Chapter 1475: Dragon God

If the High Envoy of the Heavenly Palace were here, she would observe that Qingyang's breathing technique closely resembled that of the Demon Emperor. However, while the Demon Emperor, being of dragon lineage, exhales clouds and mist, Qingyang expels impurities from her body and meridians.

Mortals rarely live beyond a hundred years, and even cultivators typically reach a maximum of around one hundred and forty. Yet, Qingyang is nearing two hundred years old with her life force still vibrant. Aside from careful self-preservation, the various secret techniques she has studied have also contributed significantly to her longevity.

Moments later, the sun rose in the east.

The first ray of sunlight, piercing the heavens, fell upon the suspended white smoke, revealing a faint hint of purple.

Purple qi, coming from the east, is strongest around sunrise and is highly valued by cultivators.

As soon as the white smoke was touched by the sunlight, it dissipated with a hiss.

After about seven or eight breaths, the golden light grew more intense.

Qingyang endured this intense solar energy and continued to perform the Art of Extraction.

One breath, two breaths… seven breaths, nine breaths…

Thirty-five breaths!

The late summer morning sun radiated immense power from the moment it appeared, yet Qingyang persisted for a full thirty-five breaths.

When she concluded her practice, a faint sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Hao Yang, who was standing by, quickly handed her a wet towel, exclaiming, "Palace Mistress, you lasted one more breath with the Extraction Art!"

That extra breath was no small feat, as the intense solar energy is powerful enough to damage meridians and tendons at any moment.

Qingyang, however, could tell at a glance that he had something to say. "What is it?"

"A large shipment of Azure Square Stones has arrived on the opposite bank, and they are currently being unloaded," Hao Yang reported. "I just saw over a dozen rectangular slabs, each more than eight feet long!"

Qingyang gently wiped her sweat with a soft cloth. "So he managed to get the stone materials after all. Do we know their origin?"

Hao Yang never uttered phrases like "that shouldn't be possible" in front of Qingyang, and simply replied, "I will send someone to inquire immediately."

"With King Yao backing him, why would it be strange for him to acquire some stone materials?" Qingyang said calmly. "I had originally hoped he would withdraw when faced with difficulty, but since this is the case, we don't need to be polite anymore."

Hao Yang immediately affirmed, knowing the Palace Mistress was slightly annoyed.

"There are two other matters. First, a legend has begun to spread in the western and central parts of the Golden Flash Plains: that the Great Emperor of Nine Hells is the reincarnation of the Dragon God."

"Dragon God… reincarnation?" Qingyang paused her movements. "Which Dragon God? Could it be the Black Dragon Divine Venerable?"

The legends about the Great Emperor of Nine Hells were already extensive enough, but now there's an advanced version?

"Yes," Hao Yang said with a light cough. "The story goes that three thousand years ago, the Dragon God sacrificed himself to save the mortal realm. His soul fell into the Nine Hells, but his body transformed into the very earth veins, still benefiting all beings. The Golden Flash Plains, a land of fertile soil but also where the Dragon God perished, has been plagued by chaos and depravity for centuries. Feeling the prevailing evil and the suffering of the people, the Dragon God emerged from the Nine Hells and returned to the mortal realm to vanquish evil, restore order, and bring peace and tranquility back to Golden Flash."

He coughed again to suppress a laugh.

It was pure self-promotion, just deceptive tricks.

Qingyang, however, did not smile at all; instead, her eyebrows furrowed. "The person spreading this rumor is not simple; they at least know the ancient history of the Dragon God. The Golden Flash Plains is where the Dragon God fell, so spreading this rumor here, combined with the corroboration of the Black Flood Dragon mark, provides a natural advantage. The Dragon God was a deity, and the current Heavenly Gods are also deities, but their actions present a stark contrast. Given time, people's hearts will naturally lean one way."

The Black Dragon Divine Venerable passed away thousands of years ago, and few today still know of his revered title. Today, the Golden Flash Plains is filled with temples, and the common people worship entities that the Dragon God once sought to eradicate at all costs.

But with the arrival of the Great Emperor of Nine Hells and his Black Armored Army, the people of the Golden Flash Plains have experienced a different kind of impact:

It turns out that even immortals can care for all beings and eliminate harm for the common people!

Immortals are not necessarily aloof and indifferent to the suffering of the world.

The deities who were once majestic, aloof, and dwelling high above the clouds were suddenly outshone by the living, active Great Emperor of Nine Hells.

This contrast, this disparity, is truly striking.

It was only at this point that "the Great Emperor of Nine Hells" revealed his other identity: the reincarnation of the Dragon God.

People have already witnessed his punishment of evil and eradication of wickedness, and the repeated appearance of the Black Flood Dragon mark as a "divine omen." As long as his legendary deeds continue, people will eventually believe that he truly is the reincarnation of the Dragon God, and that he will once again bring blessings to all beings!

Qingyang slowly exhaled towards the west. "So, what this so-called 'Great Emperor of Nine Hells' is striving for is the power of faith!"

Repeatedly displaying divine omens and spreading a reputation for might are common methods used by deities to gather faith. However, no other deity has ever demonstrated "divine power" as frequently as the Great Emperor of Nine Hells.

"Xue Zongwu was a notorious general of the Yao Kingdom. The Great Emperor of Nine Hells openly and forcefully killed this man, further boosting his reputation," she mused aloud. "No wonder he executed Xue Zongwu in front of a crowd, and no wonder he always holds a trial before killing someone. Common spectators fall for this completely."

Hao Yang remarked from the side, "Mortals cannot bear the offerings of incense; it will backfire on them."

"Incense offerings are usually entangled with countless karmic causes and effects. If a mortal accepts them, their lifespan shortens; if a cultivator accepts them, they risk falling into depravity," Qingyang analyzed. "However, according to the intelligence we've gathered, each time the Great Emperor of Nine Hells appears, he is likely already entangled with countless karmic threads and is no longer afraid of this."

Hao Yang was slightly moved. "Could he be a demigod or an immortal?"

Qingyang nodded. "Quite possibly. But if he seeks to gain faith, he will inevitably provoke the wrath of the gods. The Heavenly Gods will not let him off lightly."

As soon as the Heavenly Gods find a weakness in the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, this contingent will almost certainly be doomed.

"Yes!" Hao Yang hesitated, then asked again, "Rumor in the palace says that the second phase of the Quiet Lake Villa has been submitted for approval. The Construction Department can't hold them back now, and it will probably be approved soon. Palace Mistress, should we give them a warning?"

Qingyang glanced at him. "A warning to whom?"

"For the first phase of Quiet Lake Villa, Prince Jing's residence, Bai Tan, You Rongzhi, and others took the lead, resulting in a rush of ministers scrambling to purchase. Now that the second phase is about to open, if we don't stop it, this harmful trend will likely intensify. By then, all the ministers will have been swayed by the Yao Kingdom's monarch—this would be detrimental to your plans."

Qingyang simply uttered "Oh." "Stop them? How?"

Hao Yang's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "The first bird to fly gets shot! Why not dispatch the dark guards to teach Prince Jing's residence a lesson!"

Aren't these royalists boasting that they dare to stand firmly against the Palace Mistress? If they want to be at the forefront, how can there be no price to pay?

It's time for them to pay a price. It would be best to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys and deter other ministers, preventing them from following suit and blindly choosing sides!

"Teach Prince Jing's residence a lesson?" Qingyang said calmly. "According to you, we can kill anyone we want and punish anyone we want in Tianshui City. Why would I have bothered in the early stages to painstakingly gather evidence and expose corruption? Wouldn't it have been simpler to just kill them one by one?"

Hao Yang hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

But isn't the situation different now?

"King Yao has always suspected that I killed Xue Zongwu. If you act against Prince Jing's residence now, are you trying to confirm his suspicion?"