Chapter Sixty-One: Wretched Woman! Wasting My Precious Chance at Resurrection!

It was a tremor that arose from the depths of her fate. Ethereal and elusive, yet undeniably real. Zhu Yuheng fixed her gaze, surprise, bewilderment, and a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes.

But she had no time to probe the source of that tremor, for ahead—the Wolf Lord's ultimate card, a blood-red torrent of blades like a star river flooding the heavens—was surging forth, obscuring the sky and earth. If she could not withstand it, she would surely fall beneath the blade river!

Thus, Zhu Yuheng gripped her ice-crystal sword and swiftly traced a circle. As she drew the arc, the spiritual energy within her poured frantically into it. In the next instant, an ice phoenix, exquisitely forged from extreme frost, unfurled its translucent azure wings from the circle and swept fiercely toward the blade river. A dazzling river of blue frost and countless razor-sharp wind blades surged forth, forming a brilliant stream of ice.

Millions of wind blades, like a rain of arrows, swept upward! They collided headlong with the Wolf Lord's blood river, capable of shattering the stars. The heavens erupted in a deafening crash! The impact detonated like thunder on a clear day, shaking the world and distorting the earth and sky as if a mushroom cloud had exploded.

"Take cover—!" The soldiers atop the Fortress of National Destiny felt their scalps go numb. Hastily, they covered their ears and leapt from the walls, using the Great Wall as shelter. Yet the earth-shattering roar still left their ears ringing, rendering them momentarily deaf.

The solid shockwave crashed into the natural wall, causing the mountain-like fortress to tremble violently. "Good heavens—" The soldiers of the Great Qin Empire turned pale, shivering as they lay prone. "It's... it's terrifying..." Even the three generals of the Meng family were stunned speechless.

Beyond the wall, the shockwave struck the kings observing from kilometers away, causing blood to spurt from their mouths and noses. Wiping the blood away, the kings fled without a second thought. Further away, the wolf clan's warriors were swept up in waves, countless dead and wounded.

"Retreat! Retreat! Stay any longer and you'll lose your lives!" The kings issued orders. The wolf clan's millions of cultivators retreated once more. Within ten kilometers, not a single living creature remained—only Zhu Yuheng and the Wolf Lord, locked in relentless combat.

Above, the Wolf Lord charged atop the blood river, while Zhu Yuheng dashed across the ice stream. The rivers beneath their feet became dragons, clashing madly around them! This battle was even more perilous, a sign that their inner fury had reached its peak.

The Wolf Lord, baring fangs and spitting blood, was livid. Though he had opened the seventh heavenly gate, he could not defeat this opponent with just six! Even his Blood Wolf Fang relic had shattered twice, exposing flaws—a humiliation of the highest order!

Gnashing his teeth, the Wolf Lord wished to tear Zhu Yuheng to shreds. As for Zhu Yuheng, her fierce dragon-brow arched in anger. As the self-proclaimed destined Empress, her desire for victory was intense—she would never allow anyone to surpass her! Never!

Besides, she was here to repay a debt. If she lost, wouldn't that be utterly disgraceful? Flames of determination blazed in her eyes. Both were proud geniuses, igniting each other's fighting spirit. Both sought the other's death.

Their attacks grew more ruthless and reckless—every move a killing blow, every technique a hidden card. With each clash, wounds multiplied on their bodies. Zhu Yuheng bore over a hundred injuries, even her delicate cheek was cut by blade energy. The Wolf Lord, though less wounded, bore deep, critical gashes—each precisely inflicted by Zhu Yuheng, reaching bone and measuring a foot long.

Suddenly, Zhu Yuheng realized something. She forced the Wolf Lord back, retreating a kilometer to confront him from afar. Her cheek stung; she raised her slender fingers, wiping the blood slowly, and glanced at it. The gesture, coupled with her arched brow, phoenix eyes, and resolute expression, radiated heroic charm.

A vibrant aura of valor bloomed across her exquisite, martial features. Her presence grew even more formidable. As she prepared to continue the bloody battle, a resonant dragon's cry echoed across the heavens!

A golden dragon, ten thousand feet long, soared above, its radiant light blazing like the sun and bathing the land in warmth. The people of the Great Qin Empire glowed with gold, enveloped in comforting brilliance. Wisps of purple energy floated around them, beautiful as fragments of divine light.

Everyone felt their spiritual energy boiling within. Their meridians grew stronger; their reactions quickened. Old bottlenecks hinted at breakthrough; even chronic ailments improved. A mysterious transformation swept through every soul and body, as if their fate itself had been elevated.

Within the fortress, the three Meng generals exchanged dumbfounded glances. "What's happening? I feel like an invisible shackle has suddenly shattered!" "Do you feel the same?" "Absolutely! It's intense!" "It seems all the troops do!"

Looking down, they saw the soldiers aglow with gold, murmuring in excitement. Without a doubt, the soldiers had received the same enhancement. Yet no one could fathom the cause.

Suddenly, someone pointed outside the wall. "Look at the Valkyrie!" Everyone turned to Zhu Yuheng.

Around her, two golden dragons of fate descended from the heavens, entwining her. Threads of golden light rapidly healed her wounds. At the same time, a cracking sound echoed within her, as an invisible shackle broke.

Dark energy seeped from her body, instantly dissolved by the golden radiance. In a flash, Zhu Yuheng felt her spiritual energy circulate thirty percent faster; her combat power soared by sixty percent!

A hint of astonishment appeared in her beautiful phoenix eyes. "What happened? Are these two golden dragons from him? But he only has one." "I never realized there was a shackle hidden within me!"

Her arched brow furrowed, but she had no time to ponder. The Wolf Lord seized the moment to launch a surprise attack. Fierce blade energy swept her hair. Zhu Yuheng frowned.

"After two nights and two days of fighting, if that guy comes and sees I can't defeat a foolish wolf, how humiliating would that be? And I came to repay a favor—if I lose, where's my pride?"

A strange self-respect and drive for victory surged in her heart. She had made a promise, and as the destined Empress, her word must be as weighty as nine cauldrons. Otherwise, how could she be worthy of the title?

"I cannot dishonor the name of Empress." With that thought, Zhu Yuheng exhaled deeply, her gaze more solemn than ever. "This time, I'll pay with a heart—one strike to kill!"

She drew a breath. Within her, two hearts—one deep, one shallow; one slow, one fast—beat wildly. At each heart, a heavenly gate radiated dazzling light. The heart was the Gate of Injury—master of slaughter.

Two hearts, two Gates of Injury, plus five other heavenly gates—seven in total! This was the secret of Zhu Yuheng's stalemate with the Wolf Lord.

Now, with the shackle broken and her power surging by sixty percent, she was confident she could defeat him!

Her phoenix eyes glittered coldly. Riding an azure dragon formed of extreme frost, she swung her ice-crystal sword fiercely at the Wolf Lord's face.

The Wolf Lord was stunned. "She's much stronger, but not enough to defeat me... But her fighting style has changed—she's overconfident, she's exposed—a flaw!"

The Wolf Lord's narrow blood-red eyes locked onto her, sensing the fleeting flaw—not one she revealed intentionally.

He grinned, and in a flash, his long blade parried her assault. His other arm unleashed a killing blow he'd prepared for a day, striking at her heart. The move was sudden—Zhu Yuheng could not dodge! Even if she forced herself to, she'd be gravely wounded. If so, death would be inevitable.

"It's over. This battle... is over." The Wolf Lord grinned savagely, shaking his head.

Yet he quickly noticed something was wrong. Zhu Yuheng had no intention of dodging—she was utterly unconcerned.

At that moment, her phoenix eyes were icy, a mad smile lurking beneath—'You fell for it; everything was calculated.'

In the next second, a slender hand, coated in extreme frost, formed a blade and plunged into the Wolf Lord's heart, crushing the warm organ into dust.

"Splurt!" "Splurt!" The Wolf Lord's killing blow struck Zhu Yuheng's heart, punching a fist-sized hole in her left side, blood spraying. Simultaneously, his own left heart was crushed by her.

His heart was shattered, and blades of frost cut through his chest. The joy on his face froze. He spat a mouthful of blood, his complexion turning ghostly pale. Panic seized him, his aura plummeted, he staggered back a kilometer, collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest, sweat pouring from his forehead.

"You're insane! Completely insane!" the Wolf Lord cursed. "Fortunately, I have many opportunities. Even with a broken heart, I won't die."

"Because... I'm favored by the wolf clan's golden dragon of fate!"

As the Wolf Lord exulted, a red golden dragon coiled around his heart, forcibly reconstituting it. The agony made him look like a corpse, sweat streaming.

In a blink, his heart reformed—but it was weak, and the Gate of Injury extinguished, needing time to recover.

Clutching his newly beating heart, the Wolf Lord laughed low and wild. "What now? You don't have a golden dragon of fate. With a lost heart, you must be suffering."

"You can't use your cultivation? You have no fighting power. You can only wait for death. Even if someone saves you, your shattered heart leaves you a corpse."

"How pitiful you are."

He shook his head, stood, raised his blade, and slashed at Zhu Yuheng's neck. "Stupid woman, you wasted my precious resurrection! Die!"

The golden dragon's resurrection could only be used once. To lose it to this stubborn woman—unforgivable!

Murderous intent filled his heart—he would kill her!

Yet, Zhu Yuheng, pale but resolute, suddenly rose. She pressed her hand to her wound, freezing it to stop the bleeding. With a single stroke, she shattered the Wolf Lord's attack.

"I forgot to mention, I have two hearts! I can still fight! Let's see who lasts longer—today, one must die!"

With her words, another shockwave exploded outside the wall. Tremors and thunderous blasts followed, as if the land were being torn apart. Both sought each other's death, both gravely wounded—every move spat blood!

The ferocity of the fight left the three Meng generals and several kings aghast. "Should we go help?" "How? We're only at the first heavenly gate—going in would be a hindrance, even the kings among the wolves drag them down! Best to stay back and not add to the chaos."

The old general shook his head.

Meanwhile, not far away, Lin Qiye and the old emperor had already finished their lightning battle, eliminating the remaining three sects, and raced toward the Fortress of National Destiny.

Lin Qiye had a sudden premonition that Zhu Yuheng was in danger, so he rushed without pause.

"Huff... finally here. Hope nothing's happened."

He leapt onto the fortress, gazing at the distant battlefield. Seeing Zhu Yuheng's heart pierced through, his eyes filled with shock, distress, and even suffocation.

"How did it become so brutal? I only needed her to hold the line—was the Wolf Lord that strong?"

He scanned the Wolf Lord, noticing his chest was also pierced, a red golden dragon sustaining the shattered heart.

Witnessing such a savage scene, Lin Qiye arched his brow in amazement. "So she dragged the Wolf Lord into a fight to the death? This fierce woman—so stubborn, must be that strange competitive streak of hers acting up again."

He took a deep breath, wings flaring, and sped toward the center of the battlefield.

"Seventeen, don't go—it's dangerous!" The old emperor was stunned. A cultivator with four heavenly gates intervening in a battle between seven-gate experts? Was he courting death?

He couldn't stop him; Lin Qiye shot toward the Wolf Lord.

Thousand-Year Flood Dragon Body! Nine-Colored Divine Thunder Body! Innate Divine Body! Qi Refining Art! Ancient Sage Thirty-Six Blades! Four heavenly gates erupted in flame—all cards unleashed.

An ancient sage swung a blade behind Lin Qiye, as if to shatter the stars.

The Wolf Lord sensed the attack. Alert, he realized something was wrong. Though Lin Qiye's cultivation wasn't high, the danger was palpable.

"My strength has dropped sharply—I must retreat! This youth is strange, can't let him entangle me!"

Without hesitation, the Wolf Lord retreated a kilometer. Five kings covered his escape.

"I advise you not to pursue me—spend your last moments with that stubborn woman! She'll only live half an hour more."

"Ha ha ha! Having slain your human powerhouse, it's not a loss!"

His laughter echoed from afar.

"But you humans are tenacious—declined for millennia, yet two talents have emerged." "Good, when I return, I'll unleash my strongest killing move to sever your fate!"

"Exterminating humanity, unifying the Great Qin universe, is but the first step in my conquest of all worlds!"

His words rang with confidence.

Lin Qiye sensed it—the Wolf Lord wasn't boasting; he could indeed sever humanity's fate with his strongest move.

Lin Qiye frowned, wishing to pursue, but millions of golden core experts and five kings barred the way. He lacked the strength.

Moreover, Zhu Yuheng's wounds were dire; without immediate treatment, she would surely die.

Lin Qiye shook his head and turned to Zhu Yuheng.

At that moment, her aura was chaotic. She was bewildered; her plan had failed. She thought with two hearts, losing one would be fine. Who knew that losing either could be fatal?

Suddenly, she coughed up a mouthful of blood, her strength fading as she plummeted from the sky.

Lin Qiye caught her instantly.

Breathing in pain, Zhu Yuheng—always aloof—was now pale, weak, and forlorn.

Yet even at death's door, her beautiful phoenix eyes shone with valiant spirit.

"I've repaid your debt!" she grasped his collar, speaking as blood dripped from her lips.

Lin Qiye was moved. "...Thank you. Actually, I didn't ask you to risk your life—I only needed you to hold the line for a while."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuheng gritted her teeth, her exquisite features filled with a fierce, inexpressible desire for victory. Stubborn to the point of being oddly adorable.

"I won't allow anyone to be stronger than me."

"I am the Empress who shocks the sun and moon, illuminating eternity—I must be invincible!"

"Yet this time... it seems I've lost... My heart cannot be shattered..."

As she spoke, she arched her beautiful dragon-brow, clearly in deep pain.

Lying in Lin Qiye's arms, she slowly closed her eyes, a hint of desolation on her face.

To die in battle was her glory. Yet... she failed to fulfill her boast—an utter disgrace.

So shameful she did not want to die.

But her heart hurt more and more. With one gone, the other was unbalanced. Zhu Yuheng grew cold, her breath weakening.

"I'm cold. I don't want to die cold."

"Hold me tight, will you?"

"I don't want to die cold. When I was young, I was abandoned in snow and ice—I don't want to die cold..."

She murmured. Though she wielded the power of frost, cold was her deepest fear. In her final moments, that chill reminded her of childhood abandonment.

She feared facing it again—so she shed all pride and gently pleaded.

Seeing the proud Zhu Yuheng reveal her vulnerability, Lin Qiye's eyes grew misty.

"For a promise, you gave your life... Though your mind is a bit too straightforward, and you have an inexplicable cold pride and competitiveness, you're truly adorable."

"Don't be afraid, I'm here! I won't let you die! Even if the king of hell comes, it's no use!"

...

P.S. Five thousand words, three days in a row of ten thousand-word updates! Please vote for this chapter!