"Forgive me, some things are simply not yours to claim!" A faint smile touched Luo Ruofeng’s lips. As the monarch of a nation, he possessed the inherent dignity and etiquette of a sovereign ruler. Even standing against the ancient divine being Guang Chengzi, his heart held no trace of fear.

Jingyu, you have done so much for me; now let me, your older brother, do something for you?

Luo Ruofeng’s heart had already settled on a resolve unto death. He had determined that even if it cost him his life, he would obstruct Guang Chengzi to the greatest extent possible, allowing Xiyang and the others precious time to retreat toward Tongtian Mountain. Once they reached the mountain and the Twelve Heaven Witches Extermination Grand Array was activated, breaching it would no longer be an easy feat for their enemies.

"Insolence! Even the Jade Emperor of old dared not speak to me in such a manner. What standing do you possess?" Hearing Luo Ruofeng address him with such an attitude, a spark of anger ignited within Guang Chengzi.

The War of Deification had already allowed them to cast off the shackles of Heavenly Law, transforming them into carefree immortals, transcending the Five Elements and stepping outside the Three Realms. Even the Jade Emperor could do little to them. This very reason explained why, when Dao Ancestor Hongjun constructed the Bridge to the Other Shore, nearly collapsing the entire Heavenly Court, they alone remained alive.

Among those in the Heavenly Court, save for a select few who achieved physical sainthood like Li Jing and Nezha, all the others were powerful experts who perished in the War of Deification. They were bound to the Investiture of the Gods list, forever barred from transcending the Three Realms, forced to submit to the Jade Emperor’s jurisdiction. When Dao Ancestor Hongjun initiated the construction of the Bridge, how could they possibly resist?

"I am currently the Emperor of the Southern Cloud Empire. Should I survive this day, in the future, I shall be the Great Emperor of the Three Realms!" Facing Guang Chengzi’s oppressive might, Luo Ruofeng did not retreat a single step; instead, he deliberately stomped a heavy step forward.

All this time, he had operated from behind the scenes, never showing his face personally. Yet, he was, after all, a monarch. Lin Xiaoyi might be an insignificant figure, but Luo Ruofeng was not. He was the sovereign ruling over hundreds of billions of living beings, the Emperor whom Tongtian had designated to command the Three Realms in the future. He could not yield to anyone; absolutely not.

Heaven, Earth, Man, and God—before him, they were all destined to pay homage.

This was the Imperial Way passed down by Tongtian; this was his Great Dao…

There were Three Thousand Great Daos, and every being walked their own path. At this moment, Luo Ruofeng intimately felt the Dao belonging to him. As he took that step, his cultivation skyrocketed as if propelled by a rocket, seemingly on the verge of taking that final, ultimate leap.

Sensing the immense kingly aura emanating from Luo Ruofeng, Guang Chengzi frowned. Did he intend to break through at this critical juncture?

Giving Luo Ruofeng no chance to fully comprehend his Great Dao, Guang Chengzi extended a single finger, summoning a green lotus that hovered before him and shot toward Luo Ruofeng.

"Hmph…" Facing the potent green lotus brimming with destructive power, Luo Ruofeng merely let out a cold scoff, drawing his Heavenly Emperor Sword in one fluid motion and slashing down.

With a chiii sound, the green lotus was cleaved in two by the Heavenly Emperor Sword, but a black bead had already materialized above his head.

It was a minuscule bead, barely the size of a grain of rice, yet simultaneously, it appeared vast—a bead larger than a planet.

It looked incredibly small, yet it conveyed an overwhelming sense of immense size. Before the bead even descended, Luo Ruofeng felt as if he were about to be crushed.

This bead was the Heaven-Seizing Orb that Guang Chengzi had refined over years, forged from a newly formed planet. Its intent was to seize the creation of Heaven itself, and perhaps, to plunder the mandate of the Heavenly Dao…

It was a super-artifact several times more powerful than the Heaven-Flipping Seal, one capable of contending with primeval divine treasures like the Eastern Emperor Bell.

The only thing it lacked was renown. Yes, renown…

At this moment, as the Heaven-Seizing Orb alternately expanded and contracted, the pressure it emitted was so colossal that Luo Ruofeng’s body began to crackle and pop. It sounded as if his bones were shattering under the immense force.

"Go…" Luo Ruofeng roared, his Jade Emperor Seal floating up from his hand and hurtling toward the shifting Heaven-Seizing Orb.

With a heavy bang, the Jade Emperor Seal slammed onto the Heaven-Seizing Orb, yet it recoiled as if striking a spring, being flung back violently. The Heaven-Seizing Orb, however, continued its descent, its momentum utterly unimpeded.

Feeling the overwhelming pressure of the descending orb intensify, blood began to stream from Luo Ruofeng’s seven orifices, and the bones within him started to break. His knees were on the verge of buckling.

He could not kneel. He absolutely must not kneel! He was the future Lord of the Three Realms, an Emperor of his generation; he could not kneel, he absolutely could not bow before anyone.

If he were to kneel here, how could he face Ye Jingyu? How could he face his Master?

Powerful willpower sustained Luo Ruofeng. His body trembled uncontrollably, yet he stubbornly held fast.

By now, the massive Heaven-Seizing Orb hovered directly above his head. His Jade Emperor Robe unleashed myriad beams of light, managing to prop the bead up, but it was merely a precarious hold. Luo Ruofeng felt as if he were carrying an entire planet on his shoulders—a planet refined countless times, infused with innumerable materials. It was impossibly heavy, crushingly dense.

At this instant, Luo Ruofeng resembled an ant attempting to shoulder a world; how could he possibly bear such a burden?

"Wind sweeps ten thousand miles, Qi cages mountains and rivers, Sword points to the firmament, Seal anchors the four directions…" At this moment, a low chant escaped Luo Ruofeng’s lips. Streams of golden light erupted from his body. The violently repelled Jade Emperor Seal returned to his side, and along with the Heavenly Emperor Sword at his waist, both began to glow with a brilliant vermilion-gold light, eventually transforming into two golden beams that merged into his very essence.

His Jade Emperor Robe also completely dissolved into his body. Without the golden light supporting it, the colossal Heaven-Seizing Orb plummeted directly downward. Yet, not a hint of retreat showed on Luo Ruofeng’s face. He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with profound disdain…

"Imperial Body, Imperial Heart, behold My Sovereignty—Imperial Seal!" The moment the words fell, Luo Ruofeng suddenly thrust a palm upward…

A golden handprint erupted from his grasp—a handprint brimming with tyrannical dominance, looking down upon all creation. It shot straight toward the descending Heaven-Seizing Orb…

In this final, desperate moment, he had comprehended his ultimate technique: the Imperial Seal.

That single palm strike possessed unparalleled dominance, yet Luo Ruofeng’s being radiated a profound, expansive love—the devotion of a ruler cherishing his people, reigning over the world with universal benevolence…

The heart of a King, the hand of a Tyrant—this was the aura a true Emperor must possess…

With a sharp pa, the massive Heaven-Seizing Orb belonging to Guang Chengzi was violently batted away by this single, powerful strike. It was fortunate that the artifact was merely a super-artifact and not a top-tier divine treasure like the Eastern Emperor Bell, otherwise, that single palm might have shattered it completely.

Guang Chengzi himself was jolted backward a step, his face etched with sheer horror. He truly had not anticipated that this man could grasp the true Imperial Dao.

The genuine Dao of the Emperor.

The Way of the King, the Way of the Overlord…

Although Luo Ruofeng had comprehended the Imperial Dao at the very last instant, the gap between his cultivation and Guang Chengzi’s was too vast, and his artifacts were inferior to something like the Heaven-Seizing Orb. To have repelled the orb relying solely on his formidable Imperial Dao was already an extraordinary feat.

Blood now gushed from his seven orifices like springs, and countless bones in his body were undoubtedly snapped, yet he remained standing erect. He was an Emperor; behind him stood his subjects, and he would allow no one to harm them.

At this moment, Luo Ruofeng’s figure seemed colossal, like an eternal, unyielding giant, standing silently before Guang Chengzi…

Sensing the profound aura radiating from Luo Ruofeng, the hundreds of thousands of warriors behind him felt their blood boil. Their fighting spirit instantly multiplied several times over, and even their cultivation seemed to surge rapidly at that very moment.

The Imperial Dao was not merely the path of one individual. An Emperor represented not a single person, but an entire collective—a massive entity.

As these soldiers gained insight and their morale soared, waves of powerful belief energy flowed directly into Luo Ruofeng’s body. His injuries began to mend at a rate visible to the naked eye.

An Emperor deeply cherished by his people is the strongest Emperor. The current Luo Ruofeng was precisely such a sovereign. As long as his subjects endured, he was virtually indestructible.

Imperial Body, Imperial Heart, Imperial Seal…

"Your Majesty, permit this humble general to fight alongside you!" At this instant, Yan Senxu arrived before Luo Ruofeng, bowing with utmost respect. Only now did he truly accept Luo Ruofeng’s status—this was a monarch worthy of his eternal allegiance.

A true Emperor…

"I… permit it…" Luo Ruofeng waved his hand grandly. An unprecedented confidence bloomed on his face. He had finally stepped out of Ye Jingyu’s shadow; he had finally taken a step that belonged purely to him.

Ni Bo’s form had appeared beside Luo Ruofeng at some unnoted moment, his body now returned to normal size, his eyes blazing with the most fervent light—a fighting spirit, a resolve to fight alongside Luo Ruofeng until the end.

Luo Ruofeng smiled faintly, stepped onto Ni Bo’s back, and mounted him. He understood that he had finally earned Ni Bo’s recognition.

He reached out and grasped the air with one hand; the utterly transformed Heavenly Emperor Sword appeared in his grip, golden radiance continuously flowing along its blade…

"All soldiers, heed my command, charge!" As the word ‘charge’ left his lips, Luo Ruofeng pointed his sword at Guang Chengzi, while Ni Bo beneath him shifted his four hooves and thundered forward…

The tens of thousands of soldiers behind him roared in unison, following their Emperor, surging toward the front. A pervasive killing intent filled the nine heavens…