This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 192 Imperial Edict Conferring the Title of King

One wave subsides only for another to rise, like surging waves that continuously assault people's minds.

The procession entered the city by water, and the sheer size of the group was astonishing. The hundreds of people formed a magnificent long dragon, all riding in gold-trimmed carriages that gleamed and exuded an aura of wealth, like a moving mountain of gold.

Even at the very back of the procession, various jewels and glasswork shone like stars, causing a surging frenzy among the crowds in Yong'an City as they rushed to feast their eyes on the spectacle.

It wasn't until everyone from the water area entered the city that the real events that triggered the Yong'an Uprising began. The people from the water area even scattered gold and silver treasures like celestial maidens scattering flowers when they passed by Xiancai Terrace.

Some cultivators carried gold and silver, soaring into the sky like birds, and the gold and silver rained down from the sky, which truly shocked many people.

A frenzy of looting was inevitable, and the Xiancai Terrace, the main battlefield, was also overwhelmed by the mad crowd at this moment. Xiao Xingchen's poems and essays were ultimately trampled beyond recognition, like withered flowers and fallen willows.

This undoubtedly caused many people to frown. This body of water seemed to be deliberately targeting Xiao Xingchen, and the relationship between them was truly puzzling.

Following closely behind, the Tianling Kingdom entered the city discreetly. All the people who came were dressed in pure white clothes, like snow lotuses on the Tianshan Mountains. Although there were only seven of them, this group of seven stood out from the crowd and attracted a lot of attention.

Their objective was crystal clear. After entering the city, they vanished into the crowd like ghosts. Clearly, they had their own secret base in Yong'an.

Their arrival has made Yong'an City bustling with activity, like a pot of boiling water. And just as the information sharing platform of Huayulou was going public...

Another piece of news, like a thunderclap, completely overshadowed everything else: an imperial edict, like lightning, emerged from the palace and proclaimed itself to the world.

"Imperial Edict Conferring a Royal Title!" These four simple words caused a huge stir in Yong'an, like a boulder thrown into water. People were filled with curiosity: how could an imperial edict conferring a royal title appear at this time?

It should be known that the kings of the Great Qian Dynasty are like stars in the sky, there are only four, and they are divided into four regions. There has never been any news that the Martial Emperor wants to appoint a fifth king.

Everyone stared eagerly at the troop of iron cavalry that filed out of the imperial palace, as if they were divine soldiers and generals from the heavens.

Conferring a title of king is a momentous event for the nation. The imperial edict conferring a title of king is like a rare treasure, carefully escorted by the Imperial Guards with Dragon Pattern.

Once the imperial edict is issued, it will spread like a spring breeze across the land. Not only will the news quickly reach the whole country, but an auspicious day will also arrive for a solemn coronation ceremony at the ancestral temple.

Once crowned, one becomes a supreme ruler, second only to the Great Qian Emperor, standing proudly between heaven and earth like a pine tree atop Mount Tai.

Such a display of power, coupled with the news of the investiture of a king that had already spread throughout the land, was like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating ripples that made it impossible for many people to remain calm.

Within Yong'an City, various forces converged like a tide. Upon hearing this news, they were all struck dumb, revealing expressions of disbelief and shock.

A single king, like a dazzling star, is enough to change the course of the world.

This is not merely a king of the Great Qian Dynasty, but also a variable for the future of the world, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, leaving behind endless imagination.

Such figures are all renowned throughout the world. Which great god is willing to submit to the Great Qian?

People speculated wildly, as if groping in the dark, trying to find a glimmer of light.

Who in the world is qualified to be crowned a king?

Then they began to list them one by one and compare them to see who would ultimately submit to Emperor Wu.

The bestowal of a title of king is likely a transaction, and the qualifications required to be a king cannot be described by terms like "outstanding talent."

Without exception, all of them were powerful and ambitious figures, heroes who expanded their territories.

Such a person being granted the title of king would certainly not be someone unknown. However, now that the imperial edict for granting the title of king has been issued, the identity of the person to be granted the title remains a mystery, leaving people completely baffled.

The various factions quickly exchanged information, but after the message traveled around and returned, everyone was completely bewildered and confused.

It's one thing if the representatives of the various countries didn't know, but it's truly baffling that the civil and military officials of the Great Qian Dynasty were also completely unaware of this matter.

That would have been bad enough, given the mixed quality of the civil and military officials, but it was rumored that the Left and Right Chancellors were completely unaware of the matter, leaving everyone utterly bewildered and standing there dumbfounded.

The Left and Right Chancellors are the mainstays of the Great Qian Dynasty!

Emperor Wu will definitely discuss the matter of bestowing titles upon them.

However, the news coming from the two prime ministers' residences was completely unrelated to the matter of being granted the title of king, and even the two prime ministers had already entered the palace together to meet the emperor.

This conclusion adds another layer of mystery to the crowning of the king.

Since we have no way of knowing, let's follow the Dragon Pattern Army to see for ourselves who these heroes are who have come to Yong'an.

As they followed the imperial palace, the crowd grew larger and larger. Due to the overcrowding on the ground, the cultivators even began to fly through the air.

People were everywhere, surging like a tide.

The sensation caused by the waterway entering Beijing was also overshadowed by this surge of enthusiasm.

Upon hearing that the imperial edict of bestowing the title of king had been issued, those who had been watching the waters rushed toward the Dragon Pattern Army like birds, all eager to see who this king was.

Meng Qianfan had just returned to their team when he heard the news.

Originally, they had already trampled Xiao Xingchen's poems and writings beyond recognition, but as news of his investiture as a king spread, Meng Qianfan and those around him stood up.

"This is interesting. We've only just arrived in the capital and we've already encountered a once-in-a-century event of bestowing a title upon a king. Is this Emperor Wu's way of showing off to us?"

An aged figure stood at the very front, like a mountain, highlighting his absolute status in the group.

Behind him, Meng Qianfan and several others followed closely.

This position shows that Meng Qianfan was standing at the very back, while in front of him, a scholar and a woman were positioned even further forward.

Clearly, among these people, Meng Qianfan's position did not even reach the core.

"I've never heard of any heroes in the world submitting to the Great Qian. There are only a handful of people qualified to be kings. Who will be appointed this time? I must go and see."

The woman's voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley. As she turned around, a veil fluttered by like a butterfly in flight. Although her face was covered by the veil, her otherworldly aura was still like a clear spring, allowing people to vaguely sense her ethereal beauty.

It was a soft color that blended with the gentle power of water, like a spring breeze gently caressing people's hearts.

In addition, her blue dress, resembling a deep ocean, evokes endless imagination.

"Yes, has Emperor Wu lost his mind? How could he issue a decree to confer titles of kings at such a critical moment? This decree is like a boulder thrown into water, stirring up the winds and clouds of the world. It seems to have the implication of challenging the authority of the Confucian Temple. Could this be a powerful counterattack against the Confucian Temple for taking over the Hanhai region without authorization?"

The scholar then speculated that they had been closely monitoring intelligence in Yong'an throughout their journey, and therefore every event that occurred here had been meticulously recorded and studied. They were already thoroughly familiar with everything about this place.

"Perhaps there are other deeper meanings as well. Emperor Wu is unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss. We have been investigating for hundreds of years and have only found a trace of him. To be able to keep the Demon Suppression Prison hidden from the world's sight for so many years, his strength is definitely not to be underestimated. This conferment of a kingship must have a deeper meaning, but we have not yet figured it out."

The old man at the front spoke slowly, perhaps thinking of something, and turned his gaze to Meng Qianfan.

"Qianfan, have you ever seen that person? What does he look like?"

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, I have seen him. He is nothing but an incompetent fool. He is not worthy at all."

"Oh? An incompetent fool? If he is truly as worthless as you say, why is it that he awakened the power of the battle sword while you were powerless to help him? Qianfan, you must not underestimate others. Besides, he is someone the Demon Emperor has taken a liking to. Your assessment is rather biased."

The Grand Elder shook his head, a look of disappointment on his face.

"Elder, please calm down. A mere cultivator at the first level of the Heavenly Realm is hardly worthy of my attention. In my Water Domain, there are at least eight or ten thousand people like him. I could easily crush him with a flick of my finger. How could such a person be entrusted with any great responsibility?"

Meng Qianfan hurriedly tried to explain, but was met with silence from the Grand Elder, whose gaze once again turned towards the Yong'an Imperial Palace.

Seeing this, the scholar quickly spoke again: "Elder, this person comes from an ordinary background and may just be a pawn that the Demon Emperor uses to escape. His strength at the first level is as insignificant as an ant. Although Qianfan's words are crude, they are reasonable. I do not recommend continuing to observe him. As Qianfan said, this person is not worthy."

"Are you saying the Demon Emperor misjudged him?"

The elder's voice was as deep and resonant as a bell.

“How could the Demon Emperor be mistaken? But I don’t believe that Xiao Xingchen is the person we’ve been searching for. Besides, the Demon Emperor has already gone far away, which proves that he is definitely not the person we are looking for.”

The scholar continued his in-depth analysis, which caused the Grand Elder to fall silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. He then turned to the woman beside him and said, "Xi Yao, go and investigate who is bestowing the title of King."

"Okay." Before the words were finished, a blur flashed past like lightning, and the blue figure in the void disappeared from their side like twinkling stars.

"Junior Sister Yun's Swift Steps have made another breakthrough. It seems that she is getting closer and closer to the seventh level."

The scholar couldn't help but sigh, which struck Meng Qianfan behind him like a thunderbolt, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

The seventh level of the realm—that was a realm he never even dared to dream of! Although he had heard of Yun Xiyao's great name before, seeing her today made him realize that seeing is believing. She was actually about to step into the seventh level, which shocked him to the extreme.

"Now, let's talk about Xi Yao. She is the Demon Emperor's personal disciple. The seventh level of cultivation is like walking in a garden for her, without any hindrance. In the future, she will surely reach the peak of the ninth level, or even higher. Xi Yao is definitely one of those who can compete with the new generation of the ninth level. As for the Great Qian Dynasty, no one can compare with her."

The elder was beaming with pride, as if he were proclaiming to the world the profound depth of the waters.

It's important to understand that even within the Jade Capital Heaven, Yun Xiyao is an exceptional individual. Considering that he himself is over two hundred years old and only at the sixth level of the cultivation realm...

Looking at Yun Xiyao's age, he couldn't help but sigh; the gap between mortals and prodigies was like an insurmountable chasm. This was the tragedy of ordinary people.

No matter how hard we try, we can never catch up with it.

The instant Yun Xiyao took to the air, a woman from Tianling Kingdom also frowned slightly. Her gaze seemed to pierce through layers of mist, landing directly on the fleeting blue figure.

"Who is this person? How could the Great Qian Dynasty have such a figure?"

She gasped in surprise, then lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

"You continue on your way, I will meet you later."

After speaking, he disappeared into the crowd like a gentle breeze.

"Hello, hello, Senior Sister..." Hua Xiaolou sighed helplessly.

"They've left again. I wonder who will suffer this time. Sigh, Master repeatedly told us to keep an eye on Senior Sister and not to cause trouble when she comes out. It looks like we'll have to spend money again."

Thinking of her senior sister's past, Hua Xiaolou's tone was filled with helplessness, as if all her strength had been drained away.

"What should we do? Senior Sister's talent shines like the stars in the sky, but she is as pure as a blank sheet of paper when it comes to human relationships. Fortunately, her strength is as deep as the ocean, so she should not encounter any danger here. We should hurry back and search our pockets for money, so that when someone comes looking for us, we have no money to compensate them. That would be truly a case of crying out to heaven and earth in vain."

"Hurry, hurry, let's get the money together. I have a strong feeling that my senior sister is going to get into big trouble this time."

With the appearance of two sixth-level experts, this conferment of the title of king was destined to be anything but peaceful. Xiao Xingchen had not expected it either. Although he had a premonition that the conferment of the title of king was coming soon, he did not expect it to be so sudden.