Dying Radiance

The following day. Dark clouds loomed over the imperial court. Minister of Rites Kong Qi stood tall in his dark formal robes. Normally a man of handsome bearing and impeccable poise, his face was now flushed with fury. "Chancellor! For three consecutive days, why have the Dragon War Army, the Black Flag Army, and the Liaodong Army marched blatantly into the imperial capital? Can it be that... you intend to rebel?!" A heavy silence fell over the court. Aside from a tiny handful of officials, the overwhelming majority were subservient to Sima Ting. To them, the three armies entering the capital was precisely what they had been waiting for. It was long past time for the heavens of Southern Qian to change. Of course, they did not know that these armies were not entering the capital to stage a rebellion—they were merely sacrifices. And the officials themselves were sacrifices as well, no different from those soldiers, no different from the common folk. Walking with bold, imperial strides, Sima Ting addressed the Minister of Rites. "The entrance of the three armies into the capital was authorized by deployment orders from the Ministry of War, fully in accordance with the laws of Southern Qian. For the minister to level baseless conjectures and slander this humble official is utterly ludicrous!" The other officials broke into laughter. Great Worthy Kong Qi was known for his mild temperament and upright character, widely revered as a sage. But at this moment, Sima Ting's arrogance had him trembling with rage. "Everyone knows Sima Ting's wicked heart!" Great Worthy Kong Qi shouted, suddenly bursting into bitter tears. "In an entire court full of civil and military officials, not a single one... Not a single one dares speak! Southern Qian... is finished!" The surrounding officials watched Kong Qi with sneers of mockery. Kong Qi might have been a qualified sage, but he was certainly not a seasoned official. Right then, the Duke of Yu, who had remained silent all along, spoke up. "Chancellor, does Her Majesty know of your purpose in mobilizing three armies into the capital?" Sima Ting glanced at the Duke of Yu. He had not expected this old turtle to speak up for Jin Li as well. Yet none of that mattered anymore. "Doesn't Her Majesty know now?" Sima Ting looked toward Jin Li seated upon the throne, a mocking smile in his eyes and not an ounce of respect. The late emperor had merely been his puppet, and he had personally placed Jin Li on the throne. The entire court was filled with his people. He continued, "Monsters and demons have recently been causing trouble within the imperial city. To ensure Her Majesty's safety, I mobilized the three armies into the capital. For the time being, a curfew will be placed on the capital: entry is permitted, but none may leave! After half a month, once the demons have been purged, the three armies will naturally withdraw. There is no need for panic, gentlemen!" Having said his piece, Sima Ting turned and swept his sleeves, striding out without even keeping up appearances. The other officials followed closely behind him. A few stole hurried bows toward Jin Li before rushing away as well. Soon, only a handful of officials remained in the vast palace hall, along with Jin Li, whose face was clouded with sorrow. Exhausted, Jin Li returned to her bedchamber and glanced at the Exquisite Jade Tide in her hand. If the nation fell and she perished, would the agreement from back then... still be honored? She looked up at the towering Ancient Qi Toon Tree, lost in thought. Just then, Aunt Qin entered, her face etched with deep exhaustion and a flicker of anger. "Your Majesty, all three armies have entered, and the city gates are sealed. If Sima Ting reveals his fangs, this old woman will risk her life to get Your Majesty out!" Beside her, Imperial Guard Commander Hua Xian dropped to one knee. "I am willing to die for Your Majesty!" Looking at those still loyal to her, Jin Li said softly, "I'm sorry... I've failed you all." She had never been a qualified empress. Sima Ting's subordinates had even tampered with her cultivation in secret, leaving her progress sluggish. "Sima Ting's ambitions run deep; he will likely make his move within half a month. It is... impossible for me to leave the imperial city. But you still have a chance. Flee the imperial city and head to the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground. You might escape this calamity there," Jin Li said, arranging an escape route for Aunt Qin and her remaining confidants. At that moment, Aunt Qin's gaze turned dark and grave. "Your Majesty, that old wretch Sima Ting may be plotting far more than mere usurpation. Inside the chancellor's manor, I sensed several obscure yet immense auras—and among them are demons!" "Demons?" Jin Li froze. "And outside the city, the demonic presence seems even stronger. There are... no fewer than three Sovereign rank powerhouses!" "What?" Jin Li was utterly stunned. She had no idea what Sima Ting was truly trying to do! *** Under the brilliant moonlight, Qi Yuan was clad in blood-red armor, pushing his combat power to its absolute peak. Like a massive, berserk dinosaur, he crashed forward, instantly slaying several robe monsters. His experience bar surged! Suddenly, Qi Yuan let out a resounding shout. "Level 90!" He had finally reached Level 90! According to the classifications of the Wangyue Continent, Level 90 was beyond the Heavenly Domain—it was the realm of a Divine Domain powerhouse. Between Level 89 and Level 90 lay a qualitative divide! Qi Yuan could feel his strength, speed, constitution, and every other attribute skyrocketing across the board. If before he had feared being swarmed by robe monsters and only dared hunt at night, he now had zero apprehension. Even farming monsters in broad daylight, he would butcher as many robe monsters as dared to show up! "Two skills!" Breaking through to Level 90 granted him two new skills. At the thought, he felt Xiao Jia truly was the best robe monster in the entire world. Wearing her not only boosted his level by five, but it also let him freeload two skills. He began inspecting his new abilities. "Soul Stabilization?" The first basic skill was named Soul Stabilization, which anchored the soul and preserved one's clarity of mind against illusions and phantasms. "Dying Radiance?" The ultimate skill was Dying Radiance. Looking at this ultimate, Qi Yuan could not help clicking his tongue. This skill was practically dancing on a tightrope over death. Only when one hovered on the brink of death, walking the razor's edge of mortality, could it unleash its most dazzling brilliance and greatest combat power. Moreover, it was not merely a combat boost—it was also a self-healing ability. Inflicting damage on enemies allowed him to siphon their life force to mend his own wounds. In simple terms, the lower his HP, the stronger he became, and it came with built-in lifesteal and mana-steal. "Why didn't you give me a Master of Destiny? Wouldn't I be completely invincible then?" Qi Yuan felt the skill was a bit risky; it really needed to be paired with a Master of Destiny. If he had that, he might even be able to back-door the enemy's crystal. "Still, it's pretty solid. Even at full health, activating Dying Radiance doubles my combat power." Gripping his blood-red great sword, Qi Yuan looked past the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground toward its deepest depths. "Ugly little freak..." "No—Ugly Robe Monster Sovereign, here I come." Deep within the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground, the Ugly Robe Monster Sovereign, which had been glaring at Qi Yuan all this time, shot toward him at terrifying speed. In an instant, the two charged headlong into each other, meeting in a cataclysmic collision! "Haah!" Crimson soul blood seemed to spill from Qi Yuan's blood-red armor. He raised his blade; what had originally been a several-meter-long great sword surged with crimson soul blood, expanding into a blade over a thousand meters long. "Taste my blade!" With Dying Radiance at his disposal, Qi Yuan's fighting style had changed completely. He chased maximum attack power and maximum destructive area. Even if the shockwaves could not harm the Ugly Robe Monster Sovereign, they could still wipe out the surrounding robe monsters. Those were experience points, as well as enemy walking-accessories for him to siphon health from. More importantly, he no longer had to worry about running out of mana. He could let loose with his ult to his heart's content! "Today, I'm slaying you!"