The void split open under that piercing gaze, revealing the boundless depths of a distant starry sky to the middle-aged man.
Upon that vast continent once glimpsed by Qin Yi through the Eye of the King, deep within the Ziliu Sect, King Shang Jiang sat with regal authority, his hand idly tapping the teapot beside him, producing a crisp ding-ding sound that echoed in the silent hall.
"Had you known this day would come, why make those choices in the first place?"
"To marry me, King Shang Jiang, is the fortune of your Ziliu Sect, and the blessing of Fairy Ziying herself."
He wore ornate royal robes, his aura sharp and oppressive. Behind him stood six towering Experts, each radiating terrifying power.
Opposite them, the elders of the Ziliu Sect sat grim and silent, their aged faces twisted with bitterness. Among them, a fair-skinned woman in a pale violet gown and light green cloak, with willow brows and an oval face, sat with an icy calm. Her apricot-shaped eyes, however, flickered faintly with hidden hatred.
When King Shang Jiang spoke, not a single elder nor Fairy Ziying herself answered.
"Since you've chosen submission, then tomorrow we depart. You will journey to my world, and there you shall become my seventy-second concubine. That reluctant expression of yours, Fairy Ziying, only serves to heighten this king's delight."
His smile turned brazen, his greed undisguised.
The elders clenched their fists in silent humiliation, hearts seething with rage. But at that very moment, the void within the great hall trembled. King Shang Jiang reacted instantly, his gaze snapping forward. His pupils contracted sharply.
Upon a dragon throne, robed in black dragon regalia, a cold-faced middle-aged man materialized without warning.
"...King!" Shang Jiang stiffened, unease clawing at him.
The elders of the Ziliu Sect gasped aloud. One King had already been more than they could bear, yet now, another had appeared. And his sudden, seamless descent across unfathomable space was far more terrifying than Shang Jiang's arrival.
"You… who are you?!" Shang Jiang studied him closely, then his eyes widened in shock.
"That boy from that day!"
"No… no, not him!"
Before he could finish, the newly arrived King shot him a single glance.
Just one glance and Shang Jiang's world exploded into blinding gold stars. His body convulsed as if struck by an invisible force, flung violently from his seat to crash against the wall behind him.
Then, just as suddenly, the figure of the mysterious King distorted like rippling water and vanished.
The Ziliu Sect was left paralyzed with fear, utterly bewildered by what had just transpired.
They turned toward Shang Jiang's fallen form, and drew in sharp breaths. Fairy Ziying's eyes flickered with awe at the terrifying might of the King who had come and gone in an instant.
Shang Jiang had already staggered to his feet, but his eyes were clamped shut, fresh blood trickling from them, yet the moment it left, it seared and solidified, as though scorched by unbearable heat.
His trembling frame betrayed it clearly: the King was afraid.
"No… it can't be wrong!"
"That face, that aura, impossible to mistake!"
"The same as that brat who spied on me before!"
"He must be someone close to that boy!"
"One line… two Kings… damn it all!"
Shang Jiang sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself as he realized the intruder had already departed. Slowly, his emotions cooled, his thoughts aligning.
"Fear… Yes, this was a warning."
"So, he discovered my little scheme with the Black Tortoise."
His heart shuddered again.
Destroying the star of the Black Tortoise, weaving a bewitching spell to lure it toward Qin's Nation, what he had thought were casual ploys, had in fact been noticed.
And that King's strength… is vastly above his own. Faintly, he already bore the radiance of Sunlight, a realm Shang Jiang had yet to even touch. If they clashed, he wouldn't last more than a few exchanges.
"I must leave! Back to my King's World! Only there am I safe. If that old monster returns, I'll be finished!"
Cold dread gnawed at him and without hesitation, Shang Jiang strode out, his six Experts trailing behind. In that moment, even the allure of Fairy Ziying meant nothing to him.
Compared to fleeting desire, his life was infinitely more precious.
…
As the palace quieted, ripples in the air stilled. The middle-aged man who had intervened now sat weary, exhaustion plain in his eyes.
"Your Majesty," Yi Tuo sighed helplessly, "you said you'd only lift a finger once."
He knew all too well, though His Majesty's strength was terrifying beyond measure, his body bore grievous wounds. That single strike just now, which was strong enough to pacify four or five worlds, had already drained him greatly.
"I truly did lift just a single finger, Yituo," The middle-aged man said with a faint smile.
"You're only deceiving yourself, Your Majesty," Yituo sighed once more.
"Today, I saw Yi'er. He's doing well. That gladdens me. It makes me very happy." As he spoke, the man's lips curved into a rare smile.
"That strike… was worth it."
When the final words left him, exhaustion spread across his features. His eyes fluttered shut.
"Your Majesty!" Yituo called out in alarm.
"It's nothing. I simply need rest," the man whispered softly.
With great care, Yituo supported him, laying him gently against the dragon throne. He watched as His Majesty slipped into slumber.
But the moment the man's breathing steadied, Yituo's gaze hardened into an icy resolve.
He strode forward and drew the ancient sword from his waist in a ringing flash.
"His Majesty rests. Now, it is we, his subjects, who must carve out this empire for him! If we can ascend to the Sunlight Empire, His Majesty will be healed. He will rise again to the summit and reclaim his peerless imperial might!"
"The Ten Directions of the Worlds must be unified without delay! Offer everything you have! Burn your lives away, and guide the Divine Nation to glory!"
His words rang like iron, echoing through the great hall. Below, countless ministers stood solemn, their reverence laced with fervor and fanatic devotion.
…
Meanwhile, in the King's World, within Qin's Nation.
The people stared at the empty heavens, their eyes wide and their faces blank as they beheld the devastation around them.
"Are we… saved?"
In the capital, Hashirama and several others stood in silence, grief etched upon their faces as they surrounded one fallen figure.
"Gandalf…" General Yang hurried over, his expression shifting in horror when he saw Gandalf lying on the ground.
"His life force is nearly spent. I've sealed him, preserving only a sliver of vitality," Hashirama said with a weary sigh.
"This… this, what are we to do? When His Majesty returns, how will we explain this to him?" General Yang's voice cracked with pain.
Everyone knew the bond between Gandalf and the Emperor. To let him see Gandalf in this condition, none dared imagine His Majesty's wrath.
"Don't dwell on it now. Preserve Gandalf San body well, and wait for His Majesty's return," Hashirama ordered.
"The power of this world… we all witnessed its wonders. Perhaps, in the future, His Majesty might yet bring him back."
The others nodded solemnly.
…
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
And then, on that day, the towering Realm Gate suddenly blazed with light. The people rose to their feet as one.
"His Majesty… has returned!"
(End of Chapter)
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