This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 198 Bestowal of Fortune

Inside the imperial palace, Emperor Wu, like a majestic mountain, leaned back on his dragon throne, his right hand tapping the table as if lightly striking a drumhead, his eyes slightly closed, as if contemplating the mysteries of the universe.

Below him, the Left and Right Chancellors knelt on the ground like frightened quails.

"Refusing to be granted the title of king? This is indeed unexpected, but..."

A deep, unfathomable smile suddenly appeared on Emperor Wu's lips, like a mysterious star twinkling in the night sky, impossible to fathom.

Then, his gaze sharpened as he looked at the two kneeling below.

"See? Someone who survived even a meteor shower, do you think he doesn't deserve to be a king? Trust me, my judgment is never wrong. Before you question me in the future, do your homework first. The two of you are almost two hundred years old combined, yet you act like impetuous young boys. How can I entrust the Great Qian Dynasty to you for management?"

Emperor Wu's voice was as loud as a bell, carrying an unquestionable majesty that made both his ministers tremble as if struck by lightning.

They were both shocked by Emperor Wu's unwavering decision to unleash the Starfall. Only now did the two prime ministers truly feel the icy killing intent emanating from Emperor Wu, a resolute determination that said, "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me."

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty. This old minister is like a flickering candle, and I fear I am no longer fit to serve as prime minister. Therefore, I wish to resign and retire to the mountains."

The Left Chancellor was filled with disappointment. As Emperor Wu's words had reached this point, the two of them understood that today's questioning had undoubtedly provided Emperor Wu with an opportunity to replace the Chancellor.

The last time they questioned Emperor Wu, perhaps the seeds of disaster had already been sown. This time, however, they misjudged the situation and were directly caught by Emperor Wu.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the downfall of the two ministers was inevitable, because Emperor Wu would never allow the two prime ministers to lead the civil and military officials to question his authority, which would undoubtedly be a trampling on the dignity of the emperor.

"Oh? Why do you say such things? Would I force you?"

Emperor Wu's voice carried a hint of mockery, as if he were laughing at their overestimation of their abilities.

"This is our willing submission. As we grow older, we feel that we are no longer up to the task. We wish to resign and give way to more capable people so as to ensure the eternal stability of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Hmm, I will consider it. You may all leave now."

Emperor Wu's words were like a gentle breeze, yet they stirred up a storm in the hearts of the two prime ministers.

He waved them away as if dismissing two insignificant ants. His gaze pierced through the imperial palace, shooting towards Xiao Xingchen like a sharp arrow. A cold glint flashed across his indifferent face.

"Since you don't want this title of king, then I will grant it to you anyway,"

A memorial on the desk streaked across the sky like lightning, hurtling straight toward Huayu Tower. Like a shooting star, the memorial was caught firmly in Xiao Xingchen's hand amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

Xiao Xingchen was startled. When he saw the memorial flying into his hand, his heart was filled with doubt. However, when he opened the memorial, his eyes narrowed sharply as if pricked by needles, and his face instantly turned extremely gloomy. Could it be that even this could not change the course of history? His body trembled slightly, and upon closer inspection, it was the rage born of fury. The contents of the memorial were completely unexpected. He could continue to refuse the title of king in a frenzy, but the consequences of that...

"What's wrong with you? What does it say?" Before Huangfu Lingxue and Ruoxue came forward, Xiao Xingchen quickly closed the memorial. The contents were of utmost importance. He never expected that the Martial Emperor would be so insightful. This memorial was undoubtedly a blow to his head.

"This time we've wasted our efforts. The old fox is still the wisest. Emperor Wu has won."

He replied with a heavy heart,

"So what happened?"

"It's nothing, this matter has nothing to do with you. Give me this edict of investiture!"

Receiving the royal decree signifies the official transmission of the imperial edict bestowing the title of king. From this day forward, Xiao Xingchen will become the new king of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"What exactly is wrong with you? Do you know that your outburst today has plunged us all into an abyss of no return?"

Huangfu Lingxue's anger erupted like a volcano. She had taken such a huge risk to make a move, only to be told that "it was all in vain".

"I have failed you, but I have no other choice now. I must accept this edict."

Xiao Xingchen was like a deflated balloon. His body, which had already been ravaged by the power of the great demon, was now even more unable to support itself. He swayed a few times and almost collapsed to the ground.

"Your Highness, he must have his reasons. We must not be too harsh on him. The most important thing now is to heal his wounds as soon as possible."

Ruoxue was extremely anxious and quickly helped Xiao Xingchen up. Xiao Xingchen was filled with helplessness; in this world, no one could change his mind except Daji.

In their brief time together, he had already come to regard Daji and the little tiger as family.

He thought that with Daji's abilities, she would never be in danger, but now Emperor Wu told him... Emperor Wu, this was the first time he realized that his judgment of Emperor Wu had been wrong.

Information about Daji is far beyond what a human emperor could know. After all, she was a demon emperor, a being who could face the Nine Heavens directly. How could a human emperor decide the life and death of a demon emperor?

Yun Xiyao continued to observe silently. From the appearance of the great demon to the fall of the star, all the signs made her realize that Xiao Xingchen was hiding a shocking secret.

She also turned to look at Tianling's senior sister and saw several auras hidden in the sky.

They were all waiting to see how things would develop, seemingly very interested in Xiao Xingchen's next move.

This made her value Xiao Xingchen even more. The fact that he could attract the attention of so many important people meant that he was extraordinary.

The moment Xiao Xingchen grabbed the memorial, some people guessed that things might have changed, because Xiao Xingchen's face was extremely pale.

Being granted the title of king meant submission, meaning he had to kneel before Emperor Wu. This might have been insignificant to him in the past, but now, kneeling before Emperor Wu would undoubtedly be a great humiliation for him.

Knowing full well that they have been tricked and stripped naked, how can an ordinary person kneel down and pay respects?

As soon as the princess approached him, Wang Zhao secretly slipped the item into her hand as if by magic.

To keep her and Ruoxue out of sight, Xiao Xingchen led Wang Zhao up the sky step by step, as if climbing a ladder, until they stopped in front of Yun Xiyao.

Before anyone could figure out what he was going to do, he casually tossed a royal edict into the air, which flew up like a butterfly in flight.

The moment Wang Zhao was thrown out, he seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, and suddenly opened up like a huge scroll spread out over Yong'an.

On the edict, golden characters shimmered with dazzling light, as brilliant as stars. At the same time, a majestic and awe-inspiring voice resounded once more: "Xiao Xingchen, originally named Xiao Jianren, is the eldest son of the Xiao family, a renowned sword immortal clan in Nanling. I am deeply moved by Xiao Jianren's achievements and hereby bestow upon him the title of Prince Kaoshan. This edict is proclaimed to the heavens above and passed down to the earth below. He is now the fifth king of the Great Qian Dynasty, holding the position of a king. So be it!"

As the golden characters burst forth with dazzling golden light in the air, a golden pillar of light, like a giant dragon soaring into the sky, rose straight to the heavens.

The demonic aura that lingered above Yong'an vanished instantly like paper before this powerful force.

Golden light pierced the sky, shaking away all the clouds and mist in the vast void, thus revealing a corner of the Heavenly Palace.

At the edge of the sky, palaces stand in rows, resembling a mysterious fairy island, as if someone is looking down on the human world from there.

Bathed in golden light, the heavenly palace, like a fairyland, appeared incredibly sacred, inspiring awe even across the vast distance between heaven and earth.

"Ninefold Jade Capital, why? Why was Xiao Xingchen bestowed a name by the Jade Capital!"

Yun Xiyao was utterly shocked. This wasn't the first time she had been shocked today. With her peak sixth-level strength, there were very few things in this world that could make her take notice. However, everything that had happened today was constantly refreshing her understanding.

This was no ordinary conferment of a kingship. The process of conferring a kingship required reporting to the Nine Heavens and waiting for the Jade Capital Heaven to grant its approval before issuing an imperial edict. This process was completed the moment the edict was issued.

However, this moment was completely different. This was by no means an ordinary imperial edict of the Great Qian Dynasty. The moment the edict shot into the heavens with golden light, it had become another kind of ceremony, called the bestowal of fortune.

Few truly understand the profound meaning of bestowing destiny upon someone. Those who receive this privilege are granted the qualification to ascend to the Nine Heavens, a qualification so rare it's a once-in-a-century occurrence, a coveted spot where fierce competition ensues. She never imagined that the Great Qian Emperor would actually issue an edict bestowing destiny upon someone. Once this news spreads, it will shake the entire world, causing a cataclysmic upheaval.

The celestial palace in the sky seemed to be filled with immortals. After the golden light shone into the celestial palace, Xiao Xingchen's name slowly emerged in the golden light like a star. Then, something floated out of the celestial palace, like a light feather, and landed on the top of the golden light.

This is a ceremony. The ceremony will be officially completed only after the golden light returns the token placed in the Heavenly Palace to Xiao Xingchen.

Xiao Xingchen stood there for a moment, confused. In his memory, the process of bestowing a king was not so complicated. He looked behind him in bewilderment, not understanding why this commotion seemed endless.

Only when the golden light returned and enveloped him did he feel as if struck by lightning, and he trembled violently.

Bathed in golden light, his injuries began to reverse. Golden threads, like skillful craftsmen mending a broken toy, spread across his body.

The power of the ritual was the first to sense the anomaly, and like a startled bird, it immediately retreated into its spiritual platform and disappeared without a trace.

The great demon Feifei seemed to sense that terrifying power as well, and a wave of fear washed over Xiao Xingchen.

Only that mysterious and unpredictable sword energy, after encountering the golden light, seemed to thrive like a fish in water, instantly surging like a raging torrent, rampaging through the spiritual platform with unstoppable force, becoming the new ruler of the spiritual platform.

A token, like a dazzling star, slowly descended with golden light and landed precisely in Xiao Xingchen's hand.

On the token was a single word, shining like the brightest star in the night sky: "Bestow".

This is the token that leads to the Nine Heavens. With it, Xiao Xingchen can freely enter the Nine Heavens for the next hundred years, far away from the turmoil of the mortal world.