18: The Unparalleled Emperor (12)

The atmosphere in the Third Prince's residence was even more chilling than the biting winter wind.

As if he had lost his soul, he was supported back to his residence by servants and collapsed onto the cold floor of his study, unable to get back up.

Despair.

A thorough despair, like a black tide, submerged his mouth and nose.

Wu Yun's refusal had severed his last life-saving straw.

"It's over... everything is over..." he murmured to himself, his eyes hollow.

Just then, an old servant responsible for cleaning "accidentally" tripped over the threshold while sweeping the doorway. A roll of bamboo slips fell from his arms and rolled right to the Third Prince's hand.

The old servant turned pale with fright and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow.

"Your Highness, please forgive me! This old slave deserves to die!"

The Third Prince's heart was already as cold as dead ashes, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of an unrolled corner of the bamboo slips. A few words on it instantly gripped his heart.

"Scorched Earth Rebellion," "Langxu Kingdom Secret Envoy," "Military Intelligence Leak"... He grabbed the bamboo slips and unrolled them like a madman.

It was a fragmented secret report, recording broken dialogues and timestamps, but all the clues pointed to a scalp-numbing truth—the First Prince was suspected of colluding with the enemy during the "Scorched Earth Rebellion"!

In the Third Prince's deathly eyes, a fanatical light suddenly erupted.

"The Heavens do not wish for my downfall! The Heavens do not wish for my downfall!"

He leaped up from the floor, looking like a demon possessed.

Although this evidence was incomplete, its contents were too terrifying, enough to set off a monstrous wave in the imperial court.

He didn't need Wu Yun anymore.

He would do it himself!

At his father's birthday banquet, in front of the envoys of various countries and the high officials of the Empire, he would personally tear off the First Prince's hypocritical mask and cast him into the eternal Hell!

A desperate gamble!

...Half a month later, Emperor Shenwu's birthday banquet.

In the Golden Throne Hall, bells rang, food was served in abundance, and songs and dances filled the air.

The First Prince sat in the position closest to the throne, looking radiant and accepting the congratulations of the officials, fully satisfied. He was already the de facto Dominator of the Empire, with only one final procedure remaining.

The Third Prince sat in a corner, his face as pale as paper, but his eyes burned with fire as he stared fixedly at the First Prince.

Upon the throne, the old Emperor Shenwu, who had not attended court for a long time, leaned against the back of his chair. A generation's Spirit King Realm powerhouse, his face was withered and his eyes were cloudy, as if he could fade away at any moment.

After three rounds of drinks.

The Third Prince suddenly stood up, pushed aside the table in front of him, walked quickly to the center of the hall, and fell to his knees with a thud.

"Father!"

He wailed, tears streaming down his face.

The music of the flutes and strings stopped abruptly, and everyone's gaze converged on him.

The First Prince frowned, a flash of disgust appearing in his eyes.

"Your son has a monumental grievance to air! There is a traitor who harms the country and the people to impeach!"

The Third Prince held the bamboo slips high, his voice shrill.

"Your son wishes to impeach the First Prince! He colluded with the Langxu Kingdom and sold military intelligence, causing millions of our Empire's soldiers and civilians to die tragically in the 'Scorched Earth Rebellion'! This is ironclad evidence!"

The court was in an uproar.

Everyone was stunned by this earth-shattering accusation.

The First Prince was also stunned at first, but then a flush of rage appeared on his face. He stepped forward quickly, snatched the bamboo slips, and scanned them rapidly.

After reading them, he laughed out of extreme anger.

"Hahahaha! What a 'ironclad evidence'!"

He slammed the bamboo slips onto the ground and stepped on them.

"Just based on these groundless fragments of words, you want to slander this Prince?"

He turned to face the old Emperor on the throne, his words like knives.

"Father, please see clearly! To save himself, Third Brother has already gone mad! He actually dared to forge evidence and publicly slander the Crown Prince! This is a crime of great irreverence! This is treason!"

The situation reversed instantly.

The court officials looked at the vague "evidence" being stepped on, and then at the overbearing First Prince. The balance in their hearts immediately tipped.

The Third Prince felt cold all over.

He didn't expect that the total hope he had gambled everything on would be crushed so easily by the other party.

"Guards!"

The First Prince completely tore off his disguise, revealing his murderous intent.

"The Third Prince intends to commit treason. Take him down!"

The Imperial Guards outside the hall swarmed in, their bright blades and spears pointed at the Third Prince, who was slumped on the ground.

The First Prince was still not satisfied.

He felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an opportunity to sweep away all obstacles.

"Imperial Guards, hear my command! Seal off the Golden Throne Hall! Today, this Prince will purge the court of traitors!"

As the words fell, several people beside him revealed the powerful Aura of the Spirit King Realm.

He walked toward the throne step by step, and the sword at his waist unsheathed at his command.

The cold sword tip pointed directly at the dying old Emperor on the dragon throne.

His Aura also erupted, and it was impressively the Spirit King Realm!

No one expected that the First Prince had also already achieved a Breakthrough to the Spirit King Realm.

"Father, you are old; it is time for you to rest."

"Leave this Empire to me."

A coup!

A blatant coup!

The officials were as silent as cicadas in winter, watching this crazy scene in terror.

Just as the First Prince was about to succeed and reached out for the decree of succession.

"Boom—!"

The doors of the Golden Throne Hall were kicked open from the outside, wood splinters flying everywhere.

Earth-shaking battle cries came from outside the hall, like rolling thunder.

A figure, clad in the deep black armor of the "Great General of the South," stood against the light, his Evil Qi soaring to the heavens.

It was Wu Yun!

Behind him was Prince Taiping, also in armor, and a tide of elite armored soldiers pouring in.

The First Prince's face changed drastically.

"Wu Yun! Do you intend to rebel?"

Wu Yun ignored him and walked straight to the center of the hall, holding up a thick stack of dossiers.

"By His Majesty's order, arrest the traitor!"

His voice was not loud, but it spread clearly to every corner of the hall.

"First, the complete human and physical evidence of the First Prince colluding with the Langxu Kingdom and leaking military intelligence, leading to the disastrous defeat of the border army!"

"Second, the detailed dossiers of how he, for his own selfish gain, trapped and killed our court's army and sacrificed millions of soldiers and civilians during the 'Scorched Earth Rebellion'!"

"Third, the physical evidence of the coup and rebellion currently in progress!"

The three counts of crimes were like three heavy hammers, slamming hard into the First Prince's face.

In the crowd, over a dozen generals holding military power stepped out simultaneously, glaring at the First Prince.

"Execute the traitor! Purge the court!"

"Execute the traitor! Purge the court!"

The roar, like a mountain tsunami, instantly overwhelmed everything.

The First Prince's loyalist troops were in chaos and dropped their weapons one after another.

The First Prince's eyes were blood-red, knowing that the situation was lost. He let out a beast-like roar and charged at Wu Yun with his sword.

"I will kill you!"

Wu Yun looked at the charging First Prince, his eyes showing no emotion.

Just as the other's sword was about to pierce him, he moved.

A majestic Aura suddenly erupted.

Spirit King Realm Fourth Level!

No one could see his movements clearly.

Only a crisp "crack" was heard. The First Prince's body jerked strangely in mid-air and then fell straight down.

His neck had been twisted to a bizarre angle.

The entire hall was deathly silent.

The palace rebellion was quickly suppressed.

On the throne, the old Emperor Shenwu looked at the corpses of his two sons, and then at Wu Yun, the only one standing in the hall holding absolute power. Two lines of bloody tears flowed from his cloudy eyes.

His heart was like dead ashes. Using his last ounce of strength, he issued the final imperial decree.

"Pass the throne... to the Thirteenth Prince, Wu Yun."

Three days later.

With the support of Prince Taiping and the various generals, Wu Yun took off his armor, changed into dragon robes, and stepped up the ninety-nine steps to take the supreme position.

His title: Yunwu.

An era of iron and blood belonging to him had officially arrived.