The Throne Was Right Before Him-As the Strongest, How Could He Suppress This Ambition?

The Void Grand Hall is very quiet, as if it was specially built in this way. If the curtains are not drawn, no light from the outside can shine in. At the same time, the sound insulation of the entire building is also quite impressive.

For example, right now, as Ortolan stepped into the hall, apart from the sounds of fierce fighting coming from outside the door behind him, the hall was quiet.

Whether it was triggering some mechanism or something else, as soon as Ortolan entered the main hall, the door behind him slowly closed.

At this moment, there was complete silence.

The lights flickered in the somewhat dim hall, and two rows of lights formed a path leading into the depths of the hall. The path was covered with a red carpet, and at the end of the red carpet was a three-tiered platform.

The first platform is the widest, and there are twenty standard-issue, yet each blade, over eight decades old, still gleams with a chilling light.

This is a pendant worn by twenty kings when they established the Realm of Heaven more than eight years ago. It is placed on this high platform to protect the highest throne.

It also symbolizes the legitimacy of the twenty kings' royal power and the glory of the twenty kings in establishing the world's legitimate government.

On the second step above these twenty sharp blades hangs the cross banner of the World Government. There's not much to say about this level; it's simply the final step leading to the highest point.

At the highest point, at the very top of these three tiers, stands a throne.

The armrests on the left and right sides of the throne were forged from Pure Gold and cast in the shape of roaring lions. The pattern on the back of the chair was also the flag of the Realm Government. This throne was a symbol of equality, representing that no one could be above the twenty kings, no one could be above the Realm Government, and no one should sit there.

Now, in Ortolan's view, there sits a figure on it.

He wore a towering and magnificent crown and a royal robe. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his face was handsome and dashing, though his figure was somewhat slender.

Sitting there, he certainly exuded a regal air.

Ortolan was looking at him, and he was looking at Ortolan in return.

Imu, the king who reigns supreme over the celestial government, above the Five Elders, and in the darkness, rules over the entire celestial realm.

After the two stared at each other for a long time, Imu on the throne spoke first, whispering, "So young... an enviable youth, radiating vitality from head to toe..."

"You look very young too, why be envious?" Ortolan smiled and said.

His presence here signifies that he and Imu are enemies. Even so, Ortolan still respects this former king who once ruled the entire world, addressing him as "you" in his speech.

"Me?" Imu chuckled, shaking his head. "Beneath that glamorous exterior lies a decaying soul. Time is a terrifying thing. Even with an endless life, thoughts and spirits, transcending the physical body, cannot withstand the mighty power of time..."

In Ortolan's preconceived notion, Imu should be a very self-centered and dictatorial person, so much so that even the Five Elders, who hold the highest power, can only kneel and bow before him and listen to his will.

So before meeting Imu, he had imagined what kind of scene it would be like—arrogance, conceit, and so on. But when they met, Imu gave him an unexpected feeling: humble, gentle, and his words contained little hatred or resentment.

Seemingly noticing Ortolan's surprise, Imu smiled again and asked, "Are you surprised? Do you think I should have shown anger, irritability, hatred, or even haughty arrogance when I met you?"

"Indeed, shouldn't a king who has sat on this throne for over eight weeks be angry at someone as disrespectful as me? As far as I know, even the five outside the gate have to kneel and bow their heads when they come to pay homage to me..." Ortolan replied quite frankly.

"That's because they are not worthy of being ranked with me, so they are not entitled to my goodwill," Imu said calmly.

After a slight pause, he continued, "You are different, Bane Ortolan. What do you think is the only thing in this world that can measure value?"

"Strength." Ortolan gave his answer without hesitation.

In this world, money, wealth, status, fame, and so on are all castles in the air. Only strength is the eternal truth. The strong possess it, while the weak are at the mercy of others.

"That's right, it's strength." Imu nodded in agreement, and then said, "In this world, only strength is the standard by which to measure a person. Although you are young, you already have the qualifications and strength to be ranked with me. You can be grateful for my goodwill."

In other words, for Imu, neither the Five Elders nor anyone else is strong enough to match Imu position.

Therefore, Imu never takes these people seriously, and he never gives them any respect or kindness.

"Go away. I also watched your duel with Whitebeard Newgate, the self-proclaimed World's Strongest Man, on a whim. When you displayed your full strength and defeated that so-called 'strongest' with overwhelming force, I knew that we would meet here one day." Imu said with a touch of emotion.

"Why?" Ortolan asked, slightly curious.

"Because I see my former self in you..." Imu smiled, his originally sharp eyes becoming somewhat ethereal, as if he were reminiscing about something.

After a moment, he spoke, "The strong are always lonely. Even a lion would never want to associate with a hyena. The empty throne is there. As the strongest, how can you suppress your ambition to go further? How can you convince yourself to be on par with the weak?"

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed in Ortolan's eyes. After a moment, he said with some bewilderment, "So that's why you betrayed the alliance of the twenty kings and sat on that throne?"

"Betrayal? Ha..." Imu sneered, "They betrayed me, not the other way around... Do you know why we, the so-called twenty kings, made this covenant and established this throne in the void?"

Then, before Ortolan could speak, Imu waved and said, "If you don't mind, come up and talk to me more closely."

Seeing this, Ortolan didn't hesitate. He nodded in acknowledgment, then stepped onto the stairs, past the twenty blades, past the banner of the World Government, and finally arrived before the throne.

Imu also stopped sitting there and stood up, standing to the side of the throne.

At this moment, the two of them showed no hostility towards each other at all, and stood together as if they were friends, admiring and pointing out the throne.

"Why did you establish this covenant and set up this throne in the void?" Ortolan asked.

"Because they are afraid, afraid of my power, afraid of my strength. Although we twenty kings are all outstanding talents on this sea, each one is exceptionally brave, wise, and persevering, and are rare kings... that is compared to the masses. Of the twenty kings, apart from me, the other nineteen are, in my eyes, mortals... and they seem to be able to feel this insurmountable gap and difference. It is precisely because of this that they have united as one, sticking together for warmth, trying to stop me from going any further..." Imu said with a smile.

Ortolan remained silent, while Imu continued, "Do you really think they are such selfless and great people? That they limit their power and status with this throne and blade? You are sorely mistaken. The truth is... they are very clear that after defeating our common enemy, all conflicts will be transferred to the twenty of us. That empty throne is too small; only one person can sit on it and become the true King of the World... And they know my strength, so they understand that only I am qualified to sit on that throne. They do not want anyone to be above them, so it is better for no one to sit on it. And that is why they have placed the throne, which they could not obtain in the first place, high in the sky, establishing a covenant to demonstrate their greatness and selflessness... And in doing so, it is my interests that are sacrificed."

As Ortolan listened to these reasons, he seemed to understand something.

Meanwhile, Imu continued recounting his story, his gaze fixed on the throne, as if he had traveled back hundreds of years, filled with regret, reminiscence, and a sense of relief.

"Back then, I was just as young as you. Although I knew that everything they did was to control and restrict me, the friendship I had built over the years still kept me silent about the alliance. I didn't oppose it... I didn't even try to stop anything. One of those twenty sharp blades downstairs belonged to me," Imu said with emotion.

"Later, they all died, and the old friendships gradually faded over time. It was after that that my interest in this throne resurfaced, and in the end, I chose to sit down." Imu said, looking at Ortolan, and asked with a smile, "Tell me, was I wrong to choose to sit on this throne?"

Ortolan was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "There's nothing wrong with that. If I were in that situation, I would have done the same."

Just as Imu said, the throne is right in front of him, how can the strongest suppress his ambition?