World's First Traitor System (432)

Chapter 432 - Great Ming, the Investiture of the Gods

The sky was a chaotic mess.

The sun had set, the moon hidden, the stars vanished.

Only the overwhelming, turbulent clouds remained, swirling in disorder, resembling a scene of apocalypse.

The once beautiful blue sea was now murky and unclear, like a vast, boundless swamp.

Occasionally, a trace of crimson, like silk or satin, would rise from the depths of the sea to the surface.

This was blood, but whose blood was it?

The island, once disguised with abundant spiritual energy, covered in rare flowers and lush vegetation, was now a scorched wasteland.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Terrifying sounds of impact, as if heaven and earth were colliding, shook this expanse of sea and sky.

If one listened closely, one could hear the desperate screams of a woman, intermingled with these booming sounds.

Suddenly!

A deer's head fell from the sky, landing heavily on the scorched beach of the island.

Only the head, no body was seen.

The deer's head had pristine white fur, an incredibly holy aura, but spiritual energy and fresh blood continuously flowed from it.

Gradually, the spiritual energy depleted.

The deer's head no longer possessed any divinity. It was truly just the head of a dead deer.

The two sides locked in mortal combat, Emperor Jiajing of Great Ming and Empress Yao Guang of Great Ci, had yet to reappear.

The people of the world looked up at the Sky Mirror, able only to repeatedly admire the head of that dead deer.

"No!"

"This is impossible!"

In the Chao Ge Palace of Great Ci, Bai Rong's face was truly pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

The Nine-Colored Deer was dead?

It was the nation-protecting divine beast of Great Ci!

How could it die?

Throughout the world, Great Ming had the Vermilion Bird, Great Chu had Tuan Tuan, and even the former Han had Xuanwu. Never had it been heard of that a nation-protecting divine beast had suffered casualties!

The Nine-Colored Deer was a divine beast bestowed upon Great Ci by Heaven, how could it just die like this?!

A strong, ominous premonition enveloped Bai Rong's heart.

Countless imagined, terrifying scenes flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

Finally, it fixed on the face of a familiar man from the distant past.

Bai Rong almost screamed out loud, "Qingyuan! Are you Qingyuan's vengeful spirit?!"

No one responded.

Her eyes regained clarity, and she realized she was still in the Chao Ge Palace.

Where were the terrifying scenes?

Where was the face of her former Daoist companion?

Everything was merely the illusion of her inner demons.

Instead, the guards outside the palace, hearing Bai Rong's scream, immediately pushed open the door and entered.

"Sage Ruler, are you alright?"

Bai Rong's cultivation had not yet reached the Great Vehicle realm; she was still a quasi-Sage Ruler.

But the Empress had led the Sage Rulers to confront Jiajing, and Bai Rong was ordered to remain behind to oversee Great Ci. She was now the highest ruler of Great Ci.

"I'm... I'm fine."

Bai Rong took out a silk handkerchief, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

She casually asked, "Is everything well within the country?"

A palace maidservant of ordinary status, how could she know affairs of state?

The maidservant couldn't answer, but hurried and flustered footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

"There's war!"

"There's war!"

A female official shouted anxiously, rushing to Bai Rong.

Bai Rong was shocked.

"War? Have the Great Ming armies attacked?"

How could this be possible?

Between Great Ci and Great Ming, there was still Great Chu!

"No... not the Great Ming armies, it's the Great Chu army," the female official gasped.

Slap!

Bai Rong, enraged, slapped the female official across the face.

This female official, at least, had Divine Transformation realm cultivation, but she was sent flying by Bai Rong's slap, landing heavily on the ground!

"Great Chu is an ally, how could they turn their weapons against Great Ci?"

Bai Rong angrily retorted.

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of guilt.

Fan Li's handsome yet hateful face, strangely, appeared before her.

Did he dare?

While Elder Sister was engaged in a decisive battle with Emperor Jiajing, Fan Li led troops to attack Great Ci?

"Where has the Chu army reached?"

Bai Rong grabbed the female official's collar. She felt she was being too hasty, that the official was somewhat wronged by the beating.

"Cough, speak slowly. How many troops did the Chu army bring? What are the casualties of our frontline soldiers?"

The female official was from a noble family, inherently delicate and pampered.

She covered her face, tears welling in her eyes, utterly aggrieved.

"No... no one died."

"The Chu army is merely stationed at the border, they haven't invaded our territory."

"I'm not sure about the numbers either."

Bai Rong was stunned.

She didn't know anything?

She trembled with rage, pointing at the female official and cursing, "Useless! Because your father is an official in the Great Ming Ministry of War, Her Majesty allowed you to study military affairs. Now you can't even understand basic military intelligence, do you have the face to wear that official uniform?!"

Bai Rong raised her hand, and another series of slaps rained down on the female official's face.

The female official was in pain, and finally, disregarding official decorum, she burst into tears.

"Lies!"

"You're all liars!"

"Wuwuwuwu..."

"I never suffered such grievances at home. Great Ci claims to be a pure land for the women of the world, yet you bully me like this."

"I quit this position!"

As the female official cried, she took off her official hat and robes, throwing them on the ground in front of Bai Rong.

She said tearfully, "From today onwards, I'm going back to Great Ming, I'm done with you people of Great Ci... ?!"

The female official hadn't finished speaking when she felt a pain in her chest.

Looking down, she saw that Bai Rong's supposedly slender and delicate right hand had easily pierced her chest.

She clearly felt Bai Rong's hand precisely grip her heart.

"No..."

With her not-insignificant cultivation, the female official could still speak.

But she only managed to utter a single word before she heard a pop, as if something had been crushed.

Fatigue quickly washed over her, accompanied by boundless darkness.

Then, she collapsed limply like mud, never to rise again.

The blood flowing from the wound was sucked into Bai Rong's mouth and nose.

In recent years, Bai Rong had consumed untold amounts of blood essence.

But killing someone in public was a first!

The palace maidservants nearby were frightened, their faces pale, their legs weak as they knelt on the ground, like ordinary, helpless women.

"Don't... don't eat me... don't kill me..."

The maidservant was incoherent.

Bai Rong hesitated, but ultimately did not make another move.

The feeling of satiety gave her a bit of courage, and a sweet smile returned to her face.

"You all heard it just now, she wanted to betray the country."

"Traitors deserve death, right?"

The maidservant was indeed fated to live.

At the critical moment, she came to her senses and hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Traitors deserve death. The Sage Ruler is just and fair. Your subordinate admires you and dares not speak carelessly."

"Very good."

Bai Rong nodded.

She thought for a moment, then ordered the maidservant to summon all the officials in charge of military affairs in Great Ci.

What exactly did Fan Li intend to do?

Bai Rong knew nothing about military affairs; she could only consult the professionals.

But thinking of the official she had just killed, she couldn't help but wonder, were the female officials of the Great Ci court truly competent?

…

The border between Chu and Ci.

Fan Li rubbed his neck, sore from looking up at the Sky Mirror for so long.

"Second Brother?" Fan Chun's expression was solemn.

Everything revealed by the Sky Mirror had far exceeded his expectations.

But looking at his Second Brother's face, he didn't seem too surprised?

"Next, I'll have to trouble you," Fan Li patted his brother's shoulder.

Fan Chun was bewildered, not understanding.

Fan Li smiled and explained, "I conducted a prior investigation. Although the Great Ci army is composed entirely of female soldiers, since the founding of the country, with Empress Yao Guang's prestige, they have recruited as many as three hundred thousand female soldiers."

Great Ci's army numbered three hundred thousand?

The Chu garrison army, however, only numbered two hundred thousand.

In terms of numbers, Fan Li was at a disadvantage.

"What of three hundred thousand?"

Fan Chun raised a brow.

"Although our army is smaller, it is battle-hardened, every soldier an elite!"

"Second Brother, rest assured! I am absolutely confident that I can defeat a larger force with a smaller one, and completely annihilate the Great Ci army!"

Annihilate?

Fan Li shook his head. "No, no, no, we absolutely cannot annihilate them."

"Why?" Fan Chun was even more puzzled.

Fan Li retrieved three letters from his sleeve, unfolded them, and the characters written in forceful strokes were striking.

But what shocked Fan Chun even more was that the letters were signed 'Mengde', 'Xuande', and 'Zhongmou'!?

Fan Chun knew that the Emperors of Wei, Han, and Wu often corresponded with his Second Brother.

In private letters, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan never referred to themselves as Emperors, as evidenced by the signatures on these three letters.

"Many noblewomen from various kingdoms are in the Great Ci army, having joined Great Ci only because they were deceived by Yao Guang.”

"If we were to kill them on the battlefield, the noble families of all kingdoms would be shaken, and the court and the common people would be unsettled."

"The three Emperors have written to me personally, hoping that I will refrain from using force and persuade these women to return. Moreover, this is also in the best interests of Chu."

After Fan Li finished speaking, he let out a helpless, wry smile.

He was seen by the world as a treacherous minister, even bullying the Emperor.

But an Emperor ultimately belonged to one family, so bullying him was one thing.

Since ancient times, which powerful and treacherous minister had been so strong that they could bully the entire world?

"Fighting a war, but we can't kill people?"

Fan Chun scratched his head, finding it difficult.

So difficult!

"I know it's difficult," Fan Li patted his brother's shoulder again, reassuring him. "You only need to encircle them. I will be responsible for persuading them to surrender."

"This..."

Fan Chun was very frustrated.

Two hundred thousand against three hundred thousand. He, known as the military god of Great Chu, was already doing well to achieve victory with a smaller force.

To encircle three hundred thousand on someone else's territory, and to minimize casualties?

It was truly asking the impossible.

"Brother, I need help," Fan Chun said with a wry smile.

Fan Li understood his meaning.

Not just any help, but someone at the level of a commander-in-chief.

"No problem."

To Fan Chun's surprise, Fan Li readily agreed.

As the brothers spoke, they saw another army emerge from the forest in the distance.

The army was orderly and disciplined.

A large banner at the front of the army fluttered in the wind, the character 'Hu' written in bold strokes on the flag!

"With Hu Zongxian to assist you, and the addition of the fifty thousand Dragon Scale Army from Great Jin."

"Now do you have confidence?"

…

On the vast sea, another layer of seawater covered it.

"Sea of Bitterness!"

Empress Yao Guang's voice echoed through heaven and earth.

This was an unprecedented Sea of Bitterness!

Yao Guang, in the form of the Pangu Giant, cast a Sea of Bitterness that was enough to drown this entire expanse of heaven and earth.

Even Jiajing's infinitely imposing and colossal body was instantly submerged by the Sea of Bitterness!

The Empress's attacks, however, did not stop.

"Other Shore!"

The Bodhi twin trees appeared again, demonstrating the Dao of withering and flourishing, life and death.

But this time, the twin trees were also different!

The roots of the trees were buried deep in the seabed, while the crowns pierced through the clouds. Even the legendary heavenly pillar that reached the sky was nothing compared to this!

"Supreme Bliss!"

The final killing move appeared.

Yao Guang's gigantic figure once again manifested its dharma image, twenty-four heads, eighteen hands.

Her face was full of compassion, but her eyes could not conceal a fierce glint!

"Jiajing! I will send you to the afterlife of Supreme Bliss!"

Yao Guang shouted towards Jiajing's figure, which was submerged in the Sea of Bitterness, as if the louder she shouted, the greater her chances of victory!

However, things did not go as planned.

Within the Sea of Bitterness, a red sun faintly rose.

The red sun shone upon heaven and earth, and the Sea of Bitterness faintly showed signs of being evaporated.

Between the Bodhi twin trees, a full moon also rose.

The power of the moon's radiance was incredibly cold, and the heavenly pillar-like twin trees gradually froze with a layer of frost.

The red sun evaporated the Sea of Bitterness!

The full moon froze the twin trees!

"No!!!!!!!"

Empress Yao Guang let out a terrified and desperate scream.

The Sea of Bitterness was evaporated dry, as if it had never existed.

The twin trees were frozen into ice pillars, no longer able to demonstrate the changes of withering and flourishing, life and death.

The red sun and the full moon hung high in the sky, proclaiming their powerful and peerless might.

"Remember. This is the true cultivation technique of an Emperor!"

"The Great Ming [Sun and Moon Scripture], far surpasses the Great Ci [Holy Yin Scripture]!"

Jiajing's voice seemed to come from the distant horizon, yet it was also close at hand.

Yao Guang's dharma image, with its twenty-four heads, all had their eyes wide open, staring in the same direction with terror.

There, Jiajing's imposing figure emerged.

He walked step by step towards Empress Yao Guang. The solemn dharma image, at this moment, was only for show. The eighteen arms held various magic treasures, yet they were powerless against Jiajing's approach.

"No!"

"No!"

"No!!!"

No matter how Yao Guang screamed, Jiajing finally stood firmly before her.

The Great Ming Emperor raised his right hand. The Empress struggled and screamed, but her body remained motionless.

It turned out that the moment the Sea of Bitterness and Other Shore were shattered, she had already been suppressed by Jiajing's great power, unable to move!

One palm.

Just one palm.

It didn't make a deafening sound, it was even silent, gently patting the top of the central head among Yao Guang's twenty-four heads.

The most ordinary and unremarkable strike.

At least, that's how it appeared to the people of the world.

But in the next instant, the Empress's dharma image shattered like a bubble!

The world of Ultimate Bliss she had manifested behind her also cracked inch by inch like crystal, finally making a 'crack' sound!

Countless crystal fragments quickly turned to dust, dissipating between heaven and earth.

Two gigantic figures also disappeared.

The two strongest Emperors in the mortal realm descended from the sky, landing on the beach of the island, returning to their mortal forms.

Jiajing and Yao Guang stared at each other, neither speaking.

The same five-clawed golden dragon robes.

The same twelve-beaded crown.

However, Jiajing had a graceful and composed demeanor, a sense of looking down from above.

Empress Yao Guang, however, had an ashen face, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

The people of the world, looking up at the Sky Mirror, held their breath at this moment.

The outcome seemed to have been revealed?

But they were merely ordinary mortals, and dared not speculate.

Fortunately, the wait lasted only a few breaths.

Rip!

The sound of fabric tearing!

Yao Guang's dragon robes shattered into countless fragments, scattering on the ground. The twelve-beaded crown also burst and scattered, her long hair falling loose!

The once majestic and glorious Empress, who had shaken the world, was now only clad in a white undergarment.

Although it covered her shame, it was also a great humiliation.

She even coughed up a mouthful of blood!

Finally, she was exhausted, her knees buckling, and she knelt heavily before Jiajing.

"I... I have lost..."

Jiajing looked down at Yao Guang.

He raised a single palm towards the sky. With a cry, the Great Ming Vermilion Bird brought something.

It was a scroll?

The scroll slowly unfurled. At the beginning of the scroll, three gilded characters were impressively displayed:

Investiture of the Gods!

"Two choices."

"Either I kill you now."

"Or, leave your name on the Investiture of the Gods and submit to me."

The world was shocked!

Jiajing had a grand plan. After defeating Empress Yao Guang, he actually wanted her to submit?!

Lu Lun was overjoyed!

The three thousand six hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards were overjoyed!

Xue Susu also showed a joyful expression.

Yao Guang trembled as she raised her head, her eyes filled with unwillingness and resentment.

Her dream of empire had ultimately been shattered by this man.

"Leave my name on the Investiture of the Gods... do you want me to be your slave for eternity?"

The people of the world were confused, not understanding its meaning.

Jiajing's face showed neither joy nor anger, only his imperial majesty grew stronger.

He said calmly, "If you submit, I will grant you the position of Empress of Great Ming."

Lu Lun, upon hearing this, could no longer smile.

Xue Susu's smile also froze on her face, and she was stunned.

Only Yao Guang's face showed a flash of disbelief.

She suddenly remembered something, her gaze turning venomous as she looked back at Xue Susu.

"I want her dead!"

"Jiajing, can you do it?"

"Do you have the heart?!"

Xue Susu instantly turned pale, exclaiming, "Your Majesty, your subject..."

Her voice was cut short.

On the Great Ming Investiture of the Gods, her name appeared out of thin air, faintly glowing.

It was years ago, at Jiajing's suggestion, that Xue Susu had personally written her name on it.

At this moment, Emperor Jiajing raised his right hand, using his index finger to lightly stroke the name 'Xue Susu'.

The body disappeared.

The soul was also erased.

The stunning beauty who had once captivated the Qinhuai pleasure boats and shaken the capital, didn't even have a chance to scream.

Consort Rou of Great Ming, Painting Sage Ruler Xue Susu, was dead.

At this moment, the people of the world finally understood what the Investiture of the Gods was.

It was a symbol of the subjects' loyalty!

It was the guarantee of the Emperor's stable rule!

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher!

No wonder since ancient times, only Heaven and Earth could be ranked before the Ruler.

No wonder the Ruler was also called the Son of Heaven!

Only Heaven and Earth could bestow upon the Son of Heaven the true capital to rule the world!

Any power, strategy, or cultivation was insignificant before the Investiture of the Gods!

At this very moment, the people of the world finally understood why one should fear and respect the Emperor.

At this very moment, the people of the world suddenly felt that powerful and treacherous ministers were so laughable.

Ministers, whether of the Qingliu or Zhuoliu faction, it turned out that all they really needed was loyalty.

Today, the people of the world feared Emperor Jiajing of Great Ming.

"I have fulfilled your request."

Jiajing spoke again, his tone devoid of any emotion.

This was true imperial majesty.

The Son of Heaven had no personal feelings.

"Yao Guang, tell me your choice."

The woman kneeling on the ground, her body had never stopped trembling.

At this very moment, she trembled even more violently.

But the kneeling posture, Yao Guang had never thought of changing.

After an unknown amount of time.

Jiajing did not rush her, patiently waiting.

Because he saw that, although Yao Guang's movements were slow, her body was gradually bending towards him.

Finally!

Yao Guang lowered her once upright posture, and her proud head also touched the ground.

This was an impeccable kowtow.

A wisp of dragon aura, struggling on the verge of death, escaped from Yao Guang's body.

It struggled painfully and unwillingly, but finally dissipated between heaven and earth.

"Your subject Yao Guang... surrenders to Emperor Jiajing of Great Ming..."

"Long live my Emperor, long live, long, long live."