অধ্যায় একশ পঞ্চাশ: লক্ষ তরুণের রাজ্যাভিষেক

এing these years, Hua Yunfei's plight was not unknown to him, yet he could do nothing, for his strength was far too meager.

Watching his own grandson suffer through endless tribulations while remaining utterly powerless, this sense of helplessness gnawed at his soul, almost too much to bear.

A single month slipped away in the blink of an eye.

An imperial edict issued by Ying Zheng sent tremors through the entire realm, stirring up winds and clouds across the world.

The edict manifested across the vast expanse of the Eastern Wasteland, clearly visible to all, though some sects naturally perceived a different manifestation of the divine decree.

For those hostile forces that held deep grudges against the Taixuan Sect, the edict descended from the heavens, shattering their mountain gates—a stern warning directly from Ying Zheng.

Meanwhile, ancient families and sacred grounds such as the Ji Family, the Jiang Family, and the Yaochi Sacred Land shared no enmity with Ying Zheng; indeed, they maintained amicable relations with him, and thus were not met with such overbearing tyranny.

The factions that had suppressed the Taixuan Sect over the years found themselves gripped by panic, not knowing what course of action to take, until they finally hit upon what they thought was a brilliant idea: to gather together.

They wagered that Ying Zheng would not dare to brave universal condemnation by executing so many people at once. No matter how formidable Ying Zheng might be, they simply refused to believe it.

Each of their factions possessed an illustrious reputation across the Eastern Wasteland, and united by their deep foundations, it was entirely possible to make even Ying Zheng hesitate.

One must remember that the number of forces that had squeezed and oppressed the Taixuan Sect over the years was by no means small, including even major entities like the Yaoguang Sacred Land and the Wanchu Sacred Land.

…………

"The Lord of the Ji Family has arrived!"

Nine flood dragons pulled an ancient chariot, tearing through the void as they arrived outside the mountain gates of the Taixuan Sect.

"The Lord of the Jiang Family has arrived!"

"The Lord of the Zifu Sacred Land has arrived!"

…………

All manner of mythical mounts appeared outside the Taixuan mountain gates at that moment. Every single mount was an archaic exotic beast possessing formidable power; normally, catching even a glimpse of one would be a rarity, yet here they appeared in droves.

"May this king also come to pay respects to the Qin Emperor today?" A massive five-colored peacock blotted out the firmament, its brilliant five-colored divine light obscuring the sun and sky.

Witnessing this scene, the expressions of those present grew somewhat heavy; even the Peacock King, a supreme expert of the demon race, had actually come.

"Those who come are guests!"

A resounding voice resonated deep within the heart of every single person present, vast and brimming with supreme majesty.

The heaven-covering divine light carried by the five-colored peacock suddenly retracted at that instant, and the Peacock King transformed into a delicate youth with a somewhat pale complexion—his very soul had been suppressed.

Seeing the Peacock King's pale face, the Green Flood Dragon King naturally understood what had transpired and immediately stepped forward to intervene.

The Peacock King shook his head slightly. "Let us walk up."

At that very moment, dozens of figures arrived upon the scene, led by a middle-aged man whose entire body was shrouded in a layer of sacred light, making it difficult for anyone to discern his true appearance.

"A good show is about to begin. It's Li Daoqing, the Lord of Yaoguang."

"Yaoguang, together with all allied factions, comes to pay homage to the Qin Emperor!" A strange glint flashed deep within the eyes of the Yaoguang Sacred Lord.

The Lord of Yaoguang proclaimed in a loud, resonant voice, his tone exceptionally powerful.

Ying Zheng let out a cold laugh, and a terrifying pressure erupted at that instant, instantly crashing down upon everyone present. The Yaoguang Sacred Lord and his followers immediately turned pale, swaying unsteadily as if about to collapse.

Simultaneously, the void in several locations across the Taixuan Sect shattered instantly, and a few skeletal remains plummeted from the sky. Those who caught sight of the bones revealed expressions of terror—there were faint wisps of holy might lingering upon them, clearly indicating that these individuals were saints.

"A few petty little mice, still as utterly repulsive as ever." A look of disdain crossed Ying Zheng's face. A group of assassins no better than mere ants were truly a nuisance.

Ying Zheng withdrew his imposing aura, seated himself upon the seat of honor, and cast his gaze toward the direction of the Yaoguang Sacred Land with a light chuckle. This audience still lacked a bit of grand spectacle; perhaps he should borrow an imperial weapon to elevate the grandness of the occasion.

Watching the wretched, pale expressions of the Yaoguang Sacred Lord and his companions, a teasing smile involuntarily bloomed on the Peacock King's face.

"The Lord of Yaoguang puts on quite a grand display. Truly, this king is filled with admiration."

The Yaoguang Sacred Lord remained utterly silent as he looked at the Peacock King, his expression turning rather unsightly. The two of them were old rivals whose grievances had spanned several centuries.

"This is a grand banquet of the human race. What is your demon race doing here participating?"

"The Qin Emperor never once declared this a banquet exclusively for humans. Besides, do you seriously presume to think that my demon race is not considered a faction within the Eastern Wasteland?"

"The two of you should cease this bickering. Both are supreme experts of a generation; do not make yourselves objects of ridicule for others to watch." A woman clad in palace attire wore a faint smile as she stepped in to mediate between the two.

The Yaoguang Sacred Lord let out a cold snort, cupped his fists toward the woman and said, "Since the Yaochi Sacred Lady has spoken thus, I shall grant the Peacock King some face today."

The Peacock King smiled dismissively, though he said nothing further.

…………

"Haha, it has been several centuries since we last parted. Friends, it has been a long time." Ying Zheng laughed heartily. To any ignorant observer, he would have appeared entirely as a gentle and approachable man.

"It has been centuries since we last parted ways with the Qin Emperor, yet your peerless demeanor remains unchanged. Standing solitary upon the Ancient Star Road, you truly fill us with awe." The Lord of the Ji Family looked at the Ying Zheng before him with unabashed admiration etched upon his face.

He looked upon Ying Zheng with nothing but yearning and reverence, devoid of any trace of jealousy, for when the disparity in strength grows too vast, it becomes impossible for anyone to even harbor the thought of catching up.

Furthermore, the Qin Emperor shared a profound bond with their Ji Family, and even carried the bloodline of the Ji Family flowing within his veins.

Even the tales of Ying Zheng's exploits among the stars had reached his ears, leaving him utterly shaken.

These legendary deeds reminded him of a certain historical figure—or rather, a Great Emperor. Not the Void Great Emperor, but the Wushang Great Emperor, invincible and resplendent all the way through; the two of them bore a striking resemblance.

Hearing the Ji Family's Lord speak thus, the others looked upon the young man before them with unconcealed shock.

The Ancient Star Road, standing solitary and unvanquished!

"Those are all things of the past. The era I spent upon the ancient road has gradually faded; the future still belongs to the younger generation."

Ying Zheng was hardly lying; his strength had long since surpassed the paragons of the ancient road by too vast a margin, leaving him entirely unrivaled. His current adversaries were those ancient Great Saints and quasi-emperor powerhouses.

"I wonder if you might grant us the honor of witnessing the Qin Emperor's peerless might firsthand?" Several figures clad in black materialized instantly within the arena.

The atmosphere froze instantaneously, plunging into a dead silence. To think that there were still those bold enough to act so audaciously here.

Ying Zheng chuckled softly. "The lineage of the Ruthless Great Emperor... truly fascinating. Who gave you the audacity?"

"Was it Qing Yusheng? He should have already departed from the Big Dipper Ancient Planet by now."

"Audacious, junior! Do not presume that achieving a modicum of reputation gives you the right to act so insolently before the likes of us."

"Merely a Saint King. Is that supposed to be strong?"

Ying Zheng let out a long sigh and pointed a single finger forward. Time and space seemed to freeze at that exact moment, and the manifestation of his finger imprint landed squarely upon the figures in black, instantly reducing them to mists of blood.

Panic flooded the eyes of the Yaoguang Sacred Lord. These were powerhouses at the Saint King realm, yet Ying Zheng had been gone for merely a century or so—how could he possibly have grown this terrifyingly powerful?

The strange glints in the eyes of the others could no longer be concealed. At this moment, they were utterly dumbfounded. So many earth-shattering events had occurred in the span of a single breath, and several legendary Saint King-tier powerhouses had simply perished just like that.

Moreover, the actions of the Ruthless lineage seemed to be inextricably linked to the Yaoguang Sacred Land. Who was unaware that Qing Yusheng had been the previous Holy Son of Yaoguang, and that decades after this Qin Emperor's departure, he too had vanished without a trace, seemingly venturing deep into the starry sky?