The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Deep within the temple, the white jade box lay silently open.

Inside the box, the Azure Pearl was shining brightly.

too long.

So long that the seven elders almost forgot what it looked like when it lit up.

So long that they thought there was no hope left in this life, so long that they thought the Yuezhi bloodline would eventually be lost in the long river of time.

But tonight, it lit up.

Deep within the pearl, a touch of deep blue slowly spreads, like ink seeping into clear water, like the moon falling into the deep sea.

Ripples flowed in circles within the bead, layer upon layer, until finally the entire bead lit up.

With a turquoise background and flowing blue light, it resembles moonlight shining on the deep sea, like a dream.

The elder reached out his hand, trembling, and gently stroked the bead.

The touch of my fingertips was slightly cool.

But his heart was burning with passion.

Twenty years have passed.

They have been lying in wait deep within Zonglan Terrace for twenty years, waiting for this very day.

"Set off."

His voice was hoarse, yet he spoke each word clearly and deliberately, as if he wanted to carve those two words into his very bones.

"Welcome back to the throne, Her Majesty the Empress!"

The brilliance of the pearl reflected in his aged eyes, bringing tears to his eyes.

In those tearful eyes, there was anticipation and excitement.

The Second Elder turned his face away, unable to bear seeing the First Elder's tears, while his own eyes were already red.

The Sixth Elder and the Seventh Elder helped each other to their feet, their voices trembling:

"Following the guidance of the sacred object, let's go and bring His Majesty home."

"Yes, bring His Majesty back."

"go home!"

Seven aged figures stood up simultaneously.

At that moment, they were not old and frail elders.

They are the night watchmen who have finally waited for the dawn.

The Moonlit Guard is already fully prepared and ready to go.

Those were the personal guards who had protected the Yuezhi royal family for generations, each of whom had sworn a blood oath:

They would risk their lives to protect their master, until death.

The silver armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight, the long halberds in their hands were like a forest, and the same fire burned in their eyes.

"Set off!"

The grand procession, guided by the Azure Pearl, headed towards Kunlun Ruins.

The ice-blue flag fluttered in the wind like surging waves.

The silver-white armor reflected the moonlight, forming a flowing river.

The Grand Elder personally held the Azure Pearl, its light shining brightly like an inextinguishable guiding lamp, like a heart that had finally found its direction.

Nearly.

closer.

"His Majesty is just ahead!"

The elder's voice trembled with excitement, and a hint of passion shone through his aged voice.

"We will eventually welcome back—the true Empress of the Moon-Weaving Sea Kingdom!"

"Restore order! Support the Yuezhi!"

Before he could finish speaking...

In the depths of the night sky, countless streaks of eerie blue light suddenly shone.

That was the tip of an arrow.

A barrage of arrows rained down from the sky.

"Protect the formation!"

The Moon Guards instantly formed a battle formation, their silver-white armor layered upon each other, like an unbreakable wave.

The shields were raised, their cold light flashing, and stood in front of the seven elders.

But the rain of arrows was too dense.

Too fast.

It's too cruel.

Each arrow gleamed with an icy blue light, and each arrow struck precisely the weakest point in the formation.

The dull thud of arrows piercing shields and the crisp sound of them penetrating armor intertwined in the night sky, creating a symphony of death.

"It's Bai Du!"

"The Celestial Guards are here!"

In the darkness of night, countless figures clad in blue and white armor surged in like a tide, surrounding them from all directions.

The armor gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight, and the gaze burned with a chilling fire in the darkness.

"Heh, gentlemen, what a lively scene! Why didn't you even greet us, the Celestial Guards, before coming out?"

The man at the head was none other than Bai Duo, the commander of the Heavenly Star Guard.

He stood with his hands behind his back, exuding a sense of oppression like the deep sea.

"The Moon-Weaving Sea Kingdom belongs to our Sea Emperor."

He spoke slowly, his voice as cold as a deep sea current, devoid of any warmth.

"You old fogies, instead of staying put in Zonglan Terrace, come out here—"

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"He's courting death."

The elder stepped forward, his aged voice resolute and fearless:

"Bai Duo, do you know what you're saying?"

He held the Azure Pearl in his hands, its light illuminating his aged yet resolute face.

"The direct line of the Yuezhi is the true ruler of the Zhiyue Sea Kingdom! The sole imperial lineage! We are here by divine mandate to reclaim the rightful heir; how dare you—obstruct us?"

"Destiny?"

Bai Duo scoffed.

"Ha, how ridiculous!"

That laughter was full of disdain.

"Your Majesty the Sea Emperor has given an order—"

He raised his hand, and countless Heavenly Star Guards behind him simultaneously raised their crossbows, the arrows aimed at the seven elders in the formation.

"I order you all to immediately retreat to Zonglan Terrace."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Otherwise, kill without mercy!"

"That brat from Xingyu! He's utterly arrogant!"

The Fourth Elder roared, his white hair dancing wildly in the wind, and his body blazing with icy blue light.

"Having usurped the throne for twenty years, do you now intend to block the legitimate Yuezhi people's path back to their homeland? Do you really think we're too old to move?"

"Form ranks!"

The seven elders immediately dispersed, each taking up a position in their own territory.

Ice-blue light surged from their bodies, weaving into a net that formed a dazzling array of light in the air—the Abyss Seven Star Array.

Seven rays of light, seven different paths, swirled and intertwined in the night sky, finally converging into a pillar of light that shot into the heavens.

"kill--!"

The two sides fought to a single point.

Swords flashed and arrows rained down.

The Moon Guards fought desperately to protect the Azure Pearl, while the Heavenly Star Guards surged forward wave after wave, determined to stop them from advancing.

Ice-blue light exploded in the night sky, and the crisp sound of clashing weapons echoed one after another.

Blood splattered on the silver armor, on the ice-blue flag, and on this land illuminated by the moonlight.

Evenly matched.

No one can move forward.

Neither of them was willing to back down.

"Today—no one can stop this humble general—from welcoming back His Majesty the Moon Emperor!"

Yue Zhongtian, the leader of the Yuelan Guard, held a long sword and went to meet Bai Duo.

His surname is Yue, because—he was born with the surname Yue.

In the Zhiyue Sea Kingdom, there is a lineage that has served as the shadow of the Yuezhi royal family for generations.

Their ancestor was an orphan whom the first sea god of the Yuezhi picked up from the abyss.

The orphan had no name or surname, so the Sea Emperor bestowed upon him the surname Yue, allowing him to take the imperial surname.

From then on, this lineage was passed down from generation to generation.

Their surname is Yue, but they are not royalty.

They were slaves, yet more noble than any subject.

They were born into the Yuezhi people—born as Yuezhi, they knew from birth who their fate belonged to.

Their father protected the old Sea Emperor, their grandfather protected an even older Sea Emperor, and their great-grandfather protected the one who founded the dynasty.

The torch is passed down from generation to generation.

From the day they could walk, they knew that their fate in this life belonged to the little emperor in his swaddling clothes.

The sword is a deep blue color, with a sharp and cold edge; its name is Shouyuan.

He has guarded the last hope of the Yuezhi for twenty years, and today he has finally drawn his sword.

The moment the sword light flashed, frost condensed in the air.

"Leader of Zhongtian, let's see if you can stop us."

Bai Duo greeted him.

The two longswords collided with a thunderous crash, sparks flew, and sword energy surged.

The two fought fiercely in the night sky, their swords flashing and weaving a net of death.

The fight was evenly matched.

The two sides have been long-time rivals, and their strength is evenly matched.

However, the Seven Star Formation of the seven elders was ultimately a problem.

Bai Duo narrowed his eyes, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the increasingly bright Azure Pearl in the formation, and then at the direction that the seven elders were desperately protecting.

This can't go on.

Just now.

A streak of icy blue light shot through the air.

That arrow was too fast.

It was so fast that no one could see where it came from.

It was so fast that no one had time to react.

It was so fast that it left only a fleeting afterimage in the night sky before reaching its destination.

"Click—"

The icy blue arrow struck the Azure Pearl in the Grand Elder's hand.

The bead that had just lit up, carrying all hope, shattered under the arrow.

Ice-blue fragments scattered and flew everywhere, like glass breaking into thousands of pieces, like moonlight breaking into thousands of strands, like a grand and beautiful fireworks display, blooming in the night sky.

The tiny blue dot at the heart of the pearl flashed one last time in the air.

then,

Completely wiped out.

"No--!"

The Grand Elder's scream tore through the night sky.

His hands trembled as he tried to catch the shards, but they slipped through his fingers.

It fell into the pool of blood, into the dust, onto his face that aged him ten years in an instant.

Those icy blue fragments reflected his aged, tearful gaze.

It's cruelly beautiful.

It was so bright it was almost despairing.