Chapter 658
Clash of Two Emperors
The Divine Palace of Mount Heng, the Hall of Astronomy.
Zhuang Yan sat on the throne and looked at the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, asking, "Fellow Daoist, have you read this year's Human World Gazette?"
Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor of Nanyue immediately said, "I have seen it. The Divine Emperor of Shenxiao is unaware that Qi Ying'e is deliberately seeking revenge and maliciously slandering my Nanyue Divine Palace and the Divine Path of Nanzhanbuzhou."
Zhuang Yan asked, "How will you handle this matter next, fellow Daoist?"
The Great Emperor of Mount Heng laughed and said, "I have already ordered Grand Commandant Ling to arrest Qi Ying'e and bring her to justice. As for these official reports, I have also ordered all the major and minor divine palaces to confiscate them."
Zhuang Yan took out the official gazette from his sleeve and asked, "Will this one of mine also be confiscated?"
"Uh..." The Great Emperor of Nanyue was stunned. Zhuang Yan continued, "Fellow Daoist, why didn't you first investigate whether what was said in the gazette was true? Instead, you arrested Qi Ying'e and ordered all the major and minor divine palaces to confiscate the gazette. What kind of logic is that?"
Seeing Zhuang Yan attack the Great Emperor of Nanyue, Minister Ye Meicang quickly stepped forward and said, "Divine Emperor Shenxiao, Qi Ying'e was expelled from Nanzhanbuzhou by my Nanyue Divine Palace, so she went to Niuhezhou in the Two Realms to fabricate rumors to slander my Nanyue Divine Palace and the immortal officials and gods of Nanzhanbuzhou. This is a heinous crime."
Holding the official gazette, Zhuang Yan said, "If the celestial officials and their affairs listed above are false, then Qi Ying'e should be charged with 'spreading rumors and misleading the public.' But what if they are true?"
“It is absolutely impossible that this is true,” Ye Meicang said. “Emperor Shenxiao must not listen to this demoness’s nonsense.”
Zhuang Yan smiled slightly and said, "Since Minister Ye is so certain, it seems that everything reported in the official gazette is false."
Ye Meicang said, "It must all be fake!"
"Alright." Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "I have already dispatched a divine general to investigate and see if it is as Minister Ye said, that Qi Ying'e is spreading heresies to mislead the public."
Ye Meicang paused for a moment, then said, "Divine Emperor Shenxiao, shouldn't the investigation of the immortal officials of Nanzhanbuzhou be handled jointly with the investigation of the immortal officials of my Nanyue Divine Palace?"
Zhuang Yan asked, "Does my Dustworld Jade Palace need your Southern Mountain Divine Palace's approval to conduct business?"
These words left Ye Meicang stunned for a long time. He then hurriedly said, "Your Majesty Shenxiao has misunderstood. That's not what I meant. What I meant was that you should inform my Southern Mountain Divine Palace."
"What if I don't know?" Zhuang Yan retorted. "Are you going to prosecute me? Or are you going to cut off my head?"
With a thud, Ye Meicang knelt down in the hall and kowtowed three times, saying, "Your subject dares not."
At this moment, the Great Emperor of Nanyue spoke up: "Divine Firmament Emperor, am I still the Great Emperor of Nanyue now?"
"Yes," Zhuang Yan said. "What does fellow Daoist wish to say?"
The Great Emperor of Nanyue said in an unhappy tone, "Since I am still the Great Emperor of Nanyue, even if the Divine Emperor of Shenxiao doesn't take my Nanyue Divine Palace seriously, shouldn't he at least give me some face?"
Zhuang Yan said calmly, "Fellow Daoist values face more than anything else. I wonder what the Heavenly Laws and the lives of ordinary people hold in your heart?"
The Great Emperor of Nanyue said, "Divine Firmament Emperor, you speak with such righteous indignation, your Jade Palace in the Mortal Realm must be very clean."
Zhuang Yan laughed heartily upon hearing this, then looked at the Great Emperor of Nanyue and said, "If you have any doubts, why don't you go and see for yourself? As the Great Emperor of Nanyue, who can stop you from going to the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm to investigate, except for me?"
Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak coldly asked, "What do you mean by that, Divine Firmament Emperor?"
"What do you mean?" Zhuang Yan smiled. "From now on, I will personally take over my Southern Mountain Divine Palace. I will grant you an indefinite leave of absence. You can take this opportunity to visit the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm. Isn't that a good idea?"
As soon as Zhuang Yan said this, not only did the Great Emperor of Nanyue change his expression, but even Ye Meicang and the other celestial officials and gods of Nanyue below also changed their expressions drastically.
The Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain suddenly stood up and looked directly at Zhuang Yan, saying, "Zhuang Yan, what are you doing?!"
Upon hearing the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain address Zhuang Yan by his given name, Ye Meicang felt a sense of foreboding, but at this moment he dared not step forward to dissuade him.
Zhuang Yan said, "My purpose is very simple: to rectify the divine path of Nanzhanbuzhou. Fellow Daoist has been the Great Emperor of Nanyue for so many years, so it is inevitable that you have some concerns. In order to eliminate your concerns, I will play the villain."
The Great Emperor of Mount Heng roared, "This is a blatant power grab!"
"Do I need to seize power?" Zhuang Yan asked, looking directly at the Great Emperor of Nanyue.
The Great Emperor of Nanyue slammed his hand on the table, then stared at Zhuang Yan and said, "Impossible! I am the Great Emperor of Nanyue. You want to seize my power? Absolutely not!"
Zhuang Yan said calmly, "You see, I've given you face, but you're unwilling to accept it, so there's nothing I can do."
At this point, Zhuang Yan slowly said, "Fellow Daoist, would you like to go for your rest on your own, or should I escort you? I hope you will make a wise decision."
The atmosphere inside the Hall of Astronomy suddenly became heavy, and the air almost froze.
A chill permeated the space between the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain and Zhuang Yan, causing Ye Meicang and many other celestial officials below to shiver.
The Great Emperor of Mount Heng clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fury, as if he wanted to devour Zhuang Yansheng alive.
Zhuang Yan, however, remained calm and composed, looking directly at the Great Emperor of Nanyue with an relaxed and leisurely expression.
Seeing this, Ye Meicang hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesties, let's talk this out. We are all officials of the Heavenly Court, there's no need for this."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesties, please calm down!" All the celestial officials and deities of Mount Heng quickly tried to appease them.
The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak ignored him completely and said to Zhuang Yan, "Zhuang Yan, I know you are powerful, but I am not to be trifled with either. How long have you been an official? Back when I followed the Great Heavenly Venerable to pacify the Three Realms, you were still squatting in some corner. Now that you have gained power, you dare to show off in front of me."
"What? You're starting to rank people by seniority now?" Zhuang Yan sneered. "Indeed, you made contributions when you helped the Great Celestial Venerable pacify the Three Realms, but that's no excuse for you to lie on your laurels, hold a position without doing anything, and fall into depravity!"
"Bullshit!" The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak pointed at Zhuang Yan's nose and cursed, "Zhuang Yan, I'll fuck your mother! I'm going to the Great Heavenly Venerable to impeach you!"
Zhuang Yan slammed his fist on the table and stood up, saying, "Do it, do it all you want! But I, Zhuang Yan, must take over the Southern Peak Divine Palace today. You can go wherever you want to complain, just don't stay in the Southern Peak Divine Palace." The Southern Peak Emperor was instantly enraged, his hair standing on end, and he clenched his fist and punched Zhuang Yan in the face.
Zhuang Yan neither dodged nor flinched. He raised his left hand and caught the fist of the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain. Then, he raised his right fist and slammed it into the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain's chest.
The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak was sent flying backwards, smashing three divine pillars of the Hall of Astronomy, then crashing down the west wall of the Hall of Astronomy, before crashing to the ground and rolling more than a dozen times before being buried by the collapsed wall.
"Your Majesty!" Ye Meicang and the other celestial officials and gods exclaimed in alarm and rushed toward the direction where the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain had fallen.
But in the next moment, the ruins suddenly exploded, and then the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, enveloped in divine fire, flew into the air.
Even Chi Ling was taken aback when she saw the divine fire on the Great Emperor of Nanyue, exclaiming, "It's the Nanming Li Fire!"
The next moment, the Southern Bright Fire on the body of the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain swept down, instantly turning the entire Sitian Palace into a sea of fire.
How powerful is this Southern Bright Fire? The moment the flames fell, even Chi Ling, who possessed an indestructible body, began to burn.
As for the celestial officials and gods, they were in even worse shape, screaming and rolling around in the sea of fire. Upon seeing this, Zhuang Yan immediately raised his hand and pointed: Disperse!
A divine light flashed, and the Southern Bright Fire was instantly dispelled. However, in just a few breaths, the entire Sitian Palace was engulfed in flames and finally collapsed with a roar.
Zhuang Yan leaped forward and instantly appeared in front of the Southern Mountain Emperor, grabbing him by the collar and saying, "Are you crazy? Those below are all your Southern Mountain celestial officials!"
"Hahaha!" The Great Emperor of Nanyue roared, his eyes bloodshot, "Burn it all! Burn it all! Didn't you say my Nanyue Divine Palace was unclean? I'll burn it clean right now!"
Zhuang Yan angrily said, "I think you've really gone mad. I'll send you to get some treatment."
After saying that, Zhuang Yan punched the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain in the chin. With a loud bang, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain was sent flying to the thirty-sixth heaven by Zhuang Yan's punch and crashed straight down outside the Southern Heavenly Gate.
The Southern Heavenly King, who was on duty at the South Heavenly Gate, was startled and quickly led a group of heavenly soldiers and generals to check.
When they saw the Great Emperor of Nanyue, they were all greatly surprised. The old man in front of them was dressed in the imperial robes and wore a crown, but blood was spurting from his mouth and nose, and his body was covered with a layer of Nanming Fire.
"This...this..." a celestial general exclaimed in surprise, "It's the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain!"
"Huh?" The Heavenly King of Growth was startled, and the blue-light sword in his hand fell to the ground. "Who did this? Who beat the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain like this?"
At this moment, two beams of divine light flew over and landed, revealing themselves to be the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear.
"Stop shouting." Thousand-Mile Eye said, "It was the Divine Firmament Emperor who did it. He knocked the Southern Peak Emperor from Mount Heng to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven with one punch."
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly King of Growth and his generals were astonished. At this moment, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain opened his eyes in a daze and suddenly burst into laughter again: "Hahahaha, burn it all, burn it all, and it will be clean."
After saying this, a burst of Southern Bright Fire rose from the body of the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, burning the Heavenly King of Growth, the Thousand-Mile Eye, the Wind-Following Ear, and a host of heavenly generals, who tumbled and crawled away.
"Quickly, go and report to the Great Heavenly Venerable!" shouted the Heavenly King of Growth as he rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire.
Before long, Wang Lingguan arrived with the Fire God and four marshals: Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan.
The Fire God first stepped forward to extinguish the Southern Bright Fire on the Southern Mountain Emperor. Then, the four marshals Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan, along with more than ten spirit officials, rushed forward, pinned down the Southern Mountain Emperor, and led him to the Tongming Hall under the guidance of the spirit official Wang.
Upon entering the Tongming Hall, the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak immediately ceased his madness, instead kneeling on the ground and kowtowing in a daze, saying, "Greetings, Great Heavenly Venerable! Greetings, Great Heavenly Venerable! Your subject greets the Great Heavenly Venerable!"
The Jade Emperor asked the Thousand-Mile Eyes and Wind-Following Ears, "What has happened?"
Shunfeng'er immediately reported: "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak had an argument with the Divine Emperor of the Divine Firmament in the Southern Peak Divine Palace, and then the two started fighting. The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak unleashed divine fire to burn down the Southern Peak Divine Palace, and then the Divine Emperor of the Divine Firmament punched him into the Great Luo Heaven."
Upon hearing this, all the gods in the hall gasped in astonishment. To send someone flying to the Great Luo Heaven with a single punch—what immense power that must be!
Moreover, the fact that the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain was not harmed shows that his control over his power was so precise that it was terrifying.
The Jade Emperor then asked, "Why did the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak quarrel with the Divine Firmament Emperor, and why did they fight?"
Shunfeng'er said, "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, this matter is all because of the 'Human World Gazette' established by the Western Mountain. Qi Ying'e issued a gazette." Shunfeng'er reported the entire matter of the gazette to the Jade Emperor.
Upon hearing the report from Shunfeng'er, the Jade Emperor's face immediately revealed a strange smile. The venerable gods and officials in the Tongming Hall also reacted immediately, and when they looked at the seemingly foolish and insane Southern Mountain Emperor, their eyes revealed a strange meaning.
At this moment, Emperor Wenchang stepped forward and said, “Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain assisted the Great Heavenly Venerable in pacifying the Three Realms and made great contributions. Now, due to the matter of the Southern Continent, he is so anxious that he has lost his Dao heart and has become mad and foolish. It is truly pitiful.”
"Yes, yes." All the celestial officials and gods stood up and pleaded with the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, "Great Heavenly Venerable, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain is probably unable to govern in this condition. Let him rest and recuperate in the Heavenly Court."
The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "What my beloved ministers say is very true."
After saying this, the Jade Emperor addressed Wang Lingguan: "The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak has lost his moral compass and his mind is confused. Considering his past merits, he shall be sent to the Eastern Wonderful Palace for recuperation immediately. We request the Great Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Jiuku to enlighten his mind and cure his madness."
Wang Lingguan bowed and said, "I will obey Your Majesty's decree." He then stepped down and, together with the other spirit officials, escorted the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak to the Eastern Wonderful Palace.
After the Great Emperor of Nanyue left, Emperor Wenchang asked again, "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Great Emperor of Nanyue is recuperating in Yujing. What should be done about the matter of the Nanyue Divine Palace?"
The Jade Emperor glanced at Wenchang Dijun, then said in a low voice, "Is there any need to ask? Shenxiao Dijun is the supreme ruler of the mortal realm, and naturally, he has full authority over all matters concerning the mortal world."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wenchang immediately bowed and acknowledged the greeting before returning to his celestial ranks.
At this moment, the Jade Emperor's gaze swept over all the gods and officials in the hall, and he said, "I will say it again: the Divine Emperor of the Spirit Platform and the Bright Eyes is the supreme ruler of the mortal realm. All authority and affairs of the mortal realm below the Great Luo Heaven and the Thirty-Six Heavens are under the control of the Divine Emperor of the Bright Eyes. No one may interfere or overstep his authority. Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished by the laws of Heaven!"
The gods and celestial officials all became solemn and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your subjects humbly obey the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree." (End of Chapter)