Chapter 34: Justice on the Spot

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"
"Your Majesty! Disaster is upon us!"

Within the capital of the realm of Anluan, an elderly man hurried toward the imperial palace, shouting from afar as he approached.

As the figure drew near, it became clear his arm was a mangled mess of blood and flesh, hanging lifelessly at his side.

"Your Majesty, the Third Princess has raised an army against you! We... we are powerless to stop her!"

His desperate cry echoed throughout the grand hall.

The Emperor of Anluan was as if facing an enemy at the gates—he could not believe what he had just heard.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Beside the emperor, a beautiful woman’s face was filled with shock.

"This... has she turned the world upside down?"

This woman was none other than the Empress of Anluan, mother to An Wenxuan and An Fei’er, and the very one who had murdered An Yue’er’s mother.

"Your Majesty! Quickly give the order to execute this traitor!" she demanded harshly.

The emperor remained silent.

"Someone, what word is there from the Black Dragon Sect and the Xuan Yang Sect? Have they sent any messages?"

A trembling old eunuch stepped forward.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, they... they refuse to help us. They will not send troops."

Perhaps it was not that they would not, but that they dared not...

Dared not?

The emperor’s face darkened instantly.

An Yue’er had only just raised her army, and he had wasted no time sending messages, begging the Black Dragon Sect and the others for aid.

He had even penned letters himself, offering them everything he could—so long as they would save Anluan, he would agree to any terms.

And yet, even with such offers, he found himself utterly isolated—no sect was willing to extend a hand.

No one moved to help them.

"So this is the power of an immortal..." the emperor sighed deeply.

A force like the Black Dragon Sect was the greatest power he could hope to rely on. Even within the court, he himself had no greater recourse.

But who did not know that behind An Yue’er stood an immortal—one whose strength far surpassed even the greatest cultivators? No one dared intervene.

He let out another long sigh. "It seems all matters will be settled today..."

He rose and walked out from the great hall, his ministers trailing close behind.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw An Yue’er standing tall before the entrance.

She wore a brilliant red dress, so vivid and striking that she seemed like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens.

At her side stood Yu Qiushui and Huang Xiantang, both with hands clasped behind their backs.

The city’s elite guards lay prone on the ground, unable to move!

These were the imperial guards of Anluan, each one of them at the Dongxu realm of cultivation!

Now, none could withstand the force before them.

"My child!" the emperor smiled, showing no sign of worry. "To see you as you are brings me great comfort. That you possess such power gladdens your father’s heart—I can rest easy now!"

An Yue’er sneered at his words.

"Rest easy? Are you joking?"

"Do you think it’s still ten years ago? Nothing you say today will change your fate!"

The emperor’s smile did not falter. He gazed at her with gentle eyes.

"Perhaps you do not know, but in my heart, I have always loved your mother most dearly."

"She died saving my life, and that grief has never left me. But it was out of love for me that she was willing to lay down her life."

An Yue’er scoffed, refusing to hear another word.

"Save your breath. Surrender your life!"

"The woman at your side murdered my mother with her own hands. You spent all these years with her, and now you say such things—does it not sicken you?"

The emperor’s eyes grew deep and somber. "I know you hate me, but your father had his reasons."

"But since you insist, your father will show you!"

With that, he suddenly turned and seized the Empress’s throat with one hand.

"No!"

The Empress was shocked—she had never imagined he would do this.

"Back then, when she committed such a heinous crime, I wanted to kill her and avenge your mother. But I never found a suitable pretext. Now, at last, I am free to act!"

Finishing those words, the emperor squeezed with all his strength, strangling the Empress to death before everyone’s eyes.

In full view of the court, the Empress perished on the spot.

The emperor tossed her corpse to An Yue’er’s feet.

An Yue’er stared coldly at the body.

At the same time, the emperor tore off his dragon robe and flung it to the ground.

"My child, An Yue’er, your father abdicates. From this moment on, you are the new emperor of Anluan!"

Despite all these words, An Yue’er simply looked at him frostily, unmoved.

"You need not say any more. Because... whatever you say today, you will die—I’ll have you buried with my mother!"

She spoke as she stepped forward, a growing aura of dread swelling around her, bearing down on the emperor with crushing force.

"Yue’er, I am your father! Can we not speak peacefully?"

"No!" An Yue’er declared with finality.

The emperor’s expression changed drastically. A flash of ruthlessness passed through his eyes as he suddenly spoke: "If you remain unmoved by my pleas, do not blame me for striking first!"

With that, he stomped his foot.

A fissure cracked open at his feet.

Molten magma surged forth, spewing in all directions, scorching waves billowing outward.

"Do you know how our Anluan dynasty earned its place in history?"

"I’ll tell you now! It is because our capital stands atop the pulse of the earth’s fire!"

"Our ancestors, through countless generations, each sacrificed their lives to honor this flame!"

"The fire beneath our feet has long since given birth to a spirit—today, not even a god could escape from here!"

Growing more excited, the emperor shouted his words.

His spiritual energy surged, the crack widened, and magma erupted under his command!

The flames coiled into a serpent, hissing as it lunged at An Yue’er and her companions!

Such power was overwhelming. Even the greatest cultivators would be helpless before it.

The emperor’s laughter rang out, as if awaiting An Yue’er’s death.

Yet An Yue’er stood motionless, her face cold and indifferent.