Punishment

Punishment...

The scene unfolding before their eyes exceeded all expectations, leaving those who were still standing in a state of chaos. The Skythunder Emperor's eyes flashed with a chilling glint as he witnessed those who knelt in acknowledgment of the Azure Emperor Token.

This gesture indicated their betrayal, a fact that filled him with cold determination. If they had chosen to kneel, they could all meet their end alongside the successor.

Within the Skythunder Country, he held the title of Emperor. Historically, his branch had always been the strongest within the Skythunder Aristocrat Clan. The other branches were suppressed by his authority, and during his reign, when he was all-powerful and uncontested, these individuals would never dare to challenge his rule.

However, now that someone had produced the Azure Emperor Token, it was an opportunity for the suppressed branches within the Skythunder Aristocrat Clan. Moreover, the Skythunder Emperor's prior actions had antagonized the successor. Those who chose to kneel were essentially gambling.

They gambled on the fact that the successor's displayed arrogance suggested he had come prepared. If they made the right bet, pledging allegiance to the successor might not be a losing proposition. In that case, the authority over the Skythunder Country would shift to them.

The Skythunder Emperor glanced at the kneeling individuals. They hailed from two branches of the Skythunder Clan that had close ties. By joining forces, their combined strength could rival that of the main Skythunder Clan branch. Moreover, with the Azure Emperor's successor thrown into the mix, they believed they had the power to overthrow the Skythunder Emperor.

These people must have secretly discussed their plan and simultaneously surrendered after reaching a consensus.

Yet, even though they did so, their machinations and schemes were futile in the face of absolute strength. Qin Wentian was no longer the naive youth he had been years ago, and he knew this well.

"Three more breaths," Qin Wentian stated calmly, his words hanging in the tense air. The onlookers' hearts raced as they grappled with an agonizing decision. Pledging allegiance to the successor was no longer a simple matter; it was now a choice between standing with or against the Skythunder Emperor.

In those final three breaths, another three individuals knelt, aligning themselves with the successor, while the rest continued to stand. Their unwavering conviction in the Skythunder Emperor remained evident.

"Well done, all of you," the Skythunder Emperor's voice dripped with killing intent as he addressed those who had knelt. The young woman beside the prince couldn't help but laugh, relishing the unexpected drama. The arrival of the Azure Emperor's successor had ignited an internal conflict within Skythunder.

"Time's up," Qin Wentian declared coldly, a hint of ice in his voice. These individuals hadn't merely forgotten the ancestral edicts; they sought to kill him.

"You can have the authority token back." The Skythunder Emperor tossed the token toward Qin Wentian, who didn't catch it. Instead, he took a step forward, and astral light enveloped him, causing him to vanish. A thunderbolt crashed down on the spot where he'd stood an instant before, a bolt from the heavens brimming with lethal energy that could have incinerated Qin Wentian.

As for the Azure Emperor Token, it was destroyed as the thunderbolt struck. However, it was no longer of use to Qin Wentian, who had already achieved his goals with it. Gathering the remnants of the 'hidden' Azure Faction marked the successful completion of the first step.

The Skythunder Emperor launched a swift attack, originally intending to kill the successor before dealing with the traitors. Yet Qin Wentian's reaction had caught him off guard.

Looking up at Qin Wentian, the Skythunder Emperor's eyes flashed with cold intensity, as if he wished to pierce Qin Wentian's consciousness with a bolt of thunder. Nevertheless, Qin Wentian soared higher into the air, with Zong Yi appearing behind him. Both stood suspended in midair.

"That movement technique earlier... was it Stellar Transposition?" The Skythunder Emperor expressed astonishment.

For Zong Yi, it wasn't surprising that Di Tian could employ this technique. Qin Wentian had asked Fairy Qingmei to impart the nine ultimate arts to the White Deer Institute and the Zong Clan in the past, so it was reasonable for Di Tian, Qin Wentian's representative, to know them.

"Since you've made your choice, there's no need to spare traitors who've turned against the Azure Emperor," a voice thundered from above. The crowd looked up to see a group of individuals descending from the sky. Although their numbers weren't great, their overwhelming aura exuded immense power.

At the very least, every newcomer was at the third level of Heavenly Dipper, making them more than a match for the Skythunder Country's strongest experts.

The expressions of those from Skythunder changed drastically. The Azure Emperor's successor had already subdued so many formidable characters? Perhaps if the Skythunder Country were united, they might still have a fighting chance. However, with internal conflicts and this external threat, they knew victory was out of reach.

"The matters between us are still internal clan affairs. Join me in repelling these enemies, and I will overlook your betrayals today. What do you say?" The Skythunder Emperor remained composed in this dire moment.

However, silence hung heavy in the air, and no one uttered a word in response. Those who had pledged their allegiance to Qin Wentian understood that once an arrow was loosed, it could never return to the bow. The strength of the allies Qin Wentian had brought far exceeded their expectations. Regretting their choices now would only lead to one outcome: death.

The experts standing with Qin Wentian descended to the ground, their formidable auras blanketing the entire area. Among them, an old man in tattered attire caught everyone's attention as he retrieved baggage from his back. Untying the knots, he produced a wooden staff, causing the Skythunder Emperor's face to drain of color the moment he laid eyes on it.

"The Staff of Punishment. Are you a descendant of the Punishment Branch of the Azure Emperor?" The Skythunder Emperor's complexion turned ashen. As a member of a hidden Azure Faction, he had heard certain secrets. During the era of the living Azure Emperor, the Punishment Branch held the highest prestige and authority among all branches. They were the most powerful faction supporting the Azure Emperor and at times, invoked even more fear than the Azure Emperor himself.

That fear stemmed from their role as enforcers of punishment, dealing with those the Azure Emperor wished not to punish and eliminating those the Azure Emperor wished not to kill. In the Azure Emperor Palace, their authority second only to the Azure Emperor himself. Even the direct descendants of the Azure Emperor harbored fear towards the Punishment Branch.

"Now, the 'hidden' factions will undergo restructuring, and I shall assume the role of the Punisher. Today, all of you have betrayed and even dared to destroy the authority token of the Azure Emperor. Your crimes are grave, and by our rules, you should all be mercilessly executed. However, considering that thousands of years have passed, I shall offer you a chance to spare the majority of your clan members."

The Punisher spoke in a low voice, exuding a menacing pressure. He fixed his gaze on the Skythunder Emperor and continued, "You can choose to commit suicide now, or I will use my Staff of Punishment to wipe out your entire clan."

"I wonder if the Punisher of this generation lives up to the legends." The Skythunder Emperor smiled grimly. He ascended into the sky, directly confronting the old man. Thunder rumbled, and lightning danced around him, emanating a formidable aura.

"Though the Punishment Branch now has only one member, I shall uphold its legacy," the old man of the Punishment Branch declared calmly. Gripping the Staff of Punishment, he took a deliberate step forward, unleashing what appeared to be an ordinary staff strike.

However, the expression on the Skythunder Emperor's face became increasingly complex. He didn't dare to underestimate his opponent. Thunderous serpents materialized and self-destructed, forming a lightning force field that encircled the old man.

The old man seethed with anger, his hair and beard flowing in the wind. A protective light enveloped his body as he executed a staff strike, creating a black hole at the tip of the staff that distorted space and ripped through the void. He escaped the lightning force field in an instant, and the black hole punctured through all the Skythunder Emperor's defenses, piercing his chest. Blood gushed out, and the arcs of electricity surrounding the emperor dissipated as he plummeted to the ground with a resounding thud.

A gaping cavity had astonishingly appeared in the Skythunder Emperor's body! He stared at the old man hovering in the air and bellowed, "Fine, as expected of the Punisher. It's rare to find an opponent of your caliber under the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. I will accept your terms."

With those words, a hint of sorrow flashed across his eyes. He raised his hands to his forehead, summoning a bolt of thunder to strike him down. The ruler of a country met his end in this abrupt and tragic manner.

He understood all too well that there was no hope for his survival now. Only through his death could he prevent the massacre of his branch members. The Punishment Branch was notorious for its unwavering commitment to its word. If they proposed a term, they would uphold it, and conversely, if they decreed a punishment, no amount of pleading would sway them. There was even an incident when the Azure Emperor himself personally intervened to request leniency, but it was in vain. This was the duty of the Punishment Branch, this was their authority.

The survivors left behind wore expressions as lifeless as ashes. The prince and the charming young woman at his side, who had no reason to smile anymore, now bore pallid faces tainted with the terror that had taken root in their hearts.

"Your Highness, I don't want to die," the charming young woman pleaded with the prince, her voice filled with desperation. However, at this moment, the prince had no time to entertain her pleas. As the Punisher's gaze shifted toward him, the specter of impending death hovered over him.

"I will join my father in death. I only hope that the rest of my branch members will be spared. As for those who surrendered, please be lenient with them. After all, regardless of what has happened... we still share the same bloodline," the prince declared resolutely as he glanced at those who had knelt earlier. Then, he pressed his palms to the heart of the charming young woman before taking his own life.

When one makes the wrong choice at a critical juncture, the only path left is death.

The remaining traitors who had been directly involved also understood that there was no hope for their survival today. While they yearned intensely to live, a single glance into the old man's eyes told them all they needed to know about their fates. In the end, they followed suit, committing suicide and falling lifelessly to the ground, leaving the area strewn with their corpses.

Qin Wentian observed the unfolding scene with an emotionless gaze. He had experienced so many similar events that his heart had grown hardened. In the world of the strong, death was a common occurrence, and corpses littered the path to power. There was nothing surprising about it.