"Kill him!" Qian Tianbo roared, driven utterly mad by his crushing disappointment. Every subordinate he had stationed nearby surged forward at once. Immortal Artifacts flew in every direction, all aimed at Luo Qian. Yin Quanyin obligingly stepped aside yet again, leaving Luo Qian alone and ready to weep.
"His Majesty approaches!" A long cry rang out, startling everyone. A stream of light swept up every Immortal Artifact above Luo Qian's head and flung them skyward, where they vanished without a trace. Luo Qian turned and saw Xu Hu following close behind the Supreme Pure Emperor, approaching in quick, short steps. The stream of light curled back into Xu Hu's hand.
"Long live Your Majesty, for ten thousand years and ten thousand times ten thousand years!" Everyone across the mountainside dropped to their knees and shouted three times. The Supreme Pure Emperor walked beneath the Jin-yellow canopy and raised a hand slightly. "Rise."
As everyone stood, Luo Qian silently thanked his luck. His Majesty's arrival could not have come at a better time. He barely heard the Supreme Pure Emperor's words of instruction. All he saw was Qian Tianbo standing there in a daze as officers of the Imperial Execution Bureau quietly filtered through the crowd. Working in groups of two or three, they took all Qian Tianbo's subordinates into custody. Several officers passed Luo Qian and waggled their brows at him, drawing a smile from his face. It was good to have his own people around.
Qian Tianbo looked as though someone had cast the Immobility Spell on him. He just stood there, stunned. The Supreme Pure Emperor's address was mostly a call for everyone to cultivate diligently and defend the Immortal Realm. But His Majesty was His Majesty, and his speech was stirring. He ended with "May heaven bless