Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 534

“Anyone who dares to speak ill of the Ye Tian Emperor will die!”

Li Wujie’s killing intent swept across the entire hall as he issued the warning.

“Yes, yes…”

Everyone nodded, trembling in fear.

They were still in shock, unable to wrap their heads around the connection between the Hat Man and the Ye Tian Emperor, and why he was so fiercely defending his reputation.

“Hmph!”

With a flick of his wrist, Li Wujie sheathed his sword and turned to gaze into the distant north, the image of a silver-haired youth surfacing in his mind, an endless respect shining in his eyes.

“Master…”

Li Wujie felt a mix of surprise and joy at finally pinpointing Ye Junlin’s location.

But soon, he felt troubled.

After all, the North Cold Immortal Domain was just too far from the South Heaven Immortal Domain. With his cultivation level at the Immortal Emperor realm, who knew when he could cross over?

Moreover, who knows what kind of unexpected events might happen along the way?

Thinking of this,

Li Wujie shook his head.

The next moment, his gaze hardened with determination.

No matter the distance, he would return to his Master’s side!

The atmosphere in the palace was tense.

Strangely, however, the Great Hall was filled with music and dance, creating a harmonious scene.

“Uncle, it’s been a while! What brings you here today? You didn’t even bring a single soldier?”

Sitting on the dragon throne was a young man adorned with a black dragon robe and a flat-topped crown. With sword-like brows and starry eyes, he bore a dignified aura and teased with a smile.

It seemed half-joking, yet there was a deeper meaning hidden beneath.

This man was the current emperor of the Great Yuan Immortal Dynasty, Emperor Tuo Ba Wen!

The Great Yuan Immortal Dynasty was one of the foremost cultivation empires in the Obsidian Domain, having persisted for millions of years without decline, with its royal family continuously producing Immortal Emperors, avoiding any real gaps in power.

This was precisely why the Great Yuan Immortal Dynasty had been able to inherit through the generations, and why the Tuo Ba royal family was regarded as a symbol of legitimacy.

However, the previous emperor had suffered a mishap in his cultivation, severely damaging his foundation, and had passed away a decade ago, leaving the throne to his only son, Tuo Ba Wen.

Fortunately, Tuo Ba Wen was young and had already reached the Immortal Emperor realm, possessing remarkable talents that allowed him to govern the nation effectively, earning the ministers’ praise and being called a wise sovereign.

However, Tuo Ba Wen had an uncle named Tuo Ba Qingcang, a man of profound cultivation and valor, who was originally content managing his fief. But since the previous emperor’s death, he had become restless.

In recent years, Tuo Ba Qingcang had been subtly making moves, luring strong cultivators with riches, amassing his own power, and blatantly defying the court’s orders. His rebellious ambitions had become all too apparent.

In the court, ministers had frequently argued hotly about how to handle him. Most believed it was unwise to go to war hastily, otherwise, they would suffer catastrophic losses.

Although as the ruling emperor, Tuo Ba Wen carried the nation’s fate, thus able to enhance his power and cultivation level to some extent, he was still insufficient; currently, he was only at the first level of the Immortal Emperor realm, while the Duke of Tranquility, Tuo Ba Qingcang, was rumored to have reached the ninth level of the Immortal Emperor realm, a peak powerhouse.

Even if Tuo Ba Wen invoked the nation’s strength, it would be hard to suppress Tuo Ba Qingcang in the short run. The gap was evident, and over time, Tuo Ba Wen wouldn’t be able to sustain the strain!

Furthermore, Tuo Ba Qingcang’s troops were notorious for their strength, not weaker than the court’s first army.

Under the uncertainty of victory, Duke of Tranquility Tuo Ba Qingcang had become a significant concern for the court, and a saying began to circulate among the people: “Whether the Great Yuan falls into chaos depends on what the Duke of Tranquility decides!”

Faced with his uncle accelerating the accumulation of power, Tuo Ba Wen felt a surge of urgency.

If one day his uncle deemed the timing ripe, he would undoubtedly strike first, aiming straight for the Imperial Capital.

Given the situation, Tuo Ba Wen could only race against time to develop; he allocated time for diligent training while dispatching his subordinates to gather strong cultivators from the outside world, promising them generous rewards to bolster his leverage.

Tuo Ba Wen sensed that his ambitious uncle was about to make a significant move!

However, an unexpected event occurred.

Today, Tuo Ba Qingcang, whom he had regarded as a thorn in his side, surprisingly came in under the pretense of visiting His Majesty without bringing any soldiers.

It’s essential to note how many people in the entire court wished to see him gone!

No one anticipated that Tuo Ba Qingcang would come knocking so easily!

After all, this was the palace, heavily guarded with troops at the ready, many officers poised for action, and numerous formations in place.

Most importantly, the reigning emperor was present, capable of manipulating the nation’s fate to boost their combat strength!

In such a fortified home-field advantage, even a ninth-level Immortal Emperor would surely face death if ambushed!

But Tuo Ba Qingcang came in unprepared, leaving the entire court stunned.

At this moment,

The palace was already ensnared in a web!

Countless armored warriors stood coldly outside, waiting silently—once Tuo Ba Wen gave the command, they would immediately launch a thunderous assault on the Duke of Tranquility.

At the banquet,

Though ready to seize the opportunity and take down their opponent, Tuo Ba Wen still felt distrust.

What was his uncle plotting? Why would he suddenly rush from his fief to the palace?

After all, by Tuo Ba Wen’s expectation, their next meeting was supposed to be on the battlefield!

Hearing the young man’s cryptic question, Tuo Ba Qingcang, a hulking figure dressed in purple and gold robes, set his cup down and allowed a mocking smile to curl his lips.

“The reason I’m here is, of course, to advise Your Majesty to step down and allow someone worthier to take over.”

As soon as those words were spoken,

The hall fell into utter silence.

Dancers and musicians trembled and fell to their knees.

Ministers looked aghast, nearly questioning their own ears.

Wait, is he being serious?!

Does he not realize the situation he’s in?!

Tuo Ba Wen’s expression momentarily froze, but he quickly regained his composure, still smiling warmly as he said, “Everyone else, please leave.”

“Yes…” The dancers and musicians scuttled away, relieved.

At that moment, Tuo Ba Wen’s gaze turned icy as he reproached, “Tuo Ba Qingcang! Do you know what you’re saying? How dare you suggest I step down? Who gave you the audacity to say such a thing?”

In that instant, immense national fate began to converge above him, and his imposing aura rose sharply.

The heavy air inside the hall surged, a killing intent suffusing every corner.

The waiting soldiers outside stirred with anticipation.

“Ha ha,”

Tuo Ba Qingcang maintained his composure, sneering, “Tuo Ba Wen, don’t be ungrateful. Today, you have more than enough reasons to step down! You have no choice!”