Chapter 432 - Ruling Cangyang Kingdom

The same thought echoed across everyone’s minds, one that they never dared imagine before. Long Chen had killed the Sword Emperor, the Cangyang Kingdom’s strongest cultivator. Two Sword Emperors had died by his hand. The golden-eyed Sword Emperor had died because of Long Chen’s shocking return from death, while the black-eyed Sword Emperor had fallen before Long Chen’s absolute strength!

He was indeed stronger than the Sword Emperor!

The Sword Emperor was the Cangyang Kingdom’s highest authority. How drastically would the kingdom change now that he had died? The remaining masters of the imperial family were only at the Eighth River Stage, and there were many Eighth River Stage cultivators across the whole kingdom. Did the imperial family still have the power to control such an immense kingdom?

The answer was, unquestionably, no.

With the Sword Emperor’s death, everyone knew that the Cangyang Kingdom would change drastically. However, the changes would depend on Long Chen. Long Chen was the one who had killed him, so he was now the Cangyang Kingdom’s strongest cultivator. Not the Sword Emperor, not Zhao Qingyun, but Long Chen! This person who had only recently become famous had reached the Cangyang Kingdom’s peak in the blink of an eye!

And he was not even twenty years old yet! He was seventeen at most!

To accomplish such a feat at seventeen! Long Chen had become the legend of legends in the Cangyang Kingdom!

Many people started to feel an itch when the Sword Emperor died. The imperial family had left behind such a large pie, and everyone wanted a slice. What happened now was for Long Chen to decide. Technically, the whole kingdom now belonged to Long Chen alone!

No one dared move before he said anything!

Most of the people standing on the city wall felt like they were dreaming. Everyone knew that it was reality, but most could not accept it. It was just too unbelievable. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed it.

He had not just killed one, but two Sword Emperors!

Lin Batian sat in his seat in a daze, not waking up despite calls from the people around him. He had suffered the heaviest blow in his life today and completely lost his mind. He sat with a dazed look on his face, not moving a muscle.

Suddenly, he ran to the edge of the wall with a look of excitement on his face. Then, as everyone watched him with confusion, he took out a sword from his Universe Pouch and stabbed his own heart before pulling it out!

Fresh blood flowed.

“Father ...” Lin Batian uttered his final word, then he smiled. His body fell to the ground, forming a puddle of blood.

The moment Lin Batian thought about the difficulties and pressure he was about to face, he had lost all intention to fight back, and this despair drove him to suicide.

The people felt great sorrow for Lin Batian’s death.

The last hope of the imperial family could not bear the weight and had chosen to kill himself. This meant that the family who had ruled the Cangyang Kingdom for thousands of years had died and would disappear from the long river of history. There would only be small remnants left for people to recall upon.

Long Chen had watched Lin Batian kill himself.

He only shook his head without a word. The imperial family had been on top for too long, and it was time for them to step down. Judging by how they had murdered Xiaolang’s entire clan, the imperial family were not good people anyway.

What Long Chen yearned for was in the Universe Pouch before him. Under the gazes of everyone, he opened the Sword Emperor’s Universe Pouch hurriedly. Whether or not there was a Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit inside, he would find out right now ...

Long Chen felt his breathing become strangely heavy.

Emotions surged through his heart.

The presence or absence of the Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit in the Universe Pouch would basically decide his future.

Ling Xi did not dare check. She was hoping that it wasn’t there. That was the only way to guarantee that she would stay by Long Chen’s side. It was just too ambitious for him to get to where she was from. It was a dream too wild to believe.

No matter how nervous Long Chen was, he had to open the Universe Pouch.

There were many things inside, including many treasures. However, his gaze did not linger on these treasures. He only had one target, which was the Heaven-tier herb called the Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit. Due to it being Heaven-tier, its presence would be obvious.

Before he saw it, Ling Xi froze, then said bitterly, “Brother Chen, the Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit is inside.”

Since she could sense it, she found the Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit before Long Chen did.

Long Chen was ecstatic. He searched hurriedly and found a jade box. There was a thick fragrance radiating from the box, similar to the Blood Seal Lotus and the Eight Desolate Dragon Fruit. It could only be the Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit!

Ling Xi was right!

Long Chen almost cried because this was what he had been working hard for for half a year. Now it was finally in his hands. His nerves finally relaxed after half a year of tension. It felt like a bucket of cold water on his body; it was refreshing!

“Ling Xi, I have finally fulfilled the first promise I made to you.” This was why Long Chen was so determined. It was a promise he had made to Ling Xi. It did not matter what happened—he would fulfill it at any cost.

It was difficult for him to suppress his surging emotions. He took a deep breath, then he put the Universe Pouch away. This was all his, and he could sort through everything later.

“Brother Chen, I ... Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say, but I am so touched. Thank you!” Ling Xi could barely speak because she was crying so hard within the Ling Xi sword.

This teenager had made an impossible promise, and today, he had fulfilled it with his blood and sweat.

“Don’t thank me. Remember this. It is only the first promise. I will surely fulfill the second promise. One day, I will appear in front of you again!” Long Chen said with determination.

The Nine Heavens Immortal Fruit was his first promise. Appearing with his head held high in front of Ling Xi was his second promise!

He had completed the first. Now he would work hard for the second!

Ling Xi felt like she had been stupid. She knew just how serious the obstacles and suffering would be if he truly chose this path. However, when she saw the determination in his eyes, she felt that perhaps he truly could do it!

Long Chen’s gaze turned to the people on the city wall. He already had a plan for the Cangyang Kingdom’s future. He had actually already said something to Zhao Qingyun about it a long time ago.

He walked towards the wall and quickly arrived at its base. He stood next to Lin Batian’s body, though he did not look at it. He looked up at the people above. The ones who had made it here to watch the battle were the elites of the kingdom.

“I, Long Chen, was the one who killed the Sword Emperor. Everyone, listen to me. From now onwards, the Cangyang Kingdom is mine. Anyone who causes trouble will die.”

Long Chen’s declaration made his intentions clear.

Anyone who felt an itch was instantly dejected. They dared not step out of line when the Sword Emperor was alive, and that wouldn’t change since Long Chen was even scarier.

However, despite the extinguishing of the fire in their hearts, many people started to wake up. Since Long Chen had declared himself ruler of the Cangyang Kingdom and no one could stand up to him, why wouldn’t they submit? The sooner they submitted to him, the more benefits they would gain. Who wouldn’t want a bigger slice of the pie?

The moment Long Chen finished speaking, the two remaining clans of the Imperial Capital, the Gongsun and Zhou families, looked at each other, then they reacted immediately. They leaped to the bottom of the tower and bent one knee in front of Long Chen, looking at him sincerely.

The Gongsun patriarch spoke first. “I am Gongsun Sheng from one of the two main clans of the Imperial Capital, also the Gongsun Patriarch. Our clan pledges loyalty to Your Majesty Long Chen. Please accept us under your banner. We will fight any war for you, and even if our lives are on the line, we will be loyal to the end!”

The Zhou Patriarch said hurriedly, “I am Zhou Long, the patriarch of the Zhou family, one of the two main clans of the Imperial Capital. The Zhou family pledges its loyalty to Your Majesty Long Chen. Please accept us under your banner. Anything the Gongsun family can do, we can do too. We are willing to follow you for the rest of our lives. Our blood and passion will only burn for you, Your Majesty!”

The other factions started to snap back to reality, and a hundred people leaped from the wall to kneel in front of Long Chen, sincerely pledging their loyalty to him! They had no choice but to accept this, as Long Chen was stronger than the Sword Emperor. If he wanted to, he could control the whole Cangyang Kingdom and maybe even expand their territory to the neighboring nations!

These people were the representatives of various factions of the Cangyang Kingdom. Now that the imperial family was gone, they all understood the situation and submitted to Long Chen’s strength.

Long Chen was very satisfied with their behavior.

He had killed the Sword Emperor, but he did not want to cause the whole Cangyang Kingdom to fall into chaos. The only way to achieve that result was for him to take over and rule! However, the person who truly ruled would not be Long Chen. He had no time for this.

“Good! You are all very smart!” Long Chen smiled and his gaze swept across the crowd. “I accept all your pledges, but although the Cangyang Kingdom is mine, the person who will rule Cangyang Kingdom will not be me!”

“What?” Everyone burst into conversation. Did someone else have the right to be king?

Long Chen smiled when he saw them panicking. “Gongsun Patriarch, I have a task for you. I command you to rush to Demon Emperor Mountain as fast as you can and invite my master, Zhao Qingyun, here. Tell him about everything that happened today!”