CHAPTER 452: CHAPTER 0449: FULFILLING YOUR HUMBLE AND TRIVIAL WISH

If you wish to refine a Holy Weapon, don’t concern yourself with the expenditure of Immortal Stones—the rate of consumption is truly terrifying.

As for Lin Fan and the others, the Immortal Stones they’re burning through now were acquired by trading for one Immortal Treasure after another.

The dragon energy beneath the Imperial Mausoleum—who knows how much they’ve already absorbed? It’s likely on the verge of exhaustion.

An entire Dragon Vein has been drained dry.

It’s unimaginable how long they’ve been cultivating.

The Great Yun Dynasty.

Every day, children would gaze toward the location of the Imperial Mausoleum, but since the day they last saw it shimmer with golden light, it has never shone again.

Yet, despite this.

They persist in watching, day after day, until months have passed.

On this day.

The originally azure sky suddenly turned a brilliant golden hue, mixed with ominous torrents of blood-colored energy.

A child sat in the backyard, perched on a stone bench, resting his chin on his arm atop the stone table while gazing at the distant mountain.

Suddenly.

A group of people burst in.

"Mother, what’s the matter?" the child asked curiously, then his gaze fell upon Uncle Huang, who had long been his guide in cultivation, covered in blood and clad in tattered armor. Horrified, he shouted, "Uncle Huang, what happened to you?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Wilderness Dynasty has come personally. We can no longer resist. You must quickly leave this place with the Empress Dowager. We will hold them off so Your Majesty can escape safely," General Huang said.

With his strength at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, he was no match for the Emperor of the Great Wilderness Dynasty.

The Imperial Realm’s immortals were now locked in combat with the enemy.

But under the current circumstances, they likely won’t last much longer.

The Empress Dowager said, "General Huang, you are highly skilled. It is safest for you to escort His Majesty away. In the future, take him into the mountains and ensure his survival."

General Huang replied, "Empress Dowager, that must not be. This servant was born into the Empire and shall die with the Empire. How can I leave the Empress Dowager behind in this place?"

"No... I will stay behind. Only by your taking His Majesty can he live. If I go with him, we won’t get far," the Empress Dowager said, shaking her head.

Soon.

Agonized screams echoed from nearby.

A domineering voice carried over the air.

"After today, the Great Yun Dynasty will be nothing but history."

When the Empress Dowager heard this voice, she urgently said, "General Huang, I command you—leave now with His Majesty at once. Do you intend to defy my order?"

"This..." General Huang hesitated, a troubled expression crossing his face.

At that moment.

The child said, "Mother, Uncle Huang, we still have our ancestral figure. Let’s call upon them—surely they won’t stand by idly."

"Ancestral figure?" General Huang looked startled. When did the Great Yun Dynasty ever have such a figure? And who might His Majesty be referring to?

Suddenly.

The Empress Dowager seemed to recall something. She wasn’t sure if the immortals who had entered the Imperial Mausoleum months ago had left yet. If they hadn’t—perhaps...

Though the hope was slim.

It was worth a try.

"General Huang, we’re going to the Imperial Mausoleum," the Empress Dowager proclaimed.

General Huang didn’t know what the Empress Dowager intended to do in the Imperial Mausoleum, but given the situation, there was no other option. Without hesitation, he took the Empress Dowager and His Majesty toward the mausoleum.

As they moved through the skies.

The people of the Great Wilderness Dynasty discovered their movements and shouted, "The remnants of the Great Yun Dynasty have been spotted! They’re heading in that direction!"

At that moment.

A middle-aged man dressed in imperial robes laughed arrogantly, "Follow me! Capture the Young Emperor of the Great Yun Dynasty!"

Outside the Imperial Mausoleum.

General Huang kept an eye on the rear at all times. They had already missed their best chance to escape—now, the Emperor of the Great Wilderness was upon them.

"Why do you still flee? Oh, I see—this is the Imperial Mausoleum. Are you here to die in it?"

"Very well, since you desire such an end, I’ll grant your wish," the Emperor of the Great Wilderness said, standing proudly in the air, looking down at them as if they were mere ants.

"Young Emperor, to ascend the throne at such a tender age is fortunate. But your misfortune is that today marks the end of your reign."

Then.

He turned his gaze to the Empress Dowager beside the child.

"The rumors speak of the Empress Dowager of the Great Yun Dynasty as peerlessly beautiful. Now that I see you, it proves to be true. Though you’ve borne a child, you possess a unique allure. After this, I shall take you back to my harem and train you well..."

General Huang roared in fury, "Thief, you’ll not insult the Empress Dowager!"

The child yelled indignantly, "My ancestral figure will come out and punish you!"

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness stared for a moment, then broke into laughter, "Ha! Ancestral figure? Is that so? I see now—you assume the anomaly in the mausoleum was caused by your ancestral figure. Laughable. Utterly laughable. Do you even realize..."

"Silence!" the Empress Dowager cut him off, staring directly at the Emperor of the Great Wilderness. "You, the Emperor of the Great Wilderness Dynasty, have no sense of shame?"

She interrupted him, hoping to preserve some semblance of hope for His Majesty.

Inside the Imperial Mausoleum.

Lin Fan and the others had concluded their cultivation—the Immortal Stones were completely depleted. The refining process of the Holy Weapon was flawless thus far, but it wasn’t yet fully refined—only halfway done.

It was difficult.

Extremely difficult.

Pouring in so many Immortal Treasures only for a half-refinement was disheartening, but on second thought, it wasn’t so bad. Immortal Treasures were rare, but not hard to find for the trio blessed by fortune.

"Brother Qin, Brother Xiang, something’s happening outside. It seems the dynasty of this mausoleum is on the brink of annihilation—they’ve come here for help. That kid thinks we’re their ancestral figure; the situation is a bit... complicated," Lin Fan remarked.

Xiang Fei replied, "Brother Lin, I sensed earlier that the Emperor of the Great Wilderness has backers. This isn’t just a conflict of dynasties—someone’s manipulating from behind the scenes."

Qin Yang considered it and said, "This kind of scenario—I’ve heard of it many times. There’s often hidden schemes involved. We came here to cultivate, deliberately avoiding these entanglements. So, I say we let it go—focus on what we need to do and leave them to their fate."

"Oh..." Lin Fan sighed, casting a disdainful look at Qin Yang. "You’ve been with me all this time, yet you still don’t understand the true essence of drawing a blade against injustice."

"Besides, we’ve absorbed so much dragon energy from their mausoleum without them confronting us—it shows magnanimity. How could we stand idly by? If word got out, wouldn’t we be ridiculed?" Lin Fan declared firmly.

He was resolute in spreading this noble spirit.

Qin Yang responded, "Brother Lin, truthfully, I feel the same. I only said that because Brother Xiang mentioned there were backers—I thought he might be wary, so I went along with him."

"In actuality, I too want to act."

If Xiang Fei were more temperamental, he’d certainly have kicked Qin Yang to death.

Why couldn’t you keep your posturing to yourself?

And if you must posture, why drag me into it?

Outside the mausoleum.

The child fell to his knees and shouted reverently, "Ancestral figure, bad people want to harm us—please come and save us!"

"Ancestral figure..."

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness laughed incredulously, "Laughable! Truly laughable! Ancestral figure? Very well. Let’s see if your so-called ancestral figure will rescue you."

As his words ended.

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness struck—a palm aimed directly at the child.

"Your Majesty!"

General Huang was horrified.

Yet at that moment.

A formidable aura surged from within the mausoleum.

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness, poised to strike, felt his spirit rocked, cold sweat pouring from his brow. His assault halted abruptly—he acted as though he had encountered something terrifying.

"How is this possible..."

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness was utterly shocked. There was no mistake—the aura emanated from within the mausoleum.

Could it be... there truly was some ancestral figure?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

General Huang was astonished, sensing the mausoleum’s aura. It stood behind them like a towering mountain, insurmountable and eternal, compelling fear in any who perceived it.

"Cough, cough!"

In the silent atmosphere, a cough echoed from within the mausoleum.

The child was overjoyed, crying out excitedly, "Mother, the ancestral figure has heard my call!"

The Empress Dowager knelt down and began fervently bowing toward the mausoleum, her pleas resonating within the chamber.

"Honored senior, please save the Great Yun Dynasty!"

"Honored senior, please save the Great Yun Dynasty!"

She was aware that this wasn’t the ancestral figure the Young Emperor had spoken of, but rather the immortal who had been absorbing dragon energy within the mausoleum.

"May I know who the esteemed daoist is? If your presence causes inconvenience, we implore your forgiveness. Should you require anything, the Great Wilderness Dynasty will endeavor to fulfill your every need," the Emperor of the Great Wilderness said, sensing the might of the aura and realizing that he was not its match.

But he was certain that this individual had no ties to the Great Yun Dynasty.

The child’s face was flushed with anger as he shouted, "This is my ancestral figure!"

"Ignorant boy. If this daoist were truly your ancestral figure, would the Great Yun Dynasty be in its current plight?" the Emperor of the Great Wilderness scoffed.

The child retorted vehemently, "It’s my ancestral figure!"

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness ignored him, knowing the Great Yun Dynasty had lost its significance. The critical matter now was whether this daoist would intervene on their behalf.

By his assessment.

The odds of the daoist siding with the Great Yun Dynasty were slim—practically nonexistent.

Soon.

A voice rang out from within the mausoleum.

"I, as the ancestral figure of the Great Yun Dynasty, have been in secluded cultivation for thousands of years. You dare trespass here with such arrogance—are you prepared for the consequences?"

Lin Fan saw that the child was insistent on calling him their ancestral figure—what could he do? He had no choice but to grant the child’s humble wish.

After all, Lin Fan believed there was a special bond between him and children.

The Empress Dowager and General Huang exchanged startled glances.

Soon, realization dawned upon them as to the truth.

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness gathered himself and swiftly fled into the distance.

"Think you can escape?"

Swish!

Boom!

Space trembled.

Several sharp flashes of energy shot forth from the mausoleum, slashing toward the Emperor of the Great Wilderness. It was none other than the Divine Skill Chaotic Void Slash—capable of extinguishing someone of his stature in mere moments.

"No..."

The Emperor of the Great Wilderness sensed the peril behind him, panicked, and cried out desperately.

"Soul Demon Old Immortal, save me! Soul Demon Old Immortal, save me!"

Splurt!

The sharp energy tore his body to pieces.