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Duke Ming panicked.
He waved his hand wildly at the guards hidden behind the pillars.
"Attack!"
He screamed, his voice cracking.
"Kill the Yun family! Grab the Empress! Whoever brings me her head gets everything!"
Dozens of masked warriors jumped out from the shadows.
They held sharp blades and dark energy surged from their bodies.
They rushed toward the throne.
Duke Ming watched with a desperate grin.
He thought that if he could just grab the girl, he could force the others to drop their weapons.
But the warriors never reached the steps.
They slammed into a wall of clear, shimmering air.
It was invisible, but it stopped them dead.
Their blades snapped like dry twigs.
The warriors fell back, screaming in pain as if they had hit a solid mountain.
Duke Ming stared, his jaw dropped.
"What is this?"
He gasped.
Sam stepped out from the shadows.
He didn't say a word.
He just stood a few feet in front of the throne.
His mere presence created a soft, golden barrier that shielded Huan Caiyi from the entire world.
She was the only person in the room who was perfectly safe.
Yun Canghai watched the display and let out a satisfied breath.
He knew his Empress was in the best hands possible.
Now, he was free to fight.
"You want to play with power, Duke Ming?"
Yun Canghai asked.
The old man didn't move, but a massive wave of energy exploded out of him.
It wasn't the red or purple of a normal warrior.
It was a pure, blinding white light.
The tiles on the floor shattered into dust.
The air in the hall became so heavy that the nobles fell to their knees, unable to breathe.
This was the true power of the Divine Origin Realm.
"I am a master of the Divine Way,"
Yun Canghai announced.
His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed like thunder in every person's skull.
He flicked his finger.
A bolt of lightning, thin as a hair, shot across the room.
It touched the Duke's lead guard, and the man simply vanished into fine mist.
No blood, no body, just gone.
The hall went deathly quiet.
Duke Ming looked at the space where his guard had stood, then looked up at Yun Canghai.
His eyes were full of pure terror.
Yun Canghai raised his hand.
A swirling ball of white light formed in his palm.
It hummed with enough energy to tear the hall apart.
He wanted to kill right away.
"Wait!"
A clear voice rang out from behind the golden wall.
Yun Canghai paused. He looked back at the throne.
Huan Caiyi stood up.
She stepped through the shimmering barrier and walked toward the center of the hall.
"Don't kill him,"
She said calmly.
Yun Canghai looked surprised.
"He tried to kill you,"
He said.
"He poisoned my family. He stole your throne. Why should we let him breathe?"
Caiyi stood over the trembling Duke.
She looked down at him with cold, hard eyes.
"Because a quick death is a gift,"
She explained.
"He doesn't deserve a gift."
She turned to face the crowd of nobles in the hall.
Her voice rose, sharp and clear.
"Look at this man!"
She shouted, pointing at the Duke.
"He told you I was weak. He told you I was a traitor. But he is the one who murdered my father. He is the one who poisoned my loyal servants. He traded honor for his own greed."
She looked back at the Duke.
"He wants to be Emperor? Then let him tell the truth first. Let him tell you how he killed the late Emperor."
Duke Ming's face went white.
"You are lying!"
He hissed.
"No one will believe you!"
Caiyi smiled. It was a sharp, dangerous smile.
"Everyone believes the truth when they see the killer begging for his life,"
She said,
She looked at her guards.
"Cripple his cultivation. Throw him in the iron dungeon,"
She ordered.
"Do not let him die. Keep him in the dark. Let him think about everything he did every single day. I will end him when the entire realm is watching."
Yun Canghai looked at his Empress.
He slowly lowered his hand.
"As you wish, Your Majesty,"
He said, his voice full of pride. He crippled Duke Ming's cultivation with just a flick of his finger.
Duke Ming screamed in pain. No one dared to come and help him.
The guards rushed forward.
They grabbed the Duke and dragged him away.
He screamed and struggled, but he was no match for them now.
The hall became quiet again.
Caiyi sat back on her throne.
Caiyi stood up.
She looked at the faces of the noble families sitting in the hall.
Some looked away, hiding their guilt.
Others were shaking.
"The Duke didn't act alone,"
Caiyi said, her voice echoing in the quiet hall.
"He promised you wealth and land. He promised you a throne built on lies. But today, the truth has come to light."
She pointed a finger at a man in a red robe.
"Lord Zhou, you provided the poison for the Yun family. Stand up."
The man went pale and fell to his knees, begging for mercy.
"Yun Canghai,"
Caiyi commanded.
"Take his titles. Give his land to the common people he ignored."
"Yes, Your Majesty,"
Yun Canghai replied.
He moved with the speed of a gust of wind.
In seconds, he stripped the man of his power and handed him over to the guards.
Caiyi continued.
She went through the rows of nobles like a judge.
She named every traitor.
She called out every family that had helped the Duke.
The Yun family moved through the room with perfect discipline.
They took weapons, removed symbols of authority, and silenced the cowards.
The hall was a scene of order.
Sam stood near the pillar. He watched her.
He felt a soft tugging sensation in his chest.
The invisible threads of fate and karma that had tied him to Caiyi were beginning to loosen.
His work here was nearly done.
He had set her on the path, and now she was walking it on her own.
He knew he could not leave just yet.
There was one final gift he had promised her.
He waited until the hall was finally quiet.
The traitors were gone. Only the loyal families remained.
Sam stepped forward, becoming visible to the entire room.
The nobles gasped, sensing his immense, calm power.
"Your Majesty,"
Sam said, walking to the foot of the throne.
"The throne is secure. But you are still missing your true strength."
Caiyi looked at him. Her eyes softened when she saw him.
"The Golden Crow,"
She whispered.
"Yes,"
Sam nodded.
"The Demon Emperor's Seal is in the hands of the Yun family. If you are ready, it is time to go to the Lightning Flame Valley."
"I am ready,"
Caiyi said.
She stood up, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"Let us finish what my father started."