"You..."
Clutching her bleeding wound, Song Yanran stared in disbelief at the Spirit Arrow nailed to the ground before her.
"Tyrant! My ancestors were loyal to the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty, yet you slaughtered their entire clans to secure your throne. Today, I will slay you, the foolish emperor, for the martyrs of the Hu Clan!"
Hu Ying roared, her voice hoarse with fury. Without hesitation, she nocked three Profound Arrows, aimed at Song Yanran's trembling form, and released the bowstring.
The three arrows transformed into a lion, a crane, and a tiger, hurtling toward Song Yanran with the force of thunder.
Seeing this, Song Yanran's delicate cheeks trembled, her eyes filled with despair and helplessness.
As the deadly arrows pierced the air, Song Yanran's aura surged, her Ancestral Dragon Emperor's Qi spontaneously activating to block the fatal strike.
But the crisis had not ended. Before Song Yanran could react, a crescent-shaped flying ring, accompanied by a petite figure, materialized from thin air.
"Tyrant, do you remember the Sun Clan?"
"You... even you..."
"Sun Xinyue, I will avenge my ancestors, slaughtered by your hands!"
*Clang!*
The palm rings clashed, sending the girl flying back dozens of steps. Song Yanran, having forced herself to channel true essence, suffered even greater injuries.
The girl landed gracefully, her flying rings returning to her side. Her cold eyes fixed on the fallen emperor before her.
Song Yanran gazed at his face, her expression a complex mix of emotions.
Seeing this, Song Yu clenched his fists, his heart pounding with anxiety for Song Yanran.
Xuan Haohongye's eyes darkened as he met the gaze of a guard beside him carrying an iron chest.
The guard immediately understood and slowly set down the chest.
But the girl quickly regained her composure: "Wind and Rain Pavilion, are you also planning to oppose me?"
Sun Xinyue and Hu Ying stood side-by-side, their eyes burning with resentment toward Song Yanran.
*Pfft!*
A mouthful of black blood erupted from Song Yanran's lips, her face growing even paler. The poison had already reached her lungs and vital organs.
She turned to Di Feijing: "You... you poisoned me?"
Di Feijing's face paled in shock: "No, I didn't. It wasn't me."
Xuan Haohongye stepped forward, cutting him off. "Song Yanran, even the person you trusted most has betrayed you. How can you deny this is the will of heaven?"
"Now that you've reached this dead end, you should at least maintain the dignity befitting an emperor."
Hearing these words, Song Yanran felt all her strength drain away.
Looking at the familiar faces before her, her heart ached more than her body.
"Song Yu, I ask you, do you truly intend to push me to this desperate end?"
Song Yu turned his head, unable to meet her gaze.
Seeing his imperial sister reduced to such a state, Song Yu's heart was pierced like a knife.
Yet he remained steadfastly committed to the plan he had made with Shen Zhao.
They had to draw out all the hidden, hostile forces into the open.
"Imperial Sister, stop resisting. If you agree to abdicate, I will ensure you live out your days in peace."
Before the words had even faded, Xuan Haohongye immediately interjected, "Impossible! Song Yanran must pay with her life for the millions of innocent Xiongnu people who died in vain. Otherwise, this King will never let this matter rest."
Song Yu's brow furrowed. "Xiongnu King, this is an internal matter of our Celestial Dynasty. Since when does an outsider like you get to interfere?"
"Song Yanran must die. That is this King's promise to the Xiongnu people."
"Whoever dares to obstruct this King will find me an enemy!"
"You..."
Xuan Haohongye ignored Song Yu's fury, his gaze fixed on Song Yanran. "Song Yanran, will you take your own life, or shall this King send you on your way?"
Song Yanran gave a bitter laugh. Using a secret technique, she sealed her Eight Extraordinary Meridians to prevent the poison from spreading further.
Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, her Phoenix Eyes locked onto Xuan Haohongye's.
"To think you could kill this Emperor, Xuan Haohongye—you overestimate yourself."
"A cornered beast still dares to roar? Look around you. Your subjects, your kin—they all wish you dead."
Song Yanran scanned the crowd and numbly realized that no one met her gaze with the respect they had shown before.
Xuan Haohongye seized the moment to press his advantage. "Since your ascension, the nations of the Central Region have lived under the shadow of the Dragon Han's military might. Do you truly believe those who have submitted to you remain loyal?
They merely fear your strength. Now that you lie dying from the Seven-Star Begonia poison..."
"Moreover, with your cultivation about to dissipate, why would they continue to respect and support you as they once did?"
With that, Xuan Haohongye turned to the seventy-two nations' envoys who were still observing and declared loudly:
"Distinguished envoys, this is the best opportunity to break free from Song Yanran's control. Will you really let this chance slip away?
Think of how your nations have struggled for survival under the Celestial Dynasty's oppression for thousands of years. Do you want to continue this endless cycle, allowing your descendants to remain subservient to this tyrant who has brought you nothing but war and bloodshed?"
Song Yanran's voice crackled with fury. "Xuan Haohongye, what are you doing?! Do you want to incite the Central Region nations to ignite another war?!"
"This King merely wants you to face reality," Xuan Haohongye retorted. "You are no longer the Empress whom all kings once bowed to. In six hours, your cultivation will completely vanish. What will you be able to do then?"
"Six hours?" Song Yanran murmured, her mind racing with thoughts.
Meanwhile, the envoys below erupted into a clamor of discussion after hearing Xuan Haohongye's words.
Finally, the envoy from the Barang Kingdom stepped forward. "The Xiongnu King is right. We have been oppressed by Song Yanran for millennia. For the sake of our people, we can no longer endure this. The Barang Kingdom hereby declares an end to this vassal relationship."
"Exactly! Our Northern Qi Kingdom will no longer pay tribute to the Celestial Dynasty. We will live for ourselves!"
"Effective immediately, the Shuyue Kingdom severs all ties with Empress Song Yanran and will no longer recognize her authority!"
Soon, more delegates were incited, one after another stepping forward to distance themselves from Song Yanran. In the blink of an eye, all seventy-two nations of the Central Region had aligned against her.
This scene chilled Song Yanran to the bone. She never imagined her entire life's work would culminate in such a outcome. She had thought she was meticulously setting a trap to expose the hidden opposition. But she had underestimated the complexity of human hearts.
Pointing at the crowd around her, she muttered, "Very well, all of you! You all oppose me now, believing I have oppressed and bullied you? Answer me with your conscience: when has your nation faced hardship that I haven't done my utmost to help you overcome?"
These words gradually quelled the agitation of some of the envoys.
"Barang Kingdom, in the 13th year of the Hunting Martial Era, suffered a once-in-a-century flood. When countless citizens were displaced, who worked day and night to transport supplies and help your nation overcome this crisis?"
"Night Steed Kingdom, in the 72nd year of the Hunting Martial Era, faced a rebellion by a powerful minister. Who sheltered your royal family and dispatched a massive army to suppress the rebels, ultimately restoring your throne?"
"Great Yan Kingdom, in the 130th year of the Hunting Martial Era, was targeted by a coalition of Evil Cultivator Guilds, reducing your monarch to a puppet. Who, at the cost of national resources, eradicated these guilds and restored order?"
"Should I list every single instance, one by one? And yet, you dare treat your suzerain nation in such a manner?"
Song Yanran's stern question silenced the clamoring envoys from the seventy-two nations.
A flicker of guilt crossed many faces.
But what was guilt compared to profit?
Guilt would fade by tomorrow.
Song Yanran had to be removed today. Only then would the seventy-two nations and the Xiongnu have the opportunity to carve up the vast wealth of the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty, thereby strengthening themselves.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)