Chapter 31: The End of the Story

The power of the Ancestor’s Gate was enough to cover the entire Imperial City.

Therefore, within the Imperial City, Elia could unleash Heaven’s Guard level power with just a single thought.

Inside the city, she was invincible.

On that same day, she marched toward the location of the First Imperial Family.

Before long, the ground of the entire Imperial City began to tremble.

Everyone looked up and saw the terrifying Frost Whisper power soaring into the sky from the First Imperial Family’s estate, tearing through the heavens!

The sky and the layers of clouds seemed to be frozen in that instant.

Even when the Frost Whisper power dissipated, the heavy snow in that area did not stop.

A massive, life-like frost flower stood where the First Imperial Family’s palace once was.

The flower was crystal clear with a faint tint of red, beautiful yet eerily haunting.

However, there were many impurities trapped within the ice, marring its beauty.

Someone once felt a sense of pity for this.

But when he approached the frost flower to take a closer look, he suddenly stumbled back several steps. His face turned pale, and his eyes were filled with absolute terror.

Those impurities within the frost flower…

They were the mangled remains of countless members of the First Imperial Family and the shattered fragments of the palace!

And that eerie red was, without a doubt, the blood of the First Imperial Family!

Just like five years ago, when the First Imperial Family commissioned the Shadow Moon Hall to attack the Seventh Imperial Family.

This time, Elia alone had exterminated the entire First Imperial Family. Her Frost Whisper power had completely sealed the surrounding space, extending a hundred meters underground.

She left the First Imperial Family with no chance of survival.

The frost flower bloomed atop the ruins, refusing to dissipate for half a month.

This was revenge.

It was also a deterrent.

Soon, several other imperial branches found Elia, willing to support her as the new Empress.

After eliminating the last of the opposition and the remnants of the First Imperial Family, Elia officially ascended the throne.

An 18-year-old Empress of Winter was a rarity throughout history.

On the day of her coronation, Elia stood atop the imperial palace, facing her vast territory, her surrendering subjects, and the rising clamor of the mortal world. Her expression was indifferent, and her gaze was cold.

No one could see through what she was thinking.

People simply felt that Elia was beautiful and young.

Soon, however, they would realize that Elia was not as green or naive as they imagined.

They would gradually come to call this new ruler of the Frost Whisper Empire the Empress of Winter.

The first incident occurred when a minister, seeking to please Elia, invited a wandering poet to offer a tribute to the new Empress.

This poet enjoyed a great reputation across several neighboring empires.

The poet offered a hymn, starting from Elia’s childhood escape from the blood-stained Seventh Imperial Family, all the way to her return on the day of her coronation to expose the false emperor, gain the recognition of the Ancestor’s Gate, and become the new ruler.

The ministers clapped and cheered.

But Elia only felt bored.

The poem was ornate, but it was filled with emptiness and falsehood from beginning to end.

And…

“I was not alone,” she said.

“Hahaha, of course not,” the minister said with a flattering smile. “But this is a hymn, praising the Great Empress Elia, the Pure Empress Elia, and the Supreme Empress Elia. For that reason, all filthy things cannot be written into the poem.”

“Filthy?” Elia spoke again.

In that moment, the temperature inside the palace plummeted.

Several ministers immediately lowered their heads after feeling this invisible chill.

They realized something was wrong.

But that minister continued to speak incessantly, seemingly convinced he had done the right thing. “Yes, Your Majesty. Everything about the Shadow Moon Hall is unworthy — “

*Hum — *

In the next instant, that minister was directly frozen into an ice sculpture.

The ice sculpture wobbled and fell, shattering into pieces.

A faint killing intent permeated the palace.

The entire palace became even colder at this moment.

It was… bone-chilling to the extreme.

Frost Whisper power flowed through the air once more.

*Snap — *

A second later, one of the strings on the poet’s instrument snapped.

“Eek!” The poet collapsed on the ground in terror.

“I do not like your poem,” Elia said coldly. “Pack up your instrument, shut your mouth, and leave this place. I do not want to see you… a second time.”

The poet scrambled and crawled out of the palace.

He left behind a group of ministers who stared at the shattered pieces of flesh and ice in utter horror.

The second incident occurred when the Cloudsky Empire came to visit.

The Cloudsky Empire was also one of the top empires in this region.

The Cloudsky Emperor arrived in person, bringing along his young prince.

This prince had already been confirmed as the successor to the throne.

The prince was of a similar age to Elia.

While conversing with Elia, the Cloudsky Emperor repeatedly mentioned the prince, hoping to facilitate a marriage alliance.

Elia refused, but the Cloudsky Emperor was still reluctant to give up.

During the evening banquet, the prince found another opportunity to approach Elia privately, hoping to strike up a conversation.

Elia ignored him the entire time.

At one point, the prince suddenly asked, “Empress Elia, have you ever liked someone before?”

Elia did not answer, but her footsteps suddenly stopped.

Seeing this, the prince spoke again, “But she did not appear when Your Majesty needed her most, nor has she stayed by your side until now. You might have liked her, but she might not have necessarily liked you back.”

Elia’s body suddenly trembled.

In the prince’s eyes, this was a sign of increasing favor.

He struck while the iron was hot and continued, “Empress Elia, won’t you really consider the one standing before you, who is willing to accompany you — “

In the next second, the prince felt his life-saving treasure shatter.

He saw Frost Whisper power erupt from Elia’s side, blasting toward him like a mad tide.

*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Elia blasted the prince dozens of times.

The prince’s body was blown to smithereens in an instant.

Space itself collapsed because of it.

The ministers were dumbfounded, but no one dared to stop Elia at this time.

The Cloudsky Emperor was also stunned.

He just wanted the prince to perform well in front of Elia.

Who knew the child would die right after his performance!

After a brief daze, the Cloudsky Emperor’s eyes turned cold. He released his pressure, letting it fall toward Elia, intending to suppress the girl.

“Elia, I want an explanation!” he shouted sternly.

Elia did not answer him. She simply turned her head and looked at him once.

The Cloudsky Emperor immediately withdrew his pressure in fright and stood frozen on the spot.

That was a look of… extreme madness, extreme obsession, and a gaze filled with killing intent.

The Cloudsky Emperor had spent half his life at war, yet he still felt fear and did not dare to meet her eyes.

He was certain that if he truly dropped his pressure on Elia, she would absolutely awaken the power of the Ancestor’s Gate to deal with him.

And then, it would be a fight to the death… with the entire Cloudsky Empire!

The Cloudsky Empire did not dare to make an enemy of such a lunatic.

In the end, this matter was left unsettled.

As the news spread, both the people of the Frost Whisper Imperial Family and those from the outside world became increasingly fearful of Elia.

“Always cold, always heartless. Standing before her is like standing in the coldest depths of winter.”

“That is the Empress of Winter.”

Gradually, people began to use “Empress of Winter” as Elia’s title.

Elia enjoyed being alone.

She would often sit alone on a deserted plain to watch the stars on a clear night.

On a rainy afternoon, she would walk alone on a secluded street.

The place she visited the most was always the Ancestor’s Gate.

She cultivated there, accepted the inheritance there, and spent the vast majority of her life becoming stronger.

In the second year, she broke through to the Earth Vein Realm.

In the fifth year, she touched the threshold of the Heaven’s Guard Realm.

On the day she touched the threshold of the Heaven’s Guard Realm, she entered the Ancestor’s Gate once more and took out the national sword of the Frost Whisper Empire.

Then, carrying it, she stepped out of the Imperial City alone and headed toward the Shadow Moon Hall.

The Shadow Moon Hall Master had been severely wounded since the battle at the Imperial City.

The deaths of several elders, branch hall masters, and sequences had a significant impact on the Shadow Moon Hall.

During those five years, the Shadow Moon Hall had fallen from being a top-tier organization.

And during those five years, the Hall Master had not even dared to step out of the main hall once.

When he realized that Elia had come for him, he stepped out of the hall and unleashed his full power to respond.

In the end, he lost.

He was pierced through the heart by ten thousand arrows… a rain of arrows formed from the relentless Frost Whisper power.

— Just as he had done to Lu Mo back then.

He watched as Elia walked toward him, his eyes gradually filling with terror.

“Don’t come over… don’t come over… you lunatic — “

Elia pierced his skull with her sword.

The wailing disappeared, and the entire world became quiet.

Elia tossed away the Shadow Moon Hall Master’s corpse like a piece of trash and walked toward the highest point of the Shadow Moon Hall.

“Sister Lu Mo… I’ve avenged you…” she whispered.

The battle at the Shadow Moon Hall was world-shaking.

A young girl had slaughtered an entire sect by herself, shocking the entire region.

“Fortunately, I didn’t make a move against her back then…” In the Cloudsky Empire, the Emperor muttered, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.

“Empress Elia.”

When Elia returned to the Frost Whisper Empire covered in blood, the members of the imperial family trembled and bowed one after another, terrified to the extreme.

The Empress had wiped out the Shadow Moon Hall alone; this was something that had to be celebrated, right?

Early the next morning, a minister went to visit Elia.

But Elia’s palace doors were wide open, and there was no one inside.

The minister looked forward and saw the imperial crown left on the throne.

At this moment, Elia was standing on a nameless small hill outside the city, gazing at the Imperial City.

Many years ago, right here, Lu Mo had reached out her hand to the crying girl.

She found the spot where she had stood ten years ago.

Originally, there was nothing here, but coming back today, she discovered that the ground was covered with tiny flowers.

“Sister Lu Mo, I’ve come to accompany you…”

She had come here to end her own life.

She no longer wanted to endure the loneliness.

She still remembered that Lu Mo had given her two rings.

After destroying the Shadow Moon Hall, she finally had the right to open them.

“This is…”

She recognized the first ring; it was supposed to belong to the Frost Whisper Imperial Family. It was her sister’s ring.

She injected her power and activated the ring.

The ring activated very slowly. Judging by the speed, it hadn’t been opened in nearly ten years.

“…”

In other words, after her sister had given the ring to Lu Mo, Lu Mo had never touched it again.

Lu Mo had kept this ring perfectly preserved until now and handed it back to her.

Soon, Elia opened the second ring.

This was the ring Lu Mo usually used.

After five years, Elia felt Lu Mo’s residual aura from the ring once again.

There were many purple gold coins and miscellaneous items inside.

Elia saw a sword box placed in the most prominent position.

On top of the box, there was a letter.

“This is…”

Curious, Elia took out the sword box and the letter, carefully opening the latter.

When she opened the envelope, the first line of the letter made her eyes turn red.

‘Happy birthday, Elia.’

‘This year is your 18th birthday. I originally thought I should make it grand.’

‘In the end, just as I prepared the gift, so many things happened.’

‘This time, both the Frost Whisper Imperial Family and the Shadow Moon Hall have sent out a lot of people.’

‘Sometimes I wonder if we can still escape.’

‘I want you to escape, to escape your original fate.’

‘I might not make it out, but at least…’

‘Can I hold on until your birthday?’

‘To be honest, I’m not really sure.’

‘So, I wrote this letter.’

‘Elia, I once told you to keep walking and never look back.’

‘Now, I also want to tell you: live.’

‘I want you to live, to live past 18, to live longer than me.’

‘You should live in the sunshine, not in my glimmer.’

‘You should live a richer and more colorful life, not wander around with me.’

‘You should enjoy this world, instead of living a twisted life like I do.’

*Drip — *

*Drip — *

Tears fell onto the letter, and Elia’s vision gradually blurred.

“No… no…” she choked out. “I don’t want to live in the sunshine. I don’t want those rich and colorful lives. I don’t want to enjoy this world…”

‘I just want to live in your glimmer, wandering, living a twisted life.’

‘I want to be with you forever… Sister Lu Mo…’

‘Live on. One day, you will surpass me and trample everything that once bullied you under your feet.’

‘There will also come a day when you feel that the experience of being with me was actually nothing, just an ordinary meeting and parting.’

‘It was just a very short path. I held your hand at the beginning of it and gave you a push at the end.’

“No… that wasn’t an ordinary path at all. That was my entire life…” Elia whispered.

‘You will meet new friends, new lovers, and then gradually forget about me.’

“I won’t forget… in this life… I will never forget again…” Elia’s voice was already sobbing.

‘Alright, forget those unpleasant things and look at the gift I gave you — ‘

‘I hope it can accompany you longer than I could.’

‘I also hope that on the day you wear it out, you will have completely forgotten me.’

Elia opened the sword box.

What she saw was a dark ice-colored sword.

From the sword’s body, she saw traces of Lu Mo’s pitch-black sword and the academy training sword.

Both of those swords were of excellent quality.

But after the heavy rain, she had never seen Sister Lu Mo use them again.

Now, she understood everything.

She suddenly hugged the sword.

She hugged it tightly.

She let the blade cut through her clothes and skin, let the pain spread, and let the blood flow down.

It seemed that only in this way could she truly feel that she was still alive.

“Sister Lu Mo…”

She hugged the sword and wailed, “Lu Mo… Sister…”

It was still that same small hill, with the misty morning dew and the gentle sunlight.

But there was no longer a young girl reaching out a hand to her.

Elia cried and cried.

She cried until she had no strength left.

She collapsed into the sea of flowers, her blood flowing.

She raised the sword, wanting to pierce her own chest and end her life.

But once the sword was raised, it never fell.

She had made up her mind several times, gripping the hilt with both hands and exerting sudden force.

But the tip of the sword always stopped right before her chest.

“Why…”

“Why does even a sword bully me…”

She whispered softly.

She stared blankly at the sword, at the misty fog, and the sunlight overhead.

After a long time, she finally wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and stood up with difficulty.

She no longer sought to kill herself. Instead, she put the sword back into the box and hugged the box tightly.

Like a little girl hugging her favorite teddy bear.

‘Let’s go back,’ she told herself.

She walked down the hill.

Lu Mo stood in the morning mist, watching her from afar.

The mist dissipated more, and the sunlight became even more dazzling.

**[Settlement complete.]**

**[Simulated Reincarnation will close shortly.]**

**[10 … 9 … 8 ……]**

‘Is it over?’

Lu Mo looked at the countdown on the light screen and smiled helplessly.

‘This time, it’s a real goodbye, Elia…’

As she spoke, she waved at the girl through that thick curtain.

“!”

In an instant, Elia’s figure suddenly paused.

She snapped her head back, “Sister Lu Mo! Sister Lu Mo, you’re still here, right?”

As she spoke, she actually began to walk back toward the original direction.

She walked faster and faster, and finally, she started running.

**[5 … 4 … 3 ……]**

In truth, Elia sometimes had a feeling that Lu Mo had never left.

When she was silently gazing at the night sky alone, Lu Mo would sit beside her, quietly accompanying her.

When she was walking alone on a street in the heavy rain, Lu Mo would follow behind her, holding up an illusory umbrella over her head.

When she was lonely and couldn’t bear it, secretly crying in a corner, Lu Mo would stroke her face, wanting to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Just now, she still felt that Lu Mo was smiling at her in the sunlight, just like before.

But for some reason, just now, she felt that this would be the last time Lu Mo would accompany her.

“Sister Lu Mo.”

“Sister Lu Mo.”

She murmured, repeating it constantly, as she ran upward.

She saw the place where she had originally been. The mist cleared, and the sunlight was brilliant.

In the light, she vaguely saw Lu Mo’s figure.

“Sister Lu Mo — “

She lunged forward recklessly and then reached out, grabbing tightly toward that beam of light.

The gazes of the two seemed to meet at this moment.

**[1 … 0 ……]**

And this moment happened to be the final second of the countdown.

The light vanished.

The world around Lu Mo dissipated like a phantom.

Simulated Reincarnation closed.

The story came to an abrupt end.