Chapter 556
**Chapter 631: The Play Turns Real**
In a frantic escape, they fled in a panic, burning their boats and breaking their cauldrons, vowing to stay in the city no matter what.
Some particularly dedicated individuals even managed to find costumes of the Ink City assassins and changed into them on the spot.
Then they blended into the rebel ranks, rushing into the city to seize women.
Before snatching the women, they would apologetically say, “It’s only natural for such things to happen; it’s just a game, don’t take it seriously, ladies.”
They were surprisingly polite about it.
In short, chaos reigned in the city, and the drill exceeded all expectations.
“Hey... let’s go in,” Li Mo said, shaking his head as he prepared to ride through the city gate.
Suddenly, Dong Ge Yu draped a garment over him.
Li Mo: “?”
Looking down, he saw a glaring yellow robe embroidered with a true dragon.
Wait, the Heavenly City hasn’t been ‘taken’ yet.
Isn’t this yellow robe a bit premature? And this drill...
Oh, it seems it’s not a drill after all.
Little Li realized he might have gotten a bit too into character; he was using the drill as an excuse to truly rebel.
**Chapter 632: Has He Really Become the Emperor?**
The acting skills of the first Best Actor at the Qingyuan Sect’s Golden Statue Awards were so good that he had completely immersed himself in the role.
Not to mention the Heavenly Clan, who were high up in the clouds and lacked social experience.
When Li Mo led the Ink City rebels to the Heavenly City, the city gates had already been opened voluntarily.
Some members of the Heavenly Clan took the opportunity to escape, shouting something like, “I will definitely return!”
However, the more powerful members, such as Po Jun, Lei Ze, and Feng Zhi, were waiting at the gate.
“They’re here; let’s get ready.”
“Hey, don’t say it, but Li Mo looks pretty good in that dragon robe.”
“Geng Lian, you stubborn fool, wake up!”
The tall and imposing Heavenly Clan member, Yan Tu, bound Geng Lian and brought him before the army.
“What’s this?”
Li Mo, on horseback, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Yan Tu replied gruffly, “Since it’s a surrender, capturing someone who refuses to yield as a token of loyalty seems reasonable, right? Ahem... Geng Lian opposed opening the city gates and has been captured on the spot!”
Geng Lian retorted angrily, “You’re talking nonsense! My act was to pack up and run away!”
“Oh, so you were planning to secretly transfer the treasury? I caught you red-handed; he’s quite wealthy, we can’t let him escape.”
Li Mo: “......”
Old Yan, you’re not even hiding your personal vendetta, and you’re adding extra drama on the fly.
“Uh, let’s take him away for now and confiscate his fortune!”
Li Mo waved his hand, making a decision.
“Oh wow, you’re so wise.”
Yan Tu, as if receiving a royal decree, confidently and cheerfully began to search Geng Lian.
“.....”
Po Jun, speechless, stepped forward and presented a sword box with both hands, lamenting, “The ancestral legacy has ended up in my hands; I, alone, have let down my ancestors.”
“Today’s events are unprecedented, and the divine sword has changed hands. Take this sword; I only hope you won’t betray the Heavenly City and perhaps make me a general or something...”
What a seasoned actor! He knelt on one knee, presenting the sword box that symbolized the supreme authority of the Heavenly City, his movements smooth and practiced.
With less than two and a half years of practice, no one could achieve such fluidity.
After taking the divine sword and completing the surrender ceremony, this scene could be considered wrapped up.
Spring Mang was already preparing to throw flowers to celebrate the successful conclusion of the first drill.
Li Mo opened the sword box and was taken aback:
“Hey, there’s no sword! Where’s the divine sword?”
The box was completely empty.
Po Jun replied irritably, “None of us have refined the divine sword yet, so it’s still in the main hall.”
If he could take the divine sword, why would he be here doing a drill?
“We still have to follow the process.”
“If you really got the divine sword, you wouldn’t be able to wield it anyway. Just going through the motions is enough; why make it so complicated? We still have drills to do.”
Po Jun waved his hand impatiently.
He preferred fighting; it was exhilarating~~
He didn’t want to waste time on a surrender drill.
At this, the atmosphere froze momentarily. Dong Ge Yu, Qi Tiezhu, and the others tensed up, ready to start the city-breaking drill at any moment.
After all, the city gates were open, and the Heavenly Clan was unprepared; the odds of a direct attack were quite favorable.
This was also what Li Mo had agreed upon before he arrived: if anything changed, they would act according to his signal.
However, Li Mo had yet to make a move.
He cleared his throat, removed the yellow robe to reveal a golden chainmail underneath, and solemnly donned the Phoenix Wing Purple Gold Crown, saying, “I’m all dressed up now.”
Po Jun’s eyes widened: “That armor...”
“We do things with a beginning and an end, right? I’ll let you wear it later.”
Well, if Po Jun could fit into it.
“Hey, Little Li, you’re just too serious about everything.”
Po Jun nodded, enviously.
The other members of the Heavenly Clan had no objections.
The divine sword had been returned by the Blood God, and no one had dared to attempt to touch it since. Some feared it, while others felt their chances of wielding it were slim. The first person to touch the divine sword would likely be targeted by the other Heavenly Clan members, not wanting to stick their neck out.
Thus, the divine sword had remained planted in front of the main hall of the Heavenly City since its return.
Letting someone touch it wouldn’t hurt.
So, Li Mo, along with Dong Ge Yu and the others, walked through the gates of the Heavenly City and made their way to the main hall.
The last stretch of the journey was slow.
Every step felt like walking on thin ice; the closer they got to the other side, the more they couldn’t afford to rush.
“In the courtyard, the pear blossoms fade another year~”
“On the clear night, the moonlight spills on the palace steps~”
“In dreams, the flute plays old tunes; upon waking, tears stain the rouge face... da da da da...”
“Where’s that song coming from?”
Lei Ze listened for a while and sensed something was off. Why was Little Li’s ascension accompanied by background music?
Turning around, he discovered it was Feng Zhi singing, with Spring Mang beside her providing music and throwing flowers.
“What are you singing?”
“Uh, I heard Li Mo humming this last time. He said he wanted to hear it when he ascended.”
“This kid is quite dedicated; he’s really going all out for the performance, even preparing a little tune for his ascension.”
“Honestly, with this little tune and Li Mo’s spirited appearance, it almost feels real.”
“He’s grasped the divine sword.”
Swish—
Li Mo tightened his grip.
He had drawn the divine sword.
An old friend, the divine sword seemed pleased to see him, emitting an excited hum and radiating a holy light.
“Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long, long live!”
Dong Ge Yu was the first to lead the cheer, and the others from Ink City followed suit.
“Long live! Long, long live!”
Then the members of the Heavenly Clan joined in, bowing in reverence.
An elder of the Heavenly Clan suddenly expressed confusion:
“Hey, Little Li has drawn the divine sword; this wasn’t part of the drill.”
“.....”
In an instant, the Heavenly Clan members who had just bowed leaned back slightly.
Indeed, this wasn’t part of the drill.
Wait, how could he draw the divine sword?
Moreover, if he had drawn the divine sword, was there still a need for a performance?
The Heavenly Clan had been so dedicated to their roles that they had completely immersed themselves in the act, failing to notice the shift!
Oh no, Li Mo had truly become the Emperor!
“You!”
“Is this a fake drill or a real ascension?”
“Isn’t Li Mo an undercover agent?!”
“Can’t you see? He’s the one who’s been undercover with us!”
“This life~ so long yet stuck at the edge of the horizon....”
“Feng Zhi, for heaven’s sake, stop singing!”
**Chapter 633: The Temptation of Immortality**
The palace at the highest level of the Heavenly City was so tall that it made one feel as if they were sitting on a cloud, able to reach for the stars above and see the tides of the Heavenly City below.
“Finally made it here.”
Li Mo snapped back to reality.
His gaze was not relaxed; instead, it grew increasingly vigilant and serious.
The divine sword... something felt off!
In the past, the divine sword had always ignored him, even though he had already comprehended the essence of the common man’s sword.
That was just one reason.
The divine sword had undergone a deeper transformation.
And it wasn’t a good one.
Once picked up, it made one reluctant to let go; once held, it made one feel as if they had the world in their grasp; once wielded, the heart’s ambition swelled fiercely...
Yet the others remained oblivious to Li Mo’s feelings.
The Heavenly City was in utter chaos.
The outside world, the Imperial Capital, was no better off.
“I hereby announce the appointment of Elder Han He as the Crown Prince! Kneel before the Supreme Emperor and receive the decree!”
Shang Wu stood on the table, looking at the map of the nation, exuding an air of grandeur.
Whoever saw her precious disciple couldn’t help but say she had the demeanor of an emperor?
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