Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

The ultimate sacredness and domineering power unfolded with a thunderous roar.

At this moment, Tong Chuxue's strength was instantly drained, her legs went weak, and she collapsed heavily onto the golden ground. A sense of submission from the deepest part of her soul swept through her body, a thousand times, ten thousand times more intense than when she used her source essence against Ji Yushen!

This is the instinctive worship of living beings for order and rules.

Her mind was blank; all her thoughts, fears, and doubts vanished, and she willingly prostrated herself before the golden dragon.

The priest stood beneath the dragon's might, untouched by its aura, and calmly proclaimed—

"This is the imperial source [Glory], the foundation of the imperial destiny - the Dragon Vein."

He looked up at the golden dragon circling in the void, his tone resolute:

"Now, it is also under my control."

"Dragon Vein..."

Tong Chuxue murmured softly, her heart trembling.

Cheng Cheng, residing within the ring, gazed through the crack at the ancient well and at the so-called true form of the golden dragon, his expression incredibly complex and unfathomable.

In his sight, there was no dazzling, majestic five-clawed dragon at all.

As far as the eye could see, there were countless desiccated corpses stacked one on top of another, each clad in a wide and elaborate imperial dragon robe. They were piled on top of each other endlessly, chained tightly in mid-air, neatly arranged into a long, slender line, their posture resembling a bound...

Dragon.

Chapter 124, Open the city gates to welcome the Ming King; the Ming King will not take a mother upon his arrival!

"This is the dragon vein?"

Cheng Cheng stared at the inexplicably sacred pile of corpses rising from the ancient well underground. Even though he was fearless in the face of bizarre demons like chickens, tigers, bears, wolves, dogs, and the Jingguan Bodhisattva, he couldn't help but feel a chill from the depths of his heart.

"This damn game world... it's clashed with 'The Mysterious Immortal' again. Aren't the game developers afraid of being punished?"

It's terrifying to even think about.

Even more terrifying is that these countless piled-up corpses of the late emperor are not entirely lifeless.

The bodies on the topmost level, their chests and abdomens rising and falling slightly, their withered lips opening and closing, their clear voices echoing softly, reaching Cheng Cheng's ears:

"Ah, it's Demuse."

"Who is this girl next to him? Demyoge actually brought an outsider to see the dragon vein?!"

“Old Ji, our emperors throughout the ages have been extremely wary of these intelligent machines, yet your daughter is so confident in appointing him as Minister of Rites… Heh, she truly retains her saintly qualities.”

"Hmph, we chose Nannan together because among my children, she is the most ruthless and ambitious! Now you're going back on your word?"

"Cooperating with these intelligent machines is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin..."

"So what if we're dealing with a tiger for its skin? As long as she can fulfill our long-cherished wish, she'll be a good emperor... Don't forget, we're the ones who gave her the name Nannan."

"Yes... Yu Shen... She was an emperor born in the end times, the last emperor. Only she could build upon the legacy of a hundred generations, control all laws, and descend upon the world as a goddess..."

Perhaps because they were usually locked in the Dragon Well, the emperors' corpses rarely came out to breathe the air outside the well, stretching their bodies and chatting with their roommates who had shared the well for hundreds of years.

But it seems that only he himself could hear the chatter and the true appearance of the "dragon vein".

Tong Chuxue remained kneeling on the ground, her body suppressed by the heavy dragon energy. Her mind trembled, her ears were deaf to any strange noises, and her eyes only saw the sacred golden dragon. She was completely unaware of all the strange things happening around her.

Cheng Cheng also noticed that only the top few corpses were chatting, while the rest had long since lost their vitality; even those whose chests rose and fell slightly, seemingly still alive, all had their eyes closed in silence, as if they had been tortured into true corpses by endless imprisonment.

Cheng Cheng recognized almost all of these corpses.

All of them are legitimate monarchs recorded in history books for thousands of years—the middle-aged emperor at the very top, whose majesty still remains, is Ji Yushen's biological father, the late Emperor Ji Ba; below him, the tall, withered body is that of the former emperor Gao Zhijian; and further down are Ji Lin, Ji Song...

No, it really does resemble "The Mysterious Immortal of the Dao".

Cheng Cheng couldn't help but feel delighted by the game producer's boldness. At the same time, looking at the "dragons" talking to each other, he was shocked and pondered something.

No wonder Ji Yushen, and even the emperors of the empire throughout history, could use the Origin Dragon Vein seemingly without damage—because this dragon vein belonged to the previous emperors of the Elf Empire!

Therefore, as long as the core interests of emperors throughout history are aligned, what's wrong with the current "emperor" wanting to leverage the power of his ancestors?

In addition, Cheng Cheng, combining his understanding of the Source Essence, deduced even more secrets: Everyone knows that emperors' lifespans are limited to fifty years after ascending the throne, yet no one knows the reason. Now it seems that the so-called fifty-year imperial destiny was never a constraint of Heaven, but rather a transaction with the Source Essence [Glory]—

Fifty years after the emperor ascended the throne, he voluntarily entered the imperial temple and returned to the ancient well, sacrificing himself to the dragon vein and becoming a part of the dragon vein.

Then, using his own divine soul and remains as a foundation, he continued the primordial essence for all ages, nourishing each new ruler.

One emperor dies, and ten thousand emperors live!

The foundation of the Elf Empire's millennia-long existence lies in the bones of countless emperors who upheld the destiny of an empire.

Li Xianyu is right, this world really is a giant necromancy ritual...

However, something else is not right.

According to the history of both countries, Amber God ascended to the heavens a thousand years ago, and the Elf Empire and the Kingdom of Konoma were established around the same time.

Elves have long lifespans, and the "Emperor" is an invincible legend in the world, with almost no possibility of accidental death. Each one can serve as emperor for fifty years... But in this case, there can only be a maximum of twenty emperors on this dragon vein. Why are there layers upon layers of emperors with no end in sight?

Unfortunately, no one could answer Cheng Cheng's question.

In the center of the main hall, the priest stood quietly, looking at Tong Chuxue who had been kneeling in worship for a long time, and smiled slightly with his mechanical face:

"Commissioner Tong, have you seen clearly?"

"Now, Wang Zhiming's million-strong rebel army is at the gates of the capital, and the dragon vein is in my hands. With both sacrifices and military force lost, Ji Yushen's title of 'Emperor' is truly undeserved."

He slowly stepped forward, looking down at Tong Chuxue:

"A new emperor is about to ascend the throne, and the dynasty will be overthrown at this very moment. You and Wang Zhiming have a long-standing friendship from your school days, and you are both concerned for the common people and respected by all. You are a rare and loyal minister in the court. If we join forces, I will bestow all the dragon vein's fortune upon Wang Zhiming to help him ascend the throne. At that time, you can assist in governing the new dynasty and be ranked among the Three Dukes. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than being subordinate to Ji Yushen?"

Is this... the "opportunity" the priest was referring to?

Tong Chuxue looked up, her eyes wide, a hint of hesitation rising in her heart—

Your Majesty has the ability to recognize talent and cherishes it. He has shown her great favor and kindness. But how indifferent Your Majesty is to the common people!

Extravagance, excessive construction projects, harsh orders that disturb the people, and militarism!

Wang Zhiming rose from humble beginnings, personally experienced the hardships of the battlefield, and deeply understood the pain of war and the suffering of the people; if he were to ascend the throne, he would surely cease hostilities and allow the people to recuperate.

This is indeed a great opportunity. If I agree to the priest's request, abandon the old ruler, and assist the new dynasty...

"No!" Cheng Cheng's voice echoed in your mind. "He is testing your loyalty on behalf of Princess Yushin. Refuse him!"

Tong Chuxue shuddered, as if doused with cold water, and her chaotic mind instantly cleared.

She straightened her back, bowed solemnly to the priest, and said, "Your Excellency is mistaken. As a subject who receives the emperor's salary, I should naturally serve Your Majesty. Even if Your Majesty has made mistakes, it is not a reason for me to betray you. Although I am saddened by the ills of the current government, I have absolutely no intention of betraying the emperor, rebelling, or plotting against the new dynasty!"

The underground palace fell silent for a moment.

The next moment, the priest suddenly burst into a low laugh, a gentle laugh without a trace of anger, but full of praise: "Good! What a loyal and unwavering Tong Chuxue!"

"His Majesty's secret intentions have not been in vain, nor has my personal attempt to test him."

He nodded slightly, his mechanical eyes gleaming: "You have passed the final test—the rebels are now besieging the city, a great battle in the capital is imminent, war has no eyes, and the forbidden area of ​​the imperial city is extremely dangerous. His Majesty, mindful of your loyalty, has specially ordered me to come here, firstly to test your true character, and secondly to escort you away from this perilous place and ensure your safety."

As soon as he finished speaking, his words were completely open and fair. Tong Chuxue breathed a sigh of relief, her last bit of wariness dissipated, and she bowed to express her gratitude.

But inside the ring, Cheng Cheng's expression was extremely solemn, and a chill ran through him.

'wrong!'

'This priest... he hasn't told a single word of truth from the very beginning!'

"He claims control of the dragon veins, but the dragon veins are the remains of the empire's emperors throughout history. They possess their own will and are extremely wary of the priests. How could he possibly control them? Even when he said those words, the emperors were laughing at this mechanical-headed idiot!"

'The idea that she was ordered by the goddess Ji to test Tong Chuxue with the dragon vein is utter nonsense!'

"It's impossible that Ji Yushen doesn't know the true situation of the Dragon Vein. Given her suspicious, ruthless, and extremely cautious nature, she would never allow anyone to utter such absurd words as possessing the Dragon Vein! Nor would she allow an official to secretly meet with her!"

'Then what exactly did he want to do, going to such lengths to fabricate lies and bring Tong Chuxue into this forbidden underground place?!'

Cheng Cheng's mind raced, and countless clues quickly connected.

The next moment, a seemingly unintentional remark from the priest made him widen his eyes: "Let's go, Tong Xiuzhuan. When the battle with Wang Zhiming begins, His Majesty will definitely use the Dragon Vein's true form. Staying here any longer might get us caught in the crossfire."

As he spoke, the priest ignored the dragon vein behind him and walked away first with his hands behind his back!

Cheng Cheng blinked.

A bold idea popped into his mind; he seemed to understand the priest's intention...

…………

At the same time, news of Wang Zhiming's million-strong rebel army pressing into the capital spread throughout every street and alley of the capital.

The people in the city were filled with fear and rumors were spreading.

"Hime Yushen has lost all his destiny!"

"The emperor's extravagance brought ruin to the country, his harsh decrees disturbed the people, the dragon vein abandoned its master, and the mandate of heaven shifted!"

The pent-up resentment in the hearts of countless people erupted completely. The pervasive malevolent energy unleashed by the Evil Decree had already distorted people's hearts, and now, with chaos looming, it utterly crushed the last vestige of order.

In the streets, beatings, robberies, and violence were commonplace, and the entire capital city was plunged into chaos and riots.

Inside the imperial court, undercurrents were surging and morale was low.

Imperial etiquette dictates that the emperor is ordained by Heaven, and those who lose the Mandate of Heaven lose their throne—now, everyone in the court and the public knows this perfectly well: Ji Yushen's power is waning.

At this moment, all the ministers of the six ministries and the nine high-ranking officials, except for the official in charge of rites who remained seated at the Ministry of Rites, gathered outside the Wanchen Palace, kneeling on the ground, and pleading with His Majesty to immediately issue an edict to recall the expeditionary army from the eastern front and return to the capital to suppress the rebels!

I also urge Your Majesty to appoint Peng Longteng, deploy his legendary combat power, to suppress the rebels on the western front and stabilize the foundation of the nation!

But as the days and months passed, he knelt from dawn till dusk, the palace gates remained tightly shut, and he never saw the emperor's face.

Ji Yushen has not attended court for many days, nor has he received any court officials. The entire palace is as empty as if no one is there. Only Jian Qijue enters and exits the palace to deliver imperial edicts, isolating the inside from the outside world.

Suspicion between the government and the public has fully fermented.

Countless officials had the same thought in their minds—His Majesty has fled west, abandoning the capital and its people, and has escaped alone!

Just as the officials were filled with unease and complaints, the palace gates slowly opened, and Jian Qijue, dressed in plain clothes, stepped out, his expression cold, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the assembled officials: "There is an imperial edict—"

“Peng Longteng was entrusted with the imperial mission to lead the army to conquer the Gaoshan Kingdom, the Gui Kingdom, and the Xitai Kingdom, expanding the territory. He was bound by military orders and could not return to the capital without imperial permission.”

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Immediately following, a torrent of angry curses and utter despair swept through the assembled officials!

With a million rebels besieging the city, the country is on the verge of collapse and the family is about to perish!

Instead of quelling the rebellion, bringing peace to the people, or defending the territory, the emperor ordered legendary generals to launch expeditions to small border countries, wasting military strength!