Chapter 917: Palace Examination

Palace Examination

"Bai Qi?"

Sun Bumian looked at Bai Ye in surprise, "You also know that the one inside his body is..."

Sun Bumian was very surprised. When he had previously peeked into Jian Changsheng's ill omen, he had vaguely guessed the source of the killing intent within his body. He originally thought this was Jian Changsheng's secret, so he had been pretending not to know. But he hadn't expected that Bai Ye also knew of Bai Qi's existence.

Bai Ye glanced at him with a somewhat odd expression:

"In the Dusk Society, besides Little Jian himself, almost everyone knows..."

Sun Bumian: ...

So besides himself, it's an open secret known to everyone?

As expected of you, Six of Spades.

No matter how strong the puppet emperor is now, she is still just a lone commander. It's fine within the Ancient Vault of the Imperial Path, but if she leaves here, her own rank is only the Third Tier. Those Imperial Remnants no longer have the patience to subdue subjects one by one. And right at this moment, Bai Qi appeared...

Once they can take this God of Slaughter under their command, their own rank will be enough to rival a Demigod. Inside the Ancient Vault of the Imperial Path, they could even exert power several times that of a Demigod... Plus a submissive God of Slaughter Bai Qi, the Lord of Hanging Jade wouldn't be a match at all. Even if two Monarchs teamed up, they might only be able to barely contend."

"Would the God of Slaughter Bai Qi submit to a puppet emperor?" Sun Bumian didn't seem too worried. "When Bai Qi made a name for himself, 'Emperors' hadn't even appeared in the world yet."

"If it were Bai Qi in his prime, naturally it would be impossible. But the one on Little Jian's body right now is, after all..." Bai Ye hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "What's more, this is the home ground of the 'Emperor.' The intensity of the Palace Examination is doubled. It all depends on whether Little Jian himself can withstand it."

...

An immense, irresistible imperial aura frantically drilled into Jian Changsheng's mind!

Jian Changsheng held his head in pain, feeling as if his entire head was about to split open. The world receded from his senses, and a grand throne rose from the void before his eyes!

"We know that you have desires..." A voice like a divine decree rang out like a great bell from above Jian Changsheng's head.

"Submit to Us..."

"We shall grant you everything you desire."

The next moment, Jian Changsheng's past and future flashed rapidly before his eyes like a movie.

He saw himself born in an abandoned thatched cottage; he saw his mother die of illness; he saw himself living under the eaves of the Yan family, living at the mercy of others alongside his father; he saw himself facing bad luck and near-death experiences time and time again, yet still Barely Clinging to Life...

The years of the past reappeared before Jian Changsheng's eyes, and they also flashed across those indifferent pupils brimming with imperial might, as if they had already peered into the regrets deep within Jian Changsheng's heart.

A moment later, Emperor Wu's voice echoed leisurely from above:

"What you desire in your heart, We already know."

Emperor Wu waved her sleeve, and the surrounding scenery rapidly changed, shifting from recreating Jian Changsheng's tragic past to a future of rolling mist.

"Although your mother has been dead for many years, deep within the Ancient Vault of the Ghost Path, there is a ghost gate. Behind the ghost gate is an ancient well that can summon back the souls of blood relatives... If you submit, We will take you through the ghost gate another day, allowing you to reunite with your mother."

As Emperor Wu's voice faded, the rolling mist around them instantly transformed into the image of that ancient well behind the ghost gate...

In that future, Jian Changsheng saw himself stepping through the ghost gate under Emperor Wu's lead, dripping his blood into the ancient well... A long while later, he saw himself weeping upon meeting the soul of an unfamiliar woman.

Deep within Jian Changsheng's heart, something stirred slightly.

"Your early years were tragic, and you suffered endless torment... The past cannot be changed. But if you submit, We shall enfeoff you as the 'Martial Marquis of the Heavenly Border.' In the future, when We conquer the world, you will be beneath only one person and above tens of thousands. No one will ever dare to disobey you again."

As Emperor Wu's voice rang out, the scenery around Jian Changsheng changed once more.

He saw the world change masters, with Emperor Wu, dressed in an Imperial Robe, ruling over the world. By this time, the Nine Great Human Realms no longer existed on Earth; there was only a magnificent, massive super-empire standing upon the wasteland.

And he himself, clad in golden battle armor, walked along the borders of the Gray World. Wherever he passed, the commoners and soldiers knelt and kowtowed like a tidal wave, chanting the title of "Lord of a Thousand Years" with voices that shook the clouds.

"We are the Child of Destiny. If you follow Us, We shall naturally resolve the blood calamity in your fate. From then on, you will experience a meteoric rise and achieve all your heart's desires."

Having said this, the hand Emperor Wu had pressed on top of Jian Changsheng's head exerted a slight pressure. A strange aura wafted from her body, as if it could easily sway people's hearts.

"Jian Changsheng..."

"Now, are you willing to follow Us?"

Jian Changsheng's mind wavered under this voice. Emperor Wu's three promises began to take root and sprout in his heart, gradually occupying all his thoughts...

His regrets and desires were frantically amplified. The people who had walked alongside him all the way gradually faded away. Instead, a figure wearing an Imperial Robe constantly grew heavier in his heart, as if she was to become the only one in his life.

As Emperor Wu's hand gradually pressed down, Jian Changsheng's head bowed lower and lower, as if he was about to completely prostrate himself on the ground...

Right at this moment,

Jian Changsheng's body suddenly became like steel, unable to be pressed down even the slightest bit more.

Sensing the resistance coming from her palm, Emperor Wu frowned slightly...

"...Just with this, you want me to kowtow and pledge my loyalty to you?" Jian Changsheng's voice rang out. As if resisting a mountain-like oppression, his body trembled under Emperor Wu's hand as he used all his strength to raise his head bit by bit!

His eyes were full of bloodshot veins.

In an instant, the surrounding mist surged silently once more. The past and future originally displayed by Emperor Wu seemed to be torn to shreds by an invisible hand, and images from the bottom of Jian Changsheng's heart were projected into the void!

"Spades, that Heaven-Reaching Star Position, do you want it or not?"

A figure wearing a theatrical robe stood in his memory, frowning as he spoke to him.

"..."

"Put it on, we've changed your fate for you."

"..."

"Six of Spades doesn't need to bow his head to anyone."

"..."

"This time, thanks."

"..."

Under those voices etched deep into his soul, Jian Changsheng's body seemed to gain some kind of power. Pushing hard against Emperor Wu's hand, he slowly stood up...

At the same time, he swept his gaze around from the corner of his eye. In his profound memories, almost all of them featured that bright, annoying Great Crimson Theatrical Robe... From the Ancient Vault of the Military Path, to Aurora City, to the Red Dust Domain, to the Tianshu Domain... Of course, there were also a few figures in Tang suits, which had only appeared recently.

"Sorry... that fate of bad luck and near-death experiences you mentioned, someone has already changed it for me."

"And as for the tragic early experiences and endless humiliation... there's an annoying Awakened Lion who has already vented my anger for me, so I didn't take it to heart..."

"As for that ancient well behind the ghost gate..."

"In the future, Hearts will take me there."