Chapter 312: Brutality
“My life is over.” Daoist Dongxu sighed in despair.
When First Emperor Jiang Li wanted someone dead, they died—without exception.
Jiang Li truly lived up to the title “First Emperor.” He stood on the front lines against the Outer Demons, fought bravely, protected the safety of the Nine Provinces, and possessed unparalleled cultivation—unmatched through the ages.
No Human Sovereign in history could compare to him.
But First Emperor Jiang Li had one major flaw—he was too brutal.
At the slightest displeasure, he would go on a killing spree.
It was said that when he returned to the Jiang Family, he uprooted it entirely, leaving no survivors—not even sparing three-year-old children.
Anyone associated with the Jiang Family was executed too—city lords, magistrates, various officials… entire families wiped out, countless innocent people died.
This was a severe violation of Great Zhou law, and the national fortune of Great Zhou suffered for it.
When Emperor Ji Zhi of the Great Zhou heard the news and tried to punish First Emperor Jiang Li for defying the law, Jiang Li simply manifested the national fate of Great Zhou and shattered it with a single punch.
Ji Zhi coughed up blood for three days and was left on the brink of death. He remains unconscious to this day.
Not long ago, Jiang Li even massacred the entire South Flood Dragon Clan, staining the Southern Sea red.
He also joined various secret realms but allowed no one else to enter—insisting on entering alone, supposedly to guarantee himself first place.
No one knew why he was so obsessed with being first, and no one dared ask.
The Profound Mystery Secret Realm, the Sword Tomb, the Ink Realm… he had been to them all.
If compared to the Outer Demons, Jiang Li undoubtedly had contributed to the Nine Provinces.
But when people thought of his brutality, they still hoped he could be a bit gentler.
No one expected him to be perfect—just that he might kill fewer people.
Unfortunately, where in the world could one find a powerhouse with both strength and a gentle nature?
If you happened to provoke First Emperor Jiang Li, all you could do was pray he wouldn’t take it out on your family.
Eventually, his behavior stirred public resentment.
Several Tribulation Stage cultivators decided to resist.
They believed that if they could save Daoist Dongxu, it would be their first step toward rebellion.
Daoist Dongxu hoped they would succeed, though the odds were slim.
“Sword Sovereign, I helped you escape the sea of inner demons in the Sword Tomb, and now you would draw your sword on me?” First Emperor Jiang Li asked coldly.
“First Emperor, I’m grateful that you rescued me,” the Sword Sovereign said, drawing his sword. He hesitated for a moment at Jiang Li’s words, but still stood firm in opposing him.
“The people of the Nine Provinces thank you for saving them from the Outer Demons. You possess unmatched power—naturally, you can do as you please, kill whoever you wish.
But we only ask that, before you wield such power, you consider—does this person truly deserve to die?”
In the dream, Yu Yin was quite different from reality. She addressed Jiang Li with utmost respect, lowering herself in position, her tone full of pleading.
“Like Daoist Dongxu—he merely offered his black box for you to draw cards from. You couldn’t draw your own card, so you killed him.
A cultivator who worked hard to reach the Fusion Stage, and you’d kill him over this? Don’t you find it absurd?”
In the dream, Bai Hongtu no longer joked. He stood solemnly in opposition to Jiang Li.
When facing the temperamental First Emperor, one had to tread carefully.
Jiang Li burst out laughing, brushing off the pleas from the other Tribulation cultivators.
“My power was earned through my own cultivation. Why should I need your permission to use it?”
“The strong prey on the weak—that is nature’s law.
The weak must submit to the strong. If I want someone dead, they must offer their neck and die obediently.”
“You have all repeatedly offended my divine might. The only reason I haven’t killed you is because I respect how hard cultivation is.
Don’t make me regret my tolerance.”
Everyone present knew the only reason they were still alive was not because Jiang Li was merciful—
It was because they were the only Tribulation cultivators below him.
If he killed them, he’d be left ruling over Fusion Stage cultivators only.
To him, Fusion Stage cultivators were just slightly bigger ants—ruling over them was meaningless.
“In that case, allow me to learn a lesson from the First Emperor,” Li Er said slowly, activating his Dharma body.
Commander Liu transformed into a thousand-foot-tall willow tree, glowing green. Its branches stretched wide and lashed toward Jiang Li, tearing through space itself.
Facing the unstoppable First Emperor, Commander Liu dared not hold back—he used his strongest technique.
The willow branches, powerful enough to shatter space, shot forth—
But Jiang Li didn’t dodge. He reached out his hand and caught the deadly branches, stripping the willow leaves clean.
The willow leaves were tied to Commander Liu’s true blood—recoverable only with time.
Then Jiang Li kicked the enormous willow in half.
Commander Liu reverted to human form and coughed up blood.
Yu Yin summoned national fate and swept her brush in the air—unleashing the Dao of Painting.
A host of exotic beasts leapt forth from her strokes, overwhelming in presence, their strength beyond measure.
They charged from all directions, besieging Jiang Li.
A chessboard representing the fate of the Tianyuan Dynasty appeared beneath Jiang Li’s feet.
He stood in the center as wave after wave of beasts rushed in.
“Yu Yin hasn’t used the Dao of Painting since reaching the Tribulation Stage,” Bai Hongtu frowned.
If Yu Yin hadn’t used it, then Daoist Dongxu couldn’t have imagined it.
Even if he tried to force it, the depiction wouldn’t be this accurate.
Fusion Stage cultivators simply couldn’t reasonably envision the techniques of a Tribulation Stage cultivator.
Bai Hongtu could tell—if Yu Yin truly used painting now, this was exactly what it would look like.
“Maybe Daoist Dongxu is right. These are things that happened in a parallel world,” Jiang Li said, his expression dark as ink.
If this weren’t a dream—if he could interfere—he’d love to fight this so-called “First Emperor” and teach that version of himself a lesson!
But even as the attacks came in waves, Jiang Li remained unfazed.
With a casual wave, he turned the beasts into ink, unable to take form again.
He moved at unimaginable speed and appeared before Yu Yin.
His surging qi and blood seemed enough to drown all of the Nine Provinces.
Jiang Li gently stroked Yu Yin’s delicate face, examining her carefully.
“Such a beautiful woman… why expose yourself to danger and become an empress?”
“A hero should have beauties by his side.
Once I establish the Immortal Dynasty of the Nine Provinces, you’ll be part of my harem!”
“Yu Yin, Jingxin, Mortal World Celestial, Meng Youyou, Song Ying, Li Nian’er…
All the beautiful women under heaven shall belong to me!”
The real Bai Hongtu believed Jiang Li didn’t love these women—he just wanted to possess them.
First Emperor Jiang Li merely sought to collect the most beautiful women in the world, as trophies to flaunt his power.
If this truly happened, Holy Maiden Jingxin would never love such a man—much less feel honored to be in his harem.
“Pah!” Yu Yin spat, completely disgusted by his offer. She no longer pretended to be respectful.
Jiang Li grabbed her by the throat and flung her aside.
“Ungrateful wench!”
He unleashed divine power in all directions, unstoppable and unmatched.
Bai Hongtu, watching from the sidelines, finally understood what it looked like when Jiang Li went all out.
And this probably wasn’t even his full strength—if it were, no one present would survive.
“Where are the immortal weapons?” Bai Hongtu asked, noticing that though the Tribulation cultivators used Spiritual Treasures, none had brought out Immortal Artifacts.