Chapter 94: Wait a moment, please
In the grand hall of the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, a tense and solemn atmosphere filled the air. Spiritual Masters and elders gathered, their expressions grim as they listened to the messenger before them.
The news of the destruction of the two sacred grounds had spread quickly, reaching everyone's ears. Now, with the arrival of the envoy, fear and palpitation filled the hearts of all present in the hall.
"You!!" Spiritual Master Ancient Wood's eyes narrowed sharply at the envoy's words, his expression twisting with anger. Around him, the faces of everyone in the hall shifted with shock and outrage. He spat out furiously, "Our Absolute Monarch Sanctuary is the mightiest force on this continent, boasting over one hundred sixty-six Monarchs and countless Overlords and Thrones! Do you think that just because your so-called Lord says so, he can destroy us?!"
"Hmm, wait a moment," the Lin Clan elder raised his hand, making a 'stop' motion as he spoke, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Spiritual Master Ancient Wood. "Lord Yun Wuji anticipated this response from you."
The elder pulled out a scroll, carefully unfolding it. He fumbled for a moment before finding the correct section, then read aloud with a mocking tone, "My Lord said: Critical thinking might very well put you in critical condition... I destroyed two sacred grounds without losing a single soldier in less than an hour. What makes you think I can't do the same with your Absolute Monarch Sanctuary?"
"You!!! How dare you mock us like that?!" Spiritual Master Ancient Wood's eyes widened like saucers. He had never received or even heard an insult like this before. The urge to crush the man in front of him surged within, yet what infuriated him even more was the helplessness of it all. He didn't have the courage to kill a messenger, knowing full well that doing so would be a blatant declaration of war!
"Stand down, do not speak any further," At this moment, Saint Emperor Huangji Wuyu, who had been silent until now, spoke in a low voice.
"Saint Emperor!" Spiritual Master Ancient Wood looked at him and protested.
"I said, step down!" Huangji Wuyu glared at him.
"..." Spiritual Master Ancient Wood lowered his head and fell silent.
"May I ask what your lord means by submitting to him?" Huangji Wuyu turned his gaze to the elder from the Lin clan and asked slowly.
"My Lord is magnanimous and benevolent. Although you have been greedy and despicable in the past, attacking our Illusory Demon Realm, he is willing to spare your lives," the elder said. "He only asks that you unconditionally follow his orders. Every year, you must submit 70% of the Purple Veined Divine Crystal you gain. Additionally, all of you must kneel in front of the Demon Empress until she forgives you. If she wishes to kill any of you, you cannot resist. Should you defy any of these conditions, they will be null and void, and you will face complete destruction."
"!!!" Spiritual Master Detached Heart, Ancient Wood, and Nine Lamentations all had their eyes wide with anger. This was absolute humiliation! To follow his orders unconditionally meant that Yun Wuji could command them to do anything. The demand for 70% of their Purple Veined Divine Crystal would stifle their progress, and future generations would struggle to advance in their cultivation! They gritted their teeth and held back their words, suppressing their fury, as they obeyed the Saint Emperor's command to remain silent.
Listening to his demands, Huangji Wuyu closed his eyes and remained silent for a long while, as if he were struggling with the weight of the decision. Finally, he opened his eyes, and with a low and pained voice, he said, "I agree to submit to Lord Yun Wuji!"
"Saint Emperor!" His decision shocked everyone! Whether it was the Spiritual Masters or the elders, they all looked at him with incredulity!
"I, Huangji Wuyu, have lived for more than two thousand years, and I do not fear death! But... my Absolute Monarch Sanctuary's more than ten-thousand-year-old heritage cannot be destroyed by my hand!" Saint Emperor looked at everyone, his voice deep and resolute.
"Saint Emperor!" Seeing his pained and unwilling expression, everyone was moved. He was probably the most reluctant to submit, but he had to bear this humiliation for the sake of the Sanctuary's survival.
"Huangji Wuyu, you made a wise decision! Three days from now, you will accompany me to personally pledge loyalty to Lord Yun Wuji," the Lin Clan's elder said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
...
At the same time, in the Supreme Ocean Palace, the Xiao Clan's elder, who was also acting as an envoy, had just delivered his message.
The Sovereign of the Seas, Qu Fengyi, was a middle-aged woman, but there was not the slightest trace of femininity in her demeanor. Instead, every contour of her form exuded an air of solemn dignity and sharpness.
Hearing the envoy's words, she frowned without speaking. The destruction of a Sacred Ground was no easy feat. A thousand years ago, the four sacred grounds had joined forces to destroy the Eternal Night Royal Family, and even then, they had suffered considerable losses in the process.
After the destruction of the Eternal Night Royal Family, all the sacred grounds learned from that lesson and secretly worked to strengthen their defenses, determined to prevent the same fate from befalling them.
Even if she and the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary were to join forces to destroy the weakest of them, the Sun Moon Divine Hall, they would almost certainly fail. The foundation of a sacred ground was incredibly deep, and no one truly knew what secrets they were hiding. Just breaking through their protective barrier would render them helpless.
Even if they poured all their effort and resources into it and managed to destroy the barrier, it would take at least months to accomplish—this, of course, under the assumption that both sacred grounds worked together sincerely and without any external interference.
Destroying any of them was as difficult as scaling the heavens!
However, right at this moment, someone had managed to destroy not one, but two sacred grounds in less than an hour! What kind of concept was that?! How did he even manage to do it?!
Qu Fengyi couldn't comprehend how this had happened! The only thing she could think of was the Divine Profound Realm! This must be the work of someone at the Divine Profound Realm! Only someone with strength that surpassed the very limits of this world could accomplish such a dreadful feat!
Seeing the Sovereign of the Seas remain silent, Venerable Purple turned to the envoy and spoke with a solemn voice, "We, the Supreme Ocean Palace, seek only peace and the preservation of our heritage. We have no enmity with your lord. Why must you force us to submit to him?"
The Xiao Clan's elder nodded with a smile. "Wait a moment, please," he said, taking out a stack of papers and beginning to fiddle with them. "Lord Yun Wuji anticipated this response from you."
"Ah, I found it!" The elder exclaimed, clearing his throat before reading aloud, "My Lord said: In this world, there are only two kinds of people: those who follow me, and those who die."
"How unreasonable!" Mo Chenfeng, the strongest Great Elder and son of Venerable Blue shouted angrily.
*You don't need to remember any of these characters. Not only you but even I will forget about them in just a few chapters.*
"Wait a moment, please! My lord anticipated this response as well." Again, the envoy raised his hand in a 'stop' motion. He looked at the paper in his hand and read aloud, "My Lord said: You look like an old man, your brain gotta have dust on it... Why are you talking about reasons with me? In this world, the only thing that can be reasoned with is strength! If my fist is stronger than yours, then my reason is the truth!"
The Seven Venerable Ones, the Grand Elder, and even Qu Fengyi glared at him with deep anger. They were from the Supreme Ocean Palace—a Sacred Ground revered and worshiped by the masses across the Profound Sky Continent. They were the ones who typically bullied others, using their strength to oppress those weaker than themselves. If anyone dared to oppose them, they would erase them and their entire clans without a second thought!
But right now, someone was using the same logic against them! They were both shocked and furious. Since when had their Supreme Ocean Palace fallen so low?!
Sitting on her throne, Qu Fengyi's eyes flashed with a sharp light. She wanted to kill him with a slap, to wipe that fake, mocking smile off his face! Taking a deep breath, she waved her hand, restraining the others from making a move.
Zi Ji, who stood by her side, could no longer hold back and had already taken a step forward. "Listen!" he shouted. "Our Supreme Ocean Palace and the Black Moon Merchant Guild have built our foundation over ten thousand years! We have labored through generation after generation to reach this point, all to uphold the grand might of our Supreme Ocean Palace and protect our name. How could we submit to you?!!"
"That's right! We were never afraid of anyone! How could we bow to someone else?!"
"Your so-called lord is so overbearing! Does he want to force everyone to kneel before him? Does he think everyone in this world is afraid of him?!"
"How admirable! Wait a moment, my lord anticipated this response as well!" The envoy seemed unperturbed, and in fact, from his expression, it almost seemed as though he wanted them to refuse, so his Lord could personally descend upon them and grant them destruction.
The envoy cleared his throat again and read aloud, "My Lord said: Bow before me, not because you fear me, but because you recognize my supreme authority!"
"..." Everyone in the hall.
Venerable Purple glanced at the stack of papers and thought, How many things did your Lord write? And you, as an envoy, shouldn't you be the one speaking? Why are you reading your Lord's words word by word?! Where is your professionalism? Where is your integrity?!
The hall remained silent for a while, no one daring to make a move. They were speechless and helpless. Each one of them had the strength to slap the man in front of them to death, but none had the courage to do so. Finally, Qu Fengyi spoke, "This sovereign has agreed to Lord Yun Wuji's demand. From today onwards, my Supreme Ocean Palace will willingly heed the words of Lord Yun Wuji."
"You... You... What are you saying?" Zi Ji, her husband, asked with widened eyes. The pupils of those eyes were filled with boundless shock, disappointment, and pain. "You... Have you gone mad? We are the ten-thousand-year-old Supreme Ocean Palace! How can we become someone else's subordinate? If we do this... If we do this, how can we account to the founding fathers of the Supreme Ocean Palace?!"
Everyone else looked at her with a variety of expressions. Some shared the same look as Zi Ji, filled with shock and disbelief, while others remained expressionless, and still others wore looks of understanding and relief.
"Allowing our Supreme Ocean Palace to be destroyed like this is what will truly let down our founding fathers!" Qu Fengyi said severely. "The power of Lord Yun Wuji is something unheard of. If he wants to destroy our Supreme Ocean Palace, which has lasted for ten thousand years, it will only take him half an hour!"
"Tsk! Here I thought we could destroy this place as well," Hearing her words, the envoy tsked, muttering under his breath. Then, he put on a fake smile and said, "Wise choice, Sovereign of the Seas. In three days, you and the Saint Emperor will go to Lord Yun Wuji to pledge loyalty to him personally."
Everyone in the hall, at least at the Monarch level, heard his muttering and felt a chill run down their spines.
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