The Eight Empresses Betrayed Me, Only to Deeply Regret It After Being Reborn

Chapter 061: Shangguan Huanling:

“You want to follow me?” Lu Ye asked calmly.

The Enlightenment Tree exuded a faint consciousness, clearly indicating its intent.

“Quite clever. Fine, I’ll take you with me,” Lu Ye said.

He stretched out his hand, and the tree began to emit a radiant glow. The entire tree shrank rapidly until it was no larger than his palm, landing gently in his hand. Lu Ye formed a single hand seal, sending a rune toward the tree, which merged into it seamlessly.

A faint bond formed between Lu Ye and the Enlightenment Tree. The tree then disappeared, merging into his skin.

Cultivation remained Lu Ye’s primary focus. Since he had reached a bottleneck for the moment, he decided to continue searching for resources.

The treasures within the Prodigy’s Ancient Battlefield were generally not of high grade, but some were seedlings of immense value. Once matured, these treasures would be priceless.

Lu Ye had a clear sense of what was truly valuable and where to find such treasures. For instance, in the fifth battlefield layer, there was a Fusang seedling. A single Fusang fruit could incite frenzied competition among countless powerhouses. For someone cultivating the Dao of Fire, the Fusang was the ultimate treasure.

As Lu Ye moved forward, those who recognized him quickly made way. Those who didn’t… found themselves struck down by his hand.

Arrogance and dominance—these qualities radiated from Lu Ye as he traversed the battlefield.

However, something soon caused him to frown. Many of the rare treasures he sought had already been taken.

One or two missing treasures would be expected; after all, every cultivator had their own fortuitous encounters. But for most of the items Lu Ye had set his sights on to have been collected beforehand? That was unusual.

Who could it be?

His suspicions led him to Wan Zhong Mountain.

The mountain, shaped like a massive bell, resonated with a Daoist hum whenever the wind passed through it. This wasn’t just a mountain—it was a spiritual treasure that, over time, had fused with the surrounding terrain following the death of its original owner.

In this world, treasures were categorized by rank: Artifacts, Spirit Artifacts, Postnatal Spiritual Treasures, Innate Spiritual Treasures, Postnatal Supreme Treasures, and Innate Supreme Treasures.

In the First Heaven, most sects’ sacred artifacts were Postnatal Spiritual Treasures. Owning an Innate Spiritual Treasure was considered a significant feat.

When Lu Ye arrived at Wan Zhong Mountain, it was trembling violently. Large chunks of rock fell away, revealing a gleaming, bronze-like metallic core.

A black-robed figure stood before the mountain, performing hand seals to extract the bell-shaped treasure.

Lu Ye scrutinized the figure.

Someone he didn’t recognize? Impossible.

He waved his hand across his eyes, and his pupils turned golden. When he looked again, the figure’s identity was revealed—Shangguan Huanling.

Sensing the shift in aura, Shangguan Huanling turned to see Lu Ye. Her face instantly paled.

Lu Ye didn’t hesitate. 

A streak of sword energy flew toward her.

‘Stealing my treasure? You’ve chosen death!’

The sword energy roared through the air, carrying an ominous howl.

Shangguan Huanling dared not take it lightly. No one understood Lu Ye’s terrifying strength better than she and the others in their group. 

Without hesitation, she dissolved into a mist of blood.

Boom!

A crimson light streaked through the air, disappearing with incredible speed.

Lu Ye was stunned. The Blood Demon’s Escape Technique?

Good, good. She didn’t even dare to face a single strike and used such a life-draining escape technique so decisively. It left Lu Ye momentarily at a loss.

Who runs without even exchanging a single blow, using a technique that severely damages their vitality and spirit?

Now Lu Ye understood why so many of the treasures he sought had already disappeared—they had all been taken by Shangguan Huanling.

He didn’t bother chasing her. The Blood Demon’s Escape Technique was nearly impossible to counter unless he used it himself, and even then, controlling its direction was difficult.

With Shangguan Huanling gone, the treasure was his. After a rumbling upheaval, Lu Ye secured the Dao Bell and resumed his search.

…

In a remote cave, Shangguan Huanling sat pale-faced, her aura severely weakened. 

She hurriedly placed talismans to conceal her presence and suppressed her aura to the extreme before finally exhaling in relief.

Wasn’t he supposed to be meditating under the Enlightenment Tree? Why had he come out?

This wouldn’t do. She couldn’t keep collecting treasures so openly. If she ran into Lu Ye again, she might not survive.

Still, the treasures she had gathered were already abundant. It was time to cultivate.

Numerous treasures surrounded her, radiating faint auras. Strands of spiritual light flowed from these treasures into her body.

Her cultivation method, the Primordial Devouring Scripture, allowed her to absorb the essence of all things. The higher the quality of the treasures, the richer the essence, and the faster her cultivation progressed.

Soon, her cultivation soared.

Breaking 6th stage Nascent Soul Realm!

Breaking 7th stage Seventh Nascent Soul Realm!

Breaking 8th stage Nascent Soul Realm!

Breaking 9th stage Nascent Soul Realm!

Then, with a shift of her hand seals, her cultivation level began to drop.

8th Stage!

7th Stage!

6th Stage!

The repeated rise and fall of her cultivation stabilized her aura further.

When she finished cultivating, her power had settled firmly at the Breaking 8th stage Nascent Soul Realm. Her cultivation speed was astonishing.

“Hmph! I’ve always said, even without you, I can still become an Emperor. I’ll be stronger than I ever was in my previous life!” Shangguan Huanling muttered, a triumphant smile playing on her lips as she felt the surging power within her.

Unlike some others, she held no regrets for betraying Lu Ye.

In her past life, she had always believed that Lu Ye’s help was a form of restraint. She could have achieved greatness on her own, yet he had stubbornly kept her by his side, binding her.

She had loved him once, truly. 

But over time, his suffocating love left her feeling trapped.

She had no need to seek treasures—everything was delivered to her. No trials, no struggles.

But this wasn’t the life she wanted. Freedom, soaring through the heavens—this was her dream.

Now, she was finally free.

This life, she would rise even higher than before, without Lu Ye’s “help.”

…

Lu Ye didn’t encounter Shangguan Huanling again, but it became clear that she had taken many of the true treasures from the fourth to sixth layers.

The Primordial Devouring Scripture… A powerful technique, it allowed its user to consume and integrate the essence of all things, much like a kunpeng swallowing the heavens.

Still, Lu Ye managed to collect other treasures along the way.

“These guys are behaving a little too obediently,” Lu Ye murmured to himself.

While collecting treasures, he had encountered various factions, including divine and demonic races. Their behavior struck him as oddly uniform.

Another alliance? He shook his head. It wasn’t his concern.

The final three layers of the Prodigy’s Ancient Battlefield would open soon—likely within a day or two.

In his previous life, he had ranked thirty-third on the Eternal Prodigy List. It wasn’t because he was weak; the names ahead of him were simply absurd. The top ten were shrouded in chaos, their identities unreadable.

As for the eleventh place, the name inscribed was Ye Wudi—otherwise known as the Invincible Sword Sovereign.

The master of the Invincible Sword, a being at the Heavenly Sovereign level, ranked eleventh…