___ The Great Lin Dynasty, 130 DM ___
Crimson light poured down on the people of Lin, the chilling laughter of the mad god echoing in the backdrop no matter how far they ran or how well they hid. However, on this very day, the chilling laughter of the mad god was the least of their worries. Today, the day of the Armageddon games and the divine call, also marked the final day of the 20th Emperor of Lin, Li Fei, popularly known as the Sage Emperor.
The Sage Emperor was known for bringing stability to the empire when people challenged the mandate of the Li royal family due to the disaster of the mad god, and rebellions were springing up everywhere across the Asian continent, which was solely under the rule of the Lin Dynasty.
Upon his installment as the new Son of Heaven, the Sage Emperor scouted the most talented ascendants within his empire, trained them, and supported them using empire funds in preparation for the Armageddon games in the first year of his fifty-year rule. Before this, there was no government body that managed ascendants. With these changes, he raised the strongest generation of ascendants known in Earth 22's history and attained the first victory the planet had ever achieved in the Armageddon games, solidifying his mandate, influence, and rule.
However, this small victory was only the beginning of his many achievements.
In 81 DM, he made a bold move no one expected: he passed the Free Practice Imperial Edict. Until then, practicing spirituality had been strictly forbidden and criminalized. However, this only fueled more people to dabble in these dangerous acts in secret, leading to the rise of several cults across the empire. During his father's reign, there had been crackdowns on these cults, but no matter how many were cut down, several more sprang up to replace them. In desperation, these rogue mystics joined hands with the revolutionary armies scattered across the continent, strengthening their already terrifying forces.
The Sage Emperor noticed the futility of this war and blamed it completely on his father's shortsightedness. According to him, in a world where danger loomed at every corner and the common man's life was at constant risk, depriving them of the only means to protect themselves was nothing but cruelty.
In the Free Practice Edict, everyone was allowed to dabble in spirituality regardless of background. Contrary to everyone's expectations, he even encouraged it and proposed funding their practice, offering safe spaces to train with experienced mystics.
Everyone who wished to become a mystic could easily register in the Academy of Mystics, where they would be admitted and trained by veteran mystics. Meanwhile, members of various cults and individual practitioners were welcomed to join a new special unit he hinted was in creation, stating several mouth-watering benefits.
In 82 DM, the Sage Emperor took advantage of the Free Practice Edict and reformed his army, incorporating mystics and ascendants into it. Using their combined strength, he crushed the remnants of the rebellion and brought peace to the empire in 85 DM. By this time, all those who once doubted the Sage Emperor swarmed to his side, and those who hated him were forced to hide in the shadows.
Year after year, his achievements were sung by children on the streets, each song changing with each year's new accomplishment. Using the ten years of peace, the Sage Emperor built an army capable of holding back invading creatures and angels from the south and besting the African invasion from the southwest.
Li Fei was widely regarded as the most loved emperor of the Lin Dynasty, which had existed long before god's madness. Now he was at the brink of death. The empire feared calamity would follow soon, and their fears could not be considered baseless. The only stain on the Sage Emperor's blameless life had always been his children.
In 112 DM, Crown Prince Li Ban was dethroned over an affair that led to the death of a palace maid, whom he killed when she became pregnant for him, in a bid to hide the affair. The matter was exposed before the entire nation and tried before the royal court, where he was found guilty, dethroned, and exiled to the southwestern border state of Jijang to spend the rest of his days defending the empire from African barbarians as a form of atonement.
During that time, the Sage Emperor's second son, Li Jian, barely stayed afloat in a corruption scandal involving the embezzlement of funds meant for the construction of a bridge considered a major trade route for the empire. Poor-quality equipment was used due to the downsized funding, leading to its collapse after just three months of construction and taking the lives of several prominent merchants known across the empire.
With this, the Sage Emperor had no choice but to make his third son, still a boy at the time, crown prince, earning him the resentment of his siblings. Now, with the Sage Emperor in his final moments, everyone knew chaos was coming—chaos in the form of warring princes, rebellions, and a possible invasion of the African barbarians.
There were a thousand reasons to panic, and the Armageddon games were the least of them.
— Imperial Capital; Nanjing —
Outside the Emperor's chambers, ministers, eunuchs, and officials lined up, lamenting loudly while on their knees. They kowtowed a thousand times, ripping their clothes, throwing themselves on the ground, and crying loudly. Even under the crimson eye of the heavens, they paid god no heed, giving their full attention to their dying emperor who had shielded them from the mad god for half a century.
Meanwhile, within the emperor's private chamber, it was a complete contrast to the chaos in the courtyard. It was a ridiculously spacious room with an open-center roof allowing the crimson light to pour down directly on Emperor Li Fei's bed. Even in his final moments, the old man calmly stared at the massive crimson eye in the sky, thinking back to how he faced this same eye on a day like this when he was crowned the new Son of Heaven.
The Sage Emperor was a mountain standing over 7ft tall, with a muscular build that would make one wonder how such a physically terrifying man was a pacifist. Anyone could argue that his build did not equate to strength, but during the Sage Emperor's reign, he survived several assassinations carried out not by humans but by mystics and even ascendants, yet none walked out of his chambers alive.
Only those within the imperial palace knew the terrifying strength this man possessed, even though he was a common man with no spiritual or divine backing—just a polearm and head-sized fists. Even in his final moments, it was clear this man still had the strength to kill a dozen or so men before giving up the ghost if rebels barged into his room. Maybe that was why his polearm was gently placed beside his bed.
The four cardinal points of the room were decorated with golden stylish candle holders carrying perfume candles. Kneeling several meters away from the bed was a young man no more than twenty-two years old, dressed in royal garments embroidered with a four-fingered dragon—just a claw difference from the emperor's robes. His sharp facial features left him with a face the ministers claimed was molded by the gods, matching his graceful yet authoritative presence.
Even now, when kneeling before his dying father, Li Xin did not shrink or lament. He knelt upright, calmly staring at his father's thoughtful face, waiting for him to speak. Just like his father, this man's physique was monstrous beneath his robes, easily standing over 7ft. If it wasn't for the innocent eyes behind the intimidating figure, many would not dare look at him directly. Though much smaller in physique when compared to his father, Li Xin was terrifying for someone his age. Even Emperor Fei praised him for surpassing him at that age.
"Is it fate or destiny that my crowning happened at a time like this, and now my death is following a similar pattern?" Emperor Fei asked in a low yet rumbling tone.
Li Xin did not respond quickly. He lifted his face and observed his father's face for three seconds before responding.
"Defeating the heavens is the Li family's destiny. Only we can save the universe from the rampage of a mad deity," he responded firmly.
However, his words were met with hollow chuckles. Emperor Fei exhaled loudly before slowly turning his face toward Li Xin.
"There are millions of planets fighting this madness across the universe. There are several who have taken a similar path and achieved far greater success than we have in this world. Do not allow your gaze to drift too far, lest you forget what is around you," Emperor Fei explained in a firm tone, though his voice was full of love.
"I understand, father..." Li Xin cupped his fists and bowed.
The old man laughed out loud at Li Xin's reaction. He had always been like this, even when he was little—offering a simple answer and accepting lessons without question. From laughing, the emperor began coughing, clutching his chest tight. Li Xin did not move; he simply knelt there and watched with a stone expression.
The door several meters away slid open, and the royal physician ran in with his assistant. They helped the emperor sit up and patted his back while he coughed. Once Emperor Fei stopped coughing, he shifted his attention to his last son, who remained as cold as a statue, though he couldn't blame the boy.
When Li Xin was born, his mother and the Sage Emperor had already fallen out over her other sons, so he paid little attention to Li Xin and focused on his concubines. He only noticed Li Xin's wisdom and talent at the age of ten after the crown prince was exiled and the second prince was placed under house arrest.
Only then did Emperor Fei begin paying attention to him. However, the highest form of intimacy the father and son shared were the few classes he personally volunteered to teach. Even during those classes he was strict, out of fear of spoiling him like his brothers.
Emperor Fei understood the coldness in his son's eyes. To be honest, he thought none of his sons would visit him in his final moments, so he was shocked when Li Xin arrived.
"My son..." Emperor Fei called out, his voice unusually low and filled with warmth. "When I was young, I saw only a world of chaos and bloodshed. I saw fear, I saw suffering, I saw pain, and that is why I wanted nothing more than to create a peaceful world for my people. Today, I am proud of the emperor I became. Tell me, what kind of emperor do you wish to become?"
Li Xin was calm upon hearing the question. Looking his father in the eye, he pondered for three seconds before speaking.
"I was born into a world of order and peace. I have seen the people live in prosperity, yet I am not satisfied." Li Xin frowned and clenched his fists. "African barbarians to the south, European scum from the west, and many more human settlements are still operating independently even in these dire times while we shoulder the burden of the Armageddon games. Beyond this world, humans fight each other in the games, weakening one another when we should be strengthening ourselves. Sometimes I wonder if humanity has lost sight of the true threat. How are we supposed to win against heaven when we are still fighting among ourselves? Humanity cannot gain its freedom if our blades remain pointed at each other."
Emperor Fei slowly nodded to Li Xin's words, but his face showed an emotion far from approval.
"So what is it that you wish to do?" he asked.
"UNITE HUMANITY!"
A jolt of electricity spread not just within the room, but to the servants, ministers, concubines, maids, eunuchs, and officials clustered in the corridor behind the door. The sound of steel plates falling to the ground could be heard as Emperor Fei's brows knitted, and the royal physician forgot to close his mouth.
"I dream of becoming the man who will conquer all under heaven. I will extend the territory of the Lin Dynasty beyond the edges of this planet, across the entire universe. I will be the man who will unite the universe under the banner of the Li family. I will become the Human Emperor!" Li Xin declared with conviction and confidence that made the royal physician and his assistant shrink back in awe.
At this moment, the young Li Xin kneeling before them was the most dazzling being in the room. What kind of man dared to dream of uniting humanity against god?
Only a madman would do such a thing!
However, everyone also thought the Sage Emperor was a madman when he swore to create an empire that would never surrender an inch of its land to the heavens. It seemed outrageous and blasphemous back then, yet somehow he kept that promise.
The old physician who had served his majesty all his life could see the young Sage Emperor in Li Xin—just a thousand times more oppressive.
A tiger has birthed a dragon, he couldn't help but mutter in his heart.
Emperor Fei stared at his son with a deep frown. He had just warned him of the dangers of reaching too far, yet this boy was fostering a dream that stretched beyond even this realm. His frown softened, and a light chuckle escaped his lips. Truly, this dream was one he couldn't dare to imagine right now, yet Li Xin stared at it directly.
Hahahahah! Hahahahahaha!
Emperor Fei laughed out loud without restraint this time, stunning even Li Xin. He waited patiently for the old man to stop laughing for nearly a minute.
COUGH! COUGH!
Emperor Fei soon transitioned to coughing, and once again the royal physician and his subordinates tended to him. His firm shoulders slumped, and his breathing became more strained. It felt like that laughter had made him age by ten years. Li Xin watched as they lowered the emperor as per his request. Seeing this man so weak and fragile, he wasn't sure how to feel.
He was mostly empty, but there was sadness in his heart—too small and insignificant to move him.
"This dream of yours... I believe you will achieve it just as I achieved mine." The emperor spoke slowly between heavy breaths while looking toward the crimson eye above. "But before you look outside, you must look within. Your dream will never see the light of day if you do not quell the rebellion your brothers, stepbrothers, mother, and stepmothers will bring upon this nation just to take that which I have given you."
Gasps could be heard from outside, and Li Xin frowned. His mother and stepmothers were right outside; he didn't expect the emperor to be so direct.
"If I cannot protect the throne, then it was never mine to begin with. Be rest assured father, whatever schemes they have come up with will fail," Li Xin said with confidence.
The dying emperor nodded with a small smile on his face, saying, "I know... I know... I know... I kno..."
Li Xin's eyes widened as he heard Emperor Fei's voice weaken before fading completely. Silence returned to the room, but a different kind of silence—one heavier than Mount Tai.
YOUR MAJESTYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Their cries erupted like thunder, sending shock and sorrow across the entire empire. The story of the legendary Emperor Fei had finally come to an end. Now, it was time for the story of the Human Emperor to be told.