Chapter 1: The Fall of Shenyan

A millennium ago, on Tianyuan Star, a nation known as Shenyan burst onto the scene. With methods as swift as lightning and an arsenal of advanced warfare technology, it rapidly subjugated all surrounding kingdoms and powers, compelling them to kneel in submission.

In less than two centuries, the Shenyan Nation had successfully unified Tianyuan Star, thus founding the first great consolidated empire in its history: the Shenyan Dynasty.

Such an overbearing reign, however, inevitably sparked resentment among countless factions. The supposed unification was merely an illusion; cultivation forces across the land never ceased their resistance, leaving Tianyuan Star perpetually engulfed in the flames of war.

Not long ago, a figure inextricably linked to the Shenyan Dynasty returned from the realms beyond Tianyuan.

Upon her return, she immediately sought an audience with the Shenyan Emperor in the imperial capital, engaging in a lengthy, private discussion.

Yet, their meeting concluded on a sour note, leaving former friends tragically pitted against each other.

Days later, an oppressive expanse of dark clouds, akin to a colossal hand, cast a menacing shadow over the Shenyan Dynasty’s imperial capital.

Experts converged from every corner of the imperial capital. A multitude of cultivators stood sentinel throughout the city, while powerful practitioners, each at least a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, hovered in the skies above.

The Shenyan Dynasty had spent days marshalling every powerful cultivator under its dominion within the imperial capital. A monumental battle, one that would irrevocably shape the destiny of Tianyuan Star, was imminent.

The capital itself was fortified by layers of potent defensive formations. Every individual bore a grim expression, like soldiers bracing for a formidable foe, for they understood the terrifying nature of their impending enemy.

Upon the city walls, soldiers gripped tubular weapons, aiming them skyward. All along the ramparts, numerous colossal, tube-shaped armaments were strategically mounted.

These were the armaments of a new age: guns and cannons. The Shenyan Dynasty’s unprecedented speed in unifying Tianyuan Star was largely attributable to these devastating instruments of war.

Within the imperial palace, a man and a woman, clad in resplendent imperial robes, sat upon the emperor and empress’s thrones, their gazes somberly fixed upon the world beyond the grand hall.

Flanking the palace hall, individuals of both genders stood, each exuding a formidable aura. Every person assembled here was, at the very least, a powerful expert of the Body Integration realm.

This formidable assembly represented the true might of the Shenyan Dynasty. It was widely believed that no cultivator or power on Tianyuan Star could possibly challenge its supreme authority.

However, on this very day, a singular individual had indeed arrived, intent on shattering the Shenyan Dynasty.

As the Emperor, Empress, and the gathered cultivators watched with grim expressions, a cold, profound female voice reverberated from the skies above.

“Shenyan Dynasty, today, you shall fall. Those who wish to live still have a chance to depart.”

The voice resonated with the undeniable authority of a divine oracle, imbued with an absolute, unquestionable command.

“She has truly arrived,” the Empress murmured beside the Emperor, her face etched with a bitter expression.

Hearing the pronouncement, cultivators throughout the imperial capital instantly fixed their gazes skyward, poised to repel any impending assault.

“Ah, it seems no one is willing to depart. In that case, there is nothing more to be done,” the enigmatic woman in the clouds remarked with a touch of resignation.

The very next instant, a dazzling, multicolored stream of light erupted from within the oppressive clouds. Like a meteorite plummeting from the heavens, it tore through the darkness, hurtling towards the imperial capital with devastating force.

To the cultivators below, this single strike appeared no less formidable than an act of divine retribution.

“Form ranks! Block this attack!” a powerful expert bellowed, his eyes fixed on the rapidly descending stream of multicolored light.

Hundreds of cultivators surrounding him instantly formed hand seals, unleashing torrents of spiritual energy to weave a formidable defensive array, intercepting the vibrant stream of light.

Yet, their meticulously woven formation proved as fragile as paper. The light effortlessly tore through the defenses created by hundreds of experts, incinerating them into ash in an instant. Only a handful of cultivators on the outermost fringes managed to survive the devastating impact.

Each of these individuals would have been considered a formidable overlord within the cultivation world. However, against the onslaught of this multicolored light, they were rendered utterly powerless, akin to mere children.

The stream of light, moving with astonishing speed, pierced through the cultivators’ shattered formation and struck the imperial capital’s primary defensive array with pinpoint accuracy.

This particular formation was renowned as Tianyuan Star’s most formidable protective array. Even a cultivator at the peak of the Mahayana realm, unleashing their full power, could not hope to breach it.

Yet, on this day, even this impregnable defense began to tremble precariously under the relentless assault of the extraterrestrial light.

In the aftermath of that immense power, houses across the imperial capital crumbled en masse, and vast sections of the ground collapsed into sinkholes.

Fortunately, the imperial capital now contained only cultivators, as all mortals had been safely evacuated prior to the battle’s commencement.

From a safe distance beyond the city walls, they watched the precarious state of the imperial capital.

After a prolonged struggle against the extraterrestrial energy, the formation eventually and slowly disintegrated.

Inside the city, cultivators stared in utter disbelief as their once-proud, impregnable formation shattered.

“The formation is breached! All forces, advance!”

The voice, commanding and resolute, was akin to an empress or a grand marshal issuing an order to her assembled legions.

As the command echoed, what descended from the heavens were not human cultivators, but rather colossal steel giants, one after another, slowly lowering themselves from the sky.

They ripped through the celestial curtain like deities descending to the mortal realm, making their descent directly towards the imperial capital.

These steel giants were not living beings but rather metallic automatons, each dozens of meters tall. They were accompanied by a multitude of smaller metal puppets and an array of peculiar flying craft.

These, too, were the war machines of a new epoch. The colossal steel giants were known as Gundams, flanked by robotic soldiers and agile flying fighter jets.

Yet, across the entirety of Tianyuan Star, these sophisticated war machines were commanded by but a single individual: the Phoenix Lord, renowned as Tianyuan Star’s foremost female artificer and the Empress of the Phoenix Clan.

“Slay them! Annihilate the invading enemy!” With a decisive wave of the Shenyan Emperor’s hand from within the palace, the cultivators of the imperial capital immediately surged forward to meet the automaton army.

Simultaneously, the city’s formidable artillery installations unleashed a barrage of shells towards the airborne steel army, attempting to thwart their descent.

However, as the shells drew near, the leading Gundams unleashed a torrent of energy beams from their forms, effortlessly sweeping away the incoming ordnance in a flash.

Indeed, the disparity in their war equipment made them appear to belong to completely different eras.

Witnessing the ineffectiveness of their conventional weaponry, a powerful Soul Manifestation realm expert, brandishing a potent magic treasure, charged directly towards the two largest steel giants. He intended to destroy the blue and white automaton.

“A mere puppet army dares to dream of destroying my Shenyan Dynasty? Perish!” The Soul Manifestation realm expert roared, bringing his blade down. The energy unleashed by this strike was considerable, enough to cleave mountains and sunder peaks.

However, the outcome was not what he expected. His powerful weapon, upon striking the giant, was effortlessly deflected by a shimmering, azure energy barrier.

This sight utterly stunned the expert.

“How is this possible? This is a seventh-tier magic treasure!”

As the man stood in shock, a golden light suddenly flared from the steel giant’s forehead. The next moment, a golden energy blast shot forth, instantly engulfing the arrogant Soul Manifestation realm cultivator.

“Ah! Impossible! This can’t be! How could I, a dignified Soul Manifestation cultivator, be defeated by a mere puppet?” The cultivator’s body rapidly disintegrated under the energy blast, and in mere moments, he ceased to exist in this world.

The swift demise of a Soul Manifestation realm expert at the very outset of the battle undoubtedly sent a chilling wave of deterrence through the Shenyan Dynasty’s cultivators.

He was not the only one. Many cultivators who had already engaged the automatons were annihilated by the energy beams unleashed from these puppets before they even had a chance to retaliate.

It was as if these automatons were armed with countless weapons, making it impossible to predict the source of their attacks.

In particular, the two strangely shaped steel giants, one blue and one red, boasted formidable defenses and mobility that far surpassed even Soul Manifestation cultivators.

They could unleash dozens, even hundreds, of attacks in an instant, tearing through approaching cultivators like a meat grinder, turning them into bloody mist.

Several other steel giants, distinct in color, possessed unique and varied abilities.

The direct confrontation between the cultivators and the steel legion had begun. Yet, in this initial clash, a significant portion of the cultivator army was cut down by the steel forces.

Of course, a few weaker robots were also reduced to scrap metal by the power of the enemy’s experts.

These automatons, fearless of death, advanced relentlessly like a tide of steel towards the imperial capital, while the cultivator army was forced into a continuous retreat. They were, after all, human and feared death, a sentiment alien to the machines.

“What, what are these monsters? Why are they so formidable? How can we possibly fight them?” As the vanguard of the cultivator army was completely wiped out, fear began to spread through the subsequent forces within the city.

The enemy’s steel legion arrived in relentless waves, with automatons continuously descending from the dark clouds.

Furthermore, numerous gun- and cannon-wielding robots landed a kilometer outside the imperial capital. They lined up and unleashed a continuous barrage of explosive attacks towards the city, causing terrifying energy explosions upon impact.

Low-level cultivators still within the imperial capital were instantly engulfed by these widespread energy explosions, leaving no trace behind.

The flying fighter jets, equipped with various attack methods, swarmed into the imperial capital. They weaved through the city, attacking cultivators with their dense, swarming formations, like angry bees.

However, these flying machines lacked strong defenses; even a casual attack from a Qi Condensation cultivator could destroy them. Yet, upon destruction, they would unleash a terrifying energy explosion capable of killing even Golden Core cultivators.

Under the relentless assault of the steel legion, the once-prosperous imperial capital was swiftly reduced to ruins in less than half an hour, with only the imperial palace grounds remaining protected.

While the battle had only just begun, the Shenyan Dynasty’s forces were already on the verge of complete collapse.

However, the imperial palace was guarded by dozens of Body Integration realm experts and protected by multiple defensive formations, rendering ordinary metal automatons unable to approach.

“It is time for you to act. Annihilate all these automatons,” the Emperor in the palace commanded once more.

Upon receiving the order, these Body Integration realm cultivators soared out of the imperial palace, carrying immense divine might. With a single strike, they crushed countless automatons approaching the palace. The energy unleashed by the automatons could not even faze these powerful individuals.

Yet, it seemed the controller behind the steel legion was also about to make an appearance.

From the clouds, an exceptionally massive flying warship, accompanied by various beast-shaped robots, emerged, appearing above the imperial capital.

This warship was immense, almost completely eclipsing the sky above the capital, exerting a powerful oppressive force on the cultivators below.

This was no ordinary fighter jet; it was a warship, and there was more than one. All the robots and fighter jets had descended from these colossal vessels.

As the fleet appeared, a portal opened beneath a phoenix-shaped warship. A tall woman, clad in a fiery red gown and adorned with a golden hair ornament, slowly emerged into everyone’s view.

She exuded an intensely terrifying, scorching power, and her mere presence caused the temperature of the entire area to instantly rise by dozens of degrees.

The woman fixed her fiery red eyes on the group of Body Integration cultivators and asked in a deep voice, “Today, I only intend to destroy the Shenyan Imperial Family. Do you truly wish to be buried here alongside this dynasty?”

The woman’s appearance exerted immense pressure on the Body Integration cultivators.

Just then, an aged voice echoed from within the imperial palace.

“Alas! Phoenix Lord, have you not already disengaged from the conflicts of Tianyuan Star? Why this today?”

As the voice resonated, a spatial rift slowly opened not far in front of the red-clad woman. An old man with white hair, exuding immense pressure, stepped out, his gaze grave as he looked at the woman before him.

The newcomer was a supreme expert of the Mahayana realm. His arrival significantly alleviated the pressure on the Body Integration cultivators.

“Everything began with me, and so it should end with me. Some things, I did wrong,” the Phoenix Lord calmly stated, looking at the old man.

After she spoke, a terrifying energy permeated the Phoenix Lord’s body. Simultaneously, the sky above inexplicably ignited with flames, as if the very air had caught fire. A colossal phantom of a fire phoenix hovered behind the woman, emitting a proud cry.

The old man, observing her stance, sighed helplessly. “If that is the case, then we have no choice but to battle. Let us fight in the clouds.”

With that, the old man transformed into a streak of light and soared into the clouds.

The Phoenix Lord cast a fleeting glance upwards, then issued a command.

“Destroy the Shenyan Dynasty. Those who surrender shall be spared.”

After speaking, she too transformed into a red light and ascended to the clouds. Soon, above the dark clouds, powerful energy collisions, shaking heaven and earth, erupted one after another, as if the clouds themselves were stained crimson by fire.

At this very moment, the steel legion launched its full-scale assault.

From within the gigantic flying magic treasure, two more women, clad in silver battle armor, descended. The two women looked identical, exuding a chilling aura that seemed utterly out of place amidst the smoke-filled battlefield.

“Since you refuse to surrender, then die. Sister, let’s go,” one of the women declared, her voice filled with killing intent, as she gazed at the Body Integration cultivators.

The other woman, her exact twin, nodded softly in agreement.

The two women, accompanied by dozens of beast-shaped robots, charged towards the Body Integration cultivators. Not only that, but a large number of combat flying fighter jets began to emerge from the colossal flying warships in the sky.

This time, even the Body Integration cultivators struggled to contend with the steel legion. Under the combined assault of the twin sisters, who were like walking icebergs, and the beast-shaped automatons, they fell one after another.

Moments later, another terrifying, multicolored stream of light erupted from the massive flying warship, striking the imperial palace’s protective formation.

This protective formation, too, was instantly destroyed, and the imperial palace was reduced to rubble and broken walls. Only the Emperor’s personal palace remained protected.

The young Emperor gazed at the shattered imperial palace and the ruined capital outside, a bewildered expression on his face, as if everything before him were but a dream.

Outside, the cultivators who had been protecting him were being killed one by one under the leadership of the twin sisters. The Shenyan Dynasty’s cultivator army was on the verge of complete collapse.

“I surrender! I surrender!” The cultivators still resisting the steel legion began to buckle under the pressure, choosing to surrender en masse.

The battle high above the clouds also seemed to cease about half an hour later.

A Phoenix Lord, clad in fiery red armor and skirt, descended from the sky, landing at the entrance of the Emperor’s grand hall. In her hand, she carried the Mahayana realm old man from earlier.

The old man was charred black all over, severely wounded, and barely clinging to life.

The Phoenix Lord, wreathed in flames, effortlessly breached the grand hall’s protective formation and strode in.

She moved like a phoenix immortal, and everywhere she passed, the area was engulfed in a sea of fire.

At this moment, beside the Emperor and Empress, stood several other lavishly dressed men and women, likely the Emperor’s consorts, princesses, or princes.

The Phoenix Lord swept her gaze over everyone with a profound look, then casually tossed the old man before the Emperor and his entourage.

Looking at the Emperor, the Phoenix Lord stated, “You have lost.”

“Ancestor!” exclaimed a woman in golden battle armor upon seeing the old man’s state.

The old man, however, shook his head at her.

“It seems the destiny of our Shenyan Dynasty has run its course. Su Yun, please, for the sake of our past friendship, spare them. All of this is my fault,” the old man pleaded with the Phoenix Lord.

Clearly, both parties were old acquaintances, as the Shenyan Dynasty was originally established with the Phoenix Lord’s support. The reasons for that support were no longer important.

“Aunt Su, do you truly mean to destroy our Shenyan Dynasty? Why? Wasn’t unifying the world your wish back then?” the younger girl questioned, her voice filled with sorrow.

The Phoenix Lord remained silent, instead glancing at the woman seated beside the Emperor. Her thoughts seemed to drift back to the past.

After a moment of contemplation, she finally sighed softly.

“The unified world I desired was for the sake of global peace, never for myself, and certainly not for your Nangong family. You have been blinded by power, becoming the greatest scourge upon this world. Are you truly unaware of this?” the Phoenix Lord replied.

These words left the young girl speechless, for the actions of their Shenyan Dynasty over the years left her no room to refute.

“Sister Tantai, you must look after yourselves. I believe this will be our last meeting. If only everything could start anew, perhaps none of this would have happened today,” the Phoenix Lord said, then decisively turned and left the grand hall.

Upon hearing her words, the woman seated beside the Emperor involuntarily clenched her fists, but quickly released them.

“Yes, indeed. I hope in another life, I never meet you again. Your Majesty, we should go,” the woman said, looking at the young Emperor beside her with a mix of helplessness and resignation.

The young man, who had been expressionless throughout, suddenly seemed to react.

“Su Yun, you won,” the young Emperor called out to the Phoenix Lord walking out the door.

But the Phoenix Lord offered no reply.

The moment she flew away from the imperial palace, a terrifying energy explosion erupted in the area where the grand palace hall stood. What became of the people inside the hall, no one knew.

However, the departing Phoenix Lord seemed to have long anticipated this outcome.

Soon, the two twin sisters in silver battle armor flew to the Phoenix Lord’s side. They looked at her unexpressive face, about to speak, but the Phoenix Lord shook her head, cutting them off.

Finally, they followed the Phoenix Lord into the warship.

Once inside the warship, many diverse individuals stood by the windows of the vessel, watching the imperial capital gradually turn to ashes. Their faces were etched with complex emotions.

“Everyone, it’s over. We should head back,” the Phoenix Lord said upon her return to the group.

One young man, watching the imperial palace being completely consumed by flames, let out a long sigh.

“Ah! Youth was truly better. As one ages, it’s easy to get lost in power and status. Tell me, Su Yun, what do you plan to do next?” the young man asked.

The Phoenix Lord smiled slightly, then raised her arms and embraced the twin sisters, chuckling as she said,

“Does that even need asking? Naturally, I’ll be taking Shuang’er and Xue’er to leave this world and explore a vaster cosmos! You don’t need to envy us. It’s not our fault your cultivation realms aren’t high enough.”

The people present instantly looked speechless.

“You really are something, it’s hard to know how to describe you. Honestly, if you had become the Empress of Tianyuan Star, I’m sure things wouldn’t have turned out this way,” someone remarked.

The Phoenix Lord rolled her eyes.

“Being the Empress of the Phoenix Clan is already exhausting enough. Now, I just want to live freely and happily with my two wives. As for the future direction of this world, I’ll leave it to you all. You figure it out,” the Phoenix Lord said with a grin.

“Since you no longer care about worldly opinions, why not find time to hold your wedding? We’d love to see what it feels like to have three brides getting married,” another person suggested.

The Phoenix Lord paused, exchanging a glance with the two women beside her, who visibly blushed.

“Oh? That’s actually a good idea! My skin is thick, so I don’t care,” the Phoenix Lord chuckled mischievously.

Finally, the steel legion began to retreat in succession until they all vanished from sight.

However, as she made her final departure from the area, the Phoenix Lord turned to cast one last look at the imperial palace. Memories began to rewind in her mind, as if returning to the day her destiny took its decisive turn.

That was a day three thousand years ago, when she was still a young lad defying fate. But who could have imagined that a seemingly useless youth would transform into the person she was today?