Magic Sect of Beauties: The Strongest Mage is in a Cultivation World

"What are you saying?"

Mu Lingxi's words were filled with pure disbelief.

It was as if she was a child being told their favorite fairy tale wasn't true.

Emperor Cloudcrest, unfazed and unempathetic, nodded angelically, as if he were an innocent child answering her aggressive question.

"Yes, Suyin is still alive. You remember the special blood your mother possesses. Given that, you should know she has what it takes to restore my power. While I don't have all of it yet, it's certain that after the journey of the Jade Dragon through a single quadrant of the constellations, I will regain all the power and respect I've lost."

Mu Lingxi's fists clenched tighter and tighter, sweat running down her forehead.

The journey of the Jade Dragon... hmm, isn't that a celestial's way of saying three months? That means... in three months, he'll recover his lost powers? No, it can't be!

She was trying to think, to maintain control over her emotions, but her composure was already shattered by anger, frustration, and fear.

She looked back at the emperor.

"How did she come back to life? I remember she was killed, and her soul was sealed by the Matriarch Dragon Sun. If she ever revived herself or broke free, she'd kn──!"

Mu Lingxi instantly paused, realizing she had answered her own question.

Emperor Cloudcrest chuckled softly. "It looks like you already have an answer."

The world was silent, and with Mu Lingxi frozen in shock, the silence became even more pronounced, like a chilling night in a graveyard.

"So... whether or not the Azure Tree was destroyed, you were always going to win. Am I right?"

Mu Lingxi's face held a mind-paralyzing shock.

She could barely contain madness. Perhaps, it was better if she collapsed to the ground and started screaming furiously until her throat bled.

It was as if one thin thread of sanity was holding her together.

"That's a very nice deduction. Congratulations..."

Cloudcrest replied, mocking her with slow, deliberate claps. The sound of his hands coming together was like an arrogant reminder of his victory.

Mu Lingxi stared emptily at the ground, unable to bring herself to look up.

"I... I can't believe it..." she murmured.

The emperor's plan had been flawlessly executed, leaving no room for failure.

Mu Suyin had stolen enough cultivation potential to push her base to a level that could rival the three matriarchs combined──women who had been cultivating for thousands of years before she was even born.

Her connate secret legacy gave her an unparalleled edge. . .

Being the strongest of all the matriarchs, one acknowledged by the celestial dragons, Míng Huīrán, Matriarch Dragon Sun, knew she was the only one capable of defeating the Blood Witch of Kunlun, Mu Suyin.

A little over 60 years ago, while using Dragon Spirit Confluence to battle Mu Suyin, Míng Huīrán performed the Dragon Mountain Soul-Destroying Seal Incantation.

This secret sealing technique, developed by the Black Serpent, was capable of crystallizing a target's soul and then crushing it into little bits until it withered away into nothing.

However, it came at the cost of sacrificing about 100 years of cultivation progress, meaning one's cultivation would be stagnant for a century.

When Míng Huīrán used this sealing technique on Mu Suyin, she realized the Blood Witch's cultivation base was too powerful. So, she created an inaccessible realm and locked Mu Suyin's soul away there, isolating her in dead space for eternity until her soul finally crystallized and shattered into absolute nothing.

"You knew, as a true celestial, you weren't allowed to interfere in matters of lesser region cultivators," Mu Lingxi said, piecing everything together. "But even if you sent someone else to unseal my mother, Matriarch Dragon Sun would know..."

Cloudcrest nodded, a pleased smile on his face.

Barely paying attention to him, Mu Lingxi continued to ramble dully and mindlessly. . .

"Matriarch Dragon Sun was possibly the strongest in the Azure Tree before her cultivation base got crippled while trying to protect everyone from the Heavenly Court's judgment. But you wanted that to happen. You knew she would step up to defend everyone and everything in sight."

"Smart girl," Cloudcrest said with a snarky thumbs up.

"Y-, you wanted her to die completely..." Mu Lingxi muttered.

She was shaken by how sick in the head this emperor was.

With Míng Huīrán out of commission, it became easy for Emperor Cloudcrest to access the isolated space and retrieve Mu Suyin's soul.

After all, it would take tens of thousands of years for even a powerful technique like the Dragon Mountain Soul-Destroying Seal Incantation to fully obliterate her existence.

With so much else happening, there was little chance anyone would worry about a supposedly resolved case like Mu Suyin's, leaving Cloudcrest worry-free about anyone noticing the unsupervised seal.

"But of course, I couldn't have done it all on my own. In my current state, I don't have what it takes to completely revive a soul that's almost 100% crystallized... but as they say, in an infinite world, there is infinite potential."

The emperor didn't mind boasting a little. He'd know when he'd revealed too much information, and he wasn't at that destination yet.

"You had someone else revive her soul.

Mu Lingxi spoke with certainty.

With the way he spoke it was implied.

Cloudcrest nodded gently.

"Yes, I did. He's become a good friend of mine as of late. During my time of unholy rage and frustration, he came to me almost like an angel, or a wish in physical form, and gave me the answer to my prayers. He gave me a plan that, even if it failed, would still benefit me. What an extraordinary individual, don't you think?"

Mu Lingxi folded her arms and forced an arrogant smile, perhaps trying to appear tough.

"You seem to have a crush on this 'angel.' Should I be jealous? Or are you just a fish swimming in whatever current holds authority?"

The man in white waved his hand dismissively yet elegantly.

"Oh, please, no. It isn't that serious, but I will say this cultivator has earned my respect."

"And I'm guessing I won't get to know the name of this great cultivator?"

Mu Lingxi suspected that Cloudcrest wouldn't want to reveal the name of this person, assuming he would do anything to keep it concealed.

She was testing her luck, hoping he might slip up and reveal it.

To her surprise, the emperor had no qualms about it.

"I have no reason to conceal his name," he replied casually.

Mu Lingxi was baffled by how easily Cloudcrest handled the question. Almost immediately, she felt less excited about learning the name of the person who fully restored her mother's soul and likely her cultivation too──something the emperor found very amusing.

"You see, this person is already a well-known figure. He's not the sort of individual who would be at a disadvantage if his identity was known. That's how powerful he is... enough that he has earned the praise of a true celestial."

Mu Lingxi remained silent as Cloudcrest affirmed her suspicion, feeling uneasy about his nonchalance in answering her question.

With a vicious smile on his face, Cloudcrest revealed the name to Mu Lingxi. . .

"He's an Emperor like me, but one from the Middle Regions... Emperor Heavenmind."

A flicker of recognition sparked on Mu Lingxi's face.

That explains it....

Now it was clear why he was so open about sharing information regarding who was helping him with Mu Suyin's revival. After all, Heavenmind was an absolute tyrant, a rogue cultivator who was also a ghost in a sense.

No one really knew who he was, but at the same time, everyone knew who he was.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

A living paradox.

"So, what do you plan to do now...?"

At that point, Mu Lingxi was simply grasping at straws and hoping the emperor would reveal more. Not only would it aid her, but numerous other sects and worlds that had suffered Emperor Heavenmind's callousness.

She couldn't begin to imagine an image as terrifying as her mother working together with a tyrant like Heavenmind.

Walking away, Cloudcrest waved his hand.

"Sorry, but I have no interests in sharing. Instead, just sit and wait for when I finally come to claim you."

Mu Lingxi's hands tightened into fists. "As if I would let you!"

He stopped dramatically and partly looked back at her with a condescending gaze in his golden eyes that almost glowed in a holy manner──a sacred being of sorts.

"Enjoy this little time of peace you have left. I respectfully earned your hand in marriage from your mother, Mu Suyin. Yes, when she was sealed you could perhaps say that agreement was annulled, but now that she's back... I believe I have every right to reclaim my property."

"I am not your property!" Mu Lingxi fired back.

The emperor's calm expression tightened to appear a little venomous──akin to a predator.

"Anyone powerless before the might of another being, is but an object. It's simple logic."

Swished his sleeves and vanished, causing everything in creation to awaken again.

Now. . . the only silent was Mu Lingxi.