459: The Great Wind Emperor ascends to heaven

Feng Changge did not directly answer his question, but merely said in a flat yet undeniable tone, "Hand over your soul imprint, and you may live."

Gu Ma's face was bitter, a struggle flashed in his eyes, but he ultimately did not dare to resist.

He raised his trembling hand, touched his glabella, and a swirling, colorful ball of light slowly flew out, hovering in mid-air, its light flickering, as if reflecting his current unwillingness and submission.

"You may return and 'report back' to my third brother." Feng Changge's gaze was cold and distant, carrying a condescending pressure. "If there is a need in the future, someone will contact you. I presume I don't need to teach you what to do, Your Highness?"

"Yes, Your Highness... I understand." Gu Ma responded in a low voice, his heart heavy.

He naturally understood Feng Changge's intention—it was nothing more than to have him return to the Third Imperial Prince's side and act as a hidden chess piece.

Now, controlled by another, he had no choice.

The next day, at Fengdu's North Gate.

Corpses were strung upside down over the city gate, all of them Undergoing Tribulation and Mahayana Realm Cultivators from the Third Imperial Prince's and Fourth Imperial Prince's factions.

The Imperial Dynasty merely stated they were bandits who dared to rob royalty, but each of these corpses belonged to a well-known and powerful individual in Fengdu, recognized by many.

The Yin clan of Yuzhu Mountain Villa was a royal relative, closely connected to the Imperial Dynasty.

If the operation had succeeded and they hadn't been captured on the spot, it might have been covered up.

But now, not only was the Nascent Soul of the Black Soul Sect Master, who followed the Fourth Imperial Prince, captured and his Physical Body severed, but all the Undergoing Tribulation powerhouses involved in the operation also perished.

The matter caused a huge stir, and even if the two Imperial Princes wanted to clean up the aftermath, they were powerless.

During the morning court that day, the Great Feng Emperor publicly and sternly reprimanded the two Imperial Princes.

If not for his Immortal Ascension day approaching, and his disinterest in dealing with these two unpromising sons, the court might have been plunged into further turmoil.

To maintain stability in the court, the Great Feng Emperor ultimately just lightly ordered the two to reflect behind closed doors, not delving deeper into their other forces within the court.

Even so, the two Imperial Princes were already greatly weakened.

The fence-sitters who had originally attached themselves to them quickly defected, leaving them with almost no adherents apart from the deeply intertwined maternal clan forces behind them.

These two Imperial Princes were already weak, and after this battle, they completely lost power.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that they could no longer win the succession struggle.

Now they only had one path left: either pledge allegiance to the First Imperial Prince, Feng Ziyi, or submit to the Ninth Prince, Feng Changge.

Otherwise, no matter who ultimately ascended to the throne, they would not escape liquidation, and at that time, even being a leisurely prince would be a luxury.

Prince Yus Mansion, a secluded courtyard.

Xiao Zhuo sat quietly within, his expression focused.

He had further improved the Free and Natural Heavenly Art, making it more compatible with Spiritual Root cultivation, and had deduced several new combinations of Space-Time Spiritual Root Runes, yet he always felt it was not at Perfection.

He became increasingly convinced that the Space-Time Spiritual Root must still have core runes he had not yet mastered.

To completely stabilize his Spiritual Root, he had to find the Time Spirit Root and the Space Spiritual Root.

Fortunately, the Immortal Ascension Ceremony was about to begin.

Three days later, outside Fengdu City.

A floating array platform, a hundred zhang square, hung high in the sky, as pure and flawless as a jade wall.

At the center of the array platform was a lotus-shaped platform, where countless profound array patterns converged, flowing with a faint Immortal Qi.

The Great Feng Emperor sat upon the lotus platform, his eyes closed, his aura in a delicate balance.

Below the array platform, a crowd surged.

The entire court, civil and military officials, and the common people of Fengdu gathered in the Immortal Ascension Plaza, specially designated for viewing the ceremony, holding their breath and watching the Immortal Ascension Ceremony of their Imperial Dynasty's ruler.

Regardless of success or failure, this was a rare event for the Changfeng Imperial Dynasty, occurring only once in a century.

What's more, with the Imperial Dynasty's ruler blessed by national Luck, those who failed Undergoing Tribulation were few and far between.

It was high noon, with the scorching sun overhead.

The Great Feng Emperor's aura on the array platform suddenly surged, like a Dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring straight into the clouds.

"It has begun." Feng Changge sat on a high platform to one side of the plaza, his tone calm.

Zhao Tingzhi, beside him, nodded slightly, but his gaze was directed towards Feng Ziyi on the opposite high platform.

The array platform continued to rise, and dark clouds churned in the sky, growing denser and denser.

The lotus array platform was a treasure bestowed by the Immortal Dynasty behind the Changfeng Imperial Dynasty, capable of helping the Imperial Lord weaken the power of the Immortal Tribulation.

At this moment, the Great Feng Emperor suddenly opened his eyes, solemnly looking up at the tribulation clouds above his head.

A faint golden glow rose around him, and a small seal flowing with golden Luck Qi flew out—it was precisely the national seal of the Changfeng Imperial Dynasty.

He waved his hand, throwing the national seal, which landed steadily into a groove on one side of the lotus platform.

In an instant, the array patterns on the platform glowed brightly, golden light swirling, condensing into a golden disc above the Great Feng Emperor's head.

The golden glow fell, as if clothing him in a dazzling golden armor.

"Lotus Dao Platform, Luck Golden Armor!" The onlookers all exclaimed in their hearts.

A hint of disdain flashed in Feng Ziyi's eyes: "Father King is actually so extravagant... The Immortal Tribulation hasn't even begun, and he's already using the Dao Platform to condense the Golden Armor!"

This Luck Golden Armor was formed by extracting the national Luck stored in the national seal and using the power of the lotus Dao Platform to empower oneself.

As long as the Golden Armor remained, it could withstand thirty percent of the Immortal Tribulation's damage.

However, for every bit of Golden Armor condensed, the Imperial Dynasty's Luck would be consumed by that much.

Most emperors throughout history only used it when the pressure of the Immortal Tribulation was immense; it was truly rare for someone like the Great Feng Emperor to use it right from the start.

The decline of Luck, the decrease of Immortal Qi, the weakening of national Luck, and even the potential for natural disasters and man-made calamities—this showed how selfish the Great Feng Emperor was.

Yet, as subjects, everyone only grumbled in their hearts, no one daring to voice it aloud.

Boom! Crack!

The dark clouds in the sky suddenly split apart, and a bolt of purple lightning tribulation light tore through the sky, striking down directly!

It was identical to the tribulation Xiao Zhuo had undergone that day, but the Great Feng Emperor's response was far from as understated as Xiao Zhuo's, appearing exceptionally violent.

He leaped up, a golden spear appearing in his hand. With a shake of the spear, Immortal power surged, condensing into a hundred-zhang spear light, which bravely met the tribulation light!

A violent explosion resounded in the air, light dazzling, as both spear light and tribulation light disintegrated simultaneously.

In Prince Yus Mansion, Xiao Zhuo gazed at the sky, his lips slightly curled, his tone disdainful: "This Imperial Dynasty's ruler actually chose to meet attack with attack from the very first strike?"

In his opinion, the first few layers of tribulation light in the Immortal Ascension Tribulation could have been resisted by the Physical Body alone, which would not only accelerate the Physical Body's transformation into an immortal body but also allow for the comprehension of the Immortal Dao Law contained within the tribulation light, greatly benefiting future cultivation.

The Great Feng Emperor's approach not only missed an Opportunity but also wasted Immortal power.

He said no more, continuing to observe quietly.

It must be said that, as the ruler of an Imperial Dynasty, the Great Feng Emperor's foundation was indeed profound.

During the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, Magic Treasures emerged one after another, and he even had a Heaven-Grade Immortal Artifact protecting his body. Coupled with the lotus golden armor's blessing, he actually broke through seven layers of Immortal Tribulation, sweeping through them like a hot knife through butter.

However, starting from the eighth layer of the Immortal Tribulation, the Immortal Spirits formed by the tribulation lightning already possessed combat awareness almost equal to an Immortal Master.

These Immortal Spirits were residual shadows of past Undergoing Tribulation individuals, captured by the Immortal Tribulation and fused with tribulation power, each comparable to a Quasi-Immortal.

The Great Feng Emperor faced an eighth layer Immortal Tribulation that manifested three thunderous Immortal Spirits.

Fighting one against three, though he could still suppress them, he already showed signs of decline.

By the time he finally defeated the three Immortal Spirits, nearly half an hour had passed.

During this time, the golden armor shattered several times, each time repaired by drawing national Luck from the array platform.

"Truly useless!" Xiao Zhuo couldn't help but curse in a low voice, "His combat experience at the Quasi-Immortal level is so lacking, entirely built on talent and resources... If not for his Imperial Dynasty background, he would never have reached this Realm!"

In his view, the Great Feng Emperor, possessing an Immortal Artifact and golden armor, was still repeatedly breached in defense by three ordinary Quasi-Immortal Immortal Spirits. If his practical combat experience had been slightly richer, the battle should have ended within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

As the last Immortal Spirit disintegrated, the ninth layer of the Immortal Tribulation—the final tribulation—descended.

At the same time, a brilliant Immortal light pierced through the Nine Heavens, falling from the depths of the firmament.