However, Ye Qingyu did not explain anything.

Resembling a deity looking down upon all creation, he sat high up on the Emperor throne as he looked down on the bewildered n.o.bles below like he was watching a show.

“Your Highness, the expedition is a no-go. This violates the ancestral rules...” The Dark Feather clan's chief commander stood out and fanned the flames once more, saying loudly, “The first thing we have to do regarding the breaking in to the borders at the Great Wall of the Western Regions is to investigate the responsibility of those who didn't perform their duties and make an example out of them. I believe that our a.s.sociates here agree with this too.”

He was clearly trying to get others to speak.

A few n.o.bles immediately chimed in…

“That's indeed so.”

“Your Highness, please don't disregard everyone else's opinions.”

“It'd be a terrible disaster if the ancestral rules are overturned.”

“I've heard that the penal envoy of the Unmoving City of Darkness has arrived. Why don't we get him to explain what exactly happened and whether the Unmoving City of Darkness can continue to guard the borders? Huh? If they can't, we might as well dissolve the city, for it'd no longer be of any use.”

“Heh heh, in my opinion, we should chop off this Sinner's head right after listening to what he has to say, and send it to the frontlines to serve as a warning.”

A few n.o.bles spoke in deliberately ambiguous terms, trying to stoke the flames as much as possible.

It had been a long time since Royal City was led by a contemporary sovereign, and so the n.o.bles had already grown used to doing things through mutual exchange of benefits and compromise. Talking merrily, they got carried away and even forgot that the person sitting on the divine throne was not someone who could be bargained with, but a sovereign who dictated everything instead.

As he looked at the bubbling and mystifying n.o.bles, Ye Qingyu did not reveal a hint of anger on his face.

“Second time,” he said plainly.

Although his voice was not loud, every n.o.ble in the main palace could hear it clearly.

Hence, the clamor died down.

This time, a few mentally sharp n.o.bles could vaguely guess what the new Emperor was thinking. Giving a start, they hurriedly lowered their heads and retreated composedly, putting some distance between themselves and those who were behaving peculiarly.

The Sky-reaching clan chief commander frowned.

His Dark Feather clan counterpart also looked somewhat gloomy.

Seeing their expressions, the big and plump leader of the Lofty Mountain clan, who was another military commander that had been following beside them all this time, felt a jolt in his heart before he gnashed his teeth and took a step forward. “Your Highness, good advice jars the ear just as good medicine tastes bitter. Everyone's earnest advice is intended for the safety of Royal City and the stability of the camp. If Your Highness disregards everyone's opinions, you'll lose support, and that'll...”

Before he finished speaking…

“Third time.”

Ye Qingyu slowly uttered these words.

A strange aura suddenly began to spread within the main palace. Everyone's heart involuntarily leapt wildly. Amid the ma.s.s daze, a thread of silver splendor began to circulate from the Lofty Mountain clan leader's forehead.

In less than a moment, the silver splendor spread at a visible speed, resembling the lonely and desolated flickering of stars on a dark night. A layer of watery silver seemed to flow down from the race leader's forehead to his eyelids, then to his nose, his cheeks and on.

In a twinkling, half of his head was covered in silver splendor.

“I...” His mouth opened as if wanting to say something, but the astonishment and fear on his face quickly froze. This was because the silver splendor flowed down, covered his entire head, and then continued to circulate...

In approximately three breaths' time, this military commander whose cultivation had reached the eighth step of the Quasi-emperor realm turned into a silver-colored ice statue which was as lifelike as the work of a supreme artist, possessing vivid expressions and giving off a bone-piercing chill.

The entire process took about five breaths' time in total.

To the many n.o.bles in the palace, these five breaths' time seemed as long as an era. They had personally seen a chief commander of high status and power and significant voice in the army being turned into an ice statue. The scene of his terrifying and protracted death had shocked every one of their hearts and souls.

Clearly, having been turned into an ice statue, he was so dead that he could not be any deader, completely devoid of vitality and breath. Henceforth, an ice statue was all he was.

Ye Qingyu did not say another word.

He simply sat high up on the Emperor throne while using a calm and indifferent pair of eyes to look at everyone below, as if the powerful military commander he had just killed was but a disobedient roadside dog.

For a time, n.o.body dared to make a sound.

A few n.o.bles cast their eyes at the Sky-reaching clan and Dark Feather clan commanders. This was because the Lofty Mountain clan had been a loyal supporter of these two commanders for a long time. While the Lofty Mountain clan did not have a sovereign leading it, both the Sky-reaching clan and the Dark Feather clan still had living sovereigns, and so if there was anyone who still dared to question the new Emperor at this time, it would be these two commanders.

Normally, these two were domineering and overwhelmingly influential presences who always stood by their words in the military headquarters.

Sensing that many eyes were cast upon him, the Sky-reaching clan commander tried his best to bear with it, but ultimately could not keep fully calm.

If he was scared stiff just like that, his authority in the army and his status in Royal City, which he had acc.u.mulated over many years, would probably be hard to keep hold of.

Eventually, he was unable to refrain from taking a step forward and saying, “Your Highness, don't you think your methods are excessively overbearing and b.l.o.o.d.y, for you to kill a meritorious commander of the army so willfully? Even if the Lofty Mountain clan leader didn't agree with your decree, he meant well for Royal City and the camp. It's heart-chilling to see Your Highness kill as you please.”

Nodding, Ye Qingyu looked at the Sky-reaching clan commander and then at others, before asking with a calm expression on his face, “Who still agrees with his view?”

A deathly silence ensued.

A moment later, the chief commander of the Dark Feather clan also stood up and said in a deep voice, “I feel that the Sky-reaching clan commander's words make sense. It's heart-chilling for a new Emperor to kill a meritorious commander so soon after his crowning. Many of us cannot agree with this decision.”

“I don't agree too.”

“What should we do about an unreasonable Emperor order?”

“Your Highness, please revoke your order.”

A group of sixteen n.o.bles who had been subservient to the Sky-reaching clan or the Dark Feather clan camp all along came forth to offer support in objecting Ye Qingyu's order.

“Since you all can't understand my words, you all shall join the Lofty Mountain clan leader.” Ye Qingyu slowly stood up and spoke in a tone as unwavering and firm as dark ice.

An Emperor might diffused.

Several gleaming snowflakes fluttered and danced like white genies, exuding immense beauty and elegance as they pressed toward the two chief commanders and their trusted n.o.bles.

Being a Martial Emperor who was unmatched throughout the world, he did not need to have any qualms about doing things. Beside, according to the iron-clad rules of Royal City, the leading sovereign of this generation possessed complete authority to kill and to act willfully. Like a bunch of pot-bellied and swell-headed maggots, these reckless n.o.bles actually did not know how to restrain themselves, and even dared to openly oppose Ye Qingyu in the main palace. They had not only provoked him by going against his authority, but, more importantly, also harbored ill intent to harm the Sinners of the Unmoving City of Darkness. How could Ye Qingyu put up with this?

Today, I have to kill the chicken to frighten the monkey.

Whenever Ye Qingyu took action, he would not stop before killing.

Those beautiful and sparkling snowflakes were actually swords which contained material will from the [Life Sword Mantra]. By the present time, Ye Qingyu had long consolidated his Emperor realm cultivation, and so, using his Emperor qi to work up the will of the [Life Sword Mantra] with boundless mystery, he could transform all things. As soft and beautiful as these snowflakes seemed, even a Ninth Step peak Quasi-emperor realm expert would not be able to withstand a single one of them.

The [Ice Sword Killing G.o.d] descended upon the world in an instant.

The dozen or so n.o.bles who followed the commanders of the Sky-reaching clan and the Dark Feather clan were locked on to by these snowflakes on their foreheads. After momentarily feeling their brains turning cold, they completely lost all consciousness and also turned into lifelike and clear-faced ice statues that would forever stand upright beside the statue of the Lofty Mountain clan leader.

The two chief commanders were also in terrible shape.

Releasing infinite silver splendor, a separate snowflake was just about to press on to each of their foreheads, but was warded off by a strange power released from their bodies. Even so, the two of them were frozen motionless on the spot.

“You… How dare you...”

“My race has a contemporary sovereign, you...”

Frightened out of their wits, they had been offered a distinct feeling of death's coming by that tiny snowflake, which could truly be likened to the sickle of the grim reaper, causing them to howl loudly.

Neither man had expected Ye Qingyu to be so decisive and to really dare to kill even them. This was certainly not just for show. Had it not been for the protective force in their bodies bestowed upon them by the elders of their race, they would probably have turned into ice statues by this time as well.

“You ant-like things shamelessly and selfishly seek personal gains, and are shortsighted enough to oppose my orders. How can I prove my might and warn Royal City if I don't kill you?

Ye Qingyu stood up, revealing his figure to be as lofty as that of a divine king.

“Hoho, the new Emperor is truly mighty. Are you really going to kill even the people of my race?” A voice rang out with boundless majesty as Emperor aura circulated. Sounding rather familiar, it was the voice of none other than the sovereign of the Sky-reaching clan, who had appeared in the sky above the Azure Cloud Plaza back then.

“Elder, please seek justice on my behalf,” the Sky-reaching clan commander shouted, revealing delight on his face.

“Do you intend to kill all of the meritorious n.o.bles in Royal City? That day, the Sky Fox sovereign told me that your body was flowing with Sinner blood, and today, it appears that you're speaking up more on behalf of the Sinners than the camp's n.o.bles. Could it be that the Sky Fox sovereign was right, and that's why you were h.e.l.l-bent on killing him?” Another voice which contained Emperor might rang out, belonging to none other than the sovereign of the Dark Feather clan.

The Dark Feather clan commander also looked overjoyed and felt relieved at last.

The atmosphere in the palace became delicate.

These two sovereigns had created conflict with Ye Qingyu during the battle on the Azure Cloud Platform. In the end, the latter used an overbearing force to compel these Martial Emperors to retreat. However, that was also because the situation at that time did not threaten the core interests of these two races.

Today, however, they could not sit by idly when Ye Qingyu was intending to kill the contemporary race leaders of these two races and the spokespeople of their armies.

Many n.o.bles in the main palace felt bouts of suffocation.

Is an Emperor battle going to arise once more?