Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Imperial Palace’s core.

This palace here is particularly grand, perpetually burning with red flames all year round.

This place serves as the residence of the Flame Stone Great Emperor.

Although he is not present here, no one dares to overstep, not even the emperors’ sons and daughters, as this is the seat of the Great Emperor’s authority, not to be taken lightly by anyone.

Today, Yanliu Imperial Child walked respectfully into this palace, sitting slightly stiffly on a smaller flame throne next to the towering flame throne.

By his side, on the true flame throne, sat a somewhat ethereal flame unicorn giant.

This was an avatar of the Flame Stone Great Emperor.

Before them, an image played repeatedly, showing the figure of a Blood-robed Taoist, who moved covertly around the Mountain Suppressing Sect and through various Small Worlds. Pretending unintentionally and extremely concealed, he disguised Purple Stone True Person as the chieftain of a small wooden spirit tribe, flawless in both identity and memory.

Furthermore, the previous Sect Master of Mountain Suppressing Sect, True Lord of the Sturdy Rock, had been discreetly exiled beyond the Yellow Sand Minor Realm by the Blood-robed Taoist, sealed away and only to return to the Small World centuries later.

All this crafty, concealed, scattered hiding—were even a King-level Emperor’s Descendant to personally search, it would likely be fruitless.

However, these were clearly visible to the Yanliu Imperial Child, without a hint of blur.

If he wished to execute these last two seeds of the Mountain Suppressing Sect, it would be a simple command, effortlessly done.

Such is the power of a Great Emperor!

Wherever his gaze falls, all demons and specters have nowhere to hide, overlooking all sorts of human affairs.

”What are your thoughts?”

The voice of the Flame Stone Great Emperor was deep, echoing through the palace like waves and tsunamis, mysteriously generating high temperatures, the scorching breath filling everywhere, turning it into a death zone for living beings.

”It’s just the wild dreams of a servant...”

Yanliu Imperial Child spoke subconsciously, immediately realizing and saying earnestly, ”Father, Blood River King did a decent job. Had you not intervened personally, I might have needed to ascend to the Imperial Realm just to find these two ants and torment them to death, to ease my heart.”

He was very vengeful and petty, not magnanimous at all, and disdained to hide anything, openly displaying this.

”Good.”

”It’s good that you understand. We can be brutal, we can be vindictive, we can disregard family ties, disregard any rules... all of this is fine.”

”But we must acknowledge power!”

The Flame Giant’s voice carried a tone of affection, unconcerned with such trivial matters of his children, for when he was young, he was just like this, a son being just like his father is nothing unusual.

Morality, after all, is merely the self-pity of the weak.

”This time, you were somewhat lucky.”

The Flame Giant instructed earnestly.

”But no matter, the strong are inherently the result of personal strength plus opportunity, all strong beings are so, it couldn’t be more normal.”

”However, even so, you still need to guard against arrogance and impetuosity in the future, refine more, make up for these weaknesses, and when you receive the Imperial Son’s crown, I will send you to Mingxu Holy Land. Remember to interact more with your peers of imperial sons, not to stay amidst the servants all day, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth, arrogantly overestimating...”

Mingxu Holy Land, established by Mingxu Ancient Emperor, is extremely far from here, even requiring traversal across much of the Domain, unlike the nearby Cangyan Holy Land, naturally because Yanliu Imperial Child had already made an enemy of the Cangyan Family, making it unsuitable to go there.

”I understand, Father.”

Yanliu Imperial Child nodded repeatedly, extremely well-behaved.

As they spoke, the Flame Giant reached out and summoned a human-sized blood cocoon into his hands, which was incredibly tough, something even a King-level Emperor’s Descendant could not break quickly. In his hands, it melted like ice and snow, instantly vaporizing to reveal the sleeping Cangkong Imperial Child within.

Yanliu Imperial Child’s eyes revealed a cold, ferocious desire to kill, overtly apparent.

This was not only because Cangkong Imperial Child was his nemesis, once having chased him desperately with no escape, but also because only by slaughtering Cangkong Imperial Child, offering him to the heavens, would his Imperial Son’s crown be complete, without defect.

And the completeness of the Imperial Son’s crown directly affects his chances of ascending to be a Great Emperor!

The Flame Giant scrutinized Cangkong Imperial Child for a long time.

He retracted him and did not hand him over to Yanliu Imperial Child.

”Father,”

”It’s not fair!”

Yanliu Imperial Child protested resentfully, ”If I lose, I will surely die, to be sacrificed to the Heavenly Dao and Ancient Gods to fulfill the completeness of the Imperial Crown. There can be no escape.”

”But Cangkong, however...”

He watched helplessly as most opportunities to ascend to the Imperial Realm drifted away from his sight, his eyes turning red with intense emotion, almost to the brink of madness.

”Yanliu,”

”This world is inherently unfair.”

The Flame Giant smiled, ”If the Ancient Emperor Cangyan didn’t care about this son, it would be fine; we could deal with him as we pleased.”

”But he cares a lot about this son, and that makes it impossible.”

”Even we cannot harm him, or degrade him, especially the higher one’s rank, the more restricted they are; it is a taboo.”

”Because, I cannot defeat an Ancient Emperor alone; even in solo combat, the possibility of escape is slim, we can only band together with many Great Emperors to have some say before Ancient Emperors.”

”There’s no fairness or unfairness to speak of; I’ve told you before, to respect power, to acknowledge it, not just towards those below, but also towards those above and oneself.”

”You must firmly remember this, never forget it.”

”I...”

Yanliu Imperial Child hung his head, silent, deeply despondent.

”Gradually adapt.”

”I went through the same process years ago; as time goes by, you will eventually understand this outcome.”

The Flame Giant comforted his offspring, stood up, his form about to vanish, then remembered something, ”Oh right, that Blood River King, you can play with him for a while, then hasten to execute him.”

If people like Chenshan King heard this, they would undoubtedly be terribly shocked.

Although they disliked Blood River King, they had to acknowledge his strength, his potential to ascend to the Imperial Realm, and recognized he might become an enslaved emperor for the Flame Stone Family, contributing to their prosperity.

Deep down, the monarchs of the Flame Stone Family were actually quite reluctant to execute Blood River King, seeing him as a treasure of the family.

”Father, is it again because of Ancient Emperor Cangyan?”

Yanliu Imperial Child cried in pain.

Blood River King was his treasure, relying on him he could dominate below the Ancient Imperial Sons, he had only wanted to wait for Blood River King to completely fall under the slave imprint, then eradicate his clan, sect, and relatives, turning him into the lowest form of dog groveling at his feet, not even allowing him to retain human form, to command him to bite whoever he chose, never intending to execute him.

Because this servant was more valuable than Imperial Arms!

Now, to destroy this treasure, a profound reluctance surged in his heart, and he even contemplated defying the will of the Great Emperor, secretly keeping him.

”It’s not Ancient Emperor Cangyan, though he too is reluctant to see an enslaved emperor appear among the Flame Stone Family.”

”It’s due to ancient tribal agreements.”

The Flame Giant patiently explained, ”The ancient tribal agreement strictly forbids us from controlling an enslaved Human Race emperor, we must snuff out all potential seeds, even those enslavers who ascend through corrupting the Dao Heart are not allowed.”

”Violators will face collective retribution from all emperors.”

”As for why, you will understand once you ascend to the Imperial Realm.”

The figure of the Flame Giant slowly faded.

From start to finish, the so-called search for enlightenment by the ant named Blood River King was merely a dream, never truly existing.