Not one of the four Imperial Clans was easy to deal with. Tian City had risen from the chaos of war, but now the Nine Heavens were relatively peaceful and had entered an era of good governance. If they continued to hoard troops and power, with the various families intertwined like tangled roots, they would inevitably become Tian City's greatest hidden danger. I had studied history since childhood, and the countless examples from every dynasty and era were stark before my eyes: buying off military power with a cup of wine, weakening vassals and dividing their forces—these had become the inevitable choices of countless emperors seeking to change the balance of imperial power.
I had already attained the Genesis Heaven Realm and possessed a world of my own. Entrusting excessive authority to Ling Tian was only natural. However, I had left in such haste that I had not weakened the influence of the various Imperial Clans and families, resulting in powerful ministers and a weak ruler. Thus, beneath the calm surface of Tian City, turbulent currents had surged all these years. The Imperial Clans had continued to harbor wishful thinking and grown increasingly disrespectful toward Tian City's weak ruler.
Ling Tian was the Crown Prince overseeing the state. Although his temperament possessed the qualities a powerful ruler ought to have, his foundation among the four Imperial Clans and the various powerful factions was weak. The road to ascending the throne as Tian City's ruler was ultimately covered in thorns. Of course, since I was still Tian City's ruler, it was my responsibility to clear the obstacles from my son's path.
I had plenty of ways to deal with these powerful factions. But if I wanted to leave them utterly speechless, that was another matter. If I acted forcefully, the four