Chapter 781: The Divine Empire of Shenfeng

Within a valley, a group of bloodied, badly wounded cultivators in tattered robes glanced warily at their surroundings.

"Have we managed to shake them off?"

"We have. They're all crazy. We should have killed them all long before this."

"Just how did His Majesty die? How did this happen? What should we do?"

The cultivators were all exhausted.

Just then, atop a nearby mountain, Zhao Yuanjiao emerged. "Traitors, it's time for you to pay with your lives!"

"They've caught up!" one of the cultivators exclaimed.

Taiqing disciples flooded the mountains all around them, their eyes shining with killing intent. The cultivators were at their wits' end.

"We killed all those Taiqing disciples that year following His Majesty's orders. He was the mastermind. We were all forced to join him!" a cultivator exclaimed.

"Since you've joined him in life, you might as well join him in death," Zhao Yuanjiao stated coldly.

The cultivators blanched. "Take them down!"

They drew their blades and prepared to strike at the Taiqing disciples.

Zhao Yuanjiao's eyes flashed coldly as he struck at them with his crescent blade.

"Die!" the Taiqing disciples chorused.

A massacre was unleashed—there, and in countless places all across Hongyue.

By the side of a river, Ye Dafu and his subordinates surrounded a group of traitors and forced them to edge closer and closer toward the bank.

"Die!" Ye Dafu shouted.

Meanwhile, in another stretch of the forest, the Heaven division disciples of the Taiqing Immortal Sect activated their loss chants to suppress a group of traitors. "Die!"

Die, die, die!

Today was the day that all the traitors to the Taiqing Immortal Sect would be dealt with once and for all. None of them would escape; none of them could.

The day of carnage and slaughter finally allowed the Taiqing disciples closure over what had happened two centuries ago.

Hongyue had had three hundred Immortal cities to its name.

Some of the Immortal cities suffered from internal revolt, but it was all within Shenfeng's control. Shenfeng had four absolute advantages.

First, Lou Yujing had ceded his empire to Shenfeng.

Second, Wen Zhong's strategists were skilled and experienced negotiators, and the Hongyue officials were allowed to remain in their original roles. This made them much happier to accept the transfero f ownership.

Third, the Tu clan supporters held high-ranking positions in the empire, and they obeyed Tu Feng. With their support, there was limited friction between the bureaucrats and Shenfeng's own ruling body.

Fourth, there were no empires in the vicinity who could hope to challenge Shenfeng's might.

As a result, within two months, the majority of the three hundred Immortal cities were under Shenfeng control.

Shenfeng's army pacified the remaining Immortal cities easily.

Finally, after another month passed, all of the Immortal cities that previously belonged to Hongyue were now firmly under Shenfeng control.

Over the next two weeks, Blue Lantern directed the superior draconic veins underneath Hongyue's capital to Shenfeng's capital.

Blue Lantern laid formations, shifted draconic veins, gathered fortune, and outright transformed Shenfeng's capital, molding it to the level required for ascension into a divine empire. He leveled mountains and raised new ones to craft the entire capital into a huge natural formation meant to draw in spiritual aether. He augmented the formations all throughout the capital, leaving it no inferior to that of the capital of any other divine empire in the world.

The sea of fortune in Shenfeng grew larger by an order of magnitude. Fortune roiled in huge waves across the sea.

The countless officials and soldiers of Shenfeng watched the growth in their capital with excitement and anticipation. They were proud to have joined Shenfeng when they did; in just a few months, they had accomplished something that countless would never achieve in their lifetimes. Shenfeng had given them power, prestige, position, and fortune. Everyone was grateful to Shenfeng and the Divine Emperor herself.

After another month, in Xia Hong's manor, Xia Lan exclaimed, "Second Brother, we're rich! It's only been a year. Shenfeng's already going to ascend into a divine empire!"

Xia Hong was very excited as well. He hadn't expected that everything would progress so smoothly and so quickly. It was all like a dream—despite only being a peak True Immortal, he was about to be a high-ranking official of a divine empire!

"It's all thanks to Nanfeng," Xia Hong murmured.

"Nanfeng? The Divine Emperor's the skilled one!" Xia Lan exclaimed.

"Silence! If you speak ill of Nanfeng again, I'll send you back to the Yuqing holy land. He's ten thousand times stronger than you are, and ten times stronger than me!" Xia Hong glared at Xia Lan.

Xia Lan stiffened.

"But Xiao Nanfeng ran off with Yu'er! I don't like him."

"Are you crazy? Who wouldn't want someone like Nanfeng as their sister-in-law? Do you have to target him at every turn?" Xia Hong glared.

"But haven't you forgotten what we witnessed in Shenfeng's capital?" Xia Lan urged.

"You mean that man who was with the Divine Emperor?" Xia Hong frowned.

"Second Brother, who do you think that man is?" Xia Lan asked.

Xia Hong's heart thumped. "You mean—surely not!"

"It has to be Nanfeng, I'm sure of it! I had some subordinates examine his background, too. He has an ambiguous relationship with Princess Zhang Lingjun of the Imperial Court. How can we entrust him with Yu'er?" Xia Lan exclaimed.

Xia Hong's brows furrowed. "Let our parents worry about this. Don't meddle."

"But—"

Just then, an official rushed over. Both brothers instantly shut up.

"Sir Xia, we can't let anything go wrong during the ceremony today. Would you head into the palace soon? Many officials have already stepped inside."

"Very well," Xia Hong replied.

After the official retreated, Xia Hong told Xia Lan, "Present yourself well. When the ascension occurs, you'd better not make a clown of yourself."

"Relax. I know how to present myself well," Xia Lan replied, patting his chest.

Xia Hong gave him an odd look. It was precisely because he knew his brother well that he was giving him a reminder.

Xia Hong brought Xia Lan toward the palace. Countless Shenfeng officials were already entering in orderly lines. They were excited but quiet, and they gathered in a huge plaza within the palace grounds.

There, a five-colored altar had been constructed.

The officials stood in position, ready for the ceremony to begin.

An official of rites shouted, "The auspicious time has come!"

"We welcome Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" countless officials and cultivators began.

As everyone watched on, the Divine Emperor emerged in a black draconic robe lined with gold, a crown on her head. She walked out of the palace, stoic and serious.

The officials bowed deeply as music began to play. Golden light shone in the air; the entire capital seemed captivated by the pomp of the occasion.

Everyone held their breaths as the Divine Emperor walked toward the five-colored altar.

She watched her entire empire bow down to her as she slowly turned in a circle. Finally, she looked high up toward the peak of a mountain within the palace, where a pavilion had been erected.

The pavilion was clouded with fog, preventing any ordinary cultivator from seeing what lay within. The Divine Emperor's sight easily pierced through it. She could see Xiao Nanfeng holding a cup of alcohol up to her with a smile. Her smile mirrored his own.

The Divine Emperor nodded firmly, assured, as she turned back to her people.

She took a deep breath. "Citizens of Shenfeng, today marks a momentous occasion. I intend to invoke heaven and earth to request Shenfeng's ascension into a divine empire. I ask that all citizens follow my lead and seek this boon from the heavens."

The sea of fortune transmitted the Divine Emperor's words to all the people of her empire.

Excited, they dropped what they were doing and stood stock-still, their arms clasped together in prayer.

The Divine Emperor retrieved her imperial seal and code of laws.

They flew into her sea of fortune. Fortune gathered around them.

The Divine Emperor bowed toward the sky. "The Shenfeng Empire and its people seek a boon from the heavens: ascension into a divine empire. As its emperor, I shall lead by example. Let the empire rise into a pinnacle of strength. I ask that the heavens grant us a golden dragon of fortune."

"We ask that the heavens grant us a golden dragon of fortune!" the people of Shenfeng echoed.

Their voices were transmitted to the sea of fortune high above Shenfeng's capital.

"We ask that the heavens grant us a golden dragon of fortune!"

Their voices, magnified, caused the void to ripple. Howling winds suddenly formed in the air. Dark clouds obscured Shenfeng from sight.

The chanting of the people seemed to have sparked a heavenly phenomenon. The dark clouds rotated quickly in the form of a vortex. Barely visible within the vortex was a huge primordial altar.

Though the altar itself was hidden from sight, it radiated a palpable aura of strength, as if it represented nothing less than fate itself.

"The primordial altar…" Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

The altar suddenly vibrated as it absorbed Shenfeng's sea of fortune. Shenfeng's imperial seal and code of laws were sucked toward the altar as well.