In the lead was the Chief Advisor who, at over five hundred years old, had served five generations of Monarchs. He had five dynasties worth of seniority.

His forehead had begun to bleed from the repeated actions. Tears leaked from his eyes.

The Chief Advisor cried, "Your Imperial Majesty! Emperor! You must not bet on Qingfeng Li! That would put us in direct opposition to the Crimson Fire Monarch, the Ruler of the Planet! It will send the entire kingdom to its doom!"

The Emperor of Lingyun sat upon the dragon-throne, his face darkened with rage. He hadn't expected his Chief Advisor to mobilize several hundreds of his ministers and officers in an attempt to force him to bet on the Crimson Fire Monarch.

"Chief Advisor, what is the meaning of this?" the Emperor of Lingyun spoke. "It was only thanks to Qingfeng Li that my Imperial Father was able to extend his life and that our kingdom was promoted to an Intermediate-Tier Dynasty. It was thanks to him that I was able to obtain Dharma treasures in the Mystic Sun Realm. Now, you demand that I side with the Crimson Fire Monarch and place my bets on him. Is this not betraying Qingfeng Li?"

"Your Imperial Majesty, I know that Qingfeng Li has been good to us," the Chief Advisor's ancient face trembled as he spoke. "But he's made the Crimson Fire Monarch his enemy! His fate is sealed. The Ruler of the Planet is the most powerful ent.i.ty on the entire continent. If he finds out that we supported Qingfeng Li, he would reduce our kingdom to ruins. Please, abandon Qingfeng Li!"

The Emperor of Lingyun's eyes burned with rage toward the Chief Advisor. The old man might have served five generations of Monarchs and have done much for the kingdom, but right now, to the Monarch, he was an eyesore.

To the Emperor of Lingyun, Qingfeng Li was the one who had given him new life, and much more. If it hadn't been for Qingfeng Li, he wouldn't even have ascended to the throne. Who was to say that he wouldn't have been killed by his own older brother, the Crown Prince? He wouldn't even be alive by now.

Fury roared in his eyes as the Emperor of Lingyun glared at the Chief Advisor. "I will give you one more chance," he said. "Take these ministers and officers with you and leave the Palace at once! If you tell me to wager on the Crimson Fire Monarch and abandon Qingfeng Li again, don't blame me for what happens to you."

"Your Imperial Majesty, are you going to kill this old man?" the Chief Advisor continued to press him. "I have served five generations of emperors. I was at your Great Grandfather's side when he ruled over the Country of Lingyun. We must abandon Qingfeng Li and side with the Crimson Fire Monarch!"

The Emperor of Lingyun shook his head. He was very disappointed. He knew that he had no choice but to make an example of him.

"Guards!" The Emperor of Lingyun's voice was filled with roiling killing intent. "Seize the Chief Advisor! Take him out to the main gates and behead him. At the same time, notify the entire country that Lingyun will support Qingfeng Li side in this quarrel. Any opposition or disrespect against Qingfeng Li will be met with death!"

The Emperor of Lingyun was well aware that this was the time for all the major kingdoms, dynasties, sects, and other organizations to choose a side. Choose wrongly, and the entire kingdom or clan could lose their lives.

To most of the kingdoms and organizations in the world of self-cultivators, the Crimson Fire Monarch was the Ruler of the Planet, and the most powerful man on the continent. In quarreling with him, Qingfeng Li was like an egg thrown at a rock. He was dead for sure.

But the Emperor of Lingyun didn't see it that way. He believed that the final victory would definitely go to Qingfeng Li.

This was what his intuition told him. Just like the first time he had met Qingfeng Li and knew that Qingfeng Li could help him become the Emperor.

Clack, clack, clack…

Four armored guards walked out from beside the Emperor of Lingyun, wielding large blades. They hoisted the Chief Advisor off the ground and carried him out the door to be beheaded.

All the ministers and officers witnessing this scene were overcome with fright. They hadn't expected that their Monarch would go as far as to behead the Chief Advisor in order to support Qingfeng Li.

The Emperor of Lingyun glared down at the hundreds of ministers and officers. "Why aren't you moving?" he said. "Do you still insist on me abandoning Qingfeng Li? If that's the case, the Chief Advisor's fate will be your own. I wouldn't mind beheading all of you."

At this, the color drained from all of the hundreds of ministers and officials' faces. With eyes filled with terror, they scrambled out of the Palace.