Empress: Your Majesty, Please Conduct Yourself with Dignity

Gathering.

From the outside, it appeared as if this spine-chilling scene was triggered by the scroll Empress Zhao had thrown.

Seeing this, Empress Zhao was momentarily stunned, while the Xuanwu Guards standing beside Jiang Chengdao suddenly had a drastic change in their expressions.

“Not good, she intends to unleash demonic and malevolent forbidden magic!”

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhao quickly realized the gravity of the situation.

Demonic and malevolent forbidden magic?!

This was bad!

Blood was gathering, and the crimson mist spread.

Wasn’t this the very phenomenon that occurred when sinister magic was cast?

Only those malevolent beings who enjoyed devouring living creatures, who reveled in using human blood and flesh to invoke various incredibly eerie dark arts, would manifest such a chilling sight during their spells.

Furthermore, the pervasive scent of blood concealed everything. It was highly likely that the malevolent aura of demons was hidden within…

At this realization, her complexion changed completely. The air of confidence she had when revealing her trump card vanished without a trace, replaced by a hint of panic.

What’s going on… I was clearly using celestial treasures! How is this possible?!

At this moment, not only the Xuanwu Guards, but also the Golden Armor Guards who had faithfully protected Empress Zhao until the end, along with the other members of the Zhao family, and even Prince Qin, Jiang Chengyun, looked at her with utter astonishment.

“Your Majesty, you…”

Empress Zhao instinctively defended herself, “No, I am innocent, absolutely devoid of any demonic presence, and I would never resort to dark arts…”

However, before she could finish, Jiang Chengdao preemptively yelled out in an ‘enraged’ tone, “Despicable! No wonder the Queen Dowager, who was once cared for greatly by His Majesty, has become so enamored with power. It turns out she’s been controlled by malevolent beings! Damnable malevolent beings, daring to manipulate the Queen Dowager in secret, defiling the royal family, wreaking havoc upon the court and disturbing the realm. I will definitely tear you apart into countless pieces.”

Hearing these words, Empress Zhao couldn’t ignore her present circumstances.

She quickly realized that celestial items wouldn’t have such a horrifying effect. It was highly likely that someone in Jiang Chengdao’s group had tampered with it.

But at this moment, it was difficult for her to explain. Celestial treasures were extremely rare in the first place, and while not as revered as relics of the saints, each one possessed extraordinary qualities. Most owners would treat them as their utmost secrets, known to very few outsiders.

Currently, the hall was filled with corpses and the pervading blood mist was gradually enveloping everything. It seemed to be entirely caused by the scroll, and she had no way to argue against it.

If this incident were to become known, especially if it came from the mouths of people who had once been loyal to her, given people’s widespread hatred of malevolent beings, even if she managed to escape using her celestial item, her reputation and prestige would still be severely damaged. Any future actions would be met with significant obstacles.

Unless she went to the Demon Purging Bureau to verify.

But was that even possible?

To give up the chance to escape in favor of going to the Demon Purging Bureau to prove her innocence?

She wasn’t foolish, how could she do something so unwise? As the saying goes, one should save the green hills; otherwise, there would be no firewood left. She needed to stay alive to have any chance. Once she fell under Jiang Chengdao’s control, everything would be lost. There would be no opportunity for a reversal in this lifetime.

She must quickly extricate herself from this dire situation. Therefore, she had to endure this humiliation; she had to take this loss!

The thought of it sent a chill down her spine.

Indeed, Jiang Chengdao lived up to his title as the most ambitious King in history. With formidable strength and such cunning, he could immediately devise the most advantageous countermeasure upon sensing her hidden card. Truly, he was terrifying!

At this moment, Jiang Chengdao pointed at Empress Zhao and angrily addressed the others, “The malevolent being has manifested itself. Are you all still going to stubbornly refuse to see reason and become its accomplices? If you don’t strike to capture the malevolent being now, when will you?”

Upon hearing these words, the determination of the Golden Armor Guards wavered. However, no one took action.

Seeing this, Jiang Chengdao decisively delivered the fatal blow, “I can promise you all this: as long as you can promptly eliminate the malevolent being, perform a meritorious act, and considering that you’ve all been misled by the malevolent being, the deeds of the past, I will plead with His Majesty to pardon you all and not hold you accountable.”

As soon as the words fell, the expressions of the Golden Armor Guards, who had endured the siege of the Xuanwu Guards for a long time, completely changed.

Empress Zhao also sensed it acutely—unless she unleashed her celestial magic now, she would never have another chance.

So, with a full sense of hatred, she glanced at Jiang Chengdao and quickly grabbed Prince Qin’s hand. In an instant, a golden light descended from the scroll above, filled with a substantial amount of blood energy, enveloping them.

In just an instant, before the Golden Armor Guards could even make a move, the figures of the Zhao family members disappeared completely into thin air.

The unappreciated puppet emperor, usually silent, silently observed the verbal sparring between Jiang Chengdao and Empress Zhao, exchanging words like swords, mutually probing.

With her understanding of Empress Zhao, she must have some unknown cards up her sleeve. Hastily taking action might not kill her, but could potentially leave hidden dangers.

After all, the Empress was still the Empress, and the Prince of Qin was still the Prince of Qin.

Taking action now wasn’t the best choice.

Therefore, impatience wasn’t advisable at the moment. It was better to proceed cautiously, forcing the Empress to reveal her vulnerabilities and then counterattacking.

At this moment, Empress Zhao suddenly took a deep breath. She first glanced at Jiang Chengwan, then clenched her fist, and coldly said to Jiang Chengdao, “Your Highness, can you tell this palace how you managed to quietly bring these mysterious armored soldiers to the Purple Extremity City? So this palace can understand.”

It seemed as if everything had fallen into place.

After generations of guarding the holy realm and fighting against demons, the elite Xuanwu Guards of the King’s army launched a fierce attack. Including the Feather Guards and various skilled warriors, most of the Empress’s men were already dead or injured. Purple Extremity City was completely under Jiang Chengdao’s control.

At this point, Empress Zhao was trapped, seemingly unable to break through the encirclement of the Xuanwu Guards.

With a single command, the Xuanwu Guards could launch a final assault, killing the nearly exhausted Golden Armor Guards, capturing Empress Zhao, the Prince of Qin, and several important members of the Zhao family, subject to his disposal.

It seemed that Empress Zhao had already resigned herself, now seemingly only wanting to understand how she had lost to avoid a regretful death.

However, at this moment when she should have been triumphant, possibly gloating over her defeated enemy with pride, Jiang Chengdao calmly shook his head.

“I have no obligation to tell you, nor do I have a habit of divulging secrets.”

Hearing this, Empress Zhao couldn’t help but show a look of astonishment.

Even at this point, he hadn’t become overconfident?

It was a pity…

Empress Zhao collected herself, then a glint of insight flashed in her eyes, and she seemingly accepted her fate, saying to Jiang Chengdao, “So, how do you intend to deal with me?”

As she spoke, Jiang Chengdao felt several gazes turn toward him.

However, his expression remained unchanged. He locked eyes with Empress Zhao and said calmly, “While there might be suspicions of power-grabbing on your part, you have labored for the people of the world for many years. Despite not achieving merits, you’ve endured hardships. Therefore, I will arrange an excellent place for your retirement. You won’t need to be bothered by court affairs as you were before. You can peacefully enjoy your later years.”

With that, Jiang Chengdao extended his hand and gestured to the surrounding Xuanwu Guards.

In the next moment, the Xuanwu Guards’ gazes focused, and they slowly advanced.

A trace of disappointment appeared in Empress Zhao’s eyes. Clearly, Jiang Chengdao’s measured response wasn’t what she had hoped for.

“Your Highness is truly benevolent.”

Empress Zhao squinted her eyes, observing the approaching Xuanwu Guards, a mocking expression forming on her face.

“However, this palace can only appreciate Your Highness’s intentions. For the remainder of this palace’s life, there’s no need for Your Highness to worry.”

As she spoke, she suddenly raised her hand, revealing a hand from the wide sleeve.

To her hand was attached a blood-red scroll that had already been opened.

Suddenly, she forcefully tossed the open scroll into the air. The scroll hovered mysteriously, eerie and unnatural.

Evidently, this was Empress Zhao’s last resort, something that could prevent her from being manipulated.

However, as Jiang Chengdao watched this scene, although his facial expression changed momentarily, deep within, he remained remarkably calm.

Clearly, he had foreseen this development.

After all, Empress Zhao had controlled the world for six years, accumulating numerous treasures, among which there must be items like secret scrolls.

Given her shrewdness and extreme caution, she would surely have left herself a fail-safe.

While everyone’s attention was involuntarily drawn to the Empress’s action, Jiang Chengwan subtly tightened her grip on something concealed within her robe. With a thought, a flash of gold appeared in her originally dark pupils.

In the next moment, an invisible force quietly surged from her.

Immediately after, under the influence of this force, the bloodstained patches beneath the corpses scattered throughout the hall began to move unnaturally. They churned like water brought to a boil, quickly forming a dreadful blood mist that rapidly converged towards the suspended scroll above.

T/N: There was a chapter mix up, leading to out of ordered and double chapters from ch6 forward. It has now been fixed. Sorry for the confusion! -Umu

Gan Ning Palace.

Main Hall.

Zhao Empress Dowager, surrounded by over ten warriors in golden armor, was glaring at Jiang Chengdao with an extremely displeased expression.

Beside her, she held a young child dressed in a golden snake robe, none other than the Qin Prince, Jiang Chengyun, who had gained a reputation of wisdom even at the tender age of nine.

Around them lay a field of corpses.

Limbs and hands scattered haphazardly, the once magnificent hall was now stained a gruesome red with the blood of the fallen, turning its original golden brilliance into a ghastly hue, akin to a purgatory.

Among those corpses were eunuchs, palace maids, guards, and a few strikingly handsome young men.

Among them was Wu Zhongxian, formerly referred to by Jiang Cheng as the “Great Companion.”

His body was severed into several pieces, head separated from torso, with blood of both red and white flowing onto the ground. His mangled limbs lay amidst the blood pool, and his old, befuddled face still held an expression of disbelief.

Clearly, he couldn’t fathom why, at the crucial moment of the Qin Prince’s imminent ascension over the empress, just as he was about to soar to new heights by the empress’s side, the situation would take such an abrupt and drastic turn. The once dominant empress’s lineage was falling one after another under the blades of those accursed black-armored executioners.

He wasn’t the only one perplexed; those around him, sharing the same tragic fate, also couldn’t comprehend.

The Gan Ning Palace had become a sea of corpses, where blood flowed like rivers.

Years of Zhao Empress Dowager’s painstaking efforts in the Purple Extreme City were destroyed in a mere two hours.

“Who would’ve thought that the Saint Realm, which had remained passive for tens of thousands of years, regardless of changes in the Central Continent or shifts in dynasties, would suddenly take the initiative to attack Luo Jing and stir up a storm across the realm.”

In response to Zhao Empress Dowager’s veiled taunts, Jiang Chengdao remained unaffected.

“Just because something hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it won’t.”

As he spoke, a glint of light flashed under his face mask.

“It’s like how the Great Xia Dynasty never had anyone as the empress who performed the duties of a ruler as you have, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t deny the empress’s words; in fact, both implicitly and explicitly, he suggested to the empress’s loyal followers present that he might indeed be pursuing the supreme imperial power, aiming to become the first ever saintly king to unify the realm.

“Nonsense!”

Zhao Empress Dowager rebuked, “This palace has always been humble and cautious. When have I ever committed such treacherous acts? Your Highness the Saint King, what is your intention in maligning this palace so?”

Hearing this, Jiang Chengwan, who seemed to be “hostage” under Jiang Chengdao’s influence, couldn’t help but flash a cold gaze.

Humble and cautious indeed.

For these six years, in order to survive, she had to wear a fragile mask every day. To everyone, she appeared constantly fearful, avoiding any hint of suspicion, fearing that Empress Zhao would feel threatened and then “fall ill,” leading to her “death.”

As a result, almost everyone held her in contempt, even a eunuch could easily give her a stern look.

An emperor, yet without dignity, her life was worse than that of an ordinary royal.

All thanks to Empress Zhao.

Did she hate Empress Zhao?

The answer was undoubtedly yes.

More than anyone, she wished she could kill her immediately.

Originally, she could have lived a leisurely imperial life, after all, she…”

They charged forward with great ferocity, but they had never been on the battlefield, and most of their usual drills were just routine; they could hardly be considered elite troops. They couldn’t react quickly enough.

It wasn’t until the Cangming Divine King led a charge and turned dozens of Imperial Guards into minced meat, dashing all the way to a distance of less than a hundred meters from them, that the shield-bearers finally managed to complete their formation. The archers also had their Breaking Element Arrows ready.

However, even so, less than a tenth of the arrows shot out were aimed at Jiang Chengdao’s helmet, and they didn’t even get close to his body before being swept away by the gust of wind caused by his swift charge.

The few Breaking Element Arrows that flew towards his head were shattered by a force that distorted the air around him, unable to harm him in the slightest.

“Oh no!”

Seeing this scene, Zhao Feifan felt a sense of unease.

This Xuanwu General’s combat strength was far from something ordinary commanders could compare to. He couldn’t treat him as a lone rider.

And his intuition proved accurate.

After charging into the battle, although Jiang Chengdao was alone, he seemed to move through the midst of the Warrior Battalion soldiers with ease. He forcefully tore open a gap in the painstakingly formed battle formation, allowing the ferocious Xuanwu Guards behind him to easily charge in.

Soon after, they were like wolves among sheep, scattering the entire fifty-thousand-strong Warrior Battalion. They didn’t even have a chance to regroup for a counterattack before being thoroughly defeated, leaving behind over ten thousand corpses as they scattered and fled.

Zhao Feifan also took advantage of the chaos to escape.

This battle was impossible to fight.

As a novice without actual combat experience, he had no chance against these battle-hardened seasoned soldiers.

In less than half an hour, the battle ended.

When the final cry of agony on the battlefield came to an abrupt halt, the man who had now become the Red Armored General, Jiang Chengdao, suddenly let out a long sigh.

“In the heart of the capital, responsible for guarding the Purple Pole City, the Imperial Guards turned out to be so incapable. The grand Xia Dynasty has fallen to such a state.”

At this moment, Jiang Chengwan rode over on a snow-white imperial horse.

“That woman may be adept at wielding power, but she’s ignorant of military matters. She doesn’t value this nation’s vital strength. Currently, the three major camps in the capital and the eight hundred thousand-strong Imperial Guards have worrying combat capabilities. They’re no longer the formidable army that followed our grandfather’s lead to sweep the northern deserts.”

Jiang Chengdao shook his head, then smiled and said, “It’s about time I paid my respects to the Empress Dowager. Hopefully, my ‘visit’ after eight years won’t startle her too much.”

Hearing this, Jiang Chengwan’s expression couldn’t help but turn a bit strange.

“As the first empress in history to be personally visited by the Divine King, she must feel honored by your arrival. You should go meet her.”

Jiang Chengdao shrugged, not confirming or denying it.

If it were a seasoned and experienced veteran, they wouldn’t waste their breath on shouting; instead, they would issue a decisive command for the entire army to form a defensive formation, annihilate any living beings daring to charge, instilling fear into these irrational fleeing soldiers, while simultaneously guarding against the enemy’s opportunistic attack.

However, Zhao Feifan, despite his title as the Duke of Xin Feng, had not earned his nobility on the battlefield through real combat but due to being a young talent of the Zhao family. The Empress Dowager had coincidentally needed to place her own people within the Imperial Guards, which led to his ennoblement.

As a result, his understanding of military affairs was limited to descriptions from books, and he had no clear understanding of the brutality of the battlefield.

Hence, he hesitated for a moment.

And it was this small moment of hesitation that cost the cautious Empress Dowager her last resort, kept in reserve in case of emergency.

“Cangming!”

The Cangming Divine King suddenly shouted.

The next second, as his voice fell, a terrifying roar sounded from the side, followed by a large, jet-black steed with crimson eyes bursting out from behind the women’s wall. It swiftly arrived by his side, lowering its tall body obediently.

Without a hint of hesitation, the Cangming Divine King immediately mounted the horse, taking the long spear handed to him by a nearby personal guard.

“Listen to my orders!”

Once mounted, he suddenly shouted, simultaneously urging the horse forward.

The intelligent steed, Jueying, immediately neighed and raised its front hooves high, forcefully stomping on the thick city wall.

Bang!

Under this hoof, the thick city wall shattered directly. Following the rebounding force, Jueying sprang up, then transformed into a streak of black light, crashing down heavily in front of the pursuing Xuanwu Guards. The tremendous force even left a large pit on the ground.

“Follow this King, exterminate the traitors!!”

The simple and straightforward command, accompanied by the sound of boundless murderous intent, resonated in the ears of everyone in an instant.

The warriors of the Warrior Battalion all shivered involuntarily.

As the command rang out, Jiang Chengdao took the lead, riding Jueying at a rapid speed towards the nearby Warrior Battalion. A long spear in his hand emitted a chilling light.

Even though he hadn’t reached them yet, a cold light had already penetrated the hearts of the Warrior Battalion soldiers.

Clack… Clack…

The crisp sound of horse hooves quickly drew the attention of the Xuanwu Guards nearby.

Seeing the Cangming Divine King charging toward the enemy at the forefront, the Xuanwu Guards’ already high morale surged even further.

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

They clenched their blades and urged their horses forward, shouting in unison as they followed behind the Cangming Divine King, launching a fierce and fearless assault against the Warrior Battalion, which outnumbered them tenfold.

Surprisingly, their speed was even faster than when they were pursuing the fleeing Imperial Guards.

At the same time, within the Xuanji Gate, the Xuanwu Guards who were originally resting also mounted their horses and rushed out, brandishing their long spears to launch a second wave of heavily armored attacks.

Seeing this scene, especially witnessing the blurred figure of the Xuanwu General at the forefront becoming increasingly indistinct under the influence of a special power, Zhao Feifan hurriedly ordered loudly, “Form a formation! Form a formation!”

“Sword and shield soldiers, advance! Annihilate all those charging!”

“Archers, prepare your Breaking Element Arrows, draw your bows, quick!”

“…”

A series of orders were issued.

However, despite the imposing stature of the Warrior Battalion soldiers, their expressions were filled with anxiety and concern.

No one could have anticipated that within the city of Luojing, or rather, within the Purple Pole City, an entirely independent army would suddenly emerge, outside the control of the Empress Dowager.

The sudden appearance of the Xuanwu Guard caught everyone off guard, swiftly seizing control of a significant portion of the Purple Pole City.

While the Empress Dowager’s side reacted quickly, rapidly summoning tens of thousands of Imperial Guards stationed in the Purple Pole City to resist and using secret techniques to call for reinforcements from the Imperial Guards within and outside Luojing to besiege the Xuanwu Guard, the Xuanwu Guard that had long battled malevolent spirits possessed a terrifying combat strength that even the savage tribes of the wastelands would fear. On the other hand, the Imperial Guards, due to prolonged peace and the Empress Zhao’s relatively lenient control to win the allegiance of the generals in the capital, were relatively relaxed in their readiness, and their combat strength was only slightly stronger than ordinary troops.

Furthermore, in addition to their exceptional equipment, the Xuanwu Guard also possessed the unique Saint Spirit Arts that could significantly boost their combat power, exclusive to the Four Divine Kings.

Whether it was in equipment, combat skills, or the abilities of their commanding generals, the Imperial Guards were at a disadvantage, unable to halt the advance of the Xuanwu Guard.

In their first encounter, the Imperial Guards suffered a ten percent casualty rate, and in the ensuing direct confrontation, they quickly lost nearly thirty percent. Even the commanding generals and a few colonels were shot down by a stern-faced junior officer among the Xuanwu Guard.

With the commanding general killed and over thirty percent casualties, the Imperial Guards could no longer hold their ground and were routed.

In contrast, the casualties of the Xuanwu Guard numbered in the hundreds.

As Zhao Feifan led fifty thousand valiant warriors to the outskirts of the Purple Pole City, what met his eyes was a scene where tens of thousands of elaborately armored Imperial Guards were being chased by thousands of Xuanwu Guards beyond the Xuanji Gate.

Instinctively looking up, Zhao Feifan was stunned to see bloodstains all over the Xuanji Gate. The Phoenix Flag, which had represented the Empress Dowager’s authority, had been cut down, replaced by a black flag radiating white mist—a Black Dragon Flag. In the center of the Black Dragon Flag, the characters “Cangming” emitted a faint flow of light, prominently displayed.

Under the dragon flag, the Cangming Divine King, Jiang Chengdao, crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the overwhelmingly one-sided battle below.

In his sharp and cold gaze, there was indifference towards life, as if the lives being slaughtered below were not living beings, but a group of insignificant creatures.

Seeing the arrival of tens of thousands of Imperial Guards, he displayed no panic in his eyes. Instead, his gaze held a disdainful look as he stared at the leading Zhao Feifan.

At this point, the fleeing Imperial Guards, seeing the Warrior Battalion, recognized their own forces and rushed towards the place where Zhao Feifan was stationed, as though they had caught sight of a lifesaving straw, frantically hoping for protection.

Witnessing this scene, Zhao Feifan’s complexion changed instantly. However, on the high wall, the Cangming Divine King’s lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of icy amusement.

Although Zhao Feifan couldn’t quite grasp the details of what had transpired within the Purple Pole City, he understood that the current situation was highly unfavorable to their side. If they allowed the routed Imperial Guards to charge into the Warrior Battalion, the pursuing Xuanwu Guards would certainly exploit the opportunity for an ambush, leading to catastrophic consequences.

He hurriedly shouted at the Imperial Guards, urging them to remain calm and not to provide the enemy with an opening by disrupting the orderly formation of the Warrior Battalion.

However, how could the frightened Imperial Guards listen?

At this moment, all they wished was that they had grown an extra pair of legs, wanting the Warrior Battalion to obstruct those relentless Xuanwu Guards.

“At first sight.”

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Chengwan’s gaze seemed to freeze for a moment, lost in thought.

“Because, I want to keep on living.”

As if sensing the weight and cruelty underlying this statement, the smile on Jiang Chengdao’s face gradually faded.

“I’m sorry.”

Jiang Chengwan shook her head. “Brother Emperor, there’s no need to feel bad. It’s not your fault.”

Jiang Chengdao smiled faintly, then turned his head to look at the Xuanwu Guards leaving the room.

“It’s about time to settle things with that woman.”

“Yes.”

Jiang Chengwan nodded and raised her hands, rapidly forming intricate hand seals.

A powerful surge of holy spiritual power continuously emanated from her graceful figure, and then, under a tremendous force, swiftly merged into the jade seal.

After a few moments, accompanied by the activation of divine magic, countless particles suddenly shot out from the jade seal.

These particles gradually converged, forming nine golden light spheres about the size of fists, constantly revolving.

Jiang Chengwan lowered her hands and surveyed the golden orbs revolving around the jade seal. Suddenly, her gaze intensified, and her holy spiritual power erupted once again. A dense layer of ancient runes appeared simultaneously on the surface of all the spheres.

Simultaneously, the twenty city gates of Luojing City started to eerily tremble.

“What’s happening?!”

The guards at the city gates looked around in horror.

But before they could discern anything unusual, a series of heavy, muffled crashes echoed from the gateways.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

The thick city gates fell heavily.

Not only that, but on the face of each city gate, a formation with the character “Seal” in the middle emerged, slowly rotating.

Just as the final gate fell, four beams of light suddenly soared into the sky from the top of the city towers in all four directions. Within each beam, a semi-transparent golden energy barrier rapidly formed, completely enveloping Luojing City, isolating it from the outside world.

At this moment, Luojing City appeared like a closed-off small world. Without special means, not only could no flying creatures enter, not even a fly could make its way in or out.

And the standing garrison in Luojing City, even with the addition of the Imperial Guards, numbered less than two hundred thousand.

The Cangming King, one of the four Divine Kings of Central Continent.

A “Divine Realm” refers to a region where ancient sages constructed supreme formations to suppress eternal malevolent spirits. Within these Divine Realms, various evil spirits and demons that have been suppressed, yet can infinitely reincarnate, attempt to kill the living beings within the Divine Realm and weaken the power of the grand formation.

The purpose of the Divine Kings is to protect the people within the Divine Realms, preventing malevolent spirits from breaking the grand formations and causing havoc in the world.

This is a secret known only to the Divine Kings, the Supreme Beings, and a very few others.

The world knows only that Divine Relics contain immensely powerful forces, and every chosen Divine King is the strongest of their time. They are so powerful that even the mightiest dynasties, using all their national strength, couldn’t shake their existence, even if they attempted to attack the Divine Realms at the height of their power.

However, this power can mostly only be used within the Divine Realms, as using it outside would result in backlash from the Heavenly Dao.

Hence, regardless of what happens outside, the Divine Kings remain indifferent.

Be it an era of chaos or prosperity.

Peasant uprisings, warlord conflicts, even changes in dynasties.

No matter how the outside world changes, the Divine Realms remain unchanged and unresponsive.

Because of this, the Four Divine Realms have always held a unique position throughout history.

Each Divine Realm is equivalent to an independent nation.

Though nominally vassals of the imperial court, in reality, they are neither subject to imperial jurisdiction nor do they get involved in external affairs. They only maintain the most basic vassal policies and interactions.

Furthermore, they recognize only the dynasty that holds the imperial seal. Whoever possesses the seal is the legitimate ruler. Changes of dynasties have no impact on them, which is what has contributed to the continuity of imperial legitimacy in the Central Continent.

Over time, the powerful figures leading these Divine Realms stopped caring about this unthreatening bone.

It’s because of the immense power of the Divine Kings that Jiang Chengwan has a chance to turn the tables.

Without the hidden trump card of the Divine King, something no one would expect, and without the fact that one of the Four Divine Kings, the Cangming King, is her brother and willing to obey her commands unconditionally, no matter how intricate Jiang Chengwan’s thoughts and superior wisdom may be, she would never have had the opportunity to turn the tide under Empress Zhao’s watchful gaze.

After all, even for a Supreme, to command the Divine Kings, one must have enough power.

This power doesn’t solely refer to personal strength, martial arts, or techniques, but also encompasses the authority, the overall trend, belief, and control of a ruler.

As a puppet Empress, she had no authority whatsoever.

With her current strength, she couldn’t even support the Divine King to exert even a tenth of his power.

Without enough strength, even a Supreme could be ignored by a Divine King. Therefore, whether to help her or not was entirely up to the Divine King’s willingness.

Perhaps she truly was the destined Imperial Sovereign. Amid her dire circumstances, among the Four Divine Kings, the only ones capable of saving her, coincidentally, included her only living relative.

As she pondered, the memory of her brother, who had once given everything to protect her, and the invincible Divine King before her eyes began to overlap.

They merged into one.

At this moment, a faint smile appeared on Jiang Chengdao’s lips, and with a magnetic voice, he slowly said, “Your Majesty, you don’t seem like the little girl who used to hide trembling behind me all the time anymore. Your expressions are filled with determination and courage.”

Observing the black-armored general who bowed and saluted before her, Jiang Chengwan’s expression became inexplicably complicated.

After a moment, she shook her head and softly said, “Brother Emperor, there’s no need for excessive courtesy.”

With that, she placed the jade seal in her hand gently on the table and wiped away the beads of sweat from her slightly weary face.

Activating the grand formation, opening the spatial tunnel, summoning the Xuanwu Guards from the distant Cangming Realm to the Purple Pole City—all of this relied on the overwhelming Zixu Qi above the city. Yet, constructing the ancient formation and maintaining its operation required the use of her own holy spiritual power.

Maintaining the ancient formation until all thirty thousand Xuanwu Guards arrived at Purple Pole City resulted in a tremendous expenditure, clearly taking a toll on the sixteen-year-old Empress.

Naturally, King Cangming noticed the change in the Empress’s demeanor.

However, he didn’t say much.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Jiang Chengwan took a moment to compose herself before lifting her head and looking at him, then slowly said, “Brother Emperor, could you remove your face mask?”

“Of course.”

Without hesitation, King Cangming replied and then raised his hand, lightly pressing on both sides of the mask.

Crack

A clear sound of metal interlocking was heard as the securely fastened face mask was removed.

Since being chosen by a Divine Relic, King Cangming, who commanded millions of people in the Cangming Realm, had always concealed his identity behind the mask, not revealing his face in eight years. Now, he was exposing his true face in front of the Empress without reservation.

It was a face somewhat resembling that of the Empress.

Sword-like brows and starry eyes, exceptionally handsome.

Between his brows, there was an air of nobility that made people feel ashamed of their own appearance.

Although she had known the mysterious identity of King Cangming in the eyes of the world, seeing his true face left Jiang Chengwan momentarily dazed.

After a while, she slowly spoke, “After so many years, Brother Emperor has changed so much compared to before, almost unrecognizable.”

Jiang Chengdao, the true name of King Cangming, was also the name of the Fifth Prince, her elder brother by six years, who shared the same mother as her.

Yes, Jiang Chengdao, King Cangming, was her biological brother.

Eight years ago, Jiang Chengdao suddenly disappeared without a trace, evaporating from the mortal realm.

No matter how much manpower was used to search, the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Devil Execution Division turned the world upside down, but not even the tiniest clue could be found.

Under such a heavy blow, Jiang Chengwan’s mother fell ill and passed away soon after, overwhelmed with grief.

On her deathbed, she didn’t reveal anything to Jiang Chengwan, only asking her to take care of herself.

Still, deep down, Jiang Chengwan silently swore that no matter what, whether alive or dead, she would find her brother and give her mother under the nine springs an explanation.

However, what she didn’t expect was that after unexpectedly obtaining the complete Divine Dao legacy from the jade seal, she fulfilled her promise.

Simultaneously, she learned the truth behind her brother’s disappearance—a truth that only supremes were qualified to know, involving Divine Relics, the four great Divine Realms of Central Continent, and the Divine King.

Jiang Chengdao wasn’t kidnapped or assassinated. Instead, he was unexpectedly chosen by the Divine Relic, “Nine Hades,” passed down for generations in the northern Divine Realm of Central Continent. He was then summoned to the Cangming Realm, becoming the Emperor of the realm.

After the morning court session, Emperor Jiang Chengwan and Empress Jiang Chengwan returned to the Zichen Hall with a nervous look. She lowered her head and cautiously asked the elderly eunuch named Wu Zongxian who was behind her: “Eunuch Wu, did the Empress Dowager issue any instructions today?”

Wu Zongxian, who was known as Eunuch Wu but was actually the Empress Dowager’s spy monitoring the Empress, didn’t even lift his eyelids. He responded with an expressionless face, “The Empress Dowager has given her words. Her Majesty should immediately prepare the seal pattern of the jade seal. After the Imperial Academy revises the edict, affix the seal and promptly expel the audacious troublemaker who dared to roar in the court and disregard authority.”

Hearing this, a barely perceptible flash of cold light passed through Empress Jiang’s eyes, facing away from Wu Zongxian.

Surprisingly, the Empress, who moments ago had appeared timid and submissive before the Empress Dowager’s might, seemed to have shed all traces of weakness and fear from her face. It was as if the puppet Emperor who had completely surrendered to the Empress Dowager’s whims was not her.

As their lips touched, a sound emerged, tinged with a timid quality that would catch no one’s attention:

“I… I understand. Please, Eunuch Wu, wait a moment. I will take action immediately.”

Wu Zongxian glanced upward slightly, calmly saying, “Please hurry, Your Majesty. This old servant still has other matters to attend to.”

Hearing these words that so blatantly disregarded the Emperor’s position, Empress Jiang’s small hand under her dragon robe clenched tightly, her face filled with coldness.

She took a deep breath without a trace of emotion, suppressing the murderous intent in her heart. Then she meekly and gently said, “Alright… alright.”

Afterward, she returned to the dragon throne, picked up the jade seal from the table, closed her eyes, and began murmuring words under her breath.

Wu Zongxian stood confidently in his place, appearing unafraid and arrogant, as if he wasn’t the Emperor.

However, he failed to notice that with each trace of spiritual energy Empress Jiang channeled into the jade seal, her eyes flickered with pain and inner conflict. Her hands trembled slightly as if the jade seal she held wasn’t a mere object, but a colossal stone burdened with weight.

Personally acknowledging fabricated charges against Lu Chen and expelling this extraordinarily loyal courtier from the court was undoubtedly a great torment for her.

Yet, she had no way to prevent any of this now.

At least, not at the moment.

After a while, she steadied her trembling hands, raised her head, and softly informed Wu Zongxian, who was displaying growing impatience nearby, “Eunuch Wu, I’m ready.”

“Mm.”

Wu Zongxian responded nonchalantly, then walked over to the table and waved his hand without reservation.

In the next moment, the previously blank edict was filled with lines of text.

Its content undoubtedly laid out Lu Chen’s charges, and the disposition was to directly remove him from his official position, banish him, and exile him to Qiongzhou.

“Your Majesty, please.”

Wu Zongxian said with an expressionless face.

Empress Jiang’s shoulders trembled slightly, then she lifted the jade seal and gently pressed it onto the edict.

Swish!

Just as the seal was placed, Wu Zongxian directly reached out and took the edict.

“If Your Majesty has no further orders, this old servant will take their leave.”

“Mm…” Empress Jiang nodded obediently, “Eunuch Wu, you may go about your business. I have nothing pressing at the moment.”

Wu Zongxian’s demeanor remained natural as he nodded, as if the Emperor’s deep reverence for her was a matter of course. Then he walked out of the Zichen Hall, leaving Empress Jiang sitting on the dragon throne, her face showing a mixture of complicated emotions.