Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian was practically apoplectic. His breathing grew ragged, his face dark, and he bellowed, "Insolent Chishui, spreading your seductive lies! Guards! Drag him away and throw him into the death prison! Strip him of the Eternal Divine Prison key, and strip him of his title as enfeoffed lord! The Chishui Minor World under his jurisdiction shall be handed over to a person of virtue!"
When the Heavenly Emperor flies into a rage, blood flows in rivers.
A horde of cultivators, fierce as wolves and tigers, surged forward.
Haoran God King was the first to rise. "I support Fellow Daoist Chishui! What do we cultivators cultivate for? The Great Taiyuan World is our home! Our home is falling into ruins before our very eyes—do we not have an obligation to save it? Under Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan's rule, what a golden age the Great Taiyuan World enjoyed! And look at it now—how weak it has become! How dark! You are all men of insight—are you all blind? Where is your passion? Where is your courage? Where is your nerve?"
"Fellow Daoist Chishui, I'll lend my considerable bulk to bolster your cause today." The obese God King squeezed his way out of the crowd as well.
"Count me in." The blue-robed God King said little, but his eyes burned with resolve.
"I'm in too." The gaunt God King stepped forward as well.
Clearly, these five had already reached a private understanding.
Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian was beside himself with fury. "Fine, fine, fine! So you really are a nest of traitors, conspiring together to rebel, are you? Seize them! Seize them all!"
"Who among you will help this Emperor bring down these five madmen?"
Several God Kings rose immediately. Beiming God King was the most eager, and Jiuding God King sighed, "No matter what, Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian holds the authority now. To openly defy him is to challenge that authority. Jiuding has always respected authority, and in this matter, I'm afraid I must also intervene."
Of the seven key holders, aside from Chishui God King, two God Kings immediately stood in opposition to him. Including Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian, that made three key holders.
Green Wood God King let out a soft sigh. "Gentlemen, why must you go through all this? I said from the beginning that the Fate of Creation is the real point. Why do you keep going off-topic? I wash my hands of this."
With that, Green Wood God King actually started backing away from the dispute.
Baihe God King wore a look of lofty integrity and shook his head, seemingly murmuring to himself, "Why must we slaughter one another?"
That was what he said, but judging by his air, he had no intention of getting involved either.
The two of them clearly intended to withdraw from the dispute and take no part.
Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian chuckled darkly. "Take them down!"
At that moment, Linghan God King—who had remained silent until now—suddenly shot a piercing light from his eyes. "Wait!"
Linghan God King opened his eyes, and an immediate burst of sharp radiance, like the splitting of heaven and earth, made even Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian's breathing quicken.
"Linghan, what do you have to say?" Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian asked coldly.
"I have one question. Where exactly did Fellow Daoist Chishui go wrong? Was the Great Taiyuan World under Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan's rule not ten times, a hundred times better than it is now?"
Linghan God King's gaze cut like blade-light, shining with an intensity no one could withstand.
"Look into your hearts—is the Great Taiyuan World even saveable anymore?" Linghan God King sneered, his eyes boring straight into Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian. "A mediocrity like you has managed to sit on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor—that alone tells you how far the Great Taiyuan World has fallen."
"You… you… rebellion! This is rebellion!" Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian was shaking with rage. He had never imagined that Linghan would openly mock him, curse him to his face—this was a direct challenge to the Heavenly Emperor's authority!
"Qing Tian, you say I'm rebelling against you, but I'm actually trying to save you. With your utterly average talent, sitting on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor—doesn't it burn your backside? Unless you're the mastermind behind the curtain, how much longer do you think you can hold this seat? Can't you feel it? The invisible hand of the mastermind is already closing around your throat! Eliminating Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan may have seemed like a threat to your position, but it was actually saving your life! Instead of being grateful, you want to hunt down Fellow Daoist Chishui. Tell me—is that a pig's head sitting on your shoulders?"