The Eight Empresses Betrayed Me, Only to Deeply Regret It After Being Reborn

I’ll pick it up!
I’ll devour it!

I’ll pick up more!
I’ll devour more!
These weapons indeed contained very little source essence,
but what could the now-reduced-to-a-beggar Shangguan Huanling do?

While she was devouring these broken, low-level weapons and magic ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) treasures, she couldn't help but feel a thick sense of happiness rise in her heart.
So good!
So good!

At last she could devour magic treasures again!
So what if they were low-grade? So what if they tasted bad?
It was all happiness!
And so, Shangguan Huanling followed along, picking and devouring all the way, and eventually ended up trailing after Lu Ye to his cultivation site.
Lu Ye tossed a single word at her.
"Scram."

"Alrighty!" she chirped.
Shangguan Huanling hurriedly scurried away, finding a place where she wouldn't disturb Lu Ye, and began cultivating on her own.
Now that Lu Ye had gone out to the Outer Domain, she had followed him there too.

And just by chance, she ran into Shentu Quan, who had been spared by Lu Ye earlier.
Shentu Quan, already tense and on edge, jolted at the sight of Shangguan Huanling. But then he realized she was only at the Great Ascension Realm.
Still, even if she was just a Great Ascension cultivator, he didn’t dare provoke her.
Just as he was preparing to leave, Shangguan Huanling merely glanced at him—

—and instantly turned into a streak of blood light, vanishing at terrifying speed.
Shentu Quan was dumbfounded.
Seriously?

She runs so fast?!
A Great Ascension cultivator running at that speed?
In that moment, Shentu Quan suddenly felt like he had fallen completely behind the times.

—
Third Heaven.
After her crushing defeat at the hands of Jiang Yu,
Jiang Die had indeed been keeping low for a while.

She had fully accepted the fact that she had lost all of her former methods connected to Lu Ye.
There was no helping it — she could only choose to cultivate the Jiang Clan's Void Scripture.

In her past life, she had also cultivated the Void Scripture — it was a powerful technique created by the Void Heavenly Lord of the Jiang Clan, containing endless mysteries.

The Jiang Clan had produced two dazzling peerless prodigies who both attained the Emperor’s fruit through cultivation of the Void Scripture.
As a reborn Emperor herself, Jiang Die’s cultivation speed wasn't exactly slow.
Of course, the intensity couldn't compare to the time when she possessed Lu Ye’s Great Dao.
Jiang Yu finished his seclusion.

During seclusion, he had been pondering the Void Burial Art that Jiang Die had used.
That Void Burial Art truly held many wonders.
But in terms of raw power?
Just average!

He couldn’t hold back anymore and sought out the Jiang Clan's current number one prodigy, Jiang Tianxin.
Jiang Tianxin was also a woman.
The Void Scripture seemed particularly suited to women, as one of the Jiang Clan’s two Great Emperors had also been female.
"Tianxin-jie," Jiang Yu asked, "have you studied the Void Burial Art?"

Jiang Tianxin had a delicate and pure appearance, not exactly a breathtaking beauty, certainly far inferior to Jiang Die.
While Lu Ye's ability to judge character was questionable,
his sense of beauty was spot-on — each of the eight empresses had their unique charm.
Yue Hongling had her heroic aura.

Shangguan Huanling had her innocence.
Chu Ling had her jade-like elegance.
Bai Qiulan had her grandeur and gentleness.

Jiang Die had her cold, black serenity.
...
Each possessed distinct characteristics, yet all had flawlessly perfect features.

"The Void Burial Art is a signature divine art of the Jiang Clan," Jiang Tianxin said with a light smile. "Naturally, I’ve studied it."
"Then," Jiang Yu asked, "would you be willing to spar with me using only the Void Burial Art?"
Jiang Tianxin smiled faintly.

"What, did Jiang Die instruct you? Do you think you've made great progress in it?"
Jiang Yu shook his head.
"Not at all. Rather, I believe Jiang Die is a fraud.
While her display of the Void Burial Art looked impressive, it absolutely didn’t reach the level of a Heavenly God Ranking first-place holder.
Sparring with you would help me confirm it."

Jiang Tianxin nodded.
"I did not ascend from Second Heaven, but when I watched Jiang Die perform the Void Burial Art, the power was indeed enormous.
Such a level — could it really not be enough for the Heavenly God Ranking's top spot?"
"Of course not," Jiang Yu said flatly. "During my time, the first-place on the Heavenly God Ranking was Wang Qitian of the Wang Clan. After Wang Qitian ascended, it was Linghu Yaoyue from the Star-Picking Sect. After Linghu Yaoyue, it was Shentu Xing, and then Xu Tianhe."

"Shentu Xing cultivated the Myriad Reincarnation Sutra to unimaginable heights — capable of reversing yin and yang, turning day into night."
"Xu Tianhe’s Eight Desolations Fist could shatter the void, peerlessly invincible."
"If you don’t know Shentu Xing and Xu Tianhe, fine.
But surely you know the monstrous talents that were Wang Qitian and Linghu Yaoyue?"
At these words, Jiang Tianxin’s expression turned serious.

She had heard their names many times before, and not just once — they were legendary across all of Third Heaven.
That Wang Qitian was even hailed as the greatest prodigy of Third Heaven, having refined the Wang Clan’s Invincible Saber technique to the terrifying fifth stage.
"You mean…" Jiang Tianxin began.

"I mean," Jiang Yu said firmly, "if Jiang Die’s strength is limited to her Void Burial Art as we’ve seen,
then something is definitely wrong!"
Jiang Tianxin fell silent.
Jiang Die was only at the second layer of the Fate Realm,
whereas she herself had already reached the ninth layer — and even begun to touch the Laws of Causality.

The difference in the power of their Void Burial Arts might be reasonable given that gap.
But Jiang Die was a Heavenly God Ranking number one!
Given how monstrous Wang Qitian and Linghu Yaoyue were,
even separated by minor realms, they shouldn't have been weaker than her.

"Please," Jiang Yu urged, "Tianxin-jie, go test Jiang Die’s real strength, so the Jiang Clan doesn’t get deceived — showering resources on a useless fraud!"
Jiang Tianxin pondered for a moment.
Fine, she thought.
It’s just a simple sparring match.

It didn’t involve life or death.
Surely the clan would understand, and surely Jiang Die would understand too.
"Very well. I will challenge Jiang Die."
Jiang Yu was overjoyed.

"Hahaha! Good! I’ll immediately invite the elders and brothers and sisters of the clan to come and watch!
Tianxin-jie, please go all out — for the sake of truth!"
Before long, the Jiang Clan was bustling with activity.
A large crowd made their way toward the place where Jiang Die was in seclusion.

Since ascending to Third Heaven, Jiang Die had been in seclusion the whole time —
aside from making a single move once, she had produced no substantial achievements.
Now, with the Jiang Clan’s number one prodigy, Jiang Tianxin, going to challenge her—
who would win, and who would lose?
If Jiang Die truly lived up to her reputation,
she ought to be able to claim victory.

The protective formation around Jiang Die’s residence was triggered.
She furrowed her brows and stepped out from the formation.
And was greeted by a vast crowd gathered outside.

Standing at the forefront was Jiang Tianxin.
"Tianxin requests to battle Jiang Die," she declared, "I ask for your guidance!"