One Bad News After Another, the Royal Family in Panic

Imperial Capital, Royal Palace

Hall of Heavenly Worship

Emperor Yin Gongyu's expression was grave, his face filled with icy severity.

For many years, the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty had not been entirely peaceful—wars had erupted from time to time—but this recent incident had truly unsettled Yin Gongyu to the core.

Within the grand hall, the assembled ministers trembled with fear, none daring to speak carelessly.

Since ascending the throne of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, Yin Gongyu had never encountered such a thorny predicament.

"Why is no one speaking?"

"Have you all lost your tongues?"

"The Prince of Zhenbei and the Western Pacification King were both annihilated, and now you tell me the only thing you know is that the perpetrator calls himself Chen Chang'an—and even that was only because he announced it himself?"

"Beyond that, you don’t even know his whereabouts?"

"Are you all truly so useless?"

The Prince of Zhenbei and the Western Pacification King had been wiped out one after another, with the words "Killer: Chen Chang'an" left behind at both scenes.

This was clearly a provocation—an outright humiliation to the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty!

Such a massive incident had now thrown the entire dynasty into an uproar, yet the whereabouts of the perpetrator remained completely unknown?

"Your Majesty, this man first appeared in Northern Guardian City."

"According to witnesses there, his strength defies the heavens. Moreover, upon inspecting the bodies of the Prince of Zhenbei and his Northern Guardian Army... they were all slain with a single sword stroke."

"You mean to say the Prince of Zhenbei and his 300,000-strong Northern Guardian Army were all killed with a single sword strike?"

"Y-yes!"

"And the Western Pacification King?"

"Also a single strike!"

"Nonsense!"

Yin Gongyu roared in fury, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.

A single sword strike—annihilation in an instant?

What did this imply?

The opponent's strength had reached a level beyond Yin Gongyu's wildest imagination. Though he had never witnessed the legendary ancestor Yin Tianzi in action, he doubted even that supreme figure could achieve such a feat.

A Great Emperor?

Could the perpetrator truly be a Great Emperor-level powerhouse?

This suspicion wasn’t limited to Yin Gongyu alone. Throughout the court, across the entire Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, who wasn’t thinking the same?

But if it really was a Great Emperor—why would such a being act this way? What was his goal? When had the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty ever provoked someone of this caliber?

"Report!"

"Your Majesty, urgent news—the Southern Guardian King has been annihilated!"

"What?"

The Southern Guardian King as well?

But... how could this happen so quickly? The perpetrator’s speed was terrifying!

"Report!"

"Your Majesty, the Far Eastern King has been slain!"

Boom!

The two successive reports threw the entire court into chaos.

"Impossible!"

"This is absolutely impossible!"

"How many Chen Chang'ans are there? Does he possess the art of cloning himself?"

"The territories of the Southern Guardian King and the Far Eastern King are vast distances apart. How could... how could he move so swiftly?"

"There must be more than one person involved. No single individual could accomplish this!"

Yin Gongyu refused to believe it. Even a Great Emperor-level powerhouse couldn’t possibly move at such speed—it was simply unheard of.

The distance between those two territories... even for a Great Emperor...

Damn it, just how fast is a Great Emperor anyway?

Having never encountered a true Great Emperor, Yin Gongyu began to doubt himself. Could a Great Emperor’s speed truly reach such terrifying heights?

This was beyond comprehension!

Even a peak Immortal Ascension Realm expert would require at least ten days to travel between those two locations and back.

Yet, from the moment news of the Prince of Zhenbei’s demise arrived, followed swiftly by the Western Pacification King’s fall—with barely three days in between—and now, within mere days, two more kings had been slaughtered?

A Great Emperor’s might—truly monstrous!

Now, the shadow of Chen Chang'an loomed over the entire hall, filling everyone with a sense of impending doom.

Who else but a Great Emperor could accomplish such deeds?

Though the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty had Yin Tianzi, a Half-Step Great Emperor, guarding it, how could a mere Half-Step compare to a true Great Emperor?

"We must seek help!"

"We have no other choice."

"Your Majesty, Chen Chang'an is far too powerful. The Fengtian Imperial Dynasty alone is no match for him."

"Only a true Great Emperor can stop him now!"

"Indeed, Your Majesty. We cannot sit idle. Who knows when Chen Chang'an might storm into the Imperial Capital itself?"

"Moreover, to this day, no one understands what Chen Chang'an’s true motives are."

Hearing his ministers’ words, Yin Gongyu frowned deeply. He knew seeking external aid was now inevitable.

But who could they turn to?

More importantly—who was Chen Chang'an? What did he want?

When had the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty ever offended such a terrifying figure?

Years ago, Yin Tianzi had indeed ordered the pursuit of Wu Mingdao, but the true reason behind it had never been disclosed.

Could Yin Tianzi really admit it was out of petty jealousy—that he had targeted Wu Mingdao just to draw out Chen Chang'an?

If such a shameful motive were exposed, how could he ever save face?

In the entire Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, only Yin Tianzi knew Chen Chang'an’s true identity. But at this moment, he was in secluded cultivation, and no one dared disturb him.

"Dispatch more scouts. Redouble efforts to track Chen Chang'an’s movements."

"I refuse to believe that with the full might of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, we cannot locate a single man!"

"Furthermore, impose martial law in the Imperial Capital immediately. All outsiders must be thoroughly scrutinized."

"Given his overwhelming power, he should be easily identifiable."

"Assign Immortal Ascension Realm experts to guard all four city gates."

Yin Gongyu’s reasoning was simple: since the enemy was a Great Emperor, ordinary cultivators might fail to detect him, but those at the Immortal Ascension Realm should have no trouble.

Anyone they couldn’t see through would likely be Chen Chang'an himself.

At the same time, Yin Gongyu began preparing to call in favors. After all, over the years, the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty had built considerable connections.

While Yin Gongyu made his preparations, Chen Chang'an showed no signs of halting his campaign of vengeance.

As one devastating report after another reached the capital, the entire royal family was shrouded in dread.

"Have you heard? This Chen Chang'an is truly ruthless."

"What happened now?"

"Word has it—do you know of the Shangyuan Sect?"

"Of course. The Shangyuan Sect has close ties to the royal family. Rumor has it the previous sect master’s wife was a member of the imperial clan."

"Exactly. Well, two days ago, the entire Shangyuan Sect was exterminated—not a single survivor."

"Again, by Chen Chang'an?"

"Indeed. It was him."

"What is he trying to accomplish? It seems anyone connected to the royal family is being systematically wiped out."

"He’s clearly targeting the imperial clan. I’ve heard the royals are in a panic, scrambling to find allies."

"Oh? The royals are seeking help?"

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice spoke up, startling everyone. They turned to look and saw a young man at the next table, watching them with keen interest.

"Looking for information?"

"Well then, shouldn’t you show some courtesy first?"

The speaker was none other than Chen Chang'an, who had just arrived in the imperial capital. Seeing their hesitation, he wasted no time and offered to pay for their table’s food and drinks.

Impressed by his generosity, the men brightened up.

"Kid, you’ve got manners."

"Alright, I’ll fill you in."

"Rumors say this Chen Chang'an is a powerhouse at the Great Emperor realm—how else could he be so strong?"

"Naturally, the imperial family can’t handle him alone, so they’ve had to seek outside help."

"But who exactly they’ve recruited? That, I don’t know."

Chen Chang'an was curious. This man seemed like an ordinary person—how did he know so much?

"How do you know all these secrets?"

"Eh, a little eavesdropping here, a little gossip there—it all adds up."

"I don’t have many hobbies, just enjoy digging up news."

"But hey, you look new around here. Just arrived in the capital?"

"Let me tell you, you picked a bad time. Chen Chang'an could show up any day now, and when he does, the streets might run red."

Everyone could see it—Chen Chang'an’s final destination was the imperial capital. When that day came, a bloody battle was inevitable.

"If it’s so dangerous, why don’t you leave the capital?"

"We’d like to, but this is our home. Besides, we’re just common folk. A man like Chen Chang'an wouldn’t bother with us, right?"

"Oh, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Zhou Lin. And you?"

"Me?"

"I’m Chen Chang'an!"