With the defeat of Shenwu Yanye, who had completely lost her Divine Power, many things began to change. The most notable change was the oppressive darkness that had long weighed over the Kingdom. After more than ten thousand years, the Eternal Night Kingdom of God finally saw the light. The once perpetual darkness that had dominated the sky dispersed, allowing light to reach the citizens for the first time in many generations.
Although the Abyss's sky was a dark grey, and most people had never seen what a blue sky looked like or what it meant to witness the sun, the Kingdoms of God were vastly different from the rest of the Abyss. They were free from the suffocating Abyssal Dust, which made the sky and atmosphere feel far more alive. All the Kingdoms of God, except for Eternal Night, had even created artificial suns for the sake of their citizens.
As for the grey sky, there was no way to change it. In this world, anyone who wished to see a blue sky had to go to the Pure Land.
A few days had passed since Yun Wuji defeated that crazy woman and threw her into prison. The women here were clever enough to beg him to become their new ruler, pledging their eternal loyalty.
These women had lived under the tyranny of Shenwu Yanye and had learned to be sharp and perceptive. Pride and greed had been pushed to the corners of their minds, making room for the instincts of survival.
Since Yun Wuji had the power to defeat Shenwu Yanye, it was no surprise that if he wished to destroy the Kingdom, no one could stop him. Coupled with Shenwu Youluan's support and the people's gratitude, it was only natural for him to become the new Divine Regent.
Though these women still did not know that he had taken the Divine Power their kingdom had relied on to survive, their reaction would have been drastically different if they had.
Not that it would have changed anything.
To the Kingdoms of God, the Divine Inheritance was above all else, because it was literally what allowed the kingdom to exist. Without the Divine Inheritance, there would be no more True Gods, and without True Gods, there would be no Divine Grace.
Yun Wuji did not choose to remain in that dark and depressing Divine Temple. Instead, he randomly selected a palace as his residence. Stepping out of the cultivation chamber, he could not suppress the smile spreading across his face.
He had spent the past few days refining a small portion of the Divine Power he had taken from Shenwu Yanye, and in just a short span of time, he had managed to break through to the 3rd Level Divine Master Realm.
If it weren't for his desire to check on Helian Lingzhu and Meng Xuanjue so they wouldn't worry about him, and to bring Shenwu Qing to the kingdom to see its current state, he would have chosen to retreat into secluded cultivation for a few months until he had completely refined the Divine Power.
"Let's go back," he said. Switching spots with the Heretic God Body, he met Shenwu Qing, who had been training against Abyssal Beasts.
"You mean?" The crimson lightning swirling around Shenwu Qing froze along with her, as if struck by thunder. Ignoring the Abyssal Beasts she was fighting, she stared at Yun Wuji with wide eyes.
Yun Wuji stopped the beast in mid-attack and made it leave as he answered calmly, "That crazy woman is in some random prison cell." Pulling her into a tight hug, he whispered gently, "It's finally over. Are you happy?"
"She is gone? There is no one left to stop us from being together... no one to tell me what I can or cannot do... no one to punish me for the smallest mistake," Shenwu Qing whispered in a dazed voice, hugging him back tightly and clutching his robe.
The shadow Shenwu Yanye had cast over most of the kingdom's citizens, especially those who served close to her, ran extremely deep. Even when witnessing Yun Wuji's strength, Shenwu Qing would occasionally imagine the scene of that crazy woman suddenly appearing and killing him right before her eyes.
Yun Wuji patted her head with a smile and said, "Well, that's not entirely correct."
"What do you mean?" Shenwu Qing looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Even if that woman is gone, it doesn't mean no one will tell you what to do. As long as I am your teacher, you'll listen to me," Yun Wuji said with a chuckle, adopting a fake stern expression.
"...Pufft!" Shenwu Qing was caught off guard, bursting into laughter. Standing on her toes, she kissed his lips and said, "Yes, yes, big sis will listen to her little Wuji."
Placing Shenwu Qing into his world of profound veins, he switched spots with the Heretic God Body again. He led her out, and the two headed toward the main hall.
"Lord Yun Wuji!"
"Greetings, Supreme One!" As soon as he entered the hall, he saw six lines of women standing in formation. They all knelt to the ground under the guidance of Shenwu Youluan.
Each of them had at least reached the cultivation of the Divine Extinction Realm, while those in the front row were at the late stage of the Divine Extinction Realm or the Divine Limit Realm. Most were exceptionally beautiful women, capable of captivating anyone, though a small number of them were old women.
Since nearly all positions were held by women, all the powerful figures were naturally women.
While Yun Wuji spent the past few days in cultivation, Shenwu Youluan was assigned by him to handle the other matters. She announced that Shenwu Yanye was gone and a new Divine Regent had taken her place, though she did not reveal his identity. She abolished the rule that men were slaves, allowed separated families to reunite with their fathers, brothers, and sons, and also announced punishments for the women who had excessively abused men over the past thousands of years.
It wasn't hard to catch them, since almost all of them had done it while showing off. They tortured men in the streets, humiliated them, and even killed them. In just a few short days, the original prison, once filled with men, became crowded with women.
Another thing to note is that since Shenwu Yanye had lost her Divine Power, she could no longer control the Eternal Night Death Wishing Mark, meaning no one would have to fear that painful torture again.
Casually sitting on the main seat with Shenwu Qing standing beside him, Yun Wuji relaxed and said, "You may rise." As the Emperor of the Primal Chaos, scenes like this were very normal to him.
In fact, there were many times when hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people knelt before him, paying their respects.
"Supreme One, have you decided when to start the coronation ceremony?" Shenwu Youluan asked, rising gracefully, followed by the other women. Since a new ruler had appeared, it was important to hold a lavish ceremony befitting his status, to announce his presence to everyone in the Abyss, and to declare that the era of darkness that had fallen over the Eternal Night Kingdom was over.
It would also serve as a grand celebration to completely dispel the depressing and sorrowful atmosphere that had lingered over the kingdom for more than ten thousand years. A joyful occasion like this would surely spread happiness throughout the once-sorrowful land.
"A ceremony? Let it be in half a year. However, the matter of changing the Kingdom's name doesn't need to wait," Yun Wuji said, tapping the armchair as he thought deeply.
He didn't feel a ceremony was necessary.
Not because he was humble or disliked such occasions. In fact, he enjoyed them. The reason it felt unnecessary was that he knew he would soon become the ruler of the Abyss, and it seemed odd to hold two grand ceremonies in such a short span of time.
'Sometimes my genius is frightening even for my own good,' he thought tiredly. His own awesomeness made him realize that even if he wanted to take things easy, the people in this world were far too weak to offer him the slightest challenge.
Putting aside his outrageous and narcissistic thoughts, Yun Wuji announced, "From now on, the kingdom's name will be changed to the Eternal Light Kingdom of God. After darkness, dawn will always come, and dawn has come. Let light shine upon this place for eternity. It has suffered for far too long."
"Eternal Light?" The women present, including Shenwu Qing, muttered in a daze. Though it was just a single word, it had completely changed the meaning of the entire name.
Yun Wuji stood up, turning around. Before leaving, he said, "Youluan, you are more familiar with the kingdom than I am. I will leave the details for you to decide."
He still had to meet Helian Lingzhu and Meng Xuanjue. While walking, he thought, 'Hmm, should I take Meng Kongchan's Divine Power after refining the one I have, or should I start with the other kingdoms first?'
"Yes!" Shenwu Youluan answered immediately. She reluctantly watched him leave, then turned to look at Shenwu Qing, who remained. She was very surprised to see her with Yun Wuji. Since when had the two met?
Or had Yun Wuji gone to look for her specifically because he pitied her?
As expected of Yun Wuji, he is truly a compassionate saint! This world is unworthy of his unparalleled, radiant light!
Once Yun Wuji had left, the women slowly lifted their lowered heads. Most of them couldn't help but let out a sigh of disappointment. Their new Divine Regent was not only powerful and gentle but also exceptionally handsome, and many had stolen glances at him while he was speaking.
Compared to that crazy, wretched woman, whose voice was as harsh and grating as the sound of scraped metal, Yun Wuji's deep, magnetic voice was something they could listen to for hours without tiring.
It was sexy as fuck!
"Divine Daughter!" As Shenwu Qing approached, the women greeted her respectfully. From how close she stood to Yun Wuji, it was clear that their relationship was extraordinary, so they felt compelled to show her proper respect.
Shenwu Qing returned everyone's greeting with a gentle smile, then walked up to Shenwu Youluan. "Aunt Youluan, it's been a while."
"Divine Daughter..." Shenwu Youluan whispered, her expression complex. She had felt very guilty for being apart from her for the past months. Seeing her safe now was a relief, but she also had many questions to ask.
"Aunt, are you free? I want to discuss something with you," Shenwu Qing asked.
...
If you'd like to support me and read chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon:
https://patreon.com/ImmortalCockroach