Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
There were twelve saints present in total, and they were all the descendants of the officials of Sacred Central Empire. They were the top-tier great beings of Mingjiang King.
There were some other saints who couldn’t make it back in time as they were too far from Sacred City.
“Is it really you, Ruochen? It’s been eight hundred years. Where were you for the past eight hundred years?”
Mingjiang King suddenly stood up, excited, and walked toward Zhang Ruochen.
Mingjiang King looked like a fifty-year-old, and he was around eight feet tall. He had broad shoulders and was wearing a silver-dragon crown and a silver robe. There was thick saint Qi and blood Qi inside his body as if a dragon were hibernating inside.
Mingjiang King’s forces became stronger and stronger as he walked toward Zhang Ruochen.
A king of saints. Royal Uncle Twelve has indeed become a saint king, Zhang Ruochen thought.
If it were another saint, or even a true saint, he would be intimidated by the saint might of a saint king. He would be scared, step back, bow or even kneel.
This was the difference between saints and saint kings.
Zhang Ruochen drew his Abyss Ancient Sword and stuck it in the ground. He released a great sword intent, tearing the saint might of the saint king apart.
“Uncle twelve, you’re a saint king who has refined for almost a thousand years, yet you still can’t control your saint might at ease?” Zhang Ruochen said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen wanted to treat Mingjiang King like family, yet he had tried to intimidate, or even suppress Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen then decided to show his forces as a crown prince after seeing that.
“How dare you talk to Lord Twelve like that!?”
An elder wearing saint armor scolded Zhang Ruochen.
That elder was called Yan Kaixuan and had become a true saint. He was known as ‘Kaixuan True Saint,’ and was one of the top three saints who served Mingjiang King.
Kaixuan True Saint stood up and said, “How dare you show your weapon in front of a saint king? Fortunately, there’s a chance that you’re the son of Emperor Ming, otherwise, you’d have been killed already.”
Zhang Ruochen shot a glance at Kaixuan True Saint and said, “What do you mean by ‘there’s a chance’? Are you questioning my identity?”
“That’s right. I was questioning your identity. Everyone knows his highness was killed in the coup eight hundred years ago, and many officials in the imperial government saw his body. Even if his highness managed to survive, he should be more than eight hundred years old instead of a child,” Kaixuan True Saint said bluntly.
Another being at the state of saint said, “You’re nothing but a prince from a small commandery at the border, yet you claim to be the crown prince of Sacred Central Empire. Do you think of us as fools?”
Granny Bai Su snorted and said, “Yan Kaixuan, Wang Ji, if your fathers were still alive, they would need to salute the crown prince, yet you dare talk to his highness like that? You aren’t getting away easily.”
Zhang Ruochen stopped Granny Bai Su from making attacks, and then he walked toward Kaixuan True Saint, took a look and said, “You’re practicing ‘Shenzhao Heavenly Technique,’ meaning you’re a descendant of the Yan family. Who’s Yan Xuanto to you?”
Kaixun True Saint was a bit shocked as Zhang Ruochen was able to tell the technique he was practicing with one look.
Kaixuan True Sant said with a straight face, “He’s my father.”
Whoosh!
Zhang Ruochen grabbed the handle of the Abyss Ancient Sword, and instantly, the flow of time in the palace became extremely slow.
Inscriptions of force emerged on the sword, making the blade over ten million pounds. He wielded the sword against the neck of Kaixuan True Saint.
Kaixuan True Saint would have never expected Zhang Ruochen to attack him.
He wasn’t fast enough to ward it off as he was trapped in the sword master domain and the time domain.
Crack!
Zhang Ruochen crushed the saint armor using his Abyss Ancient Sword, and he hit Kaixuan True Saint in his neck, breaking his collarbone, forcing him to kneel on the ground.
Boom!
The ground started to crack, as even the guarding formation of the underground couldn’t handle the strength.
Zhang Ruochen had only reached the third level of his time sword technique, so he could only maintain the time domain for an instant.
The flow of time returned to normal speed after that instant.
Tumbling saint light gushed out of Kaixuan True Saint’s hands and feet, shaking the entire palace.
“Zhang Ruoche, how… How dare you attack me…”
Kaixuan True Saint grabbed the blade of the Abyss Ancient Sword, trying to stand up again.
Zhang Ruochen’s strength was greater than Kaixuan True Saint, and he kept pressing the blade of the Abyss Ancient Sword down as if he were about to cut Kaixuan True Saint’s body in half.
All the other saints in the palace were shocked.
Yan Kaixuan was a true saint, yet he was forced to kneel on the ground by Zhang Ruochen. His strength was terrific.
All the other saints looked to Mingjiang King.
Mingjiang King might have been the only one who had the power to suppress Zhang Ruochen and rescue Kaixuan True Saint.
However, Mingjiang King didn’t do anything, as he knew for sure that the Zhang Ruochen standing in front of him was the crown prince of the Sacred Central Empire.
The empire fate and fate Qi of Sacred City and the will of every generation of emperor Ming had already recognized him. There wasn’t any fraud.
If the crown prince of Sacred Central Empire was suppressed by his royal uncle right after he issued a crown prince edict, Zhang Ruochen and Mingjiang King would definitely become a joke in Kunlun’s Field.
Mingjiang King had originally only wanted to intimidate Zhang Ruochen a little bit to keep him from seizing his power, yet he gave Zhang Ruochen a chance to flex his strength.
Mingjing King suppressed his anger, walked forward and said, “Ruochen, it is indeed inexcusable for Yan Kaixuan to disrespect you, but his father, Yanxuan King, led fourteen million soldiers of Sacred Central Empire and conquered Savage Barren lands with your father before. They battled immortal vampires, and he made great contributions to the empire. Every generation of Yan’s family was loyal to Sacred Central Empire. Could you spare his life in light of that?”
“If it weren’t for that, I would’ve killed him already. I managed to cut the hair crown of Mu Qingtian in three moves. Royal uncle twelve, how many moves of Mu Qingtian’s do you think Yan Kaixuan can take?”
Zhang Ruochen put back his Abyss Ancient Sword, wielded his hands toward the ground and splashed the saint blood, tainting the floor red.
At this moment, all the saints realized that this young man in front of them wasn’t just the crown prince of Sacred Central Empire, but a sword saint who had managed to defeat Mu Qingtian and suppress Yan Kaixuan.
Zhang Ruochen walked to the top of the palace, carrying the fighting sword, and sat on the throne.
That throne used to belong to Mingjiang King.
Mingjiang King twitched his lips, and then, he laughed. “Something amazing must’ve happened to you, Ruochen. All the monks in Kunlun’s Field say that Saint Monk Xumi saved your life and brought you to eight hundred years later. Anyways, I’m ecstatic that you could come back, but I have to say that you were being too reckless this time. You shouldn’t have issued that crown prince edict before talking about it with me.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Why?”
Mingjiang King said, “Things are different now. The empress has become a God, and she killed all the ten blood emperors. Every race in Kunlun’s Field has submitted to her. The demonic race, black market, and Death Zen Sect either left Kunlun’s Field or surrendered to her. You’ve made yourself and the entire Sacred Central Empire the target by issuing that crown prince edict.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Are you worried the imperial government will annihilate us, Uncle Twelve? Are you saying we should hide all the time and live like rats who never have a place to live?”
Yan Kaixuan said, “It’s called hiding our capabilities and biding our time!”
“Biding our time? Chi Yao has become a God, and she’s likely to live for another one hundred thousand years. How much time do you think we’re going to bide?”
Everyone was rendered speechless.
Zhang Ruochen said, “We might as well submit to the imperial government and First Central Empire.”
Wang Ji said, “We’ve been fighting the imperial government for eight hundred years, and the feud between us has been piling up. We’ll only suffer worse if we submit to them.”
“Countless members of the Bai family were ruthlessly slaughtered by the imperial government, and lots of women became the playthings of the officials of the imperial government. I’d rather die than submit to them.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Are you saying we should muddle along from day to day? We can neither avenge ourselves nor submit to the imperial government, and if we’re captured, we’ll suffer a fate worse than death. Is that what you mean?”
Everyone was silent.
Some wanted to argue against Zhang Ruochen, but they couldn’t say a word.
It was obvious that Zhang Ruochen had touched a sore spot.
“Why don’t you just follow me instead of living like nothing? Perhaps I can offer you guys a different fate. Perhaps we can rebuild Sacred Central Empire, a brighter empire,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Kaixuan bit his lips and said, “You’re being too confident, your highness. Everyone can be a great talker, and it’s always easier said than done.”
“If I can annihilate Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion, will you have faith in me?”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes glinted fiercely, and he glared at Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion. His Abyss Ancient Sword gleamed.
All the saints were dazed hearing that.
