All those who entered the grand hall with King Huai were members of the Huai Royal Residence. Though only about a hundred people were present, more than twenty of them held the title of emperor. Their strength was so formidable that even the powerful guardian families were terrified of them. Over the years, the strength the Huai Royal Residence displayed was already astonishing, but only in the past few months did everyone realize—to their shock—that what had been shown before was just the tip of the iceberg.
In these months, countless powerful individuals and factions had submitted to the Huai Royal Residence. Their current power was beyond anyone's imagination.
Now that the Prince of Huai had become the Huai Emperor, the Huai Royal Residence naturally became the new imperial family. The aura around its members had undergone a dramatic change. Hui Ran and Hui Ye stood proudly together, their eyes gleaming with the pride of eagles. Their status was now completely different from before. From today onward, they would become the rulers of the Illusory Demon Realm, and the entire realm would respect their lineage.
King Huai stood before the imperial throne. Under the watchful eyes of all guardian families, royal residence members, and heroes of the world, he slowly took his seat. Though he had foreseen this day a hundred years ago, now that he was truly ascending the throne, standing at the center of all attention, with the heroes of the realm kneeling before him—he held the power of life and death over them all—his breath quickened, and his blood surged with excitement.
The era of the Demon King lineage is over. From today on, the Illusory Demon Realm belongs to our Huai Clan!
At his side, four elegantly dressed palace maids stood holding golden robes and crowns. The chief ceremonial official stepped forward, chest high and voice loud:
"In ancient times, the Grand Ancestor of the Demon Emperor ruled the land, and the Illusory Demon Realm enjoyed ten thousand years of peace. But then catastrophe struck, the previous emperor passed, and both the Demon Emperor and Empress perished. Their bloodline vanished into the five elements, leaving no heir and no legacy. The realm fell into mourning, and leaderless chaos loomed.
"Fortunately, Prince Huai bore the world on his shoulders, displaying unmatched wisdom and might, quelling unrest and ending disasters. The people submitted, and the world united under him. Today, no one is more worthy. He shall be the new emperor, and all under heaven shall bow to him!
"All kings must unite to support the new sovereign; all clans must protect and revere him as Heaven's chosen; all ministers must assist him with all loyalty, upholding the Illusory Demon Realm…"
Boom…
Right on cue, deep chimes and drumbeats echoed from beyond the palace. The official stopped abruptly, and an amplified voice rang out beside him:
"The time has come—crowning the new emperor!"
After the coronation at Si Shi (9–11 a.m.), and the offering to the Heavens at Wu Shi (11 a.m.–1 p.m.), Huai Wang would be formally proclaimed emperor of the Illusory Demon Realm.
King Huai stood tall, arms spread, surveying all before him from on high. The maids stepped forward, removed his robes, and replaced them with a golden-red dragon robe, embroidered with the sacred golden crow. After the ritual, he would officially be the new ruler of the realm.
Inside the Demon Emperor Palace, everyone left their seats and knelt:
"Long live the Huai Emperor! May His Majesty live as long as Heaven and Earth, and shine with the sun and moon!"
Everyone allowed in the Demon Emperor Palace held high rank in the realm. Their kneeling was symbolic of the entire realm submitting to the new emperor. King Huai, who had waited a hundred years for this moment, slightly raised his chin and savored the imperial glory. But soon, his gaze landed on the only discordant sight in the hall…
At the banquet table, two people were still seated—one from the Yun Family, the other from the Mu Family.
"How dare you, Mu Feiyan, Yun Qinghong!" the chief official shouted angrily. "The new emperor has ascended! Why haven't you kneeled?"
Normally, even if the official had a hundred lives, he wouldn't dare yell at Yun Qinghong and Mu Feiyan. But today was different. These two families had long held animosity toward the Huai Residence. In the months since the Little Demon Empress's funeral, they had even "accused" King Huai of orchestrating her death.
Now that Huai Wang had ascended, it was obvious he would never tolerate them again. And with the Huai Royal Residence's current power, Yun and Mu were no match. So the official shouted boldly, wanting to display loyalty and curry favor.
The atmosphere turned heavy. Everyone looked toward Yun and Mu's table. The representatives of the Tian, Su, and Yan families looked anxious and quietly sighed.
"Why should I kneel?!" Yun Qinghong suddenly stood up and shouted, his voice like thunder, startling everyone.
His outburst radiated an aura far beyond what a mere ceremonial official could endure. The official trembled and involuntarily stepped back, lips quivering—unable to speak.
"Yun Qinghong!" Helian bellowed, pointing in anger, though his eyes gleamed with mockery. "The new emperor has ascended, and you dare disrespect him? Are you rebelling?!"
"Rebelling?" Yun Qinghong sneered. "Helian, you dare utter such words in the Demon Emperor's Hall, before the heroes of the realm?! Rebel… who is rebelling?!"
"You are!" Jiufang Kui stood up and shouted. The Little Demon Empress was buried, Huai Wang crowned. The realm belonged to the Huai Emperor now. The Yun Family, once glorious four months ago, had been digging their own graves ever since. Now was the perfect time to show loyalty to the Huai Emperor. "Yun Qinghong, as the head of a guardian family, you should pledge loyalty to the new emperor! Yet now, you…"
"Silence!" Yun Qinghong's roar cut Jiufang Kui off. "You shameless traitor! You think you have the right to lecture me?! The Yun Clan helped the Demon Emperor unify the realm! Without him, there would be no thousand-year Yun Family! For generations, we have sworn to protect the Demon Emperor's bloodline and take pride in doing so! Never once have we been disloyal!
"And him? Huai Wang? Who is he to be protected by the Yun Clan?! Who is he to be served?! You traitors kneel before the murderer of the Little Demon Empress and call him king… you disgrace our ancestors!!"
"Yun Qinghong! You dare!!" the Loyal King shouted, shaking with rage. "After the Empress's death, you slandered the new emperor! But everyone knows she died in the Golden Crow Flame Valley. When the seal opened, the new emperor was in the Demon Emperor City—countless people saw it! Once inside the valley, no one can escape until the seal closes. Your accusation is baseless and absurd!
"His Majesty is broad-minded and let your Yun Family handle palace affairs, despite your vile slander! But now, in the grand coronation hall, you insult and defame him in front of all! This is not just a crime against His Majesty—it's an offense to all of us!"
The Loyal King then turned to the emperor:
"Your Majesty, you have been too lenient with them! But we cannot tolerate such humiliation! I ask that you order Yun Qinghong's immediate arrest!"
Huai Emperor slowly raised his hand and gently shook his head with a sigh, showing a hint of helplessness:
"Lord Yun, I know you've always held resentment and misunderstanding toward me. But to accuse me of harming the Little Demon Empress is a grave insult.
"Today is a day of celebration, a day of peace and amnesty. It's not the time for anger. So I'll let this go for now. But once the heavenly rites are completed and the Empress is officially crowned—if you dare speak such slander again, then even if you are the son of the late Yun Canghai, I will show no mercy!"
Yun Qinghong's refusal to bow and his public accusation were each enough to warrant death. But the emperor responded with tolerance. Not out of generosity—but caution.
Four months ago, Yun Che had revived the Yun Family's reputation. Their prestige now was higher than it had been in a thousand years. As a newly crowned emperor, the Huai King could not afford a direct conflict with them—especially not now.
Instead, this restraint made him seem magnanimous, painting the Yun Clan as arrogant rebels.
But Yun Qinghong would not be bought off. He laughed coldly, then soared into the center of the hall. A seven-foot sword glowing with purple light appeared in his hand. He pointed it directly at the emperor:
"No need to wait! I, Yun Qinghong, came here today to bleed in the Demon Emperor's Palace!!"
His action stunned everyone. The entire palace fell into chaos. Even Huai Emperor himself was shocked. None had expected the always-calm Yun Qinghong to act so brazenly.
"Yun Qinghong! What do you think you're doing?!" Helian roared.
"Lord Yun, don't be reckless!" Su Xiangnan and Yan Zijing shouted in alarm. Su even sent a sound transmission:
"Lord Yun! Put the sword away! Even if the Little Demon Empress and Young Master Ling really were killed by Huai Wang—you must live to take revenge! This is not the way! This isn't you!"
But Yun Qinghong didn't respond. He ignored everything.
At his side, Mu Yurou stood with him, icy energy swirling around her. Her eyes radiated the deepest hatred she'd ever felt in her life.
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