Chapter 1866: Assassin

Feudal lords from all directions and major royal families are all gathered today in the Spirit King City for one purpose only: to celebrate the enthronement of the new Yong Emperor. A festive atmosphere pervades everywhere.

On the wide streets, super-powerhouses with profound auras pass by from time to time. Even cultivators at the Ninth Level of the Saint Realm would instinctively tremble in their presence, as these individuals have clearly reached the Great Saint level.

Normally, individuals of such power could roam the world virtually unopposed. Yet now, here, they dare not act recklessly. The new Yong Emperor has pacified the four seas, unified the Spirit Race, earned the submission of countless powerhouses, and received tribute from all races. No one knows which inn or shop might be quietly hosting an ancient saint, revered by all.

"Speaking of the new Yong Emperor, he is truly a divine figure! The previous Yong Emperor was injured when the Spirit Emperor and Star Emperor colluded with the human race. He emerged dramatically, not only thwarting their conspiracy but even killing the immortal envoy from the heavens in one swift move, establishing his invincible foundation…"

On the street, a storyteller, holding a folding fan, recounted the tale vividly.

"That's not right, is it? I clearly saw the battle in the King City a month ago. The Yong Emperor was only at the Great Saint level then and couldn't intervene at all. It was an unknown ancient saint who took action and killed the immortal envoy!"

A passerby questioned.

The great battle had only occurred about a month ago, and many had witnessed it firsthand. What they saw was completely different from what the storyteller claimed.

The storyteller was continually promoting the achievements of the new Yong Emperor. However, everyone who had witnessed that battle understood that the greatest contributor was not the Emperor, but an ancient saint who had never appeared before.

"Do you know who that unknown ancient saint was?" Seeing his doubt, the storyteller smiled and looked at him.

"I… don't know!"

The passerby shook his head, and the faces of others around were also filled with confusion.

"That person never stated their name, and they haven't appeared since that day. Could it be that *you* know who it is?"

Someone asked.

Everyone looked over in unison.

The entire King City was filled with questions about that mysterious expert; everyone wanted to know where they had come from so suddenly.

"Of course, I know!"

Seeing that he had piqued everyone's interest, the storyteller smiled, stroking his beard, and continuously tapped the inverted gong in front of him with his fingers.

"Tell us quickly!"

A plump figure wearing a bamboo hat flicked their wrist, and several Da Yong coins dropped into the gong, making a "clang!" sound.

Seeing the money, the storyteller's eyes lit up. He quickly tucked the Da Yong coins into his sleeve. Only then did he wave his folding fan again, smiled faintly, and lowered his voice: "It is said that this mysterious ancient saint is His Majesty the Yong Emperor's personal and esteemed teacher, a reclusive master. It was under his tutelage that His Majesty the Yong Emperor achieved such greatness, emerging dramatically to pacify the realm in one stroke! Not only that, it is rumored that this master also tamed Ancient Saint Huoxu, making him a beast companion, and even made Ancient Saint Moling submit to him. Only then did His Majesty gain the support of these two…"

"His Majesty the Yong Emperor's teacher?"

"That's surely an exaggeration, isn't it? His Majesty the Yong Emperor inherited the legacy of the previous Yong Emperor. So, wasn't his esteemed teacher the previous Yong Emperor?"

Someone questioned.

"Of course not!" the storyteller said. "The previous Yong Emperor was very powerful and admired by countless people, but he was not qualified to be the new Yong Emperor's teacher! I even heard… that the old Yong Emperor would bow and address this teacher as 'Young Master'!"

The plump figure in the bamboo hat scoffed. "The old Yong Emperor calling him 'Young Master'? You're getting more and more outlandish! Could it be that the Yong Emperor's teacher is a deity?"

"Naturally, he's a deity!" the storyteller snorted coldly. "If not a deity, how could he so easily slay the immortal envoy from the heavens? For tens of thousands of years, other than Kong Shi of the Human Race and our own ruthless elder, have any of you heard of anyone else possessing such power?"

Everyone was speechless.

The 'Immortal Envoy from the Heavens'—just hearing the name implies an invincible symbol. To slay one by one's own power, for tens of thousands of years, only two legendary figures were known to have achieved such a feat.

Now, for a newly appeared ancient saint to effortlessly kill one, it was hard to believe they weren't a deity.

"His Majesty the Yong Emperor is a direct disciple of a deity! Only then could he successfully inherit the throne, destined by heaven, and command the tribute of all races. This is a blessing for our Spirit Race lineage, and something we should be proud of!"

The storyteller grew more and more excited as he spoke.

"Yes, it is my honor to be born in the same era as the Yong Emperor!"

"Our Spirit Race will become increasingly powerful in the future…"

"Heaven aids our race…"

Everyone was filled with excitement.

"Hmph! 'Deity' my foot! I think it's just a scheme to mislead people, deliberately fabricating this 'divine right of kings' to deceive…"

The plump man in the hooded cloak curled his lip. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he felt a tug from behind.

Frowning, he turned to see a tall, thin woman in a straw cloak. "Go back!" she said.

"I came out to gather information, really not to look for food…"

He paused, stuffed a meatball into his mouth. Just as he was about to say something, he heard the woman's voice, laced with coldness: "Senior Sister told me to call you back. If you don't listen, you can stay here."

The plump man shuddered, and his expression instantly changed. "Haha, what are you talking about? How dare I disobey Senior Sister's orders? Let's go quickly, don't let Senior Sister get impatient…"

Not bothering with further talk, the woman led the way. They took a few turns, arrived at a small courtyard, and pushed open the gate to enter.

Soon, they arrived at a sealed room. The surroundings were completely sealed by special means, preventing even sound or spiritual sense from passing through.

Inside the room, several people were seated. From their appearance, they were surprisingly not Spirit Race members, but humans.

"Heh heh, I went out to gather information…"

Seeing the woman in the center, whose brows were furrowed and whose gaze held a murderous intent, the plump man awkwardly scratched his head.

"What news did you gather? Why don't you tell us…"

A young man on one side smiled faintly. Behind him, a long spear leaned against the wall, its tip subtly glinting with a cold light.

"Well… the new Yong Emperor is indeed a talented individual. Not only has he pacified the realm, but he's also created a buzz about 'divine right,' having storytellers spread it everywhere. Now, almost everyone in the King City, and even the entire Spirit Race, believes he is a fated child sent by deities to save their people. They are all incredibly impressed!"

After thinking for a moment, the plump man said.

"I've heard about this too," the young man said, his brows furrowing. "This new Yong Emperor is a genius. Under his leadership, the Spirit Race will undoubtedly become even more glorious. The human race will likely face a crisis!" He turned to look at the woman in the center. "Senior Sister, what should we do now?"

"The new Yong Emperor has just ascended the throne," the woman in the center said, tapping her fingers on the table, her delicate brows furrowed. After a moment, she continued: "To win the hearts of all, he naturally needs various forms of propaganda. Creating this kind of momentum is normal! However, Zheng Yang is right. If we let this continue, with the Spirit Race completely unified, the human race will indeed be in danger. Therefore… we must strike first! We will assassinate him during his enthronement ceremony, when chaos erupts!"