Chapter 26: Immortal Sword Side Story!

The news of the Moon Worshipper's death spread across the Kingdom of Nanzhao instantly. Upon receiving the message, the Witch King was ecstatic and eager to reclaim his power. However, the Tang Dynasty army, already positioned along the Nanzhao border, launched a preemptive strike. Within a month, Nanzhao was completely dismantled. From that moment on, the Kingdom of Nanzhao ceased to exist, its citizens were formally integrated into the Tang Dynasty, and its territory became a province of the Empire.

Ten years later, Ling'er gained the recognition of Empress Wu Zetian and the cabinet, becoming the fifth Prime Minister of the Tang Empire. Upon taking office, she fully implemented universal education, extending the duration from six years to twelve. She reorganized the scientific sector, subdivided technological fields, and established twelve new university majors, further accelerating scientific progress.

In the thirteenth year, Ling'er successfully retained her position as Prime Minister. She reformed the Immortal Cultivation Universities, refining disciplines such as sword, alchemy, talisman, and array cultivation. In collaboration with the Academy of Sciences, she established the Institute of Cultivation Research to develop brand-new spiritual artifacts.

In the fourteenth year, the cultivation-based smartphone was successfully developed. Prime Minister Ling'er transformed into her true Nuwa form and personally launched three communication satellites into orbit, officially ushering in the era of communication.

In the fifteenth year, the cultivation-based computer was developed, with processing power rivaling the Galaxy Third Generation series.

In the sixteenth year, the Tang army received a new arsenal of spiritual weapons: spiritual power rifles, cannons, rockets, tanks, and aircraft were all successfully created. With this, Ling'er, in her capacity as Prime Minister, formally declared war on the Heavenly Court.

In the seventeenth year, the Demon and Ghost clans officially joined the Human race, declaring war on the Heavenly Court together.

In the eighteenth year, after the Tang army intercepted the Heavenly Court's eighteenth attack, the Court, finding no success in prolonged warfare, resorted to using floods, plagues, and droughts to attack the mortal world. Unfortunately for them, long before the war began, the Institute of Cultivation Research had developed greenhouse technology and spiritual defensive shields. Neither plague nor flood could inflict harm upon the human world. Ultimately, the Heavenly Dao grew angry and issued a thunderous warning to the Heavenly Court, restoring peace and prosperity to the mortal realm.

In the twentieth year, the Institute of Cultivation Research developed the spiritual nuclear bomb, officially starting the era of nuclear deterrence.

In the twenty-first year, the Tang Dynasty launched eleven nuclear bombs at the Heavenly Court. The Court was destroyed, and humanity rose to power, standing alongside the Heavenly and Earthly Daos to maintain the world's order. The human race had reached the pinnacle of the world.

In the thirtieth year, the Tang Dynasty successfully developed spiritual-powered cosmic warships capable of absorbing dark matter energy, officially beginning the interstellar era.

Three hundred years later, Zhao Ling'er, Lin Yueru, Tang Yu, and Anu officially retired from the top leadership of the Tang Interstellar Alliance. The four returned to the Xianjian Planet and found a scenic, tranquil place to spend their retirement.

On this day, protected by guards, Zhao Ling'er arrived with the other three at a place both familiar and foreign: Immortal Spirit Island.

"Is this where the Grand Preceptor took you as his disciple?"

At over three hundred years old, the still innocent and outspoken Lin Yueru curiously surveyed the surroundings of Immortal Spirit Island. So, this was the legendary birthplace of the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister, a tourist hotspot visited by many members of the Interstellar Alliance.

Ling'er walked with a smile to the clearing in front of the main hall, where a stone phoenix still stood, wings spread as if about to take flight. She vaguely remembered that when she had first fled Nanzhao, it was right here that she met the man who changed her life forever.

"Yes, it was right here that Master took me as his disciple."

Touching the phoenix's wings, Ling'er couldn't help but smile. Back then, she had even secretly tried to strike her master—all for the sake of that so-called "Brother Xiaoyao."

"Really? You are so lucky. I heard from others that the Grand Preceptor came here specifically to make you his disciple."

"Indeed, indeed! Princess, you are so lucky!"

Yueru and Anu chattered about their envy. Ling'er touched her still-beautiful face. Yes, she had been truly fortunate back then.

The four of them toured the island while Ling'er recounted stories of the past. Outside the island, a guard walked up to Ling'er and whispered news into her ear. Ling'er's smiling expression suddenly stiffened, and the light slowly faded from her face.

"Ling'er, what happened?"

Lin Yueru leaned in to ask. For over three hundred years, other than Anu and Tang Yu getting married, the two best friends had remained single, each considering the other the most important part of her life. Seeing Ling'er's mood shift, Yueru reacted immediately.

Zhao Ling'er shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing. Just that two people have died."

"Who?"

"Li Xiaoyao and Li Yiru."

Ling'er maintained her gentle composure, as if she were indifferent, as if they were merely passersby in her life. Lin Yueru pursed her lips, wanting to say something but not knowing how. One was the husband Ling'er had after she lost her memories; the other was her own daughter. According to the intelligence she had gathered over the years, after Hao Yun sent them away, they had followed very different paths.

Li Xiaoyao had returned to Chang'an, drinking daily, having completely forgotten the immortal arts he once practiced, becoming a good-for-nothing slacker at an inn.

Li Yiru had been given a name by Hao Yun and sent to an orphanage, where she grew up quite happily. Having not inherited the power of Nuwa (since Ling'er did not die, the power could not be passed down), her cultivation talent was mediocre, and she lived as an ordinary person.

She had not expected both of them to pass away before her.

"Let's go, let's keep walking. It's been so long since I've been back to Xianjian Planet; I must enjoy myself this time."

Ling'er rubbed Yueru's hair and led her on with a smile, continuing down the path of her youth. They had returned this time to walk the path of cultivation once more. What was past need not be remembered; let it turn to dust in the memories and vanish into nothingness.

The Ghost Realm’s once desolate landscape had long since vanished. With the support of the Tang Dynasty’s peak technology, it had been discovered that the Ghost Realm was a planet thousands of light-years away, connected to the Xianjian Planet by a wormhole. To support their allies, the Tang Dynasty provided countless technologies, transforming the Ghost Realm into a green planet filled with lush grass and flowers.

The current joint leader of the Ghost and Demon realms was Jiang Wan'er, the Ghost Empress who had supported humanity and resisted the Heavenly Court three hundred years ago.

"Your Majesty, you should rest. You must visit the Tang Dynasty tomorrow to celebrate three hundred years of formal diplomatic relations."

Jiang Wan'er sat on her dragon throne, silent. Her eyes were distant, lost in her own past.

"You go. I will take Wan'er out of the Demon-Locking Tower and guide her into reincarnation myself..."

The memories of the Demon-Locking Tower were as vivid as yesterday. If that man hadn't sent her out, perhaps she would never have known how vast the world was, or that the fate of the Ghost Realm had been controlled by the Heavenly Court. It turned out they had no deep-seated hatred for humans; it turned out they could have had peaceful diplomatic relations all along.

"Your Majesty? You should rest..." the handmaiden prompted softly, seeing the Empress motionless for so long.

Jiang Wan'er stood up. Recalling the scenes of fighting alongside Ling'er during the war, she revealed a breathtaking smile.

"I am fine. Let us go. There are many old friends I should go and see."