In addition, countless cities abandoned by the Human Emperor still held countless people who, just like Wuling City, swore to fight the enemy to the death.
The eighteen prefecture cities appeared extremely calm, yet that was merely the calm before the storm.
Three days later, the Human Emperor Palace was a scene of bustling noise and excitement, with the great army gathering.
The battlefield arena had already been set up, formed by legions of Divine Emperor Supremes, half-step Emperor Grades, Divine King Venerables, and various martial artists below the King Grade. Directly below the legions stood a temporarily constructed execution ground. Bound to the stone pillars on this execution ground were several thousand martial artists. If Yeyun and the others were here, they would certainly be able to recognize these people as those close to Yeyun, Di Qin, and even Gong Yutian.
Among them were Li Qing, Limo, Qin Su, and several other students who had long since withdrawn from the Qianji Academy.
Most terrifying of all was that among them was a child who looked strikingly like a porcelain doll. If the various lords were present, they would surely recognize this person as Ren Woxiao, the one who used to pester Yeyun relentlessly, demanding to recognize her as his godmother.
That former lord of a territory—who used to wear brocade robes, tread upon cloud-striding boots, tie his hair in a high ponytail, and display a hint of delicate spoiledness amidst a spine of absolute pride—that Ren Woxiao, whose milky, child-like voice sounded so much like little Mo'er, and who had once nearly turned the Human Emperor Palace upside down, had actually been reduced to a prisoner of war in just a short span of time.
Now, his hair was disheveled, his robes covered in dust, and his cultivation sealed as he was bound to the stone pillar. Perhaps still silently enduring excruciating pain, his brows were tightly furrowed, his head lowered, and his teeth clenched, while cold sweat poured continuously down his pale little face.
"Lord Smile, are you alright?" Limo asked with some worry, covered in injuries as he stood nearby.
Ren Woxiao licked the corner of his lips and smiled, "Right now, I am no lord of anything."
"Why were you captured too?"
If the Human Emperor had a reason to arrest Qin Su and the others—seeing as they were all close to Yeyun—Ren Woxiao was the lord of a territory, yet he had fallen into the exact same plight as them. One had to know that arresting the lord of a territory was no small matter; without a legitimate reason, weren't they afraid of a joint crusade by the other lords?
None of the Eight Great Lords were easy to deal with, yet somehow Ren Woxiao had stumbled.
Ren Woxiao did not answer Limo's question. Instead, he closed his eyes, lifted his chin, and let out a low chuckle filled with helplessness and a trace of anger. For the past thousand years, he certainly could be considered hedonistic, and it wasn't as if he was unaware that some of the Human Emperor's actions had gone too far. Yet ultimately, he had trusted too much in the so-called Dao, always thinking that as a proper Human Emperor, even if the ruler harbored ulterior motives, he would not make a mockery of the world.
Yet now, he had been wrong!
Terribly wrong!
And precisely because he was the very first among the lords to stand up and oppose the Human Emperor's crusade targeting Yeyun—Taishu Xu had agreed on the spot, only to turn around and set a trap for him, catching him completely off guard.
Feeling the bone-chilling pain within his spiritual consciousness, his already pale complexion turned a few shades whiter, leaving even his lips completely devoid of color.
"I hope Mother Beauty isn't foolish enough to charge straight in blindly, otherwise this Three Realms Heaven is truly beyond saving. Cough, cough..." The damage to his soul caused Ren Woxiao agonizing pain, yet he stubbornly forced himself to hold back and not let out a single cry of agony.
Before long, two figures descended from the sky right in front of him.
"Lord Smile, you call yourself the lord of a territory, yet how could you let yourself be bewitched by that Night Fiend? If you just humble yourself and apologize to His Majesty the Human Emperor, the two of us will put in a good word for you, and you won't have to suffer here."
"Ren Woxiao, just listen to the Northwest Lord's advice. That Night Fiend is an enemy to the entire world, and even destroyed the Seal-Heaven Seal, causing the Heavenly Demon King to slaughter humanity. Such sins are unforgivable and monstrous; why on earth would you ruin the rest of your life for the sake of a fiend? As the saying goes, those who understand the times are wise men. Making an enemy of His Majesty the Human Emperor right now will do you no good."
The Southwest Lord said with a beaming smile, the sense of superiority exuding from his tone making Ren Woxiao roll his eyes in annoyance.
"The two of you really are good dogs raised by Taishu Xu. Although I, Ren Woxiao, am no good person, neither am I someone who curries favor with the powerful."
The Southwest Lord's expression shifted, and he angrily snapped, "Ren Woxiao! Do not be ungrateful! If His Majesty the Human Emperor hadn't factored in past relations and sent the two of us to persuade you, you would have already faced execution."
"Then I must truly thank you both for your kind intentions! For not letting me die sooner."
"You! Stubborn and incorrigible!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Since you refuse to see reason, don't blame His Majesty the Human Emperor for showing no mercy. Those who collude with the Night Fiend have only one path—death!" Having dropped this harsh warning, the Southwest Lord flicked his sleeves and strode away.
Leaving the Northwest Lord standing in place, looking at Ren Woxiao with a complicated expression. "Why must you be like this? Before the appearance of the Chishui Lord, though the seven of us lords weren't exactly united, we at least had some camaraderie. Is it really worth it for the sake of a Night Fiend?"
Ren Woxiao fell silent for a moment. "I am not doing this for Ye Shiqi."
Rather, he refused to become a ruthless blade in the hands of a fiend.
"You... Very well. You probably won't listen to anything we have to say anyway. For a thousand years, the only one who could get you to listen was the Huaixi Lord. It's just a pity that ever since the Huaixi Lord announced seclusion, all contact has been lost. Otherwise, having him come persuade you would be far better than letting you perish here. Cultivation does not come easily, Lord Smile. You should really consider this carefully! Do not let yourself live with regret."
Saying no more, the Northwest Lord also turned and walked away.
Ren Woxiao lifted his head, leaning back against the stone pillar, and spoke no further.
...
Hum!
After a bell toll echoed from within the Human Emperor Palace, a man clad in a dragon robe descended from the sky to the front of the martial artist legions. Hundreds of thousands of martial artists all bowed in unison: "We pay our respects to His Majesty the Human Emperor!"
Following them, the representatives of the One Palace, Two Sects, Three Superior Sects, and the Twelve Ancestor Witch Clans bowed and saluted.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Human Emperor."
Taishu Xu maintained his benevolent demeanor, his voice calm as he said, "Everyone, rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Human Emperor!"
"Everyone, right now the Three Realms Heaven is flowing with rivers of blood and the common people are displaced. As the Human Emperor, I feel deep sorrow. This gathering of the legions is solely to rescue the common people of this world. I hope all of you can lend me a hand to exterminate all demons and return a peaceful and prosperous era to the world."
As his voice fell, someone suddenly asked, "May I ask Your Majesty the Human Emperor, what on earth is going on with the Heavenly Demon King? Is it true, as the rumors say, that the Chishui Lord destroyed the Seal-Heaven Seal out of selfish motives, releasing the heavenly demons to slaughter the common people?"
The Human Emperor let out a long sigh, looking quite heartbroken as he said, "I am unwilling to believe this is true either. As you all know, the Chishui Lord was personally appointed by me and is a heaven-favored talent of the younger generation. Seeing such talent emerge in our Three Realms Heaven filled me with immense gratification, which is why I always wanted to properly nurture this child, even bestowing the land of Chishui upon her without hesitation. But ultimately, she was too young, and being a woman, she simply walked down the wrong path—one wrong step leading to step after step of error.
"I even tried to save her and turn her back from the precipice, but in the end, I was powerless, which led to this catastrophic mistake. I have failed the heavens, and I have failed the common people of the world. If not for my repeated indulgence of her, it would not have resulted in the tragic deaths of tens of millions of people. All of this is my fault!"