Chapter 1791: The Poison Emperor
When it came to knowledge of the Southern Divine Region and its various emperors, Cang Shitian far surpassed everyone present.
He clearly understood the temperaments and weaknesses of the Xuanyuan Emperor and the Ziwei Emperor. Of course, weaknesses were things that barely existed at the level of Divine Emperors, but when a force truly capable of delivering a fatal threat descended, they would be completely exposed like any mortal.
Extinction of a realm — these were two words that the Divine Emperors of the many royal realms had never imagined, an absurdity that they and all the world believed could never happen.
But when this calamity truly arrived... especially right before their eyes, with the far more powerful Nanming Divine Realm still rolling in the smoke of destruction, every single hair on the Xuanyuan Emperor and Ziwei Emperor stood on end, every nerve twitched violently.
Because it had never happened before, people always subconsciously ignored one thing: the Demon Lord Yun Che before them did not seek occupation, did not seek plunder, did not seek any ambition or maximization of profit — only revenge!
And the most cruel, brutal revenge, with no mercy and no room left!
Negotiation? That was pure delusion on their part. Humiliation and destruction... even this option was almost a form of grace.
The Xuanyuan Emperor's face gradually shifted from red to a terrifying shade of purple-blue. His lips trembled, but he could not speak. His entire spine felt as if it were soaked in an icy prison, spreading a soul-piercing chill throughout his body.
Riiip~~~
Terrifying black cracks exploded layer by layer in the air, gradually closing in on the two Divine Emperors' bodies. Their minds were in turmoil under Cang Shitian's words, and their defenses became even more fragile.
"Demon... Lord..." the Ziwei Emperor gritted his teeth, blood streaming from the corners of his mouth. "Back then... although there was wrongdoing... the enmity should not have reached this point... You... truly... intend to be so ruthless..."
"Cang Shitian." Yun Che spoke coldly. "If you wish to be this Demon Lord's dog or horse, first prove yourself worthy."
Without needing Yun Che to state it explicitly, Cang Shitian immediately said, "After the Xuanyuan Emperor and Ziwei Emperor are buried here, panic, lack of leadership, and struggles for power will plunge the Xuanyuan Realm and Ziwei Realm into chaos. Thus, without troubling the Demon Lord and the three Yan Ancestors, with just the help of the Yan Emperor, I have full confidence in crushing one of them."
"Cang Shitian! You——"
"However," ignoring the vicious glares of the Xuanyuan Emperor and Ziwei Emperor, Cang Shitian continued, "Though Xuanyuan and Ziwei have committed grave offenses, they do not deserve the same fate as Nanming. Moreover, from my years of understanding them, they are not stupid beyond remedy. So, Shitian presumes to beg the Demon Lord to give them both, and also the Xuanyuan and Ziwei Realms, another chance."
The expressions of the Xuanyuan Emperor and Ziwei Emperor froze, but their muscles still quivered uncontrollably.
"..." Yun Che glanced sideways, sweeping a cold look at the two emperors. Then he gave a light snort and said in a low voice, "You two. You have one sentence left."
His tone was indifferent and dismissive, as if an emperor who held power over all the worlds was showing mercy to the two most wretched commoners.
The three Yan Ancestors slightly withdrew their power, lessening the pressure on the two Divine Emperors. The Ziwei Emperor clenched his fists. Remembering his life as an emperor and the ancestors of the Ziwei bloodline, he gritted his teeth sharply, and a fierce light appeared in his eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly noticed that the Xuanyuan Emperor beside him was rapidly losing his aura.
"Fine," the Xuanyuan Emperor closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "If the Demon Lord treats Xuanyuan well... the Xuanyuan bloodline is willing to be driven by the Demon Lord."
The two words 'extinction of a realm' were too heavy, enough to crush everything... including the dignity and honor of a Divine Emperor.
Even a figure like Qianye Fantian, for the survival of the Fantian bloodline, had voluntarily knelt before Yun Che and traded his death for the continuation of the Fantian clan, let alone Xuanyuan.
Dignity, pride, lineage, merit in saving the world... in the face of absolute power and absolute means, it was all worthless.
"Xuanyuan, you... what did you say!" the Ziwei Emperor's gaze turned sharply, his face full of disbelief.
"Heh," the Xuanyuan Emperor gave a bitter laugh. The words were out, and spilt water could not be retrieved. Instead, his expression relaxed somewhat. "We could die proudly in battle, but it might bring about the destruction of our realm and bloodline. Cang Shitian is right — the Demon Lord is not Long Huang. He has no morality or mercy."
"Surviving in disgrace, though condemned by the world, at least ensures the Xuanyuan clan's safety. Besides... now that the truth of that year is known to the world, even if we die unbowed today, will the world truly see our deaths as dignified?"
After saying this, the Xuanyuan Emperor let out a long breath. Half of these words were spoken to the Ziwei Emperor, half to himself.
His eyes glanced toward Yun Che's position, filled with endless darkness and dread.
Before today, none of the four Southern Divine Region Emperors believed that the Northern Divine Region could contend with the Western Divine Region.
But witnessing the terror of those around Yun Che and the fall of the Southern Divine Region, that notion collapsed. Cang Shitian had decisively defected, and the Xuanyuan Emperor's will finally shattered.
"A wise choice," Cang Shitian said with a smile.
"Xuanyuan, even you have gone mad!" the Ziwei Emperor shook all over, roaring hoarsely, "We bear the legacy of the True Gods and uphold the glory of our ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years. Even if we die miserably, we will never be slaves to others! My Ziwei bloodline... even the lowest Xuan practitioners are not afraid of death! Why do you debase yourself and the Xuanyuan bloodline?!"
The Xuanyuan Emperor closed his eyes and did not respond. His choice had nothing to do with fear of death.
"The destruction of Nanming was because the Abyss God Cannon severely wounded them! Our two realms have accumulated foundations for hundreds of thousands of years, with countless powerful figures. It will not be so easy for them to destroy us! Before they even get close, they will be caught in the wrath of the Dragon God Realm and the entire Western Divine Region! At that time, not only you, but the entire Xuanyuan Realm will suffer for your choice, with no way to retreat!"
"..." The Xuanyuan Emperor remained silent.
"Well said," Yun Che praised, but the corner of his mouth showed a trace of disdain. He said indifferently, "Xuanyuan is pardoned for now. Ziwei... kill!"
At the Demon Lord's command, the power suppressing the Xuanyuan Emperor vanished instantly. His arms dropped, and as he relaxed, cold sweat poured down like a rainstorm, soaking his entire body in an instant.
The power of the three Yan Ancestors was now entirely focused on the Ziwei Emperor. A series of extremely piercing "crack crack" sounds came immediately — the sound of the Ziwei Emperor's bones breaking under the terrifying pressure.
With the combined force of the three Yan Ancestors, even Nan Wansheng could not withstand it, let alone the Ziwei Emperor. His face was as pale as paper, his protective power twitching like a worm. But his eyes remained resolute, flashing with an increasingly intense purple light.
Crack!
Another crisp sound. The Ziwei Emperor's chest caved in deeply, and blood gushed from his seven orifices. At this moment, the purple light in his pupils reached its peak, and he let out a painful roar.
"AHH!!!!"
It was as if the purple sky had collapsed and the purple sun had exploded. In that instant, a sky-filling purple light released a terrifying divine might, forcibly tearing a crack in the power blockade of the three Yan Ancestors.
Through the crack, the Ziwei Emperor stumbled out. But in the next moment, the many Yan Mo struck together, multiple streams of Yan Mo power pressing down horizontally.
The undispersed purple light twisted sharply, pulling the Ziwei Emperor to tear through the void, also breaking through the Yan Mo power bearing down on him... He knew that in this situation, resistance was hopeless. It was impossible for him to drag anyone down with him. The only thing he could do was to flee at all costs.
As expected of a Royal Realm Divine Emperor, the Ziwei Emperor's desperate eruption of power surpassed every moment of his life, fully displaying the bearing of a Southern Domain Divine Emperor, forcibly shaking off the blockade and suppression of the three Yan Ancestors and the many Yan Mo... though only temporarily, it was enough to make the world proud.
Having unleashed power beyond his limits, the Ziwei Emperor's vision blurred for a moment. But his body did not pause for an instant; he desperately urged the last of his remaining strength to retreat southward.
But a shadow flickered, and a hand grew larger and larger in his field of vision — in his spiritual sense, it was an extremely rapidly approaching sword aura that he was all too familiar with.
Xuanyuan Emperor.
Pfft!
The palm struck the Ziwei Emperor square in the chest, and a sharp tearing sound came.
The Xuanyuan Emperor's expression was cold, almost blank. When his palm struck the Ziwei Emperor, endless sword aura poured from his palm into the Ziwei Emperor's body, ruthlessly destroying without any hesitation or mercy.
Having chosen, as a Royal Realm Divine Emperor, he would no longer waver or hesitate.
Since he had chosen to kneel to Yun Che, the Ziwei Emperor — his comrade from a moment ago who would rather die than surrender — became a tool for him to express his sincerity.
Having forcibly broken free from the blockade of the three Yan Ancestors and the many Yan Mo, one could imagine how depleted the Ziwei Emperor's power was. Caught between successive forces, he could not even gather a trace of blocking force, let alone counterattack.
"You..."
A single, extremely weak word. The Ziwei Emperor's body was then pierced by thousands of swords, with over a hundred thin blood arrows shooting out from him. At the same time, a claw from Yan Er tightly clamped onto the Ziwei Emperor's back.
Yan Tianxiao and the many Yan Mo's power also arrived in an instant, firmly suppressing his body and the power that had barely begun to surge again.
This time, the Ziwei Emperor did not struggle. He seemed to have simply accepted his fate. His somewhat unfocused eyes stared straight at the Xuanyuan Emperor, without disappointment, without mockery. Perhaps he was not at all surprised by the Xuanyuan Emperor's sudden attack... from the moment he knelt to Yun Che.
"Xuanyuan, listen," the Ziwei Emperor said hoarsely. "I have nothing to say about your choice. But even if my Ziwei bloodline is completely wiped out, I will never become a slave to demons!"
He suddenly turned his eyes, staring at Yun Che, and said, "Yun Che, since you choose to fight to the death, the resistance of my Ziwei Realm will definitely stain you with red blood!"
"Heh, hahaha." Cang Shitian suddenly laughed loudly again. He shook his head and said mockingly, "Brother Ziwei, it's rare for you to be a Divine Emperor for twenty thousand years and still be so naive. Resistance? Red blood? Are you so sure that your Ziwei Realm has such things?"
"..." The Ziwei Emperor frowned slightly.
"The Northern Domain demons have accumulated nearly a million years of hatred, and every single one of them longs to sacrifice their lives for this realm-overturning war. As for the Ziwei Realm, a supreme royal realm, it has enjoyed over seven hundred thousand years of supremacy and comfort. This generation, the previous generation, the generation before that... have never faced a true annihilating calamity. Are you sure that when the demons descend, their first reaction will be resistance, not fear and chaos?"
"Such a powerful Eastern Divine Region was successively defeated by the Northern Divine Region, and eventually the realm kings of all realms scrambled to kneel and surrender. Does the Ziwei Emperor think the Southern Divine Region will be any better?"
"Hmph!" the Ziwei Emperor snorted disdainfully.
"And as for death... Tsk tsk." Cang Shitian gave a sinister smile, then turned and bowed. "Demon Lord, the Ten Directions Canglan Realm is very close to the Ziwei Realm. Shitian knows the Ziwei Realm like the back of his hand. The Ziwei bloodline possesses a unique profound energy and essence blood, beneficial to oneself and even more so to others, very suitable for harvesting. Destroying them is satisfying but quite wasteful. Therefore, Shitian boldly proposes..."
"Killing them is not as good as raising them. After conquering the Ziwei Realm, keep the Ziwei bloodline penned up like livestock. Men can serve as slaves, women can serve as prostitutes, and regularly absorb and harvest their Ziwei profound energy for the Demon Lord and the demon army under his command. This not only brings great benefits, but the fear-of-death Ziwei clansmen might even be grateful, generation after generation thanking the Demon Lord for his mercy in sparing their lives."
"In this way, within a few generations, the Ziwei bloodline will go from a former imperial clan to a slave clan of the demons, passed down forever. After all, in this world, there is nothing easier to cultivate than a slavish nature."
Yan Tianxiao and the many Yan Mo's brows moved in unison. They, who held strong hatred for Southern Domain profound practitioners, clearly felt a deep chill at this moment.
The Ziwei Emperor suddenly raised his head. His pale face, which had refused to show any submission, took on a terrifying black-blue color. His pupils contracted violently, and purple cracks like explosions spread out.
Qianye Wugu took a deep look at Cang Shitian, then slowly closed his eyes again.
As he knew, Cang Shitian had quickly weighed the pros and cons. As a Southern Domain Divine Emperor, he had defected to Yun Che with extreme decisiveness, and his defection was extremely thorough. To prove his usefulness and loyalty to Yun Che, he would stop at nothing.
Then, if one day the Northern Divine Region lost to the Western Divine Region, or another force appeared that could crush Yun Che, he would surely be the first to desert, and before deserting, he might even deliver the most venomous backstab.