All eyes were focused on the shadowy spot on one side of the main hall.
Toji leaned against a huge stone pillar carved with dragons, completely out of place with the noisy and lively atmosphere around him.
He was still dressed in that simple black outfit, as if he had just returned from a picnic, rather than having experienced an earth-shattering battle that killed emperors and destroyed gods.
He held a glass of strong liquor in his hand, but just swirled it casually, leaving streaks of amber liquid on the glass.
His face showed no joy, only an almost indifferent calm. His deep eyes looked through the swaying crowd into the void, as if piercing through the palace dome and seeing a more distant and heavy future.
Surrounded by his ministers, Emperor Vikes approached Toji with a beaming smile, his tone more enthusiastic and respectful than ever before. " Toji Shen'er, your achievements in this battle are unparalleled, and I am truly pleased. What do you desire? A title? A fiefdom? Divine weapons? The imperial treasury is yours to choose from!"
"From this day forward, you shall be the First Regent of my Heaven Dou Empire, with a rank equivalent to a prince! Your fate shall be intertwined with that of the nation!"
The emperor's words resonated deeply, drawing another chorus of envy and congratulations from those around him.
The rank was equivalent to that of a prince, and he was the highest-ranking official in the empire. What honor and power that was!
However, Toji merely slowly raised his eyelids. His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the fervent smile on Vikes' face and causing the surrounding noise to momentarily cease.
"Not interested." Toji's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly overshadowed all other voices, carrying an undeniable indifference.
He casually poured the almost untouched liquor from his glass onto the ground, the liquid splashing onto the gleaming gold bricks.
"Celebrate. Too early."
He ignored the emperor's instantly frozen expression and the astonished gazes of the surrounding ministers, and even ignored the questioning look that Du Busi was giving him.
He turned straight around and walked out of the hall with steady steps. His black-clad figure cast a solitary silhouette under the brilliant lights.
" Xu Tianran's death is merely removing an eyesore." Toji's voice drifted in with his footsteps, striking coldly at everyone's hearts. "The real trouble is just beginning."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared into the night outside the palace gates, leaving only silence in the hall and bewildered people looking at each other.
Vikes ' smile froze completely, and his fingers holding the wine glass turned slightly white. A glint flashed in Du Busi's cloudy old eyes, and he slowly put down the wine glass. The joy on his face faded considerably, replaced by deep solemnity.
Yes, Xu Tianran is dead, but the Sun Moon Empire will not collapse.
The Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu, a huge square in front of the ruins of the imperial palace.
The somber and sorrowful atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone's heart, like a solid leaden cloud. The entire nation was draped in mourning, and white banners fluttered in the wind.
A huge mourning hall has been set up, with Xu Tianran's cenotaph placed in the center, surrounded by mountains of white wreaths.
The square was filled with kneeling officials, nobles, soldiers, and countless spontaneously gathered people who had come from all over the country.
Cries rose and fell, mournful music played softly and mournfully, and the air was filled with the smell of burning incense and paper money, as well as a heavy sense of sorrow.
At the very front of the mourning hall, a figure dressed in pure white stood out.
Empress Ju Zi, dressed in pure white mourning clothes, without any makeup, her face as pale as paper, made her swollen red eyes appear even more pitiful.
She held the swaddled baby tightly in her arms, and the baby seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere, squirming restlessly.
Ju Zi lowered her head slightly, her shoulders trembling gently. Silent tears, like pearls from a broken string, fell drop by drop onto the swaddling clothes of the baby in her arms. Her heartbroken and pitiful appearance was enough to move even the most hard-hearted person.
The atmosphere around her was as heavy as an iron wall.
Led by Kong Deming, a total of eight elderly men with profound auras, dressed in specially made Level 9 Soul Engineer robes, stood like the most loyal rocks, firmly protecting her and the baby in the center.
They didn't unleash any powerful Soul Power pressure, but simply standing there, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, created an invisible, suffocating barrier. Any fluctuation of Soul Power, any suspicious attempt to approach, would be instantly locked onto and extinguished.
This is the highest level of protection for the Soul Engineer of the Sun Moon Empire, completely impenetrable.
Holding the child, Ju Zi slowly walked to the high platform in front of the mourning hall under the close protection of Kong Deming and others.
She raised her tear-filled face and looked down at the dark mass of people. Wherever her sorrowful gaze swept, the sobs grew even louder.
Her voice, thick with sobs yet exceptionally clear and resolute, resounded throughout the entire plaza and reached every corner via the soul-guided loudspeaker:
"Your Majesty, my husband... the pillar of the Sun Moon Empire..." Her voice choked with emotion, filled with endless sorrow and longing, "He devoted his life to governing diligently and loving his people, striving to strengthen the nation and enrich its inhabitants, so that the people of Sun Moon could stand tall at the pinnacle of the continent! What wrong had he done?!"
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with grief, indignation, and accusation:
"However, those despicable scoundrels who originally belonged to the Douluo Three Kingdoms! They feared His Majesty's great talent and strategy! They feared the rise of my Sun Moon Empire, and actually used the most vile and despicable means to successfully assassinate His Majesty the Emperor." Ju Zi's voice trembled with extreme anger, and tears welled up again.
"They dared not defeat our army honorably on the battlefield, so they resorted to these underhanded and despicable acts to steal our wise and mighty emperor and the hope of our Sun Moon Empire!"
Her accusations, like the mournful cry of a cuckoo, instantly ignited the pent-up grief and hatred in the hearts of the people below!
"A blood debt must be paid in blood!!"
"Avenge His Majesty!!"
"Crush the Douluo Three Kingdoms! Slaughter all those despicable villains!!"
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, and their roars rose like a tsunami, scattering the dark clouds in the sky.
Ju Zi held the child tightly in her arms, as if the child was her last source of support and strength.
She took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and her eyes instantly transformed from extreme sorrow into a coldness.
"Though His Majesty is gone, the Sun Moon live on! The hatred between the nation and the family is irreconcilable!" Her voice was resolute, like a drawn sword, filled with unwavering determination. "I, Ju Zi, in the name of Empress and the mother of Yunhan, hereby swear! From this day forward, my Sun Moon Empire will wage all-out war against the former Douluo Three Kingdoms — Heaven Dou, Dou Ling, and Star Luo Empire! Until the very end!"
She suddenly raised one hand, pointing south, towards the direction of the Douluo Continent. Every word she spoke was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of every citizen of the Sun Moon:
"This battle! Is not for conquest! It is solely for—revenge!!"
"Use their blood to commemorate His Majesty's heroic spirit!!"
"Use their land! To heal the wounds of my people, the children of the Sun Moon!!"
"Where the iron hooves of the Sun Moon Empire reach, the Douluo Three Kingdoms will surely be stained with rivers of blood!"