!" Mu Lianrong softly called the man’s name, her voice revealing a touch of emotion.

"Oh? Angry now? Fine, let me put it this way: you refuse to go to the palace with me because of this glamorous elder sister behind you?" The Empress’s voice came again.

Pffft—!

Pffft!

Among the crowd, many couldn’t help but laugh at the Empress’s words.

This time, she indeed didn’t call Mu Lianrong an ’old woman,’ but the final words "elder sister" were even more impactful!

A dangerous glint flickered in Mu Qingge’s clear eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

Mo Yang coldly said, "Little Lord, they dare to laugh at Miss, should we go teach them a lesson?"

"No need, the main culprit is up there." Mu Qingge shifted her gaze lightly, settling on the graceful figure in the spire. "If we’re going to slap someone’s face, it’s more interesting to do it to the main one."

"You! You domineering woman!" Xue Qiao expressed indignation, his face flaring red as though the people were laughing at him instead of Mu Lianrong.

Contrarily, Mu Lianrong seemed unaffected, remaining calm and open. "Xue Qiao, she’s not incorrect. Why are you angry?"

Xue Qiao turned to look at her seriously and said, "At this moment, she’s saying this to humiliate you. You stand against the Empress for me; why are you so unconcerned when it’s about yourself? You don’t let anyone force me, so I won’t let anyone insult you either!"

With that, he suddenly grabbed Mu Lianrong’s hand and, amid her astonished gaze, turned to look at the spire, saying to the Empress of the Ancient Witch Country, "Indeed! I’ve already made a vow of lifelong companionship with her; she is my wife, so I will never betray her! In this life, I will only marry her as my wife!"

"Xue Qiao! You..." Mu Lianrong looked at the man five years her junior in shock, his words making her ears burn and her whole body stiffen.

The light gasp of surprise behind her made Xue Qiao turn around, gazing at her with deep affection and using a low, melodious voice to make a promise: "Sister Rong, would you be willing to marry me as my wife?"

"I... I..." Mu Lianrong looked at him in shock. Reflected in her eyes was the man’s sincere expression, but her mind was a whirlpool, unable to give an answer.

This sudden confession and forceful declaration heightened the onlookers’ interest.

Mu Qingge glanced lightly at the two, thinking to herself: ’It seems aunt is quite surprised!’

"So it really is because of this woman." The Empress from the spire spoke up. Her tone remained calm without joy, anger, or even any hint of displeasure or rage. It was as if she were the high and mighty Empress, disdaining to show her emotions to ordinary people. "Then, I’ll change the choice I give you..."

She paused, and as Xue Qiao and Mu Lianrong looked up at her, she suddenly said, "Either you come with me to the palace, or she dies. Make your choice."

The crowd was in an uproar!

Mu Qingge also furrowed her brow.

She discerned the malicious glee hidden in the Empress’s voice, but that didn’t mean she could tolerate her using her aunt as a condition.

Xue Qiao also angrily said, "You are simply unreasonable! There’s no way I’ll go to the palace with you. If you want to kill or flay, come at me!"

"Xue Qiao!" Mu Lianrong grabbed Xue Qiao’s arm.

As he turned back, Mu Lianrong gave him a smile: "It seems she won’t easily let you go. Reasoning’s not working, so let’s fight!"

Xue Qiao looked at her with deep emotions, feeling a myriad of thoughts in his heart. He held Mu Lianrong’s hand gripping his arm, apologetic and deeply affectionate, saying, "Sister Rong, I’m sorry for dragging you into this."

"Hey, are you two pretending I’m dead? Playing out such a romantic scene in front of me? Someone, take them down!" No one expected the Empress of the Ancient Witch Country to suddenly become furious.

"Do you think I’m dead too? Daring to try and capture my aunt and uncle in front of my face?" Mu Qingge’s teasing voice suddenly emerged.

Hearing this voice, Mu Lianrong was startled and looked in the direction of the voice: "Qingge!"

The people watching around also secretly admired: Who’s so daring to confront the Empress face-to-face! Do they still want to leave the Ancient Witch Country alive?

The guards ready to swarm forward froze in place.

The figure in the spire slightly turned, their gaze falling on the beguiling red figure nonchalantly emerging from the crowd.

Dragon Tooth Guards surrounded Mu Qingge as she walked out, Shang Zisu following closely behind her. For a moment, everyone’s attention in the square focused on their group.

The gazes fell particularly heavily on Mu Qingge.

Without anyone telling them, they could discern that the person challenging the Empress was this handsome young man in red!

Once Mu Qingge stepped onto the square, her countenance became even clearer.

Suddenly, there came a collective gasp around her—

Even though they were in the Ancient Witch Country, amidst a realm full of handsome men and beautiful women, they were still captivated by Mu Qingge’s appearance.

Her impeccably delicate features, astonishingly beautiful yet androgynous, combined with a wild, defiant aura, were enough to make anyone willingly fall for her at first glance!

"Qingge, why are you here?" Mu Lianrong looked shocked as she approached the figure walking towards her.

She even let go of Xue Qiao’s hand and quickly stepped towards Mu Qingge.

As she spotted Shang Zisu behind Mu Qingge, a slight confusion flickered across her face. In truth, she was silently questioning why every time her niece appeared, there was a different girl by her side! And each one was an exceptional beauty!

If Mu Qingge were a man, it might not be an issue. But the problem was, she was a woman! A woman!

A slight sense of panic rose within Mu Lianrong. Upon arriving in the Ancient Witch Country, she discovered that people here seemed remarkably open about romance, indifferent to gender, crossing both race and age boundaries. She had even witnessed two women from the Ancient Witch Country embracing on the street. She feared that her niece might get too used to disguising as a man and forget her true gender.

However, these concerns were just fleeting thoughts in Mu Lianrong’s mind.

As she reached Mu Qingge, who had just called her ’Aunt,’ the voice of the Ancient Witch Country’s Empress resonated once more: "And who are you? Did you come for this woman as well?"

Without time to catch up with her aunt, Mu Qingge turned and glanced towards the spire, a wicked smile tugging at her lips: "Empress, how old are you this year? If you’re old, it’s understandable, but if you’re young and still can’t hear clearly, you should promptly see a doctor. Didn’t you hear me call her ’Aunt’?"

Hiss—!

"Where did this brat come from? Does he have a death wish, daring to speak to the Empress like that!"

"Didn’t you hear him call that woman ’Aunt’? He probably couldn’t stand seeing an elder bullied, so he stepped up. Truly a case of young calves not fearing the tiger, acting on impulse!"

"Such a character! Vindictive, unwilling to suffer any loss."

"You all shut up! Didn’t you see the Empress is about to order his capture? Forget about rashness right now!"

The surrounding voices buzzed in discussion.

Xue Qiao also walked over at this time, inquiring of Mu Lianrong: "Sister Rong, who is this...?"

"She is my nephew..." Mu Lianrong originally planned to say ’niece,’ but at the last moment, she forced the word ’niece’ to become ’nephew.’

Xue Qiao suddenly understood.

He immediately advised Mu Qingge: "Nephew of the Mu Family, this is not a place to linger. Quickly take your aunt and leave first."

Mu Qingge’s eyes glinted, and she glanced at him with a calm smile: "No need for that."

With that, she looked again towards the spire.

"Hmph, sharp tongue. Are you trying to provoke this Empress?" came the voice from the spire.

"Don’t be so self-centered, alright? If you want to fight, then fight." Mu Qingge picked at her ear nonchalantly.

"Insolent!" the Empress shouted in anger.

Below the square, the soldiers of the Ancient Witch Country suddenly pointed their bone spears at them.

Mu Qingge curled her lips into a smile, utterly unfazed.

She indeed wasn’t worried. Despite the mystery surrounding the Ancient Witch Country, she was confident she could take two people out of here. Don’t forget, outside the Ancient Witch Country, she had a hundred thousand Thousand Fierce Army and five hundred Dragon Tooth Guards. Were the people of the Ancient Witch Country extraordinary? Were hers not extraordinary too?

Moreover, the Ancient Witch Country only had a few thousand people. Even if everyone took up arms, a hundred versus one, they could still win, right!

"Such arrogance, let’s see if your bark is worse than your bite!" The Empress declared, then her figure suddenly transformed into a shadow, descending from the spire.

She attacked Mu Qingge from the air, moving so fast her figure could barely be caught.

Xue Qiao instinctively protected Mu Lianrong, retreating a few steps, while the Empress rushed to Mu Qingge’s front.

His heart was gripped with fear, wanting to help, but he found Mu Qingge’s expression unchanged, with that mocking smile still riling up the Ancient Witch Country’s Empress.

The Empress’s golden eyes suddenly turned fierce, her fingernails sharp as blades, reaching towards Mu Qingge’s face.

However, when she struck, she grasped nothing but thin air as Mu Qingge’s figure shattered and disappeared before her.

"I’m here."

The voice came from behind her.

The Empress of the Ancient Witch Country suddenly felt a tight grip around her ankle, as if someone had caught her.

Her body turned from shadow to solid, still maintaining a flying posture. The thin veil she wore billowed, her figure enchanting.

Glancing back, she found Mu Qingge unexpectedly behind her, one hand behind her back, the other clutching her ankle.

She looked over her shoulder, and Mu Qingge looked back at her.

The contempt in Mu Qingge’s eyes ignited a fire of fury in the Empress’s golden pupils.

She twisted in mid-air, the gripped ankle gleaming with golden light, scales protruding, sharp as blades, slashing towards Mu Qingge’s hand.

"Qingge, watch out!" Mu Lianrong cried out in worry.

"Sister Rong, don’t worry. Your nephew here is quite impressive!" Xue Qiao softly assured at her side.

As the Empress’s ankle mutated, Mu Qingge had already let go. Those scales did not harm her. Mu Qingge swung her right hand, previously resting behind her, and grabbed the Empress’s other foot, her left hand seizing the scales on the ankle—a yank, a pull...

"Ah—!" The Empress screamed in pain.

Now, a blood-stained scale was in Mu Qingge’s hand.

"You! Have you no understanding of pity or tenderness?" the furious Empress accused.

Yet Mu Qingge mocked with a cold laugh: "You’re the Empress, intending to kill me."

Suggesting she was not within the realm of deserving pity or tenderness.

"You! You scoundrel!" The once dominating Empress suddenly turned into a petulant girl. This style shift made the onlookers cry out ’unfamiliarity’!

The Empress raised her foot, glaring fiercely at Mu Qingge’s face.

Mu Qingge leaned back, gracefully evading, further causing the Empress to perform an elegant somersault in the air.

Holding onto the Empress’s ankle, Mu Qingge smirked devilishly: "If you enjoy playing games that much, I’ll entertain you." With that, she swung the Empress forcefully, spinning her around and around.

"Ah—! Ahhh—! Let go of me—!" The Empress of the Ancient Witch Country screamed.

Mu Qingge paid no heed, spinning faster and faster, until both their bodies in the air were reduced to mere illusions.

In fact, after listening beside them for quite a while, Mu Qingge had realized that this Empress of the Ancient Witch Country harbored no real affection or fondness for Xue Qiao. Why force a marriage then? Perhaps as she mentioned, Xue Qiao won the Emperor Seeking Tournament she held?

Later, seeing his resolute attitude, coupled with Mu Lianrong at his side, perhaps her curiosity was piqued, leading her to tease them out of jest, or perhaps a twisted sense of playfulness.

From start to finish, aside from when demanding Xue Qiao’s choice where she mentioned ’death,’ she never once uttered any other threatening words.

Even afterwards, she merely ordered them to be captured into the palace rather than commanded their execution.

Therefore, Mu Qingge deduced her intentions.

When she stepped forward and spoke, as speculated by the crowd, it was indeed to stand up for her aunt. But there was also a desire to let this amusing Empress taste what it’s like to be toyed with.

If she toys with others, Mu Qingge didn’t care. But don’t play with her family!

"Ahhh—! Release me!"

"Empress!"

"Your Majesty! Quickly release Her Majesty!"

Suddenly, a few lady officials rushed out from the palace in a hurry, their expressions anxious.

As soon as they spoke, they noticed something flying towards them. Several of them raised their hands just in time to catch the flying body of the Empress, though it resulted in them all tumbling to the ground.

The guards on the square earlier, due to the Empress being in Mu Qingge’s grasp, dared not act rashly.

But now, as soon as the Empress was out of immediate danger, they swiftly charged upon them with bone spears, encircling Mu Qingge and the others.

"Mu Junior Brother, are you alright?" Shang Zisu asked with a slightly somber expression.

Mu Lianrong and Xue Qiao also arrived beside Mu Qingge, with Mo Yang leading the Dragon Tooth Guards to encircle them from the outside, protecting them firmly and drawing their weapons to confront the soldiers of the Ancient Witch Country.

"I’m fine." Mu Qingge faced Shang Zisu’s inquiry and her aunt’s worried eyes, smiling and shaking her head.

"All of you, step back!" The empress of the Ancient Witch Country was helped up from the ground by the maid, and she spoke to everyone.

"Empress!" The maid attempted to dissuade her.

However, the empress of the Ancient Witch Country stubbornly interrupted their persuasion.

The golden silk mask she wore concealed her facial expression. Once the dizziness in her mind faded, she stepped forward a few paces.

Immediately, the onlookers around, whether citizens of the Ancient Witch Country or travelers from afar, knelt on one knee, lowered their heads, and shouted, "Your Majesty the Empress!"

The empress arrogantly ignored them, only staring at Mu Qingge, saying, "You are quite formidable; I want to have a proper duel with you."

Mu Qingge held the scale she had plucked off, tossed it towards the empress, and raised an eyebrow questioning, "Haven’t had enough of a beating?"

The empress raised a hand to catch her scale, coldly snorting, "The previous round doesn’t count!" Saying this, she tossed the scale back, arrogantly saying, "Since you plucked it, it belongs to you."

"Empress!"

The group of maids standing behind her suddenly showed expressions of nervousness.

The empress impatiently said, "It’s merely a useless scale, it signifies nothing."

After she said this, the maids collectively sighed in relief.

Mu Qingge caught the scale and, without pretentiousness, accepted it. The scales on the empress of the Ancient Witch Country certainly weren’t simple. Holding it in her hand, Mu Qingge could feel its hardness, making it a superb refining material. Although little, it’s better than nothing. Since it was generously given, why be coy?

Shang Zisu silently watched Mu Qingge put away the scale, the gaze beneath her long lashes appearing somewhat dim.

This subtle change in expression was unnoticed by Mu Qingge, but Mu Lianrong noticed it. She sighed and shook her head inwardly; her niece seemed unaware of how many women’s hearts she had wounded!

"How about it? Do you dare to compete with me? If you win, I’ll release them." The empress pointed a finger towards Xue Qiao and Mu Lianrong.

Mu Qingge lowered her eyes in thought, then lifted her gaze towards the empress with a smile, asking, "How do you want to compete?"

The empress tilted her chin slightly, "It’s simple — a serious match between us. Whoever falls on the ground first loses!"

The golden veil on her head covered her hair, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight as she moved her head.

The exposed water snake waist was extremely alluring, yet no one dared to scrutinize it closely.

"Alright." Mu Qingge agreed cheerfully.

The empress of the Ancient Witch Country didn’t specify what she would do if she lost, regarding Mu Lianrong and Xue Qiao, nor did she articulate her intentions, which won her Mu Qingge’s favor and a willing acceptance of the challenge.

The two reached an agreement, and unrelated people were moved to the edges of the plaza.

Leaving the spacious plaza to the two challengers.

"Go ahead and use your full strength; even if you accidentally kill me, I assure you, no one will trouble you. You can leave the Ancient Witch Country safely." Before starting, the empress seemed worried that Mu Qingge might refrain from using her full power and deliberately reassured her.

Meanwhile, she looked warningly at the maids standing outside the plaza.

The maids, under her gaze, all lowered their heads in submission.

Mu Qingge smiled slightly, offering no further explanation. "Let’s begin."

"Good!" the empress of the Ancient Witch Country shouted deeply.

However, she didn’t attack Mu Qingge right away. Instead, she moved her hands, creating a strange posture, muttering as if chanting an ancient spell.

Mu Qingge squinted her eyes, choosing not to strike first either, preferring to wait and see what the Ancient Witch Empress intended to do.

With the Ancient Witch Empress’s incantation, the sky above the plaza suddenly changed, and fierce winds arose.

Through the ears, the sound of a tsunami seemed to faintly echo.

Suddenly, the empress of the Ancient Witch Country raised her hands, summoning a whirlpool from the fierce winds overhead, from which a dark blue light descended, enveloping her.

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed silently, growing wary internally.

This power that changed the world made her feel some pressure.

Not underestimating, Mu Qingge flipped her right hand, and the finger cover transformed into the Linglong Spear, held across her chest.

The dark blue light faded, and the sky gradually returned to calm.

But what was revealed before everyone was the Ancient Witch Empress, shocking countless people, including Mu Qingge.

The Ancient Witch Empress before them had transformed into a human-headed, snake-bodied form.

The dark blue serpent tail coiled in the air, emanating a mysterious glow. Her upper body was covered in transparent scales, gleaming brightly.

Her appearance remained shrouded in gold, yet her hair was exposed. It turned out the Ancient Witch Empress had hair like the color of the ocean.

Her golden eyes transformed into vertical pupils, her ears sharpened, seeming to have a layer of blue membrane, unfolding like bat wings.

"I’ve heard tales of the Ancient Witch Country people having the bloodline of Divine Beasts, able to awaken it during battles, turning into beings half-human, half-Divine Beast. Seeing it today proves the rumors true. Judging by her form, it seems the empress’s Divine Beast bloodline is related to serpents." Mu Qingge watched the astonishing transformation, whispering to herself.

"Wow! So beautiful!"

"Not scary at all!"

Praises sounded from all around.

Shang Zisu, Mu Lianrong, and others all looked at the transformed empress of the Ancient Witch Country with surprise.

"It’s said that the Jiang clan of the Ancient Witch Country carries the bloodline of the Ancient Divine Beast, the Snake. This appears to be true. I’m afraid Mu Family’s niece..." Xue Qiao said, his gaze solemn.

His words caught Shang Zisu and Mu Lianrong by surprise, their hearts filling with a faint anxiety.

Mo Yang timely spoke, "Miss, have faith in little lord."

Believe in Mu Qingge.

These words calmed Mu Lianrong’s worried heart. She nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on Mu Qingge.

The empress of the Ancient Witch Country coldly glanced at Mu Qingge, as if returning to her former cold arrogance, saying indifferently, "My ancestor was the Ancient Divine Beast, the Snake. As for what powers I possess, you’ll see soon enough. Are you sure you won’t admit defeat?"

Mu Qingge’s eyes gleamed, her lips curling into a smile, "Admitting defeat without a fight? That’s not my style."

The empress of the Ancient Witch Country nodded in appreciation, "You’re quite remarkable." Her gaze fell upon the Linglong Spear again, nodding once more, "Your weapon is also commendable!"

After a pause, she lifted her chin slightly and said, "You are worthy of knowing my name."

Soon after, a voice transmitted into Mu Qingge’s mind, audible only to her.

"Remember, my name is Jiang Li."

Jiang Li?

Mu Qingge didn’t expect that the empress of the Ancient Witch Country had such a youthful name.

"My name is Mu Qingge." Similarly, out of courtesy, Mu Qingge also communicated telepathically with the empress, relaying her own name.

’Mu Qingge.’ Jiang Li silently recited Mu Qingge’s name in her mind.

Then she looked toward her, "Well, let’s begin!"

Saying this, she swung her arms, conjuring giant waves to fiercely crash toward Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge’s eyes shrank tightly, leaping into the air, landing her feet on the giant waves. The sound of splashing water startled her internally, ’This is real water!’

Mu Qingge raised her gaze to Jiang Li, only to see water blades flying at her.

Ten or so water blades sealed Mu Qingge’s escape routes, leaving her nowhere to flee.

Mu Qingge swung the Linglong Spear, shattering those water blades, each collision’s strength and power making her feel the energy contained within.

Water blades being shattered, water arrows immediately followed.

This attack method reminded Mu Qingge of the ancient water ability users’ battles from her past life. Of course, their powers paled in comparison to Jiang Li.

Mu Qingge dodged the attacks of the water arrows, lifting her spear towards Jiang Li!

Her spear technique was not overly flashy, yet extremely formidable, imbued with an overwhelming momentum. If Jiang Li wielded the power of water, then she wielded the power of the earth.

The two forces collided fiercely in mid-air.

Mu Qingge’s spear technique almost pierced Jiang Li’s face.

Startled, Jiang Li dodged quickly, deep blue seawater appearing around her, both defending against Mu Qingge’s attack and retaliating. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

She seemed surprised too, not expecting Mu Qingge’s spear technique to be so sharp and terrifying.

Jiang Li narrowly evaded, dodging Mu Qingge’s deadly thrust.

She held her breath and concentrated, her fingers flying as she crafted a peculiar hand formula. Suddenly, the surrounding water vapor coalesced into a huge serpent silhouette behind her.

The serpent tail beneath her glowed with a ghostly blue light, and a formidable pressure erupted from her body.

The enormous serpent shadow opened its menacing mouth, revealing two sharp poisonous fangs.

Mu Qingge looked up, appearing very small in front of the giant serpent shadow.

"Roar--!"

The illusory serpent shadow roared and swooped towards Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge held her Linglong Spear, fearlessly charging at the serpent’s head.

Suddenly, she spun faster and faster, as if becoming a drill, crashing into the serpent’s head.

The surrounding people gasped in surprise, their eyes filled with disbelief.

They hadn’t expected that today they would witness such a powerful showdown.

Mu Qingge, transformed into a ’drill,’ pierced through the serpent’s upper jaw and emerged from its top. Though the serpent was an illusion, Jiang Li couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan.

Mu Qingge leaped above the serpent’s head and delivered a resolute kick, causing the serpent’s head to tilt and emit a cry.

Jiang Li’s face turned even paler, yet she refused to concede, gritting her teeth and pouring more spiritual power into the serpent.

The serpent lifted its head to howl again, attacking Mu Qingge.

The pressure around Jiang Li grew heavier, and many citizens of the Ancient Witch Country clutched their chests, unable to endure, and knelt on the ground with pale faces.

"What’s wrong with them?" Mu Lianrong wondered, looking at the distressed citizens of the Ancient Witch Country.

Xue Qiao, seemingly more knowledgeable about the Ancient Witch Country than Mu Lianrong, explained sternly, "The citizens of the Ancient Witch Country carry Beast Clan blood. Any Beast Clan has an unyielding bloodline pressure. Now, with the Empress fighting with all her might, the pressure from her bloodline is released involuntarily, and these citizens naturally can’t withstand it. This bloodline suppression is a major tool for the country’s governance. As long as they can’t escape the pressure, they can’t resist the King’s rule!"

His explanation enlightened Mu Lianrong’s group.

Although Jiang Li’s bloodline pressure also had some influence on humans, it was absolutely less than a tenth of the Ancient Witch Country’s citizens, so it was within their bearable range.

The pressure from Jiang Li’s bloodline continued to exert force.

Mu Qingge felt waves of powerful forces rushing towards her.

Meanwhile, in her space, the always silent Seven-colored Egg suddenly emitted a flash of light, startling Mengmeng and Yuanyuan guarding over it.

"Oh~! The Egg reacted! Is it about to hatch a baby?" Yuanyuan exclaimed, pointing with fat short fingers at the Seven-colored Egg.

Mengmeng glanced at him: "You’re blind! It’s maybe just sunlight reflecting, it’s lifeless here, where did it move?"

Suddenly, Yin Chen, who was resting with closed eyes, stood up, his blood-red eyes opening, showing a trace of gravity.

Among the three, only it was part of the Beast Clan, and naturally felt the pressure from the bloodline levels very acutely.

"Such strong pressure!" Yin Chen exclaimed in awe.

It was eager to know whom its owner was fighting.

Suddenly, another pulse of pressure emerged.

At that moment, the Seven-colored Egg seemed to have its dignity challenged, suddenly trembling. An invisible pressure spread from the egg, rapidly expanding...

Yin Chen was the first to sense it, turning in surprise but was forced to the ground by the domineering pressure, letting out a cry of pain.

The pressure quickly spread, directly breaking through the connection between Mu Qingge and her space, emanating from her brow.

Mu Qingge merely felt a tingling numbness across her body.

Yet the pressure from her brow collided harshly with Jiang Li’s, causing a world-shattering explosion that echoed throughout the Ancient Witch Country.

"Pft!"

Jiang Li vomited blood, her body plummeting to the ground.

When she crashed onto the ground, her serpent tail flickered several times, reverting to a pair of legs. Her scales and pointed ears also returned to normal.

"Empress!"

"Your Majesty!"

The ladies-in-waiting rushed over to check Jiang Li’s condition.

"Cough cough." Jiang Li coughed, holding her chest, while supported by the ladies-in-waiting. She looked complexly at Mu Qingge, who was slowly descending from mid-air, saying calmly, "I lost."

The contest rule was whoever hit the ground first, lost.

At this moment, she was the one who had landed first.

This result elicited startled exclamations all around.

The battle had ended too abruptly, too suddenly, yet everyone knew both had refrained from using killing moves.

It was a competition, after all.

"Won! Qingge won!" Mu Lianrong exclaimed joyfully.

Excited like a child.

Xue Qiao glanced down at her, eyes showing a hint of affection.

Seeing Mu Qingge’s victory, Shang Zisu, who had kept his hand on his chest, relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, this doesn’t count! She cheated!" one of the ladies-in-waiting said indignantly.

Cheating?

How did she cheat?

The segment of the gathered crowd who were travelers appeared puzzled, while the citizens of the Ancient Witch Country looked indignant.

Mu Qingge remained silent, but she was communicating with Mengmeng and the others through her spiritual sense.

She was acutely aware that a force equal to her own had unexpectedly appeared and defeated Jiang Li. She also knew that this force emanated from her own body.

Even though she would have defeated Jiang Li without this force, the victory felt awkward, especially given Jiang Li’s frank acknowledgment of her defeat.

’What happened just now?’ Mu Qingge asked.

Mengmeng and Yuanyuan, like children who had made a mistake, twisted their hands and pointed in unison at the Seven-colored Egg, responding: ’It was the egg, not our doing!’

"Speak clearly," Mu Qingge frowned.

Yin Chen stepped forward to Mu Qingge and said: ’Master, let me explain. Your previous battle elicited a reaction from this egg. Provoked, it reflexively unleashed its bloodline pressure. Among the Beast Clan, bloodline pressure is not to be desecrated; higher-level bloodlines will never tolerate lower-level bloodlines acting out before them, hence why it disciplined those outside.’

Mu Qingge was shocked.

She was aware of the Beast Clan’s bloodline hierarchy.

She was shocked that the bloodline of this Seven-colored Egg was nobler than Jiang Li’s! What does this mean? It’s truly a gain!

’No wonder those old dogs from the Myriad Beasts Sect were so desperate to obtain it!’ Mu Qingge thought to herself.

"Your Majesty, she used spirit beast pressure to ambush, clearly it’s cheating, and this result shouldn’t be counted!" the lady-in-waiting said angrily at Mu Qingge, seemingly wishing to bite his flesh and drink his blood.

By this time, Mu Qingge had ended the conversation with Yin Chen and was about to declare the contest result void, when she heard Jiang Li say: "A loss is a loss, why be pedantic? Even without that move, continuing the fight, I would have lost."

Her words made Mu Qingge close her mouth again.

However, Jiang Li’s subsequent words nearly made Mu Qingge’s eyes bulge in shock.

Unruffled and proud, Jiang Li said: "Alright, I lost. I’ll keep my promise and release them, but you must stay, and become my royal husband! I only fancy strong men!"