The Emperor's expression did not change.
Without the slightest hurry, he set down the bowl of medicine in his hand and slowly rose to his feet, an aura of imperial majesty surging from his person.
"If We are not the Emperor, then who would We be?"
His composed demeanor, combined with that majestic presence, sent a shudder through everyone present.
That was the majesty of an emperor!
Yet now, a subordinate of the Imperial Crown Princess dared claim His Majesty was not the Emperor—a direct offense against his imperial majesty.
By law, such a crime was punishable by death!
The wrath of the Son of Heaven carried dire consequences.
"Mister Lu, you..."
The Ninth Princess glanced at Lu Changsheng, then back at the Emperor.
This was her "Imperial Father."
Yet her "Imperial Father" had always been a distant stranger to her.
Because of that, she could not sense anything different about him compared to the past.
Even so, she trusted Lu Changsheng.
Thus, the Ninth Princess stood up abruptly, her gaze fixed intently on the Emperor as she asked in a deep voice, "Imperial Father, you were on the verge of death earlier, and the imperial physicians declared there was no hope. May I ask how you made a full recovery?"
The Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly.
Fixing his gaze on her, he sneered, "Heh. Well, aren't you a filial daughter. What, to seize this throne, you refuse to acknowledge your own father now?
"We are not dead yet! It is not the place of an Imperial Crown Princess to question Us!
"Guards! Lu Changsheng spouts treasonous nonsense and defies the Son of Heaven. Execute him!"
The Emperor immediately barked his order.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Dozens of figures surged in from outside the bedchamber.
These were hidden experts of the Imperial Palace, dedicated to protecting the Emperor's safety.
None of these dozens were ordinary experts.
The auras they radiated were all at the divine body realm!
In truth, Lu Changsheng had already learned about the imperial family's circumstances from the Ninth Princess.
The imperial family controlled the national destiny!
In particular, the Emperor held the national destiny in his hands.
As the ruler of the divine dynasty, the Emperor could utilize the national destiny to assist martial artists in forging a divine body foundation.
Of course, doing so depleted the national destiny.
Yet as long as the realm was given time to recover and the national destiny was not overused, there were no lasting issues.
These dozens of individuals were experts sworn to obey the Emperor.
Dozens of divine body experts.
Such a lineup could sweep across virtually everything.
Compared to this, the ten divine body experts the First and Third Princes had fielded during the succession struggle were utterly insignificant.
This was the true heritage of the Great Qian imperial clan.
Moreover, these dozens of divine body experts were certainly not all of them.
It also pointed to another reality:
The imperial family might truly not lack divine-body-level divine items.
If they could casually produce dozens of divine body experts,
just how many divine-body-level divine items did they possess?
It was difficult to fathom.
Seeing dozens of divine body experts surround him and the Ninth Princess,
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What, embarrassed and furious, so now you want to silence us with murder?
"Can you even manage it?"
His gaze turned icy.
*Boom!*
The next moment, Lu Changsheng's aura erupted.
All forty-two avatars fused in an instant.
This time, Lu Changsheng held nothing back, fusing every single one of his avatars.
A terrifying pressure swept outward like a vast, surging tide,
spreading in every direction.
Death energy billowed around him,
faintly coalescing into a domain of death.
Anyone caught within the death domain felt the erosion of that morbid power.
Even the dozens of divine body experts felt themselves being suppressed.
It was utterly inconceivable.
They were dozens of divine body experts—how could a single person suppress all of them?
Such a massive commotion immediately caught the attention of the Imperial Palace's experts,
particularly the Imperial Elders Council.
"Not good! This aura..."
The elders on the council turned pale with shock, on guard as if facing a mortal foe.
An instant later, they rushed toward the Emperor's bedchamber.
However, the elders were still some distance away from the bedchamber.
It would take time to arrive.
And that interval was enough to accomplish many things—
such as deciding life and death!
"Heaven!"
"Overturning!"
"Seal!"
Without hesitation, having fused all forty-two avatars, Lu Changsheng unleashed his strongest attack.
He overturned his palm.
The strike enveloped all dozens of divine body experts at once.
Like Mount Tai crashing down upon their heads, it instilled a violent sense of mortal peril in every one of them.
"Not good!"
"We cannot withstand him alone! Give everything you have—kill him!"
The dozens of divine body experts dared not hold anything back.
They struck out with everything they had, blasting toward Lu Changsheng.
The terrifying clash of forces even warped the surrounding space.
As Lu Changsheng's palm descended, the dozens of divine body experts met his Heaven-Overturning Seal in a direct, head-on collision with their most potent strikes.
*Rumble!*
It was a direct clash without the slightest trickery.
Beneath Lu Changsheng's palm, the force advanced like bamboo splitting before a blade, ruthlessly crushing downward.
Not even dozens of divine body experts could impede his monstrous might.
"What?!"
"Impossible, this is impossible! He is only one man—how could he match dozens of us?!"
"Match us? This is sheer annihilation!"
"No—!"
In an instant, the dozens of divine body experts collapsed.
They could not withstand even a single strike.
Like a burst dam before a raging deluge, their defense gave way completely.
None of these dozens of experts could hold back Lu Changsheng's Heaven-Overturning Seal.
When that horrifying power slammed down, it pulverized every one of them into bloody mist.
In a single move, dozens of divine body experts were wiped out!
Nothing remained but a ground soaked in red and the thick stench of blood hanging in the air.
Silence.
The Emperor's bedchamber fell deathly still.
No, the bedchamber was gone now.
Lu Changsheng's single palm strike had obliterated it entirely.
Yet the Emperor was still alive.
The consorts, eunuchs, and others by the Emperor's side were also alive.
Lu Changsheng had shown restraint.
Whatever happened, the Emperor could not die by his hand.
Even if this was an "imposter," the Imperial Elders Council needed to clean up the mess rather than have Lu Changsheng kill him.
Thus, Lu Changsheng had carefully measured his force, wiping out only the dozens of divine body experts.
Seeing Lu Changsheng annihilate dozens of experts in a single strike,
even the Emperor could not hide his shock.
"Who... who on earth are you?"
The Emperor was utterly stunned.
Dozens of divine body experts!
Such a force was enough to sweep across the entire divine dynasty.
Yet a single man had slaughtered them all.
In the Kunwu World, such power was terrifying beyond measure.
Without a national divine item, who could possibly oppose him?
*Right, there is still the national divine item!*
The thought of the national divine item brought a sudden gleam to the Emperor's eyes.
No matter what, in the Kunwu World, the national divine item was truly invincible!
Once it was deployed, whoever stood against it would perish!
*Boom!*
Right at that moment, several powerful auras descended.
"Who dares act so brazenly in the Imperial Palace?"
A solemn, majestic, and familiar voice echoed in Lu Changsheng's ears.
Immediately following, black-robed figures flew in from the distance.
The Imperial Elders Council had finally arrived!
Lu Changsheng even felt himself locked onto.
It was a tremor that originated from the depths of his soul.
He sensed extreme danger.
Some power had fixed its aim upon him.
If that force erupted, Lu Changsheng would die!
In the Kunwu World, only one thing could make him feel such acute peril:
a national divine item!
The Imperial Elders Council had definitely brought out the national divine item!
"Hmm?"
"Lu Changsheng!"
It was the familiar black-robed elder.
He recognized Lu Changsheng at once.
He knew how strong Lu Changsheng was.
Yet no matter how powerful Lu Changsheng was, he could not run rampant in the Imperial Palace.
"Imperial Crown Princess, what is the meaning of this?"
The black-robed elder did not address Lu Changsheng; he turned directly to the Ninth Princess.
Gritting her teeth, the Ninth Princess replied, "Reporting to Elder: I received word earlier that Imperial Father had passed away...
"Yet when I rushed to Imperial Father's bedchamber, I found him safe and sound, only altered in a way that felt entirely alien.
"Mister Lu concluded that Imperial Father was an imposter. Imperial Father then mobilized dozens of divine body experts to surround and kill Mister Lu, only to be eliminated by Mister Lu instead.
"Mister Lu never makes baseless claims. The 'Imperial Father' before us, the Emperor of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, is almost certainly a fake! I beg the Elder to look into this with discerning eyes!"
Steeling herself, the Ninth Princess outright declared the Emperor an imposter.
She chose to trust Lu Changsheng.
She had no way out now.
No matter what, she had to insist that the Emperor was a fraud.
"An imposter Emperor?"
The black-robed elder was taken aback.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the Emperor.
The black-robed elder was himself a divine body expert.
He extended his senses slightly.
The Emperor was still the Emperor.
His aura had not changed.
His appearance had not changed either.
The only difference was that the Emperor's body was indeed fully recovered.
This was utterly baffling.
The council of elders had never given the Emperor any life-extending medicine; how could he suddenly be cured?
The Emperor's vitality had long since been depleted, like an oil lamp burning its final drop.
The only explanation was that this Emperor was indeed an imposter.
"Emperor, do you have any explanation for this?" the black-robed elder asked coldly.
"An explanation?"
The Emperor chuckled.
Even now, he remained composed.
"We are the Emperor. What need do We have to explain Ourselves?
"An outsider claims We are an imposter, but Imperial Uncle, can you tell if We are fake?
"If you cannot, then We are the lord of the divine dynasty, the Son of Heaven!"
The Emperor's imperial bearing and sharp counter-question silenced the elders.
"Lu Changsheng, you claim the Emperor is an imposter. Do you have proof?" the black-robed elder asked.
Lu Changsheng shook his head. "I merely noticed the changes in him. He is definitely not the true Emperor; an evil fiend must have possessed or seized his body.
"As for proof? I have no direct evidence. But verifying whether he is an imposter is quite simple.
"I will kill the Emperor. If he dies, he was real. If he survives, he is definitely a fraud. What do you say?"
Lu Changsheng's words made the elders' faces change drastically.
What kind of method was that?
Were they supposed to test it with the Emperor's life?
Yet Lu Changsheng could not care less.
If the Emperor did not die, how could the Ninth Princess ascend the throne?
If she did not become Emperor of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, how was Lu Changsheng to gain access to the imperial clan's heritage?
Proof?
Lu Changsheng had never needed proof to act!
"Die!"
Lu Changsheng moved.
With lightning speed, he threw a punch straight toward the Emperor.
He had fused forty-two avatars.
Even a casual punch possessed terrifying might,
easily rivaling that of a peak Martial Dao Sovereign.
How could an emperor withstand such power?
Though the Emperor had fused a divine body, his physical vessel was at death's door, possessing practically no combat strength.
If this blow landed, the Emperor was doomed!
"Absurd!"
"Stop this instant!"
"Activate the national divine item!"
The Imperial Elders Council flared with fury.
They had not expected Lu Changsheng to be so unhinged as to disregard them entirely.
Even with them standing right there, he dared strike brazenly at the Emperor.
This was a blatant provocation against the majesty of the imperial clan—
a provocation against the Great Qian Divine Dynasty!
Instantly, the elders activated the national divine item.
*Bang!*
Yet they were a step too late.
Lu Changsheng's fist was already descending upon the Emperor.
In that instant, fear finally broke through the Emperor's facade.
A glint of terror surfaced in his eyes.
"Madman! You are completely insane!
"If you kill me, you will die too! Are you so eager to drag us both down together?!
"I'm not playing along with a lunatic like you..."
A shrill shriek tore from the Emperor's mouth—
a voice that did not belong to the Emperor at all.
At the same time, a semi-translucent figure leaped abruptly out of the Emperor's body.
With a dull thud,
the Emperor collapsed to the ground.
He was already breathless, reduced to a lifeless corpse.
"Halt!"
At the critical juncture, the imperial elder ordered the national divine item stopped.
He had seen the semi-translucent figure as well.
Furthermore, the Emperor on the ground had indeed long been a corpse,
dead beyond all doubt.
Lu Changsheng had not even made physical contact with him earlier.
Evidently, the Emperor had indeed been possessed.
Yet the forbidden grounds of the Imperial Palace had always been monitored by the elders and guarded by special divine items.
Who could possibly pull off such a possession?
None of that mattered right now.
The priority was capturing that semi-translucent figure—
the fiend who had possessed the Emperor!
Though Lu Changsheng had already acted, the figure was extraordinarily fast.
In the blink of an eye, it shot into the sky,
seemingly about to escape.
At the very least, Lu Changsheng's current speed could not catch up.
"Spatial Suppression!"
The black-robed elder suddenly roared.
At the same time, the surrounding space was locked down.
Everything seemed to freeze.
Even that semi-translucent figure in midair
hung motionless, trapped in the sky.
Including Lu Changsheng.
Even with forty-two avatars fused,
he found himself restrained.
Boundless spatial force seemed to constrict his entire body.
Naturally, if he exerted all his strength, Lu Changsheng could perhaps struggle against it,
but it would likely achieve little.
He instantly understood what power this was.
A national divine item!
This was the Great Qian Divine Dynasty's national divine item!
"Gather."
The black-robed elder produced a mirror.
It was exceedingly peculiar.
While not a national divine item, it was extraordinarily wondrous.
He turned the mirror toward the translucent silhouette in the sky, and with a sweeping beam of light, the figure was drawn straight into the mirror.
The surroundings returned to normal.
The spatial suppression dissipated.
At this point, the black-robed elder fixed his gaze on Lu Changsheng and said meaningfully, "The fiend has been suppressed. This matter may now come to an end.
"No one is permitted to spread word of this. To the outside world, announce only that the Emperor has passed away.
"Imperial Crown Princess, you shall succeed the throne and assume the imperial seat!"
His words sent a jolt of excitement through the Ninth Princess, an irrepressible joy surfacing on her face.
"Yes. Thank you, Elder."
The Ninth Princess immediately departed to make preparations.
Only the black-robed elder remained, giving Lu Changsheng a profound look before remarking calmly, "Mister Lu possesses formidable methods. Dozens of divine body experts could not withstand a single exchange against you. Might I ask what stage your divine body has reached?"
A faint smile played on Lu Changsheng's lips, but he did not remain silent, replying calmly, "Perhaps near perfection."
The elder shuddered.
Near perfection!
That was a divine body!
No wonder his strength was so monstrous.
Once a divine body reached perfection, it was comparable to the Ancestor Realm!
Even in the world of the otherworldly godly beings, the Ancestor Realm stood at the absolute pinnacle.
In the Kunwu World, the Ancestor Realm rivaled a national divine item.
In fact, if a national divine item clashed with a true Ancestor Realm expert, it would likely prove inferior.
No wonder Lu Changsheng was so powerful.
"Good!
"It has been an exceedingly long time since our Great Qian Divine Dynasty produced someone with a perfected divine body.
"For Mister Lu to assist the Imperial Crown Princess is the honor of our Great Qian imperial clan."
With that, the black-robed elder departed with the other imperial elders.
Whatever Lu Changsheng's goals were, so long as he did nothing harmful to the Great Qian imperial clan, that was enough.
Everyone had secrets.
If he were weak, they could handle him at will.
Yet Lu Changsheng was not weak.
Under such circumstances, it was best not to offend him and simply let things take their course.
The Imperial Elders Council departed.
Only a sparse few remained in the ruins of the bedchamber.
Even the Ninth Princess had left.
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes.
In truth, his divine body was still countless leagues away from perfection.
He had only unleashed such terrifying power by fusing his avatars.
Yet that did not matter.
As long as he had a plausible explanation for his strength, it sufficed.
And being near divine body perfection was a very plausible explanation.
None could poke holes in it.
Still, that possessor just now...
Lu Changsheng knew this was a monumental matter.
If anyone could possess bodies like that, the entire Kunwu World would surely be plunged into turmoil again.
He could already vaguely sense that chaos was descending upon the Kunwu World.
...
Within the Imperial Elders Council.
The elders employed every method at their disposal to interrogate the captured fiend.
The intelligence they obtained left them astonished and deeply shaken.
"What? A... a method of possession that even the rules of the Kunwu World struggle to detect? And it has already begun spreading widely throughout the world of the otherworldly godly beings?!"
"If those otherworldly godly beings can all enter the Kunwu World through possession, taking over bodies indiscriminately without leaking their auras, won't the entire Kunwu World descend into utter chaos?"
"Those otherworldly godly beings have coveted our Kunwu World for far too long to have devised such an insidious scheme."
"We must find a way to identify possessed individuals, or else..."
The elders knitted their brows in deep concern.
Clearly, this was troublesome—
exceedingly troublesome.
If only one or two people, a tiny faction, or exceptional powerhouses possessed such a technique, it would be manageable.
However, if the possession technique was not overly difficult and became widely practiced, it would deal an almost catastrophic blow to the entire Kunwu World.
At the very least, divine dynasties like theirs would face immense peril.
What good was a national divine item?
Who could detect possession?
Without a means of detection, infiltrators would inevitably possess hosts, lurk for decades, and perhaps even rise to become imperial elders, seize control of the national divine item, and claim it as their own.
Or they could possess princes, win the succession struggle, become emperors of the divine dynasties, and sow havoc across the land.
In short, once possession spread widely, given the vast scale of the otherworldly beings' realm, countless experts would flood in through stolen bodies.
The Kunwu World would face endless turmoil.
"We must send word to the other divine dynasties so they can prepare."
"Furthermore, we must find a way to identify those who have been possessed."
"And the Imperial Crown Princess... could she have been possessed?"
Some elders voiced their suspicion.
The Imperial Crown Princess!
Upon reflection, something about her truly seemed off.
Previously, she had been a marginal figure in the succession struggle, virtually cannon fodder destined for exile with no hope of victory.
Yet simply because she took a trip to Xia Province,
she was entirely different upon her return.
The Princess Estate had risen at breakneck speed,
sweeping aside all opposition to win the succession struggle.
Now that the Emperor was dead, she was about to ascend the throne!
Her trajectory was almost surreal.
From every angle, it seemed entirely possible she had been possessed.
"The Imperial Crown Princess should be fine."
"If anyone is suspect, it is Lu Changsheng of the Princess Estate."
"This Lu Changsheng is likely an otherworldly godly being. Through methods unknown to us—perhaps possession, perhaps something else—even the national divine item cannot detect his identity as an outsider."
"Yet we currently lack evidence, and he is far too strong. Moreover, the Imperial Crown Princess trusts him deeply; it would be unwise for us to deploy the national divine item to strike him down outright."
"Therefore, let us wait and observe. As long as he does not harm the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, it does not truly matter even if he is an otherworldly godly being..."
the black-robed elder said slowly.
As an imperial elder, he knew well that otherworldly godly beings fought for themselves and pursued their own agendas; they were hardly a monolithic bloc.
Many of them were merely seeking cultivation opportunities.
So long as they did not obstruct the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, it was acceptable.
Judging by Lu Changsheng's actions, he had consistently supported the Imperial Crown Princess.
Furthermore, he had been diligently collecting divine items.
If his goal was genuinely nothing more than obtaining divine items,
then it was no great concern.
What the imperial clan lacked least was divine items!
A few days later, the Ninth Princess's coronation ceremony took place as scheduled.
Before the watchful eyes of all, the Ninth Princess ascended the supreme throne, adopting the reign era Tianzhao and becoming known as Empress Tianzhao!
Yet after becoming Empress Tianzhao, she seemed to turn into a different person.
She did not summon Lu Changsheng to the palace.
One month, two months, three months...
For three whole months, Empress Tianzhao seemed to have forgotten Lu Changsheng entirely.
Speculation began to stir among members of the court.
Opinions varied,
yet all spoke with great caution.
Everyone knew that the greatest contributor to the Ninth Princess becoming Empress Tianzhao was Lu Changsheng.
Yet three months had passed since her ascension without a single audience.
That in itself was abnormal.
On this day, a decree-bearing eunuch arrived from the palace.
"Mister Lu, Her Majesty the Empress summons you to the palace."
The eunuch was not arrogant in the slightest.
Clearly, he knew Lu Changsheng's stature
and dared not put on airs before him.
"Lead the way, eunuch."
Lu Changsheng rose, his expression placid.
The passing of three months had not perturbed him in the least.
Under the eunuch's guidance, Lu Changsheng stepped into the Imperial Palace once more.
In the imperial study, he met Empress Tianzhao.
The former Ninth Princess had now become Empress Tianzhao.
She was an aloof monarch,
ruling over countless millions, her majestic bearing growing heavier by the day.
She seemed completely different from who she once was.
Even so, Lu Changsheng bowed as he always had. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Empress Tianzhao looked up and waved her sleeve; the eunuchs and palace maids withdrew from the study.
Even the guards outside retreated far into the distance.
Only Empress Tianzhao and Lu Changsheng remained in the study.
After a long silence, Empress Tianzhao finally spoke slowly. "Mister Lu, you are an otherworldly godly being, aren't you?"
Her opening words were earth-shattering!
An otherworldly godly being!
Many knew what that identity entailed.
The divine dynasties and otherworldly godly beings were almost always irreconcilable.
Whenever an otherworldly godly being was discovered, the divine dynasties would move heaven and earth to eliminate them.
At root, it was a question of allegiances.
The divine dynasties required absolute control,
whereas most otherworldly godly beings wielded dreadful power that the dynasties could never rein in.
This was the fundamental and irreconcilable conflict.
Lu Changsheng remained silent for a long time. Slowly raising his head, he met Empress Tianzhao's gaze and replied calmly, word by word, "Did Your Majesty not guess this long ago?"
He did not deny it.
In truth, while Empress Tianzhao was still the Ninth Princess, she had already guessed his identity.
Lu Changsheng knew she had, as well.
Yet what did it matter?
They were merely using each other.
Back then, the Ninth Princess needed him to help her win the throne,
so she would never expose him.
Empress Tianzhao smiled. "I feel rather wistful. Back in Xia Province, I already harbored suspicions. But my circumstances were dire then; I had to do everything in my power to build my strength at all costs.
"Even I never anticipated the succession struggle would proceed so smoothly.
"It can truly be said that without Mister Lu, I would not be here today.
"The reason I did not summon you for three months was that I spent all that time contemplating how to handle your presence."
Lu Changsheng gave a slight smile. "And has Your Majesty decided how to handle me now?"
"Naturally.
"After much agonizing thought, I have finally made up my mind.
"Still, I must ask: Mister Lu, what is your purpose?"
Empress Tianzhao stared intently at him.
"My purpose?"
Lu Changsheng smiled.
"I stated it very clearly from the beginning.
"I only want divine items!
"Once Your Majesty ascended the throne, I would also need to borrow the Imperial Library to look into clues regarding divine items. Nothing more."
This was not the first time Lu Changsheng had said this.
He had stated it multiple times before.
Even now, his goal had not changed.
"Very well.
"Mister Lu, I have not forgotten the promises I made to you back then.
"This is my token. You may proceed to the Imperial Library. No one will bar your way, and you may peruse every text within!"
With that, Empress Tianzhao tossed him a medallion.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Changsheng said nothing more.
Taking the medallion, he turned and walked out.
In the end, it was merely a transaction.
Visit the library, obtain the divine items,
and then he would bid farewell to Empress Tianzhao.
That was, in fact, Empress Tianzhao's intention as well!
A transaction fulfilled, promises kept—all debts settled, neither owing the other anything!
Chapter 334