Chapter 616: Blood Debt Must Be Paid in Blood

All who accompanied the Prince of Huai into the grand hall were members of the Prince of Huai's household. Although only a hundred individuals were present, an astounding twenty of them were Emperor-level practitioners. This immense power was enough to strike fear even into the hearts of the formidable Guardian Families. While the Prince of Huai's household had demonstrated remarkable strength over the years, it was only in recent months that observers realized their previously displayed power was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Over the past few months, the Prince of Huai's household had secured the allegiance of countless powerful experts and factions. Their current influence had grown to an unimaginable scale.

With Prince Huai ascending to the title of Emperor Huai, his household would naturally transform into the "Emperor's Household." A significant change in aura was perceptible in every member of the Prince of Huai's family. Hui Ran and Hui Ye, who accompanied him, carried themselves with the fierce pride of invincible solitary eagles. Their current status was vastly different from before. From this day forward, they would be the royal princes of the Illusory Demon Realm! The entire realm would hold their clan in the highest esteem!

Standing before the imperial throne, the Prince of Huai slowly took his seat, observed by all the Guardian Families, royal households, and prominent figures of the realm. Although he had anticipated this day a century ago, now, as he ascended the emperor's throne, commanding the gaze of all, and seeing the powerful figures of the world prostrate at his feet—knowing he held dominion over their lives and deaths, and that beyond the hall, the future of the entire Illusory Demon Realm rested in his hands—his breath quickened, and his blood coursed rapidly through his veins.

The era of the Demon Emperor's lineage has ended. From this day forth, the Illusory Demon Realm shall belong to my Prince of Huai clan!

Beside him, four lavishly dressed royal attendants approached gracefully, bearing a golden robe and a golden crown, positioning themselves to his left and right. The highest-ranking royal Master of Ceremonies then stepped forward, stood tall, and began to proclaim loudly:

"In ancient times, the Great Ancestor Demon Emperor unified the land, ushering in ten thousand years of peace and prosperity for the Illusory Demon Realm. Alas, calamity struck from the heavens; the late Emperor passed away, and both the Demon Emperor and Empress met with misfortune. The Demon Emperor's lineage thereafter ceased to exist, leaving no last will and no successor, plunging the entire world into grief. With the Illusory Demon Realm's heroes left leaderless, prolonged chaos was inevitable. Fortunately, Prince Huai, with his heart devoted to the realm, displayed extraordinary talent and immense power, quelling the panic, reassuring the populace, and invisibly dispelling boundless fear. The myriad people submitted, and the world rallied behind him. Moreover, his noble lineage is unparalleled; he is truly worthy to be the new sovereign, to whom all lands shall yield!"

"All kings shall unite in purpose and effort, together supporting the new monarch; all clans shall render their utmost protection, honoring him as heaven's mandate; all ministers shall diligently assist and together uphold the Illusory Demon Realm..."

*Thump...* A long, resonant toll of a bell and drum echoed from outside the hall, arriving at precisely the right moment. The Master of Ceremonies' voice abruptly ceased. He then turned, his voice several times louder, proclaiming, "The *Sì* hour has arrived! The new monarch's coronation!"

With the coronation at the *Sì* hour and the sacrifices to the gods and heaven at the *Wǔ* hour, upon completing this sacred process, the Prince of Huai would officially become the new sovereign of the Illusory Demon Realm.

The Prince of Huai rose proudly, his arms outstretched, his gaze surveying all within his view. Attendants at his side stepped forward, removed his princely brocade robe, and draped him in the scarlet-gold imperial robe, embroidered with the sacred Golden Crow, symbolizing the Emperor of the Illusory Demon Realm.

Everyone in the Demon Emperor's Grand Hall simultaneously rose from their seats, knelt, and bowed, proclaiming, "Greetings, Emperor Huai! May Emperor Huai's life be as eternal as heaven and earth, and his glory as boundless as the sun and moon!"

Those qualified to be present in the Demon Emperor's Grand Hall were, without exception, the most prominent figures in the Illusory Demon Realm. Witnessing their prostrate submission was tantamount to seeing the entire Illusory Demon Realm kneeling at his feet. The Prince of Huai, who had awaited this day for a full century, slightly raised his head, savoring every moment and reveling in his imperial demeanor. As his gaze leisurely swept across the hall, he noticed the sole discordant element: in the entire Demon Emperor's Grand Hall, only the occupants of two seating areas had not knelt—the Yun Family and the Mu Family.

"How dare you, Mu Feiyan, Yun Qinghong!" The Master of Ceremonies' furious rebuke resonated then: "The new Emperor is ascending the throne and being crowned; why do you not prostrate yourselves immediately!"

Although this Master of Ceremonies belonged to the Illusory Demon royal clan, ordinarily, even if granted a hundred times his usual courage, he would never dare reprimand Yun Qinghong and Mu Feiyan. But today was different. The Yun and Mu families were already openly hostile toward the Prince of Huai's household. In the months since the Little Demon Empress's demise, the Yun and Mu families had even "slandered" the Prince of Huai, accusing him of her death. By now, even a fool would realize that once the Prince of Huai ascended the throne, he would inevitably not tolerate the Yun and Mu families, and given his immense power, they would be no match for him. Hence, the Master of Ceremonies shouted with absolute conviction, even fearing his voice might be too faint or his demeanor too weak, which would displease the Prince of Huai.

The atmosphere instantly froze. All eyes immediately turned to the Yun and Mu families' seats. The Tianxia, Su, and Yan families all showed expressions of anxiety, sighing inwardly.

"Why should I bow?!" Yun Qinghong suddenly rose, his voice a thunderous roar that echoed in everyone's ears, startling them all. The sudden surge of aura from Yun Qinghong was far more than a mere Master of Ceremonies could withstand. The man trembled all over, instinctively taking a step back, his lips quivering, unable to utter a single word.

"Yun Qinghong!" Helian Kuang roared, pointing at Yun Qinghong, his face contorted in anger, yet with a hint of mockery and a cold sneer deep in his eyes: "The new Emperor is ascending the throne and being crowned, yet you openly display such contempt for him... Are you instigating a rebellion?!"

"Rebellion?" Yun Qinghong sneered, "How dare you utter those two words in this Demon Emperor's Grand Hall, in front of all the realm's heroes! Rebellion... who exactly is rebelling?!"

"Of course you are rebelling!" Jiufang Kui rose, pointing and shouting at Yun Qinghong. With the Little Demon Empress gone and the Prince of Huai ascending the throne, it would now be Emperor Huai's dominion. The Yun family, which had gained prominence at the Demon Empress's ceremony four months prior, was now inconsequential and had been "courting death." At this moment, it was natural to add insult to injury and demonstrate loyalty to Emperor Huai: "Yun Qinghong, as the head of the Guardian Yun Family, it is your destiny to protect the Emperor of the Illusory Demon Realm! Today, the new Emperor ascends, yet you are in this grand hall..."

"Shut up!" Before Jiufang Kui could finish speaking, Yun Qinghong furiously interrupted him: "I, Yun Qinghong, am not to be lectured by a shameless traitor like you! My Yun family, alongside the Great Ancestor Demon Emperor, unified the Illusory Demon Realm. Without the Great Ancestor Demon Emperor, there would be no Yun family flourishing for ten thousand years! My Yun family has always considered protecting the Demon Emperor's lineage its destiny and its greatest honor! For ten thousand years, we have never harbored a moment of disloyalty! Humph... What is this Prince of Huai?! What right does he have to demand my Yun family's protection and allegiance! You, also a Guardian Family, actually uphold this villain who murdered the Little Demon Empress as your new sovereign... You are truly bringing shame upon your ancestors in the Yellow Springs!"

"Yun Qinghong! How dare you!" King Zhong leaped forward, his face contorted in indignation, trembling with rage. "After the Little Demon Empress's demise, you repeatedly slandered the new Emperor, accusing him of poisoning her! Yet, the Little Demon Empress clearly perished in the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, and during the period when the valley's seal was open, the new Emperor was undeniably in Demon Emperor City, witnessed by countless people! It is common knowledge that once one enters the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, there is absolutely no way to exit unless the seal closes! Your slander is baseless and utterly ridiculous!"

"The new Emperor has been magnanimous, consistently overlooking your actions and even enduring your Yun family's shameless slanders while presiding over crucial imperial affairs! Yet you, Yun Qinghong, are so ungrateful and lacking in judgment. At this sacred and solemn coronation ceremony, not only do you insult the new Emperor, but you even dare to utter such utterly ridiculous and unbelievable slanders in front of everyone! This is not merely a grave crime of defying the monarch; it is also a complete disregard for all of us present!"

As King Zhong spoke, his face turned livid with anger. He bowed to the Prince of Huai and said, "Emperor Huai, you have shown extraordinary leniency towards the Yun family, yet some are excessively deceitful towards the monarch! As your humble subject, I truly cannot stand idly by! Please, Emperor Huai, issue an order to swiftly apprehend this traitor!"

The Prince of Huai, however, slowly raised a hand, shook his head slightly, and sighed softly, a hint of helplessness on his face. "Yun Family Head, I am well aware that you harbor prejudice and misunderstandings towards me. However, your slander that I poisoned the Little Demon Empress is utterly preposterous. Let it be. Today is the day of my ascension; I should grant a general amnesty and avoid anger. Therefore, I will still not hold you accountable today. But once I have performed the sacrifices to heaven and gods and am formally enthroned as Emperor, if you dare to offend again... even if you are the meritorious head of the Yun family and the son of Demon King Yun Canghai, I will show no mercy!"

Yun Qinghong's refusal to bow, his public insults to the new Emperor, and his "slander" accusing the new Emperor of being responsible for the Little Demon Empress's death—each of these offenses was punishable by execution. Yet, the Prince of Huai's response was remarkably lenient. This was not due to his boundless magnanimity, nor was it because he didn't wish to eliminate Yun Qinghong and the entire Yun family. Instead, it was because the Yun family had, just four months prior, due to Yun Che, greatly revitalized its prestige and gained widespread public support. The Yun family's current reputation in the Illusory Demon Realm far surpassed any period in the past ten thousand years. As he had just ascended the throne, launching an overt attack on the Yun family before fully consolidating his power would not be a wise move—even if the Yun family had provoked him directly. Furthermore, this act of leniency would highlight his magnanimous demeanor, making the Yun family appear all the more rebellious by contrast.

But Yun Qinghong would not be swayed by him. He let out a long laugh, then suddenly soared into the air, landing in the center of the grand hall. With a flash of purple light, a seven-foot-long sword appeared in his grasp, pointed directly at the Prince of Huai. "There's no need to wait for that day!" he declared. "I, Yun Qinghong, am here today to make blood splash in the Demon Emperor's Hall!"

Yun Qinghong's actions shocked everyone, instantly plunging the entire Demon Emperor's Hall into a chaotic uproar. Including the Prince of Huai, they had never imagined that Yun Qinghong, who was always so composed and exceedingly wise, would make such a move. Helian Kuang and others roared in unison, "Yun Qinghong! You... what do you intend to do?!"

"Yun Family Head, don't be rash!" Su Xiangnan and Yan Zijing cried out in alarm. Su Xiangnan quickly condensed his profound energy into a sound transmission, desperately pleading, "Yun Family Head! Put away your sword immediately! Even if the Little Demon Empress and your son were truly harmed by the Prince of Huai... you must preserve your life to exact your revenge someday! Such an unwise act... is not characteristic of you, Yun Qinghong!"

Yun Qinghong completely ignored Su Xiangnan's sound transmission, showing no reaction. Beside him, Mu Yurou stood shoulder to shoulder with him, her body radiating chilling energy, the coldness in her eyes bone-piercing. Her voice was filled with the most profound and agonizing hatred of her life: "Prince of Huai! You killed my son... Today, even if my husband and I must sacrifice our lives, we will make you pay this blood debt!"