Hearing this, Qin Yi stopped issuing orders and raised his head toward the entrance of the hall.
A figure walked toward him with a cold expression, a long sword hanging at his waist.
It was King Chengdui.
The madness and ferocity that had once defined him were gone, replaced by a calm, indifferent expression.
'Tap. Tap. Tap.'
His heavy footsteps echoed through the hall as the ministers turned to look at him, each with a different expression.
He was the second King to join Qin's Nation, and the second King to become one of Qin Yi's subjects. Bringing another King under his command offered a tremendous boost to the nation's strength. When Qin Yi had recruited Li Yuanli, it had saved him immense trouble and accelerated the development of Qin's Nation.
King Chengdui finally stopped nine zhang below Qin Yi's throne.
Only then did Qin Yi laugh heartily. "Chengdui, you've been resurrected. Excellent!"
King Chengdui's gaze settled on Qin Yi. He said nothing, but the unnerving calmness in his eyes was enough to make everyone uncomfortable. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew tense.
Qin Yi's eyes sharpened as he sat on the imperial throne, looking down at King Chengdui. Their battle had ended with Chengdui declaring his submission, which under the laws of the King's World made him Qin Yi's subordinate. However, a subordinate King differed from an ordinary subject; as demonstrated with Li Yuanli, a formal ceremony was required before the superior King could fully claim everything belonging to the subordinate King.
At this moment, no one knew what King Chengdui would choose now that he stood before Qin Yi once more.
Time slowly passed.
After more than a dozen breaths, the ministers at the front of the hall grew alert. Several experts standing nearby gripped their weapons, killing intent flashing in their eyes. They were ready, the moment this unfamiliar King made any suspicious move, they would strike him down on the spot.
Thirty breaths passed.
Then, King Chengdui suddenly bowed deep at the waist, his expression respectful.
"Greetings, Superior King. King Qin, our King."
In the end, he chose to submit.
As he bowed, a ray of light emerged from his forehead and floated toward Qin Yi. In the blink of an eye, the light merged into the center of Qin Yi's brow, making the crescent mark fused with the surrounding patterns appear even more mysterious.
"Excellent. You arrived at just the right time, I was about to assign everyone their duties." A smile returned to Qin Yi's eyes.
The ministers below quietly relaxed and stood down.
King Chengdui nodded without resistance and stepped back, taking his place beside King Yuanli. Li Yuanli glanced at him but said nothing. Having fought each other previously, they were hardly on friendly terms, and getting them to exchange pleasantries would be a tall order.
"Now that the Three Realms have been established, their Realm Lords must naturally be appointed as well," Qin Yi continued, as the ministers nodded along. "Qin's Nation now controls dozens of worlds. Even I cannot manage every single one personally."
"First, I will continue to directly govern the Minor Immortal Realm."
"As for the Underworld Realm, Li Yuanli, you shall serve as its Lord of Hell. I will grant you the Zanpakutō, King of Hell, to bolster your power."
"The Shinigami Realm has already been integrated into the King's Way, and the Underworld Realm now possesses the scope of an entire world. All the deceased will fall under its jurisdiction, while the eighteen levels of Hell will imprison those who have committed transgressions, tempering their souls and purifying their nature."
Li Yuanli's body trembled upon hearing this, and he immediately stepped forward. "Thank you, our King!"
An attendant beside Qin Yi received the Zanpakutō 'King of Hell' from Qin Yi and presented it to Li Yuanli.
King Chengdui's pupils contracted. He had seen that Zanpakutō before and knew full well how formidable it was. On top of that, Li Yuanli already possessed a blade tied to the power of time. The brat's combat strength had undeniably skyrocketed, even Chengdui himself wasn't confident he could defeat Li Yuanli in direct confrontation anymore.
"As for the Material Realm Lord..." Qin Yi paused, his eyes flickering in thought.
After a quiet moment, he spoke in an authoritative tone. "The position of Mortal Lord shall be given to King Chengdui."
The entire hall erupted.
The ministers were stunned, followed immediately by fierce objections.
"No! Our King, how can this be allowed?"
"The position of Mortal Lord is far too crucial! Chengdui is extraordinarily ruthless, and he was our enemy until moments ago. The populace is already furious with him. Making him the Mortal Lord could easily trigger widespread unrest!"
"The Mortal Lord forms the foundation of the Three Realms, governing all mortals outside the Immortal Realm, an astronomical population! Someone as ruthless as King Chengdui could easily cause a disaster!"
Minister after minister spoke up, all visibly agitated.
Qin Yi remained calm, looking down at them without immediately cutting off their protests. He had anticipated an uproar over this decision, but it did not trouble him. As an emperor, especially one whose Divine Nation foundation was already taking shape, he had to weigh far broader considerations: factional dynamics, power balances, and systemic gains and losses.
King Chengdui had once ruled a vast realm and undeniably possessed governance experience. More importantly, his former kingdom consisted entirely of warriors. Distributing the Three Realms among three Kings was, logically, the most efficient structure.
When the hall finally quieted down, Qin Yi spoke again.
"Appointing King Chengdui as Mortal Lord is a decision I made after careful deliberation. Obey my command."
Then, he looked down at Chengdui with a mild smile. "Chengdui, when I previously said I wanted you to be my dog, I was merely joking. Do not take it to heart."
"Now that you have been named Mortal Lord, dedicate yourself to making Qin's Nation stronger. The Material Realm is vast, its territory enormous, and its population massive. It will be challenging to manage, so you must put your full effort into it. Qin's Nation relies on the foundation provided by the Material Realm; whether the Immortal Realm prospers depends on you."
Those few words left the protesting ministers speechless, leaving them no choice but to yield in silence.
King Chengdui, however, narrowed his eyes. He recognized the trap Qin Yi was laying.
The position of Mortal Lord was indeed immensely important, it was the bedrock supporting the entire realm, conferring real, concrete authority. Yet that was precisely where the snare lay. If he caused trouble or failed in his duties, failing to feed talented individuals into the Immortal and Underworld Realms, he alone would bear the blame. Furthermore, placing him in charge of the Material Realm deliberately severed his direct ties to his original Nie Kingdom forces.
It was political maneuvering, the art of imperial rule. Simple, direct, and effective.
Chengdui's eyes flickered before he finally spoke in a deep voice. "No. Chengdui is our King's dog, and I am willing to perform any duty for our King."
"Thank you, our King. Chengdui will give his all."
Qin Yi smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then as of today, Chengdui is the Material Realm Lord."
He immediately transitioned to the next order of business, opening discussions on their next expansion target.
"Now that we have reached Starlight Level Nine, we can begin exploring a new world."
"According to the information gathered by our King, the Parliamentary Institute recommends our next destination be the world known as..."
Gandalf paused, his eyes glinting.
"The World of One Punch!"
(End of Chapter)
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