Chapter 1001: The Blood Sea Descends Upon the Imperial Palace

"Ah!"

"Why? This is the imperial crown of my Flame Stone family!"

The Flame Flow Imperial Son roared madly, smashing things repeatedly and bellowing in rage.

The sound echoed through the vast palace.

Standing silently within this palace were two kings.

One was a black demon stone giant as heavy as a mountain, namely Rushan, the clan leader of the Demon Rock clan and a loyal servant of the Flame Stone family; even now, he stood with a humble and respectful posture, listening carefully to every word of his master.

The other was a king of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan, with a powerful body and a thick, single horn atop his head.

He watched the mad Flame Flow Imperial Son coldly, saying nothing.

This was Chen Shan Wang of the Flame Stone family, the Flame Flow Imperial Son's own uncle; he would not betray, and would die alongside the Flame Flow Imperial Son.

This was the command of the Flame Stone Emperor.

When an Imperial Son dies, a heavenly genius or a king must be buried with him.

Click.

A General-rank Demon Rock clan cultivator, covered in wounds and with a weak aura, walked into Rudadian; seeing this scene, he felt a chill in his heart and stammered, too afraid to speak.

"Qingyan, your name is Qingyan, isn't it?"

"You are Rushan's son."

The Flame Flow Imperial Son suddenly recovered from his madness, his voice soft and kind as he said, "What is it? Speak, do not be afraid."

He was the offspring of his most loyal general; previously, he had always treated him with kindness and given much care, causing many servant-clan kings to be moved to tears, calling him the Virtuous Imperial Son.

"Imperial Son..."

Qingyan's eyes instantly turned red, with tears welling up.

His entire life had been taught to be loyal to his master, and indeed he was loyal to his master, taking this as his life's goal, rejoicing or grieving at his master's life, death, glory, and shame.

"Speak."

The Flame Flow Imperial Son said calmly.

"Imperial Son, the Yellow Sand Small Realm..."

"The Yellow Sand Small Realm has been lost!"

Qingyan cried out in a broken voice: "Lord Sha Yi Wang has defected to the enemy; I escaped by sheer luck and have come to report to the Imperial Son..."

Sha Yi Wang, a king of the Flame Stone family.

Qingyan was truly sorrowful.

The Demon Rock clan ranks ninth among the servant clans; all of this is deeply bound to the Flame Stone family and the bloodline of the Flame Stone Emperor; for this, they have offended countless people, including many of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan, all for the glory of the Flame Stone Emperor.

Once the Flame Stone Emperor is gone, the entire Demon Rock clan will likely be erased.

"Sha Yi!"

"Lord Sha Yi Wang!"

The Flame Flow Imperial Son suddenly erupted in rage: "You are a king of the family! You are a king of the family!"

"Why betray me?"

He screamed madly, the demeanor of the Virtuous Imperial Son he had barely maintained instantly shattered; his expression became hideous, and his eyes turned blood-red.

"Imperial Son, now we can only..."

Qingyan stammered.

"And you!"

"Why did you not die in the Yellow Sand Small Realm? Huh?"

The Flame Flow Imperial Son, in a frenzy, listened to none of Qingyan's words; he drew out a flame halberd and smashed it down upon Qingyan's head, his killing intent icy, a complete opposite to his recent kind demeanor.

The Yanliu Prince flew into a rage, utterly ignoring whatever Qingyan said. He drew out a great flame halberd and smashed it down on Qingyan's head, his killing intent ice-cold—utterly the opposite extreme of his warm manner moments ago.

"Die for me!"

"You useless dog!"

"Imperial Son..."

Qingyan screamed in terror.

Instinctively, he was about to resist; this was the instinct of a Nascent Soul cultivator, no matter how loyal one might be.

At that moment, A Heavy Weight of pressure fell upon Qingyan, making him utterly unable to move.

Qingyan instantly fell into despair.

He looked toward the corner of the palace, at the demon shadow like Shanfeng, his father.

He then revealed a wretched expression and abandoned all resistance.

He then revealed a look of utter despair and abandoned all resistance.

The flame halberd fell, splitting Qingyan into a pile of black rubble; his soul and spirit were both extinguished; many rocks turned to powder, many rocks turned to magma, and no aura remained.

The remaining intact black stones could serve as top-tier Fourth-Rank Demon Shadow Stones, becoming treasures for the master's collection.

The remaining intact jet-black stone could serve as a top-grade fourth-tier Shadow Stone, becoming a precious treasure in the master's household collection.

"Bastard!"

The Flame Flow Imperial Son propped himself up with the flame halberd, panting heavily; a single short movement seemed to have exhausted him greatly, and he could not even stand steadily.

Immortal Dao beings, whose souls have been constantly tempered and constantly grown, possessing immense power, seem to decline in strength alongside the turmoil, decline, and despair of their heart-lakes.

The few beings within the palace watched the Flame Flow Imperial Son silently, offering no advice.

The several beings within the palace silently watched the Yanliu Prince, offering no counsel.

what more could be said to him?

What else could he say to him?

After venting for a while, the Yan Liu Imperial Son's face gradually revealed a bleak, despairing expression.

"Seventh Uncle,"

The Yan Liu Imperial Son's voice was hoarse as he asked, "If I surrender to Cang Kong, will he let me go?"

He was already in despair, willing to pay a heavy price.

"No."

"There is no possibility whatsoever."

The tall Horned Demon Imperial Clan king said coldly: "The Imperial Son's crown requires the Imperial Son's blood to be watered upon it to be complete; a crown without the Imperial Son's blood is insufficient."

"Furthermore, the Cang Kong Imperial Son needs to eliminate the last resisting force of my Yan Shi family, the last hope."

"Then, take the Yan Hua Imperial Daughter in marriage, and reach a compromise with the Great Emperor."

"The descendants of the Cang Kong Imperial Son and the Yan Hua Imperial Daughter will become the new Imperial Son."

"This is a cycle — the weak die, the strong flourish."

The tall Horned Demon Imperial Clan king said slowly: "In years past, the Great Emperor slew his enemies in exactly this manner, and took the Imperial Daughter of the opposing family in marriage — that is your mother, who passed away long ago."

"In the past, the Empress was often melancholy and unhappy; this was the reason."

Both the Imperial Son and Imperial Daughter slept for tens of thousands of years, only beginning to grow in the twilight years of the Yan Shi Great Emperor.

"No, I am not resigned to this!"

"Cang Kong is not a strong one at all!"

The Yan Liu Imperial Son roared, losing all composure: "He merely relies on those guards of the Three Thousand Ancient Emperor Families — how much stronger is his actual power than mine?!"

"If it were truly a life-and-death duel between the two of us, I would have at least a thirty percent chance of victory!"

"A strong clan — that too is strength!"

"No excuses are needed. Since your natural talent and gifts were not strong enough to bridge the gap, and you failed to seize the opportunity the Great Emperor fought for you, then accept your fate!"

The tall Horned Demon Imperial Clan king said in a deep voice: "Imperial Son, please rest assured — there is also a blessed land in the netherworld. I and your loyal servants will follow you there together. You will have endless posthumous honors; you will not be lonely."

"In the netherworld, you shall also be an Imperial Son."

"Ridiculous."

"Netherworld — what netherworld is there…"

The Yan Liu Imperial Son let out a miserable laugh.

The tall Horned Demon Imperial Clan king said nothing more, and did not continue to answer any of his questions.

In the palace, all was silent.

"Oh?"

Suddenly, the Demon Rock Clan's king Mo Shan and the Horned Demon Imperial Clan king Chen Shan Wang both stirred their gazes at once, looking toward the horizon.

On the horizon, a blood cloud appeared amid the sea of flowers!

The blood cloud spread little by little toward the Horned Demon Imperial Clan's pink Imperial Palace — an overwhelming killing intent and stench of blood slowly shrouding the entire palace, making no attempt to conceal the murderous intent and domineering will within, as if it would only rest after slaughtering every living being under heaven.

Beneath the endless blood cloud, a white-haired-as-snow, eerily handsome and beautiful Daoist in a blood-red robe, hand resting on his sword hilt, walked toward them.

"Who!?"

"Who is it?"

Outside the palace, the loyal servant-tribe guards shouted fiercely. Having received no permission to pass, each gripping their weapons, they unhesitatingly swarmed forward to kill.

"Ah…"

A spray of blood blossomed among the guards.

The Demon Rock Clan guards, the Tiger Clan guards, the Fox Clan guards, and even a few guards of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan itself — anyone who tried to block the way was pierced through by a swath of blood-colored sword Qi, their foreheads split open, their essence blood and divine souls drained, transforming into streaks of even deeper crimson blood Qi that returned to the blood-robed Daoist's body.

With every step the blood-robed Daoist took, ten thousand living beings perished, transforming into blood souls that returned to his

side — bloody and terrifying.

"Dong Xue He Wang?"

"You wretched cur — instead of hiding properly, you dare to show off before the Imperial Son. Do you think that because the Imperial Son is about to lose, you can bully him?"

The Horned Demon Imperial Clan king Chen Shan Wang sneered, striding forward with heavy steps: "Imperial Son, I have heard that the hearts and livers of Blood Dao cultivators are the freshest, their bodies the most supple — most suitable for refining into tomb-guarding beasts."

"Watch me fetch one for you, to be driven by you in the netherworld as a pastime for cockfighting and hound-racing."