Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin As Chu Lian and Ming Xiu journeyed together, they witnessed the devastation found everywhere. The Spirit Ruin Royal Family was oppressing and exploiting every single Clan. All of them were forced to offer tributes periodically and even paid heavier taxes than before. Even though the Clans speculated that the Spirit Ruin Royal Family were gathering resources for something major, the heavy burden placed on these Clans also resulted in unbearable suffering. In Chu Lian’s eyes, Heaven had made them suffer long enough. Sooner or later, there would be an uprising to overthrow the rule of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. All that was missing now was the right opportunity. The reason why Chu Lian chose to leave his Master and set off with Ming Xiu was largely because he had a feeling this would be his opportunity. A few days ago, he finally completed the millionth repetition, successfully opened the light sphere, and had it recognised him as its Master. The light sphere was known as the Sphere of Ambition. It came from an impossibly distant Civilisation and contained all their strength. Formed by capturing the Will of an ancient Heavenly Dao, its power and prestige knew no end. It was the Supreme Treasure of that Civilisation. Alas, the creation of this Supreme Treasure did not result in the everlasting survival of that Civilisation. After attempting to approach the Land of Truth, the dazzling Civilisation was destroyed and buried in time. And so, the Sphere of Ambition was lost. It drifted along the Boundless Expanse, searching for a suitable Master. Even though Chu Lian was from the Ghost Axe Clan and not the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, he had heard of the Land of Truth before. It was said to be the source of all things in existence. The Tribulations faced by the True Worlds supposedly originated from it. In the vastness of existence, few Civilisations had the right to approach the Land of Truth. They were all mighty beyond imagination. Compared to those Civilisations, the Spirit Ruin True World was less than a speck of dust. After gaining possession of the lost Supreme Treasure of this Civilisation, Chu Lian became a lot more confident. He believed he could use this to overthrow the rule of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family and avenge his parents. Presently, the Sphere of Ambition contained a lot of features that helped Chu Lian grow stronger. What he found the most mysterious was the feature known as ‘Check-In’. As long as he did as the Sphere of Ambition requested and checked in at various locations, he would receive all kinds of treasures, such as cultivation, abilities, Secret Techniques, Artifacts, Spirit Pills, and much more. This feature would help him increase his cultivation rapidly. It was also one of the reasons why Chu Lian left his Master’s side and journeyed into the outside world. Apart from that, the Sphere of Ambition had another feature that gathered the Power of Fortuity. By gathering the Power of Fortuity, it could create all kinds of Source Matter and Source Energy. In Chu Lian’s eyes, Source Matter and Source Energy were extremely useful and precious resources. Once he had enough of them, he could exchange them for numerous Artifacts from the Sphere of Ambition. These Artifacts belonged to the Civilisation that created the Sphere of Ambition. They were unthinkably powerful and possessed horrifying might. Some of the Artifacts were things like the World Legacy Seed, Heavenly Heart Seal, Genesis Banner, and Chaos Star Sand. Apart from those features, the Sphere of Ambition included many more that were still locked. Chu Lian was looking forward to unlocking them. [Right now, I have only unlocked the first level of the Sphere of Ambition. There are still eight levels to go. As long as I reach the third level, I will be strong enough to face the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. I wonder what kind of power I’ll possess once I unlock the ninth level?] Chu Lian was brimming with confidence. Thanks to the Sphere of Ambition, in just two days, he went from being an ordinary cultivator to a powerful expert who could stand shoulder to shoulder with those who have cultivated for thousands of years. That being said, he was still a fair distance away from achieving the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm, let alone the Immortal Realm. Nevertheless, it filled Chu Lian with newfound hope. He now carried himself with a sense of conviction. “You don’t need to worry, Ming Xiu. Sooner or later, I’ll let you see a new side of me.” Noticing Ming Xiu’s concern, Chu Lian grinned and reassured her. “Stop muttering to yourself. There’s a carriage up ahead. Careful, or they might hear you…” Ming Xiu rolled her eyes. She thought Chu Lian was getting a little muddle-headed. She believes it was a good idea for them to move around and take in new sights. Otherwise, Chu Lian could very well end up losing his mind. Chu Lian noticed the carriage that came speeding down the road up ahead. He did not want to stir up any trouble. He was focused on checking in at the next destination. Thus, he pulled Ming Xiu, and the two rode their horses to the side to avoid the carriage. Judging by the outer decor as well as the three elegant and cloud-patterned white horses pulling the carriage, the person sitting on the inside had to be a prominent figure. There were also numerous guards and maidservants following the carriage on horseback. Chu Lian and Ming Xiu did not want to get into trouble because of what had been said earlier. Even though all the Clans suffered greatly for a long time now, the Spirit Ruin Royal Family had ruled the lands for aeons. They had many Clans who still supported them, and it was unavoidable to run into some of them. “Your Ma…” Meanwhile, inside the carriage, a feminine figure was sporting a dark expression. Her alabaster hands turned even paler as she tightly balled them up. She was dressed in an elegant dress. Her hair was drawn up neatly. Without makeup, her face was as fair as the Moon and her brows as graceful as the mountain slopes. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The two maidservants inside the carriage were kneeling in fear. Ashen-faced, they kept trembling. “When we’re outside, just address me as Young Mistress. Don’t reveal my identity.” After a while, the figure finally came down from her anger and curtly spoke up. She truly did not expect to overhear someone critiquing the Spirit Ruin Royal Family so soon after leaving the Spirit Ruin Royal Palace. There were all manner of scathing remarks that spoke of deep resentment towards the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. The speaker sounded like he wanted nothing more than to overthrow the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. Furious, she nearly moved to kill the one who was criticising the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. But in the end, she held herself back. She left the palace for a moment of peace and did not wish to bother with matters involving the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. Plus, it was not as if she had been unaware of these things. If it had not been for the orders she received from the Ancestors, she would not have chosen to cause such woes and lamentations to the lands under the command of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. Alas, she had no choice. Even though she was the Empress of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, she had to do as the Ancestors instructed her to do. She had no say in such matters. Yet, she was the one who was subjected to the hatred and resentment of the various Clans. She was the one who had to bear the blame. “Y-Yes, Young Mistress.” Her two maidservants were fearful. After hearing what the man had said about the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, they knew the situation was a bad one. Even ordinarily, the comments he made would have easily led to his beheading. What more when he said them in front of the Empress of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family? Did it not seem as if he had a death wish? Though they were merely the Spirit Empress’ maidservants, they were powerful cultivators. Even from a distance, they could hear what the man and woman said. If even they could hear the comments, what about the Spirit Empress? “We’ll deal with that audacious man right away.” After composing themselves, the two maidservants quickly volunteered to get rid of Chu Lian and Ming Xiu. The Spirit Empress waved them off and coolly said, “That won’t be necessary. I’m not that petty. Even if we kill those two, so what? Will it change how the world sees me?” While speaking, she had a mocking expression on her face. The two maidservants paled and dared not speak. This involved the secrets of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. It was not their place to say anything. The carriage continued speeding down the road, stirring up a cloud of dust. However, while passing by Chu Lian and Ming Xiu, the Spirit Empress did spare them a glance. “Hm?” Just a single glance made her frown. After pondering briefly, she had her servants stop the carriage. “Yes, Young Mistress?” Though the two maidservants did not understand why she gave the order, they did as told. Meanwhile, Chu Lian and Ming Xiu were waiting for the carriage to pass so that they could carry on with their journey. They did not expect the carriage to come to an abrupt halt before them. The guards and servants behind the carriage stopped as well, and everyone stared at them expressionlessly. The atmosphere became a little oppressive. Chu Lian and Ming Xiu were both startled, but soon, their expressions turned grim. “Did they overhear what we said earlier?” Worried, Ming Xiu could not resist whispering to Chu Lian. Despite being apprehensive as well, Chu Lian felt a little more assured once he recalled how his cultivation had improved lately. He managed to stay calm. Inside the carriage, the Spirit Empress was frowning. She had a look of confusion. Her fingers were gripped around some kind of seal, and she seemed to be deducing something. “Bring them over to see me.” She was unable to deduce their futures, which made her confusion became even more pronounced. She had no choice but to instruct her maidservants to lead the two over. [Why would someone with my cultivation level fail to deduce the fate of people with Mortal Realm cultivation?] Although she had merely glanced carelessly at Chu Lian earlier, she was shocked to find a cloud of chaos behind him. It was as if he was shrouded in fog. Intrigued, she had her maidservants stop the carriage. However, after an attempt at careful deduction, she realised the man had a mysterious fate. It seemed to be hidden by fog. She could not get a clear read on him. He either had a valuable treasure on him or possessed a mysterious destiny. Considering her strength, she could not have failed to notice if he had a valuable treasure with him. After all, besides the Ancestors of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, she was the most powerful being in Spirit Ruin True World. Nothing could be hidden from her. “Our Young Mistress would like to see you.” Outside the carriage, when Chu Lian saw the maidservants approaching, his heart missed a beat. He could not detect their cultivation levels. This meant that they were far more powerful than him. The words they said shocked him further. “Who is this Young Mistress you speak of?” Chu Lian steeled himself and asked. If a fight broke out, he feared he would not be able to keep him and Ming Xiu safe. When that happened, he would be forced to use the secret treasure their Master had given them. “Our Young Mistress is in the carriage. You just need to come with us.” The two maidservants simply eyed Chu Lian coolly without paying him any mind. They did not know why the Spirit Empress wanted to see him and were simply carrying out orders. [With a destiny like that, he is probably the Variable mentioned in ancient records. These Variables could exceed the limitations of their natural aptitude and are not affected by talent. There is no limit to what they can become.] Inside the carriage, the Spirit Empress looked uncertain as she contemplated a possibility. Though this was her speculation, she dared not confirm it. A Variable had never appeared in the history of Spirit Ruin True World. These were simply beings that were found in other True Worlds that were recorded in the ancient texts. One could say the Spirit Empress had reached the pinnacle of her strength. She could no longer go any further unless she gained some kind of wondrous opportunity and forcefully changed her fate. In her eyes, the other cultivators and living beings could hide no secrets from her. Their past, future, and present were all pages of a book she could flip through. Within the lands under the command of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, she could tell which living beings possessed great potential, as well as what their aptitude was. She knew if they could surge in power and how far they could go. That was why she was so taken aback when she saw Chu Lian. Apart from those as strong as her, this was her first time seeing someone she could not get a read on. She could not see his present, past, or future. She could easily see all the secrets of the young woman beside Chu Lian, but when it came to him, everything was shrouded in chaos. “If he’s a Variable, or perhaps an anomaly, he will surely become a mighty figure in the future. Maybe he’ll even manage to overthrow the rule of the Spirit Ruin True World and change everything. Such a being must be of service to me. If not, I must find a way to destroy him. I cannot let him reach great heights, or else, he will be of great danger to me.” The Spirit Empress’ eyes glittered as she made up her mind. A Variable that had not grown to great heights yet was merely an ant. He posed no threat to her. Still, she could not underestimate a Variable. Who knew what kind of opportunities he could encounter? Perhaps he had some kind of power that was enough of a threat to her… “Young Mistress, we have brought him over…” Amidst the Spirit Empress’ pondering, the voices of the two maidservants sounded outside the carriage and drew her out of her thoughts. “Invite him in.” The Spirit Empress set her thoughts aside and put on an elegant smile as she settled in her seat. She looked like a Young Mistress from a prominent Family.