Chapter 1865: The Eight Sovereigns' Revenge

Chengtian Domain.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your wounds haven't healed yet; why not rest a little longer?"

A young guard hurried into the great hall, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the figure in imperial robes standing silently before the steps of the dragon throne.

Because Ying Fu’s severe injuries had yet to heal, he hadn't left his bedchamber for a long time. Upon hearing that His Majesty had gone out alone to an unknown destination, the guard had immediately mobilized all the palace guards to search, finally finding the missing Emperor in the Chengtian Hall.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough..."

A weak, hacking cough echoed from before the steps.

The guard stepped forward quickly, intending to drape a thick blanket—which had been prepared in advance—over Ying Fu, but the latter shook his head.

"No need."

"But Your Majesty, your wounds are still..."

"What is the situation at the Red Dust Prison?"

Seeing Ying Fu ask directly about the Red Dust Prison, the guard hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully: "Chen Ling has ascended to the Ninth Stage and brutally killed the Calamities of Mockery and Thought. Furthermore, with the Imperial Sword in his hand, the Dukes dare not act rashly... He has now seized control of the entire Red Dust Prison."

Ying Fu nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by this.

"Besides that..."

"Sovereign Aurora, Sovereign Tian-Shu, Sovereign Cang-Yun, and Sovereign Ling-Xu have all awakened. They have dealt with the Calamities attacking the various prisons, but..." The guard paused, speaking cautiously, "They have also suppressed our core controllers in each prison and renamed every prison a 'Domain'."

"Your Majesty..."

"I fear we have lost control over those prisons."

The guard’s voice grew quieter as he spoke. Having served in the palace for so long, he naturally knew the Emperor's temperament... In the past, if such a loss of control had occurred, His Majesty would have flown into a rage and purged everyone who had failed their duties. The seizure of power in several prisons was undoubtedly a major event that hadn't happened in hundreds of years.

He feared Ying Fu would be overcome with anger, or explode in a fury, and he might even be implicated himself...

But strangely, Ying Fu did not seem to feel that way this time.

He simply stood alone on the black steps, draped in his thin imperial robes, like a silent statue.

"You may leave," he said calmly. "Withdraw all guards from the vicinity... leave no one within ten kilometers of me."

The guard was stunned.

He didn't understand what Ying Fu was thinking, but regardless, the fact that Ying Fu wasn't enraged allowed his own tense heart to relax slightly. He naturally didn't ask any more questions, gave an acknowledgment, and hurried out of the hall.

In the empty, cold hall behind him, the weak coughing gradually subsided.

Just as the guard gave the order for all guards and maids in the area to leave the vicinity of the hall, blinding points of light suddenly lit up in the distant sky.

"...What is that?" another guard asked blankly.

"Are those... stars?"

"Where would stars come from in broad daylight?"

"They must be meteors. It feels like they're getting closer."

"Wait... getting closer??"

"Oh no, these stars are moving so fast!!!"

“……”

By the time everyone realized that the massive "meteor shower" was approaching at an astonishing speed, it was already too late...

At that moment, both they and the citizens living in the Chengtian Domain saw with their own eyes streaks of light, moving at extreme speeds across the horizon, carrying a terrifying aura that made their hearts tremble, plummeting straight toward the Chengtian Imperial Palace!!

In their eyes, the rapidly approaching "meteors" had grown into massive, scorching suns that were impossible to look at directly.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!!!*

Deafening explosions erupted from the imperial palace!

Brilliant, blinding spheres of light engulfed the magnificent palace complex. Energy fluctuations, even more terrifying than those of a Ninth-Stage Duke, swept across the entire Chengtian Domain, causing everyone’s heart to skip a beat. Ordinary people closer to the palace were nearly knocked off their feet.

"That..."

"That is..."

On the four main avenues—Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise—the various officials and powerful ministers of the Chengtian Dynasty witnessed the imperial palace being swallowed by the brilliant spheres of light, their minds reeling in shock!

In this world, who could possibly dare to attack the Chengtian Imperial Palace???

Who would dare to strike at His Majesty!!

At this moment, they all understood... regardless of whether His Majesty was injured by these attacks, or whether the palace suffered damage, the blow to the prestige of the Chengtian Dynasty was catastrophic.

The citizens who had lived under the rule of the Chengtian Dynasty for generations would now realize that the supreme imperial power was not unshakable, and that the one on the throne was not invincible.

While this thought might seem insignificant, it undoubtedly tore a rift in the majestic image the Chengtian Dynasty had spent hundreds of years building.

Of course, they did not yet know the intelligence that several prisons had already been reclaimed by the "Sovereigns," or they would realize that a single "rift" was the least of their worries...

The Chengtian Dynasty was now riddled with holes.

The aftershocks of the explosion slowly dissipated.

The outlines of ruined palace buildings gradually emerged through the swirling dust.

The God of Mathematics' "skipping stones" had covered a vast number of palaces in one go. The imperial palace, once sacred and magnificent in the eyes of the people, was now mostly reduced to rubble... yet in the center of these ruins, only one great hall remained unscathed amidst the dust.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough..."

The imperial pressure gradually faded, and scarlet blood splattered onto the steps.

Ying Fu weakly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward a point in the void... Hundreds of kilometers away, a figure in monk's robes stood atop Ling-Xu Mountain, staring coldly back at him.

He made no effort to hide his powerful aura, nor the profound, extreme power of Ling-Xu. Once known for being submissive and cowardly, he now radiated an overbearing temperament.

He wanted Ying Fu to know that this was revenge from him, Sovereign Ling-Xu, and revenge from all the Eight Sovereigns.

*Tap—tap—tap...*

At the same time,

a series of footsteps echoed from outside the hall doors.

Ying Fu did not look at Sovereign Ling-Xu again, nor did he turn around. He simply stood quietly on the steps of the imperial throne, his figure seemingly merging with the shadows of the hall.

He didn't need to turn around, didn't need to look... through the resonance of his imperial destiny alone, he knew who was coming.

Splashes of scarlet gradually spread across the hall.

A figure in theatrical robes, holding the Imperial Sword and wearing the Imperial Seal, walked step by step out of the twilight glow.