541: Chapter 541 It's time to kowtow.

Wang Deyong knelt there, his entire body appearing as if his bones had been removed, slumped and powerless.

He could feel the gazes coming from all directions, like poisoned steel needles piercing him until no part of his skin was left unscathed.

Some were sympathetic, some gloated over his misfortune, some were terrified, but most were simply there for the spectacle.

He, Wang Deyong, who controlled the Ministry of Personnel and held immense power in the court—when had he ever suffered such a humiliating disgrace!

"I... I..."

A dry, hoarse sound issued from his throat; he wanted to say something to save face, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

At this moment, his dignity was crushed to powder.

Li Heng, however, seemed completely oblivious to the struggle and humiliation on his face. Instead, he took two steps forward, crouched down, and looked Wang Deyong levelly in the eye.

"Minister Wang, what are you thinking about?"

His tone was relaxed, as if he were chatting with a neighbor about domestic matters.

"Are you thinking that a gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years? That once I'm gone, you'll use the Wang family's influence to grind everyone around me—even Zhou Yuan of Qingshi City, who recommended me—into dust and scatter their ashes?"

Wang Deyong's pupils constricted sharply.

That was exactly what he was thinking!

The smile on Li Heng's face grew even wider.

"See, I understand you so well."

He reached out and gently patted Wang Deyong's aged face. The gesture was intimate, yet it made the hair on Wang Deyong's body stand on end.

"However, I'm not the type who likes to wait."

"If I have a grudge, I usually settle it on the spot."

"Now, you have one last chance. Kowtow and hand over the item."

"Otherwise..."

Li Heng didn't finish. He simply stood up and clapped his hands.

"Your Majesty."

He turned toward Xuanyuan Hong, who was equally shaken on the Dragon Throne.

"I believe Minister Wang might be getting old and has a poor memory. He needs someone to give him a hand."

Xuanyuan Hong's heart skipped a beat. He knew this was the final ultimatum.

He glanced at Wang Deyong, whose face was as pale as golden paper, and then at the calm and composed Li Heng. A battle raged within his mind.

The Wang family was one of the four pillars supporting the Divine Dynasty. If he moved against them, the court would be thrown into turmoil.

But Li Heng was a Divine Being who could flatten a thousand-year-old forbidden land single-handedly. If he were offended, the Divine Dynasty might be gone by tomorrow.

This choice wasn't difficult to make.

"Beloved Minister Wang."

Xuanyuan Hong's voice carried an irresistible majesty.

"One must accept their losses in a bet."

"Our Eastern Wasteland Divine Dynasty was founded on integrity. In this court, there is no room for empty words."

"You must not allow the people of the world to mock the officials of my Divine Dynasty for being untrustworthy."

The Emperor's words became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Wang Deyong's body trembled violently. He knew he had been abandoned.

"No... Your Majesty..."

He still wanted to struggle.

But Li Heng had run out of patience.

"Tsk, what a hassle."

He lightly snapped his fingers.

*Snap.*

A soft sound.

Wang Deyong felt an irresistible, immense force suddenly appear at the back of his neck, slamming him downward!

This force had no hint of energy fluctuations; it was as pure as the will of heaven and earth, the laws of nature.

His Golden Core Stage cultivation, which he was so proud of, was as fragile as paper before this power.

*Thud!*

An extremely dull, heavy thud echoed through the silent Qilin Hall.

Everyone saw Minister of Personnel Wang Deyong's forehead make a solid, intimate contact with the hard, cold floor.

The gold tiles cracked, and blood splattered.

The entire hall became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Every single one of the civil and military officials lowered their heads, not daring to look at the tragic scene.

This kowtow didn't just strip away Wang Deyong's dignity; it also shattered the prestige the Wang family had built over centuries.

Li Heng picked at his ear, as if the sound had been too noisy.

"Alright, the kowtowing is done."

His gaze shifted to the Wang family members, who were already scared out of their wits.

"Next, the nine heavens star iron."

"I'll give you ten breaths of time. If you don't produce it, I'll personally go to the Wang residence to collect it."

"When that time comes, I can't guarantee I'll only take this one thing."

A blatant threat!

A Wang family official scrambled out of the hall, clearly heading to retrieve the treasure.

As for Wang Deyong, after performing that kowtow, he fell straight backward, his eyes rolling back and froth at his mouth. He had actually fainted from sheer rage.

Several officials hurriedly carried him away.

The farce thus came to an end.

But the stormy waves it stirred in everyone's hearts were far from subsiding.

Xuanyuan Hong looked at Li Heng with an incredibly complex expression—excitement, awe, and a deep sense of wariness.

"Guardian Dharma Master, your Divine Might is peerless. I am truly impressed!"

He said sincerely.

"It's a small matter."

Li Heng waved his hand, completely unconcerned.

"By the way, Your Majesty, although the Evil Qi in the Black Wind Abyss is gone, the ley lines are in disarray. It would likely take centuries to restore its vitality."

"I took the liberty of adjusting it. I estimate that within three to five years, it will become a prime auspicious land with abundant Spiritual Qi. Whether you want to build a royal garden or distribute it as fertile land to the commoners is up to you."

"What?!"

Xuanyuan Hong was shocked once again.

"Took the liberty... of adjusting it?"

That was a forbidden land! In his mouth, how could it sound as casual as tending to his own backyard?

"Dharma Master's great kindness... I... on behalf of the myriad citizens of the Divine Dynasty, thank the Dharma Master!"

Xuanyuan Hong was so excited he was somewhat incoherent.

Soon, that Wang family official returned, trembling, holding an ancient red sandalwood box.

The box opened to reveal a piece of metal the size of a fist. It was pitch black but shimmered with starlight, lying quietly inside.

A heavy, vast aura washed over them.

It was indeed the nine heavens star iron!

"Dharma Master, this... this is the item you requested."

Li Heng glanced at it, casually took the priceless treasure in his hand, and weighed it.

"Just this much? Whatever, it'll do as a counterweight."

His dismissive tone nearly made the Wang family official cough up blood.

Having obtained the stakes and resolved the trouble, Li Heng felt a bit bored.

"Your Majesty, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."

"The show I'm following seems to have updated today."

Having said that, without waiting for Xuanyuan Hong's reply, his figure flickered and vanished from the Qilin Hall.

He came without a sound and left without a trace.

Leaving behind the assembly of officials and a young emperor filled with infinite imaginings for the future.

Xuanyuan Hong clenched his fists tightly, staring in the direction Li Heng had disappeared, and muttered to himself.

"The Divine Dynasty... shall flourish!"

He turned abruptly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the officials below who were as quiet as cicadas in winter, lingering particularly on the officials from the Sun, Li, and Zhao families.

"Pass down my imperial decree!"

"Minister of Personnel Wang Deyong is morally unfit for his position. As of today, he is dismissed and placed under investigation!"

"The Wang family is suspected of deceiving the monarch. The Court of Judicial Review is ordered to conduct a thorough investigation, and all involved shall be punished severely without leniency!"

The emperor's wrath, riding on the momentum provided by Li Heng, finally burned toward the deeply entrenched aristocratic families.

A political storm sweeping across the entire Eastern Wasteland Divine Dynasty thus began.

And the instigator of all this had already returned to the State Protector Dharma Master's manor.

He lay comfortably in a rocking chair, holding a Jade Slip, watching the light-and-shadow figures fighting inside with great interest.

The nine heavens star iron was casually tossed onto the table, weighing down a half-eaten bag of melon seeds.