All beneath heaven is the sovereign's land; all within its bounds are the sovereign's subjects!

In an instant, the area where Li Chen and Master Yu stood became the focus of everyone present.

This was supposed to be nothing more than a celebration. No one had expected Li Chen to unleash an unparalleled aura the moment he stepped down from his carriage, unmistakably revealing his Saint Realm power!

Many people stared fixedly at them, eager to see what Master Yu would do.

Even Master Yu himself was somewhat bewildered. He instantly felt an enormous pressure bearing down on him.

The nobles around him, the common people, and even the new Saint Realm emperor, Li Chen, were all watching him.

At that moment, he felt that Li Chen ought to greet him first, then tell everyone around them to rise. That would dispel this tense atmosphere.

The problem was that Li Chen showed no such intention. He simply stood there, watching him.

At that moment, Master Yu understood. His Majesty needed him to make his stance clear.

He felt that Li Chen had unleashed his Saint Realm aura upon leaving the carriage for more than merely demonstrating his cultivation.

In truth, Li Chen was doing this deliberately. To maintain stability, emperors through the ages had naturally shown these supreme experts a measure of deference.

As a result, supreme experts like Master Yu naturally thought little of imperial authority.

They took the emperor's deference for granted.

Scholars throughout the realm revered Master Yu, regarding him as a sage.

In their eyes, Master Yu's standing far surpassed the emperor's.

Scholars dared to curse the emperor, but they did not dare to curse Master Yu.

Any other emperor could only keep one eye open and the other shut. They, too, feared offending the countless voices of the realm.

Li Chen was different. He watched with both eyes wide open. Who in the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty dared defy him?

If you invited me to tea in private, I wouldn't demand this of you.

Today is different. You invited me here as the emperor.

And this is a public occasion. The commoners, the nobles, and those powerful ministers are all watching.

I gave you face by coming. You, too, must remember your place.

I'm already in the Saint Realm. Why should I keep indulging you people?

If you don't kneel, the world will think you stand on equal footing with me!

At that moment, no one knew what Master Yu was thinking.

But a second later, Master Yu dropped to both knees and declared solemnly, "This humble commoner, Yu Zhong, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Master Yu had knelt!

He had knelt fully before Li Chen!

By kneeling, he represented not only himself, but every scholar in the realm!

Only then did the scholars around them awaken to the realization that above Master Yu, there was still an emperor!

What did it mean to say that all beneath heaven was the sovereign's land, and all within its bounds were the sovereign's subjects?

This was the finest illustration!

"You may rise."

Li Chen personally stepped forward and helped Master Yu up.

Master Yu thanked him repeatedly for his grace, and only then could the Cloud Deer Academy celebration begin.

No one present was more excited than the nobles and ministers, for their emperor had told the entire world that he alone stood supreme beneath heaven, that he alone was the sovereign of all!

In this Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, his word was law!

If you refuse to accept that, Master Yu, go ahead and unleash your strength.

Then see whether our Saint Realm emperor beats you down. That will settle it.

Truthfully, if Master Yu had lacked even this much sense, Li Chen might well have torn the Cloud Deer Academy down.

And he had the power to do just that!

Afterward, Li Chen slowly passed through the Cloud Deer Academy's ancient, imposing gates, each step steady and forceful.

The officials followed closely, yet none dared overstep in the slightest. Even Master Yu, the sage of the Cloud Deer Academy, could only walk behind Li Chen and to one side.

This was more than respect for Li Chen. It was reverence for the supreme authority of the throne.

The sight stirred deep emotion in some of the steadfastly loyal old ministers.

Once upon a time, they had accompanied the Previous Emperor here as well. Back then, Master Yu had walked abreast of him, chatting and laughing freely.

The Previous Emperor had invited Master Yu to serve at court several times, yet Master Yu had hardly shown him any consideration.

Li Chen had now fully reclaimed the imperial dignity lost at the Cloud Deer Academy!

A faint, composed smile rested on Li Chen's face, and every movement carried an air of looking down upon the world.

As he walked slowly forward, the academy's scholars, those students who had once prided themselves on their learning, all lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at this supreme sovereign beneath heaven!

Those Confucian scholars who had privately spoken arrogantly about Li Chen were especially terrified.

After Emperor Li Chen passed through the Cloud Deer Academy's gates, the commoners outside began talking among themselves. Their faces shone with excitement and reverence, as though they had witnessed the embodiment of heaven's boundless might and divine martial majesty.

An elderly man shakily rose to his feet, his eyes gleaming with admiration. In a trembling voice, he said, "I've lived to this ripe old age, but today truly opened my eyes. His Majesty truly strides through the world like a dragon, unrivaled in valor and majesty!"

Beside him, a young woman held her child, her eyes filled with adoration and awe. She softly told the child, "My child, you must remember what he looks like. He is the wise sovereign of our Heavenly Strategy Dynasty!"

Not far away, a young member of the imperial family exclaimed excitedly, "With an emperor like this, how could the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty fail to prosper? I dare say our dynasty will produce a sovereign for the ages!"

During the brief interval between Li Chen leaving his carriage and entering the academy, only a few people had actually been able to see him. They either held high standing or had arrived very early.

Those farther back all tried to squeeze forward to see just how majestic and extraordinary the emperor was, causing a certain amount of chaos.

Amid the bustling crowd, the Chu Lineage's ancestor protected his clansmen as they withdrew.

Apart from Chu Ruoyan, this was the first time any of the other members of the Chu Lineage had seen Li Chen.

Only after seeing him just now did the head of the Chu Lineage understand why his proud daughter had seemed so utterly distracted after meeting His Majesty.

He was young and handsome, his strength was terrifying, and his status was higher than the heavens.

Never mind Chu Ruoyan-what woman could resist that?

The head of the Chu Lineage felt that coming here before dawn had been well worth the trip!

Chu Ruoyan's eyes were practically overflowing with hearts now. It was her first time seeing Li Chen in dragon robes, and the sight of him standing supreme beneath heaven had left her wet.

Where some rejoiced, others fretted. Wu Qi had arrived early that morning, but by then the place was already packed, and he could not squeeze his way in.

"Good grief! These people must have come before dawn to claim their spots. I've got to hand it to them!"

He was deeply frustrated at missing another chance to grovel before Li Chen.

Wu Qi's cultivation was quite high, and he was a renowned young prodigy in the Imperial Capital.

But hidden dragons and crouching tigers lurked all around him. Experts gathered like clouds, and even the Imperial Guard was present.

With his modest abilities, Wu Qi had no way to squeeze through.

Beside him, his sharp-tongued aunt, Wu Nanzhi, was scolding him.

"When you write home, aren't you always bragging about how well you're doing in the Imperial Capital? How come you couldn't even secure a spot up front?"

"I told you to work hard at your cultivation. Look at that scrawny body and pathetic strength of yours. You were shoved right out just now, and you still have the nerve to call yourself a genius?"

Faced with his aunt's criticism, Wu Qi did not dare talk back.

Wu Nanzhi had not seen what the emperor looked like, but she had felt his Saint Realm power. It was stronger than Wu Qi's grandfather by who knew how many times.

What puzzled her was why that aura felt somewhat familiar.

The most pleased of all was Liu Hao. After all, he was the son of a great noble family.

Though the family had declined somewhat, even a starved camel was bigger than a horse.

Yesterday, upon hearing that Li Chen would visit the Cloud Deer Academy, he had asked his father to pull every string he could and get him inside the academy in advance.

The moment he found an opportunity, he would start groveling madly before Li Chen!