Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 28

At the center of Yingzhou Island, within the Stonehenge-like structure, sat the Throne of Stones.

The Ziwei Emperor walked in slowly, her steps steady, as the Eternal Ancient silently drifted down from one of the massive stone thrones.

“Where are they?” the Ziwei Emperor asked bluntly.

This projection of a deity could not lie—its very essence was composed of information, and any erroneous data would corrupt its form. Thus, the Ziwei Emperor saw no need for pleasantries and asked directly.

“They have already departed,” the Eternal Ancient replied.

The Ziwei Emperor stood silent for a moment before asking again, “What did they gain from you?”
“Trash,” the Eternal Ancient said.

“Who?” she pressed.

The entity did not answer. Instead, it said, “You may choose: pass through the Ultimate Gate or consume the corpse of the starbeast. The decision is yours.”

This response did not surprise her. Anyone hoping to endlessly extract knowledge from the Eternal Ancient would inevitably be disappointed. The entity could discern a visitor’s true intent—whether they hesitated in making a choice or merely sought to use it as an omniscient answering machine.

The sole purpose of the Eternal Ancient was to guide those fortunate enough to find this place toward ascending their rank. Why it did this was a mystery that no one could unravel.

The disparity in rank was simply too vast, akin to the difference between ants and gods. An ant could never comprehend the thoughts of a deity.

As for whether she would follow a god or become a starbeast, the Ziwei Emperor had yet to decide. One day, when she tired of this world, she could always return to Yingzhou to choose her path of ascension.

Seeing that she remained undecided, the Eternal Ancient finally spoke:
“If you cannot decide, then leave at once.”

As soon as the words fell, the Ziwei Emperor felt the heavens and earth invert around her, the stars shifting as she was instantly transported back to the coastline of the mainland.

If a visitor did not choose ascension, the Eternal Ancient would return them to the mainland. Why it did this was unclear—perhaps it simply did not want them lingering on Yingzhou Island for too long.

Though the others had left much earlier and were likely far away by now, the Ziwei Emperor did not mind.

Her target was Su Lili. Though the demoness could flee wherever she pleased, her human companions had influence in the southern regions. The old saying rang true: You can run, but you can’t hide forever. If she tracked down those humans, she could use them to force Su Lili out of hiding.

Time, after all, was on her side.

As she pondered this, the Ziwei Emperor suddenly sensed a rapid gust of wind from behind her.

Reacting instinctively, she tried to activate her demonic arts, only to find they did not respond. A terrifying attack pierced into her body and exploded outward in all directions, shredding her form into countless fragments in an instant.

Xie Guyan stood quietly behind her, calmly watching as the Ziwei Emperor’s flesh and blood scattered to the ground.

No Celestial Emperor’s Fire.

What a pity—this time, the Ziwei Emperor had not sent her true body but only a projection of herself.

The destruction of a blood-linked projection would inflict serious injury on the true body. For the next few years, the Ziwei Emperor would likely be forced to retreat into her lair, unable to freely send out avatars to slaughter at will.

With this thought, Xie Guyan turned her gaze toward the direction where Cheng Jinyang and his companions had departed.

—

In the Divine Capital of Luoyang, at the Taichu Palace, the Ziwei Emperor stepped out of the palace gates, clad in a resplendent imperial robe of golden dragon patterns. Her face was slightly pale.

She already knew the reason for her death and had guessed the identity of her killer: the “Cunning Demon” Xie Guyan, former South Dipper Star Lord and once her deputy when she had held the title of Ziwei Emperor.

Even among the countless mystical arts of demons, Xie Guyan’s abilities were particularly bizarre. She could conjure substances that defied physical laws—such as water that froze as its temperature rose, extraordinarily heavy light, or viscous air.

These substances did not violate the laws of physics—they simply defied the physics of the surface world.

They originated from Xie Guyan’s “Imaginary World,” a realm where she alone defined the rules governing mass, time, and everything else.

Rumor had it that the eccentric Xie Guyan once spent years slowly replacing her own body with materials constructed from the rules of her imaginary world. In doing so, she gradually shed her demonic powers and became a normal human. Eventually, this led to her death—a fact that had many demons breathing a sigh of relief.

Tsk. And now this woman has somehow resurrected.

The Ziwei Emperor had already deduced the method used to destroy her avatar. When visitors left Yingzhou Island, the coordinates to which the Eternal Ancient transported them on the mainland were fixed.

Xie Guyan must have constructed a false, miniature world around those coordinates using her imaginary materials.

In this world made of imaginary matter, parameters like gravity, temperature, and density were perfectly normal. To any observer, it would have seemed indistinguishable from the real world.

Except for one abnormality: spatial compatibility.

These materials were not truly three-dimensional in nature. When the Ziwei Emperor instinctively attempted to deploy a dimensional-reduction strike, her magic failed to interact with the imaginary matter around her. It was during this moment of vulnerability that Xie Guyan struck from behind, delivering the killing blow.

The Ziwei Emperor stood in silence for a long while before a figure suddenly appeared before her.

“Your Majesty.”

“Deliver my orders,” the Ziwei Emperor said slowly. “From this day forward, the entire city of Luoyang is to be sealed. No unauthorized individuals are to enter or leave.”

“I will enter seclusion.”

The news of Luoyang’s lockdown spread rapidly in all directions.

The announcement caused ripples across many factions, but for those like Cheng Jinyang and his group, who were hiding in Laizhou Prefecture, it became a topic of heated debate.

“What if it’s fake?” Cheng Jinyang speculated. “A trap? Lure the snake out of its hole? A feint?”

“Unlikely,” Murong Shu mused. “Sealing Luoyang is a serious political move. It typically signals that the Ziwei Emperor is dealing with an urgent matter and has no bandwidth to manage external affairs.”

“Once this signal is released, her direct forces will inevitably begin to retreat. We, the Four Cardinal Deities, will take over the territories they abandon. Losses on that scale aren’t something you can fake.”

“So it’s safe for us to leave?” Cheng Jinyang asked doubtfully.

“To be cautious, you could head to the underground city of Qinghe County first,” Murong Shu suggested. “I’ll return to the Qinghe County Lord’s estate.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ye Ru said quickly. “If anything happens, I can help you escape.”

“Mm.” Murong Shu nodded, her expression tinged with sorrow.

Everyone was aware of her recent loss of her mother. Cheng Jinyang, feeling awkward, refrained from pressing further.

The group found a nearby entrance to the local underground transport system and made their way back to the subterranean city of Qinghe County.

When faced with the Princess Sister, Miss Wang, Xiao Li, and Jiang Jiu—four stunning beauties each with their unique charms—the guards on duty froze, clearly flustered. They stalled for time while secretly summoning members of the Cui and Zhang clans, hoping their ability users would handle the situation.

One or two women of such caliber might pass as exceptionally beautiful human girls. But four at once? Did they think the guards were blind?!

Sensing the stalling tactics, the Princess Sister took out her Imperial Guard credentials and ordered the guards to grant immediate passage.

Before the guards could comply, an ability attack came their way.

Grinding through it all…