Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Blood-robed Taoist sits cross-legged in the Household Palace, eyes closed in cultivation.

The great hall is bustling with activity, with members of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan moving back and forth. Their gazes towards the Blood-robed Taoist are filled with hatred, disgust, and disdain. These relatively young cultivators are unable to fully hide their emotions.

Yet, none dares to step forward and speak ill.

Jiang Ding pays them no mind.

He is absorbed, focused only on himself, still inhaling and exhaling the Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi to cultivate, slowly solidifying his foundation. The favorable environment for cultivation within the Imperial Palace has significantly sped up his progress.

Time is lost to him.

”The Emperor wishes to see you.”

The somber voice of Demon Mountain King echoes in the air.

Jiang Ding opens his eyes, slowly ends his cultivation, nods slightly, and stands up to walk with Demon Mountain King towards the heart of the palace complex.

The two walk side by side, seemingly as if it were times past when they served together—constantly scheming against each other, stabbing each other in the back, deceitful, yet outwardly affable, addressing each other as brothers, confidants.

Silence reigns.

”Why,”

”Why don’t you show more deference?”

Unable to hold back, Demon Mountain King lowers his voice to ask. Not out of sympathy, just purely curious, puzzled in his Dao Heart: ”Weren’t you like this before?”

”Regarding flattery and excessive subservience, you surpassed me by far, making the Emperor extremely pleased. I secretly admired and studied it.”

”Why has it changed now?”

”If you were more deferential, more humble, pleasing the Emperor, not only could you survive, but your sect and your clan could prosper. Isn’t that better for us both?”

”When did something as trivial as dignity become so important to you?”

Demon Mountain King is puzzled.

”Are you curious?”

Jiang Ding looks up at him; now, there is no hatred as before.

Nothing personal, just a high-class member of the Slave Clan dependent on the Flame Stone Family—certainly guilty of many crimes and deserving of death, but not deserving of hatred.

Hatred should be directed at the Horned Demon Imperial Clan, at the Flame Stone Family. That is the broad-mindedness a man should have, not fixating on the weak.

”Yes, I am curious.”

Demon Mountain King admits.

”This doesn’t resemble your former cautious self, daring to delve into matters of the Imperial Realm.”

Jiang Ding smiles, not hiding anything, sighs and says: ”The Imperial Realm is already dividing the power of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan, even the Slave Emperor does so.”

”At this level, mere flattery cannot make up for it.”

”Only value can compensate somewhat.”

”Value?”

Demon Mountain King is startled.

But Jiang Ding pays him no more attention, his hand on his sword hilt, he walks silently, lost in thought.

After a while, they reach the Crown Prince’s Palace but do not enter. They walk straight past it towards the grand and majestic Flame Imperial Palace.

The temperature around them increases intensely, and as they venture deeper, it becomes hot enough to melt the Protective Shields of Nascent Soul Monks, as if stepping deeper into a fiery hell.

Arriving at the heart of the Flame Imperial Palace.

Here, Jiang Ding meets the Yanliu Imperial Child seated on the high Great Imperial Flame Throne.

Indeed, not on a smaller throne, but on a grander and more imposing one. He sits there, looking down at the two servants approaching below, his expression neither happy nor angry.

”Your Highness, the slave, Blood River King has been brought.”

Demon Mountain King kneels on both knees, kowtowing three times in quick succession, seizing every opportunity to show his loyalty.

Jiang Ding quietly watches the Yanliu Imperial Child seated on the Great Imperial Flame Throne, remaining silent.

”Scoundrel!”

”You lowly slave, why do you not kneel upon seeing this Imperial Child?”

Yanliu Imperial Child’s face showed displeasure as he sternly reprimanded, ”Do you realize that if it were not for my protection, you would have already died by my lonely father’s hand?”

”If you still wish to have a glimmer of hope to glimpse the Great Emperor Realm, you need to be clear about your position!”

”You are a servant!”

”A lowly servant, forever and ever, even if you ascend to become a Great Emperor!”

”You will forever be a dog of the Flame Stone Family!”

”Only then will you have a chance, receive my grace and permission, and be able to ascend to the Imperial Realm, understand?”

He delivered grace and threats together, intimidating and frightening, his methods in handling people already quite refined.

The Blood River King indeed showed hesitation.

”Ha ha!”

Yanliu Imperial Child felt a strong sense of pleasure in his heart.

What about the unparalleled Elite of the Human Race Sword Dao?

What about the invincible monarch?

Still, isn’t he respectfully bowing his head under my feet, acting like a lowly dog?

Yet even so, this dog is still not qualified!

Yanliu Imperial Child was very much looking forward to torturing him in every way possible, completely crushing his self-esteem, his Sword Heart, and then turning him into a true dog, before telling him that he never intended to give him a chance at the Imperial Realm from the start, to see what kind of face this Blood-robed Taoist would show.

At that time, it would certainly be splendid.

Cling!

At this moment, a melodious sound of a sword cry resonated through heaven and earth.

An overwhelming killing intent surged like tidal waves, instantly flooding the entire palace, submerging all creatures, causing a chill in the hearts of everyone within.

Among them, was the condescending Yanliu Imperial Child.

His strength was merely that of an ordinary monarch, and in front of the real invincible monarch, he was nothing but an ant, trembling uncontrollably under such murderous intent.

”You despicable slave...”

Yanliu Imperial Child trembled with rage.

The expectation and joy in his heart instantly turned into fear, and then quickly into intense embarrassment, his face flushing red.

”Ultimately, is it not going to happen?”

”My Imperial Realm.”

Jiang Ding slowly drew out his longsword, sighing with a mixture of sadness and despair, and also grievance.

The murderous intent around him became ever more frenzied and icy, and all the monarchs nearby felt as if they were sitting in a small boat amid a stormy sea, as if they would be engulfed by ferocious waves in the next moment, leaving no trace.

”Damn!”

”If you continue to be so defiant, naturally, you will not achieve the Imperial Realm!”

Yanliu Imperial Child furiously said coldly.

”Alas,”

”Yanliu, you mongrel dog,”

”Has no one told you that your acting and your schemes are all childlike?”

Jiang Ding sighed lightly, sorrowfully said, ”You such a fool can’t even pretend properly, your small eager thoughts, cruelty, brutality, and murderous intent are as clear as if written on paper.”

”It seems that something beyond my calculations has occurred.”

”Heaven wants to destroy me, the Dao, ultimately... it won’t happen.”

Cling!

Boom!

A blaze of bloodlight burst forth, its blood like a dragon, ferocious and bloody, engulfing the entire sky, thunderously suppressing the Yanliu Imperial Child upon the Flame Throne.

A tsunami-like killing intent enveloped him, rendering him unable to move an inch, while others like Demon Mountain King and Chenshan King were like ants, unable to even react.

Under this blood-red Sword-light, the exalted nobleman, the emperor’s child on the throne, was weaker than a crawling insect!