"Your Majesty, please issue your first decree."
The old eunuch held up a scroll and a writing brush with both hands, presenting them respectfully to Qian Fan.
Qian Fan stood at the very center of the square. "What!"
He had seen shameless tricks before, but never anything this shameless.
What the hell? He just died like that!
Across his two lifetimes, Qian Fan had only been schemed against twice: once by Xu Menghan, and now by this fellow.
Seriously, who taught you to pull a stunt like this?
In his mind, Qian Fan hauled that king up and cursed him tens of thousands of times.
Yet the cheers around him only grew more fervent.
Qian Fan: ...
If he agreed now, he would inexplicably gain an entire Star Domain.
If he refused, the people around him would object even more strongly than he did, and he could hardly slaughter them all.
Qian Fan shook his head helplessly and let out a resigned sigh.
He stepped forward and accepted the scroll.
Then he addressed everyone in the square.
"I, your new king, hereby issue three imperial decrees today.
"First, from this day onward, this land shall officially be renamed the Moonset Empire.
"This name shall endure forever as the symbol of our great nation.
"Third,
"Begin searching immediately throughout the nation for elite youths between the ages of fifteen and ten.
"These talented young people shall be our future hope. They will receive rigorous training and education, preparing them to shoulder great responsibilities in the years ahead."
Qian Fan's words echoed above the square like thunder, leaving the people awestruck.
His gaze swept over the crowd, and everyone could feel his determination and authority.
At that moment, the entire nation seemed to lie within his grasp, and his decrees would set the course of its future.
Now, the immensely broad street was packed with a sea of people, their shoulders brushing as tens of thousands of commoners gathered once more.
Excitement filled their faces as they passionately shouted their slogans.
"Long live the Great Moon Empire!
"Long live the king!
"Long live the Great Moon Empire!
"Long live the king!"
The waves of sound surged like a raging tide, each higher than the last, spreading in every direction.
Their deafening cries rang through the clouds, as though they would shake all heaven and earth.
Their faces shone with reverence and love for the Great Moon Empire and their king, emotions that had been fully kindled at that moment.
With their sincerest blessings, they expressed the loyalty and support in the depths of their hearts.
Amid the people's cheers, Qian Fan turned and entered the royal palace.
He needed to select outstanding talents as soon as possible and nurture them into the pillars of the nation's future.
He summoned the nation's sages and generals to discuss the details of selection and training.
Meanwhile, he sent envoys across the land to seek out promising youths and invite them to the royal capital for the selection.
Before long, groups of young, spirited youths arrived in the capital one after another.
Carrying dreams and expectations, they longed to display their talents in this new era.
Qian Fan personally oversaw the selection process, weighing character, wisdom, and strength together to ensure that only the true elite were chosen.
After successive rounds of screening, the youths who remained formed an elite unit.
Qian Fan devised a rigorous training program for them, covering military tactics, political strategy, culture, the arts, and more.
"Those plans I just laid out...
As long as they're willing to train, work, and persevere,
I believe that within ten years,
the Moonset Empire will experience a true
'revival of martial righteousness.'"
On the twentieth day after Qian Fan secured his throne,
he was looking through a roster, imagining whether this Star Domain's strength might rival the Seven Star Domain after a few hundred years.
He studied the names listed there.
They were either Soul Kings or Soul Emperors. Even the strongest, Zhong Weili, was merely a Soul Saint.
Qian Fan had just finished holding morning court and sat exhausted on the dragon throne.
Just as he was about to rest for a moment, a panicked soldier suddenly rushed in, dropped to his knees, and cried out.
"Report!!! Your Majesty, disaster!
"Three people outside the city gates are harming our citizens! Not only are their attacks vicious, but they're also spouting arrogant nonsense, claiming that you amount to nothing!"
Qian Fan heard his words.
Well, well. So there are still people in this world who dare say I, Qian Fan, amount to nothing.
If I don't avenge this insult, I'll take that old dog Fangyuan's surname!
"Outrageous!
"They dare run wild within my Moon Country and insult me? They truly recognize neither law nor heaven!
"Let me see which fatherless bastard is so bold!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qian Fan's figure flashed, shooting straight into the air before hurtling forward at tremendous speed.
The ministers behind him dared not delay either. Each employed his own means of flight and followed close behind Qian Fan.
Yet before they reached their destination, they could already hear the three men's taunts from afar.
Their voices were extremely loud, echoing across the open wilderness and grating on the listeners' nerves.
Qian Fan's brows furrowed slightly.
Come on, then. Let this emperor see which dancing clown is causing trouble.
The leader of the three looked over.
"Hey, why hasn't that old bastard Liu Tianchen come?
"Does he think we aren't worthy of fighting him?
"He actually sent a little brat who isn't even twenty to hold the fort? How utterly laughable!
"Hahahahaha..."
Qian Fan narrowed his eyes, a powerful aura radiating from his body.
Yet the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. My God King trial card may have expired, but that doesn't mean these bastards can provoke me.
He spoke in a quiet voice.
"Heh, someone really does bring you a pillow just when you're getting sleepy.
"I was looking for an excuse to wipe out the other countries in one go.
"You came to my door and provoked me first.
"So it's perfectly reasonable for me to destroy your countries, isn't it?"
No one heard those words from Qian Fan.
They watched Qian Fan, their new king.
They, too, wanted to see
how their king would handle this.
Before his words had faded, Qian Fan charged at his enemies like lightning.
With the Shadow Battle Axe in his hand, he instantly sent one man flying dozens of meters.
Seeing this, the other two attacked together.
Qian Fan sidestepped them, then kicked one man and punched the other in the chest.
His attacks flowed like drifting clouds and running water, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"Attack together! Kill him!"
The two fallen men scrambled up and shouted viciously.
The corners of Qian Fan's mouth rose slightly. Without the slightest fear, his figure flashed as he charged forward again...
Today, he would use his own strength to teach these fools, who knew neither heaven's height nor earth's depth, the meaning of true terror!
Then a deep roar emerged from the vortex, as though a demon had awakened in the depths of hell.
The massive form of the fallen angel gradually emerged from the vortex. It spread its wings and soared, exuding a suffocating aura.
The fallen angel's wings blazed with dazzling light,
revealing seven Soul Rings: black, black, black, black, red, red.
The seven Soul Rings shone upon one another, forming a brilliant ribbon of light that illuminated the entire space.
At the same time, surging Soul Power welled up within Qian Fan, pouring endlessly into the fallen angel like raging waves.
His terrifying Soul Power, at precisely level eighty, bore down upon the three men like Mount Tai crushing eggs, its weight leaving them barely able to breathe.
The three felt pressure unlike anything they had ever experienced. Their faces turned as pale as paper, and cold sweat streamed down their foreheads.
Facing such a powerful opponent, their hearts filled with terror and despair.
They felt an utterly terrifying pressure descend from the heavens. Their knees bent involuntarily until they fell straight to the ground.
Their faces were filled with terror and despair as they spoke in trembling voices.
"King of the Moon Country, please spare our lives!
"We won't dare do it again..."
That pressure was like an insurmountable mountain, weighing on them until they could not breathe,
leaving them without even the strength to raise their heads.
They knew they had committed an unforgivable mistake. Their only hope now was to receive the Moon Country's king's forgiveness.
A barely perceptible trace of killing intent appeared in Qian Fan's eyes.
"It's too late for regrets!"
He swung his axe.
The three men scattered into a mist of blood.
Qian Fan looked at their corpses again.
"You mongrels. If anyone had dared provoke me like this when I was a heavenly immortal, I'd already have torn out their souls and annihilated them.
"I don't have that ability this time, so I'll let you off for now."
With that, Qian Fan turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, an uproar erupted within the imperial households of the three great empires.
"What! All three of my generals were killed!!!!
"And by the same person? Who dared do such a thing!!"
The emperor's eyes widened as he stared at the intelligence before him in disbelief.
His hands gripped the armrests tightly, his heart filled with fury and shock.
These three generals were capable warriors he had painstakingly nurtured. They had fought a hundred battles and earned illustrious merits, yet all had fallen overnight. How could his heart not ache?
Various possible enemies flashed through the emperor's mind, but he could not determine the killer's identity.
He knew this was no trivial matter. If he could not quickly find the true culprit and punish him severely, panic and unrest would inevitably spread throughout the nation.
Thus, the emperor immediately summoned his court ministers and advisers to discuss a response.
As time passed, the truth behind the slaughter gradually surfaced.
But until then, the entire empire remained shrouded in shadow, awaiting the moment when the answer would be revealed.
When the news reached the Moon Country, its citizens leaped and cheered, filled with pride in their king.
Qian Fan's prestige soared, and the people's reverence and trust in him deepened.
In the neighboring country, however, the emperor smashed his wine cup in fury after learning the truth.
He understood that he had encountered a formidable enemy, and he also realized that the Moon Country's rise could no longer be stopped.
Every country understood Qian Fan's power, and they foresaw a gathering hosted by death itself-a revel of bloody winds and crimson rain about to begin.
In a remote, peaceful little village,
a young man dressed in plain clothes, with a striking head of blue hair, stood at the village entrance.
His gaze remained fixed on the distance, as though he were pondering something.
Suddenly, he sighed softly, then murmured to himself:
"Brother Fan, you're still as domineering as ever."
The blue-haired young man turned and walked into the village, stopping before a dilapidated cottage.
He pushed open the door, and the smell of dust filled the room. Walking to the wall, he took down a bundle.
"Clear Sky Hammer, it's time to make everyone beneath heaven tremble before you."
The young man murmured to himself, "Brother Fan has already become king of the Moon Country. And I should embark on my own journey, too."
He stepped out of the cottage, slung the bundle onto his back, put away the Clear Sky Hammer, and set off toward the Moon Country.
Before you continue