Chapter 376: Dazheng's Brimming Authority
The 361 stars sent a near-infinite stream of stellar energy into Nalan Qiankun's body, allowing him to grow stronger and stronger. The shockwaves that resulted from his attacks generated storms in their own right.
Zhang Feifan and Lan Jiguang were initially stronger than Nalan Qiankun, but after repeated attacks, gradually lost the upper hand to him. Now, his attacks were even starting to send them flying.
"Am I to blame for becoming a traitor? No. You are. The Taiqing Immortal Sect did help me found the kingdom, but consider how small the kingdom was at the beginning! These past few years, I've worked hard on expanding its territory, but all of you demand more and more of me. Whenever I advance, so too do your demands! Do you think I don't work hard for my fortune? I won it for myself, so why should I give in to the sect's endless demands?" Nalan Qiankun demanded.
"Nalan Qiankun, the Taiqing Immortal Sect was the one who made you emperor in the first place. Don't you recall how many disciples of the Ascended and Mortal divisions gave their lives for this empire? You were simply the best choice to lead that empire—the Tianshu Empire was never truly yours to begin with! If not for your senior and junior brothers demurring to take the throne, would you have gotten the chance to do so?" Zhang Feifan thundered.
"No! None of you know what you're talking about. The Taiqing Immortal Sect is like a festering tumor. Since all of you have come, you might as well not leave. I'll kill you all and be without any further obligations!" Nalan Qiankun cried.
"Can you?" Lan Jiguang demanded.
"Do you know why I chose to meld a cursed spiritual avatar into my Immortal body? It's to deal with you. Only a cursed spiritual avatar can bear unlimited stellar energy. I'll grow stronger and stronger, until I kill all of you! So what if you're both Earth Immortals? You're nothing compared to me! Break!"
He sent both Zhang Feifan and Lan Jiguang flying as they spat out mouthfuls of blood.
"How are you feeling, Sect Masters? Would you like to take me on, too? Haha!" Nalan Qiankun laughed, taunting the two sect masters in the distance.
The two sect masters clutched their chests as they coughed. They were, at present, extremely weak. Considering how arrogant and audacious the traitor to the Taiqing sect was, however, they were so infuriated that they clambered up and attempted to take part in the fight.
Just then, a cool voice piped up beside him. "Nalan Qiankun, you've already been defeated multiple times today. Whence comes your arrogance?"
The cultivators turned to see Xiao Nanfeng approaching.
"Xiao Nanfeng, you're only a Human Immortal, and one who's no match for him. Run and activate your empire's might! We'll stall him," Zhang Feifan called out.
"Xiao Nanfeng, both your yin bodies have been heavily injured. Don't try to show off. Leave him to us for now. Activate the influence of the Dazheng Empire to deal with him!" Lan Jiguang shouted urgently.
The two cultivators shot toward Nalan Qiankun from the front and the back. He was growing stronger and stronger the more they delayed. Starlight radiated from his body; his swings were like heaven itself cleaving down, and his fists an explosion of heavenly might. Fire and wind broke out around him as the two Earth Immortals were sent flying time and again. They grew battered and bloodied.
Within the crowd, Zhang Lingjun stared anxiously as her father fought off the madman. She tried to help, but was held back by a certain cultivator. "Although your father is heavily injured, he has a relic that protects his body, and he's not in critical danger. Nalan Qiankun's cultivation is rising thanks to the stars' blessing, and he's about to become a Heaven Immortal. You cannot head over."
Zhang Lingjun forced herself to remain calm. To her surprise, however, she saw Xiao Nanfeng flying into the battlefield.
"Xiao Nanfeng, leave! What are you doing here?" Zhang Feifan exclaimed.
"If I leave now, both of you will be dead by the time I return! I'd regret it if Nalan Qiankun were to run after that." Xiao Nanfeng shook his head.
"But you're only a Human Immortal! What can you do? Nalan Feng's far stronger than before. He currently has the strength of a late-stage Earth Immortal!" Zhang Feifan cried out.
"Don't worry. I can handle him," Xiao Nanfeng replied calmly.
"What?" Zhang Feifan exclaimed.
"Divine Seal of Dazheng, seal!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.
The Divine Seal of Dazheng glowed with blinding purple light as it shot toward Nalan Qiankun and quashed his body underfoot.
Xiao Nanfeng rose into the air and shouted, "Citizens of the Dazheng Empire, please drop everything you're doing and listen to my announcement. I am Xiao Nanfeng, Emperor of Dazheng, and am currently mired in bitter battle against the Emperor Tianshu. This is a matter of life and death for the empire, and I need the assistance of all. Whosoever wishes to remain a citizen of Dazheng, to ensure the survival of Dazheng, raise your right hand!"
The sea of fortune above Yongding roiled, transmitting Xiao Nanfeng's words to all citizens of the empire.
Those people of Yongding, of Luoxing, and of the borders of the Dazheng Empire dropped whatever they were doing and turned toward Yongding.
The people of Yongding were the first to respond to the call.
"Your Majesty, I shall lend you my strength! You must protect the Dazheng Empire!" someone shouted.
As he raised his right hand, he could almost sense some mysterious force cognizant of his declaration and suddenly extracting all the strength from his body. He collapsed to the ground, momentarily paralyzed. He could see a ball of white light flying toward the sea of fortune, a representation of his full strength.
Similar situations were taking place all throughout Yongding.
"We're finally starting to lead good lives. I don't want to return to the past. The Dazheng Empire must endure. Your Majesty, take my strength!"
"Quick, listen to His Majesty. Raise your right hand!"
"Borrow my strength for the sake of Dazheng!"
"Long live the Dazheng Empire!"
The people of Yongding all raised their right hands. Balls of white light flew into the sea of fortune.
In the countless cities of Dazheng, white light was flooding into the air. The strength of the common people formed a milky-white river through the air, surging into the sea of fortune.
The sea of fortune, containing the strength of countless people of the empire, gradually resolved into the shape of a giant golden dragon.
The giant golden dragon roared as it surged toward Xiao Nanfeng. It conveyed to him the strength of the empire's people, so massive it shocked one and all, so resplendent it illuminated the land. That strength infused Xiao Nanfeng's body.
He radiated with golden light and his physical body swelled. He could feel his strength rising to an insane degree. A tempest formed around him, a frightening aura that shocked one and all within Yongding.
The cultivators that flew toward Yongding from afar sucked in a deep breath.
"Is this the strength of Dazheng? What a potent force!"
"The aura of an Earth Immortal? No, an even stronger aura—a Heaven Immortal? That's crazy!"
"Dazheng hasn't even been an empire for all that long! How could he have gained so much support from the common people? Look at all that strength!"
"What tremendous strength..."
The cultivators all around gasped at the strength pouring into Xiao Nanfeng.
Meanwhile, the people of Yongding were lying on the floor, drained. They looked up at the air, at the golden glow of fortune and the white aura of strength above Yongding; at Xiao Nanfeng, around whom gold and white were intertwining. All of them had contributed to Xiao Nanfeng's strength, and all of them could share in his glory.
"His Majesty is invincible. Dazheng is invincible!" they chanted mentally.
