Chapter 911: Emperor's Cautious Words

By: Sannine DomainWord Count: 1268

Rumble—

A deep rumble came from the sky, like rolling thunder, signaling an approaching storm.

A dense crowd passed through the desolate imperial palace and stopped before the golden path that ascended to the heavens...

The Ancient Depository is under attack.Please speed up! Otherwise, your enthronement will carry unknown risks!

Two lines of text flashed before Wu Qiong's eyes. She paused slightly, her expression instantly becoming solemn.

A roaring sound emanated from the end of the enthronement path, as if a great battle was unfolding in the heavens. Coupled with these two alerts appearing before all "would-be emperors," the atmosphere immediately grew incredibly tense.

The Imperial Ancient Depository was undergoing a change; their time was running out...

"Sister Wu, we're the first ones here!" A figure beside Wu Qiong excitedly looked around. "If we go up first, will we ascend to the clouds and leave this place?"

Wu Qiong gazed at the enthronement path before her and shook her head:

"According to the prompt, only the one who reaches the top can claim emperorship, regardless of who goes first... We must kill the other 'would-be emperors' to become 'the unique one' before we can leave."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions grew tense, but Wu Qiong pondered for a moment, then shifted her tone,

"However, going up first certainly has an advantage. Being above, it's easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if a fight breaks out, we'll be able to handle it calmly."

"Then let's go quickly, they should be arriving soon!"

"Mm."

Wu Qiong no longer hesitated. She led dozens of people behind her directly onto the ascension steps, gradually approaching the heavens.

Fortunately, the enthronement path was wide and sturdy enough that even dozens of people running on it caused no tremor. Golden imperial power swirled around them, and Wu Qiong, at the forefront, could feel her own would-be imperial destiny resonating with the path beneath her feet, even if the resonance was still very faint.

Not long after they began running upwards, several figures lagging behind crumpled onto the steps, their expressions twisted in pain, beads of sweat rolling down their cheeks...

"It hurts so much..."

Wu Qiong and the others at the front looked back to see wounds on the legs and feet of those few individuals. Some even had slightly deformed bones... They must have injured their legs and feet in the previous skirmish.

"Just a little longer, we're almost there!"

"No... I really can't... I can't move anymore..."

"Me too, I think I've broken a bone. Forget climbing stairs, even walking is difficult..."

Seeing this, Wu Qiong's first reaction was to have the stronger males carry the injured and continue forward, but after looking around, she realized everyone was already exhausted from the previous battle and journey.

And to reach the clouds, they still had thousands of steps to climb. Who could carry them the entire way?

Wu Qiong was extremely anxious. At the same time, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another team of would-be emperors had reached the base of the enthronement path and were rapidly approaching...

A line of text flashed before her eyes:

An emperor must remember to sever all attachments and emotions. Should crisis arise, even parents and siblings can be abandoned.

Wu Qiong had seen this phrase before; it was among the "Imperial Admonitions" when she obtained her would-be imperial destiny. Its reappearance in this manner now indicated that the emperor's lingering spirits in the heavens had truly lost patience.

Wu Qiong struggled internally for a moment, but then, following the Imperial Admonitions, she spoke coldly:

"Leave them, let's go!"

Hearing this, everyone was stunned. Before they could fully comprehend, Wu Qiong had already taken the lead and left.

Although Wu Qiong's followers felt a pang of conscience, they truly couldn't do anything for the injured. After a regretful glance at the few, they turned and followed close behind Wu Qiong.

The few with injured legs watched blankly as Wu Qiong abandoned them. She hadn't even said a single word to them when she turned to leave... This ruthlessness and decisiveness felt alien to them, as if Wu Qiong was gradually transforming into someone else.

Not long after Wu Qiong and her group departed, another team of would-be emperors ascended the steps.

"Hmm? Why are there people here?" The would-be emperor's eyes narrowed with vigilance as he saw the abandoned individuals.

"Did Wu Qiong leave them here to block us?"

"Doesn't look like it. Their legs are injured; they were likely abandoned..."

"Oh, then let's just go past them."

"But what if their injuries are faked, and they plan to ambush us once we're halfway up?" The would-be emperor eyed the few suspiciously, unsure of what to do.

Almost simultaneously, a line of text flashed before his eyes:

An emperor must remember to never be merciful. If they are your enemies, even the injured and children must be eradicated.

The would-be emperor's expression shifted repeatedly. He had never killed anyone on his journey so far, but now, seeing this warning, he hesitated... He then looked up at Wu Qiong and the others, who were already far ahead, and steeled his heart!

"Forget it, kill them all!!"

The emperors' urgency and anxiety similarly spread among the would-be emperors. As they climbed the enthronement path, they gradually abandoned their former principles, embracing the ideologies instilled by the emperors, staining the steps with blood...

Boom—!!

Xuan Yu Jun sliced open an imperial seal with a sword. As if sensing something, he looked down.

He saw a faint path extending from beneath the clouds, emitting a soft golden light. He narrowed his eyes, as if discerning something within it, and sneered:

"No wonder you're so desperate to stop me... So, a new emperor is about to emerge?"

"You know you are dead, and your era is over. So you can only choose a new emperor to rekindle your past glory in this age?"

"You want to find your past selves in these children, and you all believe that if another 'you' from back then appeared, this era could be overturned... After all, you once truly accomplished that."

"But do you truly believe your old feudal imperial ways can still apply to this era?"

Xuan Yu Jun formed another hand seal. The cross-shaped energy longsword slowly split into three, then into six... Six new-era swords, symbolizing the authority of science, encircled Xuan Yu Jun. Their sharp points were aimed at the ancient thoughts and orders that had long since succumbed to the passage of time.

He spoke lightly:

"You, from the old era, can never create an emperor for the new era..."

"If this world truly is to be overturned by someone, it will not be you who creates him, but this era itself."

The battle between feudalism and science roared in the heavens.

Beneath the swirling dark clouds and incessant thunder, a figure dressed in an opera robe slowly halted before the golden steps leading to the heavens...

"So high..." Jiang Xiaohua wore an expression of utter exhaustion, with only deep weariness in her eyes. "It's so tiring to climb... Anyway, those emperors don't have time to bother you, so why don't you go by yourself this time?"