Divine Land, central region, Imperial Capital City of Yong Prefecture.
A thousand strands of auspicious radiance, pillars of purple qi, dragons and phoenixes singing in harmony...
The towering, colossal palaces resembled ancient behemoths, crouching amid a vast mountain range that seemed to cleave heaven and earth in two. Like the raised spine of a giant dragon, it was encircled by countless mountains and waters, its spiritual qi abundant as rain and mist. Clearly, someone had laid down a grand formation that spanned heaven and earth.
The imperial city was the heart of the Divine Land. The Great Emperor was the sovereign of all living things—supreme and peerless, exalted without limit, divine beyond measure.
Within the palace, where purple qi hung hazily and gathered into rosy clouds, two figures stood facing each other, one above and one below.
One wore an imperial crown, its beaded curtain chiming crisply. Every pearl upon it was an unparalleled treasure, radiating boundless light and concealing the face behind the veil. Yet his aura was like the great sun in the heavens—overbearing and fierce, illuminating all beneath the sky. He possessed the unmatched imperial bearing and majesty of a sovereign. He was the reigning Great Emperor.
Thirteen years ago, this man had ascended the imperial throne. From then on, he had become supreme without limit, the human realm's paramount sovereign, his authority looming over the four seas and eight wildernesses.
His rule had also been considered clear-minded and diligent. He had achieved much in governance. Over ten years, he rectified officialdom, dredged waterways, relieved disaster victims, restored livelihoods, strengthened trade routes, and developed the economy, providing an immense impetus to prosperity.
Yet during his reign, especially over the past two years, natural disasters and human calamities had emerged one after another. The southern rebellion and the