A profoundly ordinary human kingdom on the Dawn Continent of the Bright Domain, yet its territories were vast, boasting a population exceeding three hundred million. Life was a struggle for the common people, while the nobility wallowed in decadent excess. The Emperor himself was utterly deaf to matters of state, lost in a haze of luxurious indulgences, perpetually intoxicated within the confines of his harem, drifting through his days in a stupor.

But how many now remembered that the aging Emperor of Rome was once hailed as the Star of Rome in his youth? A man who believed fiercely in the Light, who rose from adversity, and who, through the might of his sword and the strength of his cavalry, more than doubled the domain of the Roman Empire.

Yet, the ruler once seen as the savior by every subject of the Roman Empire now resembled a withered, decrepit elder, living a life of wine and revelry, utterly stripped of the zeal and valor of his prime.

“Hee-hee-hee, to think that the once glorious God of War, hailed as a peerless emperor rarely seen in ten millennia on the Dawn Continent, has fallen to such decay. What a pity. Hee-hee~”

A cascade of bewitching laughter echoed throughout the opulent chambers of the Roman palace.

Dozens of harem beauties, draped only in sheer gauze that tantalizingly obscured their most vital points, let out cries of sudden alarm. The Emperor of Rome, seemingly overcome by drink and drowsy, showed not the slightest ripple of emotion, entirely unconcerned by the breach of his heavily guarded sleeping quarters.

“Protect the Emperor.”

Dozens of black-armored guards materialized from nowhere, their movements swift and agile as lightning. Their longswords flared with exquisite, multi-colored sword-lights, radiating a chilling menace. It was clear these guards were no ordinary soldiers; they were, at the very least, Grand Battle Master level—equivalent, by outside nomenclature, to the Golden Core realm. Their sole focus was the mysterious woman hovering mid-air, her face veiled by a sheer scarf, making no attempt to conceal her presence.

“Hee, their strength isn't bad,” Mei Ji commented with genuine, yet utterly dismissive praise, as if these warriors were beneath her notice. From the space between her brows, a strange and enchanting eye seemed to emerge, projecting waves of divine sense outward in all directions.

The Art of Enchantment was one of the signature techniques of the Joyful Union Sect. However, its application against an enemy of equal rank on a battlefield was notoriously difficult, at best inducing only a few moments of stunned paralysis.

But at this very moment, Mei Ji’s mastery manifested differently. Those fiercely aggressive black-armored guards were instantly affected, freezing mid-stride in the air, their minds seemingly blank, their eyes vacant.

Simultaneously, over a dozen individuals could not resist the enchantment. Their eyes instantly flushed crimson and savage, and they turned their blades against their comrades. Stimulated by the sudden burst of murderous intent and primal reaction, the stunned black-armored warriors snapped awake, their faces contorted in horror as they desperately tried to defend themselves.

Though the majority remained untouched by the charm, they were aware. They knew the attackers were their own men, driven temporarily mad by an insidious art. They dared not strike lethally, and thus could only strive desperately to defend themselves. Despite their superior numbers, the uncharmed contingent was being pushed back retreat by the smaller, frenzied group.

Mei Ji could execute this maneuver thanks to her superior Enchantment cultivation, bolstered by the core nucleus of the Insect King. However, it was also indebted to the inherent flaw in the Bright Domain’s battle qi cultivation method: it nourished the body but neglected the spirit. Their willpower might be simple, but their Divine Souls were exceedingly weak. These Grand Battle Masters, equivalent to the Golden Core experts of the Nine Provinces' humans, likely possessed a Soul Strength only comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage of Nine Provinces cultivators.

Otherwise, how could Mei Ji possess the skill to instantly suppress dozens of powerful figures on the battlefield and incite more than ten to turn on their allies?

Of course, Mei Ji's intent this time was primarily deterrence. Had she wished for annihilation, she wouldn't have needed to incite them to counter-attack; she could have simply unleashed a spell during their moment of spiritual dissolution and reduced them all to ash.

In the face of such bizarre and terrifying chaos, a rare spark of acuity flared within the dull eyes of the Roman Emperor.

“Edict: Mass Dispelling.”

A frigid voice rang out, followed by waves of sacred light washing over the group of black-armored warriors. The red malice in the eyes of the afflicted soldiers seemed to dissipate, and one by one, they collapsed to the floor as if utterly drained of vitality and spirit.

At that instant, a young, beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair, fair skin, clad in silver armor that perfectly molded her graceful figure, materialized in the chamber like a shooting star. Her gaze, brimming with killing intent, fixed upon Mei Ji: “No matter where you hail from, since you harbored no intent to harm, I shall spare you. Leave at once.”

“Oh? A Bright Battle Saint?” Mei Ji seemed slightly bewildered but, upon closer inspection, noted the woman’s Divine Sense was powerful and intact—not the result of ordinary Bright Battle Qi cultivation. Having lived so long, her judgment was razor-sharp. She let out a seductive chuckle. “So, a human who has secretly cultivated the Great Brightness Art. Judging by your aura, you must be at the nascent Nascent Soul level. Interesting, very interesting. I hadn't expected a rare jewel like you in the Roman Empire.”

The blonde, silver-armored woman’s expression shifted violently to an ashen white, but it quickly solidified into murderous rage. “You seek death.” With a sweep of her longsword, a brilliant white beam of light shot towards Mei Ji.

This time, Mei Ji dared not be careless, instantly summoning a rose-tinted, semi-transparent shield before her. With a sharp clang, the two forces canceled each other out. Mei Ji’s expression darkened slightly; she hadn't expected such immense power from the sword light, which shattered her shield instantly. However, she felt no fear; though not primarily a combatant, with her mid-Nascent Soul strength, defeating an early-stage opponent was not in doubt. Furthermore, she possessed two supreme-grade spirit ghosts gifted by her Master, both refined to the early Ghost King level.

“Natasha,” a deep, resonant, and aged voice commanded, “Halt.”

The blonde, silver-armored woman, Natasha, showed palpable anxiety. “Father, but this person…”

“I said, halt,” the Roman Emperor, who moments before had seemed senile and dodgy, now slowly rose. His eyes were grave as a mountain, his posture utterly steady. He stood tall, projecting an imposing and resolute figure as he regarded Mei Ji: “We welcome the esteemed expert from the Abyss Domain to the Roman Empire. I am Roman IX, and on behalf of the Empire, I extend my welcome to you, esteemed guest.”

Yielding to her father’s stern command, Natasha finally stopped her attack, but upon hearing the words ‘Abyss Domain,’ her eyes filled with caution and gravity.

“The Abyss Domain? I am surprised that even with the birdmen race’s efforts to cloud information, an emperor of your paltry Roman Empire knows that there is heaven beyond the heavens, and knows the name of the Abyss Domain?” Mei Ji chuckled, shaking her head. “However, you are mistaken. I do not come from the Abyss Domain. While the technique I just used bears some resemblance to the Abyss Succubi of that place, I myself am not a succubus. Like your nobility, I belong to the human lineage.”

“Human lineage?” The Roman Emperor frowned slightly, suspicion coloring his tone. “Are you perhaps a human from the Nine Provinces?”

“Excellent. Your knowledge base exceeds my expectations. I suspect our conversation ahead will be much smoother,” Mei Ji said, her enchanting smile vanishing, replaced by an intense seriousness. “I am Mei Ji from the Nine Provinces, sent by my King to convey his regards to Emperor Roman.”

The two words, ‘My King,’ finally caused a visible tremor to cross the Roman Emperor’s face, though he quickly regained his composure, replying calmly, “Rome is merely an aged mortal; he is unworthy of such respect from your noble master.”

Mei Ji did not engage this pleasantry this time. Instead, she flicked a jade slip toward Natasha. “This is from my private collection. It doesn't contain any profoundly advanced techniques, but it holds a Breath Concealment Art that is quite effective. Sister Natasha, though you practice the Great Brightness Art, you lack the means to mask your powerful Divine Sense. Trying to pose as a Light-aligned Battle Saint is laughable; any person with a modicum of insight would spot the flaw immediately. I believe this Concealment Art will be helpful. While it might not fool a Transformation God expert, diligent practice should make it difficult for others of your own rank to see through you.”

Natasha accepted the jade slip, her expression profoundly moved. She was acutely aware of her shortcoming, yet no matter how hard she tried, she could not devise a way to deliberately suppress her Divine Sense aura. A surface disguise might fool an amateur, but any true expert would instantly see through the clumsy attempt. This Concealment Art seemed to be the perfect solution. Perhaps now, she would no longer have to hide like a frightened field mouse deep within the palace walls.

Seeing Natasha momentarily stunned, the Roman Emperor, who had governed an empire through countless storms, maintained his clarity. He understood perfectly that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. His gaze became intensely serious. “I thank you for your gift and goodwill, but I must ask the envoy to be direct. If our nation is incapable of assisting, I humbly request you reclaim the jade slip.”

“The jade slip is a minor thing, only rare now because your people are kept in informational darkness by those birdmen. In our Nine Provinces, such concealment arts are commonplace,” Mei Ji replied dismissively, shaking her head before turning serious in earnest. “What follows is the true welcoming gift from my King. Twenty million low-grade spirit stones, two hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones, two thousand high-grade spirit stones, and twenty supreme-grade spirit stones. One hundred thousand pills suitable for Qi Refining, ten thousand pills for Foundation Establishment, one thousand pills for Golden Core, and one hundred pills for Nascent Soul stage.”

“What?”

Father and daughter stared blankly, dumbfounded. In their entire lives, neither had ever witnessed such quantities of spirit stones and elixirs.

……(To be continued)