The thunderous tactics of Emperor Shengming had finally yielded results. With Fengyun Wuji's overwhelming martial prowess backing him, the influence of the Left and Right Grand Chancellors was uprooted completely. Fengyun Wuji showed no mercy to the martial artists who had disrupted imperial order. As a result, the day after the execution of the two chancellors, martial practitioners vanished almost entirely from the capital. Even those uninvolved with the court's turmoil fled hastily. The few sects whose roots lay in the capital dared not even leave their gates.
But this didn't mean they were safe.
Soon after, elite palace guards accompanied by Six Gates constables arrived at their doors, subtly expressing the government's interest in absorbing these sects into its fold. As for what followed—well, the outcome was entirely predictable.
With a peerless expert assisting the court, it took but a single day to purge the capital of all martial sect influence. Word of this swept through the martial world like wildfire. Ordinarily, matters of state wouldn't stir much interest among jianghu folk—but this time was different.
This time, it involved three major sword sects: the Twilight Violet Sect, the Northern Ice Sect, and the Southern Star Sect.
These sects were among the most powerful in the martial world. To be accused of rebellion—a capital crime in every dynasty—was unprecedented. Martial artists meddling in court affairs with treasonous intent… such a thing had not been seen in generations.
The martial world watched intently, waiting for the capital's next move. But what caught their attention even more was the mysterious master who traveled in a black palanquin. Among the three sects, there were many who had reached the realm of Ascension, yet all of them were eradicated in a single night. The strength of this unknown master defied comprehension. Without his involvement, the martial world would never have paid the Great Virtue Dynasty much attention. But his arrival had changed everything—the court now had a pillar of power to lean on.
Furthermore, the recently emerged palace guards had clearly undergone a dramatic leap in martial prowess. In clashes with sect elites, these guards could now hold their own, sometimes even gaining the upper hand.
To the martial world, the rise of powerful warriors within the palace was an ill omen. Previously, when imperial authority was weak, tens of thousands of sects had seized vast tracts of fertile land around their territories. This left the Great Virtue Dynasty impoverished. If the emperor truly intended to restore order, the martial world would have to be brought under control.
Yet resistance from the martial world came later than expected. After the court was stabilized, ten waves of over a hundred martial experts launched nighttime assaults on the imperial palace. But the disparity in strength was clear. With Fengyun Wuji defending the palace, not a single attacker even caught a glimpse of his face before being captured.
Every martial artist who entered the palace with the intent to assassinate Emperor Shengming simply vanished. Once or twice could be chalked up to misfortune—but when none returned, fear took root. No one dared trespass again.
Inside the imperial library hall…
By the warm glow of a palace lantern, Emperor Shengming calmly reviewed imperial memorials. These reports would soon be relayed through veteran ministers to regional officials, reinvigorating a bureaucracy that had long teetered on collapse. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the government machine was beginning to turn once more. Any minister affiliated with the sword sects was promptly relieved of duty by imperial decree—sent into honorable retirement.
Before the dragon desk stood Fengyun Wuji, garbed in white robes, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was fixed on the emperor as he spoke:
"Your Majesty, I have helped you fulfill your wish. Now, I have a request of my own—I hope you'll lend your aid."
Emperor Shengming paused his writing, set down his brush, and looked up. "Master, say the word. I will do whatever I can. But I do hope you'll continue helping me with the sects. If you leave too soon, I fear my throne could be lost in a matter of days."
"You needn't worry. Within four months at most, all your concerns will be resolved. As for the sects hoarding fertile land and draining the treasury—don't fret. No matter how much they've seized or how much profit they've made, it will all return to the imperial coffers eventually."
"What gives you such confidence?" The emperor couldn't resist asking. Fengyun Wuji had hinted at this many times before, but had never explained why.
"You don't need to know now. When the time comes, you will understand everything. All I can say is: if you truly wish to be a good emperor, then I will assist you with everything I have. But I must ask again—do you wish to become an Ascended martial master, or remain an emperor?"
"Why can't I be both—a powerful martial emperor?" asked Shengming.
Fengyun Wuji shook his head. "Impossible. Even if I passed all my cultivation to you and made you a supreme expert overnight, your power would not last. Besides, I've already elevated the skills of the palace guards. They are more than enough to protect you. An emperor doesn't need to wield such power himself—unless you plan to lead troops into battle personally?"
Shengming fell silent. After a long pause, he finally said, "Then tell me, Master—what do you need me to do?"
Fengyun Wuji sighed. "It's your choice. I won't force you, but I hope you won't regret it. Even the most dazzling emperor has but a century to live. An Ascended cultivator, however, lives far longer. Before I leave, I will give you one final chance to choose. For now, I want you to draft an imperial edict for me. The contents are as follows:
'All martial sects are hereby forbidden from allowing Ascended-level cultivators to ascend to higher realms. Should any such ascension occur, the sect involved shall be subject to full military extermination by the imperial army.'"
"What?!" Emperor Shengming was so stunned that the vermilion brush slipped from his hand and clattered against the dragon desk.
"Yes," Fengyun Wuji said coldly. "Issue an official decree: Ascension is forbidden."
Not long after, hundreds of swift riders departed the capital, each carrying a copy of the edict. They rode through the night without pause. Along the way, countless horses perished from exhaustion.
Soon, proclamations were posted on the walls of every city:
In the 26th year of the Great Virtue Shengming reign:
By Mandate of Heaven
An imperial decree:
All martial sects and factions are hereby ordered to comply. From the date of this decree, any cultivator who has reached the realm of Ascension is strictly forbidden to ascend. Should they defy this order, the imperial army shall descend in force and obliterate the sect to which they belong.
By Imperial Command.
The martial world exploded.
Just days before, they had conspired to overthrow the dynasty and install a martial ruler. Now that the emperor had regained his power, he issued such a bizarre proclamation. Was this a declaration of war against the entire martial world?
Everyone was asking that question. That very day, multiple groups of martial artists stormed local magistrate offices, slaughtering constables en masse. In response, elite palace guards and Six Gates enforcers were dispatched from the capital. Swift and deadly, they hunted down martial criminals and ruthless killers alike. Those who resisted were given no quarter.
Names that had remained on wanted lists for years were suddenly crossed off in quick succession—captured, crippled, and thrown in prison.
The world… was descending into deeper chaos.