Immortal Paladin

351 Emperor's Unbidden Guest

"Hey, hey, where's your fighting spirit go? Tired, already?" I called out across the waves, watching Alice hover above the restless sea like a goddess of battle.

"This is pointless," she replied flatly. "Also, you will need better provocations than that."

In front of me floated Alice, my close friend, sometimes admirer, and perpetual headache. Crimson hair flickered in the wind, her black armor gleamed wetly under the sunlight, and cursed weapons orbited her like a slow-moving storm. Every time she moved, her telekinesis flowed so smoothly it was hard not to admire it. I knew Qi Telekinesis came naturally to those in the Third Realm, the stage of Will Reinforcement, though some rare geniuses could touch it in the Second Realm, Mind Enlightenment. Most high-level cultivators dismissed it as a lesser art, preferring to refine their specialties. For me, I barely had time to toy with such a power; my own growth had been too rapid and demanding to spare attention for side techniques.

"You gotta teach me your telekinesis someday," I said, seriously. "It's better than dual-wielding."

"It's easier to do with just mana. Watch," she replied.

Her hand rose, and the ocean followed. The water lunged toward me like a living beast, swallowing the horizon. I triggered Flash Step, vanishing from her line of sight, but bursting from my shadow was a delicate hand clamping around my ankle before I could reappear. The sudden pull dragged me downward, and as I looked up, I saw Alice before me, her left arm half-absorbed into a swirling black portal while her right arm swung a katana toward my chest.

"Hey, this is just sparring!" I warned, waving away the water splash with War Smite. "Ugh, I got wet, damn it!"

My blade met hers with Flash Parry, sparks scattering like shooting stars. Her floating cursed weapons converged at once, glowing crimson as she infused them with a bloodthirsty aura. They struck with feral precision, seeking to shred my defenses. I deflected each one in turn and countered with Divine Smite, my sword blazing with radiance, only for her body to dissolve into black shadows. Her weapons fell lifelessly into the ocean.

"That was an illusion?" I muttered, scanning the horizon. Not even my Divine Sense had caught it. "Wait, where did you go? Stop ghosting me, it's not scary..."

I swung at the phantom hand still clutching my foot, and water exploded around me. The sea drenched my body, but I burned it away with Searing Smite, steam clouding the air. I wasn't even wearing armor, and I was limiting myself from using Ultimate Skills or Immortal Arts. Despite that, I was still suppressing Alice easily, though my cultivation realm lagged behind hers by several layers of immortality. The only reason I could keep up was the power of the Hollow Star in my head. It made all the difference.

"Since when did you learn illusion arts?" I called out. "That's unfair! I want to learn them too, but they don't match my cultivation."

No answer came. I sighed. Alice was the only one who could spar with me seriously, and even then, it was getting stale. We knew each other too well. Every move felt like déjà vu.

"Hey, come out, come out, wherever you are," I said teasingly. "Uuuh… your weapons just fell into the ocean. Should I pick them up for you?"

I extended my Divine Sense into the depths and froze. Beneath the surface, Alice drifted like a corpse. Her crimson hair had faded to ash, her skin hollow and drained, and a gash split her throat as curses crawled across her body. I'd seen her like this only once, during that fight with the dead immortal in another dimension.

"Ah… I'm curious if I can take this."

So, I let her continue.

Alice's husk of a body smiled as she began her combo.

"Curse Reversal."

Her body convulsed violently, and the ocean around her turned crimson. The decay peeled away from her frame as her vitality surged back. Her pale skin glowed again with life, her dull hair blossoming into soft pink strands that rippled down her back. In a single breath, the frail, cursed shell was gone, replaced by something radiant and terrible. The air itself thickened as her aura expanded, staining the sea red like spilled blood.

When she opened her eyes, they gleamed with mocking delight. Her words brushed against my mind through Qi Speech. "How arrogant… Are you sure you can take this?"

"Hit me," I replied, trying to sound braver than I felt.

"Be duly reminded," she said, her tone sharpened by challenge, "that if I kill you even once, you'll 'rest' as you promised."

"Didn't I get enough rest already?" I groaned, recalling how she'd forced me to rest last week after the banquet. She had dragged me to bed while making Joan cast Divine Word: Rest just so I'd sleep properly. I'd protested, of course, but resistance was futile. She cared too much for her own good.

"Wait, wait," I said quickly, sensing her qi shift. "Isn't that too much?"

The air trembled. I felt the quintessence gathering beneath the waves, the whole ocean pulsing red like a living blood. Alice pressed her palms together in a mock prayer. "It's still not perfect, but this will do," she murmured. "Immortal Art: Crimson Crown of Catastrophe."

A blood-red crown shimmered into existence above her head, and the sea erupted. My Divine Sense barely kept up as the power spread, taking hold of every droplet of blood-tainted water around us. It was a domain over blood, an inversion of life itself. The ocean boiled with crimson light, and serpentine dragons of blood surged forth, their roars merging with the crashing tides.

Before I could act, a familiar voice echoed in my mind through Qi Speech. "Lord Wei, all of today's guests have arrived. They await your presence."

"Ezekiel! Now? Of all times?" I shouted mentally. "Time-out! Time-out, duty calls!"

But Alice didn't stop. She pretended not to hear, or maybe she just didn't care. The bloody dragons circled tighter, and from beneath the waves, enormous crimson hands reached for me, eager to drag me down.

"TIME OUT!"

It took a bit of effort without using my Immortal Arts, but I finally outran the bloody ocean. Even from afar, I could still feel Alice's domain receding behind me, the sea settling back into its natural hue as her power dispersed. I'd escaped in one piece, though my robes were still soaked, and my patience had nearly drowned with them.

"Alice, sorry about this, but let's do this another time..."

Mount Qingshi loomed ahead. It was my home, my seat of power, and the result of hard labor and politics. The entire mountain had long since been transformed into my palace, with spires of jade and walls forged from refined ore. This was where I handled most of my duties as the Holy Emperor.

Alice followed close behind, silent except for the faint rustle of her dark robes. She'd changed out of her battle armor, but I could still feel her glare stabbing into the back of my neck. She wasn't pleased. Apparently, calling a time-out during her Immortal Art didn't sit well with her pride.

We entered the throne room. The air inside was cool, scented faintly of sandalwood and ink. On one side of the chamber, a skeleton sat at a desk, inspecting scrolls and stamping them one by one. That was Ezekiel, my most useful summon. Ever since I'd granted him a genuine soul, his intelligence had grown beyond expectation. He was now more reliable than most human bureaucrats.

I dropped into my throne, which glittered with embedded spirit stones polished to a mirror sheen. The old dragonbone throne had been removed. Apparently, our Riverfall allies found it offensive. Dragons were considered sacred in their culture, and having one's spine as a seat of power didn't send the best diplomatic message. Funny enough, the dragons around Ren Xun didn't seem to mind.

"What are you sighing for?" Alice asked, standing beside me to my right. Her voice carried a dangerous sweetness. "If you're thinking of skipping on your guests, then I'll tattle to your parents."

"Ugh…" I groaned, leaning back. "It's been what… one hundred years since I last saw them? Maybe I should visit soon." I paused, then frowned. "By the way, where's Shouquan?"

Alice blinked. "Did you forget already?"

"Uhm… err…" I stalled, scratching my temple. Lately, my memory had been unreliable ever since I began wearing the Hollow Star. It enhanced my powers but dulled certain memories, scattering fragments of the past like dust in the wind. Hopefully, it wouldn't worsen.

"I remember now," I said quickly. "He left for the Union to rejoin his disciple, Tao Long."

"You're making me worry, David," Alice said, her tone softening slightly.

"Meh, I'll be fine. Don't tell the others." I waved a hand dismissively and turned toward Ezekiel. "Hey, buddy, bring in our first guests."

The great gates of the throne room creaked open, echoing through the marble halls. Ezekiel rose from his seat and announced, "The Four Great Generals of the formerly defunct Grand Ascension Empire have arrived." His skeletal voice carried perfectly, clear and steady. After his duty was done, he calmly returned to stamping documents.

Four figures entered the hall, each radiating the distinct presence of long-time cultivators who had once held great power. They represented the four cardinal directions of the old Empire, though only one among them was familiar to me, Zhu Shin, the Western General, known as the Iron Bull.

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"How are you doing, Zhu Shin?" I greeted him. "I hope your sister is comfortable in her new villa in Riverfall."

Zhu Shin knelt on one knee, cupping his hands in the formal salute. "Greeting, Your Holy Majesty. I am deeply thankful for the treatment you've extended to my sister. Truly, I can ask for nothing more, given the state of the Empire as it stands."

His fellow generals belatedly followed his example, each cupping their hands and introducing themselves.

"The name's Huo Hua, Southern General and Scarlet Phoenix!" The woman in the crimson robes smiled confidently. Her attire was dangerously flashy, almost flirtatious, though I doubted she meant to seduce me. More likely, it was tied to her cultivation. If I remembered correctly, she was once part of the Phoenix Guard before being expelled for falling in love, a forbidden act among their order back then.

"Your Holy Majesty, I am Chang Yun, Northern General," said the young man beside her. His scholarly robes contrasted with the cold gleam in his eyes. His qi carried a biting chill, and I recalled he was once famed as the Silver Wolf, a master swordsman of impeccable discipline.

Finally, the last one stepped forward. "I'm Xing Guanyu, E–Eastern General, Emerald Turtle," he stammered. The middle-aged man was built like a fortress, but sweat poured down his face as if he were standing in front of a deity about to judge him.

I frowned. "Xing Guanyu, why are you shaking? Calm down, will you? It's not like I'm going to kill you."

He immediately bowed deeper. "I feel regretful for not being there to defend Riverfall as the Eastern General—"

"No, no, it's fine," I interrupted. "Be more like Huo Hua there… she looks confident, even though she's the Southern General and didn't show up for the defense of Riverfall either."

Huo Hua froze, color rising to her cheeks.

"See," I continued casually, "Riverfall lies on the southeastern border of the old Empire, and since there's no Southeastern General, I don't blame you. Besides, all of you served the Grand Ascension Empire back then, didn't you? I can't exactly hold you accountable for the mess you inherited."

The sarcasm in my voice wasn't subtle, and Huo Hua immediately turned red with embarrassment. She dropped to her knees and kowtowed. Xing Guanyu followed instantly, forehead touching the polished floor.

"I, Huo Hua, seek His Holy Majesty's forgiveness!"

"I, Xing Guanyu, beg His Holy Majesty to forgive this unworthy fool!"

Their voices trembled, echoing against the high ceiling.

Before I could say anything, Chang Yun stepped forward, placing himself slightly between them and me. "Your Holy Majesty," he said firmly, "please pardon their outburst. There was confusion in the Empire's command structure back then. We came not to defend our mistakes but to amend our relationship with you. The old Empire is gone, and we wish to serve under your banner, properly this time."

I sighed. "It seems you don't understand your position here." I gestured lazily at the kneeling figures before me, then focused on the one man who still had my respect. "Zhu Shin, stop kneeling, man."

Zhu Shin immediately rose to his feet, posture steady, tone composed. "Then I shall, Your Holy Majesty."

I turned my gaze to the others. Their heads were still bowed, their pride trembling under the weight of my presence. "Here's what's going to happen," I said, voice flattening into a calm edge. "All of you will be demoted from your positions, except for Zhu Shin here. The Iron Bull defended the Empire when it mattered most. But where the fuck were the three of you?"

I let a sliver of my War Aura leak out, a faint ripple of pressure that made the air thrum like a living drum. Even a restrained burst was enough to crush the weak-willed, and I saw Huo Hua flinch slightly as the light dimmed around her.

Through Qi Speech, Alice's voice brushed against my mind. "David, care to be reminded of your lofty status and stop talking like a hooligan? I thought you were a teacher in your mortal days. Is it so hard to speak elegantly?"

I coughed twice, clearing my throat. Ahem. Ahem… Yeah, maybe I'd gone a little too far. Old habits die hard. I'd like to say I grew up in a rough neighborhood, but that didn't excuse talking like a thug while sitting on a throne made of spirit stones. Moreover, it wasn't like I could still remember my past life! Before I could correct my tone, though, the three generals erupted in protest.

"Your Holy Majesty," Huo Hua began, her voice rising like a bird in panic, "I've been defending the south for the last seven hundred years! There's no one better suited to do it than me!"

Xing Guanyu followed, bowing again so deeply I thought he'd bury his head in the floor. "The same goes for me, Your Holy Majesty! I've known the eastern borders my whole life! My ties with the subordinates there kept the three continents under the banner's protection!"

Then came Chang Yun, his calm mask slipping for the first time. "It would be unwise to replace us with generals of inferior renown. My clan has guarded the north since our founding generation."

I stared at them for a long moment, expression neutral. Wow, I thought. These people were absolutely shameless.

"The lot of you," I said slowly, "are only at the Ninth Realm, while Zhu Shin here risked his life and cultivation to rise to the Tenth Realm. He'll keep his post because I trust him and he has the strength to back it. The chaos soon to come will sweep across the world, and the three of you won't withstand it. The qualifications for generals have risen, and you don't meet them anymore."

Their faces stiffened, but I wasn't done. "Honestly," I added, leaning back into my throne, "I'd say the three of you are lucky. Have you heard what happened to the Seven Imperial Households?"

No one answered. I smiled faintly.

"I dare you to imagine their fates. Stripping away your cultivation would be the minimum punishment, but what about your families?" I leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to a measured tone. "Right now, Bai Rong's pretty dead. As for Tian Meng of the Sky Clan? She is in my dungeons, reflecting on their wrongdoings. Probably tortured. Kang Nuan of the Fighting Clan and Feng Shuren of the Wind Clan… you probably haven't heard, but I resurrected Kang Nuan from her bones, only to take away her cultivation. As for Feng Shuren, I healed the arm he lost… just so I could take his power, too."

Huo Hua's lips trembled, and even Zhu Shin frowned slightly.

"It might sound merciful," I continued, "but do you really want to lose everything that defines you? Xun Li of the Seeker Clan, Lu Wang of the Road Clan… I brought them back to life, too, all the same, but as mortals! They will live, but without cultivation, they are nothing. Can you handle living as something so… paltry?"

I paused, my thoughts wandering briefly. Except for Hei Yue of the Black Clan, who had been slaughtered beyond recognition by Hei Mao, I had resurrected all the clan heads of the Seven Imperial Households. Their entire families had been stripped of their ability to cultivate. Three to five generations would bear that burden, depending on the sins of their predecessors. That, I believed, was justice. Not slaughter to the root, just retribution measured in years of quiet despair. I wasn't a monster. Besides, their clans held too much history to erase. When they repented, they could return to the right path, even aided by the Empire they once betrayed.

"So," I said finally, resting my chin on my knuckles, "why did I do that? You could say I'm petty." I smiled faintly. "Those traitors dying of old age as powerless mortals… It's amusing, isn't it? If they can build a life despite that, then good for them. But in the grand scheme, it's inconsequential. A mortal's life is just that… paltry."

The word lingered like a blade drawn halfway. They understood. When you've tasted real power, losing it wasn't just painful. Instead, it's horrifying. It was like how 'poverty' could scare the shit out of people.

I looked at them one by one. "So, tell me," I asked quietly, "do you want to be paltry?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Chang Yun dropped to his knees and kowtowed deeply, his voice trembling with sincerity. "Your Holy Majesty, this servant was impertinent! I beg your forgiveness!"

The other two quickly followed. Huo Hua pressed her forehead against the floor. "I was lacking and unworthy, Your Majesty, but I will serve loyally!"

Xing Guanyu's voice cracked. "This fool understands now. I will obey, Your Majesty!"

I let them kneel a moment longer before speaking. "Good. Then listen carefully. From this day forth, all of you will work under Nongmin, the newly instated Grand Marshal."

At that, all three looked up, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"The… the late Emperor?" Chang Yun stammered. "You mean His Majesty Nongmin… lives?"

I smiled thinly, tapping the armrest of my throne. "Alive, loyal, and very busy. You'll be reporting to him from now on." I was amused by their shocked faces. I guess, they didn't expect it, huh? "The lot of you are dismissed! Get out of my sight!"

When the guests were gone, the throne room fell into an almost sacred quiet.

The air still carried the faint tremor of my War Aura, but it was quickly replaced by the soft hum of formations activating in the corners of the hall. From the dimming light near the pillars, a figure emerged.

It was Nongmin, stepping out from the shadows as he had always been there. His concealment formations were still beyond me, layered in such intricate silence that even my Divine Sense barely brushed against them. It was as expected, since Nongmin was also improving. He wore a black blindfold streaked with fine golden lines, and his silver robes were embroidered with delicate white orchids, a detail that tugged faintly at memory, reminding me of his mother, Xin Yune. She had always favored that pattern.

"Don't be harsh on them," Nongmin said, his tone as gentle as it was steady. "They were good kids, just focused on the wrong things."

I leaned back against the throne, arms resting on the spirit stone armrests. "Really? That Chang Yun felt like trouble."

Nongmin smiled faintly, though I couldn't see his eyes behind the blindfold. "When the Civil War began, the only general who actually showed up in my grandson's wedding was Zhu Shin. The others stayed to guard their regions. It wasn't cowardice. Instead, it was a necessity. The Empire would have been left wide open if every general had left their post just to attend the wedding of my grandson. Zhu Shin came because I personally summoned him… and to keep him from being assassinated." He crossed his arms, the faint glint of spiritual energy outlining his form. "There were too many traitors brewing in the west back then, starting with the Sky Clan. If they had made their move earlier, they would have targeted Zhu Shin first to weaken the Empire's western defenses."

I frowned slightly, thinking back. Nongmin was right. The West had been the first to ignite. When the rebellion began, it was there that the flying ships appeared in droves, their banners rising overnight. That had always bothered me how fast they assembled such an army, and how coordinated their attack seemed. But hearing Nongmin now, it made sense. They'd been preparing long before the first battle even started.

"You know," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose, "you're surprisingly soft for an Emperor whose entire thing was being cold and calculating."

"Former Emperor," Nongmin corrected immediately. His expression didn't change, but I caught the faint trace of amusement in his voice. "You're the Emperor now."

"Correction," I said with a smirk, straightening slightly on the throne. "Holy Emperor. Don't forget the holy part."

That earned me the ghost of a chuckle. "Ah, yes. How could I ever forget that?"

Before I could tease him further, a sudden roar shattered the calm.

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER!"

The shouts came from the Guardians outside the hall, their voices overlapping with the sound of weapons being drawn and the crack of defensive arrays activating. I was already half-standing when the ceiling exploded.

A shower of debris and spirit dust fell around me as a massive shape crashed through the skylight. A blinding red glow lit the chamber, heat and smoke bursting outward in waves. When the dust cleared, a figure lay sprawled before my throne. It was a man, half-burned, half-alive.

He had flaming red hair, his lower body gone, shredded beyond recognition. His entrails hung loose, blood and ash smearing the polished floor. Even through the ruin of his form, I recognized him immediately.

"Yi Qiu…" I said, voice low. "The Master of the Martial Alliance."

He twitched, one arm dragging him weakly forward as his body left streaks of blood along the floor. His face was twisted with agony, yet his eyes, half-melted though they were, still carried that indomitable spark.

He coughed once, a spurt of dark blood staining the white marble. "T-The Martial Alliance…" His voice broke, trembling, ragged. "They… They are gone… It's..."

I stepped closer, kneeling slightly beside him as his breath grew shallow. "What do you mean, gone?"

"The… Heavenly Temple…" he managed, his words slurring as his body convulsed. "They… stabbed us in the back…"

His head drooped, his burned fingers twitching once before falling still. The last breath left him in a low rattle, echoing faintly through the vast throne room.

The Guardians burst in through the shattered entrance, their weapons drawn and a dozen Qi Senses sweeping the area, but it was too late.

The Master of the Martial Alliance had crawled to me only to die at my feet, carrying a message that would shake the continent.

"Never a dull day, huh?"