"If you have the guts, then kill the emperor and seize the throne today. I will never apologize!"

Dai Li recognized the man at the head of the group.

He was the Duke of Apocalypse, enfeoffed to the Frost Sky Principality by the Star Luo Empire.

The first Duke of Apocalypse had been a minister of the central government during Dai Renfeng's reign. But by now, he was probably the fifth generation of the family to hold the title.

The fifth Duke of Apocalypse, Cheng Ming, had the Ant Emperor Martial Soul and was a seventy-ninth-level Soul Saint.

He was the only current duke outside Star Luo City who possessed Soul Saint strength during Dai Li's reign!

"Your Majesty is too kind."

Cheng Ming bowed slightly, his voice calm and unhurried. "We have come to see you late at night because there is a matter concerning the safety of the state that we wish to advise Your Majesty about."

"A matter concerning the safety of the state?"

Dai Li gave a cold laugh. "How come I don't know of any great matter worth so many of you crowding around my door in the middle of the night?"

Cheng Ming raised his head and met Dai Li's gaze calmly. He spoke slowly and clearly. "Your Majesty, everyone in the empire knows what happened in Taihe Hall three days ago."

"Today, Chen Fan, Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect, hosted a banquet for the ministers and treated them with great generosity. That shows the breadth of his mind and the measure of his character."

"In our view, since there is a misunderstanding between the Star Luo Empire and the Seven Kill Sect, it should be resolved as soon as possible, before it grows into something worse."

He paused. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but every person present heard him clearly.

"This subject believes Your Majesty should go to the villa in person and apologize to Sect Master Chen face-to-face."

The moment those words fell, Dai Li felt his blood surge to his head. His face flushed crimson.

"What did you say?!"

His voice shot up, nearly breaking. "You want me... to apologize to that brat?!"

"I am the supreme ruler of the Star Luo Empire!"

"You want me to bow my head to an eighteen-year-old whelp?!"

His chest heaved violently as he stared at Cheng Ming, as if he wanted to devour him with his eyes. "Cheng Ming, do you know what you're saying?!"

"This subject does."

Cheng Ming remained slightly bent at the waist, but there was not the slightest hint of retreat in his tone. "This subject also knows that the Seven Kill Sect's Grand Sect Master, Chen Jianjun, needed only three sword strikes to slay the two old ancestors, Dai Renfeng and Zhu Buchun."

"This subject also knows that Sect Master Chen Fan casually gave Xu Wensu a pill, and Xu Wensu rose on the spot from an eighty-ninth-level Soul Douluo to a ninety-third-level Titled Douluo."

"The Seven Kill Sect may not have deep ties to the Star Luo Empire, but surely I needn't spell out how the duke's Xu Family has been treated in recent years?"

Dai Li's lips trembled. He wanted to argue, but found he couldn't utter a single word.

Every word Cheng Ming had said was true.

The scene of those three sword strikes, that gleaming sword light, the head rolling across the ground... Every image played over and over in his mind like a lantern show.

Of course!

More important than anything was the Xu Family!

Dukes usually had a title attached to their name, but the Xu Family's ducal title had been stripped away by Dai Li himself.

At the thought, Dai Li's legs suddenly went weak.

But he couldn't admit defeat, let alone back down!

He was the emperor, the supreme ruler of the Star Luo Empire!

How could he bow his head to some brat?!

How could he allow that?

"Phew..."

Dai Li drew a deep breath, then abruptly lifted his head and swept his gaze across the dozen or so ministers. He shouted, "You all feel the same way?!"

These ministers were all dukes who had been enfeoffed elsewhere.

Of course, unlike Cheng Ming, they were all white-haired and ancient-looking, clearly the old ancestors of their ducal families.

But.

Faced with Dai Li's words, the Soul Saints fell silent as one. None of them seemed inclined to answer.

At the same time.

Not one of them showed any intention of stepping aside or leaving.

And their actions were the clearest answer of all!

Seeing this.

Dai Li felt his heart sink, lower and lower, all the way to the bottom.

Suddenly, he found it a little absurd.

In the past, whenever these ministers submitted a memorial, they would say, "Your Majesty is wise" at every turn. Yet now they stood in perfect formation outside his bedchamber, forcing him to apologize to an eighteen-year-old whelp.

This was outrageous!

"You..."

Dai Li lowered his voice until it sounded like it was squeezed through his teeth. "You're forcing me from the throne."

Cheng Ming sighed. "Your Majesty is too harsh!"

"We merely don't want to see the Star Luo Empire go down the wrong road again."

"That Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect isn't bloodthirsty. He gave Xu Wensu a pill and hosted a banquet for the ministers. That's enough to show he wants to win people over, not wipe them out."

"If Your Majesty can put aside your pride and make a friendly gesture now, there may still be a chance to turn things around."

"But if Your Majesty insists on refusing to yield..."

Cheng Ming left the rest unsaid.

But he and the men behind him all stepped forward in unison, surrounding Dai Li with perfect understanding.

Seeing this.

Dai Li's chest heaved with rage, his face turning red, then pale.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. Blood ran between his fingers, but he didn't notice.

What were these men trying to do?!

Force him from the throne?!

Did they really think Dai Li was a soft persimmon they could squeeze whenever they pleased?

"Impossible!"

Dai Li snorted coldly. "If you have the guts, then kill the emperor and seize the throne today. I will never apologize!"

"Then, Your Majesty, we have no choice but to offend you!"

Cheng Ming didn't seem surprised.

As soon as he finished speaking,

the dozen or so Soul Saint ministers stepped forward together. Their Soul Power surged silently, spreading like an invisible net over the entire palace courtyard.

Under the sweep of their Soul Power, Dai Li instinctively took half a step back, only to step into empty space and nearly fall.

Feeling the sluggish flow of Soul Power within his body, Dai Li's expression turned rather colorful.

Three days ago, he had been badly injured and had nearly died at Xu Wensu's hands.

And now,

his wounds still hadn't healed, and his Soul Power moved with difficulty. To take on a dozen men by himself was pure fantasy.

Of course.

If Zhu Qingque were still here, he could use the Martial Soul Fusion Skill Hell White Tiger with her. Never mind a dozen Soul Saints—even if Xu Wensu came, he might still dare to fight.

But Zhu Qingque had just been driven away by him.

"Your Majesty!"

Cheng Ming cupped his hands slightly, his manner respectful. "We know a thing or two about fighting, too."

"Tonight, we can only offend you."

Dai Li's expression changed drastically. "You..."

Before he could finish, he saw the dozen or so Soul Saints behind Cheng Ming rush forward as one!

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"

Though he wasn't in good shape, he was still an eighty-ninth-level Soul Douluo. A mere dozen Soul Saints, he—

Two and a half minutes later.

Dai Li's face was bruised and swollen, his legs unsteady beneath him. His labored breathing and stifled groans rang sharply in the night.

Cheng Ming had stood off to one side with his arms folded the whole time. Only when Dai Li had collapsed limply like a dead dog did he nod. "All right. Take His Majesty over."

Dai Li staggered along, grimacing from the pain.

But once he had left the palace, a thought suddenly struck him...

Hadn't he just sent Zhu Qingque to find the Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect?