The snow had not stopped falling.
A bone-chilling wind swept through the mortal realm.
Chen Yang knelt, letting the white snow cover his head. In the eyes of countless onlookers, he remained as resolute and unyielding as ever, his domineering aura undiminished by the years.
Everyone else couldn't help but kneel as well.
This scene seed normal enough, yet it stirred a maelstrom in the hearts of many, an unspoken shock and horror.
Wherever I, Chen Yang, am, I face the wind and snow head-on; no one else may hold an umbrella here.
I kneel. Who dares to stand?
I expect this funeral to be shown the respect it deserves. Anyone wearing brightly colored clothes will either take them off on the spot, get out, or die.
That was all there was to it.
...
Because of Chen Yang's forceful intervention, many who had co with ulterior motives ultimately fell silent, respectfully following the procession to see the Great Elder off.
Chen Yang personally carried the coffin, and the Great Elder was laid to rest in peace.
A great minister of a generation who had toiled for his country day in and day out for decades, his story ca to a perfect close on this day.
The sorrow lingering in the air slowly dissipated.
And Chen Yang once again beca the center of everyone's attention.
Does this forr Supre Martial Commander, this Half-Saint expert, still have a chance to return to his peak? Can he once again overwhelm his contemporaries and stand unmatched among his peers?
Regardless, he was not dead as the rumors claid.
As long as he was alive, there was hope.
"Perhaps in my lifeti, I'll get to see his brilliant light shine over Tianwu again?"
"His na is Chen Yang, the 'Yang' from 'born to the sun.'"
"..."
Leaving the funeral parlor, Chen Yang went straight to the Elders' Court to et with Elder Jin Zheng.
It appeared he had been waiting for quite so ti.
"Care for a drink?" Jin Zheng got straight to the point.
Chen Yang offered a faint smile. "I'd like that."
In a corner of the courtyard, inside a pavilion, a small coal stove was burning vigorously. The wine was already boiling, puffing out steam.
Jin Zheng dismissed the guards, poured two cups of wine, and then said, "After Pill Dragon King finished his diagnosis, he wanted to notify you to co see him one last ti, but you know how he was."
"He didn't want to disturb you, so the notice was never sent."
"Seven days later, he was gone."
Jin Zheng raised his cup and managed a strained smile. "He passed peacefully."
He had worked alongside the Great Elder for decades and wasn't much younger. Having witnessed the Great Elder's entire final journey, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shared mortality.
Wouldn't it be his turn soon?
"You know, the proudest, most fulfilling achievent of his life was training you," Jin Zheng said with a light laugh after clinking cups with Chen Yang and downing his drink.
Chen Yang was silent.
Jin Zheng looked over at him.
"Actually," Chen Yang murmured, "the thing he was most proud of, his greatest achievent, was living a life with a clear conscience and without regret."
Jin Zheng nodded, then changed the subject. "Not long after you left, Chen Hua had a breakthrough. He entered the Earth Saint realm."
The Saint realm is divided into Heaven, Earth, and Human. Heaven Saint is the highest, Human Saint the lowest, and Earth Saint is in the middle.
"It was due to his negotiations, as well as the royal families' conviction that you were completely crippled with no hope of recovery. That is why the great royal families have remained quiet for nearly a year."
"Otherwise, with your monstrous talent—one that gave you a chance to challenge the Divine Conquest—those great royal families would have dug three feet into the earth and chased you to the ends of the world to kill you."
At this, Jin Zheng shook his head and sighed. "The Divine Conquest is truly powerful."
"With a lift of a hand, one can pluck the stars and moon; with a stomp of a foot, one can split mountains and rivers."
"However, you still need to be careful. In the battle at Qingyuan River, you killed several core mbers of the royal families and deeply offended them. I fear they won't let this matter rest."
"What a coincidence," Chen Yang said coolly. "I don't intend to let it rest either."
Jin Zheng was speechless.
Even now, he still hasn't let go of that obsession?
He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said in a heavy tone, "Chen Yang, what you've done is already—"
"Far from enough."
Chen Yang knew exactly what Jin Zheng was about to say. He took a sip of wine and stared at the snowy scenery outside. "Between them and ," he said somberly, "one side must be annihilated."
Jin Zheng fell silent.
"By the way," Chen Yang asked, "has a successor for the position of Great Elder been chosen?"
As the central hub of the Martial Departnt, the Elders' Court could not be without a leader for a single day. Now that the Great Elder had been laid to rest, his successor needed to take office.
"Luo Yunhai."
Holding the wine jug, Jin Zheng spoke with a hint of desolation. "The forr director of the Chenlong Martial District. He'd already retired from the front lines, but this ti, the calls for his appointnt are overwhelming. Barring any surprises, it will undoubtedly be him."
This Luo Yunhai had been a fierce general in his youth. The battle outside Hanyun Valley forty years ago had cented his unshakeable position in the Martial Departnt, and he naturally ascended to the halls of power thereafter.
Currently, the Chenlong Martial District was ostensibly managed by the Mountain-backed King Chen Jian and the Dongzhao King Xia Chen, but in reality, so important decisions still required Luo Yunhai's final say.
His influence far surpassed that of Tian Ling, the boss of the Qingteng Martial Zone.
Across the entire Martial Departnt, his influence was indeed second to none.
Of course, if Chen Yang hadn't stepped down, it would be a different story.
In that respect, it was well-deserved for him to take control of the Elders' Court.
Chen Yang was no stranger to Luo Yunhai. "Logically speaking," he said, "the position of Great Elder should have gone to you or Elder Wu Xing." He knew that while Luo Yunhai had the qualifications, he was still a step below Jin Zheng and Wu Xing.
"Elder Wu Xing and I are retiring after the festival."
Jin Zheng waved his hand but couldn't help sighing. "As the saying goes, the tea grows cold after the guest has left. Who cares about us anymore? We should be thankful they aren't trampling all over us."
The halls of power have always been as deep as the sea, with various factions and interest groups vying for control. Whoever could take over the Elders' Court would naturally score a major victory.
"It's good to retire."
Chen Yang said no more, just smiled warmly. "You've both spent your lives toiling for the country and its people. It's ti to enjoy your twilight years."
"Set the warhorses free in the southern mountains, return the weapons to the armory, maybe tend to a couple of acres of land... and perhaps I'll even get a dog?"
Jin Zheng squinted, his wrinkled face breaking into a wide smile. "Haha, just the thought of it is a delight!"
When the jug of wine was empty, Chen Yang bade him farewell and left.
Before he departed, Jin Zheng hesitated for a long mont before finally pulling out a docunt and handing it to him. He patted Chen Yang's shoulder, said nothing, then turned and walked out of the pavilion, wading through the wind and snow until he disappeared from sight.
Back in the carriage, Chen Yang opened the docunt.
His eyebrows shot up instantly.
*The Barbaric New Sovereign, Heiqi.*
In less than a year, Heiqi had led his forces to sweep through seven nations like a plague of locusts, leaving not so much as a chicken or dog alive. In the process, his army had swelled to two million strong.
This... Is a war between nations about to begin?
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