Chapter 714: Tyrant! Despot!

"..."

Seeing that Shen Yi had no intention of bowing for a long time, Lady Lady Feng Xi gently bumped the other with her shoulder.

No matter how great the gap between the image of the Human Emperor and what the other imagined, he was indeed the master of Shenzhou, the supreme existence governing the human world together with the Immortal Court.

"If you are unwilling, then so be it; you do not have the fortune for this."

The man soaking in the pool did not insist; he casually scooped up some wine, sent it to his mouth, smacked his lips, and mumbled indistinctly: "Good wine... good wine..."

After he finished savoring it in detail, he finally waved his hand.

From the dense forest beside the pool, an old man dressed as a court official with a serious expression stepped out quickly, walked before the Human Emperor, and took a jade plaque from his sleeve to hand over.

The man took it, did not even bother to look at it, and casually threw it to Shen Yi in the distance.

"Perhaps it is not quite like the promotion and advancement you imagined?" He smiled with his back to everyone.

"Indeed, it is not quite the same."

Shen Yi looked at the jade plaque in his hand; apart from the material, its shape was no different from the iron plaque of the Demon-Slayer.

On the back was similarly engraved the Nanyang floating pattern representing identity.

Clearly, this was the plaque of the General Who Suppresses the South.

Leaping from a titled general to the commander in charge of the entire Zhan Yao Si of Dananzhou, Shen Yi felt no joy in his heart.

"It does look a bit hasty."

The man, in an even more lazy posture, simply rested his neck on the edge of the pool: "But it does not matter; after all, this object is not a gift, but a tool."

Upon hearing these words, many generals of the Zhan Yao Si showed confusion on their faces.

But not long after, their expressions changed slightly, and they quickly took out their own plaques from their bodies.

Between the green and translucent jade plaques, a point of yellow light suddenly sprang forth; like ink dyeing rice paper, it soon soaked the entire plaque into the appearance of yellow jade.

The change had not yet stopped.

Shen Yi held the yellow jade token; on the front of the plaque was a character shattered by knife marks, signifying the slaying of demons.

At this moment, the knife marks slowly faded, and the character, like a newly sprouted shoot growing wildly, gradually began to heal.

What fell into the eyes of the crowd was not the "demon" they had imagined.

But a ethereal "Immortal" character.

These people were all generals who suppressed the provinces, considered the most senior batch in the Zhan Yao Si, and their understanding of this office was far deeper than others.

But at this moment, staring at the plaque, their pupils contracted slightly.

The knife marks had not been cutting a demon from the very beginning, but an Immortal; that is to say, when the Human Emperor first established the Zhan Yao Si, the hypothetical enemy was never demons or monsters.

In that case, the current situation of the Divine Dynasty was not undeserved.

After all, who could have thought that the Human Emperor, who already held the land of Shenzhou, would even harbor thoughts of rebellion.

What the other desired to rebel against was the magnificent Immortal Court behind the sky curtain!

In other words, the one who first broke the agreement of the Immortal Court and the Divine Dynasty governing the human world together was actually the Human Emperor... and this move had already begun many years ago when the Immortal Department was founded.

No wonder the Immortal Court's attitude was so ambiguous; even the Earth Gods who had cared for Shenzhou for endless years were no longer helping the various Songfeng Fuchengs.

"Hah."

Shen Yi felt the familiar sensation coming from the jade plaque, yet it was a completely different strange power, and he fell silent for a moment.

This object was none other than the Immortal Seal.

A third-rank Immortal Seal, but what it mobilized was not Immortal Power, but the Imperial Qi of the human world.

"I ask all of you to hold this heavy tool and follow this Emperor to suppress this group of evil Immortals!"

From an angle no one could see, a trace of violence rose on the face of the man with drunken, blurred eyes; he completely lacked the upright and majestic aura of an emperor. Under the backdrop of the surging wine scent, he instead looked like a gambler, his whole body full of madness.

Founding the Immortal Department, establishing the Zhan Yao Si; he had long prepared something similar to an Immortal Seal.

This Human Emperor's intention to change the new sky was now completely exposed without any doubt, with no intention of concealment left.

However, the many generals who suppressed the provinces stood hesitantly in place.

Even at the most dangerous moment, they still held a sliver of hope in their hearts: that this situation was all due to a misunderstanding between the Immortal Court and the Divine Dynasty.

As long as they endured to the end, waiting for one side to be willing to bow and yield, the misunderstanding would be eliminated, and everything would return to its original state.

But now, the Human Emperor had so brazenly shouted out this treasonous words.

No misunderstanding! What remained was only a life-and-death battle!

"..."

In the crowd, Shen Yi casually tucked the jade plaque into his clothes.

At this moment, surrounded by enemies on all sides, any means that could be used should be put away first; who knows when it might save a life.

The others looked over with strange expressions.

Including Lady Lady Feng Xi, who was also slightly helpless.

Once someone had started, the rest, even with misgivings in their hearts, could not say much more; they all clasped their hands in salute, gripping that jade plaque tightly in their palms.

Splash.

The man who had just been full of murderous intent suddenly sank back into the pool, sending wine into his mouth sip by sip, and then let out a long burp: "Burp—"

As if nothing had happened just now.

"Your Majesty is tired; all of you, please return."

The man dressed as a court official walked over slowly, making a gesture of seeing guests off.

"We take our leave."

Seeing the matter was settled, the many generals who suppressed the provinces spoke no more; they had come to the Imperial City originally because the various provinces were in urgent crisis, seeking aid.

Now holding a third-rank token similar to that Immortal Seal, the situation could be temporarily eased; moreover, the change of this token might not exist only on the bodies of the generals who suppressed the provinces; if the Zhan Yao Si, from top to bottom, had the tokens in the hands of all officers transform into such an "Immortal Seal".

The strength of the Zhan Yao Si could be said to have increased explosively.

Even the most ordinary General of a Sealed Title could spar with those so-called Heavenly Prodigies.

As for us, we no longer need to fear those Bodhisattvas and Great Luo Immortal Venerables; even if we leave the Divine Dynasty, we still possess the strength to fight.

Yet for some reason, they did not feel the slightest sense of relief; instead, their moods grew increasingly solemn.

"Your reward has been prepared; someone will bring it to you shortly."

That court official looked at Shen Yi again, showing a rare faint smile, seemingly quite satisfied with his earlier act of taking the lead in putting away the tokens.

After all, the current appearance of the Human Emperor made it very difficult for anyone to believe in him.

"This is the head of the Immortal Department, Lin Shuyi, Minister Lin."

Lady Lady Feng Xi made a brief introduction; even though the Zhan Yao Si acted independently, it was still categorized under the Immortal Department, so this man could be considered our direct superior.

"Thank you, my lord Lin."

Shen Yi cupped his hands in a bow, then turned and followed Lady Lady Feng Xi out of this deep courtyard.

Only after everyone had completely departed.

Did Lin Shuyi turn and walk back to the poolside, standing quietly behind that man. After a long silence, he sighed softly: "Your Majesty, you are drunk."

There was truly no need to disturb the minds of these Sizhou Generals under such circumstances.

It would suffice to let them take the Jade Tokens and defend the Sizhou properly.

The man's face was numb, his gaze dull as he stared at the sky. After an unknown duration, the flush on his face gradually faded somewhat: "I have no choice but to be drunk... it hurts..."

The Imperial Qi accumulated over generations by the Human Emperors of the Divine Dynasty through frugal living had, after countless ages, formed an extremely terrifying quantity.

This was originally the foundation used to intimidate external enemies and protect the roots of the Divine Dynasty.

However, after that incident many years ago, the Human Emperor, who was then known as a wise ruler, suddenly wanted to use these ancestral legacies to do something.

Something... that the myriad gods and Buddhas could not know about.

But mobilizing such vast Imperial Qi, even if suppressed at the bottom of the deep abyss by the Panlong Pillars, if the gods and Buddhas had the intent, they could still detect the signs.

Unless the Human Emperor was right here.

As the ruler who gathered the fate of the mortal world, it was only natural for the Imperial Qi to be slightly more concentrated where he stood.

Precisely because of this, during the years he spent extracting all of this Imperial Qi, it remained relatively quiet until recent years, when the Three Sects gradually began to react.

But this abundant Imperial Qi had reached a point where even the Human Emperor could barely sustain it; just like cultivators, if their spiritual energy is too abundant, they face the risk of exploding from within.

That kind of pain, accumulated over years, would gradually drive a person with a clear mind into madness.

Using the nectar formed from the essence of the Eight Seas to temporarily numb the consciousness was a choice made out of necessity.

The Human Emperor had long understood that no matter how diligent he was, or how perfectly he handled the affairs of the imperial court, as long as the Immortal Palaces in the sky remained, everything was meaningless.

"Shuyi, look at this sky."

The man raised his head. Having lost the drunkenness and madness, his ordinary-looking face suddenly appeared much older.

Only those clear eyes revealed a hint of awe-inspiring calmness and rationality.

A dying emperor is not always mad.

Occasionally, there are those with great ambitions who seem to do things incomprehensible to ordinary people, yet their minds are terrifyingly clear.

He showed a hint of a sentimental smile: "Do you think it looks good?"

Lin Shuyi raised his eyes to look at the sky; it was still that deep, azure blue, unchanged since ancient times, and after looking at it for so long, it felt somewhat boring.

He withdrew his gaze and nodded: "It is still beautiful."

The man reached out, using his five fingers to measure the boundless sky. His gaze pierced through the gaps between his fingers, as if it could pass through the clouds and point directly at the Immortal Palace: "It is beautiful, yes, but it lacks something."

"What is missing?" Lin Shuyi asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It lacks a lock."

The man suddenly split his mouth into a silent laugh; due to a missing front tooth, it looked somewhat ridiculous: "Legend says that in ancient times, the True Gods used supreme power to split the chaos, separating the pure from the turbid, thus creating heaven and earth."

"But this Emperor feels that the separation is not clear enough."

"I want to try putting a lock on this Heaven's Gate."

As he spoke, the man forcefully slapped the surface of the pool, splashing up layers of water. Dense yellow mist surged from the deep abyss, turning the pond golden and translucent.

He did not want the compassion of gods and Buddhas; he did not want the protection of immortals.

He only wanted the severance between heaven and earth!

"You are already holding this lock in your hand." Lin Shuyi looked at that golden pool surface; this was the foundation of the Divine Dynasty, extending from its existence to the present day.

"It is not enough."

The man exhaled a long breath. Besides calmness and rationality, a thread of cruelty unique to emperors appeared in his eyes: "Even if I put a lock on this Heaven's Gate, there are still countless Immortal Gates on the ground."

"After I die, they will continue to cultivate, hoping to ascend to the upper realm. They will be like starving ferocious beasts, trying their hardest to break this lock."

"Internal strife within the Three Sects, battles among great demons."

"Let them die off mostly; only after I fasten this lock will I have the strength left to deal with them."

Veins bulged on the man's skin as if about to explode. He plunged his head directly into the pool. After an unknown time, he suddenly burst out, gasping for air in great gulps, his expression once again becoming that of a drunkard.

"I have little life left... I cannot deal with too many remnants... so I must kill even more fiercely..."

"Many people in the Divine Dynasty will die." Lin Shuyi could almost see that hellish scene.

"Do you have another way?" The man turned his head slightly to look at him.

Lin Shuyi fell silent for a moment, then persisted: "The Puti Sect has three sect leaders: the Past Buddha, the Present Buddha, and the Future Buddha, with the Present Buddha being the most revered. The Sanxian Sect has three sect leaders: Taqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing, with the Yuqing Sect Leader at the head."

"Both of these hold the supreme position of the Transcendent First Grade."

"If you transform this foundation of the Divine Dynasty into your own use, you will also have the opportunity for transcendence. By that time, you will be equal to those two sects, and Your Majesty will become the first Human Emperor to be immortal forever."

"Perhaps this is the best use for the thing beneath the pool."

After Lin Shuyi finished speaking, he quietly looked at the Human Emperor.

He saw that the man still had a smile on the corner of his lips, but in those eyes, which were slightly bloodshot, a dense killing intent gradually arose.

When an emperor is angered, a million corpses lie at his feet.

Let alone a mere Minister of the Immortal Department.

Lin Shuya felt like a mortal pinned beneath a tiger's stare, his whole body instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Fortunately, the man quickly turned his head back: "This is why I had to stake the Divine Dynasty as my wager, to watch them tear each other apart completely. What I fear most is that after I die, you would compromise without a second thought. What I fear most is that I could not resist your honeyed words, and start coveting that so-called eternal, imperishable life…"

He seemed a little weary, resting his neck back against the pool's edge, sighing: "Shuya, the rain and dew nourish all things — that is the way heaven and earth turn."

"But even this principle, they insist on clutching in their own hands."

The people of an entire prefecture, for having offended a Daluo Immortal Revered One who served in the Immortal Court, were driven from their homes by a great drought, dropping dead in the streets, until the land became a barren wasteland.

From then on, the Immortal Department was born.

"As the tribulation of the flesh transformed into a tribulation of the heart, the Three Teachings grew ever more powerful, their disciples ever more numerous, their appetite ever more voracious."

"The common folk of my four continents — one day they will no longer sate the hunger of these immortals and buddhas. When that day comes, and they are fish on a chopping block, lambs led to slaughter, only then think of rebellion — will it not be too late?"

"Rather than wait to be boiled like a frog in warm water, better to…"

The man closed his eyes, then bared his teeth again — one front tooth missing, no sharp canines, yet no longer the least bit comical, only giving the impression of something far more savage than a tiger:

"No destruction, no creation. Burn the boats and sink the cauldrons!"

"I, and the common folk of the Divine Dynasty, shall march to our deaths together!"

"…"

Lin Shuya stayed silent, the low growl at his ear like thunder.

Yet he did not feel shaken.

The once-enlightened sovereign who had wept all night for that single prefecture, whose heart ached for all under heaven, now no longer cared for the lives of his people. This Shenzhou had been flung onto the gambling table by the man without a moment's hesitation, all for the sake of chasing an illusory future.

Perhaps the others had guessed right.

The Human Sovereign, after years of torment and agony, had long since gone mad, no longer worthy of the title of a restorer of the realm.

A tyrant! A cruel and foolish ruler!

(End of this chapter)