Chapter 508.2: Demise of the Emperor (1/2)
All of the world mourned, and thick sorrow permeated Nephrite Major.
The celestial emperor was dead.
His life officially marked its end as the last of his true spirit scattered. The Nephrite heavenly mandate returned to the major as well.
“Your Majesty!!” the old uncle bawled, kneeling weakly on the ground. The other officials mirrored his reaction; it was as if the very sky had fallen.
The demise of the celestial emperor was an enormous blow to the major. Factions from the other eight majors, ten lands, four immortal seas, and the East, West, South, and North Seas might seize this opportunity to destroy Nephrite.
Zhao Changkong had appointed Zhao Shenguang the next celestial emperor, but the prince had gone missing with Chen Xiao and Qing Buyi. No one had heard from them for years. There might be civil unrest within Nephrite before Zhao Shenguang returned, or even before other factions attacked.
It was possible that peak factions like the Ling, Zhu, and Yue Clans would stage a coup like the peak factions in other majors had.
Moreover, Zhao Changkong had exhausted himself to activate the Ingress Path in order to throw Scarlet Ape and Kui out of Nephrite. The treasure was now gone, and not even the imperial uncle could collect it.
Only the next celestial emperor could retrieve it after gaining the power of the heavenly mandate. If anyone else found the Ingress Path first and acquired its key for refinement, Nephrite Major might very well lose the treasure forever.
“If anyone dares make a move against the Nephrite Court before the next celestial emperor ascends to the throne, I’ll kill them and exterminate their clan!” Art Saint slowly took flight, his voice ringing through the world of immortals. “I don’t care about the rules. If you dare stop me, I’ll detonate myself. I’m the only one in the world who can deal with my real body.”
He was addressing Mo Yi’s senior sister up in the sky. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she nodded in the end.
Art Saint still retained his sanity, while the eyes had gone completely mad. None aside from Art Saint could keep it under control. If he died, the demonic taint in him would become part of the eyes as well, and they would deviate entirely. There was no telling what they’d be capable of then.
Various clan patriarchs who’d entered Azure Province tensed when they heard the man’s declaration.
They’d recognized Art Saint as the mysterious man by Zhao Changkong’s side, and the one who’d solved many of the late emperor’s problems. He’d even killed peak arcane dao immortals who’d attempted to assassinate the celestial emperor and throw Nephrite Major into chaos.
No one knew exactly how powerful Art Saint was. Some suspected him of being a crippled origin dao immortal as well.
“Count me in,” Qin Sheng stilled his hands over the zither and added calmly, “I’ll kill whoever dares cause trouble for Nephrite Major.”
Rumble!
Pure origin dao immortal strength radiated from him. Qin Sheng was an origin dao immortal, and one with flawless dao fruit!
High above the sky, Mo Yi’s senior sister watched with a scowl. Her duty was to enforce the rules of the world of immortals, but there were many she couldn’t afford to make enemies of. The Art and Zither saints were two such examples. Chen Xiao, Qing Buyi, and Wayfarer were others.
They all came from incredible backgrounds and roots. Even Mo Yi was someone she wouldn’t be able to discipline, if they didn’t share a master.
Silence descended upon the world of immortals.
Zhao Changkong was the first of the newly-acceded celestial emperors to pass away. Many factions had already summoned their people to arms for a Nephrite Major invasion to lay claim to it in its entirety, or at least parts of its territory.
However, their plans were foiled in their inception by the Art and Zither Saints.
No one could afford to antagonize them, as there was no shortage of people who knew about the two. Everyone had taken notice when a mysterious heavyweight had fought Art Saint and sealed him in the Water Altar under Dusk Province a thousand years ago.
Art Saint had demonstrated his power to the world then.
……
“With those two freaks protecting Nephrite Major, there’s nothing we can do for now… However, Nephrite’s greatest treasure, the Ingress Path, has sunk into the East Sea. We should go there!! If we can find the treasure and refine it before anyone else, our clan will be able to establish a heavenly court ourselves!” a crazed voice clamored.
As Nephrite Major’s foremost weapon, the Ingress Path was more powerful than many connate-grade treasures and its value was undeniable.
Countless immortals charged to the East Sea in search of the path.
Scarlet Ape and Kui were in the East Sea as well, and there was a possibility that they were with the Ingress Path. The treasure might have seriously injured them, making it the perfect time to take them out. Scarlet Ape had two great treasures in its possession as well!
A sudden frenzy took over the world of immortals, and many elites converged upon the East Sea.
……
Seven days passed before Lu Yun slowly came to.
Wayfarer, Art Saint, and Qin Sheng had left, while Qing Han and the eight envoys kept close to Lu Yun.
Seeing Lu Yun regain consciousness, the late celestial emperor’s uncle came up to him.
“Governor of Dusk!” He looked pleadingly at Lu Yun.
The crowd understood what had happened to Lu Yun by now. He’d been unresponsive even when Kui attacked and hurt Qing Han, which made it plain he’d entered a strange state and been unable to move.
“Save your breath, I understand.” Lu Yun waved a dismissive hand. “The late celestial emperor went to his death for the greater good. Whether out of emotional reasoning or rational concern, I will not continue to be at odds with Nephrite Major at this time.”
He’d ascended to the returned void realm. More importantly, his mastery over feng shui had improved, and his understanding of heaven and earth had progressed to a new level.