“We certainly won’t cause trouble. After all, no one wants to die.”
Sha Tongtian led the sea clan members whose cultivation had been crippled out of the palace. Ling Xiao ordered Ji Mingkong to take those thousand iron cavalry and escort them.
The sea clan had offended far too many people.
Even just within the Magic City alone, countless suffering commoners wished them dead. Without protection, these people who had lost their cultivation would undoubtedly be torn to pieces.
“Kong He, why haven’t you acted yet? Do you need me to help you?”
The only one who remained and had not left was Kong He.
He belonged to the Divine Phoenix Empire, not the sea clan.
“What? You want me to cripple my cultivation too?”
Kong He’s eyes widened as he asked.
“I trust you’re not deaf. Or did you somehow fail to understand my words?”
Ling Xiao looked at him calmly.
“No, I won’t do it. I absolutely will not!”
Kong He shook his head frantically. Nothing could make him cripple his own cultivation. The very idea was absurd.
“Kill him.”
Ling Xiao had long since run out of patience with Kong He. The man had been given a chance to live yet refused to cherish it. He truly deserved death.
“Wait!”
Only when he heard Ling Xiao order his death did Kong He finally feel real fear.
Though he had not personally witnessed Ling Xiao killing the Electric Light Demon King, Jia Yun, or Jia Lin, he had heard the stories.
This fellow was a complete madman. Disobey him, and you might well lose your life.
“Well?”
“I choose to cripple my cultivation!”
When Kong He uttered those words, the humiliation was almost unbearable.
He, the proud Peacock Prince, had actually fallen to such a state. It was utter disgrace, something he could never accept.
Yet he had no choice but to do it.
After watching Kong He cripple his cultivation, Ling Xiao nodded in satisfaction. “Get lost. Remember today’s lesson well. I had better not see you do anything against me once you return to the Divine Phoenix Empire, or you can await my ruthless vengeance.”
“I won’t. I definitely won’t.”
Kong He fled the palace in utter disgrace.
Of course he would.
After suffering such humiliation, he would seek justice no matter what.
Ling Xiao was perfectly aware of this. That was precisely why he had let Kong He go. Prince Yinshan needed to secure the Divine Phoenix throne, which meant the families supporting the Ice Phoenix Clan had to be eliminated.
The Peacock Clan was one of them.
Hadn’t Prince Yinshan been searching for a pretext to move against the Peacock Clan?
Ling Xiao had just handed him one.
Meanwhile, several hundred li out at sea from the Magic City, a battle at the Yin-Yang Realm level had also concluded.
The Yin-Yang Demon King stared weakly at Moon Maiden and gnashed his teeth. “Moon Maiden, you actually protect that brat Ling Xiao. Do you realise how many people you’ll offend by doing this?”
“Of course I do. But I love him.”
Moon Maiden replied softly.
“Love him? If you love him you should tell him the sea clan is not something he can afford to provoke! Even I count for little among the sea clan. He has truly stirred up enormous trouble this time.”
The Yin-Yang Demon King said coldly.
“Whether he can afford to provoke them or not, he already has. What of it? If you keep spouting nonsense, you may not leave this place alive.”
Moon Maiden said calmly, “I understand the Profound Realm far better than you do. One day he will outshine every single one of you. Those great sea clan overlords you speak of will pale before him.”
“Stubborn woman. You won’t say that when regret finally finds you. From today onward, Ling Xiao will be wanted by the entire sea clan. I refuse to believe you can protect him forever, especially when your own strength is hardly anything special among our sea clan.”
The Yin-Yang Demon King gave a cold laugh, then dragged his wounded body down into the deep sea.
Moon Maiden did not pursue.
Within the Storm Ocean, the sea clan held too great an advantage. Killing him there would not be easy.
With the Yin-Yang Demon King driven off, the Magic City taken, and Sea Emperor Jiao Batian dead, these three events combined triggered the total collapse of the True Demon Empire.
This young empire disintegrated completely in little more than ten days, heading towards utter ruin.
The armies of Northern Han Kingdom and Heavenly Principle Kingdom successfully rendezvoused outside the Magic City.
Under Ling Xiao’s overwhelming might, both kingdoms chose to submit to him and became part of the Heavenly Dynasty.
They had no choice. Both Moon Maiden and the former Supreme Holy Emperor supported Ling Xiao, the Chosen Son of Heaven. Whoever opposed him faced annihilation.
Over the following half month, Ling Xiao implemented the political system from his memories in the Heavenly Dynasty.
He became the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Dynasty, the dynasty’s figurehead, but he did not handle day-to-day administration.
Administrators were selected by the Senate and the People’s Assembly, then approved by him before taking office under the title of Heavenly King.
The first Heavenly King was naturally Wu Xiang.
He was, after all, the president of the Restoration Society and Ling Xiao’s trusted senior brother.
Once the political structure was established, the armies were broken up and reorganised, another lesson Ling Xiao had learned from those new memories, to prevent rebellion.
Another crucial policy was the concept of ethnic unity.
Ling Xiao decreed that humans, sea clan members, or any other race willing to live in peace were welcome to reside in the Heavenly Dynasty.
At first the sea clan did not believe it, until an incident occurred.
When a human beat a sea clan member, Ling Xiao personally intervened, punished the human, and proclaimed justice throughout the realm.
From then on, many sea clan members joined the Heavenly Dynasty and began new lives.
In the blink of an eye, Ling Xiao had spent nearly a month on the Heavenly Dragon Continent.
The Heavenly Dynasty welcomed its first new year.
Ling Xiao officially turned seventeen.
Perhaps because of the founding of the new dynasty and nationwide celebration, this year’s Heavenly Dynasty was especially lively.
Nowhere more so than in the Divine Capital.
The Divine Capital was the former Magic City, now renamed as befitted the imperial seat of the Heavenly Dynasty.
Inside the Divine Capital, every soldier now wore brand-new black war armour bearing the distinctive mark of the Heavenly Dynasty, giving them a sharp and imposing appearance.
On the streets, the worry that once clouded the faces of ordinary people had vanished, replaced by ease and joy.
They had originally feared that this young Heavenly Emperor might impose policies they could not accept, but in reality the decrees he issued delighted them beyond measure.
Every single one benefited the common people.
Naturally, they were immensely satisfied with their Heavenly Emperor.
“With the way our Heavenly Dynasty is developing, I reckon we’ll soon surpass even the Divine Phoenix Empire. This Heavenly Emperor may be young, but he’s truly remarkable. His skill at both leading armies and governing the state is extraordinary!”
In the taverns too, the topics of conversation had long since changed.
Now the most discussed subjects were the Heavenly Dynasty and their Heavenly Emperor, Ling Xiao.
