Chapter 15: The Final Face-Slap—Enter the Maid-Empress!
The day of the Grand Selection Finals had arrived. The air above the Imperial Capital was so thick with spiritual pressure that low-level cultivators were literally fainting in the streets.
In the center of the arena, surrounded by the Emperors of the Four Dynasties and the Elders of the Great Sects, stood Lu Chen. Despite his previous humiliation, his "Harem Seeker System" had forced a "Life-Saving Patch." He was back to his handsome self, now wearing a set of glowing "God-Slayer" armor.
"Xu Yanluo!" Lu Chen roared, his voice amplified by his system. "You cheated in the marketplace! But here, under the gaze of the Heavenly Dao, your 'Admin' tricks won't work! I have reached the Peak of the Saint Realm! Today, I take your head—and your women!"
The Villain's Arrival
The sky didn't just open; it shattered.
A staircase of black obsidian manifested from the clouds. Xu Yanluo descended with his usual nonchalance, his hands in his pockets. But this time, he wasn't alone.
Walking half a step behind him was a woman no one had ever seen. She wore a high-collared, skin-tight maid outfit made of starlight-silk, her long silver hair tied back with a lace ribbon. Her beauty was so cold and absolute that the "Fairy" Ye Ziyun looked like a commoner beside her.
[System Notification: "Ling"]
[Status: Empress Yaoyin has successfully manifested a Physical Avatar.]
[Warning: Her 'Dignity' meter is at 0%, but her 'Combat Power' is currently off the charts.]
"Wait... isn't that...?" the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect gasped, his tea spilling over his robes. "The Ancient Empress Feng Yaoyin?! From the legends?!"
The arena erupted in chaos. An Ancient Empress... acting as a maid?
Yanluo stopped at the center of the stage, looking at the trembling Lu Chen. "You said something about taking my head? Sorry, I was busy reminding my maid not to miss a spot while scrubbing my soul."
Yaoyin's face flushed a deep crimson. She stepped forward, her voice echoing like a frozen bell. "You... you dared to insult my Master? A worm like you isn't worth his time. I shall clean this 'trash' myself."
The One-Sided Massacre
Lu Chen panicked. "SYSTEM! USE EVERYTHING! THE 'GOD-SLAYER' BURST! THE 'PROTAGONIST'S LUCK'!"
[Lu Chen's System: ERROR. Access Denied by 'Admin' Authority.]
Lu Chen lunged forward, his sword glowing with a desperate light. Yaoyin didn't even draw a weapon. She simply raised a delicate, gloved hand.
"Empress's Palm: Dust to Dust."
A wave of absolute, primordial cold swept across the arena. Lu Chen's "God-Slayer" armor didn't just break; it became brittle and turned into actual glass, shattering into a million pieces. He was left standing in his underwear, frozen to the spot, his "System" screaming in a loop of digital death-rattles.
"Pathetic," Yaoyin muttered, looking back at Yanluo. "Master, the trash has been gathered. May I dispose of it?"
"Not yet," Yanluo smirked. He walked up to the shivering Lu Chen and leaned in close. "Your System is quite interesting. I think I'll take it as a souvenir."
[Ling: 'System Devouring' initiated... Deleting Lu Chen.exe... Formatting C: Drive...]
With a pathetic pop, Lu Chen vanished into motes of light, his "Harem Seeker System" absorbed into Yanluo's own interface.
The Victory "Debriefing"
Back in the imperial pavilion, the victory celebration was the most scandalous in history.
Yanluo was lounging on a massive divan, with Yao Qingxue feeding him wine and Hu Ruyan using her nine tails to fan him. But the center of attention was the Maid-Empress.
"So," Qingxue said, eyeing Yaoyin's frilly apron. "The legendary Empress is now our sister? How... efficient of you, Yanluo."
Yaoyin was currently kneeling at Yanluo's feet, her face hidden in her hands. "I... I had no choice! He's a monster! He used 'Commands' on me!"
Yanluo reached out and stroked Yaoyin's silver hair. "Don't be shy, Yaoyin. You were the one who said 'power has no gender' when you tried to take my body. I'm just showing you the power of a good 'Contract.'"
He pulled the Empress into his lap, much to the pouting of the other four consorts. "Since we won the tournament, I think it's time for a 'Group Cultivation' session. I need to integrate that new system I just ate."
"All of us?!" Ye Ziyun gasped, her face turning bright red.
"Especially you, Ziyun," Yanluo teased, pulling her in as well. "I heard 'Cold Moon' energy mixes very well with 'Ancient Empress' starlight."
[System Notification: "Ling"]
[Alert: Master, the 'True' Protagonist of the Higher Heavens has finally noticed your existence. He is currently descending with the 'Heavenly Enforcement Squad.']
Yanluo laughed, his hands wandering as his harem closed in around him. "Let them come. I've still got plenty of space in my 'Maid Corps.'"