From cute to empress

Chapter 346: Palace Chaos and Flame Awakening

The sound of war drums resounded through the sky like thunder, foreshadowing the coming of a storm. I drew the sword at my waist, and the blade reflected a cold light in the morning light, illuminating my resolute face.

"Escort! Escort!"

Shouts and cries of killing echoed from all directions, and the entire palace was instantly plunged into chaos. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, forcing myself to calm down. Zhen Youcai's life or death was uncertain, and I couldn't panic. I had to fight for him and for the entire country!

"Your Majesty, it is too dangerous for you to stay here. Please follow me to a safe place!" the commander of the Royal Guards shouted anxiously.

"No, I want to stay here and fight side by side with the soldiers!" I said resolutely, my eyes sweeping over every soldier fighting bravely, and a surge of heroic ambition surged in my heart.

"Kill! -" Amidst the deafening shouts of killing, a group of men in black appeared before his eyes like ghosts. All of them were highly skilled in martial arts and their moves were ruthless. They were obviously the elite forces of the mysterious organization.

I've fought alongside Zhen Youcai for years, and I've long since honed my skills. At this moment, I unleash my full power, my sword flashing, each strike deadly. In a flash, I've cut down several men in black.

However, the men in black kept coming like a tide, and I couldn't stop killing them. I gradually felt exhausted and my movements became slower.

"Meng Meng, be careful!"

Just then, I felt a strong wind coming from behind me. Before I could react, I was hit by a huge force and my body flew out like a kite with a broken string.

"His Majesty!"

"Mengmeng!"

I heard Zhen Youcai's heart-wrenching cry and tried hard to open my eyes, but everything in front of me was blurry and my consciousness began to fade away...

"Hahaha... Niu Mengmeng, your death is coming!"

A cold voice sounded in my ears. I tried hard to see the face of the person who spoke, but I couldn't see it clearly.

"Stop! Don't hurt His Majesty!"

Zhen Youcai's angry roar rang in my ears, and then I felt a powerful force enveloping me, and then the world spun around...

I struggled to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy as a thousand pounds. Suddenly, I saw the monk and the weather officer standing beside me, their faces solemn. In their hands, they seemed to be holding something that emitted a dazzling light...

"Hurry! It's too late..."

I tried to ask, but no sound came out. I could only watch helplessly as they lifted their objects high into the air. It was a crystal-clear jade and a quaint compass. Under their tacit control, the jade and compass shone brighter and brighter, gradually merging together to form a massive ball of light that enveloped me.

I felt a warm and powerful force slowly flowing into my body, repairing my damaged meridians. Meanwhile, the monk chanted something, each syllable seeming to contain immense energy, shocking my soul.

"Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor, and good people are always blessed by heaven! We will do our best to protect Your Majesty!" The meteorological officer's forehead was covered with sweat, but his tone was extremely firm.

I endured the severe pain in my body and tried to speak, but still no sound came out.

"Oh no! They are coming!" The monk's face changed and his hands moved faster.

I felt the power of the light ball growing stronger and stronger, almost swallowing me up.

"Your Majesty, hold on!" the meteorologist shouted and threw the compass in his hand into the air.

The compass spun and danced in the air, emitting brilliant light that illuminated the entire palace like daylight.

"boom--"

With a loud bang, the ball of light suddenly exploded, dissipating into countless points of light in the air. I felt an unprecedented power awakening within me, as if a sleeping giant beast was awakening.

"what--"

I couldn't help but let out a painful groan, feeling as if my body was being torn apart.

"Your Majesty!" The monk and the meteorologist called my name anxiously, but they were powerless to do anything.

I struggled to control this power, but found that it was like a wild horse running wild in my body.

"Calm down! You have to calm down!"

Zhen Youcai's voice suddenly rang in my mind, his voice was so clear, as if it was right next to my ear.

I tried to calm myself down, concentrate, and feel the flow of this power.

Gradually, I discovered that this power was not uncontrollable. I tried to guide it, gathering it between my hands.

A blazing flame ignited in my palm, illuminating my face. I felt the heat of the flame, my heart filled with indescribable shock and joy.

I actually awakened the power to control fire!

This power instantly brought me back to life and gave me hope. I slowly stood up and looked into the distance with a burning gaze. There, it was the direction where my army and I had fought bloody battles!

"Pass the order down, prepare..." I paused, then said firmly, "Counterattack!"

The flames danced at my fingertips, reflecting my resolute face. I could feel its violent power, just like the fighting spirit surging in me.

My voice, fueled by this newfound strength, resounded throughout the battlefield. The army, which had been somewhat disorganized, felt like it had been injected with a shot of adrenaline, and its morale soared.

"For the empress! Kill!" Zhen Youcai took the lead and led our army, rushing towards the enemy camp like an arrow.

I followed closely behind, harnessing the power of fire to create walls of flame, blocking the enemy's attack and shielding our soldiers' charge. The blazing flames illuminated the night sky and also illuminated the path for our counterattack.

I never imagined that I, the Niu Mengmeng who once only hid behind Zhen Youcai, could possess such powerful strength. I can feel that this strength comes not only from the jade and the compass, but also from the deep love in my heart for this land, for my people, and for Zhen Youcai.

The battle lasted all night. Under my leadership, our brave soldiers advanced with unstoppable force, pushing the enemy back step by step.

"Impossible! How did you do that?!"

The leader of the mysterious organization, the man in black who had been hiding behind the scenes and manipulating everything, finally appeared before me. His face was filled with disbelief. Obviously, my sudden awakening and counterattack had completely exceeded his expectations.

"Evil cannot defeat good. You have committed many evil things. Today is your end!" I looked at him coldly, and the flame in my hand became more and more fierce.

"Hmph, do you think you win like this? You are too naive!" The man in black sneered, and his figure flashed and disappeared into the night.

He escaped.

Although I failed to capture him, I wasn't discouraged. I knew we had won the battle. More importantly, I had awakened. I had the power to protect myself and the people I loved.

"Mengmeng, are you okay?" Zhen Youcai rode his horse to my side, his face full of worry, but more of it was unconcealable joy and pride.

I shook my head and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, we won."

"Yes, we won." Zhen Youcai repeated my words, but we all understood that this was only a temporary victory.

"This battle is just the beginning. Are you ready for the real challenge?"

An old and cold voice came from nowhere, echoing in the silent night sky and also in my heart...

"Mengmeng, don't worry, I'll take care of everything." Zhen Youcai held my hand. His palm was warm and dry, giving me strength as always.

I nodded, took a deep breath, and suppressed the inexplicable uneasiness.

"Yes, we won, but this victory came too easily. The men in black can't give up so easily..." I looked around. The battlefield was still filled with the smell of gunpowder, but my intuition told me that the real danger was not over, but was lurking in the deeper darkness.

"I will let the shadow guards investigate this matter thoroughly and will not let go of any clues." Zhen Youcai looked solemn. He also understood that the escape of the man in black meant a greater hidden danger.

I looked at him with gratitude and love in my heart.

"You're talented, luckily you're here."

"Silly girl, there's no need to talk about this between us." He smiled gently and tidied up my hair that was messed up by the wind.

In the next few days, we comforted the people and rebuilt their homes while stepping up our investigation into the identities and intentions of the men in black.

"Your Majesty, General, we found a secret room outside the city!" A guard hurried to report.

"Secret room?" Zhen Youcai and I looked at each other, and a premonition arose in our hearts at the same time.

Zhen Youcai and I immediately rushed out of the city. The secret room was hidden very secretly. If it weren't for the guards' careful search, it would have been difficult to find.

"Your Majesty, please be careful." Zhen Youcai walked in front of me. He drew his sword and carefully pushed open the door of the secret room.

There was only a dim oil lamp in the secret room, illuminating the strange patterns carved on the wall.

"What is this?" I walked closer to take a closer look, and a chill ran from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

"This is..." The senior monk who had been silent all this time suddenly spoke, his voice trembling, as if he had seen something incredible. "This is the formation that sealed the evil demon in the ancient prophecy..."

My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding grew stronger. Could the man in black be connected to this ancient prophecy?

"It seems that we are in big trouble." Zhen Youcai gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, his tone more serious than ever before.

I turned to look at him and found that his eyes were not fixed on the patterns, but on a piece of black cloth scattered on the floor in the corner of the secret room...