Jiang Yu's opponent in this match was Zhong Zhenyue. Without even lifting a finger, Jiang Yu hovered mid-air, a divine sword clenched between his teeth, while a golden dragon coiled above the imperial city, bathed in the sun’s radiance. His overwhelming majesty surged like a tidal wave, pressing down on all sides.
Li Mo watched as Zhong Zhenyue struggled even to stand, as if an invisible force compelled him to kneel. To resist the pressure, he clenched his teeth so hard they drew blood.
"The Crown Prince’s majesty has grown even more profound..."
"The divine intent within his soul is that of an emperor’s bearing—perhaps even rivaling that of the Martial Emperor the Great Ancestor."
"Here in the capital, the entire imperial city is his support... the city itself is like his inner realm."
At this moment, those witnessing Jiang Yu’s power for the first time trembled in fear, their hearts filled with dread.
What cultivator in the Hidden Dragon Ranking could possibly defeat him?
No wonder no one ever questioned whether the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Ranking could ever change hands...
The imperial descendants, who had suffered consecutive defeats, had been crestfallen earlier.
But now, seeing Jiang Yu’s dominance, even the Fourth Prince—who had never practiced martial arts, had long been weakened by indulgence, and had just lost everything in a bet—puffed out his chest with pride.
"Big Brother Crown Prince must be the greatest in the Hidden Dragon Ranking across all dynasties," Princess Yuyang declared, her pride restored.
The Fourth Prince flicked open his fan, leisurely observing the kneeling martial artists and commoners below.
"So what if I lost? I dare to give, but does the 'Divine Hammer Little Tyrant' dare to take?"
"Zhong Zhenyue spoke recklessly earlier. Who knew he’d face Eldest Brother today? Serves him right—let this be a lesson."
The Eighth Prince shook his head regretfully.
"He could’ve at least had a chance to strike. But alas, how can one who has long enjoyed the emperor’s grace dare to rebel?"
......
The crowd around them fell to their knees in waves, even those on the Hidden Dragon Ranking finding their legs weak and unsteady.
Even the top ten on the ranking seemed unable to resist.
"Why don’t I feel anything?"
Li Mo, on the other hand, realized the pressure he felt was weaker than when he had encountered Jiang Yu in the hotpot restaurant.
In truth, even back then, he hadn’t sensed the so-called "imperial majesty"—only the oppressive weight of Jiang Yu’s cultivation.
It wasn’t just because of his Great Sage divine intent...
He recalled the statues in the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm. One of them depicted the Martial Emperor the Great Ancestor, exuding overwhelming imperial might. While others had been forced to their knees, Li Mo had felt nothing then either.
"You and Ying Bing have special constitutions."
The voice, accompanied by a crisp chime, belonged to Tian Miao.
"Huh? When did you get here?" Li Mo blinked in surprise.
Tian Miao paused before replying, "Is it possible that I’m also on the ranking?"
"I didn’t see you on stage earlier."
"The Yantian Sect exists beyond worldly affairs. We don’t participate in ranking battles."
Tian Miao gazed at the stage and shook her head.
"If Zhong Zhenyue keeps pushing himself like this, he’ll only injure himself further."
"He’s under even greater pressure?"
Li Mo noticed it too.
It seemed the deeper one’s ties to the Great Yu imperial family, the heavier the weight of the imperial majesty.
Those long residing in the capital—whether commoners or martial artists—were now prostrate on the ground.
Even Xie Xuan’s face had paled, while Huang Donglai and Xiao Qin fared slightly better.
As for Chu Long...
Princess Little Jiang was barely holding on, relying on her "head-patting divine technique" to maintain her composure.
Tian Miao nodded. "The Son of Heaven herds his subjects like cattle in the wild. If the ruler demands death, the subject has no choice but to obey."
"Well, that’s convenient. My Great Sage divine intent thrives the more authoritative my opponent is..." Li Mo mused silently.
Right now, his Great Sage divine intent was practically burning, as if eager to burst forth.
Kinda like how Hammer Treasure always wanted to smash something?
On the stage.
"Drop your weapon."
Jiang Yu’s voice was soft, yet his tone carried the unyielding weight of an imperial decree.
The Zhong family guarded the southern borders, and the Southern Suppressing King was watching from above. Whatever happened behind the scenes, appearances had to be maintained.
Wouldn’t it be better for ruler and subject to show mutual respect?
If not for Zhong Zhenyue’s defiance, Jiang Yu wouldn’t have even needed to unleash his divine intent.
"Respect between ruler and subject must be upheld. But this subject has a question—one I must ask the Crown Prince to his face!"
Zhong Zhenyue gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on Jiang Yu.
The southern border affair had left him seething, but he had no right to question the Crown Prince or the Emperor in court.
But Brother Li was watching from below. If even Brother Li hadn’t retreated in the southern border, how could he back down now without a fight?
Noticing Zhong Zhenyue’s blazing stare, Jiang Yu maintained his faint smile. He saw no need to explain further.
With his hands clasped behind his back, the weight of imperial authority suddenly intensified.
What had been a mountain suspended in the sky now came crashing down.
If you have a question, ask it after you’ve reached me.
Rip—
Zhong Zhenyue’s armor shattered, blood vessels rupturing under the pressure.
His knees buckled, but the divine intent behind him refused to fade—as if someone had awakened within, pushing him forward.
With each step, fresh blood seeped from his body. In moments, he was drenched, leaving a trail of crimson footprints behind.
"......"
Jiang Yu watched coldly but did not strike. He couldn’t.
He had set the tone—this was about propriety between ruler and subject. To attack would undermine his own majesty.
Step—
Leaving a path of bloody footprints, Zhong Zhenyue, now covered in his own blood, finally stood before Jiang Yu.
Yet just as the crowd held their breath in stunned silence—
Thud.
He collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"Tell Brother Li... I wasn’t a coward."
Zhong Zhenyue lost consciousness.
"Heh..."
After the judges declared his victory, Jiang Yu glanced down at the audience—only to freeze in surprise.
Someone had completely ignored his imperial majesty, rushing onto the stage at lightning speed.
"I saw it. I saw everything."
Li Mo swiftly pulled out medicinal supplies.
"Ouch... Brother Li, be gentler! It hurts! Where’s my halberd?"
"Halberd’s right here. Here, the hilt... There, there, it won’t hurt."
"......"
Zhong Zhenyue passed out.
As Li Mo carried him off the stage, he noticed Jiang Yu staring at him in shock.
Well, it wasn’t just Jiang Yu—everyone in front of the stage was dumbfounded.
Seriously? The Crown Prince was busy flaunting his dominance, and everyone else could barely stand straight—yet here you were, casually hauling someone off the stage?
Did Jiang Yu’s dignity mean nothing?
Li Mo jumped down with Zhong Zhenyue on his back, muttering under his breath:
"Tsk... Those double pupils look like cataracts. Since when do disabled people act so high and mighty?"
"???"
The spectators and nobles collectively recoiled.
What kind of nonsense was this? What absolute nonsense!
Double pupils were the mark of a born emperor, a path to invincibility—even the Martial Emperor had been born with them!
Don’t spout nonsense if you don’t understand!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
