On the Divine Beheading Platform, the man laughed, drawing the sidelong glances of the soldiers nearby, yet he remained indifferent: "I have lost all momentum, the kindling is dry, and even this environment does not allow me to remain in the world any longer."

"Yet this Shenjing, I thought it was alive, but in truth, it’s a city of the dead."

He looked toward Shenjing.

He gazed at the dense crowd, the officials and citizens who came to witness his execution.

At the border, Gu Yunzhi had seen many cruel and evil deeds. The Demon Sect would treat some discarded cultivates as materials to be recycled and reused. The barbaric tribes of the Northern Border would boast their bravery by practicing cannibalism. Sacrificing to the Heavenly Demon in exchange for power was a common practice. In those past years, King Jing had waged wars alongside him; such barbaric malice had become routine.

But in Shenjing, whether in the past or present, the superior living conditions he witnessed and the lowly spiritual condition were unmatched by any savage tribe.

In the face of the ever-present malice, they were numb and fearful, yet they deceived themselves and were complacent.

Regardless of what happened, they accepted it; no matter what they encountered, they complied. Even if someone beside them suddenly died, they would convince themselves it was an accident, much like chickens in a coop losing their eggs and neighbors but still nesting peacefully, laying eggs, living as if all is peaceful, everything is an accident, and they are exceptions.

This is the so-called stable order.

Storm is brewing, black clouds press down on the city.

Under the leaden gray sky, icy winds rolled, and distant red morning light shimmered on the horizon.

Yin Gujin, the Martial Emperor, personally attended the execution, Heavenly Soldiers and Generals formed a military formation, the Earth Vein Array was fully activated, and the presence of other Town Kings or strong family members could be sensed as they locked on from the Great Void, cutting off any possible escape from the Tribulation Field.

This inescapable net of formations was all just to execute an old man, unarmed, stripped of his talismans, virtually a mere mortal.

[Too hasty!]

Before the throne, the Virtuous King was still struggling, attempting to argue: [The speed is too quick, and there’s no evidence that Gu Yunzhi commanded it, and even if he did, so what?]

[The Yuan Family’s crime is still under debate. Whether they are protecting Shenjing or trying to destroy evidence is unclear. How can they be sentenced and executed so unreasonably?!]

[Your Majesty, I plead, take back this order!]

The Virtuous King was right.

The Virtuous King did not err, nor did he give up.

But clearly, his words alone held no significance.

Because this was...

A collective decision.

A habitual mindset.

A tendency toward compliance.

A blind momentum. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

A tide of mutual compromise, rolling forward, carrying people in conflicting yet advancing forces.

No one knew where such decisions would lead the future, yet being in the tide, they assumed safety; those who foresaw the abyss could only watch in despair as they moved forward, but even those who knew could only become part of the tide, ultimately ground mercilessly by the future.

[Your Majesty!]

A streak of rage shouted from the tide, looking toward the only existence capable of dictating the tide’s flow, the Sovereign of the Waters, the Master of the Law, the Imperial Lord known as Profound Heaven.

But upon the throne, the young figure was cloaked behind the crown tassels, his expression hidden.

The only one able to issue this command was Emperor Xuantian, who remained silent.

And by his side, the Grandmaster controlling the great tide stood still, as though in deep meditation, equally silent.

He was destined to achieve nothing and return empty-handed.

Meanwhile.

In Shenjing, at the Yuan Family’s mansion.

As one of Da Chen’s Four Great Families, the Yuan Family’s marquisate was hereditary, resting and rising with the kingdom. Their mansion spanned a thousand acres, and expanded through Great Void Techniques a million times over, it resembled a city, with its interior splendidly ornate.

Even within, the landscaped gardens were like a Blessed Land and Cave Heaven. Constantly flowing water veins intertwined, combined with various Spiritual Objects, talismans, Guardian Towers, Strong Pavilions, forming a Great Formation that rivaled the Sect Suppressing Formations of any sect.

Within the mansion, lights were bright, dozens of Martial Artists stood guard at the corridors and gates, while around the edges of the main hall, several dozen beauties of unparalleled beauty knelt on white jade floors, their necks bare, shoulders and collarbones exposed, their foreheads touching the floor, obediently awaiting orders.

In stark contrast to the killing atmosphere on the Divine Beheading Platform, here the music was melodious, the scent warm, and Yuan Chengliang, the Yuan Family’s deputy, was hosting a banquet with Prince Zhong and several youths.

The wine swirled in the glass goblets, the dancing girls moved gracefully, everything was a scene of prosperity.

"Your Highness, your presence truly honors our humble Yuan Family." Yuan Chengliang drained his glass, his demeanor humble.

"You are too courteous, Yuan." Prince Zhong smiled, "But now with dark undercurrents surging in Shenjing, your continuous festivities are indeed admirable for their composure."

These words were both praise and critique, yet Yuan Chengliang was indifferent. He personally filled Prince Zhong’s cup, then, lowering his voice with a hint of worry, said, "Your Highness, we see it too. The Grand Governor and the Grandmaster, even His Majesty and you want us to be the first target, so we’re gritting our teeth to hold on!"

"Otherwise, the Virtuous King is right; we’re not like brainless villains from storybooks, don’t we know better?"

"In our style, we would never do this before. Although Old Gu is rather distant, we definitely wouldn’t want to get involved with the Heavenly Mandate, but to give him face, we’d sacrifice a few collateral branches or even a few dandy main branches, let him kill, let him judge, after all, this title of Four Great Families is there to take the blame for the court, tossing out a few dandies now and then for the world to laugh at."

"It’s not like we need reputation; with tangible benefits, we should take on some infamy."

"Take this Cang Linzu, for instance; he’s a friend of the Heavenly Mandate, so just let him kill if he wants; a bunch of house servants, dead is dead."

Saying so, he even showed some pride. "As long as Lord of Heavenly Destiny is entertained, we can die, even I can die—it’s merely the death of a puppet; I’ll reincarnate again."

"Oh?" Prince Zhong swirled his wine, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "What if it’s your true self that has to die?"

"Not a puppet, but your true body?"

This question was difficult to answer, but after some thought, Yuan Chengliang sighed honestly, "Then so be it."

This was no lie.

The Yuan Family had six main branches, tracing back to the blood of the ancient ancestor. Each sub-branch, every collateral line, at the end of the bloodline, if still in Shenjing, could easily enter the Heavenly Official System through the vast web formed by family and blood connections.

By blood, they could easily access the cultivation books of senior martial artists, obtain benefits that ordinary people might never have in a lifetime, and easily find a very good spouse to lead a smooth and peaceful life.

This was the family’s blessing.

The power of blood.