Chapter 124

The Chaos Tribulation Domain slowly dissipated, like a receding tide, revealing the scarred sky and earth.

The cyan-gray light converged, finally condensing on the tall but slightly lonely figure in the center of the ruins. Lin Lin Xuan stood quietly, his gray hair (a change after merging with the Tribulation Power) fluttering slightly in the residual energy fluctuations, and deep in those eyes covered with a gray film, the clear yet cold morning light revealed after the dissipation of the Tribulation Domain was reflected.

In front of him, the Ruins Abyss demonic shadow had already disappeared without a trace, leaving only strands of pure but dead-origin demonic evil energy, like ghosts that had lost control, slowly drifting and annihilating in the air. In the ultimate confrontation of the Chaos Tribulation Domain, this Void Refinement-level demonic awareness branch shadow was finally "returned to the ruins" at the root by Lin Lin Xuan with his nascent Chaos Tribulation Power, which had fused with the green lotus vitality, erasing the carrier of its descent.

The price was equally heavy.

On the surface of Lin Lin Xuan's body, countless fine cracks spread like a spider web; this was a sign that his physical body was on the verge of collapse due to forcibly urging the Tribulation Power beyond his load. Beneath the cracks, there was no flesh and blood, but gray-cyan airflow flowing slowly, barely maintaining his form. The "Chaos Tribulation Crystal" that had just formed in his body now had dim light, its rotation almost stopped, and its surface was covered with fine cracks, clearly having suffered heavy damage in the previous confrontation. Although the nascent soul was solid, it was also excessively consumed, sending waves of needle-like pain and exhaustion.

That he could stand was a manifestation of his incomparably resilient will and Chaos Dao foundation.

"Brother Lin!" Brother Huangfu Hao, supported by Wei Gong, was the first to rush up, and seeing Lin Lin Xuan's appearance, his heart tightened, "Your wounds..."

Lin Lin Xuan slowly turned his head, and the cold silence in his gray eyes melted a little when he saw Brother Huangfu Hao's concerned face. He struggled to pull the corners of his mouth, seeming to want to give the other party a comforting smile, but failed to form it due to the severe pain in his body.

"It's fine... I won't die yet." His voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper rubbing, "The demonic shadow... is temporarily destroyed. But the Ruins Abyss main body... is unharmed. The seal here has been broken, and although the passage has been temporarily disrupted and closed by the Tribulation Power, it is not a long-term solution... I need to... reseal it as soon as possible, or completely... destroy the passage."

Every word he spoke seemed to deepen the cracks on his body, and the dissipation of the gray-cyan airflow intensified.

"Little Friend Lin, don't talk for now, healing is the priority!" Wei Gong said urgently, as he could feel the terrifying power in Lin Lin Xuan's body that was extremely unstable and seemed ready to explode at any moment.

Lin Lin Xuan shook his head slightly, his gaze cast toward the pit deep in the imperial palace that still had demonic energy fluctuations, then looked at Feng Xi, who was dying in his spiritual pet space, and finally landed on Brother Huangfu Hao.

"Brother Huangfu... the new emperor has just been established, and everything is waiting to be done... stabilizing the political situation and comforting the people... is the top priority. I need to find a place... to go into seclusion, sort out the Tribulation Power, and stabilize my Dao foundation... Feng Xi also needs to recuperate."

His meaning was very clear: what the imperial dynasty needed now was Brother Huangfu Hao as the backbone, not a "hero" who was severely injured and in danger. His own injuries and Feng Xi's condition also urgently needed to get away from this chaotic environment for deep seclusion.

Brother Huangfu Hao instantly understood Lin Lin Xuan's concerns and intentions, and he nodded vigorously, his eyes full of gratitude and determination: "Brother Lin, don't worry! Leave the affairs of the imperial capital to me! Whatever spiritual objects or places you need for seclusion, I will use the power of the whole country to find them for you!"

"No need... to make a big fuss." Lin Lin Xuan shook his head again, his gaze cast toward the southern horizon outside the imperial capital, "I have my own... place to go. When I... recover, I will naturally... return. The matter of the Demonic Abyss... is not over."

His voice became lower and lower, and his aura became more and more unstable.

"Where does Little Friend Lin want to go? This old servant will escort you..." Wei Gong said urgently.

"No need." Lin Lin Xuan interrupted him, his fingertips struggling to condense a wisp of weak gray energy, outlining a simple square dot pattern in the air, which seemed to point toward... the direction of Star Lake? "This place... has my arrangements... and it's quiet."

After speaking, he seemed unable to hold on any longer, his body swayed, the gray-cyan airflow around his body fluctuated violently, and the cracks expanded, as if he would completely disintegrate in the next moment.

"Brother Lin!" Brother Huangfu Hao exclaimed.

Just at this moment, a gentle and peaceful clear light descended from the sky, enveloping Lin Lin Xuan. Within the clear light, there was a nourishing power that was upright and peaceful, and although it could not heal Lin Lin Xuan's Dao foundation injuries, it could temporarily stabilize his rampaging Tribulation Power and collapsing physical body.

The vague figure of the Huangfu Tianji Pavilion Master appeared silently on the side.

"Pavilion Master!" Brother Huangfu Hao and Wei Gong hurriedly saluted.

The Huangfu Tianji Pavilion Master nodded slightly and looked at Lin Lin Xuan: "Little friend, this time, you have survived in the tribulation, and your Dao path has changed. Chaos Tribulation Power is extremely dangerous and requires great perseverance and opportunity to master. The residual star power and Chaos rhyme in the Star Lake Mystical Realm may help you temporarily balance it. These are the 'Spirit-Fixing Talisman' and 'Breath-Concealing Talisman', which can help you temporarily suppress your injuries and hide your tracks."

He waved his sleeve, and two simple jade talismans floated toward Lin Lin Xuan, automatically merging into his body. The violently fluctuating aura on Lin Lin Xuan's body immediately calmed down a lot, and the speed at which the cracks spread also slowed down.

"Thank you... Pavilion Master." Lin Lin Xuan thanked him weakly.

"Go quickly. As for the affairs of the imperial capital, the new emperor and I are here." The Huangfu Tianji Pavilion Master said.

Lin Lin Xuan did not hesitate, looked deeply at Brother Huangfu Hao, swept over the broken imperial capital, and finally landed his gaze on Zhao Yuan, who was still unconscious (previously knocked out and taken away by Brother Huangfu Hao), paused slightly, but didn't say much. He forcibly gathered his last bit of strength, his figure turned into an extremely dim gray-cyan stream of light that almost merged into the morning light, and shot toward the direction of Star Lake in the south, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

His departure was silent, but it took away the last trace of thrilling legendary color of the imperial capital, and also took away a heavy hope.

Brother Huangfu Hao looked at the direction where Lin Lin Xuan disappeared for a long time without speaking, his heart filled with complex emotions. There was the joy of surviving a disaster, worry about his close friend's injuries, confusion about the future, and a heavy sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders.

"Your Highness," Wei Gong reminded softly, "Little Friend Lin is a man of great fortune and will surely overcome this tribulation. Right now, the imperial capital needs you more."

Brother Huangfu Hao withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, suppressed all his emotions, and his eyes became sharp and firm again. He straightened his spine, and although his clothes were stained with blood and he was covered in wounds, the imperial majesty of being entrusted by heaven and blessed by dragon aura had gradually taken shape.

"Pass my decree!" His voice was steady and powerful, resounding through the broken imperial palace:

"First, thoroughly eradicate the remaining rebel parties. Anyone who participated in the rebellion will be severely punished according to the law! The chief culprits, Zhao Song and others, have been executed, and their family properties will be confiscated! But those who were coerced will not be questioned, and those who voluntarily surrender can be leniently dealt with!"

"Second, spare no effort to treat all the wounded, properly settle the families of the deceased, and open the imperial granaries to provide relief to the disaster-stricken people!"

"Third, from this moment on, led by the Cabinet, with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue in the lead, begin the reconstruction of the imperial capital!"

"Fourth, announce to the world that I, Brother Huangfu Hao, have received the mandate of heaven, the dragon aura has returned, and in three days, I will hold the enthronement ceremony, succeed to the throne, change the era name to 'Emperor Chengping', and hope to work with the subjects of the world to overcome the difficulties and create a prosperous age again!"

Each decree was clear and definite, having both thunderous means to deter the petty and benevolent governance to comfort the people, as well as the determination to revitalize the court. The remaining civil and military officials felt relieved and bowed to accept the order: "We obey the decree! Long live the Emperor!"

Soon, under Brother Huangfu Hao's command and the cooperation of Wei Gong, the Cabinet, and other trusted ministers, the huge machine of the imperial capital, which had almost stopped, began to operate again, albeit with difficulty and in an orderly manner. The remaining rebels were quickly swept away, the wounded were treated in a centralized manner, the ruins were cleared, and the reconstruction plan began to be formulated...

Three days later, traces of war still remained in the sky over the imperial capital, but the main streets had been initially cleared, and the imperial palace had barely organized a venue for the ceremony.

The enthronement ceremony was held in an atmosphere that was slightly simple but solemn and dignified.

It lacked the extreme luxury of the past, but it appeared even more grave and tragic. On the Altar of Heaven, Brother Huangfu Hao wore a brand-new dragon robe that had been rushed to be made, wore an imperial crown, his face calm, and under the gaze of the officials and the people (representatives of the survivors), he walked step by step toward the throne that symbolized supreme power.

He first bowed silently toward the south (the direction of Star Lake) to pay tribute to the heroic spirit of his father who fell in this disaster and the countless soldiers and commoners. Then, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over the officials and people below, seeing the expectation, exhaustion, pain, and... faint hope in their eyes.

He raised the Imperial Jade Seal (retrieved from the place where the former emperor fell, slightly damaged), his voice loud, carrying the echo of dragon aura, spreading in all directions:

"I, Brother Huangfu Hao, today succeed to the throne, and swear to heaven, ancestors, and the subjects of the world: I will surely work hard to govern, heal the wounds, reorganize the mountains and rivers, and make our Tianyuan Imperial Dynasty reborn from the ashes and reappear in glory! Internally, I will purge the treacherous, and externally, I will defend against demonic disasters. Anyone who harms the country and harms the living will be punished even if they are far away! I hope that you, my ministers, will work with me with one heart and one mind to overcome the national disaster and open this... era of Emperor Chengping!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live!"

The mountain-shaking and sea-roaring worship sounded, and although the voice still carried the hoarseness and weakness after the disaster, it gathered into a resilient and unyielding force that shot straight into the sky.

The remaining Imperial Dragon Aura was summoned, gathering from all directions, becoming more solid, circling around the new emperor, and emitting a clear dragon roar.

The Huangfu Tianji Pavilion Master was hidden in the clouds, watching this scene, a faint light flashing on his vague face, whispering: "The new emperor has been established, and the dragon aura has initially condensed. However, internal and external troubles are still heavy. The eye of the Demonic Abyss has not been closed, Lin Lin Xuan's Tribulation Path is not stable, the remnants of the aristocratic families are hidden, and strong neighbors are eyeing from all sides... This year of Emperor Chengping, I am afraid it will be difficult to have peace. However..."

He looked toward the south, and then toward the pit deep in the imperial palace that was temporarily sealed by the formation.

"Tribulation and luck are intertwined, and variables have been born. Perhaps, this broken era can really walk out of a... different path."

The enthronement ceremony ended, and Brother Huangfu Hao officially became the new emperor of the Tianyuan Imperial Dynasty, known in history as the "Emperor Chengping Emperor".

He returned to the temporarily repaired Yangxin Hall (newly built near the old site), and before he could rest, he immediately summoned his trusted ministers to deal with the mountain of government affairs. It was not until late at night that Wei Gong came in with a bowl of spiritual medicine.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest. The dragon body is important."

Brother Huangfu Hao rubbed his swollen temples, looking at the shocking loss figures on the memorials and the uneasy news from all over the country, and said in a deep voice: "How can I rest? The national treasury is empty, the people's livelihood is withered, the border is unstable, and the demonic disaster is still there... Brother Lin and Feng Xi are missing, and their injuries are unknown... There are too many things."

Wei Gong sighed: "Your Majesty, the road must be walked step by step. Fellow Daoist Lin is not an ordinary person and will surely turn bad luck into good. The top priority is to stabilize the political situation. This old servant has already followed Your Majesty's instructions to secretly investigate officials who are too deeply involved with the Zhao family and strengthened the monitoring of foreign cultivators. In addition, about the source of the demonic energy..."

Brother Huangfu Hao's gaze condensed: "How is it?"

"The Huangfu Tianji Pavilion Master checked it himself and said that the passage was temporarily disrupted and closed by Fellow Daoist Lin's Tribulation Power, and there should be no major problems within three years. But we need to visit ancient formation masters as soon as possible, or find more powerful sealing objects, otherwise there will be endless troubles."

"Three years..." Brother Huangfu Hao chewed on this time, his eyes firm, "Enough. Within three years, I must reorganize the court, restore national strength, and find a way to completely solve the demonic disaster! Wei Ban, pass the order to secretly search for formation masters and sealing treasures in the world, at any cost!"

"This old servant obeys the decree."

The night was deep, and the lamp in front of the Emperor Chengping Emperor Brother Huangfu Hao's desk was long and bright. His era had just begun, and the road ahead was still full of thorns and fog.

At the same time, deep in the Star Lake thousands of miles away, at the core of the Mystical Realm.

Lin Lin Xuan sat cross-legged beside the remains of the star core, his body wrapped in rich star power and residual Chaos aura. His eyes were tightly closed, his face sometimes pale as paper, sometimes flashing with an abnormal cyan-gray luster, the cracks on his body surface slowly healing under the nourishment of star power, and occasionally splitting again under the conflict of the Tribulation Power in his body.

His consciousness was immersed in a strange and bizarre Chaos scene intertwined with destruction and rebirth, struggling to sort out the rampaging Tribulation Power and stabilize the Chaos Tribulation Crystal filled with cracks.

And in his spiritual pet space, Feng Xi curled up, bathing in the vitality left by the green lotus petal and the gentle Tribulation Power passed in by Lin Lin Xuan, its weak heartbeat gradually becoming powerful.

A new page of the imperial dynasty's chapter had been turned, and the individual's Dao path had also embarked on a more unknown and dangerous journey in this afterglow of the tribulation.

(Volume Three 【The End of the Imperial Dynasty's Tribulation】)

Volume End Note:

The tribulation of the imperial capital has temporarily subsided, and the new emperor has been established in the ruins. The Chaos Tribulation Power has appeared for the first time, and the Azure Luan is waiting to fly after nirvana. However, the eye of the Demonic Abyss has not been closed, and internal and external troubles remain. In the year of Emperor Chengping, can there really be peace? Where will Lin Lin Xuan's Tribulation Path lead? To know what happens next, please see Volume Four 【Wind and Clouds of the Endless Endless Hanhai】.