Chen Yi cupped his fists in return.
"General Sun, there is no need for this. I simply did not wish to see you fall here. There are not many loyal and good men like you left in the imperial court..."
After a moment of thought, Chen Yi added.
"Loyalty is good, but blind loyalty is not. Sometimes, orders from the court may not truly come from the sovereign, but from the machinations of vile characters. Only by preserving your own life can you continue to serve loyally."
In the second simulation, Sun Chengen knew the enemy was unbeatable but was forced to march out anyway, dying on the battlefield.
Combining memories from his subsequent simulations, Chen Yi could deduce the situation.
At that time, the current Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty had just passed away, and Li Chengqian and his son successively took the throne.
Within a few short months, the throne had seen three different emperors.
With the court in such turmoil, no matter how wise and martial the emperor might be, it was impossible for him to have a clear understanding of local affairs.
Not to mention, treacherous officials were in power, and imperial authority had been reduced to a mere figurehead at the same time.
Therefore, it was not surprising that Sun Chengen was plotted against and killed.
When Sun Chengen died in battle, he was only in his forties and had already reached the Spirit Condensation Realm.
For a general busy with border warfare to cultivate to the Spirit Condensation Realm at this age...
Chen Yi felt that if Sun Chengen did not die, it was highly likely he would break through to the Martial King Realm in his lifetime.
There were barely three digits worth of Martial Kings in the Five Domains; having even one more would be highly significant for the future fight against the Dragonkin.
Sun Chengen could hear the underlying meaning in Chen Yi's words.
But some things were best left at a hint, so Sun Chengen did not ask further.
The battlefield was perilous; the two only exchanged these few words before parting ways, one heading south, the other north.
Chen Yi once again equipped the Half-Emperor of the Ages trait, advancing at full speed high in the sky, creating sonic booms in his wake.
"It's this way!"
Under the effect of the Aura of Ten Thousand Races, the residual auras left behind by the passing Dragonkin were completely exposed.
Following these auras, Chen Yi soon arrived at the place where all the traces converged.
The capital of the Dashi Kingdom, the Royal Palace!
Chen Yi came to a sudden halt in the air, hovering right above the palace.
Spreading his divine sense to cover the entire capital, he began searching for the Dragonkin stronghold.
"Nothing? No, that's not right..."
At first glance, he didn't spot any Dragonkin, nor did he see any of their formations. He could only see the trails of their auras.
However, after a careful sweep, Chen Yi discovered a spot that his divine sense could not penetrate.
It was located directly beneath the main hall of the royal palace.
"It has to be here."
For the Dragonkin stronghold to be built beneath the Dashi Kingdom's royal palace, there was no doubt—the King of Dashi was a traitor to humanity!
Chen Yi looked from afar.
Inside the palace, the King of Dashi was in a massive pool of wine, bathing and drinking while frolicking in the water with a group of beauties.
This fat-headed, big-eared King of Dashi was unkempt, his body glistening with grease, and possessed thick body hair, resembling a black-skinned wild boar.
No wonder Li Lingyue would rather jump off a cliff to seek death than accept the political marriage.
Just as Chen Yi was preparing to descend, a divine sense locked onto him.
"Hold on a moment, sir!"
A figure flew up from within the Dashi capital.
The newcomer was also in the Martial King Realm. Judging by his appearance, he was extremely old and wore the traditional clothing of the Southern Border people.
The other party performed a traditional Central Plains fist-cupping salute, and Chen Yi casually returned the gesture.
"You are..."
"I am the protector of the Dashi Kingdom. My name is Yan Cong."
"Chimney? Cough, cough... My name is Shen Yi. Senior Yan, what guidance do you have?"
"Young friend Shen, I have noticed you ever since you entered the borders of the Dashi Kingdom."
"You came straight to this capital, and just now you could hardly conceal your murderous aura. Could it be that you are here to assassinate the king and launch a coup?
Do you know that those in the Martial King Realm are forbidden from doing such things?
I am old and perhaps no match for you in combat, but sending word to the Li imperial family will not be a problem. When that time comes, I fear there will be no place for you in this world."
As Li Chengqian's benefactor, Chen Yi was naturally well aware of this common knowledge.
However, all restrictions placed upon the Martial King Realm came with prerequisites and special exceptions.
For instance.
"Senior Yan, did you know that the Dashi Kingdom is colluding with the Dragonkin?
The Dashi Kingdom provides resources and intelligence for the Dragonkin to infiltrate the Human Realm, while the Dragonkin strengthens the Dashi Kingdom's elephant army.
You don't actually think that the Dashi Kingdom's recent victories in the wars against the Central Plains were all due to that fat pig's brilliant leadership, do you?"
Yan Cong furrowed his brows tightly.
"Dragonkin? What Dragonkin? A branch of the Monster Race?"
"No, just like the Monster Race and the Human Race, they are an intelligent race from another Void Realm!"
Given his advanced age and his status in the Martial King Realm, Yan Cong naturally knew the concept of the Void Realm.
"Little friend Shen, is this true?"
"I am an Enforcer of the Shen family. I have come to the surface this time to purge the Dragonkin strongholds across the land and strike down the human traitors who collude with them.
The King of Dashi has already betrayed our Human Race. Are you still going to protect him?
Do you still expect me to abide by the Martial King Realm pact established by the Li family?"
"The Shen family..."
The great name of the Shen family was indeed useful.
Yan Cong's attitude became much more respectful; he even felt the urge to call Chen Yi 'Senior'.
"Do you have proof, sir?"
"The proof lies right beneath this royal palace. Come with me, old Senior, and you will see for yourself."
Yan Cong hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed.
Chen Yi moved with extreme speed, reaching the ground in an instant.
With a loud bang, he landed forcefully, smashing a massive crater into the palace. The impact sent waves crashing through the fat pig's decadent pools of wine and scattered his beautiful women in all directions.
"King of Dashi! Betrayer of the Human Race! I am Shen Yi, an Enforcer of the Star Realm's Shen family, and I have come specifically to execute this sinner!!"
The fat pig was instantly terrified to the point of going limp. His cultivation was only at the second level of the Spirit Sea Realm. Facing a flying Martial King, he was nothing more than a stray dog by the roadside. He frantically cried out for help.
"Assassins! Catch the assassin! Kill the assassin! Save the King! Save the King!"
The royal guards swarmed into the king's private chambers.
Normally, they were strictly forbidden from entering this place.
Now that they had burst in, seeing the floor covered in naked, snow-white flesh, the guards immediately gulped.
The king really knew how to play wild.
Just as both sides were about to clash, Yan Cong descended.
"Stop, all of you!"
Seeing Yan Cong, the fat pig reacted as if he had seen his great savior.
"State Preceptor! Save me!"
Still oblivious to the severity of the situation, the fat pig pointed at Chen Yi and spoke arrogantly.
"Don't think you're so great just because you're in the Martial King Realm! My State Preceptor can fight ten of you at once! By ignoring the restrictions of the Martial King Realm and directly attacking this king, you're going to pay dearly!"
Chen Yi sneered. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked at the king as if looking at a clown.
Yan Cong looked at the mess on the ground, sighed, and flicked his sleeves.
"Your Majesty, whether you can be saved this time does not depend on this old minister."
Hearing this, the fat pig panicked once again.
"State Preceptor, what do you mean by this?"
"I must ask Your Majesty to tell the truth. What is hidden beneath this royal palace?"
There was an area beneath the palace that could not be probed by divine sense, naturally because of an isolating array.
Yan Cong knew about it, but had never paid it any mind before.
Who doesn't have their own secrets?
He just hadn't expected that a petty local king, a big fat pig with completely mediocre martial arts cultivation, could stir up such a massive disaster.
Hearing this, the fat pig panicked even more.
"N-no, it's nothing. Just my private wealth in there..."
Chen Yi sneered.
"Well, isn't that a coincidence? I've been a bit short on cash lately. I'll have to trouble Your Majesty to lend me some!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Yi made his move.
He smashed a fist fiercely into the ground. The boundless force behind the blow caused the entire city to quake!
Crack... crack... crack...
The ground fractured inch by inch.
With another punch, he blasted straight into the depths of the earth!
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.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
