Chapter 614: Blood Debt Must Be Paid in Blood
Those who entered the great hall together with Huai Wang were all members of the Huai Wang Manor. Although only a hundred people were present, among them were as many as twenty Emperor Lords. The sheer strength they displayed was enough to make even powerful Guardian Clans tremble with fear. The power that Huai Wang Manor had shown over the years was already astonishing, but it was only in the last few months that they realized the strength previously displayed by Huai Wang Manor was merely the tip of the iceberg.
In the past several months, Huai Wang Manor had gained the allegiance of countless more experts and forces. Its current influence was beyond anyone's imagination.
With Huai Commandery Prince becoming Huai Emperor, Huai Wang Manor would naturally become the "Imperial Manor." The bearing of every person in Huai Wang Manor had also undergone a tremendous change. Hui Ran and Hui Ye came along, their gazes as arrogant as invincible lone eagles. Because their status was now also unprecedented. After today, they would become princes of the Huan Yao Realm! The entire Huan Yao Realm would honor their clan as supreme!
Under his feet, he could decide the life and death of everyone here; outside the great hall, the future fate of the entire Huan Yao Realm was also in his hands... He still couldn't help but breathe rapidly, his blood flowing swiftly through his body.
"The era of the Demon Emperor Clan has ended. From today onward, this Huan Yao Realm will be the world of my Huai Wang Clan!!"
By his side, four ornately dressed royal maids carried a golden robe and a golden crown, approaching gracefully and standing to his left and right. The royal master of ceremonies slowly stepped forward, stood tall, and announced loudly:
"Once, the Ancestral Demon Emperor unified the world, and Huan Yao enjoyed peace for ten thousand years. Unfortunately, disaster befell from heaven; the previous emperor passed away, and both the Demon Emperor and Demon Empress met with misfortune. The Demon Emperor bloodline thus returned to the five elements, leaving no final decree and no one to succeed—grief filled the entire world. Huan Yao had no leader, and prolonged chaos was inevitable. Fortunately, Huai Commandery Prince cared for the world, displaying his talent to govern heaven and earth, his ability to move mountains and cross seas. He quelled the turmoil, steadied the people, dissipated the terror without a trace. The myriad people submitted; the world turned to him in heart. Moreover, his birth status is unmatched, making him the fitting new sovereign—all within the four seas submit!"
"All kings shall unite in heart to uphold the new sovereign; all clans shall protect with full strength, honoring him as Heaven's mandate; all ministers shall diligently assist, jointly supporting Huan Yao..."
Dong...
A long, resonant bell sounded from outside the hall at just the right time. The master of ceremonies' voice abruptly stopped, then he turned to the side, his voice rising several times in intensity: "The hour of Si has arrived! The new sovereign's coronation!"
Coronation at the hour of Si, sacrifice to the gods and heaven at the hour of Wu—once this process was completed, Huai Wang would officially become the new generation ruler of the Huan Yao Realm.
Huai Wang rose proudly, arms spread wide, his gaze sweeping over everything in sight. The maids beside him stepped forward, removed his Commandery Prince's brocade robe, and draped over him the crimson-gold imperial robe embroidered with the Golden Crow Sacred God, symbolizing the emperor of Huan Yao. Coronation at the hour of Si, sacrifice at the hour of Wu—once this process was completed, Huai Wang would officially become the new generation ruler of the Huan Yao Realm.
Everyone in the Yaohuang Palace left their seats and knelt down in obeisance: "Greetings to Huai Emperor! May Huai Emperor live as long as heaven and earth, shine as brightly as the sun and moon!"
Those qualified to appear in this Yaohuang Palace were none but the very highest figures of the Huan Yao Realm. Seeing them prostrate in submission was equivalent to seeing the entire Huan Yao Realm kneeling at his feet. Having waited for this day for a full hundred years, Huai Wang tilted his head slightly, savoring every moment of this, enjoying the majestic bearing of an emperor! As his gaze wandered leisurely, he noticed the only incongruity in the great hall... Throughout the entire Yaohuang Palace, there were only two seats where people had not knelt in obeisance—the Yun Clan and the Mu Clan.
"How dare you, Mu Feiyan and Yun Qinghong!" The master of ceremonies' rebuke rang out at that moment. "The new emperor ascends to the throne for coronation, and you still do not quickly kneel in obeisance!"
Although this master of ceremonies was also a member of the Huan Yao Royal Clan, ordinarily, even if he had a hundred times more courage, he would never dare to shout at Yun Qinghong and Mu Feiyan. But today was different from the past... The Yun and Mu Clans were already hostile to Huai Wang Manor. In the months since the Little Demon Empress's death, the Yun and Mu Clans had even more so "slandered" Huai Wang for killing the Little Demon Empress. Now, even a fool should understand that after Huai Wang's ascension, he would inevitably find the Yun and Mu Clans intolerable. And with Huai Wang's momentum, how could the Yun and Mu Clans possibly be a match? Thus, this master of ceremonies shouted with full confidence, even worried that if his voice was too low or his momentum too weak, he would displease Huai Wang.
The atmosphere instantly froze. All eyes turned to the seats of the Yun and Mu Clans. The Tianxia Clan, Su Clan, and Yan Clan all showed anxious expressions, sighing inwardly.
"Why should I bow!?" Yun Qinghong suddenly stood up, a thunderous roar exploding in everyone's ears, startling them all. The sudden burst of momentum from Yun Qinghong was not something a mere master of ceremonies could withstand. His whole body shook, and he subconsciously stepped back, his lips trembling but unable to utter a single word.
"Yun Qinghong!" Helian Kuang roared loudly, pointing a finger at Yun Qinghong with an angry expression, though deep in his eyes there was mockery and sneering. "The new emperor ascends the throne for coronation, yet you make such an obvious act of contempt for the new emperor... Are you trying to rebel?!"
"Rebel?" Yun Qinghong sneered. "You still have the nerve to utter those two words here in the Yaohuang Palace, before the gathered heroes of the world! Rebel... who exactly is rebelling?!"
"Of course, you are the one rebelling!" Jiufang Kui stood up, pointing at Yun Qinghong while shouting. The Little Demon Empress had perished, and Huai Wang was ascending the throne. From now on, it would be the world of Huai Emperor. The Yun Clan had gained power at the Demon Empress's grand ceremony four months ago, but now they were no longer a concern. They had been "seeking their own death" all along. At this moment, it was naturally time to kick them while they were down and show loyalty to Huai Emperor. "Yun Qinghong, as the head of the Guardian Clan Yun Family, your duty is to protect the Huan Yao Emperor! Today, the new emperor ascends the throne, yet you dare to, in this great hall..."
"Shut up!" Yun Qinghong angrily cut off Jiufang Kui before he could finish. "Yun Qinghong does not need a shameless traitor like you to lecture him! My Yun Clan followed the Ancestral Demon Emperor to unify Huan Yao in the past. Without the Ancestral Demon Emperor, there would be no prosperous Yun Clan that has flourished for ten thousand years! My Yun Clan has always regarded protecting the Demon Emperor Clan as our destiny and glory! In ten thousand years, there has never been a moment of disloyalty! Hmph... What is Huai Wang to deserve the protection and loyalty of my Yun Clan?! You are all from the Guardian Clans, yet you treat this murderer of the Little Demon Empress as a new sovereign... You make our ancestors ashamed in the underworld!"
"Yun Qinghong! How dare you!" Zhong Wang jumped out, his face full of grief and indignation, even trembling with anger. "After the Little Demon Empress met her end, you repeatedly slandered the new emperor for killing her with his own hand! But the Little Demon Empress clearly perished in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, and during the time the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley's seal was open, the new emperor was clearly in Yao Huang City, seen by countless people! Everyone knows that once you enter the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, unless the seal closes, there is absolutely no way out! Your slander is self-refuting and utterly ridiculous!"
"The new emperor is magnanimous and has never bothered with you. He has even had to endure your Yun Clan's shameless slander while managing the affairs of the imperial city! And you, Yun Qinghong, are so ungrateful and ignorant of what's good for you. At this sacred and solemn coronation ceremony of the new emperor, not only do you insult him, but you also dare to utter this ridiculous slander that no one believes in front of everyone! This is not only a great crime of treason against the sovereign, but also an insult to all of us!"
As Zhong Wang spoke, his face was already pale with anger. He cupped his hands toward Huai Wang and said, "Huai Emperor, you have been lenient with the Yun Clan, but some people go too far in their contempt for the sovereign! As your subject, I can no longer stand by! Please, Huai Emperor, give the order to seize this traitor immediately!"
Huai Wang slowly raised his hand, shook his head slightly, and let out a soft sigh. A hint of helplessness showed on his face. "Clan Master Yun, you have always had prejudice and misunderstandings against me. I understand that quite well. But accusing me of poisoning the Little Demon Empress to death is the world's biggest joke. Enough. Today is my coronation day. It should be a day of amnesty, and I should not be angered. So today, I will still not bother with you. But once I have sacrificed to heaven and the gods, and formally become emperor, if you still dare to offend like this... even if you are the meritorious head of the Yun Clan, the son of Demon King Yun Canghai, I will not go easy on you!!"
Yun Qinghong refused to kneel, loudly cursed the new emperor, and "slandered" the new emperor as the murderer of the Little Demon Empress in public... Every single one of these offenses was punishable by death. But Huai Wang's handling was extremely generous. Of course, this was not because his heart was so broad, nor because he did not want to put Yun Qinghong and the entire Yun Clan to death. Rather, the Yun Clan had just regained its prestige four months ago due to Yun Che and had won the hearts of many. Now, the Yun Clan's reputation in the Huan Yao Realm was far greater than at any time in the past ten thousand years. As a newly ascended emperor, before he was fully secure, openly taking action against the Yun Clan was not a wise move—even if the Yun Clan had provoked him first.
Moreover, this move could fully display his magnanimity, highlighting the Yun Clan's heinous behavior by contrast.
But Yun Qinghong was not about to buy into it. He let out a long laugh, then suddenly leaped into the air and landed in the center of the great hall. A flash of purple light, and a seven-foot longsword was already in his hand, pointing directly at Huai Wang. "There's no need to wait until that day. I, Yun Qinghong, have come here today to stain the Yaohuang Palace with blood!"
Yun Qinghong's actions shocked everyone. The entire Yaohuang Palace fell into chaos. Even Huai Wang never dreamed in his wildest fantasies that Yun Qinghong, who was always composed and supremely wise, would make such a move. Helian Kuang and the others shouted in unison, "Yun Qinghong! What... what are you trying to do?!"
"Clan Master Yun, don't act rashly!" Su Xiangnan and Yan Zijing exclaimed in alarm. Su Xiangnan quickly condensed his profound energy into sound transmission and earnestly advised, "Clan Master Yun! Put away your sword immediately! Even if the Little Demon Empress and your son were indeed killed by Huai Wang... you must preserve your life to have a day of vengeance! Such an unwise act... is not something you, Yun Qinghong, should do!"
Yun Qinghong turned a deaf ear to Su Xiangnan's sound transmission, showing no reaction at all. Beside him, Mu Yurou stood shoulder to shoulder with him, her whole body surging with cold energy. The chill in her eyes was bone-piercing, and her voice carried the deepest, most bone-carving hatred of her life: "Huai Wang! You killed my son... Today, even if it costs my husband and me our lives, we will make you pay blood for blood!!"