460: Accident

That dazzling Immortal Light descended from the Nine Heavens, and even the dense tribulation clouds could not completely conceal its brilliance.

Vast Immortal Dao Qi permeated outwards, eventually manifesting two figures dressed in gold-patterned white robes outside the surging tribulation Qi.

Immortal Light swirled around them, their forms ethereal, as if they had walked out of a dream.

"It's the Immortal Envoy descending!"

Among the crowd below, someone was the first to exclaim in surprise.

In an instant, all the people prostrated themselves, kneeling down like a tide, and waves of cheers rose up like a mountain tsunami:

"Greetings, Immortal Envoy!"

Even the imperial relatives, noblemen, and civil and military officials who were originally seated on the high platform, without exception, bowed in salute, their expressions filled with reverence.

The Great Feng Emperor, who had been resting with his eyes closed, preparing to face the final Heavenly Tribulation, suddenly opened his eyes, looked in the direction of the Immortal Envoy, bowed from afar, and said in a solemn voice: "Greetings, Immortal Envoy from the Upper Realm."

From within the Immortal Light, a clear and ethereal, yet distinctly female voice, came faintly: "Feng Youjian, just focus on Undergoing Tribulation."

After speaking, the figures in the Immortal Light said no more, only standing silently above the golden clouds, their forms obscured by the hazy Immortal Light, leaving only an air of profound and unfathomable majesty.

And it was at this very moment that the final Immortal Tribulation descended with a roar!

A thick, giant tribulation light, interwoven with black, white, and red, spiraled downwards, tearing through the sky.

Before it even reached his body, the terrifying pressure had already made it difficult for the Great Feng Emperor to maintain his suspended posture; his body plummeted, falling straight towards the array platform.

But he was not entirely unprepared.

In a flash of lightning, he flipped his hand and took out a shimmering, colorful precious pearl, which he crushed without hesitation!

"Buzz—"

Seven-colored light suddenly bloomed, transforming into a continuously flowing shield that firmly protected him.

"Flowing Cloud Qi Orb?" From within the Immortal Light, a soft gasp of surprise was heard, and the female voice carried a hint of astonishment, clearly not expecting him to possess such a protective Immortal Treasure.

Once this orb is shattered, it can create a Qi shield strong enough to withstand an attack from a True Immortal at Peak, so deploying it now should be foolproof.

The next moment, the three-colored tribulation light violently crashed into the light shield!

Booming—

The dazzling light shield vibrated violently, with surging ripples, and was actually pushed by the tribulation light to slide off the array platform, falling all the way down, smashing into the ground below like a meteor!

An earth-shattering roar erupted, and a violent Qi wave mixed with destructive heat swept across the four fields.

Among the dense woods at the edge of the plaza, shattered wood and dust suddenly exploded into the sky, smoke and dust rising, then being forcefully pushed aside as if by an invisible giant force.

When the dust and smoke had somewhat cleared, everyone looked on in horror, only to see a bottomless giant pit blasted out in the center of the woods.

The tribulation light gradually dispersed, and heaven and earth returned to silence.

But the Immortal Dao Law that should have descended was still nowhere to be seen.

"Could it be... Your Majesty has fallen?"

"Impossible! Your Majesty has the protection of the nation's destiny, how could he..."

"Quick! Go and see!"

Exclamations of alarm rose from the plaza, and figures anxiously darted out, rushing towards the ruined crash site.

Only the four princes who intended to contend for the throne remained seated on the high platform, motionless.

They tacitly understood each other—the Great Feng Emperor had indeed fallen.

Even the Flowing Cloud Qi Orb failed to protect him.

The absence of Immortal Law descending from the sky was clear proof.

In the sky, the tribulation clouds had completely dispersed, leaving only a golden cloud hanging high, with Immortal Light flowing, obscuring the figures above.

"Alas..."

A barely audible sigh came from within the Immortal Light.

Above the golden cloud, a beautiful woman with a face like peach blossoms had a trace of helplessness flash in her eyes.

"Junior Sister, it seems your seventh-generation descendant is truly useless," the man beside her said with a teasing tone.

"Senior Brother, why speak such sarcastic words? Let alone a seventh-generation descendant, even if he were my own son, what use would he be if he controlled an entire Imperial Dynasty yet couldn't even pass the Immortal Tribulation?" The woman's tone was indifferent, showing no discernible emotion.

"Heh heh, Senior Sister Feng, you did, after all, come from the Changfeng Imperial Dynasty. Do you truly have no lingering feelings in your heart?"

"Senior Brother Chu, what do you think I should do?" The woman's gaze swept over the flowing light and landed on the dark, deep pit on the ground.

"It's good that Junior Sister doesn't care." The man smiled meaningfully, then changed the subject, "Next will be the princes' struggle for the throne. Once the winner is decided, do you want me to help you eliminate those failed ants? After all, they are all of your Feng Bloodline, and I'm afraid Junior Sister... won't be able to do it."

"Hmph." The woman merely let out a cold snort, and as the Immortal Light swirled, her figure disappeared, leaving only a faint sound: "No need for Senior Brother to trouble himself, just do your own thing."

In Prince Yus Mansion, within a private courtyard.

Xiao Zhuo's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of surprise passing through them.

The Great Feng Emperor had actually died.

Although this person seemed mediocre, he was well-prepared, and by all accounts, it should have been impossible for him to perish under the final tribulation light.

Why did this happen?

According to the Imperial Dynasty's records, after an emperor ascends to Immortality, he must return to the Immortal Dynasty with the Immortal Envoy and can no longer interfere with mortal affairs.

Logically speaking, no one else had a motive to plot against him.

Just now, Xiao Zhuo observed from afar with his Divine Sense; the light shield formed by the Flowing Cloud Qi Orb should have been able to withstand the three-colored tribulation light.

But the Great Feng Emperor still died.

This caused him surprise—not because he cared about the Great Feng Emperor's life or death, but because he was astonished that an unforeseen variable he couldn't perceive had intervened, and he had been completely unaware.

He was certain that someone had used an extremely secretive method to secretly cause the Great Feng Emperor's death at the last moment.

Yet, even though his Divine Sense had continuously covered the entire scene, he had not captured even a hint of abnormality.

Xiao Zhuo shook his head, no longer delving into the matter.

Since the Great Feng Emperor was dead, according to the Imperial Dynasty's ancestral system, a seven-day national mourning period was required before the struggle for the throne could begin.

Seven days of national mourning.

This would undoubtedly delay his time again.

However, since he had already reached an agreement with Feng Changge, he naturally wouldn't go back on his word, so he closed his eyes again, concentrated, and continued to deduce the combination changes of the Spiritual Root Runes.

In the following days, Feng Changge never returned to the mansion, being busy with the national mourning rituals in the palace.

It wasn't until the seventh day that all civil and military officials of the court left Fengdu and headed to the Changfeng Imperial Forest to bury the Great Feng Emperor's clothing and hat—as his body was completely destroyed due to his failed Undergoing Tribulation.

The funeral procession was vast and stretched for more than ten miles.

The First Prince, Feng Ziyi, walked in front, supporting the coffin, while the other princes and princesses followed with bowed heads.

Feng Changge gazed at Feng Ziyi's back, his eyes deep.

In recent days, he had noticed that the third and fourth brothers had frequently been in contact with the eldest brother, seemingly intending to submit and surrender.

This was by no means good news for him.

As he thought about the struggle for the throne beginning tomorrow, a subtle unease faintly rose in his heart.

But then, remembering Xiao Zhuo, who was still in the mansion, and the Fengdu Immortal Array that had already been properly arranged and was under his control, a powerful sense of confidence surged within him.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards slightly: "Feng Ziyi, Feng Chengtian, Feng Yuzhuo... even if the three of you join forces, what can you do to me? As long as the Immortal Array is under my control, I am already in an unbeatable position!"

The funeral procession moved slowly, from early morning until dusk.

The Imperial Forest was thirty miles from Fengdu, and everyone walked the entire way, taking a full six hours.

In the distance, the Imperial Forest was vaguely visible.

The Changfeng Imperial Forest was built in a dense forest filled with towering ancient trees, where the giant trees were all dozens of feet high, appearing solemn and majestic.

White stone statues stood in front of the forest, and a straight bluestone path led deep into the woods.

Although the success rate of ascension for the lord of an Imperial Dynasty was extremely high compared to ordinary Cultivators, there was still about a thirty percent chance of failure.

Compared to the less than ten percent success rate for ordinary Quasi-Immortals, this seventy percent was enough to demonstrate the strong foundation of the Imperial Dynasty.

As the procession slowly entered the Imperial Mausoleum, Feng Changge suddenly felt a chill around him, as if he had been abruptly locked onto by some extremely powerful entity!

He snapped back to reality, his gaze sweeping around, but all he saw were his silently advancing brothers and sisters with sorrowful expressions; there were no suspicious figures.

Everything seemed to be just his illusion.

But that inexplicable unease once again quietly surfaced, like a dark cloud enveloping his heart.