223: Chapter 224 is no different; this is the will of Heaven.

High above in the sky, Lu Chen’s figure was hidden within the clouds.

His gaze pierced through the churning sea of clouds, falling upon the "Heavenly Road" below that he had forcibly carved out.

Wherever that blockhead Marquis of Nanliang, Bazasiwalmi, passed, he was indeed unstoppable; in this regard, he absolutely demonstrated the strengths of the Mongol iron cavalry.

The so-called cities were nothing more than slightly larger earthen enclosures and wooden stockades, scattered sparsely along the edges of the jungle and both sides of the river valleys.

Like a celestial god, Lu Chen looked down at the Mongol legions and the Vermilion Bird Army.

Compared to the Mongol legions, the Vermilion Bird Army was truly an army of benevolence and righteousness.

Therefore, Lu Chen letting these Mongol iron cavalry act as the vanguard could be said to be a perfect complement.

...

"General," a personal guard rode closer to the Marquis of Nanliang and whispered, "The scouts ahead report that we have reached the borders of Angkor. But... it looks no different from those previous small states."

Bazasiwalmi waved his hand irritably, his horsewhip cracking loudly in the air.

"No different?" He snorted coldly. "How could the Heavenly God's decree be wrong?"

"Taking this land is... the will of heaven."

He pulled the reins and looked into the distance.

At the edge of his vision, the silhouettes of some towering stone towers were faintly visible, poking out from the green sea of forest, exuding an air of antiquity and mystery.

"Is that the Angkor Royal City?" another surrendered general approached, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

The Marquis of Nanliang narrowed his eyes.

Just as he was about to order the preparations for the siege, a commotion broke out ahead.

A scout returned on horseback to report: "General! The gates of Angkor... the gates are wide open! The people inside... they are all kneeling at the city gates!"

"What?" The Marquis of Nanliang was stunned.

The army slowly approached.

Sure enough, the so-called "Royal City" was more like a grand complex of temples; the stone walls were low and dilapidated, and the gates stood wide open.

Inside and outside the city gates, the ground was covered with a dense crowd of kneeling people.

Men and women, young and old—some were in rags, while others wore silk and gold and silver jewelry.

They prostrated themselves on the ground, their bodies trembling violently, as they let out unintelligible wails and prayers.

The few leading them were magnificently dressed and wore golden crowns, yet at this moment, they pressed their foreheads firmly against the muddy ground, not daring to look up.

"What on earth is going on?" Bazasiwalmi frowned and signaled the interpreter to step forward.

The interpreter walked over tremblingly and asked a few questions in the local dialect.

"General! They are the Angkor Royal Family!"

"They say... the Heavenly God has sent punishment! A few days ago, heavenly thunder first descended, destroying the largest temple in their city, and even the main Divine Stone statue they worshipped was split in two!"

As the interpreter spoke, he pointed toward a certain spot in the city, where indeed the collapsed, charred roof of a massive stone building could be seen.

"Then... then a tornado blew through. After the wind stopped, there appeared... there appeared this great road leading here!"

The interpreter pointed toward the direction the army had come from, toward that straight "Heavenly Road."

The Marquis of Nanliang listened, dumbfounded.

Lightning striking the temple?

A tornado clearing the way?

He suddenly looked up at the sky.

The clouds were still gloomy, and the air was so hot and humid it felt like water could be wrung from it.

So...

So the Heavenly God had already acted?!

This was true... Divine Might!

He took a deep breath, forcing down the fear and awe in his heart, and struggled to put on a dignified expression.

Recalling the immortal's dream from last night, for the first time, the Marquis of Nanliang felt a bit of fear.

The Marquis of Nanliang made his final choice, spurred his horse forward, and looked down from his mount, his voice rolling over the prostrate crowd like thunder.

"Now, by the grace of heaven, this is the decree of His Majesty the Ming Emperor of the Great Ming Celestial Dynasty, and it is also the will of the Heavenly God!"

"You have offended Heaven and should have been utterly exterminated!"

The wailing of the crowd on the ground grew louder, and the leading members of the royal family shook like sieves.

Clearly, among these people, there were those who understood the language of the Celestial Dynasty.

Lu Chen hovered within the Nine Heavens.

His Divine Thought swept over the scene below, taking everything in. He muttered, "That blockhead Marquis of Nanliang is actually quite clever! Good, it saves me from wasting more words."

However, this performance needed a few more effects.

With a slight thought,

In an instant, the Origin Qi for a hundred miles around was stirred.

The clouds, which had been merely gloomy, instantly became pitch black as ink, pressing down over Angkor like a giant lid.

Within the clouds, electric serpents danced wildly, letting out muffled rumbles; every flash illuminated the terrified and desperate faces of the crowd below.

Gales howled, whipping up sand and stones from the ground and making the banners snap and flutter.

The oppressive air made it hard for people to breathe.

"The... the Heavenly God..."

"The Heavenly God is angry again!"

The prostrate crowd completely collapsed, their cries and pleas for mercy merging into one.

Even the soldiers of the New Seventh Army changed color; many of them secretly gripped their weapons, looking at the sky in tension.

The Marquis of Nanliang forced himself to remain calm, but the hand holding his scimitar was trembling slightly.

He cleared his throat and raised his voice again, drowning out the sound of wind and thunder: "However! His Majesty the Ming Emperor also possesses the virtue of loving all life!"

"Considering your ignorance, the death penalty is remitted, but punishment is unavoidable!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the royal family members who were shaking so hard they seemed about to fall apart.

"The Angkor Royal Family is hereby deposed! From this moment on, you shall be escorted north!"

"Exiled to Goryeo!"

"You shall work day and night to atone for your sins, in exchange for Heaven's forgiveness and the protection of this land!"

"Do you submit?!"

The prostrate Angkor Royal Family were bewildered, but their survival instinct made them nod frantically.

"We submit! We submit! This humble king... this sinner submits!"

Bazasiwalmi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Men!" he barked sharply. "Send these sinners to Goryeo immediately!"

"As you command!"

Cries, struggles, and pleas for mercy were endless.

But under the might of the wind and thunder, they seemed so small and powerless.

Above the sky.

Lu Chen slowly raised his hand and gave a gentle wipe toward the churning, roaring dark clouds.

It was as if an invisible giant hand had brushed across the sky.

A miracle occurred.

The dark clouds as heavy as lead, the wildly dancing electric serpents, the howling gales, the muffled thunder...

Within just a few breaths, they vanished into thin air!

Yes, they didn't slowly disperse; they were wiped away in an instant!

The sky became crystal blue, without a single cloud.

Warm sunlight, like a golden waterfall, poured down, bathing every corner of Angkor and the faces of every dumbfounded person.

The rainforest seemed as if it had been washed, appearing a lush, dripping emerald green.

The air was fresh, carrying the fragrance of vegetation after the rain.

The contrast before and after was like two different worlds.

“...”

A deathly silence.

Everyone looked up with mouths agape at the cloudless clear sky and the sunlight illuminating the earth.

The world-ending scene from moments ago seemed like nothing more than a nightmare.

"The clouds disperse and the rain stops..."

The interpreter murmured to himself, then fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing desperately toward the sky.

"A miracle! A true miracle!"

"The Heavenly God's anger has been appeased!"

The surviving people of Angkor realized what had happened and erupted into earth-shaking cheers. With tears in their eyes, they bowed toward the sunlight, toward the New Seventh Army, and toward the Vermilion Bird Army.

The Marquis of Nanliang was also stunned.

He dismounted and kowtowed three times, deeply and solemnly, toward the sky.

"It seems the Heavenly God is satisfied with this handling of the Angkor Royal Family! It's a good thing I didn't exterminate them all like I did those Annam monkeys!"