"Xichen greets the Royal Father," Xichen said politely, cupping his hands together towards Hengkong, who was scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"Xichen... is it really you?" Hengkong asked, unable to reconcile the Xichen before him with the Xichen he had known before. It wasn't just his appearance that had changed, but also his aura, his temperament, and that look in his eyes – sharp and cold, yet well-hidden beneath his simple smile.
"You have changed so much that I barely recognize you," Hengkong said in a contemplative voice, rising from his golden throne, staring at his thirteenth son with a complex gaze, a mixture of caution, surprise, and curiosity.
"Perhaps I had to change, Your Majesty, to be worthy of our divine clan's name," Xichen replied in a calm tone, yet laden with layers of meaning, while he stood firmly in the middle of the hall. The powerful aura emanating from him forced the attendees into silence.
The senior ministers and nobles seated on either side of the hall exchanged glances; some felt wary of this suddenly returned prince, while others admired his newfound prestige.
"I heard about the assassination attempt on the road... were you alright?" Hengkong asked, but his voice was filled with a subtle tone of testing.
"Just a little rat trying to burn me, but it got burned by the true flames of the phoenix," Xichen replied with a cold smile, carrying many implications.
As he spoke, golden flames surrounded him, and the golden flame emblem appeared on his forehead, causing the hall to fall silent.
The hall descended into absolute silence as everyone stared at Xichen in shock and disbelief. Everyone present belonged to the Phoenix lineage and knew the meaning of the golden flame emblem that appeared on Xichen's forehead. Due to the bloodline pressure they felt, it was clear it was not fake.
"X... Xichen, is this what I think it is?" After the silence, Hengkong asked in disbelief, his body trembling with excitement.
"Yes, the Royal Father's belief is correct," Xichen nodded, not bothering to hide it. "While this son was adventuring outside, he reached the Phoenix God's trial grounds and obtained its direct and complete inheritance."
Everyone in the hall was stunned, as if a thunderbolt had struck them. Some ministers even trembled unconsciously in their seats.
As for Hengkong, he stepped down from his throne with heavy steps, his eyes gleaming with a rare mixture of fascination and awe. For a moment, he even forgot he was an emperor.
"Direct inheritance? Complete?!" he murmured in a trembling voice, incredulous, then looked toward his ministers and attendants, who wore the same expressions of astonishment. Some even bowed unconsciously before Xichen's aura.
"This means... you are no longer just an obscure prince..." he said in a low voice, as if talking to himself. "You have become a candidate to lead the entire Phoenix lineage."
Xichen did not reply. Instead, the golden flames around him bowed as if kneeling to him, and in his eyes was a cold, confident gleam. This moment... was just a simple step towards his goal of shattering and controlling destiny.
"In fact, my purpose in stopping my journey and returning early is to declare my desire to fight for the succession to the throne," Xichen said in a loud, deep voice, his eyes scanning the faces of all present to see their reactions to his words.
The moment the words "fight for the succession to the throne" left Xichen's mouth, silence prevailed again, but this time it wasn't silence of astonishment... it was the silence of a heavy shock landing on everyone's heads like an immovable mountain.
Every breath in the hall stopped.
Even Feng Hengkong, the usually unshakeable emperor, widened his eyes for a moment before they suddenly narrowed with a sharp, watchful gaze.
"What did you just say...?" he said in a cold voice, not yet angry, but with a veiled threat.
"You heard me well, Your Majesty," Xichen said without flinching, without lowering his tone, his hands still calmly clasped behind his back.
"I, Feng Xichen, the thirteenth prince of the Phoenix lineage, officially declare my desire to enter the competition for the empire's throne."
Whispers suddenly rose among the nobles, ministers, and high-ranking officers. This was not just an ordinary announcement... it was a direct challenge to the existing order, and to the princes who had spent their lives competing with blood and cunning to secure their places near the throne.
One elder, trembling, said in a low voice: "But... but this is impossible... the thirteenth prince never had any ambition for power before... in fact... he was practically an outcast!"
"Everything has changed..." muttered a military commander, staring at the glow of the golden flames.
As for Feng Hengkong, he slowly sat back on his throne, staring at Xichen as if seeing someone from legend, then said in a low but weighty voice: "Do you know what this request means? This is not just ambition... it is opening the door to blood and ruin... the path to the throne is paved with the corpses of brothers."
Xichen smiled calmly, then said in an icy tone: "I don't mind. Whether covered in blood or flames... I won't let my path be taken by anyone."
"It seems you have made up your mind," Hengkong nodded calmly, but there was unconcealed appreciation in his eyes. He continued seriously, "But remember, if you want to fight for the throne, it means you are ready to die for it."
"No need to worry, Your Majesty, for I am your son, and it won't be difficult for me to repeat what His Majesty did to ascend the throne," Xichen said quietly, but his tone was full of meaning.
Everyone knew that Hengkong had shown no mercy to his brothers. He had killed almost all of them except those who surrendered, reaching the throne with his hands stained with his brothers' blood, walking over a pile of their corpses.
Xichen's words implied he was ready to do the same. But what they didn't know was that this didn't just apply to his other brothers, the princes, but also applied to the ministers, the elders, and even Hengkong himself.
Xichen's last words fell like a hammer on ancient rock, slowly cracking under the pressure. Many in the hall didn't even dare to raise their heads, while others exchanged frowning glances... everyone felt that something irreversible had begun.
The atmosphere in the hall was no longer that which welcomed a prince returning from exile... it had become more like a hidden battlefield, where the lines of future blood were silently drawn.
As for Feng Hengkong, he remained silent for long seconds. His anger wasn't apparent; rather, his eyes watched, measured, and pondered. He had ruled for centuries and witnessed hundreds of conspiracies, but this moment... was unlike any other. It resembled what he himself had done long ago.
"I understand what you intend, Xichen," he said in a low but deep voice. His tone was neither angry nor encouraging; it was devoid of emotion, as if he were announcing the beginning of a trial.
"Then... let everyone in this palace know that the thirteenth prince has entered the succession race. There will be no exceptions. From this moment, every prince, every faction, every power... is free to take their stance."
Then he looked directly at Xichen and added: "But don't forget... the emperor's path is built on mountains of corpses and rivers of blood... and no one will receive preferential treatment, and that includes Ximing."
Xichen smiled, and instead of showing tension, he bowed respectfully and said: "That is exactly what I wished for, Your Majesty."
Suddenly, the hall split with an invisible silence.
...
To get more chapters please visit my p@treon :
[email protected]/Akasaki_Ryujin
For support :
https://ko-fi.com/akasaki_ryujin
_
Note: A new chapter will be released every 300 Power Stones.