Chapter 514
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 514
Chapter Title: Jiangdong Changes Hands, Celestial Fire Takes Notice!
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Outside Tianwu City in Jiangdong.
Dark clouds pressed over the city, revealing a majestic military formation. As far as the eye could see, there were seas of people, a forest of spears and blades. Leading them was a heroic man.
Prince Who Pacifies the South, Wu Tai'an.
From receiving the urgent letter from Junior Guardian Li Tai'an to leading his troops in a swift march to Tianwu City, Wu Tai'an's mood could only be described as high-spirited.
But he kept these emotions well hidden in his heart. On the surface, he wore a look of heartbroken anguish. His divine sense scanned Tianwu City, now in utter chaos from the martial tournament, brimming with vibrant life and fierce competition. He couldn't help but sigh.
Then, with a forceful clap of his hands:
"Damn it all, how did the Dao Court come to this!"
Amid the rebuke, Wu Tai'an secretly thought to himself:
'Keep it up! Fight harder!'
Though he now stood in the same camp as the Junior Guardian, Junior Tutor, and Junior Minister, he was still of the Tianwu royal blood. A brief alliance couldn't change that.
So even though he'd arrived early, he deliberately waited until he figured four or five tenths of the officials had been beaten to death or crippled, leaving just the right vacancies for his own people in the central administration. Only then did he leisurely order his troops to enter Tianwu City.
But the next moment—
Beams of formation light shot into the sky, sealing off his path into the city. This sudden change made Wu Tai'an furrow his brow.
"What audacity!"
Wu Tai'an's gaze sharpened. Amid Tianwu City's formations, he quickly spotted a familiar figure—the demon cultivator Xiao Shan, who had been the first to pledge loyalty to Lu Yang.
"What are you doing there? The Imperial City Department doesn't handle city defenses, does it?"
Wu Tai'an was secretly delighted, but his face remained stern and righteous.
"Send for Du Huan to meet me! Halt the Imperial City Department's savage actions at once!"
"The Imperial City Department enforces the law impartially, all for the safety of the Dao Court."
Xiao Shan smiled faintly and said softly,
"Lord Du Huan has other matters to attend to. Why not wait outside the city, Your Highness? He'll come explain himself soon enough."
"You bastard!"
Wu Tai'an flew into a rage and bellowed,
"Have you all lost your minds? Is beating the court officials with bastinadoes really about worrying for the Dao Court's safety?"
"You traitors, stay put! I'll use my divine abilities to send you all straight to heaven, one by one!"
As his words fell, Wu Tai'an circulated his magic power. Divine abilities whirled to life, and the army formation behind him began to array itself. Clearly, he was preparing a forced entry.
At that moment, Tianwu City's formations, which had been shining brightly, suddenly shuddered. Then, like water without a source, their once-mighty aura plummeted. Xiao Shan, guarding the walls, turned back to see three streaks of escaping light arriving one after another—the Junior Guardian, Junior Minister, and Junior Tutor!
"Welcome the Prince Who Pacifies the South into the capital!"
Junior Guardian Li Tai'an was the first to shout loudly. It was he who had undone Tianwu City's formations—the pivotal move that would decide the outcome.
'Now that the Imperial City Department and Five Armies Camp have clashed brutally with the officials, that demon dragon must have lost all credibility with the Crown Prince and Empress. Once the Prince enters the city and secures the Imperial Talisman Seal, victory is assured. No matter how that demon dragon thrashes, it's a dead end!'
With this thought, Li Tai'an felt a surge of excitement.
The next moment, he turned a cold gaze on Xiao Shan atop the walls and the Imperial City Department cultivators.
"Your Highness, strike first! Execute these rebels!"
Xiao Shan's eyes hardened at the words.
Before, he might have dropped to his knees and begged for mercy. But after tasting the power of the Imperial City Department and receiving Lu Yang's various benefits and bribes—
His knees simply wouldn't bend anymore.
Even if he had to kneel, it would only be to one man!
With that in mind, Xiao Shan bellowed,
"Imperial City Department, hear my command: Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
Echoing voices rose one after another. Apart from a scant few cultivators who fled, most of the Imperial City Department stood their ground.
A flicker of surprise crossed Wu Tai'an's eyes, swiftly turning to even fiercer killing intent.
Five divine abilities activated, poised to crash down.
But just then—
"Imperial decree arrives—!"
A shrill voice shattered the tense atmosphere. Everyone froze, then turned as one toward the approaching procession.
"A team from the palace?"
Junior Guardian Li Tai'an looked stunned. But when he saw the leader, shock turned to horror, and an indescribable panic gripped his heart:
"Du Huan!?"
"Greetings, my lords." Lu Yang smiled and cupped his hands. He then nodded toward Wu Tai'an. "It's been a while, Your Highness."
Boom!
Before Lu Yang could finish, Junior Guardian Li Tai'an attacked without a word. A blaze of divine ability radiance engulfed him instantly.
Because instinct told Li Tai'an: he absolutely could not let Lu Yang keep talking. Otherwise, all his painstaking schemes—the entire Dao Court, all of Jiangdong—would face upheaval! When that happened, not just him, but every civil and military official in the current Dao Court would be utterly overturned!
But it was too late.
Facing Li Tai'an's divine ability, Lu Yang didn't even think to counter. He simply drew a gleaming golden seal from his robes with casual grace.
The Imperial Talisman Seal!
Around the seal, the authority of the Five Armies Commander encircled it like stars around the moon, finally coalescing into a rank that overshadowed everyone present:
[As If His Majesty Were Personally Here]!
Thud!
In the next instant, the Junior Guardian, Junior Tutor, Junior Minister, Wu Tai'an, and every Dao Court official there all involuntarily dropped to their knees!
Lu Yang smiled in satisfaction, then produced a scroll.
"By the Empress's decree, ministers heed it!"
The scroll unfurled, golden light blazing. From it came a voice—languid and weak as if fresh from a great battle, yet seductive and alluring:
"All matters are concluded. Junior Guardian Li Tai'an."
Li Tai'an's eyes bulged. "Your Majesty the Empress! You...!?"
Without giving him a chance to continue, Empress Xiao went on: "Because of your selfish whims, blood has been spilled in the palace. This palace cannot bear it..."
Before she finished, Lu Yang tapped the decree lightly and murmured, "Make it tougher."
"Oh, alright~"
Empress Xiao's voice paused, then sharpened sternly: "This palace and Minister Du have reached an accord. All officials, return to your mansions at once."
"Furthermore, Li Tai'an, Zheng Pingyi, Kong Xingsiao—from this moment, you are stripped of your positions as Junior Guardian, Junior Minister, and Junior Tutor. Understand? You're nothing now! No longer Three Dukes disciples. All officials, obey the commands of the Imperial City Department and Five Armies Camp."
"And Prince Who Pacifies the South, Wu Tai'an."
"Mobilizing troops into the capital without leave—that's high treason, suspected of secretly colluding with the northern demonic sects. Seize him at once and drag him to the Imperial City Department for severe interrogation!"
As her words ended, the decree's glow gradually faded.
Lu Yang grinned. "The Imperial City Department shall obey Her Majesty's decree. The Junior Guardian, Junior Minister, Junior Tutor, and Prince Who Pacifies the South are all demonic sect spies."
"By imperial command, strip their ranks!"
His words fell, and the [As If His Majesty Were Personally Here] atop Lu Yang's head blazed like the sun, instantly stripping Li Tai'an and the others of their offices.
The dust settled!
'It took quite some effort... At last, all of Jiangdong is mine!'
In that moment, Lu Yang looked up. In the vault of heaven, the fleeting spark had finally risen to the brightness of a lamp flame.
【Celestial Fire】!
With Lu Yang's complete mastery of the Dao Court, this supremely picky exalted position at last cast him its faint—but undeniably real—gaze!
(End of chapter)