Chapter 93: Qi Wang's Rebellion

Zhou Yuan and his two companions exited the underground palace and reunited with Wei Canglan's group outside the ruins. Seeing that Zhou Yuan and his companions were safe and sound, Wei Canglan, Lu Tieshan, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. Only King Black Venom secretly felt regret, but dared not show any sign of it on his face.

"King Black Venom, you must have some influence in the Black Abyss, right?" Zhou Yuan smiled as he looked at King Black Venom, who wore an obsequious expression. He knew that this man was cruel and ruthless and certainly not genuinely submissive, but he didn't care. As long as the God-Locking Rune Jade Token was in his possession, this fellow couldn't cause any trouble.

Hearing this, King Black Venom quickly said, "Does Your Highness have something you wish for me to do? In this Black Abyss, there are few who dare to challenge the authority of my Black Venom City."

Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "In that case, send some men to guard the deep valley we were in earlier and prevent anyone from entering."

The underground palace contained a large number of battle puppets, an extremely powerful force. Although a Genesis Rune barrier blocked them, for safety, Zhou Yuan still needed to have people guarding them. In this chaotic Black Abyss, Black Venom City's reputation was clearly stronger than that of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Zhou Yuan then looked at Wei Canglan and said, "Great General, since the Fire Spirit Stalks have fallen into the hands of our imperial family, the Qi King's Residence will certainly not let this go. I believe it won't be long before the Qi King's Residence rebels."

Hearing this, Wei Canglan's heart immediately tensed. If the Qi King's Residence truly made a move, then the entire Great Zhou would surely fall into chaos. However, he also knew that what Zhou Yuan said might very well come to pass. After all, the Fire Spirit Stalks were too important. If the imperial family cultivated them, their power would grow stronger and stronger until they could completely crush the Qi King's Residence. Therefore, Qi Yuan would absolutely not sit by and wait for death.

"I hope the Great General can help us eliminate the Qi King's Residence," Zhou Yuan said slowly, staring at Wei Canglan.

Wei Canglan was not only a powerful expert in the Alpha-Origin Realm but also commanded the Canglan Army. This made him a pivotal force in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If he could help deal with the Qi King's Residence, it would be a tremendous help to the imperial family.

Wei Canglan fell silent for a moment. In the past, if the imperial family and the Qi King's Residence went to war, he would probably have chosen to sit back and watch them fight. But now, the situation seemed somewhat different. The imperial family, which had appeared increasingly weak in his eyes, suddenly seemed to have become much stronger. For example, right before him, the green-clothed girl beside Zhou Yuan and the seemingly adorable small beast in her arms—those two alone could stand against two Alpha-Origin Realm experts. Furthermore, Zhou Yuan had now subdued King Black Venom. Counting this way, the imperial family already possessed the power of four Alpha-Origin Realm experts. This power far exceeded that of the Qi King's Residence and even their Great General's Residence.

At this thought, Wei Canglan was suddenly startled. As he looked at the smiling young man before him, his gaze changed. It seemed that ever since this young man arrived in Canglan County, everything had begun to shift in favor of the imperial family. The current imperial family was no longer what it once was. The imperial family, which many had seen as increasingly in decline, seemed to have begun changing the moment this young Highness appeared.

"Your Highness, please rest assured. As the Great General of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I have a responsibility to suppress rebellions for the Great Zhou!" Wei Canglan looked at Zhou Yuan, a hint of respect appearing on his stern face as he spoke in a low voice.

On the side, Lu Tieshan and the others were overjoyed to see Wei Canglan's stance. Their gazes towards Zhou Yuan were filled with admiration and awe. The King had been unable to resolve the issue with Wei Canglan for many years, yet Zhou Yuan had only been in Canglan County for a few months and had completely brought the Great General over to the imperial family's side.

Zhou Yuan cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Then I shall thank the Great General in advance."

Zhou Yuan was not surprised by Wei Canglan's choice. In the past, with the imperial family weak, only Zhou Qing could maintain control, but he was constantly constrained by Qi Yuan, which allowed Wei Canglan to gain significant power in Canglan County. However, the situation was now changing. Zhou Yuan was very clear about the power he now commanded, and he imagined Wei Canglan would be even clearer. This power was already enough to truly threaten the Great General's Residence. Authority stems from power. Now that the imperial family had regained power, authority would naturally follow. As long as Wei Canglan wasn't foolish, he would understand how to position himself. In the future, the Great Zhou would likely no longer permit the Great General to disregard royal decrees.

"Your Highness, I will accompany you to Great Zhou City now to meet the King," Wei Canglan said. "Qingqing will remain behind to reorganize the Canglan Army. If the Qi King's Residence truly makes a move, the Canglan Army will immediately be dispatched."

"That would be for the best," Zhou Yuan said with a smile and a nod. Wei Canglan's willingness to go to Great Zhou City with him alone was itself a clear sign of his loyalty.

"Then I shall remain in the Black Abyss to keep an eye on the other forces here for Your Highness," King Black Venom quickly said with a laugh, "lest they see chaos in the Great Zhou Dynasty and come to cause trouble."

Zhou Yuan gave him a half-smile and said, "With your strength, staying in the Black Abyss would be a waste of your talent. So, you should also come with me to Great Zhou City." If the Qi King's Residence rebelled, it would undoubtedly be an earth-shattering event. Therefore, Zhou Yuan would not allow an Alpha-Origin Realm expert like King Black Venom to hide in the Black Abyss.

King Black Venom's face fell. How could he not know that if he went to Great Zhou City with Zhou Yuan, he would inevitably be risking his life on the front lines if war broke out? However, with Zhou Yuan holding his God-Locking Jade Token, he had no choice but to comply.

"Let's go. There's no time to lose. We must return to Great Zhou City quickly!" Zhou Yuan looked up towards Great Zhou City, cold light flickering in his eyes. "Qi King's Residence, you have been arrogant and overbearing for so many years. This time, I will teach you a good lesson!"

Several days later.

Great Zhou City, Qi King's Residence.

A teacup was violently smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces. King Qi, Qi Yuan, also suddenly stood up, his face contorted as he stared at Qi Ling, who was kneeling before him. He roared in disbelief, "What did you say?! Qi Hao was killed by Zhou Yuan?! And the Fire Spirit Stalks were also taken by them?!"

Standing nearby was Qi Yue, whose arm had been severed. He also murmured, "How is that possible?! Big Brother was at the late stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm; killing Zhou Yuan should have been as easy as turning over one's hand!"

Qi Ling's face was ashen, and he trembled as he said, "This subordinate does not know how Zhou Yuan accomplished it, but the Young Master truly perished by his hand. Although we had gained the support of King Black Venom, Zhou Yuan also gained the support of Wei Canglan."

Qi Yuan's face was ferocious, losing all his usual composure. He roared, "Didn't you still have the 'Soul Control Flute'? Wasn't that supposed to control the giant python battle puppet?"

Qi Ling said with a woeful expression, "But there was a small beast beside Zhou Yuan. That creature also possessed Alpha-Origin Realm strength, and even the giant python battle puppet was destroyed by it."

"What?!" Qi Yuan's pupils constricted. He had never heard of this information.

"Furthermore, the green-clothed girl accompanying Zhou Yuan possesses extremely high attainment in Genesis Runes, capable of carving fourth-grade Genesis Runes!"

Qi Yuan clenched his five fingers, his face ashen, and said, "Impossible! If the imperial family possessed such power, they would have attacked my Qi King's Residence long ago!"

"Every word this subordinate has spoken is true!" Qi Ling said anxiously.

Qi Yuan's expression changed. He knew that Qi Ling had no reason to lie about such matters, so if that was the case, then it was very likely true. But this made Qi Yuan even more incredulous. After all, he had constantly monitored the imperial family and was perfectly clear about their power. How could an Alpha-Origin Realm Genesis Beast and an expert proficient in fourth-grade Genesis Runes suddenly appear?

"My Lord, the imperial family's power has greatly increased now," Qi Ling urged anxiously. "With Wei Canglan's addition, if we wait until they reach Great Zhou City, they will undoubtedly ally with Zhou Qing to target you. We must make plans soon!"

Qi Yuan's face was grim. He slowly sat down, a ferocious expression flickering across his face. "It seems I truly underestimated Zhou Qing. I originally thought this imperial family could only slowly await its demise, but who knew they possessed such tenacity? He actually shows signs of a comeback!"

Qi Yuan's voice was cold and sinister as he said, "However, if it were a year ago, this power of the imperial family might still threaten me. But now, I'm afraid it won't be so easy. Thanks to that little beast, his name reached the ears of the Crown Prince of the Great Wu Dynasty. That noble person found him an annoyance and actually increased their support for us. Clearly, they want to use our hands to completely eliminate that little beast."

Cold light flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes. He slammed his hand on the table and said decisively, "Let's go. We're leaving Great Zhou City and heading to Qi County. I originally intended to let Zhou Qing live in peace for a few more years, but since they are seeking death, this King will grant it to them!"

He stood up and gazed malevolently in the direction of the royal palace, his expression as grotesque as a fiend. "Zhou Yuan, you brat, you dared to kill my son. This time, I will make your entire family pay the price!"

As his words fell, he stepped out. Behind him, Qi Yue and Qi Ling followed closely.

The next day, after traveling at full speed, Zhou Yuan and his group finally returned to Great Zhou City. However, just as they entered the city, a brief command was issued from Qi County:

"King Qi has declared independence, establishing the Great Qi Dynasty, thereby seceding from Great Zhou."

"King Zhou is incompetent, leading to the ruination of Great Zhou and suffering for its people. Great Qi, in accordance with the will of Heaven, shall take its place."

Thus, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was shaken.