The dimensional space around us hummed with activity as Zhang Wuji began organizing the former Immortal Sect cultivators into training groups.

But even as I watched the efficient reorganization unfold, that nagging thought about my original world lingered like a shadow at the edge of my consciousness.

It was then that I noticed Elder Liu approaching with one of his disciples—a younger man whose nervous energy betrayed his anxiety about speaking to me directly.

"My Emperor," Elder Liu began with a respectful bow, "my disciple Chen Wei has information that might be... relevant to our discussion of the Immortal Sect's true motivations."

I gestured for them to continue, curious about what intelligence they might possess.

Chen Wei stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly. "The elders never told us the real reason for targeting your empire, my Emperor. We were told it was about resources and territorial expansion, but I overheard Senior Elder Zhao speaking with the Sect Master before our departure."

"And?" I prompted, though something cold was already settling in my stomach.

"They mentioned something called the 'Draconic Spiritual Vine,'" Chen Wei said, his eyes darting nervously. "Senior Elder Zhao was insistent that it had to be secured before... before it was too late."

The Draconic Spiritual Vine.

Of course.

How could I have been so focused on immediate threats that I'd forgotten one of the novel's most crucial plot elements?

My mind raced back through the memories—both the Emperor's and my own knowledge of the story I'd read in my previous life.

The vine wasn't just any spiritual resource.

It was the last remnant of the Celestial Dragon Key, a legendary artifact that could open passages between realms for mass army movements rather than just one person's ascension.

Kind of useless in a world where a single person possessed the power of an army.

Imagine ascending with an army to another world only to meet someone like a monster—one finger snap, and they would all be dead.

So the practical use of such an artifact, to think of creating an army to win in another realm, was comparable to saying that a bamboo stick was trying to conquer a highly advanced country.

Naturally, that advanced country would not be interested in the bamboo country, and vice versa.

In conclusion, the artifact might sound like part of a very big plot within the inter-realm battle, but in truth, none of the realms were either strong or interested in doing anything like that—except for some delusional one-sided idiots who were normally fooled by women.

And according to the novel's timeline...

"Damn that bitch," I muttered under my breath, causing Feng to look at me with concern.

"...What is it?" she asked, moving closer with that intuitive awareness that had developed between us. It was as if she sensed I was thinking about some other woman, which I definitely was. But it only caused me to look ahead.

As I coughed clearly, I felt her grabbing my hand before placing it on her waist—though I must say that rather than her waist, it was on her hip.

It was as if she was declaring, focus on me, not anyone else.

I forced my expression back to neutrality, not wanting to alarm our new recruits. "Continue your report, Chen Wei. What else did you hear?"

The young cultivator swallowed hard. "The Senior Elder said the vine's power was... diminishing. That whatever remained of its original essence would be exhausted within the next few years. He seemed desperate to claim it before then."

Elder Liu nodded grimly. "That explains the urgency of our mission. The Sect has been consolidating resources for months, preparing for what they called a 'final acquisition phase.'"

I felt the pieces clicking into place with sickening clarity.

The Immortal Sect's aggression, their willingness to commit so many resources to attacking my empire—it wasn't about conquest or political maneuvering.

They knew about the vine's true nature and were racing against time to claim it.

But they didn't know the whole story.

And just like how it normally happens, they were fooled by someone.

According to the novel I'd read, the Draconic Spiritual Vine's depletion wasn't a gradual process.

When its essence finally ran out, the backlash would tear apart everything within a thousand-mile radius.

The Immortal Sect thought they were chasing a treasure, but they were actually rushing toward a catastrophic explosion that would kill them all.

And the person responsible for triggering that catastrophe...

"Lily Quin," I whispered, the name tasting like ash in my mouth as my brow furrowed.

"...Your Concubine?"

Ah, shit.

Only then did I realize Feng Linhua was just beside me, and I had muttered a name that naturally wouldn't be new to anyone—given everyone likely knew that woman's identity, or at least the part she played in the lower realm.

"H-husband?" Mei appeared at my side, her lips trembling as her eyes locked onto mine, as if she remembered something. Naturally, she would have, given she had lived as the emperor's maid for fifteen years.

In the novel, Lily Quinn had been the Emperor's beloved concubine before ascending to the upper realm.

Her departure had been portrayed as tragic but noble—a powerful cultivator making the ultimate sacrifice to protect the mortal world from threats beyond their comprehension.

What the novel hadn't explained clearly was her final act.

The destruction of the empire hadn't been collateral damage from some son betraying his father and usurping the throne... a throne that naturally vanished once the continent did.

It had been deliberate.

Calculated.

She had, even before her ascension, fooled the Immortal Sect into believing that they were mining some kind of treasure—without realizing it was a time bomb that obliterated millions of people in what the story had framed as a necessary evil.

But the timeline was wrong.

According to what I'd read, Lily Quin was supposed to die in the upper realm before the empire's destruction.

The contradiction had always bothered me when I was just a reader, dismissed as a plot hole by an author who couldn't keep track of their own story.

Now, living in this world, I realized the horrifying truth: it hadn't been a plot hole at all.

Lily Quin had orchestrated her own apparent death to provide cover for what she'd done to the empire.

She, as per her original plan, had let the Empire be destroyed—including the entire Immortal Sect—to become the channel for a great destruction, leading them to be branded as an evil sect within moments.

"Haa... So this is how you all destroyed my Empire."

I don't know when, but my voice erupted with such force that a shockwave rippled through the air, making those below and even those in front tremble.

As I opened my eyes, I saw them shaking in fear.

My anger was clearly directed toward the mortal sect, even though I had offered them a place in my ranks.

After all, rather than wasting time scouring villages to search for competent people to run the new empire, it was better to recruit the already talented ones from an established organization.

So I wasn't going to harm them—at least for now.

"Liege, give orders."

Zhang Wuji instantly arrived, kneeling, his head bowed low as if he already sensed my killing intent.

I was definitely more in control than going on a rampage for such a reason.

This had been a particular confusion gnawing at my mind since my arrival here: why had they destroyed my empire?

And now it became clear.

Everything aligned once more, leading back to the main plot of this story.

The targeted Immortal Sect had finally revealed itself to be nothing but a pawn, manipulated because that woman had wanted to use the empire as a meat shield while placing the blame on the Immortal Sect.

"Nothing. Let me share my knowledge with them."

Giving a smile, I looked towards the people below.

I had been in emperor form for quite a while after the turbulence, but now I understood the reason for it all.

It was all related to the main plot of the story.

A stepping stone for the heroine to shift blame onto the Immortal Sect.

Indeed, the Immortal Sect in the lower realm was just a branch, while the true one existed in the upper realm—founded by one who had ascended long ago.

So, as a gift to that founder before I personally met him and that heroine, I would taint their future lineage of warriors with something much more... pure.

Pure sex cultivation.

I was in a good mood as I moved my hand behind me, stepping away from my wife as I tried to fly down to meet the trainees.

But naturally, it was hard when a familiar voice rang out.

"Urgh, Tianlong, don't make that face... it's too perverted!"

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