Yet, before the encirclement and slaughter by the Imperial City Guard, these peak-stage experts from the mortal world could muster only a tenth of their strength, turning the scene into a virtually one-sided massacre.
Just when the situation within the Imperial City had been decided, a rising chorus of battle cries suddenly broke out from the Imperial Capital’s Inner City outside the Imperial City.
Above the Imperial City, the Mortal Path’s favor began to fluctuate visibly to the naked eye.
Within the Taihe Hall, the shadowy figure of the Mortal Emperor became increasingly blurred, and an eerie, chilling sensation uncontrollably spread beyond the Taihe Hall.
“What is happening?”
From within the shadows in the Taihe Hall, the creatures emitted cries of alarm; in the next instant, their gaze fixed on Ji Zhaoyang’s princely attire and crown.
Atop his head, set within the crown, a Treasure Bead the size of a baby’s fist shimmered with a lustrous glow.
“Damn, that’s the Mirage Dragon Ball!”
The Mirage Dragon Ball, nurtured by the Mirage Dragon, one of the True Dragons of the Dragon Clan, had the ability to evolve illusions.
The projection pearls of Great Xia were fashioned after the Mirage Dragon Ball and could broadcast projections throughout the Jiu Province region via the projection formations set up in various squares by the Great Yin Imperial Dynasty.
If a mere imitation like the projection pearl possessed such prowess, then the Mirage Dragon Ball could undoubtedly do the same, meaning that all that transpired in the Taihe Hall was now being transmitted across the Jiu Province region.
Even the scenes of the puppet Mortal Emperor ordering the massacre of the noble family elite were disseminated.
For the major powers and noble families, witnessing their elders and family patriarchs being wantonly slaughtered by the puppet Mortal Emperor, it was uncertain if the next moment the executioner’s blade might descend upon them.
These families, boasting powerful experts and even controlling local armies, naturally were unwilling to sit idle and thus began to violently disrupt the entire Imperial Capital.
The loyal armies that originally garrisoned the Imperial City hurried to quell the rebellion, and outside the Imperial Capital’s Inner City, several strong armies proclaimed their intention to enter the Imperial Capital to suppress the uprising, including one Great Void Fleet and two Sky Patrol Fleets.
However, facing such a situation, the commanding general responsible for defending the city dared not open the gates to let these armies in.
No one knew the stance of these armies—whether they supported the puppet Mortal Emperor or the noble powers—indiscriminately allowing them entry would only lead to greater chaos.
The vast expanse of the Imperial Capital’s Inner City was already in complete disarray.
“We could not possibly have made such an oversight, who has obscured Tianji, preventing us from detecting the existence of the Mirage Dragon Ball!”
A deep voice said from within the shadows of the Taihe Hall.
But at this juncture, they had no time to investigate which supreme figure had secretly blocked Tianji.
A pale forefinger shot out from the shadows, aimed directly at Ji Zhaoyang’s head, trying to kill him and destroy that Mirage Dragon Ball transmitting the images.
Numerous Taoist artifacts and spirit treasures protected the body of the Great Yin 3rd Prince, their luminescence flashing momentarily, yet the pale finger effortlessly pierced through them.
In a critical moment, Ji Zhaoyang tore off his princely robe and crown to reveal the Sage’s Robe and Hat beneath.
In an instant, glorious Taoist characters cascaded down like a waterfall, staunchly blocking that pale finger.
Then, powerful experts among the surrounding ministers and nobles immediately closed in to protect Ji Zhaoyang.
Everyone knew that, against the puppet Mortal Emperor wielding great might, Ji Zhaoyang was their sole hope.
As long as they could protect Ji Zhaoyang and break out of the Imperial City to unite with the noble families inciting rebellion outside, they might seize a chance for survival.
The Imperial City Guard clashed fiercely with the noble powers, and within the silent Taihe Hall, a sudden failed assassination of Ji Zhaoyang instead resulted in him entering a tightly knit circle of protection, further complicating the situation.
Numerous shadows were intensely debating among themselves.
Some believed that since they could no longer continue to hide, they might as well reveal themselves and kill everyone within the Imperial City.
Others thought that since the Mortal Path’s rejection of foreign beings still existed without fully revealing their true forms, there was still leeway to confuse the ordinary citizens, preserving the value of remaining concealed.
After a fierce exchange of opinions, an ancient voice finally spoke up from the shadow behind the puppet Mortal Emperor’s throne.
“Use the puppet Mortal Emperor to execute all within the Imperial City. Since we cannot steal the Mortal Path’s favor undisturbed, then let this Central Mortal Path Imperial Court collapse entirely.
After the downfall of Mortal Path, it will be our time—the Dusk Realm’s time to emerge in this world!”
As the words ended, the one clad in the Imperial robe and pearl-veil Crown atop the throne—the puppet Mortal Emperor—finally made a move.
This body was covered in cracks, making it resemble a piece of porcelain on the verge of shattering; fragments of its broken visage fell away, revealing a rotten void beneath.
He slowly stood up, his left hand lifting the Mortal Emperor’s official seal, his right hand gripping the Mortal Emperor Sword, and he strode out of the Taihe Hall.
The Great Yin’s Mortal Emperor reemerged in the mortal world, and the sight of his body on the brink of shattering was fully witnessed by everyone.
“Your Majesty!”
“There truly are rebels causing chaos in the court!”
“The Mortal Emperor has the Mandate of Humanity to protect him, how is this possible!”
Even Ji Zhaoyang, who had some suspicions earlier, was filled with sorrow when he saw the Mortal Emperor’s shattered form.
“Father...”
At this moment, the puppet Mortal Emperor was expressionless, merely raising the Mortal Emperor Sword in his right hand and pointing it towards Ji Zhaoyang.
The next instant, the entire Imperial City’s fate converged onto the puppet Mortal Emperor’s form as if the oppressive weight of a primordial divine mountain fell upon Ji Zhaoyang.
The radiance of the Sage’s Robe and Hat shattered with a thunderous crash, and Ji Zhaoyang was pressed directly onto the ground, without the strength to even move a finger.
As the phenomenon of the Mortal Path’s favor shattered, under the might of the Mortal Path Heavy Weapon and the Mortal Emperor’s pantheon position, all Divine Arts were utterly suppressed, and Ji Zhaoyang was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
The puppet Mortal Emperor’s sword rose high in his hand and swiftly struck down in the direction of Ji Zhaoyang.
This sword seemed to cross through the Great Dao and point directly at the origin of life and death; no living being could defy the judgment of life and death by the Mortal Emperor Sword.
Mobilizing the Mandate of Humanity to control the Mortal Path Heavy Weapon, the fragments continued to fall off the puppet Mortal Emperor, revealing an uncanny darkness beneath not belonging to humans, and even the Mortal Emperor’s official seal was shaking uncontrollably.
Clearly, this was the puppet Mortal Emperor’s limit.
The powerful nobles and ministers’ eyes were about to split open with rage, yet no one dared to defy the Mandate of Humanity to stop this sword strike; it seemed like the outcome was predestined the moment the Mortal Emperor Sword came slashing down.
Just at that time, space-time seemed to freeze, and a voice tinged with mockery resonated in this frozen moment.
“This sword strike is far inferior to the one from a few years back.”
“So, this is your limit?”
A pale hand emerged from the void and slowly grasped the unstoppable Mortal Emperor Sword.
In one split billionth of a moment, a confrontation of the Mandate of Humanity erupted, and a phantom of an Emperor appeared behind the puppet Mortal Emperor, directly confronting the projection of a future humanity fate from behind Shen Yuan, which was a vast and flourishing world.
The puppet Mortal Emperor’s Mandate of Humanity, which was ebbing away like an oil-lamp running out of oil, was nothing compared to its peak – how could it compare to that world of the human Imperial Dynasty which was slowly reviving after tens of thousands of years?
In mere moments, the Emperor’s Phantom behind the puppet Mortal Emperor was crushed by that prosperous world, and the confrontation of the Mandate of Humanity was decided in this still space-time.
Without the Mandate of Humanity to empower him, the puppet Mortal Emperor completely lost his Mortal Emperor’s pantheon position.
The uncontrollable power of the Mortal Emperor’s Seal leaked out, grinding the puppet Mortal Emperor’s body, already on the edge of shattering, into dust, and the Mortal Emperor Sword that sought to judge Ji Zhaoyang lost its power and was easily captured by Shen Yuan.
Time began to flow again.
Everyone could see that in front of the Taihe Hall’s great doors, where the puppet Mortal Emperor had once stood now lay in ruins, replaced by Shen Yuan in white garments.
He just stood there, without any lavish robes or crowns, without the formal decree of the imperial pantheon position, yet he seemed like the center of this world.
An endless stream of humanity fate converged towards him, and the disseminating Mandate of Humanity began to regather itself around him.
Every move he made symbolized the supreme will of the world.
Thousands of Imperial City Guards dropped their weapons, instinctively bowing down to Shen Yuan in worship, as if they were in the presence of the supreme Emperor.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Shen Yuan’s gaze fell on the silent Taihe Hall, and his right hand, holding the Mortal Emperor’s Seal, slowly descended.
“Exterminate the traitors!”
The next moment, heaven and earth seemed to collapse as a grand official seal descended from above the Nine Heavens, carrying the grand humanity fate of all the worlds.
The endless Mandate of Humanity shattered countless laws, annihilating everything within the Taihe Hall.

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