A new Emperor Hades?
Many of the vicious beasts and god race experts were briefly bewildered. Emperor Hades had long since intimidated the masses; even the three Realm Emperors had to treat him with the utmost respect.
But based on what he’d just said, it seemed he was abdicating. Who, then, had he chosen to succeed his throne?
The countless experts of the God Realm had no idea, but the river denizens, Ye Zichen, Xuan Ji, and their companions could guess. Will it be him?
Those in the know couldn’t help but wonder if it would really go as they thought. After all, the mantle of Emperor Hades was heavy indeed; they didn’t dare guess randomly.
But at that moment…
The sweeping, magnificent River Styx suddenly started to steam, as if it were boiling. Waves of heat spread out, hitting those present right in the face.
In an instant, the skies darkened, the winds howled, and an air of imposing might bore down on the heavens.
It didn’t matter whether they were right on the riverbank or somewhere within the territories protected by the River Styx. Countless cultivators looked up into the sky and saw it clearly: a surging river of divine power was roiling and surging ceaselessly through the heavens.
All the clouds, without so much as a single exception, dispersed. The howling, icy winds picked up stones and sand, pulling them into their gusts.
The vicious beasts of the River Styx knelt and quivered uncontrollably. They felt reverence and awe rise up in their hearts, but it was targeted not at the man before them, but at the surging river of divine power overhead.
Roar!
Suddenly, the roar of an azure dragon resounded from within the River Styx. The sound was deafening, and it set countless people’s hearts trembling. Then, they looked up and saw a pitch-black dragon soar up into the skies.
At the same time, down at the riverbank, Emperor Hades’ underwater palace rose up, flashing with pitch-black light so dazzling, those present didn’t dare look at it directly.
Gradually, both the beasts of the river and the god race experts instinctively set aside their weapons and gazed up at Emperor Hades’ palace. Within the surrounding cities of the Lower Lands, everyone, from the lowliest spiritual body cultivators to the immortal kings and earth supremes, heard the palace’s summons. There was no way to resist; all of them left their residences and gazed up at the river surging through sky, their gazes filled with awe and trepidation.
Some exclaimed, others sighed with emotion, others simply felt a deep sense of reverence….
Everyone had gone outside at once. There should have been uproar, but there was nothing of the sort. It was quiet as could be.
Most of these people had no idea what was happening, and yet, they had a vague sense of it in their hearts. They couldn’t be sure, but they knew it instinctively: something big was happening down at the River Styx.
Thud.
Suddenly, the skies boomed with the sound of a single footstep.
Everyone present looked up and saw a youth floating out of the palace. He was wearing the same purple robes as Emperor Hades. His eyes were tightly shut, as if he were in pain, but from time to time his expression relaxed.
Su Yiyun!
As he approached, both Ye Zichen and the river denizens recognized him.
“It really is him!” The ordinary cultivators didn’t dare so much as explain for fear of the noise disrupting the ceremony. Only Xuan Ji nodded; when she glanced off to the side at Emperor Hades, she saw a satisfied grin tugging at his lips.
It seemed Emperor Hades was quite pleased with his successor!
Xuan Ju looked away, then fixed her gaze on Su Yiyun. Although she could pry into heavenly mysteries and new information inaccessible to ordinary people, this was her first time witnessing the coronation of a new Emperor Hades. Her intense curiosity was clearly written on her face.
The coronation of the new Emperor Hades was about to begin.
The palace filled the entire sky, the souls of its black dragons roaring. When they heard this, the countless cultivators of the god realm instinctively lowered their heads.
Their trembling started from their very bones, and their fear was uncontrollable, irrepressible.
The pitch-black palace blotted out the skies, obscuring the light of the sun, moon, and stars and surrounding everyone in the utter darkness of night. And yet, within that utter darkness, the palace shone with dazzling light, illuminating the world below.
Before long, the River Styx seemed to hear the palace’s call. It began emanating rosy light as well.
But if you looked closely, you’d see that this light was composed entirely of gathered souls. Their glow originated from the flames of their spirits, gathering into a radiant river that circled around Su Yiyun. The sight of it shook the onlookers to the core.
Everyone held their breaths.
Countless cultivators watched in silence as all this played out, not daring to move for fear of making noise; even the slightest sound might disrupt this grand ceremony.
But that wasn’t all; they could feel a pressure emanating from the skies, one that seemed to target their very souls.
In the face of this pressure, even the proudest felt the urge to submit, and regardless of their feelings of the matter, they felt a mix of awe and respect. This was true for the vicious beasts of the River Styx, for the cultivators of the God Realm, and even for imperial-level experts like Yang Jian, the Great Sage, and Xuan Ji. All of them felt their heart rates increase, and all of them felt a profound sense of reverence.
This was the imperial authority of Emperor Hades’ throne, the accumulated legacy of countless generations of Emperor Hades.
Every Emperor Hades was an astonishing, unparalleled figure of their generation. After other great empires died, they might leave weapons or treasures for their successors to inherit, but the various Emperor Hades were different.
Their legacy consisted purely of the title and position “Emperor Hades.”
No one knew which of them it was, but one of the river denizens bowed, and the others soon followed in a wave. They knelt, both legs in the dirt, their hands clasped together piously.
The cultivators of the god race didn’t go that far, but they still lowered their heads and put their hands to their chests, their eyes filled with sincere reverence. They watched Su Yiyun as the soul of the River Styx surrounded him.
Even Xuan Ji and the yao remaining to hold the borders….
All of them bowed at least a little.
This was Emperor Hades’ imperial position!
The target of everyone’s reverence throughout the world, regardless of clan, race, or species!
This was a show of respect for the new Emperor Hades, but more than that, it was a show of respect for his master.
The only person who didn’t bow was Su Yiyun’s master, the former Emperor Hades.
Even after handing over his throne, he was still the former Emperor hades. He was more than qualified to stay standing upright even in a situation like this.
But if you looked at him, you’d see that… his smile was only broadening!
When he first decided to abdicate his throne to Su Yiyun, he hesitated. After all, Su Yiyun had spent far too little time with him, and the former Emperor Hades hadn’t taught him any of his unparalleled techniques at all. He was worried that the throne of Emperor Hades would reject him.
But now it seemed he’d worried for nothing!
Perhaps the heavens had truly taken pity on him; in his final years, they sent him this disciple. Perhaps this disciple really was a successor sent to him by the heavens, one who’d extend and increase the glory of the name “Emperor Hades” for years to come.
Su Yiyun gazed over all of creation. It was clear that all living things were already in awe of his air of imperial authority. Emperor Hades smiled, then walked, hands behind his back, up to his apprentice.
It was time for him to make his appearance.
He stepped into the sky, and beneath everyone’s respectful gaze, stopped before Su Yiyun. In comparison to Su Yiyun, who’d only just succeeded his throne, the bestial river denizens were more afraid of his master, the former Emperor Hades.
Su Yiyun’s imperial authority left him in awe, but Emperor Hades’…. Made them tremble all the way to their bones.
Countless vicious beasts lowered their heads, too afraid to look directly ahead. Then, they heard Emperor Hades' imposing voice booming overhead, filling the skies. “From this day forth, he… is the new Emperor Hades!”
