I am a high-level martial arts master.

The Golden Palace was filled with rage!

"A blood debt must be repaid in blood? Or should territory be ceded and reparations paid!"

Emperor Qing was stunned at first, then flew into a rage!

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!!!"

Emperor Qing was furious and extremely enraged!

He used every means at his disposal for Ye Li.

The result was not only failure, but also the destruction of 70% of the dragon vein, the devastation of the territory, the loss of the people's paths, and even the devastation of his imperial body.

Before he could even settle accounts with Ye Li, these southern barbarians took advantage of his misfortune to rob him!

Emperor Qing's roar swept through the entire hall, terrifying the assembled officials who trembled and nearly prostrated themselves on the ground.

They could empathize with their emperor's almost insane rage.

Even if they were the ones who made the first move and planned it.

But Daqing also paid an incredibly heavy price, didn't it?

Is that not enough?

The southern border is still not restrained and dares to take advantage of the chaos!

"Report!"

Another messenger scrambled into the hall, his voice trembling with sobs:

"Your Majesty! The Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect, the Long Sun Sword Sect, the Radiant Light Immortal Sect, and the Blazing Fire Palace have formed a southern allied force and have reached the borders! Leading them are none other than Yun Huanzi and Shen Qinglian!"

Emperor Qing was so furious he was almost insane. When had the Great Qing Dynasty ever been like this? It was a disgrace!

Meanwhile, outside the territory of Daqing in Zhongzhou, in the void.

The scene was far more horrifying than the messenger had described.

On the land of Daqing, countless border soldiers stood vigilantly, gazing at the scene on the frontier.

Before my eyes, the scene was filled with countless figures of grandmasters.

The allied forces from various immortal sects in the Southern Territory arrived here, and some even moved their entire sects here as battle formations.

Some sect formations lit up with dazzling light, seemingly ready to unleash terrifying power at any moment and strike into them.

Ye Li's single strike directly destroyed 70% of the country; the damage was undeniable.

Such an obvious thing could be easily investigated by any major immortal sect, and they would immediately call their allies and attack.

Anyone with eyes can see Daqing's decline at this moment.

At this moment, we must take a big bite out of this giant with feet of clay.

At the heart of the allied forces, Yun Huanzi's voice, like rolling thunder, pierced through the void and boomed into the territory of Daqing:

"Daqing's dog emperor! Get out here!!!"

"For your own selfish desires, you coveted my disciple's golden inscription, committing despicable acts of interception and murder. You even used the power of a Martial Saint to overturn heaven and earth, attempting to abduct him!" "You forced my disciple, Ye Li, to protect his fellow disciples, to burn away his innate talent, destroying his own path, slashing three times in succession. Ultimately, you banished him to the heavens, his fate unknown, his foundation of cultivation completely destroyed!!!"

"This hatred is irreconcilable!!!"

"Today, all the sects of the Southern Territory are gathered here! We have come to demand an explanation from you, Daqing!"

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood! The suffering my disciple endured, the territory of your Great Qing, the fate of your Great Qing, the emperor of your Great Qing... all must be repaid a hundredfold!!!" "Apologize! Hand over the culprit! Otherwise... today will be the day Great Qing is wiped out of the universe!!!"

Yun Huanzi's roar instantly ignited the allied forces' overwhelming fighting spirit.

Countless powerful auras of grandmasters erupted without reservation.

Various magical artifacts lit up, and terrifying energy fluctuations were poised to be unleashed, locking onto the Daqing warriors below.

Without uttering a word, he seemed poised to invade, destroy the country, and bring disaster to the people!

Looking at the scene reflected in the water mirror, the court officials all looked extremely grim.

At this moment, the enemy is strong and we are weak.

Who would have thought that one day a group of southern barbarians would block their doorstep, pointing their cannons from countless sect formations at their noses and shouting? Fight to the death?

Emperor Qing's mangled body trembled almost imperceptibly, and his anger cooled slightly.

Daqing no longer possesses that profound foundation.

If they rely solely on their existing resources, the Great Qing Immortal Dynasty will be completely destroyed in their generation!

And Emperor Qing will become the eternal sinner of the Great Qing Dynasty!

He can't afford the consequences!

As two of the three kingdoms of Zhongzhou, he could only be thankful that Ji and Yi were powers that did not concern themselves with external affairs; otherwise, Daqing would have been waiting to die. Emperor Qing was now considering reconciliation.

At the very least, Daqing cannot perish in his hands!

But the emperor cannot admit his mistakes!

At the very least... one shouldn't be the first to admit fault.

Therefore, when faced with pressure from outside his own territory, he remained silent and waited quietly.

Sure enough, the next moment someone offered a way out in the quiet hall!

"Your Majesty..." an old minister's voice trembled, almost breaking into tears:

"Circumstances are beyond our control... As long as we're alive..."

"Shut up!" Emperor Qing's thoughts shattered like ice.

Seeing Emperor Qing's appearance, Yan Qing stepped forward and kowtowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, this is all my fault!"

"If it weren't for my suggestion and display of wisdom, Daqing would not be in this predicament. Once this matter is settled, I will voluntarily retire and return to my hometown!" Yan Qing's face was bitter. Daqing's retirement was not a simple resignation.

Instead, he would offer up all his cultivation to the dragon's energy, at which point he would only have a few days to live.

But now Daqing needs someone to take the blame. The emperor cannot be wrong, so only the ministers can take the initiative to confess!

Emperor Qing coldly replied, "Granted!"

With those words spoken, Yan Qing, looking dejected, continued to speak:

"Although Grand Secretary Ye's meaning is crude, the dragon energy of Daqing is damaged now, so we can only endure it for the time being."

"The Emperor's majesty cannot be insulted. All of this is my fault, but I implore Your Majesty to absolve me of this boundless sin for the sake of the countless lives of the Qing Kingdom!"

Yan Qing spoke very eloquently, giving Emperor Qing a way out.

It was all their fault. The emperor was innocent and didn't have to bow his head, but he took responsibility for the sake of the people.

Emperor Qing remained silent for a moment, then all his ministers prostrated themselves on the ground, pleading:

"Please, Your Majesty, bear with us for the sake of the people of Daqing."

After a long while...

A chilling thought pierced through the void and resounded loudly before the Southern Allied Forces' ranks:

"Southern sects...what do you seek?"

Outside the gates of Daqing, in the void.

Upon hearing Emperor Qing's submissive question, Yun Huanzi, his beard and hair bristling with anger, once again shouted sternly:

"You dog emperor of Daqing, listen to me!"

"It's not about what we want, but how you will pay the price!"

"You've done such a heinous thing, and you won't even show your face? Are you too ashamed to face anyone?"

Hearing Yun Huanzi's roar, Emperor Qing remained silent for a moment before finally showing himself.

The next moment, the civil and military officials of Daqing were teleported across domains to the gates of Daqing through array patterns.

Everyone was immediately terrified by Emperor Qing's appearance.

A man dressed in a dragon robe, with only his lower body and legs, stood in the void, exuding an aura of imperial power.

All the masters present were stunned.

They knew Ye Li's strike was powerful, but they didn't expect it to be this powerful.

Even Emperor Qing, a Grandmaster at the peak of cultivation, was unable to reshape his physical body.

For a moment, all the grandmasters in the Southern Territory looked on with mocking eyes, but then Emperor Qing slowly said:

"I was practicing my cultivation technique the other day, but I made a mistake in my practice, which resulted in damage to my body."

"As for Ye Li's matter, I have already ordered a thorough investigation. It was the work of our Prime Minister; he made a mistake that implicated Daqing." "Bah!"

Yun Huanzi laughed in fury: "You bastard, you survived a blow from my disciple, you're lucky."

An official, angered by Yun Huanzi's attitude, spoke coldly:

"Yun Huanzi, watch your attitude. Although Daqing is in decline, it is not something that your mere Tianhuan Immortal Sect can insult."

"If you go too far, our dynasty will fight you to the death..."

The courtier stopped speaking halfway through his sentence and fell silent.

Behind Yun Huanzi, Shen Qinglian, dressed in a plain white dress, silently walked out from among the immortals of the Southern Realm.

She took a step forward, her face, as cool and clear as moonlight, now covered with a layer of frost.

She replaced Yun Huanzi, her voice like ancient ice, piercing through the void and clearly reaching the territory of Daqing:

"You mean...we have to risk our lives?"

Upon seeing Shen Qinglian, the officials of Daqing instinctively took a few steps back.

This is a master of gold-level entries who has a history of self-destruction...

Ye Li, a mere innate-level cultivator, nearly killed Da Qing. If he were to explode again, Da Qing truly wouldn't be able to withstand it.

They're really going all out, but now they can't even compare to a single Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect.

It can be said that Shen Qinglian alone is more terrifying than all the other immortal sect masters combined.

"Your clan, do not be anxious! Your clan, do not be anxious!"

Seeing that the Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect was on the verge of collapse, and considering the reputation of its members, an old minister quickly stepped forward and said:

"This matter is indeed unethical on the part of Daqing. His Majesty will certainly investigate thoroughly and find out who was behind this secret attack."

"All those who participated in the plot, intercepted, or coveted Ye Li, regardless of their status, shall be bound before the battle lines and jointly tried by all the sects of the Southern Territory. They shall be severely punished according to the law as a warning to others! The ringleader... shall have his soul burned! How about it?"

Yun Huanzi sneered repeatedly after hearing this: "In your scheme of punishing criminals, is there an emperor involved?"

"Don't rush, don't rush, we haven't finished speaking yet, there's still room for discussion."

The courtier broke out in a cold sweat and said:

"Although Ye Tianjiao's talent has been completely ruined, our dynasty is willing to use the national fortune and dragon energy to cleanse his bones and bones, and the national treasury is willing to provide a peerless medicine to prolong his life."

"Extend my life?" Yun Huanzi roared.

"My disciple possesses the potential of a Martial Saint, yet he will never be able to advance in rank. No matter how much you increase his talent and lifespan, can you compensate for that?"

"Moreover, my disciple has been banished to the heavens, never to be seen again! How will you compensate me!"

"Yes, yes," the courtier hurriedly replied.

"Our dynasty has the Dragon and Tiger Celestial Masters. With the help of the [Tracing Causes and Effects] entry, we will surely be able to find your esteemed disciple from the boundless planes within a few years. At that time, there will still be a chance to salvage the situation."

"Furthermore, our dynasty is willing to compensate your clan with a vast amount of treasures. Now that Ye Tianjiao has been injured, your clan needs a new pillar of strength. This compensation can be considered as compensation for some of the damages."

As he spoke, the courtier looked at the allied forces with a fawning expression and said:

"This time, we will ensure you do not leave empty-handed, for our mistake has led to the needless outbreak of war, and we will make sure you leave with a thoroughly enjoyable experience!"

As the courtier spoke, the expressions of the officials behind him all turned grim.

To compensate these immortals, the national treasury of Daqing would be almost emptied, and countless accumulated resources would need to be sold off.

Upon hearing that Daqing was willing to pay compensation, the immortals of the Southern Realm felt that their trip was worthwhile.

But Yun Huanzi still coldly replied:

"not enough!!!"

"Not enough!!!"

Upon hearing Yun Huanzi's words, the court officials were already burning with anger.

They've already been so tolerant, yet they're still being aggressive.

The courtier forced a smile and said, "Master Yunhuan, it's best to be lenient when possible. You can see that our dynasty has made concessions this time. Please be merciful and don't pursue the matter further."

"Forgiving you is easy! But you need to apologize profusely!!!"

Yun Huanzi's voice was cold and hard, but she also knew that even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and it was impossible to really fight Daqing to the death.

"That's natural, after all, it was our dynasty's mistake..."

Na Chen breathed a sigh of relief and was about to speak when he heard Yun Huanzi's cold voice say:

"You! Daqing, the mastermind behind the murder of my disciple! You must build a 'Platform of Atonement' in the capital of Daqing, and the entire nation must wear mourning clothes for three years! Emperor Qing must kneel three times and kowtow nine times, personally reciting an edict of self-reproach! Proclaiming throughout the world that this offense will never be repeated!"

"Wear mourning clothes! Kneel three times and kowtow nine times!"

These eight words, like a thunderclap from the heavens, struck everyone hard on the head.

No one expected that the Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect would propose such harsh conditions.

Why should an emperor, the former ruler of a top power in the universe, be dressed in mourning?

Kneeling and kowtowing three times to a junior who is considered a prodigy?

This is no longer something that can be tolerated by ceding territory and paying reparations; it is something that will completely trample Daqing's national dignity into the mud and crush it to pieces!

"Yun Huanzi! Don't push your luck!"

The courtiers roared in anger, unable to bear such an insult!

The courtier, suppressing his anger, said:

"Master Yunhuan, your disciple is not dead yet, so there's no need for him to wear mourning clothes. Let's just forget about that."

"If it weren't for your underhanded machinations, my disciple could have achieved the status of a Martial Saint and lived forever."

Yun Huanzi said coldly, "Since you're all going to die eventually, you can fill in the gaps now."

Shen Qinglian's cold voice came from afar:

"This is indispensable!"

"If so, the fighting will be temporarily suspended, and Daqing can still prolong its existence and wait for the opportune moment."

"Not permitted..."

Shen Qinglian's voice paused slightly. Within the allied forces, the light from countless sect formations suddenly intensified to its peak, terrifying energy poised to be unleashed. "...So today, it is the day when all the sects of the Southern Territory will crush Daqing and avenge the blood debt owed to my nephew Ye Li!"

"Emperor of Daqing, you...choose!"

The void was deathly silent.

Inside and outside the gates of Daqing, countless eyes were focused on Daqing's lower body.

Emperor Qing's mutilated and towering body trembled violently under the boundless humiliation.

If he had hands, he would have clenched them into fists by now, but unfortunately, he could only grit his toes in anger.

Anger is not even a fraction of what it caused.

If you agree, you must kowtow.

But if they refused, the country would be destroyed and the family would perish.

But how could he possibly agree to that?

Let alone bowing three times and kowtowing nine times, his knees have never even bent in his entire life.

At this moment, all the pressure was on him; the fate of Daqing rested on his shoulders.

In the midst of the complete silence, a streak of light flashed across the sky.

A Yin-Yang magic sword stands horizontally in the center.

Upon seeing the Yin-Yang Sword, everyone was startled and recognized its origin:

Southern Border Daoist Sect?

As the oldest sect in the Southern Territory, its foundation is slightly inferior to that of the former Qing Dynasty, but it is undoubtedly a top-tier power.

But Daqing, which has already suffered heavy casualties, is no longer comparable to it.

Now, the southern army is pressing in, taking advantage of Daqing's greatly weakened national strength and its decline to first-class status.

At this moment, in the current standoff, the attitude of the Southern Border Daoist Sect will undoubtedly be crucial and directly affect the course of the battle.

A letter was wrapped around the Yin-Yang Sword.

The letter was laid out in public, revealing the positions of both sides:

Emperor Qing is tyrannical and has brought disaster to the country and its people! His crimes deserve execution, and he should repent!

But upon seeing the sixteen characters above, Daqing's face turned pale instantly, and he was speechless.

Faced with the top powers, Daqing had no more bargaining chips to resist.

For a long, long time.

A voice, seemingly drained of all strength and filled only with endless weariness, drifted out like a wisp of smoke, echoing clearly between heaven and earth: "...The Alliance...has agreed..."

As Emperor Qing uttered his humiliating "Granted," the officials buried their heads even deeper.

Under the rule of Daqing, they were loyal to the emperor and loved their country.

But now we are forced to kowtow three times to our loyal ruler and wear mourning clothes for the country we cherish. This is an utter disgrace.

If they were given a chance to regret it now, they would probably desperately stop themselves from attacking Ye Li back then.

They just couldn't understand how a single innate talent could have ruined the entire dynasty like this.

If only I had known then what I know now!

If he hadn't been consumed by greed and hadn't carried out that ambush, Daqing would still be a giant in the universe.

He remains the emperor who looks down upon the world!

Unfortunately, one wrong step leads to another, resulting in total defeat!

This overwhelming regret was more heart-wrenching than the blade light that Ye Li used to shatter the dragon vein.

Beyond the national borders.

Looking at the barely suppressed trembling of Emperor Qing's mangled body, Yun Huanzi felt no pity, only a cold pleasure and deep-seated pain. Although he had forced the other to kowtow, Yun Huanzi knew perfectly well the price he had paid for it all.

He wanted to wipe Daqing off the face of the earth more than anyone else, to avenge his disciple Ye Li.

But if it weren't for the fact that the skeletal frame of Daqing was still intact, and that remaining 30% of the dragon energy were to detonate recklessly, risking the complete collapse of the nation, it would have been enough to drag down the Southern Alliance and even the Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect...

Otherwise, what they are proposing today would not be mourning, but the destruction of the country and the extermination of their race!

It was precisely because they understood the other party's bottom line that the Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect had no choice but to suppress their overwhelming hatred and select peace in exchange for humiliation.

Making Daqing wear mourning clothes for his disciple was the most humiliating way he could do for Ye Li.

"Three days!" Yun Huanzi's voice, sharp as iron, shattered the silence:

"Immediately locate my disciple, and simultaneously prepare a list of reparations and a list of culprits, to be handed over within three days! Begin construction of the Atonement Platform immediately! The entire territory of Daqing shall wear mourning clothes from this day forward! As for you…"

His gaze, sharp as a knife, was fixed on Emperor Qing's mangled body: "The day the edict of self-reproach is written will be the day you step onto the stage to apologize!"

An agreement was reached, but the Southern Alliance forces did not retreat.

Under duress from the Southern Allied Forces, the Daqing Empire acted at an utterly humiliating pace.

A massive amount of rare and precious materials, martial arts manuals, and spiritual crystal veins were hauled out of the Daqing National Treasury and its secret stashes, piled up like mountains, and received under the joint supervision of the Allied Forces.

The tens of millions of high-ranking officials, retainers, and even countless members of the royal family who participated in the planning and execution were made scapegoats and escorted to the front lines under close surveillance.

Most of them were innate martial artists, a dozen or so grandmasters, and their nine related clans, all of whom were now refined into lamp oil, burning until their deaths. The most crucial terms, under the personal supervision of the Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect, began construction in the capital of the Great Qing Kingdom.

Meanwhile, under the strict demands of the Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect, relevant edicts were issued throughout the Daqing territory:

The entire nation is draped in white mourning clothes for three years! Mourning music plays softly, and white banners are everywhere, making it seem as if the entire Daqing region has entered a period of national mourning ahead of schedule.

Only then did the people of Daqing learn the truth.

How could the people of this great nation have to wear mourning clothes and cede territory and pay reparations for a mere southern barbarian?

This is absolutely outrageous!

Some citizens of Daqing were dissatisfied and angrily cursed.

However, wearing mourning clothes for Ye Li is already written into national law, and those who violate this rule will be punished for treason and directly detained.

It seems that the Celestial Empire has been a superior nation for too long, and there are indeed many courageous people in Qing Kingdom.

For this one thing alone, countless lives were taken.

This news was like a storm, sweeping across all the forces in the universe!

because……

Inside the Observatory, a chilling aura of killing intent filled the air.

Yun Huanzi, gripping the official compiling the latest edition of the Prodigy Ranking, said in a cold tone:

"Next, I'll tell you what to do, and you write it down!"

The official, dressed in white, dared not offend this plague god. Trembling, he picked up pen and ink and began to write in the air, as Yun Huanzi recorded each word. After a few sentences were finished, Yun Huanzi said:

"From now on, without exception, record this on the next list of prodigies and announce it to the world!"

In the following days, the new edition of the "List of Prodigies of All Nations" was released.

Special Issue of the Ranking of the Greatest Talents of All Nations:

Name: Ye Li

【Origin: Southern Border - Heavenly Illusion Immortal Sect】

[Realm Level: First Transformation of the Innate Stage]

Brief summary of his deeds:

The Great Qing Dynasty of Zhongzhou, coveting the legendary golden inscription it possessed, laid an ambush in its southern border, gathering over a hundred grandmasters from various forces across the universe, plotting treason. The Great Qing Emperor, disregarding the loss of the nation's foundation, unleashed his imperial dragon energy, overturning heaven and earth, and forcibly abducted it with the power of a Martial Saint.

To protect his fellow disciples, Ye Li, in a desperate situation, angrily burned away his innate talent and path, destroying the very origin of his own cultivation, and unleashed the ancient forbidden technique "Causal Calamity Blade." He struck three times in succession, the first of which annihilated more than ten Grandmasters who were trying to intercept him, leaving a mark on the heavens and the universe!

The second strike severed the dragon aura of the Great Qing Emperor, severely damaging the nation's destiny!

The third strike, reaching the Universe Realm, shattered all laws, annihilating seventy percent of the Great Qing Dragon Vein! Emperor Xuan Yin's half-body was annihilated, his Dao Body concept permanently damaged beyond repair! Ye Li, having exhausted his origin, was also swept into the outer chaos, his fate unknown.

The various sects in the southern region were enraged and formed a coalition to punish the guilty.

Forced by circumstances, Daqing ceded territory, paid reparations, and brought the culprits to justice.

Emperor Qing Xuanyin personally promised:

The capital of Daqing built a platform for redemption, and the entire country wore mourning clothes for three years. The emperor, wearing mourning clothes, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times on the platform, personally reciting an edict of self-reproach, proclaiming to the world that he would never commit the same offense again!

Commentary: Severing the dragon veins from the innate source, the blade's mark pierces the starry sky; an emperor dons mourning clothes, the greatest feat in the universe! Unprecedented, and likely to remain so!

The Ranking of Prodigies of All Nations was originally established by the Great Qing Dynasty to complement its "Tracing Causes and Effects" entry. It is read monthly by everyone in the entire universe, from immortal sects and dynasties to ordinary peddlers.

But now, it has become the most direct tool for humiliating his own empire.

This special edition of the Ranking of the Greatest Talents of All Nations was published without any changes, despite being coerced by Yun Huanzi.

An unprecedented tremor occurred throughout the entire universe.

The cultivation world was plunged into an unprecedented shock and deathly silence!

Ye Li!

A person who, with innate talent, defied the top forces, severed the dynasty's dragon vein, and made the Grandmaster-level emperor wear mourning clothes.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is unprecedented and unparalleled!

Looking at the sword marks left in the sky, and then at the list of the most outstanding talents of all nations in their hands, everyone was shocked.

The blade scar that tore through the universe above his head is the most glorious mark Ye Li left for this era.

The mere sight of it hanging there silently heralded the birth of a legend.

In the universe, perhaps there are no eternal legends!

But in the tens of thousands of years that followed, if we were to talk about the strongest prodigy...

Then Ye Li's name will forever hang high in the sky!

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(6000 words combined, all done, meow!)