The sky was breathtakingly beautiful.
Golden sunlight spread across the endless blue heavens, illuminating layers of white clouds. Colorful birds flew between the clouds, while several majestic phoenixes soared through the sky, leaving trails of dazzling light behind them.
Suddenly, the clouds began to tremble.
Two enormous dragons emerged from the horizon.
One possessed crimson-red scales that glowed like burning flames, while the other had golden scales that shone like the sun itself. Their enormous wings stretched across the heavens as they pulled a magnificent imperial carriage.
The carriage was red and gold, decorated with ancient symbols and precious jewels. A golden phoenix was engraved on its doors, representing the authority of an imperial ruler.
Inside the carriage sat a woman wearing an elegant silver-and-gold imperial dress.
Her long black hair flowed behind her shoulders, and a delicate crown rested upon her head. Her face was beautiful, but her expression was cold and dignified.
She was Nannan Mong, Empress of the Azure Moon Empire.
Her cultivation had reached Saint King Stage 1, making her one of the most powerful women on the entire continent.
Beside her sat an elderly man with white hair and a long beard. His eyes were sharp despite his age, and his aura suggested that he had experienced countless battles.
He was one of the Empress's most trusted elders.
The old man looked at Nannan Mong and sighed.
"Your Majesty, you have already broken through to the Saint King Realm. With your current cultivation, you could become the strongest empress on this entire continent."
He paused before continuing.
"Yet, instead of remaining in the imperial palace and enjoying the respect of countless powerful individuals, you insist on searching for an ordinary man."
He shook his head helplessly.
"Your Majesty, do you understand how many talented young men would be willing to become your husband? If you announced your intention to choose a consort, the greatest geniuses from countless kingdoms and sects would immediately come forward."
He raised three fingers.
"Some are the sons of ancient families. Others are the successors of powerful sects. There are even young masters whose backgrounds could shake entire continents."
The old man looked at her seriously.
"Yet you are searching for a mortal man whose background remains unknown."
Nannan Mong slowly turned her gaze toward him.
"Uncle, this is my personal matter. You don't need to interfere."
Her voice was calm, but it carried an unmistakable authority.
The old man smiled bitterly.
"Your Majesty, I am not trying to interfere. I am simply worried about what will happen when your family learns the truth."
He leaned closer.
"If the elders of the Mong Dynasty discover that you intend to make an ordinary man your husband, they will certainly become furious. They might even try to prevent the marriage."
For a moment, the carriage fell silent.
Then Nannan Mong's expression turned icy.
"Let them."
The old man's smile disappeared.
Nannan Mong continued in a cold voice.
"If they have the courage to say anything against my husband, they can come and tell me themselves."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And if anyone dares to touch my husband or my child, I will personally teach them the consequences."
The old man stared at her.
"Your Majesty…"
Nannan Mong looked out through the carriage window.
"He may be an ordinary man in the eyes of the world, but he is the person who saved my life when everyone else had abandoned me."
She paused.
"To me, that matters more than cultivation, status, or family background."
Her voice softened slightly.
"And my child… I have already spent ten years searching for him. I will not abandon that search now."
The old man sighed.
"I understand, Your Majesty. I was only trying to advise you."
Nannan Mong nodded.
"I know, Uncle."
She closed her eyes.
"Just help me find them. Everything else can wait."
The old man bowed his head.
"As you command."
But before he could say anything else—
BOOOOOOM!
A dazzling golden beam suddenly descended from the sky and struck the protective barrier surrounding the imperial carriage.
The entire carriage shook violently.
The two dragons roared, their enormous wings beating furiously as they struggled to maintain their flight.
The old man's expression changed instantly.
"Who dares?!"
He stood up and released a terrifying aura.
"Who has the audacity to attack the imperial carriage of the Azure Moon Empire?! Do you no longer value your life?!"
Nannan Mong opened her eyes.
Her expression was no longer gentle.
It had become utterly cold.
"Stop the carriage."
The dragons immediately halted in midair.
Nannan Mong stepped toward the open doorway.
"Let me see which fools have decided to challenge me."
Twenty enormous flying ships emerged from the surrounding sky.
Each ship carried the banner of a different powerful sect or ancient family.
Their combined presence covered the horizon.
On the leading ship stood an elderly cultivator wearing dark-purple robes. Behind him stood dozens of powerful elders, while several Saint Realm experts sat in meditation on the deck.
The old man accompanying Nannan Mong narrowed his eyes.
"The Black Heaven Sect… the Nine Star Palace… the Crimson Sword Sect…"
He continued identifying the banners.
His expression gradually darkened.
"These are all major forces of the continent!"
Nannan Mong stepped out of the carriage.
The moment she appeared, her imperial robes fluttered in the wind. Her Saint King aura spread through the heavens, causing the surrounding clouds to tremble.
She looked directly at the twenty ships.
"Who gave you permission to block my path?"
Her voice was not particularly loud.
Yet every cultivator present heard it clearly.
The leader of the Black Heaven Sect smiled.
"Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. We have not come here to attack the Azure Moon Empire."
The old man beside Nannan Mong immediately stepped forward.
"Then why have twenty major sects gathered here with their armies? Do you think we cannot recognize a threat when we see one?"
The purple-robed leader laughed.
"Threat? Elder, you misunderstand our intentions."
He looked toward Nannan Mong.
"We have simply come to inform Her Majesty of an important decision."
Nannan Mong's eyes narrowed.
"What decision?"
The leader raised his chin.
"We have agreed that Her Majesty should marry the Young Master of the Divine Heaven Sect."
For a moment, the entire sky fell silent.
Then Nannan Mong laughed.
It was a beautiful sound, but there was not the slightest trace of warmth in it.
"Interesting."
She looked across the twenty ships.
"So you gathered twenty major sects, brought your armies into my territory, and attacked my carriage…"
Her expression turned colder.
"…just to tell me whom I should marry?"
The purple-robed leader's smile stiffened.
"Your Majesty, please understand. This marriage would benefit the entire continent. The Divine Heaven Sect possesses an extraordinary background, and the Young Master is a peerless genius."
He spread his arms.
"By marrying him, you would unite two great powers. No one would dare challenge the Azure Moon Empire again."
Nannan Mong stared at him as though he had just told her the most ridiculous joke in the world.
"Did you forget who I am?"
The air grew heavy.
"I am Nannan Mong, Empress of the Azure Moon Empire."
Her Saint King aura erupted.
"And you are telling me whom I must marry?"
The dragons behind her roared in unison.
The golden dragon's eyes glowed like two suns, while crimson flames spread across the red dragon's scales.
Several cultivators aboard the twenty ships involuntarily stepped backward.
Yet the purple-robed leader remained calm.
"Your Majesty, we know you are powerful."
He smiled.
"But power is not everything."
The purple-robed leader raised his hand.
"Since Her Majesty refuses to understand our intentions, I suppose there is no reason to hide anything."
Behind him, three enormous auras suddenly erupted.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three ancient figures opened their eyes aboard three separate flying ships.
The sky trembled.
The clouds scattered.
Even the two enormous dragons pulling Nannan Mong's carriage lowered their heads slightly under the pressure.
The old man beside the Empress turned pale.
"No… this is impossible!"
Nannan Mong's expression changed.
Three powerful figures had revealed their cultivation.
All three had reached the Saint King Realm!
The purple-robed leader laughed.
"Surprised, Your Majesty?"
He pointed toward the three figures.
"These are the ancestors who have protected our respective forces for thousands of years. Until recently, they were all stuck at the peak of the Saint Realm."
He spread his arms proudly.
"But fortune has finally smiled upon us. All three have broken through to the Saint King Realm!"
He looked directly at Nannan Mong.
"Your Majesty, even if you are a Saint King yourself, do you truly believe you can defeat three Saint Kings simultaneously?"
The old man beside her clenched his fists.
He knew the situation was terrible.
If there had been only one Saint King, Nannan Mong might have been able to deal with the situation.
But three?
Even if she fought with everything she had, the outcome would remain uncertain.
And if the other sects joined the battle, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The purple-robed leader continued.
"You have three days."
He raised three fingers.
"Within those three days, you will agree to marry the Young Master of the Divine Heaven Sect."
His smile became sinister.
"Otherwise, the twenty major forces will march upon the Azure Moon Empire."
He leaned forward.
"And this time, we won't come merely to negotiate."
The leaders aboard the other ships burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! The Empress has no choice!"
"Three Saint Kings are standing before her. What can she possibly do?"
"Her imperial army might be large, but numbers mean nothing before absolute strength!"
The old man beside Nannan Mong looked toward the Empress.
"Your Majesty, we must retreat and inform the imperial family immediately."
But Nannan Mong did not move.
Her hands slowly clenched.
For a moment, she thought about the palace, her people, and the countless innocent lives that would be endangered if a war began.
Then she remembered the man she had been searching for.
She remembered the child she had lost.
Her expression became resolute.
"I will never agree to this marriage."
The purple-robed leader's smile disappeared.
"What did you say?"
Nannan Mong raised her head.
"You heard me."
Her voice echoed through the sky.
"I would rather die than allow you to decide whom I should marry!"
The three Saint Kings released their auras simultaneously.
The heavens shook.
Yet Nannan Mong stood firm.
Even knowing that she might not win, she refused to kneel.
The purple-robed leader stared at her for a long moment.
Then he laughed coldly.
"Very well, Your Majesty."
He waved his hand.
"Three days. Don't forget."
The twenty flying ships slowly turned around.
Their leaders departed with arrogant smiles, confident that the Empress would eventually surrender.
Before the last ship disappeared, the purple-robed leader called out one final time.
"Prepare yourself, Nannan Mong! In three days, the Divine Heaven Sect's Young Master will come to claim his bride!"
The ships vanished beyond the clouds.
Silence returned to the heavens.
The old man immediately approached Nannan Mong.
"Your Majesty, this situation is more dangerous than I expected. Three Saint Kings have appeared, and twenty major forces are working together."
He paused.
"We must return to the imperial palace. We can gather the royal ancestors and prepare our defenses."
Nannan Mong remained silent.
"Your Majesty?"
She finally turned toward him.
"Uncle, send a message to the imperial palace. Tell them to prepare for the worst."
The old man nodded.
"And what will you do?"
Nannan Mong looked toward the distant horizon.
"I will find my husband and my child."
The old man's eyes widened.
"Your Majesty! We have only three days! How can finding an ordinary man possibly solve our current situation?"
Nannan Mong looked at him coldly.
"Did I ask for your opinion?"
The old man immediately lowered his head.
"No, Your Majesty."
She continued.
"My husband has nothing to do with the power struggle between these sects. I will not drag him into danger unnecessarily."
She paused.
"But I must see him."
Her eyes softened slightly.
"And I must see my child."
For ten years, she had carried that longing in her heart.
Now, with the threat of forced marriage hanging over her, she could no longer postpone the search.
The old man sighed.
"As you wish. I will send our fastest scouts."
"No."
Nannan Mong shook her head.
"Scouts will take too long. We will search ourselves."
She turned toward the two dragons.
"Head toward the eastern mountain regions. According to our latest information, the jade pendant's symbol was seen near a secluded settlement there."
The dragons roared.
The imperial carriage accelerated through the clouds.
Nannan Mong sat back inside, staring at the pendant in her hand.
Please… let me find you this time.
I don't care what cultivation you have reached.
I don't care whether you are rich or poor.
I just want to see you again.
The imperial carriage crossed several mountain ranges.
The old man summoned a map and spread it across a small table.
"Your Majesty, our scouts discovered the crescent-moon symbol in three different locations. The first was an abandoned village. The second was a merchant settlement. The third was a remote mountain region."
Nannan Mong studied the map.
"Which location is most likely?"
"The third."
He pointed toward a narrow valley.
"According to the report, a travelling merchant saw a child wearing a pendant similar to yours. The child was accompanied by a middle-aged man and appeared to live in a secluded courtyard."
Nannan Mong's heart began beating faster.
"A child?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She immediately stood up.
"How long ago?"
"Approximately three months."
Nannan Mong's fingers trembled slightly.
Could it be him?
For ten years, she had searched countless cities and kingdoms. Every lead had eventually turned into a dead end.
But this time, the information was different.
A child.
A crescent-moon pendant.
A secluded courtyard.
Three clues that matched the few details she remembered.
"Go there immediately."
The old man nodded.
The dragons accelerated, carrying the imperial carriage toward the mountain region.
As they approached the valley, the surroundings became increasingly quiet.
There were no grand cities, no powerful sects, and no magnificent palaces.
Only forests, rivers, and small settlements dotted the landscape.
The old man looked around in confusion.
"Your Majesty, this place is extremely remote. Why would someone connected to the imperial family live here?"
Nannan Mong answered quietly.
"Perhaps because they wanted a peaceful life."
She looked through the window.
"Not everyone wants power."
The old man fell silent.
After travelling for several more hours, the carriage finally descended toward a small village.
The village was surrounded by green mountains, and a clear river flowed beside its wooden houses.
Children played in the streets while villagers carried baskets of vegetables.
When the two dragons appeared overhead, the entire village fell into chaos.
"D-Dragons!"
"Look at that imperial carriage!"
"Which powerful figure has arrived in our village?!"
Villagers rushed into their homes, while several local cultivators hurriedly knelt.
Nannan Mong ignored the commotion.
She stepped out of the carriage and looked toward the old man.
"Find the person who reported the pendant."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Within minutes, the old man returned with a nervous merchant.
The merchant immediately fell to his knees.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! This humble one has no idea why I have been summoned!"
Nannan Mong showed him her jade pendant.
"Have you seen anything resembling this symbol?"
The merchant stared at it.
Then his eyes widened.
"Yes! Your Majesty, I saw a child wearing a pendant with the same crescent-moon symbol!"
Nannan Mong's breathing became unsteady.
"Where?"
The merchant pointed toward the mountains.
"Beyond that forest, there is a secluded courtyard. A man lives there with a young boy. They rarely visit the village, but the boy sometimes comes here to buy books and food."
Nannan Mong's hands trembled.
"What is the man's name?"
The merchant shook his head.
"I don't know, Your Majesty. The villagers simply call him the quiet gentleman."
The old man frowned.
"A quiet gentleman?"
The merchant nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! He rarely speaks to anyone. However, he seems to care deeply for the child."
Nannan Mong turned toward the mountains.
For the first time in ten years, hope filled her eyes.
"Take me there."
The imperial carriage did not continue toward the mountains.
Instead, Nannan Mong ordered the dragons to remain behind.
She wanted to approach the courtyard quietly.
If the man she was searching for truly lived there, she didn't want to frighten him with an imperial procession.
Accompanied only by the old man, she followed the narrow mountain path.
The forest was peaceful.
Birds sang among the branches, and sunlight filtered through the leaves.
After walking for nearly an hour, they reached a small wooden bridge crossing a clear stream.
Beyond the bridge stood an old stone path.
The merchant had told them to follow it until they reached a large pine tree.
They continued onward.
Eventually, Nannan Mong noticed a faint trail of cooking smoke rising beyond the trees.
Her steps slowed.
A small courtyard appeared in the distance.
It was simple and unremarkable.
A wooden fence surrounded the property. Several medicinal plants grew beside the entrance, and a small vegetable garden occupied one corner.
There was no grand gate, no protective formation, and no sign of wealth.
Yet the place felt strangely peaceful.
Nannan Mong stared at the courtyard.
Her heart began to race.
Is this really the place?
The old man examined the surroundings.
"Your Majesty, this residence doesn't appear to belong to a powerful cultivator."
Nannan Mong didn't answer.
She had spent ten years searching for a man whose background she barely knew.
Perhaps he was powerful.
Perhaps he was ordinary.
Perhaps he had forgotten her completely.
She didn't care anymore.
She walked toward the wooden gate.
Just as she was about to knock, a familiar voice came from inside.
"Yue Chen! How many times have I told you not to leave your cultivation manuals scattered everywhere?"
A boy's voice immediately replied.
"Father, I didn't scatter them! The wind blew them away!"
"Then tell the wind to pick them up!"
"But Father, how am I supposed to talk to the wind?"
"That's your problem!"
The old man stared at the gate.
Nannan Mong froze.
That voice…
Even after ten years, she recognized it.
Her eyes widened, and her breathing stopped for a moment.
It can't be…
The wooden gate slowly opened.
A man stepped outside, holding a book in one hand.
His clothes were simple, and his appearance was completely ordinary. There was no overwhelming aura, no golden light, and no indication that he had once stood among terrifying experts.
He looked at the two unexpected visitors.
Then he frowned slightly.
"Can I help you?"
Nannan Mong stood motionless.
She stared at the man she had searched for across countless kingdoms.
The man who had saved her life.
The man she had never forgotten.
Die Yuan.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Die Yuan tilted his head.
"Miss, are you looking for someone?"
Nannan Mong's eyes slowly filled with tears.
Before she could answer, a boy's voice came from behind Die Yuan.
"Father, who's at the gate?"
A young boy appeared beside him.
He wore simple clothes, and a crescent-moon jade pendant hung around his neck.
Nannan Mong's gaze fell upon the pendant.
Her entire body trembled.
It was the same symbol.
The same pendant.
The one she had carried in her heart for ten years.
The boy looked at her curiously.
"Who are you, Auntie?"
Die Yuan immediately tapped the boy's head lightly.
"Yue Chen, don't call strangers Auntie before introducing yourself."
"Then what should I call her?"
Die Yuan opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, Nannan Mong took one trembling step forward.
Her eyes remained fixed on the boy.
"Yue Chen…"
She whispered his name as though afraid the moment might disappear.
The boy looked confused.
"How do you know my name?"
Nannan Mong's lips trembled.
For ten years, she had imagined this reunion countless times.
She had imagined finding him in a palace, a sect, or perhaps a distant kingdom.
She had imagined powerful enemies standing between them.
She had even imagined that she might never find him at all.
But she had never imagined that her son would be standing in a quiet courtyard, calling another man Father.
Die Yuan looked from the woman to the child.
His expression slowly changed.
Something about her eyes seemed familiar.
And when he noticed the crescent-moon pendant, a memory from ten years ago suddenly returned.
The mysterious woman.
The poison.
The empty room the following morning.
And the newborn baby left in a cradle.
Die Yuan's eyes widened.
Wait a minute…
He looked at Yue Chen.
Then at Nannan Mong.
Then back at the pendant.
A terrible realization began forming in his mind.
"Don't tell me…"
Nannan Mong finally looked at him.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Die Yuan…"
Her voice broke.
"I've finally found you."
The courtyard fell silent.
For the first time in ten years, the Empress of the Azure Moon Empire stood before the two people she had been searching for.
But neither she nor Die Yuan knew that the three Saint Kings and twenty major sects were already preparing to force her into marriage.
And once those people discovered where their Empress had gone…
The peaceful courtyard would become the center of a storm that could shake the entire continent.