Chapter 612 - 611: Great Emperor

Chapter 612: Chapter 611: Great Emperor

Yi Tianyun looked at Young Master Shi indifferently. He didn’t know the man’s real name, nor did he care. The other party wasn’t worthy of his acquaintance.

"Young Master Shi, he’s the one impersonating the Celestial Cloud Emperor! Haven’t you met the Celestial Cloud Emperor before? Expose his true colors now!" Yuan Long roared with laughter from behind them, his eyes filled with endless glee.

He was prepared to see Yi Tianyun die right in front of him. ’Could anyone who impersonates the Celestial Cloud Emperor possibly survive?’

"That’s right! He was impersonating the Celestial Cloud Emperor earlier, even claiming he was the Celestial Cloud Emperor!" Wei Yun scrambled to her feet and walked over. It was as if she had found her courage; her gaze was no longer evasive when she looked at Yi Tianyun, and her earlier fear had vanished.

With Young Master Shi backing her up, she was brimming with confidence, and her earlier fear was completely gone. It was replaced by arrogance—pure, unadulterated arrogance. In her eyes, associating with someone who knew the Celestial Cloud Emperor was as good as latching onto the Celestial Cloud Emperor himself.

The Celestial Cloud Emperor’s fame was simply too immense. He could single-handedly slaughter an entire nation. Anyone would worship him endlessly. He was an absolute legend in the Mortal Realm!

At the side, Yu Shiqian’s expression changed. She rushed over to Young Master Shi and said, "Young Master Shi, Young Master Yi wasn’t impersonating the Celestial Cloud Emperor. It’s all my fault..."

Seeing even Yu Shiqian apologize gave Wei Yun a rush of satisfaction.

However, Elder Bai Yu, who was still unable to get up, could only shout, "You brat! Get the hell out of here, now!"

Just as everyone assumed Yi Tianyun was an imposter, Young Master Shi’s legs began to tremble. Once he came to his senses, under the stunned gazes of the crowd, he slapped Wei Yun across the face. A crisp SLAP echoed through the area.

"How dare you! How dare you disrespect the Celestial Cloud Emperor! He *is* the Celestial Cloud Emperor, not an imposter!" Then, with a THUD, Young Master Shi dropped to his knees. In a respectful tone, he said, "Gr-Greetings, Celestial Cloud Emperor..." He prostrated himself completely, not even daring to lift his head, his heart pounding with fear.

He wanted to cry but had no tears. He had bragged to others about having drinks with Yi Tianyun and all that, but it was all just boasting. In reality, he’d never had a drink with him; at most, he had only glimpsed him from afar and knew what he looked like.

Even his father didn’t have the qualifications to offer the Emperor a toast, let alone him. All that talk about being sworn brothers was just a load of bull.

When Young Master Shi knelt, everyone was dumbfounded by his words, including Yuan Long and everyone else who had questioned Yi Tianyun. A deathly silence fell over the area. No one could utter a single word.

A living legend of the Mortal Realm was right here in front of them, yet from the very beginning, they had all questioned his identity. Yi Tianyun had even told them he was the Celestial Cloud Emperor, but no one had believed him.

Now that Young Master Shi had said so, who wouldn’t believe it? He was the only one who had seen Yi Tianyun’s true face.

Wei Yun clutched her swollen cheek, staring blankly at Yi Tianyun with eyes full of disbelief. The "imposter" she had been screeching about was actually the Celestial Cloud Emperor.

At this point, she felt no pain in her cheek at all; she was too stunned by the situation.

"I hear you and I are quite close?" Yi Tianyun said calmly.

"No, no... He, he was just spouting nonsense! I don’t know anything!" Young Master Shi suddenly sprang up, drew the Longsword from his waist, and aimed it at Yuan Long, who was lying on the Feather Vehicle. He viciously thrust the blade forward. "How dare you use the Celestial Cloud Emperor’s name to cause trouble! Atone for your crimes with your life!"

Yuan Long stared in disbelief at the Longsword protruding from his chest. It was a single, fatal blow, delivered without a hint of mercy. He had followed Young Master Shi for so many years, yet his master had killed him just like that, without any hesitation.

"Young Master Shi..." Before he died, Yuan Long was filled with resentment. It wasn’t directed at Yi Tianyun, but at his own Young Master. He never imagined it was all a lie, that his master had no relationship with Yi Tianyun at all—he had merely seen him once. The entire problem stemmed from his own Young Master, who had caused him to stir up so much trouble.

And then, Yuan Long was dead. He died full of indignation, yet he also understood. If Young Master Shi hadn’t done this, the entire Demon Celestial Mansion would have likely been implicated.

"Celestial Cloud Emperor, I apologize for the trouble. This all happened because of my failure to discipline my subordinate..." Cold sweat drenched Young Master Shi’s back. He wondered if this gambit would be enough to get him off the hook.

"Kneel."

Yi Tianyun’s gaze turned cold, and an immense pressure bore down on Young Master Shi. With a CRACK, his knees slammed into the ground, and blood began to flow from them, staining the earth. It was a clear sign of how immense the pressure was—far heavier than what Elder Bai Yu had endured.

"That little trick might work on others, but did you think it would work on me?" Yi Tianyun said coolly. "Using my name to swindle and deceive people... You’ve got quite some nerve."

"I... I was wrong! I beg you, Great Emperor, please spare me..." After his ploy was exposed, Young Master Shi immediately began kowtowing and begging for forgiveness. He didn’t dare to stop, even after his forehead was scraped raw and bleeding.

This scene, witnessed by the crowd, was beyond shocking. They were all trembling to their very core.

Zhao Yu, in particular, broke out in a cold sweat. She had previously claimed that if Yi Tianyun was the Great Emperor, then she was the Empress. ’Now that he really is the Great Emperor, doesn’t that mean I’m doomed?’

"I... I..." Zhao Yu hastily dropped to her knees. She wanted to cry but couldn’t shed a tear. Her legs had already gone weak with fear; Yi Tianyun hadn’t even told her to kneel, but she had done so on her own.

Yi Tianyun glanced over at them. Wei Yun had also knelt, staring blankly, at a loss for words. Elder Bai Yu’s expression was even more of a spectacle, her face alternating between pale and ashen. She was regretting her earlier offense so much that she could have kicked herself.

If Yi Tianyun truly decided to punish them—even kill them—no one would dare to hold him accountable in the slightest.

Yu Shiqian was also staring at him in a daze. Everything felt so surreal. The legendary Great Emperor had just appeared right before her. To think that the former puppet Mansion Master of Celestial Extreme Mansion had now become a Great Emperor!

"Rise," Yi Tianyun said, gesturing for Yu Shiqian and Zhao Yu to stand. The others were to remain kneeling.

"Great Emperor... Y-You’re not going to punish me?" Zhao Yu felt incredibly awkward. ’Thinking back on how loudly I declared myself the Empress, it’s just so embarrassing.’

"What is there to punish? There’s no crime in ignorance..." Yi Tianyun’s gaze swept over to Elder Bai Yu and the others as he said coolly, "But some people need to stay on their knees. While I have no connection to the White Lotus Prefecture, I can’t stand to see people colluding with outsiders to throw their weight around. Especially when it involves me..."

Elder Bai Yu and the others’ faces paled. Their backs were instantly drenched in sweat, and they hastily began to kowtow.

"We’re sorry! We, we didn’t mean to..."

They continued to kowtow repeatedly. At a time like this, kowtowing wasn’t shameful. All they wanted was to save their own lives and, more importantly, avoid dragging their sect down with them.