Outside the Royal Palace Chamber in Saint Spirit City.
Han Yang watched Qing Shu walking toward him from the end of the corridor, holding a bouquet of delicate lilies. He sighed inwardly, A real man should be like this! What's the point of chasing women? It's far more interesting to have them chase you.
Ever since they returned a week ago and news of Yun Ming's critical injuries spread, Qing Shu had come to visit almost every day; her intentions were self-evident.
"Lady Qing is here," Han Yang greeted with a smile.
Qing Shu, having reached the entrance of the chamber, returned the smile.
"Indeed! I saw the lilies in the Imperial Garden were blooming beautifully today, so I picked a few to freshen the air in the chamber for the Lord."
"You are very thoughtful, Lady Qing, but please mind the time," Han Yang said while opening the door for her, offering a subtle reminder.
Qing Shu nodded in acknowledgment. She knew the reason—the Evil King was inside.
She stepped into the chamber and walked to the bedside with practiced ease. Seeing Yun Ming still unconscious, she sighed in her heart, but quickly composed herself and spoke in a soft voice.
"Lord, these are the lilies I brought for you today. They've grown quite well, haven't they?"
Yun Ming remained motionless, neither waking up to her arrival nor the scent of her flowers. Used to the lack of response, Qing Shu continued to talk to herself as she replaced the old flowers by the bed with the fresh ones.
"Besides the lilies, the daylilies and lily bulbs in the Imperial Garden are also doing well. Their petals are full and their colors are vibrant; if you wake up soon, you'll still be able to see them."
"Also, the harvest season is almost here. The weather has been favorable this year, so the grain yield shouldn't be bad."
"..."
"Oh, right. The Blood Spirit Three Kingdoms officially submitted their letter of surrender today. Thanks to your efforts, the Blood Spirit Continent is about to see true unification. The weapons will be stored away, the soldiers will lay down their armor, and the day is near when the people of the world can live in peace and prosperity."
From daily trivialities to court affairs, Qing Shu rambled on and on. Finally, seeing the faint black light emerging from Yun Ming's body, she said with reluctance.
"All of this is your achievement. You must wake up soon; we and this entire continent need you!"
"I shall take my leave now, and come see you again tomorrow."
With that, she exited the chamber, bid farewell to Han Yang, and slowly departed.
Meanwhile, in Yun Ming's Sea of Consciousness.
The Evil King wore a cunning grin, turning his head toward the soul body of Yun Ming, who was meditating in the void.
"Yun Ming, this beauty comes every day and is so attentive to you! Are you sure you won't consider it?"
Yun Ming's soul body did not change its posture, his tone flat.
"Can't you hear her thoughts?"
The Evil King replied.
"Although her feelings aren't entirely pure right now, her admiration and affection for you are growing by the day. If you just train her well, she will surely be devoted to you."
Yun Ming: "No need. I have a lover."
The Evil King curled his lip.
"Boring."
He then went silent, no longer disturbing Yun Ming's healing.
Half an hour later, the hand seals of Yun Ming's soul body shifted. His eyes snapped open, a flash of scarlet crossing his pupils, and the space within the Sea of Consciousness was instantly filled with killing intent.
"Evil King!"
"I'm here."
The Evil King responded, and the Evil God Hook lunged toward the center of Yun Ming's brow. As the Evil God Hook touched the brow of Yun Ming's soul body, ripples of black light bloomed. The entire Sea of Consciousness surged with wind and clouds, and countless Spiritual Power flowed toward the Evil God Hook. Of course, Spiritual Power was not the Evil King's target; his target was the Shura Sword Intent hidden within Yun Ming's soul.
Enduring the pain of his soul being torn apart, Yun Ming shifted his hand seals, coordinating with the Evil King's devouring power to expel strands of sword energy from his soul body for the Evil King to consume. Slaughter and evil were constant companions, as close as family; this rootless Shura Sword Intent might be a nuisance to others, but to the Evil King, it was nothing more than high-quality tiger feed.
One minute, two minutes. Ten minutes.
When the last trace of Shura Sword Intent was devoured by the Evil King, the Yun Ming in the outside world opened his eyes. After seven days, he had awakened.
The next day, in the Royal Palace Hall of Saint Spirit City.
Han Yang, accompanied by Qing Shu, Nie Zheng, and other civil and military officials, as well as the envoys from the Blood Spirit Three Kingdoms who had come to surrender, bowed and paid their respects to the ruler on the throne—the strongest and highest sovereign the Blood Spirit Continent had seen in ten thousand years.
"Greetings, Lord!" xN
Some among them were fearful, some surprised, and others fanatical. All these emotions stemmed from the Yun Ming on the throne, for he had ended the centuries of strife on the Blood Spirit Continent and led the continent toward a new future.
Yun Ming's expression was indifferent as he said.
"Rise."
The crowd replied: "Thank you, Lord!" xN
Yun Ming nodded and looked at Han Yang.
"Han Yang, are there any major pending matters?"
Han Yang stepped out from the ranks of officials and bowed to report.
"Reporting to the Lord! There are indeed a few matters that require your judgment. However, your subordinate believes these are not urgent. You have just awakened, and recovering your health is the most important thing."
If you want me to recover my health, then don't tell me there are matters to attend to! Yun Ming thought to himself.
"It is fine, speak."
Han Yang: "Yes, Lord!"
"The first matter requiring the Lord's Judgment concerns the subsequent sentencing and arrangements for Saint Spirit Elder, Netherworld King, and Blood Shadow King."
"On the day the Lord's great battle concluded, they actually intended to take the Lord's life and sabotage the great cause of unifying the Blood Spirit, a crime that warrants execution and cannot be forgiven. Therefore, I propose that the three be beheaded immediately to uphold the law!"
Hearing Han Yang demand the execution of three supreme powerhouses right from the start, the representatives of the Netherworld and Blood Shadow kingdoms, as well as the Shen Family of the Saint Spirit, were struck with panic; the Shen Family members felt as if the sky were collapsing. They had been under Yun Ming for some time and knew his style was decisive and absolute, never going back on his word. Feeling their prospects were bleak, they immediately knelt and pleaded for mercy.
"Lord, our ancestor was merely panicked and slow to react; he absolutely did not intend to rebel. We beg the Lord to investigate clearly!"
"We beg the Great King to spare his life!" x2
The other two special envoys had nothing to say; they were on the absolute opposing side and could only beg Yun Ming to show mercy and spare their kings. Having a Nine Rings powerhouse alive was more beneficial for their power struggles after unification.
The events following that day's battle had already been relayed to Yun Ming by the Evil King. If it had been according to Yun Ming's previous wartime style, these three would be dead for certain, but now, Yun Ming did not make an immediate decision and instead asked in return.
"What do you think? How should they be dealt with?"
Hearing Yun Ming ask for their opinions, which was unprecedented, they were astonished. The ministers with foresight and ambition were overjoyed; Yun Ming's change signaled that they would have more power, and it also indicated that his governance of the world would not be like his conquest—an absolute dictatorship. This was wonderful! It was a good thing for everyone!
The ministers immediately began to voice their thoughts.
"I believe, as Minister Han said, these three must be severely punished. I support the death penalty." It was clear this was a radical who could not tolerate any flaws.
"Lord, I believe that the situations of the three ministers should not be lumped together. Punishment is necessary, but there is no need to kill them all. Take Saint Spirit Elder, for instance; he did nothing, so if he were killed for this, it would be an excessive punishment." He was a former minister of the Saint Spirit Kingdom, and it was hard to tell whether his answer was driven by private interest or public duty.
"Lord."
Ministers with ideas or conflicting interests spoke up eagerly. Light punishments, heavy punishments, separate punishments—aside from those suggesting no punishment at all, every opinion was voiced. It was clear they were not yet overly excited.
After hearing their thoughts, Yun Ming said calmly.
"Silence."
The crowd fell silent, and Yun Ming continued.
"I have understood your thoughts. Now, bring the three of them up!"
"Yes!" Han Yang received the order and instructed his subordinates to bring the people into the hall.
Within just a few minutes, the three were brought into the great hall. Saint Spirit Elder and Netherworld King looked at Yun Ming on the throne, their hearts turning to ash; they dared not imagine their own ends. As for Blood Shadow King, he still had Evil Poison in his body and remained unconscious.
Netherworld King endured his pain, knelt, and begged for mercy.
"I am willing to submit! I beg the Great King to show mercy and spare my life!"
In the face of life and death, it seemed that even powerhouses could not escape human nature.
Yun Ming was unmoved by this behavior and spoke.
"I heard you made a move."
Netherworld King's face turned pale, and he trembled as he said.
"Great King, spare my life—"
But before he could finish, a layer of black-gold Soul Power appeared on Yun Ming, and a black shadow shot out like lightning, piercing directly through Netherworld King's heart. As the light faded, Netherworld saw a familiar Black Tiger, its tail hook connected to his own heart.
"It seems I was right. Then your sentence is the death penalty, which has already been carried out." Before Netherworld King could breathe his last, Yun Ming announced the verdict.
Seeing a powerhouse die right before their eyes, the crowd's pupils dilated in shock. Their previously excited mood calmed down; they realized they still had to behave themselves!
Having dealt with one, Yun Ming directly announced the verdict for the second, Blood Shadow King.
"Blood Shadow King, for the crime of obstructing the unification of the continent, you are sentenced to have your cultivation abolished and be demoted to a commoner. Carry it out immediately."
The Evil King obeyed the order, his Evil God Hook striking Blood Shadow King's dantian, abolishing his cultivation and withdrawing the Evil Poison.
Blood Shadow King felt only intense pain, losing everything while still in his sleep.
"Thank you, Great King, for sparing my life!" Although Blood Shadow King was crippled, at least his life was saved, and the Blood Shadow representative expressed his gratitude.
"Hmph!"
Yun Ming replied.
"Finally, Saint Spirit Elder. You had some thoughts, but you did not put them into action. However, your act of allowing Netherworld King to attack Minister Han remains unforgivable! Therefore."
"Saint Spirit Elder, for the crime of dereliction of duty, you are sentenced to have your cultivation sealed for five years. Carry it out immediately, as a warning to others."
As he spoke, a black Soul Ring lit up at Yun Ming's feet, and a Sky Support Mark appeared in the depths of the Evil King's eyes. His Evil God Hook struck again, tapping on Saint Spirit Elder's chest. Rings of silver-gray array patterns spread from the Evil God Hook across Saint Spirit Elder's entire body, finally penetrating into his Martial Soul.
Saint Spirit Elder sensed his internal power going silent, and a feeling of weakness washed over him, causing him to collapse to the ground. However, being able to survive without being crippled made him feel deeply grateful.
He and the other representative of the Shen Family kowtowed in thanks.
"Thank you, Lord, for your great mercy!"
"You are lucky that you did not actually make a move. Otherwise, you know what would happen."
Saint Spirit Elder understood the murderous intent in Yun Ming's calm words, felt a chill in his heart, and replied honestly.
"Thank you for your instruction, Lord!"
Yun Ming waved his hand to signal him to step back and continued.
"Han Yang, is there anything else?"
Han Yang brought up the second topic.
"Lord, there are many matters that need to be handled afterward, but the prerequisite is to complete the unification and establish the nation. The sooner, the better. When do you think is appropriate?"
"What do you all think?" Yun Ming threw out the question.
The crowd discussed it one after another, expressing their opinions. In the end, Yun Ming approved of Qing Shu's plan.
"Then let it be after the harvest season. Once the continent is unified, it should be celebrated with all the people! As for the three kingdoms of Blood Shadow, Nether, and Blood Spirit."
Yun Ming looked at the representatives of the three kingdoms and said.
"Let the royal families of the three kingdoms govern temporarily, and I will take over when the nation is established."
"How much power they possess afterward depends on the integrity of the kingdoms they hand over to me, understand?"
The representatives of the three kingdoms and other ministers received the order.
"Yes! Lord (Your Majesty)!" xN
Yun Ming: "Next agenda."
⁂
The subsequent agenda items were discussed for over a month. Yun Ming, along with the ministers and scholars, discussed issues one by one, such as the location of the capital, the name of the nation, and the national system. Finally, after combining the local situation, they reached a result that was theoretically appropriate for the time being. However, it was only theoretical; everything would be subject to actual practice.
During this period, Han Yang also handed Yun Ming an unexpected trophy, which was the Shura Sword!
He had originally thought that after Tang Chen was defeated, this sword would be taken away, but for some reason, the Shura God seemed not to have bothered. Yun Ming did not think that He had forgotten, so He must have had some other purpose. But never mind, let's keep it for now. Having the risk right in front of one's eyes is better than not knowing where it is.
While Yun Ming was inspecting the public sentiment and formulating policies, the Shura God, who had just been rejected by the God Realm, was also very busy. He was currently a guest at the Sea God Divine Hall.
"How is it? Not bad, right!" Poseidon looked at Tang San in the water mirror and praised. Tang San, all by himself, had only spent a little over a year reaching the third trial; Poseidon really felt it was quite good.
The Shura God looked through the water mirror at Tang San, who was constantly undergoing Tidal Body Tempering within the Raging Wave Desperate Situation, and his mood was not very pleasant.
Not bad, my foot! It was far too lacking. Yun Ming, who was the same age, could have already finished off Tang San's great-grandfather, and yet Tang San could only endure this level of beating (physical training) now. The gap was simply too large; what kind of nonsense was this?
He looked at the Sea God beside him and said.
"Poseidon, put more pressure on this kid. Twelve hours a day on average for a year is too short. Add three—no, four more hours."
Poseidon's expression stiffened, and he said angrily.
"Shura, are you alright! Adding another four hours? If you want this kid's life, just do it yourself; why make it so troublesome?"
"Are you sick in the head?"
Shura glanced at this scoundrel and said coldly.
"I said add it, so add it. How could I let my successor die?"
"Adding four hours every day will push his body and will to the limit, but relying on the Soul Beast bloodline, dietary supplements, medicinal supplements, and the God Trial rewards on this kid, it is not impossible for him to hold on."
'Successor?'
Poseidon wondered in his heart why he was treating this kid as a successor again. Wasn't there another one who was even stronger? Wait, with Shura's face looking so dark, could it be that something went wrong with the other successor?
Thinking of this, Poseidon used the Divine Sense power of Sea God Island on the Douluo Continent to start tracing the whereabouts of Yun Ming, tracing back through time and space, and then he saw the scene of Tang Chen being beheaded and Shura personally stepping in only to be rejected.
Involving himself, the Shura God sensed it. He looked at Poseidon and said coldly.
"What are you doing?"
Although His perception had been mostly blocked by Poseidon using the Sea God Divine Hall, the divine sense of the supreme Slaughter God was still very sharp. He felt that Poseidon was doing something behind His back.
Poseidon quickly stopped, his face unable to hide a bright smile.
"Not doing anything."
Shura: "Then why are you laughing?"
Poseidon: "I remembered something happy."
Shura was very suspicious and asked further.
"What thing?"
Poseidon: "Xiao Bai is about to give birth."
Shura: "Who is Xiao Bai?"
Poseidon: "My loyal believer."
Shura glanced at Him deeply, did not continue to ask, and finally said.
"Summon it for me, and increase the load for Tang San."
Poseidon straightened his expression and confirmed.
"Are you really sure?"
Seeing that Poseidon had returned to normal, Shura confirmed one last time.
"Sure."
Poseidon agreed.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Shura got up and left.
After sending off the Shura God, Poseidon sealed the Sea God Hall, his face unable to suppress his excitement any longer, and he laughed out loud.
"Asura, oh Asura, to think you've been arrogant your whole life, only to have your offer of a godhood rejected when you delivered it to his door. How embarrassing!"
"Hahahaha—"
Asura was unhappy, and that made Him incredibly happy.
However, after the amusement faded, Poseidon began to consider the possibility of poaching Yun Ming. After some thought, He felt it was quite likely.
Asura was too proud and hadn't clearly explained the problems Yun Ming would face upon becoming a god; the God Realm was nearing saturation, and no method of ascension could avoid that. If He could lower His status, have a few more chats with Yun Ming, and discuss this issue thoroughly, there would be a strong chance of stealing the opportunity. By the time Asura realized what was happening, it would be too late.
Poseidon let out a long sigh, looking in the direction Asura had departed, and lamented.
"Indeed! One cannot be too much like Asura when acting as a god!"
As for Tang San, since he didn't want it, let it be. Poor Tang God King, working silently away, only to end up as Yun Ming's backup plan.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader