Feng Ninghe stared directly at Lin Yuran, approaching her step by step.
Her eyes seemed to pierce straight into one's heart.
Lin Yuran's heart suddenly sank, filled with panic, and she involuntarily retreated.
She didn't even dare to meet those eyes, as if all her thoughts were exposed before this woman.
Feng Ninghe stopped, raised her hand, and presented the dragon throne in her palm. "The dragon throne is only palm-sized now. I am the only one in this world who can lift it. You likely lack the ability."
"How heavy can such a small thing be?"
Lin Yuran suppressed her discomfort, bit her lip, and suddenly reached out to grab the dragon throne.
Her expression immediately turned grim.
The dragon throne, no larger than her palm, felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds. She couldn't lift it at all.
Lin Yuran tried with all her might to lift the dragon throne, but this time, due to overexertion, she fell heavily to the ground!
Bang!
She landed with her hair disheveled, her hairpin clattering to the floor.
"Empress!"
Ji Binyu rushed forward, helping her up, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Lin Yuran gritted her teeth and stood up, fire burning in her eyes. "Feng Ninghe, what trickery did you use to make the dragon throne your possession?"
Ji Binyu glanced at the dragon throne and let out a muffled grunt. He raised his hand and unleashed a powerful surge of spiritual energy towards it.
The spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from him instantly caused a stir.
"I've long heard that the Grand Protector's cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul stage. His spiritual energy fluctuations are so strong!"
"It's no wonder he's the Grand Protector!"
In Lin Country, even cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage were rare, let alone those in the Nascent Soul stage.
Feng Ninghe slightly raised her eyelids, her lips curving upwards, a faint glint appearing in her eyes.
The spiritual energy unleashed by Ji Binyu was repelled, and a dense wave of spiritual energy violently struck towards him.
Bang!
Ji Binyu's body, like cotton, was thrown far away.
For every ounce of spiritual energy he exerted, that much force was thrown back at him.
The surrounding cultivators, who should have been making noise, fell silent, their gazes fixed on Ji Binyu.
He felt as if his internal organs were about to be expelled, his body wracked with pain, and his head throbbing.
Ji Binyu couldn't help but curse softly, turning his gaze to Feng Ninghe. "You dare to reflect spiritual energy back at me!"
Feng Ninghe's gaze lowered, and she looked at him with a cold, emotionless face. "If you had the ability to lift the dragon throne, you wouldn't be repelled by spiritual energy. Unfortunately, no one can lift the dragon throne except the true Empress of Lin Country."
Even with the truth laid bare, Lin Yuran continued to retort, "Lin Ninghe is dead. You are definitely not her; you are an imposter! Who knows what tricks you've used in secret!"
Ji Binyu also refused to believe it, struggling to get up. "That's right, you are definitely not the Empress. Your appearances are completely different!"
Facing their doubts, Feng Ninghe's expression remained largely unchanged. Her cool eyes calmly swept over the two before her. "The Imperial Seal recognizes me, the dragon throne recognizes me. Who in Lin Country dares not recognize me?"
The Imperial Preceptor eagerly stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Feng Ninghe, and quickly bowed. "The former Empress has returned. Your subject welcomes the Empress!"
"Your subject welcomes the Empress!"
In an instant, all the officials knelt and bowed.
To make the Imperial Seal glow, to know the secret of the dragon throne, and to move this divine artifact with such ease, it could only be the former Empress.
In the crowd, Su Hongxiu's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Feng Ninghe, who was receiving the obeisance of all the officials.
"I never expected she was the Empress of Lin Country." Su Hongxiu made no attempt to hide the admiration in her eyes, gently fanning herself with a finely-boned fan.
Bai Niannian's eyes shone with excitement, almost clapping her hands. "I never imagined I'd have an Empress as my master. My judgment is truly excellent!"
At this moment, she began to feel fortunate for having taken Feng Ninghe as her master.
Feng Xing, though somewhat surprised by everything, felt more of a sense of release.
From the first moment he saw Feng Ninghe, he knew his mistress was no ordinary person.
A hint of a smile appeared on Feng Xing's handsome face as he softly exclaimed, "The Empress of Lin Country is a heavenly prodigy. Only someone with the master's talent is worthy of such a status!"
Axi's facial features were tightly furrowed, a flicker of doubt clouding his eyes. "I didn't expect Miss Feng to be the Empress of Lin Country. Underworld King, in this case, Miss Feng and you are quite well-matched."
Si Jianye did not immediately respond. He slightly raised his gaze, his cool eyes fixed on everything before him, and his male voice was very soft. "Why did the Empress of Lin Country become Feng Ninghe of the Feng family in Li Country? There must be a connection."
A person transforming into another is never as simple as they might imagine.
Axi, hearing his words, nodded slightly in approval and gently stroked his chin. "Underworld King is right. The Empress of Lin Country has been missing for a hundred years, and Lin Country has been without a ruler for a century. Why did Miss Feng reveal her identity so late?"
The sudden shift in the situation successfully startled Xiao Ya. She stared in disbelief at the figure standing in the crowd.
That woman was the Lin Country Empress, resurrected from the dead!
Even in Chen Family Village, Xiao Ya had heard of this former Empress.
The former Empress was renowned as a cultivation prodigy, leading the vast Lin Country at a young age. It was a pity that she died from qi deviation.
Xiao Ya bit her lip, a trace of resentment creeping into her heart.
It seemed that this so-called former Empress and the Underworld King were indeed a match made in heaven, their statuses impeccable.
And then there was her, just an insignificant villager, with no comparison to Feng Ninghe.
Xiao Ya clenched her fists secretly. She wanted to marry the Underworld King and become his woman, but she was outmatched solely by her birth...
The ministers of Lin Country bowed in succession.
Feng Ninghe slightly raised her eyelids, sweeping her gaze over the ministers before her. "You may all rise. Since I have returned, I will naturally rule Lin Country well."
The Imperial Preceptor looked at her with relief, his long voice carrying a hint of depth. "Empress, for the past hundred years, I and the court officials have guarded Lin Country. We have been waiting for someone to inherit the vast Lin Country, and now you have finally returned to take your place!"
"Indeed, our long and arduous wait has not been in vain now that we can welcome the Empress!"
The ministers murmured amongst themselves.
Even more ministers did not care whether Feng Ninghe was truly the former Empress. Since she was recognized by the Imperial Seal and could control the dragon throne, whether she was the former Empress was no longer important.
Because she would eventually inherit Lin Country!
"No!"
Lin Yuran cried out in despair, shaking her head vehemently. "Imperial Preceptor, we cannot be fooled by this woman. We all saw the former Empress's corpse with our own eyes. She was clearly dead!"