After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

"I wonder what brings the Marquis of Zhenyuan to make such a commotion in the court hall?"

"What is it?!" Zhou Shan roared, his hair standing on end in fury. He pointed a sharp finger at Lin Fengmian beside Su Miaoyun, his eyes bloodshot and blazing with rage.

"Your Majesty! Today, this old minister is here solely to avenge the death of my Zhou family's only grandson! This boy slaughtered my Zhou family's bloodline and severed our lineage; this hatred is irreconcilable!"

Su Miaoyun's expression remained unchanged, but her tone carried a hint of coldness: "I have already given instructions on this matter, so let it be dropped. I am tired; if there is nothing else, you may leave."

"Just let it go like this?!" Upon hearing this, Zhou Shan's anger erupted completely. "Empress! This boy killed the only hope of my Zhou family!"

How can this be so easily dismissed with a single sentence? Today, this old minister will surely have his soul extracted and his spirit refined to comfort my grandson's spirit in heaven!

"How dare you, Zhou Shan! How dare you be so disrespectful to His Majesty!" An elderly minister with gray hair and beard could no longer stand it and rebuked him.

"You old bastard Ma!" Zhou Shan suddenly turned his head, his terrifying aura as a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator mixed with the ferocious blood energy of a body cultivator, crashing down with a deafening roar.

"When did it become your place to interrupt?!"

"You...!" The old minister surnamed Ma was so overwhelmed by this aura that his legs went weak, his throat felt sweet, and he almost knelt down on the spot, his face turning deathly pale.

Su Miaoyun remained seated, her face as cold as frost.

Lin Fengmian stood leisurely to the side, even picking his ear, looking completely unconcerned and simply watching the show.

With his empress wife backing him up, he was happy to relax.

Asking for it yourself? That would be beneath you.

Seeing this, Zhou Shan became even bolder.

According to the intelligence he obtained, no matter how strong Empress Su Miaoyun was, she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if she was exceptionally talented and condensed her Golden Core, so what?

He, Zhou Shan, is a cultivator who has achieved both physical and spiritual growth at the half-step Nascent Soul stage!

When unleashed at full power, his strength is comparable to that of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

In this desolate land, the resurgence of spiritual energy has brought forth hidden currents and powerful figures have emerged, making the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion of great importance.

He refused to believe that the Empress would completely turn against him, a powerful marquis and a top-tier warrior, for a mere male concubine!

Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Without saying another word, his powerful blood and spiritual energy erupted, and he unleashed a fierce palm strike at Lin Fengmian from afar!

"You little beast, pay for my grandson's life!"

The palm strike was like a raging torrent, containing terrifying power that could destroy mountains and shatter peaks. It instantly tore through the air and struck Lin Fengmian's face!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud! However, it wasn't Lin Fengmian who was sent flying backward.

Su Miaoyun, seated on the throne, didn't even stand up. She simply raised her jade-like hand and gently brushed it away from the violent palm wind.

The movements were light and graceful, as if dusting off something.

But this seemingly casual flick of the wrist appeared to create an invisible barrier in the void!

Zhou Shan's palm strike, powerful enough to shatter mountains, struck the barrier but vanished without a trace, producing only a muffled thud before stopping.

The next instant, an overwhelming force rebounded violently along that invisible barrier!

"Pfft—!"

Before Zhou Shan could even react, it felt as if an invisible giant hammer had slammed into his chest, shattering his protective aura instantly.

"boom--!"

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the pure white jade pillar with a coiled dragon on the left side of the main hall.

A deep, muffled thud shook the entire palace violently, and fine dust fell from the dome.

The surface of that jade pillar, which was as thick as three people could hug, was cracked with spiderweb-like patterns by his impact, a shocking sight!

The twelve Mountain-Shaking Guards he had brought with him were all thrown about and scattered by the aftershocks.

The armor clashed, producing a crisp clanging sound. Some even fell to the ground, tumbling several times before barely managing to regain their balance.

Their gazes as they looked up at the Empress were filled with disbelief and horror.

They were elite troops that the Zhou family had painstakingly trained, possessing formidable combat power.

Together they could fight a level four beast, but now they couldn't even get close to the Empress!

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

All the palace maids, guards, and court officials were dumbfounded. What... just happened? They couldn't have seen wrong, could they?

Her Majesty the Empress merely waved her hand casually, and Zhou Shan, who was already comparable to a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, was sent flying!

You should know that Zhou Shan is a top expert who cultivates both physical and magical abilities!

In this desolate land, his cultivation level was practically unmatched, making him virtually invincible among those of the same level!

But at this moment, he collapsed under the jade pillar in a sorry state, like a fly that had been swatted away, blood gushing from his mouth. He struggled to get up, but failed three times in a row.

The once imposing Marquis of Zhenyuan was now nothing but a disheveled and panicked mess.

Empress Su Miaoyun sat on her throne, her gaze still cold, showing no sign of emotion.

She lowered her eyes slightly, looking down at the disheveled figure slumped beneath the jade pillar.

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice clear and cold as a spring, yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"Zhou Shan, you really have a lot of nerve. How dare you lay a hand on my husband in front of me."

Do you really think the Phoenix Cry royal family is a bunch of gigolos? Or are you saying you don't even respect me?

As she finished speaking, Su Miaoyun leaned forward slightly, and a sharp, piercing light suddenly flashed in her clear, beautiful eyes.

An invisible pressure spread out as if it were a tangible force, making the air in the entire hall seem to freeze.

The surrounding officials seemed to awaken from a dream, and one by one they knelt down in unison.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on their foreheads, their voices trembled, and they repeatedly kowtowed, begging for mercy.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down! This... this old Marquis may have acted rashly in his haste!"

"Your Majesty, please consider the Zhou family's generations-long service in guarding the frontier and show leniency!"

Pleas for mercy echoed through the empty hall, filled with cautious probing and fear.

At this moment, Zhou Shan clutched his aching chest, forcibly suppressing the surging blood and qi, but his heart felt as if it were being churned by a raging storm.

Waves of endless shock and fear nearly engulfed him.

He's a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator who cultivates both physical and magical abilities!

Looking across the entire Land of Extinction, there are very few opponents who can stand up to him head-on!

But that attack just now... he didn't even see how the other party made the move before he was easily sent flying.

What alarmed him even more was that the power Su Miaoyun had displayed in her attack just now far exceeded his comprehension.

That's not a method a Foundation Establishment cultivator should use, or even something a Golden Core cultivator could do... It's more like some higher-level being looking down on all living beings and crushing them like ants.