Chapter 1034: Leading the World

Xiao Nanfeng's sudden appearance interrupted everyone's mourning.

Some were overjoyed because Xiao Nanfeng was alive. Others were furious, thinking that someone was impersonating the supposedly dead Xiao Nanfeng to deceive them.

The three women were the first to reach Xiao Nanfeng. The other powerful figures of Dazheng quickly gathered around them.

Madam Rouge, her face filled with panic, asked, "Are you..."

She was afraid that the Xiao Nanfeng before her would be an imposter, but she desperately hoped that he was real. Her heart thumped with anxiety, and she didn't dare to utter anything that might suggest his death.

"It's me. I'm back," Xiao Nanfeng said with a gentle smile.

He spread his arms, allowing the three women to inspect him. After all, he could sense the tense atmosphere and the worry in everyone's eyes.

The three women eagerly checked Xiao Nanfeng, confirming that his truesoul was intact and that he had reclaimed his body. But they didn't dare jump to conclusions too quickly and inspected him again.

The officials of Dazheng waited anxiously for the three women to confer, their faces a mix of worry and hope.

After a thorough inspection, the three women found nothing amiss.

Madam Rouge wiped away the tears on her face. "Nanfeng, is it really you?"

Liu Miaoyin, her voice still tinged with nervousness, asked, "But why is the sea of fortune gone? And where is the golden dragon of fortune?"

The Divine Emperor, despite her fear, insisted, "Nanfeng's back. Surely nothing's wrong?"

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the empty space where the sea of fortune had been and guessed that the primordial altar was responsible.

"It's fine. The sea of fortune hasn't collapsed. It's just been hidden for the time being," Xiao Nanfeng explained.

"Really?" Liu Miaoyin still seemed worried.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the gathered officials of Dazheng. "Notify all the people of Dazheng that I have returned."

Wen Zhong, standing nearby, brightened up and immediately said, "Quick, have all the city lords announce His Majesty's return!"

"Go, quickly!" the other Dazheng officials shouted.

They understood the purpose of Xiao Nanfeng's words.

Sure enough, as news of Xiao Nanfeng's return spread across the world, streams of fortune began to flow back to Yongding. Though the quantity of fortune was scant relative to what Dazheng had possessed, it demonstrated that nothing was fundamentally amiss—Xiao Nanfeng truly was alive, even if all of Dazheng's fortune had mysteriously vanished.

"All hail His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!" Wen Zhong exclaimed, bowing in excitement.

"All hail His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!" the gathered officials echoed.

Countless citizens of Yongding witnessed this awe-inspiring scene. They wiped away their tears and bowed in excitement, cheering and celebrating.

Xiao Nanfeng gently wiped the tears from the three women's faces as he smiled. "Do you believe me now?"

Tears continued to stream down their faces as they suddenly threw themselves into his arms, clinging to him tightly and afraid that he would disappear before their eyes.

The officials of Dazheng quietly retreated, and those from the Ministry of Rites even erected a formation to obscure the scene and protect Xiao Nanfeng's privacy.

Xiao Nanfeng patted the three women on the back as he comforted them. In the past, to guard against the Superior's surveillance, I came up with a secret signal for us to use when we were together. I made sure that we were the only ones who would know about them to prevent the Superior from doing anything untoward. Do you remember it?"

The three women flushed as they thought about the intimate signal. They all nodded in agreement.

"Let's verify those signals tonight," Xiao Nanfeng said, smiling.

"No, let's do it now!" the Divine Emperor insisted.

Liu Miaoyin and Madam Rouge blushed but didn't refuse. They shared the same sentiment.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled awkwardly. "Very well. Who will go first?"

He knew that the three women must have been terrified earlier, and understood the reason for their urgency.

"Let's do it together, right now!" the Divine Emperor exclaimed. She bit her lip, her eyes glistening with tears.

Xiao Nanfeng was stunned. He glanced at the Divine Emperor in disbelief. Together?

Liu Miaoyin and Madam Rouge likewise glanced at her in surprise, but ultimately didn't refuse.

Xiao Nanfeng felt a sudden surge of passion. He knew this was likely a spur-of-the-moment decision driven by their overwhelming emotions. Once they calmed down, they would never agree to such an outrageous idea.

"Right away it is."

Xiao Nanfeng waved his hand. In a gust of wind, he swept the three women into his palace chambers.

Once they were all inside, the doors slammed shut. Numerous barriers were set up to isolate the room from the outside.

Those within hastily discarded their clothes. Soon, the sound of melodious singing filled the chamber.

Two days later, the four of them emerged from the palace chambers.

The three women's faces glowed with a healthy blush, their eyes darting away from each other. The fear and anxiety that had filled them were now completely gone. Only Xiao Nanfeng looked slightly pale, as his physical body had not fully recovered.

"Nanfeng, leave the remaining tasks to us. You should rest and recover."

"Right, Nanfeng, your body seems a bit weak. You need to replenish your energy."

"Nanfeng, focus on recovering. We can handle the rest."

The three women urged him to rest out of concern.

Xiao Nanfeng glowered. "You're all doing this intentionally, aren't you?"

The three women covered their mouths, trying to suppress their laughter. As Xiao Nanfeng reached out to grab them, they giggled and darted away.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled in content, then straightened his clothes and headed to the study. Soon, several high-ranking officials of Dazheng met him there.

From their reports, he learned about how Dazheng had developed in his absence.

The Superior's massacre had wiped out many stubborn and powerful figures in the world, making it exceptionally easy for the Dazheng Alliance to secure the remaining forces' support. Only a few stubborn holdouts remained, but they posed little threat.

Xiao Nanfeng recognized the officials' contributions, then issued some imperial decrees to legitimize the actions they had taken, ensuring that their efforts would be rewarded.

"You've all done very well. Next, Shenfeng, Dajing, and Danan will announce their submission to Dazheng. The four divine empires will merge as Dazheng prepares to become the next Imperial Court."

"Understood!" the officials exclaimed in excitement.

Although they had expected this day to come, they were still thrilled that it was finally happening.

As for the threat of the Darkborn, they had complete faith in Xiao Nanfeng. They firmly believed that under his leadership, they would overcome all obstacles and resolve any difficulties.

"My three empresses have returned to their respective capitals to gather their officials. Zheng Qian will be in charge of liaising with the three dynasties and preparing for the merger of the four dynasties," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

"Understood!" Zheng Qian responded.

"Wen Zhong will be in charge of handling the remaining forces across the world."

"Understood!" Wen Zhong replied.

"As for Ye Sanshui..."

Xiao Nanfeng assigned tasks to all the Dazheng officials. The next day, during the morning session of court, he reassured the other officials who had panicked because the sea of fortune had disappeared. He also publicly appointed more officials to handle the upcoming unification and ascension.

After two days of handling government affairs, Xiao Nanfeng delegated the remaining tasks to his officials and went into secluded cultivation again.

Although his physical body had mostly recovered from the explosion, it was still extremely weak. He focused on healing, drawing vast amounts of spiritual aether into his body.

Meanwhile, news of Xiao Nanfeng's return and his plan to merge the four dynasties, unify the world, and advance his divine empire into the Imperial Court spread rapidly.

Because Xiao Nanfeng had once slain the "heavens," the cultivators of the world trusted him deeply and bore no objection to his plans. What few stubborn rebels and conspirators remained were unable to cause any significant trouble.

Officials from Shenfeng, Dajing, and Danan didn't object to the unification, either. They had long anticipated this outcome and were aware of their future prospects. Their interests wouldn't be harmed in the slightest, and some officials were even set to take up positions in Yongding. Once Dazheng ascended to the Imperial Court, their status would rise accordingly.

Across the world, preparations were underway for Dazheng's ascension.

The three women quickly returned to Yongding in order to guard Xiao Nanfeng while he remained in secluded cultivation.

On the second day of their vigil, brilliant purple light erupted outside Xiao Nanfeng's chamber.

"Alert!" the guards shouted.

With a clatter, a large number of soldiers blocked the entrance to the chamber. The three women also rushed over immediately, standing guard at the entrance and coldly staring at the purple light in the distance.

With a hum, the purple light dissipated to reveal the figure within.

Madam Rouge frowned. "Yuqing Grandmaster, what are you doing here?"

With two more hums, a red and a blue light appeared to the left and right of the Yuqing Grandmaster, from which two more figures emerged.

"The Taiqing Grandmaster?" The Divine Emperor frowned.

"And the Shangqing Grandmaster..." Liu Miaoyin trailed off, frowning as well.

The three grandmasters had their respective spiritual moons floating behind their head.

They looked serious. When they saw the three women, they gave them a slight bow.

Madam Rouge asked seriously, "Grandmasters, may I ask what brings you here?"

The three Qing Grandmasters exchanged glances, and the Yuqing Grandmaster spoke up. "We heard that Xiao Nanfeng has emerged from that hidden realm. We'd like to meet with him to understand the circumstances within."

The three women frowned. They were sure that there was more to the three Qing Grandmasters' request than that. Their formal and combined presence suggested something more serious.

Just then, the door to the chamber creaked open. Xiao Nanfeng had sensed the three Qing Grandmasters' arrival.

"Grandmasters, you grace us with your presence. Please, come in," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The three women eyed Xiao Nanfeng and made way. Madam Rouge began, "Please join us, Grandmasters."

The three grandmasters nodded and followed the three women into the chamber, before the doors creaked shut once more.