388: You guys really hurt me.

“How should I begin?”

Qin Yang, looking down at the myriad people, was also a little choked up.

The atmosphere was already here; if he declared himself Emperor now, no one would object, but it felt a little sudden.

From the time of Yao and Shun, emperors were always chosen by recommendation.

This symbolized the people's hearts turning to them, and the will of Heaven.

There were almost no instances of someone directly saying, “I want to be Emperor.”

This did not conform to propriety and was a bit undignified.

Qin Yang pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhang Liang, Si Zhenfeng, and others.

Zhang Liang immediately understood and whispered a few words into Si Zhenfeng’s ear. Si Zhenfeng nodded and retreated from the city wall.

After Si Zhenfeng left, Zhang Liang cleared his throat and shouted loudly, “The enemy leader has been slain! The enemy army has been annihilated! We won!”

Zhang Liang was, after all, a civil official; even though he yelled with all his might, his voice wasn't too loud.

But these words were like a spark falling into an already boiling pot of oil, igniting a raging fire.

“The enemy army has been annihilated! We won!”

“We won!”

On the city wall and within the shelters, roars erupted.

Everyone raised their arms and cheered, releasing all the emotions in their chests.

The entire city was immersed in celebration.

People celebrated this epic victory with cheers, shouts, and tears.

My people, who understands this feeling!

A battle of about an hour.

The people of Shangjing City felt like they were on a rollercoaster.

They actually witnessed three great calamities on the same battlefield.

An endless Undead Sea, Mechanical Titans like gods, and a Void Swarm that blotted out the sky.

The sight of these three calamities appearing simultaneously had never occurred, even in the era of the Cataclysm.

That statement isn't entirely precise.

Perhaps it had occurred, but no records remained.

Are you kidding... even if these three calamities appeared individually, they could cause devastating disasters.

If all three appeared simultaneously, no living creature could survive.

But Shangjing City withstood it!

Some were injured, some died.

But under the protection of the Holy Knights, not even a single dog in Shangjing City died.

Such a battle would not be recorded in War history, but in mythological epics.

Because, in this battle, a God truly participated.

He descended in the darkest hour, annihilated the Void Swarm, stopped the fading of the last ray of sunlight, and with Dawn Divine Power, slew the sinners from beyond all realms.

“Sage Yang is awesome!”

“Long live Emperor Yang!”

“Praise the Holy Emperor!”

The people's reverence for Qin Yang could not be expressed in words, only through deafening shouts.

The cheers were like waves, each louder than the last.

Just as the atmosphere reached its Peak, Si Zhenfeng’s voice sounded over the broadcast.

【Fellow compatriots.】

【Night has fallen, but all enemies invading Jiuzhou have been annihilated!】

【We resisted the calamity, repelled the evil gods, welcomed a new God, and witnessed history!】

【This battle will be recorded in history and written into myth!】

【This is thanks to the heroic fighting of all city defense soldiers.】

【Thanks to the Knights Templar for their swift aid from thousands of miles away.】

【And even more thanks to Sage Yang, who descended in the darkest hour, seized the last ray of sunlight, and dispelled all darkness!】

【On behalf of the Five Sages, I propose to all citizens nationwide —】

【To elect the Sixth Sage, Qin Yang, as Emperor, placing him above the Sages, to unify the world!】

The broadcast echoed over Shangjing City and filled the shelters.

Si Zhenfeng enunciated clearly; everyone heard it distinctly.

The Five Sages jointly recommended Qin Yang as Emperor to unify Jiuzhou.

The 'Emperor' mentioned here certainly did not refer to the Professional's rank.

It referred to a true Emperor, a dictator above the Empire.

If so, wouldn't the history of the Jiuzhou Federation's decentralized rule come to an end?

“To honor Sage Yang as Emperor, I certainly wouldn't dare to object, but will those aristocratic warlords agree?”

“What? Sage Yang becoming Emperor still needs their permission?”

“Indeed, during the civil War, it was because the warlords had comparable strength, but in front of Sage Yang, even if they joined forces, they wouldn't be enough to fill his teeth. How dare they not agree?”

“If they don't agree, then take them out! No one can hinder unification!”

“Quickly take them out! They monopolize resources, monopolize Secret Realms! Joining their guilds even requires signing a slave contract!”

“Even signing a slave contract is useless; without an aristocratic background, you'll never make it to the high ranks in your life!”

Inside the shelters, the crowd was agitated.

The world had suffered from aristocratic families for too long!

Jiuzhou's federal system was a compromise with the aristocratic warlords.

It seemed to have successfully integrated into one country,

but in reality, it was still manipulated by the aristocratic families controlling half the country.

Why were there no higher-level academies after graduating from Professional academies?

Because the aristocratic families wanted to monopolize talent!

The guilds founded by aristocratic families were actually advanced academies.

Professionals who came out of them gained various advantages in equipment, attributes, and skills compared to those from other guilds.

But the condition for entering an aristocratic guild was to sign a lifelong contract, selling oneself to the aristocratic family.

In addition, the aristocratic families also controlled the bureaucratic system.

In many places, without a letter of recommendation from an aristocratic family, you couldn't even become a public servant.

In such a structure, people at the bottom essentially had no room for upward mobility.

Even if you had talent and could start from scratch to establish your own guild.

The eventual outcome would still be to be targeted by an aristocratic guild.

Either be swallowed up or be destroyed.

Unless your background was stronger than that of a major aristocratic family, like the Dragon Pavilion Guild.

But how many people in this world could be as fortunate as the President of the Dragon Pavilion Guild?

His father-in-law, wife, and son were all exceptional individuals; he was truly a favored child of Luck!

Without such a background, Qin Chuan could at most be a local tyrant; trying to expand outwards without relying on an aristocratic family would be impossible.

Even heroes like Qin Chuan were like this; other Professionals were even more like salted fish, utterly suppressed by the aristocratic power and unable to turn over.

If one person could eliminate the aristocratic families, end the federal era of decentralized rule, what would be wrong with honoring him as Emperor?

Thinking of this, someone in the crowd shouted, “I accept the proposal of the Five Sages! Sage Yang repelled the Void Swarm and saved millions of people in Jiuzhou. Is this achievement not enough to become an Emperor?”

“I also agree! Jiuzhou needs a strong leader to return to the Peak of the world!”

“The Five Sages are too conservative; this matter doesn't even need a proposal, just a news announcement and it's done!”

“What are you still standing around for? Our Emperor has arrived, hurry and welcome him!”

The rhythm was set by “people with intentions,” and the public, swept up in emotion, followed suit and took to the streets.

Some “attention-seekers” even climbed to high places, kneeling towards the sky.

“Long live our Emperor, ten thousand, ten thousand times ten thousand years!”

“Long live our Emperor!”

Others followed suit, kneeling towards the sky-high pavilion and shouting, “Long live!”

Even the high-level Professionals on the city wall, in this fervent atmosphere, got into character.

Qiu Yan's eyes darted around, and he quickly bowed towards the sky before anyone else.

“Qiu Yan humbly requests, Your Majesty, to ascend to the throne!”

When others saw that even a Sage had knelt, who dared to remain standing? They all knelt towards the sky and shouted,

“Humbly request, Your Majesty, to ascend to the throne!”

The entire Shangjing City was thus stirred by those “scattered sparks” into a “raging wildfire.”

Seeing this scene, Qin Yang on the dragon carriage shook his head repeatedly, smiling wryly:

“You all... you’ve truly made it difficult for Us.”