Chapter 61 The Imperial Master Who Doubts Life
Following Xia Qingyue's gaze, Xia Cheng quickly spotted an immortal crane in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice an old man dressed in a gold-patterned long robe standing on the crane.
"It seems this person is most likely here for the Qi Luck Golden Dragon," Xia Cheng stated his opinion.
Xia Qingyue nodded. She had considered that the Qi Luck Golden Dragon, once exposed, would attract the attention of other forces, but she hadn't expected their actions to be so swift.
The Imperial Palace reacted quickly, with thousands of iron-armored Imperial Guards immediately rushing towards the Royal Study to protect the Emperor.
In addition, there were many Cultivators raised by the royal family, with cultivation levels in the Nascent Soul and Soul Emergence Realms.
The Great Wu Dynasty was merely a small Dynasty in the Lower Realm; it was already difficult enough to support so many Nascent Soul and Soul Emergence Cultivators, requiring a large expenditure of Cultivation resources every year.
Before long, State Preceptor Xiao He also arrived.
He was the strongest among the Imperial Palace's Cultivators, at the Peak of the Soul Emergence Realm, only a step away from the Spirit Division Realm.
However, Xiao He had spent over a decade on this single step, yet he had never been able to cross it.
"State Preceptor, do you recognize this person?" Xia Cheng asked.
Xiao He shook his head. "I can only be certain that he is not a Cultivator from our Great Wu, and his strength is above mine."
"His strength is above the State Preceptor's? Then isn't he in the Spirit Division Realm?!" Upon hearing this, Xia Cheng's expression subtly changed.
But then, recalling that he had an Emperor's son-in-law backing him, Xia Cheng's panicked heart immediately calmed down, becoming fearless.
"Your Majesty, the visitor means ill! I suggest we immediately dispatch people to contact the Ten Great Sects to jointly overcome this powerful enemy!" Xiao He knew very well that relying solely on himself and the people present, the chances of winning against the Spirit Division Realm Cultivator who came riding a crane were minuscule.
If the Ten Great Sects mobilized entirely, relying on their numerical advantage, they might be able to scare the opponent away.
Just as Xia Qingyue was about to speak, she suddenly noticed the shadow at her feet, rippling slightly under the moonlight.
After a brief thought, Xia Qingyue immediately understood everything.
'My husband always handles things so flawlessly!'
Her heart couldn't help but warm.
Looking back at Xia Cheng, before he could make a decision, a strong gust of wind had already pressed down from above his head. He raised his arms to block it.
State Preceptor Xiao He, quick-witted, stepped in front of Xia Cheng and waved the whisk in his hand, splitting and neutralizing the wind.
Looking up, the Spirit Division Realm Cultivator had already arrived above the Royal Study on his crane, casting a significant shadow over the moonlight.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he exuded an air of superiority, and his voice was dismissive of everything: "A mere small Dynasty is not worthy of possessing a Sacred Dragon. Hand over control obediently, and you may be spared death."
"May I ask for Senior's esteemed name?" Xiao He asked.
"You are not worthy of knowing my name," the old man said, giving Xiao He no Face at all, and urged, "My patience is limited, decide quickly!"
To help Xia Cheng and the others make up their minds, the old man deliberately unleashed his Spirit Division Realm pressure.
The Imperial Guards, who possessed little Cultivation, immediately sank to their knees, falling in large numbers.
The long spears tightly clutched in their hands not only failed to support their knees but instead had their tails pressed down, piercing through the bluestone bricks and sinking deep into the ground.
Thousands of Imperial Guards instantly lost their combat ability.
"If I were you, I would absolutely not choose to do that. You are not qualified to seize the Dragon!" Xia Qingyue struggled to speak under the Spirit Division Realm pressure.
"Not qualified?" Xia Qingyue's words amused the old man, who then immediately adopted a grim and malicious expression. "Since you wish to die, I shall let you see clearly whether or not I possess this qualification!"
As he spoke, Spiritual Qi gathered around him, forming a three-foot-long sword.
The sword's tip pointed directly at Xia Qingyue.
With a thought, the three-foot Spirit Sword immediately locked onto Xia Qingyue and shot towards her at extreme speed.
This strike was aimed at severing Xia Qingyue's head.
The long sword flew with such incredible speed that in the blink of an eye, it was only an inch from Xia Qingyue's brow, causing her pupils to constrict.
Yet, this inch of distance could not be closed any further.
The Spirit Sword was caught by a large hand that reached out from the side.
And the owner of this hand was none other than Shadow Puppet.
"Oh! I didn't expect that in this godforsaken place, someone could actually withstand my sword," the old man exclaimed in surprise.
But soon, he discovered that Shadow Puppet was not a person; it did not possess internal organs, nor the Qi meridians.
"Magic Treasure?!"
Such a concept formed in the old man's mind.
He was then overjoyed. "Good, good! I didn't expect that this trip would not only yield a Luck Dragon but also a Heaven Rank humanoid weapon!"
The old man simply believed that for this humanoid weapon to block his killing blow, it had to be at least Heaven Rank.
Shadow Puppet had no time for his nonsense. It grabbed the long sword, twisted its wrist, and sent the sword back to where it came from.
"You want to use my sword to kill me?" The old man chuckled. "Naive!"
He spread his five fingers, conjuring a wall-like giant shield of spiritual power in front of him, intending to block the Flying Sword thrown back by Shadow Puppet.
However, what happened next completely astonished the old man.
His proud defensive technique was pierced by the long sword as if a hot knife cutting through lard!
The Flying Sword's speed was far greater than when the old man had controlled it previously.
Before he could attempt another defense, a sharp pain of penetration shot through his chest.
"Pfft!" The old man looked down, and upon seeing the bloody hole in his chest, a mouthful of fresh blood uncontrollably gushed from his mouth.
Immediately after, his eyes rolled back, and his body, like a kite with a broken string, fell from the immortal crane.
"Instantly killing a Spirit Division Realm Cultivator?!" State Preceptor Xiao He, witnessing all of this, looked at the Shadow Puppet not far from him, questioning his reality.
Noticing Xiao He's confusion, Xia Qingyue proactively explained, "This object is called Shadow Puppet. It is a type of Magic Treasure, with strength equivalent to the Peak of the Spirit Division Realm. It is my husband's Puppet."
"Peak of the Spirit Division Realm?!"
After learning the correct answer from Xia Qingyue, Xiao He questioned his reality even more.
He hadn't expected that after a hundred years of arduous Cultivation, his Cultivation would still not compare to a Puppet…
He felt so defeated that he even considered giving up Cultivation altogether and returning to a simpler life, thinking that with his talent, he might never catch up to… a mere Puppet in this lifetime.
It was too disheartening, truly too disheartening!
He was so engrossed in despair that he completely failed to notice another shadow separating from Xia Qingyue's feet.
Before long, that shadow returned to Xia Qingyue's feet.
It emerged from the shadows, kneeling on one knee, and presented a spatial ring with both hands.
Xia Qingyue looked at the ring, knowing without a doubt that it most likely belonged to the old man who had been slain by Shadow Puppet earlier.
Her mind remained calm.
"…"
In contrast, Xiao He's gaze moved back and forth between the two Shadow Puppets, lost in self-doubt.
***
Chapter 62: One finger can destroy millions of soldiers!
In Xiao He's view, possessing such a Shadow Puppet was already quite abnormal, a great Opportunity that was hard to come by.
After all, how many Cultivators, like him, spent their entire lives without reaching the Peak of the Spirit Division Realm?
Yet, Chen Qing had two Puppets at the Peak of the Spirit Division Realm under his command...
He couldn't help but question himself: was it truly the right choice to continue Cultivating and spending his remaining limited time on it?
"Cough, cough, cough!" Xiao He, having recovered, cleared his throat and approached Xia Qingyue, asking tentatively, "May I ask Your Highness, Princess, besides these two Shadow Puppets, there aren't any others, are there?"
"I'm not entirely sure how many there are, but there are at least ten thousand," Xia Qingyue recalled.
"Ten... ten thousand..." Xiao He's current expression was identical to Xia Cheng's when he learned that Chen Qing had entered the Great Emperor Realm.
Even with such a precedent, Xia Cheng's expression wasn't much better at the moment.
Ten thousand Puppets at the Peak of the Spirit Division Realm...
Chen Qing alone was equivalent to a top-tier force!
Coupled with his Great Emperor Cultivation, Xia Cheng couldn't fathom who in this world would still be qualified to be his enemy?
Meanwhile, on Chen Qing's side, the System panel promptly popped up.
"Successful pampering of wife! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random reward: Heaven Rank Formation Master Experience Pack +1!"
"Formation Master Experience Pack?"
Looking at the reward prompt that popped up, Chen Qing felt that if this continued, it wouldn't be long before he became omniscient and omnipotent.
Others spent their entire lives, at most, mastering one method of Cultivation to the Peak.
But he could rely on the System's rewards to Cultivate all methods of Cultivation to the Peak!
Without further ado, he selected the Formation Master Experience Pack and confirmed its use.
"Using Heaven Rank Formation Master Experience Pack..."
"Usage successful!"
Similar to the Alchemist, after the experience pack was successfully used, the myriad Formations of the world, from Heaven to Earth, from Xuan to Huang, all transformed into a massive memory that integrated into his mind, deeply imprinted within it.
Chen Qing always prioritized using rewards like this, which he hadn't yet mastered himself.
Because no one could guarantee that if he used them to gain wife-pampering rewards, they wouldn't go awry.
If it went awry this time, who knew when it would randomly appear again next time.
Chen Qing clearly understood the principle that one must be strong oneself.
He wouldn't let his guard down just because the protagonist still had decades of secluded Cultivation ahead.
Chen Qing wanted to see if, on the day the protagonist emerged from secluded Cultivation, facing his omniscient and omnipotent self, he could overturn his Five Finger Mountain with only the Heavenly Dao's Luck as protection!
At the same time.
Thousands of miles away from the Great Wu Dynasty, in a place called Azure Dragon Country.
"Your Majesty, no, this is bad! Your subject observed that Heavenly Daoist Priest Tianyong's soul lamp, it's... it's extinguished!"
"What! Say that again!" Emperor Zheng Tian, the Emperor of Azure Dragon Country, shot up from his Dragon throne upon hearing this, "Heavenly Daoist Priest Tianyong is a Spirit Division Realm expert! Who in a small Great Wu Dynasty could be his enemy?"
"Your subject does not know, but Heavenly Daoist Priest Tianyong's soul lamp has indeed been extinguished," the minister knelt on the ground, not daring to look up, reporting truthfully.
"Hoo... ha..." Deep breaths.
He forced himself to calm down.
Emperor Zheng Tian looked at the minister cowering on the floor and understood with a moment's thought that even with ten lives, he wouldn't dare to deceive him about such a matter.
Thus, the spearhead quickly turned towards the Great Wu Dynasty, "Good, very good indeed! A mere Great Wu Dynasty, which only stumbled upon a Qi Luck Golden Dragon, dares to be an enemy of my Azure Dragon Country? I think you are tired of living!"
"Someone! Quickly assemble a million soldiers and march south!"
As Emperor Zheng Tian's words rang out, the Prime Minister beside him quickly stepped forward, "Your Majesty, with the Great Wu Dynasty currently protected by the Qi Luck Golden Dragon, a rash war might be detrimental to our country."
"What? Does the Prime Minister believe that my million brave soldiers cannot defeat a small Great Wu?" Emperor Zheng Tian questioned.
"Your subject would never mean that, it's just that the Dragon's power is beyond our imagination, and Heavenly Daoist Priest Tianyong's death is likely related to it, so it's better to be cautious," the Prime Minister explained and advised.
He didn't want Emperor Zheng Tian to underestimate the enemy and let a million soldiers die in a foreign land in vain.
"My decision is made, Prime Minister, you need not say more!"
"Furthermore, are they even qualified to control the Dragon? How could the dignified head of all beasts obey their commands?"
"Seizing the Dragon quickly and making it serve me is the top priority!" Emperor Zheng Tian did not take the Prime Minister's words to heart, choosing to believe what he wanted to believe.
He held an ancestral Magic Treasure in his hand and was confident he could make the Qi Luck Golden Dragon serve him.
He was certain that as long as he subdued the Qi Luck Golden Dragon and boosted the national Luck, the Azure Dragon Country would soon unify the entire Lower Realm!
"..." The Prime Minister hesitated, knowing his monarch well enough to realize that saying more would not change the situation one bit and would only invite trouble.
He could only hope that Emperor Zheng Tian's idea was correct, and the Qi Luck Golden Dragon had not yet been fully controlled by the Great Wu Dynasty.
Thinking this way, it was indeed a good Opportunity; once they breached the Great Wu city gates and seized the Dragon, it would be entirely beneficial for the Azure Dragon Country.
Half a day passed.
As dawn broke.
The million soldiers had already completed their assembly overnight.
After Emperor Zheng Tian confirmed that the ancestral treasure was ready, he donned golden armor and decided to personally lead the army to the Great Wu Dynasty to command the siege and seize the Dragon.
Unbeknownst to him, these scenes were clearly seen by Chen Qing, who was thousands of miles away in the Great Wu Dynasty, and Xia Qingyue, through the Heaven-Peeking Mirror created by his Space-Time Sacred Body.
"These guys are still harboring ill intentions, wanting to seize the Dragon, how hateful!" Xia Qingyue said, clenching her teeth in anger.
Looking down from a God's perspective at the vast, densely packed army of a million armored soldiers, even she had to admit that the Azure Dragon Country's strength was indeed not to be underestimated.
"Once the two countries go to war, the casualties will likely exceed one hundred thousand within a single day!" Xia Qingyue felt terrified just thinking about it.
Behind that seemingly light string of numbers would be how many shattered families...
Whether as a Princess of the Great Wu Dynasty or a member of the Great Wu Dynasty, Xia Qingyue did not wish for such a thing to happen.
"That's simple, just wipe them all out," Chen Qing said casually at this moment.
"Wipe out a million troops?" Xia Qingyue wasn't sure if she had misunderstood what Chen Qing meant.
"Precisely," Chen Qing nodded.
At the same time, he raised his hand and pointed down.
Looking back at the Azure Dragon Country, above the heads of the million soldiers, the clear sky that had been cloudless.
Suddenly reversed, transforming into a chaotic scene.
And then, from within that Chaos, an astonishingly large Golden Finger descended.
Even a million people were as tiny as dust motes beneath that gigantic Finger!
***
Chapter 63: National Treasure
Our gaze now shifts to the million soldiers.
Those who were originally filled with strong Battle Intent, who had finally waited for an opportunity to achieve glory and make a name for themselves, planning to use the Great Wu Dynasty as a stepping stone to rise in rank and wealth, instantly withered.
Their eyes only showed fear; their Battle Intent was completely gone.
Facing that finger that had pierced through the sky, most of the soldiers stood frozen in place, their Three Ethereal Souls and Seven Corporeal Spirits having floated off to the nine heavens; they had never witnessed such a grand scene.
Even those seasoned generals with stronger psychological fortitude, though thoughts of escaping arose in their minds, found their bodies unresponsive under the pressure of that finger, as if they were no longer their own.
They could only watch helplessly as the giant golden finger drew closer and closer, its light becoming increasingly dazzling, until it filled their eyes, and no matter where they looked, they could only see a golden radiance.
Rumble!
Heaven and earth shook, and a wave of Qi surged out like a tsunami, causing the several-zhang-high city wall to be covered in spiderweb-like cracks as thick as thighs…
Although the giant golden finger disappeared, it left behind a sky full of yellow sand, making it impossible to clearly see the scene below the city wall.
The Azure Dragon Emperor, Emperor Zheng Tian, was currently so weak in the legs that he collapsed onto the city wall, his eyes filled with terror.
His attendants beside him were frozen in place, with no time to help him up; their entire being was completely filled with fear.
If their feet hadn't been unresponsive, they would have run long ago.
They clearly understood whose life was more important: the Emperor's or their own.
Not to mention, it was an Emperor whose Dynasty was about to be annihilated.
They were not foolish; they could see that Emperor Zheng Tian, unaware of his own weakness, had angered an Immortal Venerable and incurred divine punishment!
Even with the sky full of yellow sand, it was not difficult for them to imagine the tragic scene currently unfolding below the city wall.
Besides an Immortal, who else could achieve such world-destroying means?
It wasn't just these soldiers and attendants who thought this way, but also Xia Qingyue, who witnessed everything firsthand behind the Heaven-Gazing Mirror.
A single finger, spanning thousands of miles, annihilated a million armored soldiers!
This brought Xia Qingyue far greater shock than when Chen Qing had previously destroyed a Sect with a single palm.
She even wondered if Chen Qing's cultivation might be higher than that of a Great Emperor?
Above a Great Emperor! The God Realm of an Immortal!
Chen Qing didn't care how others evaluated him, whether as a Great Emperor or an Immortal.
Compared to that, he was more concerned with what kind of 'doting on wife' reward he would receive for taking action to block the million-strong army for the Great Wu Dynasty, out of consideration for his wife's Face.
He opened the System panel: [Successfully Doted on Wife! Congratulations to Host for obtaining a random reward: Shadow Puppet + 50000!]
'Fifty thousand Shadow Puppets?!'
Chen Qing recalled that with the fifty thousand Shadow Puppets he had just acquired, the number of Divided Soul Realm Shadow Puppets under his command had already broken through the one hundred thousand mark!
One hundred thousand Divided Soul Realm Shadow Puppets—Chen Qing dared not imagine how many Dynasty powers would be shaken once this matter was exposed.
As long as he wished, he could establish an eternal power at any time with these one hundred thousand Shadow Puppets!
Xia Qingyue, completely unaware of this, kept her eyes fixed on the Heaven-Gazing Mirror.
She saw the people of the Azure Dragon Country summon a strong wind, parting the sky-filling yellow sand to both sides.
This fully exposed the terrifying destructive power left by that single finger.
It left behind an abyss-like sinkhole, and as for the million-strong army, let alone bones, not even a single fragment of armor remained; everything had evaporated, as if they had never existed.
"My, my million-strong army, just, just like that, gone?"
"Who! Who on earth did this?!" Although he had long anticipated this outcome, Emperor Zheng Tian still couldn't help but feel anger and resentment when the truth was finally revealed.
Without that million-strong army, the Azure Dragon Country's rule would be greatly diminished, and in the time to come, it would Face countless jackals and tigers; with a slight oversight, the entire Dynasty could collapse and be completely carved up.
For Emperor Zheng Tian, who still dreamed of building the number one Dynasty in the Profound Sky Continent and becoming an eternal emperor, this was undoubtedly a heavy blow, a shattered dream.
At this moment, someone shouted in his ear, "Look! It's an Immortal! An Immortal has descended!"
'An Immortal?'
Emperor Zheng Tian glanced at the soldier who had spoken, adjusted his imperial crown, and then looked up along the soldier's gaze.
Indeed, he saw Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue emerging from the teleportation gate.
'This is… an Immortal?'
Emperor Zheng Tian felt it didn't seem right; he couldn't connect the two.
Calming down, Emperor Zheng Tian regained his usual regal demeanor as an Emperor, "In terms of national power, the Azure Dragon Country is several times that of Great Wu. Instead of serving such a weak and unpromising nation, why not pledge allegiance to my Azure Dragon? What Great Wu can give you, I can also give you."
"Delusional!" As a Great Wu Princess, Xia Qingyue immediately refuted Emperor Zheng Tian upon hearing him suggest betraying Great Wu and her own father.
"Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless!" Emperor Zheng Tian knew that the newcomers were not to be trifled with; since he couldn't subdue them, he had to eliminate them as quickly as possible.
He took out a dagger, cut his palm, and then clenched his five fingers, squeezing out his imperial Bloodline.
At the same time, he muttered ancient incantations that others couldn't understand.
The next moment, a blue Formation diagram quickly covered the entire imperial city.
From the center of that Formation diagram, a semi-transparent Azure Dragon phantom, a hundred zhang tall, emerged.
"I never expected to find a wisp of Dragon Soul sustained by national destiny in a place like this."
The reason Chen Qing personally came to the Azure Dragon Country was because he sensed an unusually vast energy within the Azure Dragon Country and decided to investigate.
It could now be largely confirmed that this vast energy originated from this Dragon Soul.
'This boy can actually see through this!'
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zheng Tian's expression changed dramatically.
He raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his Face, feigning composure, and said, "I will give you one last chance: submit, or die?"
As he spoke, the hundred-zhang Azure Dragon Soul had already risen high behind Emperor Zheng Tian, its massive Dragon body upright, and it lowered its head, scrutinizing Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue with a pair of Dragon eyes that flickered like flames, as if trying to force the two to compromise through its coercion.
For ordinary Cultivators, facing such intense Dragon might would likely be unbearable.
But for Chen Qing, this Dragon might was not worth mentioning; let alone him, even Xia Qingyue did not take the Azure Dragon Soul seriously.
'Not speaking?'
Emperor Zheng Tian did not think negatively; instead, he believed that Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue must have been intimidated by the powerful Dragon Soul, which was nurtured by the Azure Dragon Country's century-long national destiny.
He was willing to give them some time to calm down, think, and properly weigh the pros and cons.
However, he still symbolically urged, "My patience is limited; decide quickly!"
After speaking, he also signaled the Dragon Soul to put some pressure on Chen Qing and the two.
The saying, 'He who eats from another's hand is beholden to him,' also applied to the Dragon Soul.
So it opened its abyssal mouth and let out a Dragon roar that echoed through heaven and earth, directed at Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue!
"A mere bug, dares to bark?"
'A bug?'
Upon hearing Chen Qing describe his country's Divine Artifact in such a way, Emperor Zheng Tian's mouth twitched, and just as he was about to erupt, the next scene made him swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
***
Chapter 64: Hoping for Father's Success
The sky suddenly darkened, visibility decreased, and the cloud dome swirled like a hurricane…
This scene felt like a familiar reunion!
Emperor Zheng Tian immediately thought of the sky-shattering finger that had just annihilated his million-strong army.
'Sure enough, this guy is behind it!'
At this moment, Emperor Zheng Tian couldn't help but suspect Chen Qing.
Forcing himself to calm down, he was about to order the Azure Dragon Soul to fully break Chen Qing's offensive, absolutely not allowing the previous tragedy to happen again.
However, the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he hadn't even uttered a single word.
He witnessed a giant Dragon head slowly descending from the eye of the storm, adorned with dazzling golden scales, like the sun.
The brilliant golden Dragon eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, and Emperor Zheng Tian couldn't even muster the courage to meet its gaze.
A Dragon roar shook the ten heavens and nine earths!
The Dragon Soul, which had been constantly trying to intimidate Chen Qing with its Dragon might, immediately fell from the sky, prostrating itself, lowering its Dragon head, as if expressing submission.
"…" Seeing the Divine Artifact of the nation defeated without a fight, Emperor Zheng Tian, who relied on it the most, felt a mix of emotions, an indescribable feeling.
Looking up again, what he saw and heard made Emperor Zheng Tian instantly understand the Dragon Soul's predicament.
The Qi Luck Golden Dragon no longer concealed itself, fully appearing, its thousand-zhang colossal body truly achieved the feat of covering the sky and obscuring the sun!
No matter where Emperor Zheng Tian looked, all he saw was the Dragon body, with its dazzling golden Dragon scales.
How could a remnant Holy Dragon Soul, no matter how much it had been nourished by national Luck, possibly be a match for a thousand-zhang Holy Dragon?
Emperor Zheng Tian truly hadn't expected that Chen Qing, this seemingly wet-behind-the-ears young man, would actually be the true master of the Qi Luck Golden Dragon.
If he had known this earlier, Emperor Zheng Tian would never have chosen to be his enemy, no matter what.
Not only did Emperor Zheng Tian not expect it, but Xia Qingyue, who was currently looking up at the Qi Luck Golden Dragon, was equally dumbfounded.
At first, she thought that Chen Qing had brought the Great Wu Dynasty's Qi Luck Golden Dragon through a Teleportation Formation, intending to suppress the Azure Dragon Soul with it.
Who would have thought, after a careful comparison, that the Qi Luck Golden Dragon above their heads was clearly the wrong size, more than ten times larger!
'My husband has more than one Qi Luck Golden Dragon? And… it's bigger!'
Xia Qingyue pursed her thin lips, swallowed, and for a long time, she couldn't recover from the shock.
"Surrender! I, no, I surrender, I am willing to lead the entire Azure Dragon Country to pledge allegiance to Immortal Venerable, never to betray!"
Knowing that the tide had turned, Emperor Zheng Tian very decisively let go of his imperial authority, knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and curled up into a ball, expressing his submission.
How could royal face be more important than life?
If a person died, then everything would be gone.
Facing Emperor Zheng Tian's surrender, Chen Qing gently clenched his five fingers.
Emperor Zheng Tian's face instantly changed drastically, one hand covering his left chest, the other hand raised, wanting to beg Chen Qing for his life.
Chen Qing ignored him and had no intention of giving him a chance to speak; the moment his five fingers clenched into a fist, he crushed Emperor Zheng Tian's heart from a distance!
Emperor Zheng Tian's kneeling body fell in response, unable to rise again, his eyes filled with blood, a terrifying death.
The emperor of a nation, from this moment on, was declared fallen!
"…" It was also at this moment that Xia Qingyue truly realized how fragile so-called imperial power was in front of a true peerless powerhouse.
Noticing that many Cultivators in the imperial palace were restless, wanting to become kings in chaotic times, Chen Qing, with a thought of imperial might, suppressed them all!
As for that Dragon Soul?
Chen Qing had no use for it, so he bestowed it upon the Qi Luck Golden Dragon, which absorbed it, greatly increasing its Cultivation.
Although the Qi Luck Golden Dragon was a System reward, it had the potential to grow and could continue to Cultivate; the higher its Cultivation, the greater the Luck-increasing effect it brought to Chen Qing.
"Husband, this Azure Dragon Country is now leaderless, how do you plan to deal with it?" Xia Qingyue asked curiously.
Chen Qing hesitated to speak.
Thinking of Xia Qingyue's Empress of Destiny halo, he changed his question, "Wife, do you want to be an Empress?"
"Empress?!"
Chen Qing didn't mention it, and Xia Qingyue had never had such a thought.
It had always been very rare for women to be emperors.
For Xia Qingyue, it was quite appealing.
But her answer was, "If I become an emperor, I won't have time to stay by my husband's side."
Seeing Xia Qingyue refuse to become an empress prematurely for his sake, Chen Qing felt a little pleased.
It's stable!
"Father is already quite exhausted just governing Great Wu, not to mention that the Azure Dragon Country is so far from Great Wu, where the emperor is far away and troubles are prone to arise. How about… letting my father-in-law become emperor?"
Chen Qing clearly knew that the father-in-law in Xia Qingyue's mouth referred to his own father, Chen Xiong.
"Hiss…" Chen Qing was quite surprised by how comprehensively Xia Qingyue had considered things.
She had thought of something he hadn't, and she didn't deliberately favor one side, but rather approached it from the bigger picture.
As for Chen Qing himself?
He had no interest in being an emperor and managing a kingdom.
Since his father had this ability, Chen Qing thought it was worth a try.
After a moment's thought, hoping for his father to become a Dragon also seemed like a good choice.
With a wave of his hand, he opened a Teleportation Gate.
This Teleportation Gate was different from previous ones; both sides could see each other clearly.
"Pfft!" Chen Xiong was currently enjoying tea in the courtyard when he suddenly saw the Teleportation Gate open. He thought it was an assassin and was so startled that he spat out a mouthful of tea.
If he hadn't seen Chen Qing and his daughter-in-law's faces in the mirror, he would have already drawn his sword.
"Qing'er, you suddenly appearing like this really scared your father." Chen Xiong sat back on the stone stool and gently patted his chest.
"Tell me, what happened again? If there's anything your father can help with, just say it." Chen Xiong asked straightforwardly.
He knew that Chen Qing using this method to meet him was certainly not just for the sake of meeting.
"Father, Xia Qinyue and I have already executed the Emperor of the Azure Dragon Country. Now that it's leaderless, we want to find another emperor for the Azure Dragon Country. Are you willing to come out of retirement?" Chen Xiong asked.
"Oh, you and Xia Qinyue killed the Azure Dragon Emperor…" His voice abruptly stopped, and the action of using the cup lid to skim off tea foam also froze.
Then, he suddenly stood up, and the porcelain cup slipped from his hand and shattered.
Chen Xiong, however, didn't care at all and quickly confirmed, "You said you killed the Emperor of the Azure Dragon Country?!"
As a prime minister of a nation, how could Chen Xiong not know the disparity between the Great Wu Dynasty and the Azure Dragon Country?
He had thought that his son was very capable and would bring him many surprises, but this time, being asked to become an emperor in another country was a bit of a shock.
"That's right, killed." Chen Qing projected a scene to show Chen Xiong Emperor Zheng Tian's body on the city wall.
Looking at Emperor Zheng Tian, who was lying on the ground, his face terrified, his eyes wide open in death, and dressed in a golden imperial armor, Chen Xiong had no choice but to believe this fact.
Chen Xiong knew very well that with his son's meticulous mind, since he would seek him out, he must have made thorough preparations and considerations.
Since that was the case, Chen Xiong no longer refused.
When imperial power was placed right in front of him, within reach, who in this world could refuse it?
"Good! I'll be this emperor!"