Chapter 1584: Yin Son of Heaven

The moment the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring entered Emperor Jing Run’s hand, what felt like an endless stream of yin qi rushed into his body. Emperor Jing Run’s body was greedily consuming it all like a black hole.

As yin qi rushed into his body, an imperial crown and imperial robe slowly took form.

The crown was the Son of Heaven’s crown, and the robe was the Son of Heaven’s robe.

But unlike your usual Son of Heaven’s crown, it wasn’t adorned with images of sun, moon, rivers or mountains. Instead, it was adorned with the Bronze Like Tree and Mount Tai.

Also unlike your usual Son of Heaven’s robe, it wasn’t adorned with auspicious clouds, golden five-clawed dragon, or the people. Instead, it was adorned with the ghosts of the Yellow Spring and the nine-headed yin dragon.

Because of this, the crown was named the Luo Feng Crown, and the robe the Yin Heaven Robe. It was the imperial outfit of the Yin Son of Heaven of the ancient Fengdu.

When the Luo Feng Crown took form, the transparent silhouettes of Mount Tai and the Bronze Like Tree appeared as well.

When the Yin Heaven Robe took form, countless ghosts manifested, and a yin dragon circled the sky.

It was at this moment a silhouette stepping out of nothingness.

The silhouette seemed both real and unreal. It wasn’t particularly tall in stature or formidable in appearance, but it naturally gave off an aura of infinite power and mystery. If a normal person was an ant, then he was the towering mountains. If a normal person was a fish, then he was the borderless sea.

The silhouette walked up to Emperor Jing Run and lifted the Luo Feng Crown. He then put it on Emperor Jing Run’s head.

Next, the silhouette lifted the Yin Heaven Robe. He put it on Emperor Jing Run as well.

“Is this... a conferment ceremony? Does that mean that the silhouette is King Taishan?”

The Chief Libationist watched the silhouette closely. In ancient times, it was said that King Taishan had conferred his Yin Son of Heaven by personally putting a crown on his head and dressing him in the Yin Heaven Robe.

The scene before him seemed to reflect that legend perfectly.

If so, could this silhouette be the supreme god of Fengdu, the one who was said to have created the Underworld and Fengdu, King Taishan? The Chief Libationist had never seen King Taishan before. However, he had a feeling that his hunch was correct.

Of course, the silhouette he was seeing wasn’t the real King Taishan. It was just a spiritual intent.

Perhaps this spiritual intent was the spiritual imprint King Taishan had left in the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring a long time ago. Or perhaps the ancient who had vanished long after the destruction of the old Fengdu was hoping to use the upcoming age of chaos to his advantage and rebuild the Underworld. That was why he was showing himself and crowning a new Yin Son of Heaven.

If his first guess was true, then whatever. It wasn’t a big issue. But if his second guess was true, then this was going to be troublesome.

Of course, as troublesome as it was, the Chief Libationist never shirked away from a fight, not even if his opponent was King Taishan.

The Chief Libationist launched several attacks at King Taishan and Emperor Jing Run, but they passed through the duo harmlessly almost like they were mirages.

The Chief Libationist knew they were mirages though. His attacks had missed because time and space were warped.

He could have dealt with this given enough time, but time was the one thing he didn’t have. That slight delay was all it took for Emperor Jing Run to finish putting on the Luo Feng Crown and the Yin Heaven Robe.

As soon as the ceremony was complete, the ghosts dropped to their knees and kowtowed in congratulations, and the Bronze Like Tree rang melodiously in celebration.

It was then the lifeless Emperor Jing Run slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes no longer look as clear or spirited as before. Instead, they looked cold, murky, indifferent, and heartless.

Emperor Jing Run slowly rose to his feet. As he did so, infinite columns of yin qi shot into the air and filled the sky with dark clouds. Dark wind howled endlessly, and dark images such as the eighteen levels of hell, yin dragon drawing a carriage, a nether phoenix participating in a burial, countless ghosts bowing their heads in worship and more took form.

After Emperor Jing Run rose to his feet, he stacked his hands on top of each other and gave King Taishan a bow. “As you command, King Taishan.”

Emperor Jing Run was also cold and indifferent. However, it also sounded impossibly dignified and persistent like the whispers of a god or a demon.

The silhouette of King Taishan seemingly nodded before vanishing into nothing.

As soon as King Taishan disappeared, Emperor Jing Run abruptly looked up. The Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring in his hand rang loudly and unleashed a burst of dark light. It was vast and powerful like the Yellow Spring had just risen from the earth, threatening to destroy the realm and blotting out the sun and moon.

The Chief Libationist trembled a little, and a single wound appeared on his finger pad. The injury was covered in terrible yin qi that polluted his blood before it could even drip from his finger.

“We meet again, teacher.” It sounded like Emperor Jing Run was taunting the Chief Libationist, but there wasn’t a smile on his eyes or face at all, only iciness and indifference.

The Chief Libationist glanced at the wound once before wiping it away in one gesture and annihilating the foreign energies within. He asked calmly, “Should I address you as Jing Run or the Yin Son of Heaven?”

Emperor Jing Run replied indifferently, “Doesn’t matter. I am an emperor either way.”

The Chief Libationist taunted, “You knew you couldn’t be an emperor in the human world anymore, so you became the Son of Heaven of the underworld instead? You truly have prepared for all possibilities, Jing Run!”

“I wonder if this is your scheme or King Taishan’s conspiracy though?”

Emperor Jing Run looked puzzled. “What difference is there?”

“Of course there is a difference.” The Chief Libationist replied, “If this is your scheme, then it proves that you’re not a complete idiot. But if it’s King Taishan’s conspiracy, then it proves that you are just his pawn.”

There were certain things the Chief Libationist chose not to say to Emperor Jing Run. If Emperor Jing Run had obtained the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring by accident and concocted this scheme afterward; if his scheme had nothing to do with King Taishan, then this wasn’t a threat worth fearing.

However, if King Taishan had planned for this to happen; if this ancient ghost god was involved in this conspiracy, then it would be troublesome. After all, there was no way King Taishan would be planning to turn Emperor Jing Run into the Yin Son of Heaven only. He must be plotting something bigger.

An ancient would never make a casual move. Every time they took a step, they plotted to gain a hundred steps of profit in return.

Truthfully, he did not need an answer from Emperor Jing Run. He already knew it in his heart. King Taishan was behind it all.

It did not matter if Emperor Jing Run plotted for this to happen. Either way, he was probably wrapped up in King Taishan’s plans.

It made no sense for a divine artifact like the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring to so easily fall into Emperor Jing Run’s hands otherwise.

It also made no sense for King Taishan to appear and make Emperor Jing Run his Yin Son of Heaven otherwise.

He wasn’t being paranoid. No amount of caution was too much when an ancient was involved.

“I still don’t see a difference.” Emperor Jing Run remained calm despite everything. “I have the Yin Son of Heaven now.”

“I was an emperor of humanity when I was alive, and I was still the Son of Heaven when I died. I am a destined one, teacher. I am destined to become a victor.”

“Victor?” The Chief Libationist scoffed, “Because you wield that broken sword? Or because you’re a whatever Yin Son of Heaven?”

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

“If you want to be the Yin Son of Heaven so badly, then fuck off to the underworld, Jing Run. This is the human world and no place for a yin creature like you.”

“Human world?” Emperor Jing Run said emotionlessly, “You seem to have forgotten something, teacher. This is my place. You’re the one who should get lost.”

The Chief Libationist sneered. “Your place? You think you have the right to call this your place?”

“Of course.” Emperor Jing Run said matter-of-factly, “I am the Son of Heaven be it living or dead. Just the same, my domain is mine either way.”

“When I was alive, the living realm of Chu was my domain. Now that I am dead, it should still become my domain. The same goes for the citizens.”

“I am the Son of Heaven. Everything here belongs to me. Even you belong to me, teacher.”

The Chief Libationist did not understand what he was saying. “What are you trying to say?”

Emperor Jing Run replied indifferently, “I’m going to turn Chu into my realm of ghosts, and its people my ghost citizens, of course.”

“I didn’t want to go this far myself, but alas, sometimes things just do not go your way. You are the one who forced me to do this, teacher.”

As he said this, Emperor Jing Run reversed his grip on the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring and stabbed it heavily into the ground. The sword pierced the ground without a sound.