Chapter 1489: Fratricide

Previously, Blacktooth Fei and Ma Tian, eager to return quickly, left the main army to follow behind while they used their respective supernatural abilities to arrive at the Royal Court ahead of schedule.

Without delay, the two proceeded directly to the Imperial Palace.

Eunuchs were already waiting there and promptly escorted them to the Imperial Study.

Both men wondered if the Demon Emperor had already emerged, speculating that no one else would dare to use the Imperial Study.

After ushering them inside, the eunuch closed the door without ceremony.

The sudden thud of the door closing resonated with them, and it was only then that they took in the scene before them.

At the head of the room stood Crown Prince Golden Crow, accompanied by his Dao Protector, Elder Wu. Both Blacktooth Fei and Ma Tian were puzzled, as Elder Wu's presence was typically a closely guarded secret; they wondered why he was making a public appearance now.

Standing on either side were Wu Li, the incumbent Commandant of the Guards and King Yongchang; Wu Fa, the Imperial Chamberlain; and Lei Xin, the Minister of Personnel.

The Commandant of the Guards was responsible for the Royal Court's defenses, while the Imperial Chamberlain headed the Demon Emperor's secretariat. The Minister of Personnel oversaw the execution of state affairs; although the Fourth Prince held the title of Grand Minister of Personnel, he was young and indulged in leisure, leaving Minister Lei Xin to manage the primary government duties.

Since "Wu" is a surname unique to the Golden Crow Imperial Clan, these three individuals essentially represented the combined will of the Royal Court's military, government, and the imperial family.

Besides these three high-ranking officials, the two also observed General Niu Dao of the Right Guard, King Changsheng Wu Sheng, King Anyi Wu Pei, and King Jiuyang, who also served as General of the Martial Guard, Wu Cheng.

These four, along with General Ma Tian of the Left Guard, jointly commanded the Royal Court's most elite Golden Crow Guards. Their collective presence strongly suggested that a major event was unfolding.

At this point, Commandant Wu Li stated, "Since the Grand Minister of Works and General Ma have arrived, we may commence."

Imperial Chamberlain Wu Fa nodded, then produced an imperial decree and announced, "By the Demon Emperor's command, all present, receive the decree!"

A majestic aura emanated from the decree, unmistakably the unique presence of the Demon Emperor, which none could feign.

"May our Emperor live for ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand times ten thousand years!" everyone exclaimed, bowing respectfully.

Wu Fa then proceeded to read the decree's contents, revealing that the throne was to be passed to Crown Prince Golden Crow, appointing him as the new Demon Emperor.

The people in the room were profoundly shocked, especially General Ma Tian of the Left Guard. Although he had always maintained a cordial relationship with Crown Prince Golden Crow, he was, at his core, a close confidant of the Demon Emperor. His amicable ties with the Crown Prince were solely at the Demon Emperor's behest, given the Crown Prince's status as heir.

However, with the Demon Emperor not yet having reappeared, Crown Prince Golden Crow's haste to ascend the throne struck them as highly irregular.

He cautiously inquired, "May I ask where His Majesty the Demon Emperor is?"

Wu Fa sighed heavily, squeezing out a few tears. "His Majesty the Demon Emperor... has passed away," he announced solemnly.

"What?!" A collective gasp filled the room. While the previous news, though surprising, had held a degree of inevitability, this latest announcement hit them like a world-ending catastrophe, akin to a meteor shower signaling global destruction.

"How did the Demon Emperor pass away?" the generals in the room exclaimed, their agitation growing. To the demon race, the Demon Emperor held a position akin to Zhao Hao among humans—a supreme and absolute powerhouse, their spiritual totem, for many years.

Just recently, they had all been preparing to welcome the Demon Emperor; now, they were being told he was dead?

How could the invincible Demon Emperor possibly die?

Who could possibly kill him?

At this moment, Commandant Wu Li replied, "The Demon Emperor passed away within that peculiar secret realm. As for the cause, I fear we have no way of knowing."

Ma Tian frowned. "Didn't the Crown Prince previously state that the Demon Emperor was merely handling some minor matters and would emerge shortly? Why are we now told he died inside?"

Had the Demon Emperor not possessed such overwhelming power, the Crown Prince could never have secretly harmed him. Indeed, those present might even have suspected the Crown Prince's involvement.

Wiping his eyes, Crown Prince Golden Crow said sorrowfully, "I truly do not know. He was perfectly well when we parted. Who could have known that my Imperial Father would pass away so soon after? This Prince is utterly heartbroken."

Blacktooth Fei secretly nodded, acknowledging that his nephew indeed possessed the demeanor of an emperor. Regardless of his true feelings, his emotional composure was impressively mature.

"Then how did the Crown Prince learn of the Demon Emperor's demise?" General Niu Dao of the Right Guard inquired with curiosity.

"Allow me to answer that," Elder Wu, standing behind Crown Prince Golden Crow, interjected. "Within the Imperial Palace, there is a secret chamber enshrining the spirit tablets of the imperial direct lineage. Upon the birth of each direct imperial descendant, a drop of their essence blood is used to forge a divine tablet. This ensures that the Imperial Palace is immediately aware if anything befalls any member of the direct royal line. Unfortunately, not long ago, the divine tablet representing His Majesty the Demon Emperor shattered."

Despite the Demon Emperor's immense power, he, too, had such a divine tablet created at his birth.

"The Demon Emperor!" A mix of shock and terror gripped everyone in the room. Given their high positions, they were not entirely unfamiliar with such concepts, but this was the first time they had received irrefutable, firsthand confirmation.

Crown Prince Golden Crow then stated, "The secret realm we entered is extraordinarily unique, teeming with various powerful and enigmatic entities. My Imperial Father likely encountered some unexpected misfortune within it."

This was indeed his genuine belief. Although he knew the Demon Emperor had remained behind to deal with Zu An and his companions, no matter how wild his imagination, he simply could not conceive of Zu An and the others posing any threat to his father.

More likely, some entity akin to Great Yu or Gonggong had been disturbed once more.

"Are there beings even more powerful than the Demon Emperor?" The faces of those present paled, their eyes wide with an incomprehensible terror.

Crown Prince Golden Crow quickly explained, "It's not that there are beings more powerful than my Imperial Father. Rather, that realm is exceedingly peculiar. Furthermore, when I returned, the spatial tunnel was on the verge of closing. It's possible my Imperial Father couldn't pass through in time before it shut, or perhaps he encountered an accident within the spatial tunnel itself."

Spatial tunnels are often fraught with spatiotemporal turbulence. Even in the most thoroughly explored secret realms, no one dares to make the slightest misstep when traversing these tunnels. Therefore, if the Demon Emperor truly met with an accident there, the group could, with some effort, understand it.

At this juncture, General Wu Cheng of the Martial Guard could not help but question, "Then why would His Majesty the Demon Emperor allow the Crown Prince to return first, choosing instead to remain in such a perilous place himself?"

Knowing that these five generals were among his father's most trusted confidants, given their command of the Golden Crow Guards, Crown Prince Golden Crow patiently sought to reassure them: "Originally, this was a highly confidential matter, but given the circumstances, I must now reveal it. My Imperial Father remained there because he had obtained clues about the Elixir of Immortality and went to search for it..."

He then provided a brief overview of matters related to the Elixir of Immortality, naturally omitting any mention of Zu An and his companions, assuming they were either slain by his Imperial Father or had perished amidst the mysterious anomalies of the secret realm.

"The Elixir of Immortality..." At the mention of this, all lingering doubts in the room vanished. Everyone present understood the immense allure of the Elixir of Immortality, especially to those nearing the end of their lifespan.

They even speculated that the Demon Emperor might have perished near the Elixir of Immortality, acknowledging that such a heaven-defying artifact would undoubtedly be guarded by formidable beings.

At this point, Imperial Chamberlain Wu Fa declared, "Since the Demon Emperor has passed away, the Crown Prince shall inherit the throne. This aligns with the decree His Majesty left behind."

While the other generals still hesitated, Blacktooth Fei took the lead, kneeling before Crown Prince Golden Crow and saluting him. "Your subject pays respects to our Emperor! May you live for ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand times ten thousand years!" he declared.

With Blacktooth Fei, the Grand Minister of Works and the Crown Prince's uncle, having knelt, Commandant Wu Li and Imperial Chamberlain Wu Fa promptly followed suit.

The remaining Minister Lei Xin and the five generals commanding the Golden Crow Guards initially hesitated, but upon meeting Grandmaster Elder Wu's scrutinizing gaze from the side, they all knelt and offered their respects.

Overjoyed, Crown Prince Golden Crow quickly stepped forward, helping them up and saying, "My beloved ministers, please rise quickly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After everyone had risen, Imperial Chamberlain Wu Fa stated, "The Second Prince has always harbored rebellious ambitions. Even when the old Demon Emperor was alive, he dared to attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince. Should he learn that the old Demon Emperor has passed and the Crown Prince has ascended the throne, he will undoubtedly rebel. Instead of allowing him to prepare and then cause widespread chaos within the demon race, it would be far better to nip his rebellion in the bud."

A chill ran through the hearts of the others: they realized this meant the Second Prince was to be dealt with.