Chapter 999: Intimidating the Entire Assembly

The entire assembly had assumed that the Heavenly God Clan’s Tai Yi would perish under the reborn residual will of Heaven and Earth, yet none expected that the Imperial Light, capable of annihilating the Heavenly King, left him utterly unscathed—he stood bathed in it, revealing a trace of Imperial Might.

This… this was simply impossible.

What right does a Heavenly General have to command Imperial Light and subdue the Heavenly Emperor’s residual will? Is it because he’s of the Heavenly God Clan? Even if you were the Heavenly Sovereign’s own son, you couldn’t accomplish this.

Yet after a brief shock, every mind conjured a terrifying hypothesis—the only possible explanation for why the Emperor’s residual will and Imperial Light had failed to harm him.

“No, impossible, this cannot be—Hua Qing, the Great Emperor, is dead, dead! How could this happen?”

At that moment, Qing Lan Heavenly King’s face twisted in terror; she frantically shook her head, staring at Li Yi, bathed in Imperial Light, and involuntarily staggered backward.

Her heart was filled with dread, her mind overrun by a horrifying thought.

That thought stirred the most painful memory she dared not recall.

Not just her—Li Yan Heavenly King nearby also trembled violently, his face draining to pallor, frozen in place.

“This man is the reincarnation of Hua Qing, the Heavenly Emperor,” one Heavenly King slowly uttered the truth they refused to acknowledge.

Only this possibility could explain Li Yi’s immunity to Imperial Light.

He is the reincarnation of Hua Qing, the Heavenly Emperor—only then could their origins be identical, preventing mutual harm, even allowing him to reclaim a portion of his past-life power and manifest it anew.

In the Heavenly Realm, reincarnation and re-cultivation were not uncommon; many aging Heavenly Soldiers and Generals chose this path to break through their realms, though most reincarnated weaker than before.

Surpassing one’s former self, reaching a new peak—this remained exceedingly rare.

Yet a Heavenly Emperor’s reincarnation was extraordinarily rare, for the Heavenly Emperor himself ruled the Heavenly Realm; risking reincarnation was illogical—if he perished midway, his immortal Emperor’s throne would vanish instantly.

Only in dire catastrophe, at the brink of death, could one be forced into reincarnation.

But whether by either circumstance, it no longer mattered.

What mattered was the gravity of the situation: Hua Qing, the Great Emperor’s reincarnation had returned, now reappearing in the Imperial City under the identity of the Heavenly God Clan—did this mean he intended to settle all old scores? Instantly, many Heavenly Kings felt their hearts freeze, their limbs turn cold.

They had seized territory in the Imperial City—they were certainly within the scope of reckoning.

Li Yi’s body radiated Imperial Light; he extended a finger, and a strand of Imperial Light shot forth, instantly shattering the heavens, cleaving the earth, nearly severing the entire Imperial City in two.

Is this the power of a Heavenly Emperor? Too terrifying.

“Kid, stop playing with my Imperial Light—it’ll vanish soon! You’ve got one strike left at most. Either kill a few Heavenly Kings now, or use my identity to scare them off!” Hua Qing urged frantically.

Others didn’t know, but he knew perfectly well: this residual will, returning with Imperial Light, was merely instinct.

“Insolent! You wicked old Hua Lü, how dare you speak to the Heavenly Emperor this way? I shall act as I see fit—do not presume to fathom the Emperor’s mind!” Li Yi barked.

“.” Hua Qing rolled his eyes.

Then Li Yi stood with hands behind his back, after displaying the might of Imperial Light, he swept his gaze over the Heavenly Kings: “I never expected that after hiding so long, my identity would still be exposed. My past-life residual will has plagued me greatly.”

He mimicked Hua Qing’s tone, slipping into intimidation mode—he’d merely practiced on Hua Qing earlier, having no experience being a Heavenly Emperor.

Upon hearing this, Qing Lan Heavenly King, Li Yan Heavenly King, Shadow Robe Heavenly King, Barbarian Stone Heavenly King, and several others who had met Hua Qing Great Emperor felt half their anxiety vanish.

His tone—opening with “this old man.”

Undoubtedly, it was Hua Qing Great Emperor’s manner of speech.

Yet Han Shan Heavenly King froze—she first exhaled in relief, then realized something, standing silently to the side; she knew Tai Yi was certainly not the Emperor’s reincarnation.

This had been personally verified by Hao Guang, the Divine Emperor—impossible to be mistaken.

Thus Han Shan Heavenly King believed Tai Yi had merely inherited Hua Qing’s legacy, and had come here specifically to claim the Emperor’s weapon.

But under current circumstances, with Divine Might Heavenly King yet to arrive, borrowing Hua Qing’s name to drive off the others and seize the Imperial Palace was advantageous.

Still, would everything proceed smoothly? “I had intended to coexist with you all under the identity of the Heavenly God Clan, yet I received only isolation and distance. Now, I shall no longer pretend. My past life is dust—henceforth, call me, the Eastern Ultimate Qing Hua Great Emperor,” Li Yi spoke slowly.

“Bullshit! You illiterate fool—I’m Hua Qing, not Qing Hua! You reversed the characters—you can’t even remember four words? Deserve to be illiterate!” Hua Qing snapped.

“Shut up. Even if I’m illiterate, I’m better than you, Hua Lü. Your name carries a curse of green—this is me avoiding an omen! I’m borrowing the fortune of the Eastern Ultimate Heavenly Sovereign, a perfected being, to wash away your misfortune. Hence the title Eastern Ultimate Qing Hua Great Emperor—it’s perfectly reasonable.” Li Yi replied.

“.”

Hua Lü—no, Hua Qing—heard this, opened his mouth to curse, then paused, realizing there was some logic to it.

The Eastern Ultimate Heavenly Sovereign, as a perfected being, must have been extraordinary, blessed with immense fortune, and had even endured the End of the Dharma Era to cross realms—his luck was undeniably exceptional.

Borrowing his title, absorbing his fortune, might actually work.

Moreover, Hua Qing Great Emperor was already dead; clinging to that name might invite further calamity.

Hua Qing decided he’d change his name too—he wouldn’t continue cultivating under a name that was both green and cursed.

Eastern Ultimate Qing Hua Great Emperor? The Heavenly Kings’ faces tightened, their minds in chaos—this title was grand, exalted beyond measure, proving his spirit remained unbroken even after reincarnation. His sudden appearance could mean only one thing: he intended to reclaim the throne and restore his glory.

“You’ve been dead for so many years—why, why must you return? Why can’t you just die cleanly, you Heavenly God Clan? Was this your chosen path in life? To use your noble bloodline to break free of constraints, seeking that one sliver of chance to become a Sovereign?”

Qing Lan’s face was terrified, yet her heart screamed in bitter defiance.

She knew: as soon as Hua Qing reincarnated, her own life had entered its countdown—even if she fled now, it would be useless.

All he needed was to reclaim his throne; no matter where she hid, he would find her.

“So he truly is Hua Qing’s reincarnation,” Li Yan Heavenly King felt utter despair—he had schemed, plotted, struggled for so long to rise,

even on the verge of claiming the Heavenly Emperor’s weapon.

Yet with the Emperor’s return, all would vanish into smoke.

No, this shouldn’t be.

His fate shouldn’t be this.

He was still alive—he still had a chance to turn things around. So what if Hua Qing was reincarnated? He was still only a Heavenly General.

If he could kill him now, halt his reincarnation forever, wouldn’t that erase everything? In despair, a fierce, resolute killing intent surged within him.

Fleeing was useless.

How could one escape the Heavenly Emperor’s reckoning? Even if you escaped for now, you’d live in constant dread, fearing discovery at any moment.

Better to fight today.

But killing a Heavenly Emperor’s reincarnation was extremely difficult—his own strength was insufficient; he needed to ally with other Heavenly Kings.

With this thought, Li Yan Heavenly King began secretly sending messages to others.

Li Yi, now returning as the Eastern Ultimate Qing Hua Great Emperor, stepped upon Imperial Light, hands behind his back, walking toward the Imperial Palace: “I return today, unwilling to shed blood. So I grant you all a chance: leave the Imperial City now, and I shall forgive you. If you stubbornly resist my return, bear the consequences.”

“Shadow Robe, Barbarian Stone—you once served as my Imperial City Guard and Palace Commander. Qing Lan, that wretched woman, betrayed me, bore another man’s child—her crime is unforgivable. Though you erred, your sins are not beyond pardon—I died, the tide turned, you were swept along, powerless.”

“Now, I give you two choices: either leave now, never appear before me again, honoring our past master-servant bond—or return to my side, atone for your sins, and I shall never neglect you.”

Even as he intimidated them, he took the chance to sway Hua Lü’s former subordinates.

If he gained their support, his burden would lighten greatly.

The Imperial Light was fading fast.

He must stabilize the situation immediately.

Without Imperial Light’s protection, the Heavenly Kings would sense the truth—he was no reincarnated Emperor.

As Li Yi finished speaking, the crowd exhaled in relief—if leaving meant escape from reckoning, this was good news.

Yet the Heavenly Kings soon realized: Hua Qing’s return was hasty, likely unprepared—he was urgently pushing them to leave because he was afraid, uncertain he could withstand so many Heavenly Kings.

But if they stayed, who could withstand his future reckoning?

After weighing their options,

several Heavenly Kings, unwilling to risk it, bowed respectfully to Li Yi, then turned and fled without looking back.

Even knowing Li Yi was weak inside, they recognized him as a Heavenly Emperor’s reincarnation—his rise was inevitable.

To gamble their lives over the last Imperial Palace wasn’t worth it.

Seeing others flee, more Heavenly Kings began to withdraw one after another.

Li Yan Heavenly King panicked, sending secret messages to all: “Even if this man is Hua Qing’s reincarnation, he’s only at Heavenly General strength! He risked exposure just to claim the last Imperial Palace—there’s no doubt something astonishing lies within.”

“Join me, slay this reincarnated Emperor, and share the palace’s treasures—isn’t that better? If you leave now, won’t you fear his future reckoning?”

“He’s sparing you now only because he’s weak. Miss this chance, and you’ll never get another. Decide now—stay or go.”

These words caused several Heavenly Kings who had been leaving to halt.

(End of Chapter)