Chapter 2630: Ants Seeing the Blue Sky

Bi Linglong was momentarily stunned, thinking, "Could Ah Zu have really met with an accident, as the rumors claimed? Is that why I'm seeing him now, after my own death?"

However, as she felt the warm embrace and recognized the familiar scent, she finally came back to reality, somewhat disbelieving. "Ah Zu, is it really you?"

"It's me. I'm late," Zu An said, holding her trembling body. A wave of fear washed over him. He had felt a growing unease while in the capital, which had compelled him to rush here. If he had been even a second later, she might have already been gone.

"Regent!" The Imperial Guards exclaimed, utterly thrilled. Moments before, they had witnessed the Empress's suicide and, consumed by grief and indignation, had tried to follow suit. Yet, their swords were instantly knocked from their hands. Recovering their senses, they saw the Regent standing right before them—how could they not be overwhelmed with joy and surprise?

In stark contrast to the guards' excited surprise, the faces of the Yan King's supporters were ashen. *Didn't everyone say that menace had died in another world? How could he suddenly be back?*

"Yan King, long time no see. Why are you trying to leave without even a greeting?" Zu An asked, after comforting Bi Linglong, turning his gaze to the old man who was attempting to slip away unnoticed nearby.

The Yan King's body stiffened. He turned around, his expression a little awkward. "After several years, Regent, your bearing is even more magnificent than before."

Zu An chuckled. "Yan King, I suspect what you're really thinking right now is, 'Why didn't I die in that other world?'"

The Yan King gave an awkward laugh. "Regent, you're joking."

Zu An's expression suddenly hardened. "Who has time to joke with you?"

He didn't waste any more words. A fierce battle was raging below, and every second meant countless casualties among the soldiers.

He ascended directly into the sky and roared, "Everyone, stop!"

His voice boomed like rolling thunder, and despite the chaos of battle raging across the entire field, everyone heard him clearly.

"The Regent! The Regent is back!"

Many in the Imperial Army recognized the figure in the sky and erupted in excited cheers.

The rebel forces, however, exchanged uneasy glances, each filled with dread.

The battlefield, moments ago a scene of blood and carnage, fell silent as fighting instantly ceased on both sides.

Seeing the figure in the sky, radiating a golden glow like a deity descended to earth, Zhang Zitong wiped a smear of blood from her face, her eyes sparkling with admiration. *The Regent is truly magnificent.*

Even Murong Qinghe watched, her eyes gleaming. The military inherently valued strength above all, and her brother-in-law was the strongest of the strong.

However, she quickly recalled something else, and her face flushed red then turned pale, her expression becoming incredibly complex.

Bi Linglong's face no longer showed the usual imperial majesty; only the unadulterated joy of a young girl remained. With Ah Zu by her side, it seemed any difficulty could be effortlessly overcome.

Seeing that everyone had stopped fighting, Zu An finally looked down at the four Grand Dukes, whose faces were ashen. "As pillars of the nation, why did none of you assist the Empress just now?"

The four opened their mouths, but at that moment, they were at a loss for words.

Bi Linglong, concerned that he had just arrived and might be unaware of the situation, potentially leading to an ambush, quickly interjected, "Ah Zu, they've all joined the rebels."

Zu An nodded. "I see. But I am curious, you already possess immense wealth and power; what methods did the Yan King use to incite your defection?"

He didn't even glance at Zhuang He and Cheng Yuan, as their betrayal wasn't particularly surprising. What was truly perplexing was that Du Jian and Yu Rui had also defected, especially the latter.

Yu Rui and Du Jian remained silent. Zhuang He, however, knowing his already strained relationship with Zu An and the current situation, realized Zu An would certainly not spare him. He simply declared, "What other reason could there be? Of course, you disappeared for so many years, and everyone believed you were dead. We have vast family enterprises; we had to find another path."

"Just like that?" Zu An frowned, a hint of disappointment in his gaze as he looked at Yu Rui. Because of Yu Yanluo, he had always treated the Yu family well, and he had never anticipated such a betrayal in return.

Yu Rui took a deep breath. "At this point, further words are useless. If you wish to fight, then let's fight."

Immediately, his aura surged dramatically. Bi Linglong, standing nearby, paled. She sensed that his cultivation was significantly higher than it had been during their previous confrontation. This oppressive aura seemed even more intense than Zhao Hao's back in his prime.

The other Grand Dukes were also momentarily stunned, then began to laugh. "So, you've also taken that step."

Immediately, each of them likewise experienced a dramatic surge in their auras, their cultivation levels directly ascending to the peak of the Earth Immortal realm. They then positioned themselves to surround Zu An from four directions.

They had previously concealed their true strength, saving it as a trump card for a crucial moment. With Yu Rui now taking the lead, there was clearly no longer any reason to hold back.

Sensing the powerful oppressive auras of the four, the Yan King was simultaneously astonished and elated, never having anticipated such a dramatic turn of events. What vexed him, though, was the thought: *How did these fellows become even more powerful than me in cultivation?*

While the Grand Dukes' cultivation had been formidable in the past, times had changed. As an outlying vassal king, he had acquired cultivation resources and secret techniques far superior to those available to the Grand Dukes within the capital. He had presumed himself to be the most powerful person after Zu An, only to be utterly shocked that these individuals now possessed strength surpassing even Zhao Hao's in his prime.

The previously disheartened rebel forces erupted in cheers, while the Imperial Army, conversely, looked grave. *Could the Regent truly withstand this?* they wondered.

Zu An raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the four. "So this is the source of your confidence? I must say, your rate of improvement is unusually rapid."

While the spiritual energy of this world had become unprecedentedly abundant after the world's fusion, their innate aptitudes were clearly inferior to Zhao Hao's. Yet, they had managed to cultivate a power even greater than his, which defied logic.

Zhuang He looked somewhat smug. "Regent, it was indeed impressive when you casually eliminated Grand Tutor Zhao after he achieved the Earth Immortal realm. But times have changed. In the past three years, our cultivation has advanced so dramatically that we surpass not only Zhao Shen but even the former Emperor. Do you truly believe you can still single-handedly control everything?"

Clearly, no one considered the foolish Zhao Ruizhi to be the true emperor; "the former Emperor" naturally referred to Zhao Hao.

Cheng Yuan hastily interjected, "Don't be careless. The power he demonstrated when he destroyed the Doomsday Wraith and the Plague Demon Lord cannot be underestimated."

Despite his caution, he remained unfazed. While Zu An was formidable, all four of them now surpassed Zhao Hao, and with the addition of the Yan King's vast army, he couldn't conceive of a scenario where they would lose.

Du Jian also spoke up. "Regent, this empire rightfully belongs to the Zhao family. Your past actions were indeed somewhat excessive. Let me guarantee your safety: you can leave peacefully with the Crown Princess and your entourage. We will not pursue any charges from these past years, and we will allow you to retain your princely title. This would avert a large-scale war with countless casualties, and everyone would be pleased. Wouldn't that be better?"

The Yan King's expression flickered. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but considering Zu An's past displays of combat power, he feared that pushing him too hard would provoke a direct assault. It would be better to agree for now, and once Zu An's influence was completely dismantled, he could then use the full power of the state to settle accounts with him.

"The empire belongs to the Zhao family?" Zu An's expression turned cold, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable. "This entire world is mine."

Cheng Yuan scoffed. "Regent, your words are excessively arrogant."

Zu An suddenly sighed. "Your current perspective is too narrow; you see me as a frog at the bottom of a well sees the moon, and that's what gives you the courage to defy me. If you were fortunate enough to advance your cultivation further, you would then realize that seeing me is akin to an ant seeing the vast sky."

With those words, he gently waved a hand. A gigantic golden palm suddenly materialized in the sky, swiftly descending to crush the four Grand Dukes, instantly reducing them to dust.