Chapter 184

 At exactly eight o’clock on Friday evening, Tang Mingxi opened the latest chapter of Throne of the Aberrant Realm right on time.

Two hours earlier, the long-anticipated anime adaptation of Throne of the Aberrant Realm had finally premiered, dropping three episodes all at once. Tang Mingxi watched a single episode and, having absolutely no interest in the plot without Ye Zheng, didn’t continue any further.

Although, according to the manga’s storyline, the first season mainly revolved around Pei Xi’s experiences at Cloud Soarers Academy and within the Lower District, making it unlikely for Ye Zheng to appear in the anime’s first season, couldn’t the production team at least include a few extra scenes or some early foreshadowing? Why not give the top character the kind of premium treatment she deserved?

What irritated Tang Mingxi the most were the anime’s bullet comments and the painfully low-effort comment section. The instant any male character showed up, the screen would be completely flooded with remarks. The pre-release promotions had also pulled in a wave of casual viewers, stuffing the comments with all kinds of ridiculous nonsense.

【I heard there’s a really popular female character in the manga. Is there going to be a female lead?】

【No female lead! No romance storyline! Everyone can watch with peace of mind!】

【Nice, a no-female-lead story. We’re safe!】

【Why isn’t the camera angle any lower? The cameraman must’ve lost his chicken drumstick.】

【The visuals and soundtrack are both pretty solid. The world-building is interesting too. I kinda want to check out the manga now.】

Tang Mingxi looked at the online viewer count, which had already surpassed ten thousand, and felt a faint pang of heartache. She didn’t dare imagine just how many weirdos and oddballs would end up flooding into the manga in the future.

She glanced over at the manga forum, which had already turned into a full-blown carnival for fans of male characters. There were all kinds of anime screenshots and heaps of praise, mixed in with endless shipping discussions. The moment she opened social media, the hashtag #ThroneOfTheAberrantRealmAnimePremiere was already trending right at the very top.

The anime’s audience was far larger than the manga’s. Since Ye Zheng wouldn’t be appearing in the first season, her popularity would probably get overtaken by the male characters who had far more screen time…

Tang Mingxi opened the latest chapter in irritation. In the previous chapter, Ye Zheng had become the undisputed Saintess and God’s Chosen through a miraculous sermon. She’d enjoyed it immensely, and that good mood had lasted for an entire week, until it got completely ruined by the anime’s broadcast.

After opening the manga, Tang Mingxi scrolled downward with her finger. Her previously listless eyes gradually lit up, and her face flushed more and more with rising excitement.

In this chapter, Pope Wen Jian was critically ill. The Church was on the verge of announcing a new candidate for the papacy. Pei Xi received an invitation letter and went to the Church to meet Wen Jian, only to unexpectedly run into Ye Zheng along the way.

The moment she saw Ye Zheng appear in the auditorium, Tang Mingxi was already getting excited. She knew her favorite character’s personality inside out. Showing up right before the new Pope was about to be announced meant that Ye Zheng definitely had her own plans.

She watched as Ye Zheng coaxed and misled Pei Xi the entire way, successfully taking him hostage and entering the altar to compete with Wen Jian’s chosen successor for the papal inheritance.

This chapter was packed with a massive amount of information. Things like 【Mother of All Things】 and the five-hundred-year inheritance were clearly crucial clues. But Tang Mingxi stared at the screen, and in her eyes, there was only room for Ye Zheng.

　Ye Zheng eliminated her rival for the inheritance cleanly and with ruthless precision.

Ye Zheng stepped out from the altar, revealed the key that symbolized papal authority, and casually gave the order to “hunt down Pei Xi.”

Ye Zheng, draped in a golden cape and wearing the crown, lifted the divine sword high beneath the adoration of the masses. Her expression was solemn, and her eyes blazed like an unextinguishable black flame.

When she turned to the final page, Tang Mingxi’s expression froze completely. At the very moment Ye Zheng raised her sword atop the high platform, Pei Xi had actually drawn a gleaming golden longsword from within a dark cavern.

A flood of dense bullet comments instantly covered the entire screen, with countless question marks drifting across it.

Tang Mingxi’s mind went blank for a brief moment. She parted her lips in shock and only came back to her senses after a short delay. Ye Zheng’s divine sword was fake!

The chapter in which Ye Zheng tore away her Zhao Mei disguise and seized the divine sword had always been the most controversial and most heavily discussed chapter in Throne of the Aberrant Realm. Everyone had been left stunned by that twist.

But readers had never expected that the twist in chapter 263 still wasn’t finished. Ye Zheng hadn’t obtained the divine sword one step ahead of Pei Xi. She had forged a counterfeit!

Ye Zheng had truly deceived everyone, the protagonist team within the manga, the entire empire, and even the readers outside the story itself.

The moment where Ye Zheng seized the sword had always been a must-analyze scene for her fans when discussing her character. Most fans believed that taking the sword marked the true beginning of Ye Zheng’s rise to power. It also served as the strongest proof that ambition and cunning could coexist alongside kindness and nobility. No matter what methods she used to reach that point first, the God of Hope and the divine sword had acknowledged her, so obtaining the sword was considered entirely justified.

Even Ye Zheng’s own fans had never imagined that she’d be far bolder and more unhinged than they’d ever guessed. She didn’t need the gods’ recognition at all.

Tang Mingxi thought in disbelief: So Ye Zheng had used a forged divine sword to elevate herself into the unquestioned God’s Chosen? She’d climbed step by step from nothing more than a decorative, vase-like Saintess all the way to becoming the Papess standing at the very pinnacle of power?

She replayed that scene again and again in sheer excitement, then began frantically spamming messages to her fellow Ye Zheng fans who hadn’t yet read the chapter.

The moment she entered the forum, just as expected, it had already completely exploded.

This time, the plot analysis threads had unexpectedly risen to become the hottest posts on the forum, even surpassing the most popular anime-related discussions.

【No doubt about it — Ye Zheng is absolutely the biggest villain in Throne of the Aberrant Realm!】 【Hot】

【1L: No doubt about it — Ye Zheng is absolutely the biggest villain in Throne of the Aberrant Realm!】

【2L: Before this, I thought the biggest villain in this manga would be the apocalyptic Aberrant Realm from the prophecy. Characters like Sykes and Ye Zheng were only temporary antagonists, and the main storyline would still focus on the boys joining forces to save the world. But after reading the latest chapter today, Ye Zheng is unquestionably the final boss. She’s not going to be the kind of character who ends up holding hands with everyone for a happy ending like in a typical shonen manga.】

【3L: From all the earlier hints, I’d always believed that Pei Xi was the true God’s Chosen. As for Ye Zheng’s divine sword, before this chapter, I assumed it had no consciousness at all. Simply obtaining it didn’t necessarily mean she’d received the God of Hope’s approval. I never even once considered the possibility that Ye Zheng might’ve forged the divine sword herself.】

【4L: Thinking about it more carefully, it actually wasn’t that difficult to guess that the divine sword was fake. Just look at everything Ye Zheng did after acquiring it. She only ever used the sword’s recognition to elevate her status and insert herself into more affairs. She never truly used the sword itself as an actual weapon. But then why didn’t anyone think along those lines? Because Ye Zheng’s Saintess image had been built far too perfectly. Who could’ve imagined that the Saintess would be so unhinged?】

【5L: The prophecy stated that the God of Hope’s representative would take up the divine sword of the God of Hope and turn the tide. In the minds of both the people within the manga’s empire and us readers, the divine sword is the key item for saving the world from impending doom. It carries an irreplaceable level of importance and sacredness.】

【6L: Even though the Western District arc later revealed that the prophecy itself was fake, I’m guessing Ye Zheng didn’t know that at the time she seized the sword. In other words, in order to claim the identity of God’s Chosen, she abandoned the world-saving divine sword in an Aberrant Realm she would never return to!】

【7L: That’s an extremely insane thing to do. Knowing that the apocalypse is approaching, the Saintess who serves the God of Hope actually discarded humanity’s future hope just for her own honor and status. Doesn’t that make Ye Zheng appear incredibly selfish and vicious?】

【8L: But at the same time, Ye Zheng is also the kind of lunatic who would say “I will save everyone” (referring to the shelter arc in chapter 230).】

【9L: Ye Zheng isn’t just obsessive, she’s also unbelievably arrogant. She discarded the real divine sword and used a fake one to impersonate the God’s Chosen. Looking deeper into it, Ye Zheng doesn’t believe in, or even outright disdains, the idea that the God of Hope can bring salvation. She believes that only she herself can become the god who brings redemption to this world, and she’ll stop at absolutely nothing to climb to the very top.】

【10L: When a villain’s goal is simply to destroy the world, the protagonist only needs to protect the world from that destructive force. But when a villain acts in pursuit of goals like “making everyone happy” or “establishing an absolute and peaceful world order,” she’ll inevitably become the most terrifying kind of villain.】

【11L: After reading the original poster’s analysis, does this mean the protagonist team will really have to fight Ye Zheng in the end? But Ye Zheng’s abilities aren’t as strong as Sykes’s. Since the main appeal of this manga is ability-based battles, I still think Sykes has the highest chance of turning dark and becoming the final boss.】

【12L: Guys, have you all forgotten about the 【Mother of All Things】 that Ye Zheng just inherited in the latest chapter? Just hearing the name of that ability already makes it sound insanely powerful…】

【13L: Damn, the author just handed the villainess female lead yet another cheat ability.】

【14L: Anyone with eyes can tell that the one actually receiving the cheat is someone else entirely.】

【15L: The author practically stuffed the divine sword straight into Pei Xi’s hands. What kind of oversized baby male lead is this supposed to be?】

【16L: Cut him some slack. If the author hadn’t handed Pei Xi any cheats at all, this manga really would’ve turned into The Legend of Ye Zheng.】

【17L: While the Xi and Sy families are still busy chanting “a destined rival is a destined rival,” my girl has already evolved into a true god who stands above everyone, looking down on them all.】

……

【237L: After finishing the latest chapter, all I feel is pure admiration. I’m not trying to drag anyone, but compared to Ye Zheng’s courage and methods, the protagonist Pei Xi really seems way too immature. They’re not even playing in the same league.】

【238L: Pei Xi’s a growth-type protagonist, okay? The story hasn’t even progressed beyond roughly two-thirds yet. How could he possibly go up against a deeply scheming major villain like Ye Zheng so easily?】

【239L: Just because my girl is amazing doesn’t mean the male lead gets a free pass for being incompetent, okay?】

【240L: I’m seriously curious about what Ye Zheng’s going to do next. Instead of getting mad when she messes with the protagonist, I actually feel kind of excited.】

【241L: I get what you mean, the comment above. I also want to jump into the story and act alongside Ye Zheng for a couple of episodes. She chases, I run, neither of us manages to escape…】

【242L: I’ve said it before, Ye Zheng is the real growth-type hot-blooded shonen protagonist. If this story were told from her perspective, it would be insanely satisfying.】

【243L: Looking for The Legend of Ye Zheng resources!】

Contrary to what Tang Mingxi had expected, she originally thought that once the plot about Ye Zheng forging the divine sword was revealed, a lot of people on the forum would start cursing her for faking it, for using any means necessary, for being ruthless, and so on. She hadn’t expected that quite a number of people would genuinely begin to admire Ye Zheng instead.

From their tone and usernames, Tang Mingxi could tell they weren’t even die-hard Ye Zheng fans, yet that still didn’t stop them from appreciating her charm after reading this latest chapter.

After thinking it over, she figured it was probably because Ye Zheng was simply far too powerful. There was no doubt about it, the current Ye Zheng, whether in terms of personal strength or influence, had already climbed to the very top of the pyramid.

Tang Mingxi did a quick calculation in her mind. Now that Ye Zheng had ascended to the position of Pope and obtained a SSS-class ability, even Crown Prince Sykes was no longer qualified to stand on the same stage as her. Across the entire empire, probably only figures on the level of the Emperor or the top generals, along with high-risk Aberrant Realms, could be considered opponents worthy of Ye Zheng.

When someone becomes powerful enough, they no longer need to justify or defend anything they do.

Tang Mingxi refreshed the forum again. The previously heated discussion threads about the anime had already been pushed far down the page. Everywhere she looked now, the conversations were all centered around Ye Zheng. Only one thread title stood out as somewhat unfriendly.

【Stop Fighting, Moms, Your Girl Really Is the Emperor!】 【Hot】

【1L: Stop arguing, moms, your girl really is the Emperor!】

【2L: Literally the Emperor. The Pope-level kind of Emperor. Terrifyingly imperial!】

【3L: I rushed in here in full panic and then let out a breath of relief. OP’s such a troll!】

【4L: Ah, all these people were scolding my girl for acting imperial, and now she’s actually become the Emperor. How can someone be this insanely capable?】

【5L: Ye Zheng’s “Zheng” means “to strive.” I can’t even imagine how many posts the Steam Empire bot is going to pump out tonight…】

【6L: I still haven’t gotten enough of back-combed Papess Zheng. Can someone hype her up even more?】

【7L: Watching back-combed Papess Zheng seriously gives me this unexplainable fire…】

【8L: The first person who used “Zheng Zheng” as Ye Zheng’s anti-fan nickname was actually a genius. This anti-name doesn’t even need time to process, girls who love striving are the ones who end up winning.】

【9L: The striving girls have all flown to the top together with Zheng. The male babies downstairs are still busy being lovey-dovey, and not even the anime can save them, hahaha.】

【10L: The male babies keep competing, losing, singing, and dancing, but in the end, it’s still the little girl who loves striving that wins.】

【11L: OMG, Zheng is trending again!】

Tang Mingxi wasn’t fooled by the title in the slightest. The moment she clicked in, she slipped right into the usual routine of hyping up Ye Zheng together with the other fans. It was only when she noticed it trending that she got curious, backed out, and opened her social media app.

The top trending slots were completely filled with promotions for the Throne of the Aberrant Realm anime premiere, while the hashtag #YeZheng# sat somewhere in the middle-to-lower section of the trending list. Even though it wasn’t at the very top, it was clearly organic popularity, not something artificially boosted.

She tapped into it and found that someone had posted screenshots of scenes she hadn’t seen before. After taking a closer look, she realized that Ye Zheng’s extra chapter had been updated again!

Tang Mingxi immediately opened the manga app and jumped straight into the latest extra chapter.

This extra picked up from the previous one where Ye Zheng killed Yinkong in the maze. It filled in the missing sequence where Ye Zheng destroyed the divine statue, buried the real divine sword, and flawlessly revealed the carefully prepared fake golden sword.

Before long, the thread grew even more heated because of the newly released extra.

【235L: One person’s popularity, Ye Zheng’s alone, is enough to rival the hype of the entire anime. This is exactly how the Queen of Throne dominates.】

【236L: Finally, there aren’t any infuriating brain-dead comments on the forum this time. Before this, everyone acted just like those idiotic netizens in novels, so stupid it actually made me question reality.】

【237L: Oh my god, have you guys seen the new extra? The moment my girl swung that fake golden sword and split the divine statue apart, she looked more like a god than the actual gods themselves (attached image).】

【238L: I’m getting more and more convinced there’s another scriptwriter involved. It’s practically a crime that Old Uncle hid such an insane highlight and didn’t draw it!】

【239L: What shocked me the most was that Bai Muqing was there too. She even helped Ye Zheng conceal the truth about the divine sword. Girl, aren’t you supposed to be that distant, upright character with unwavering faith in the God of Hope?】

【240L: Is this seriously our little Muqing? Who on earth swapped her traditional Chinese medicine with an iced Americano?】

【241L: I’m completely shattered. Just how many amazing plot points has Old Uncle been secretly holding back? When will our Bai Zheng CP finally get their moment to shine…】

【242L: Compared to Pei Xi’s so-called brotherhood and rivalry next door that both feel fake, Zheng-Qing wins effortlessly!】

【243L: Zheng Zheng has so many wonderful friends supporting her behind the scenes where we can’t even see. It feels so comforting and reassuring.】

【244L: But honestly, I’m actually a bit worried. The baby has truly turned into a major villain now. Please don’t let this lead to a bad ending in the future.】

【245L: Don’t even say something like that. Our Zheng’s definitely going to win in the end!】

【246L: In a typical story, the ultimate villain would be defeated by the righteous protagonist, but this is Throne of the Aberrant Realm. The ultimate villain is Ye Zheng!】

【247L: Stop worrying so far in advance. Just the name “Ye Zheng” alone is enough to make you feel at ease. Ye Zheng has always taken great care of her fans.】

Tang Mingxi felt a brief flicker of worry as well, but the feeling quickly passed. The word “failure” simply didn’t exist in Ye Zheng’s dictionary.

Her rational mind told her that Ye Zheng was nothing more than a fictional character created according to the plot, yet her emotions gave her an inexplicable sense of trust in Ye Zheng. It was just like what Ye Zheng had said to Wu Shu in the extra chapter: “We will win until the very end.”