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A chorus of voices pierced right through the clouds. It might have seemed as if Emperor Hades was addressing the beasts lining the riverbank, but his words spread throughout every corner of the Upper Three Realms.

Countless major powers, even those currently in secluded cultivation, heard Emperor Hades' voice resound like thunder in their ears, repeating seemingly without end.

And in that moment, all three races knew.

Su Yiyun was the new Emperor Hades.

His master's booming voice shook the hearts of countless experts. Then, his next move left all who witnessed it wide-eyed and tongue-tied. After making this announcement, he shockingly took several steps back, then faced Su Yiyun and…. bowed deeply!

Such a display of respect was rare to see in daily life, but this was Emperor hades! In countless years, no one had ever seen him pay respects to anyone. Perhaps only the former Emperor Hades, his predecessor, had enjoyed such an honor.

But now, he was facing Su Yiyun and….

"All hail Emperor Hades!"

As Emperor Hades, or rather, the man who one was Emperor Hades, shouted, all the river denizens called out as one.

"All hail Emperor Hades!"

"All hail Emperor Hades!"

"All hail Emperor Hades!"

Wave after wave of greetings followed, like a surging tide of voices exploding throughout the River Styx river basin. Their collective volume shook the heavens.

It seemed downright contagious; the cultivators of the surrounding cities soon joined in the chorus as well.

Many of the yao were enemies with Emperor Hades, so there was no way they'd yell. However, those near the border felt inexplicably compelled to join in. Although they didn't discuss it, all of them called out to Emperor Hades in their hearts.

The former Emperor Hades had abdicated, making Su Yiyun the newly-ascended Emperor Hades, as well as the only Emperor Hades!

The chorus of voices went on for quite some time with no signs of slowing. Countless people gazed up at Su Yiyun as he stood before Emperor Hades' palace, their eyes filled with worship, awe, and fear. Many of them shouted so loud, they lost their voices, but even then, they didn't stop.

Watching this… Ye Zichen and the others felt their blood boil. They couldn't help but clench their fists.

Especially Ye Zichen.

He and Su Yiyun were like brothers. Now that Su Yiyun had taken over Emperor Hades' mantle, he was naturally delighted on his friend's behalf.

But at the same time, it only made him worry more about the situation over in fox territory.

The Fox Empress had already sent out an urgent call for reinforcements, and they couldn't afford to delay. He was champing at the bit, just itching to lead his people toward Fox Clan territory, but now that this was going on….

"Wait a little longer. If we leave now, we'll ruin his moment!" As if sensing Ye Zichen's thoughts, Xuan Ji sent a transmission straight into his sea of consciousness.

Ye Zichen nodded. He naturally knew that leaving now would absolutely hurt Su Yiyun's image, but the foxes really were in peril.

After a brief internal struggle, Ye Zichen gnashed his teeth and set those thoughts aside.

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the nearby mountains shook.

The waters of the River Styx flowed in reverse, and a seemingly unconscious Su Yiyun floated up before them, his arms quivering subtly.

He flipped his right hand, and the River Styx, the boundary between the God and Yao Realms, transformed into a magic artifact and landed in the palm of his hands.

The entire river had disappeared, just like that. Watching him made the countless onlookers' hearts shake.

Then, Su Yiyun's eyes popped open. His eyes blazed with such intensity, not even the moon and sun could compete. He gazed down at the world below, surveying everything before him coldly.

The cold indifference in his eyes was the same as his predecessor, and seeing it only increased the vicious beasts' terror.

However, it didn't last. Shortly after, his eyes regained their usual warmth and friendliness. He stood there, staring at the miniature River Styx in his palm. He subconsciously cried out, "Master!"

He looked down at his clothes in a daze, unsure of what to do. His purple imperial robes should have belonged to his master, but on ordinary days, not even his master wore such finery.

And yet, Su Yiyun now found these clothes on himself. He suddenly recalled their conversation back in the palace. "Emperor Hades? Am I Emperor Hades now?"

As he muttered to himself, he felt a surge of terror. He surveyed his surroundings in a panic.

"Master!"

Those who, like Xuan Ji, were close enough to see this play out in person noticed Su Yiyun's changes and heard his shouts. But when they looked where the former Emperor Hades was, they realized that he was gone, and likely had been for quite some while.

They'd all been too focused on this new Emperor Hades. No one had noticed where the former Emperor Hades had gone or when he'd left.

At that moment…

"Yiyun."

An amiable voice entered the flustered Su Yiyun's sea of consciousness. Su Yiyun had followed Emperor Hades for a while now, so he immediately recognized his master's voice.

"Master!"

"Master, where are you? I don't want to be Emperor Hades!"

"Master, I know there's no way you've reached the end of your lifespan yet, so why are you abdicating?"

"Master….." Su Yiyun cried out frantically through his sea of consciousness.

His master couldn't help but chuckle and transmit back, "You're a strange kid, aren't you? Throughout this vast world, who doesn't wish to become Emperor Hades? Yet now that I've entrusted my mantle to you, you're telling me you don't want it?

"Did you know? Back in the day, even the current Demon Emperor longed for this title. If you don't believe me, you can go looking for him. Tell him you want to give him your title and ask him to abdicate the throne of Demon Emperor. I expect he'll agree without hesitation."

"But I…." Su Yiyun tried to speak.

However, Emperor Hades merely chuckled and cut him off. "This is fate. Becoming Emperor Hades is part of your destiny. Passing my mantle onto you is merely following the will of the heavens. Besides, I've had enough of this throne. Although it seems glamorous, it's also restrictive.

"There are so many matters I wish to resolve, but the throne has been my shackles. Now that I've entrusted it to you, I can act as I please and live for myself.

"I've transmitted memories alongside my title, including the techniques of every generation of Emperor Hades. You can glean enlightenment into any that please you.

"The palace and the River of Souls are both God-Given Artifacts. Descriptions of how to use them are included in our transmitted memories."

"I'm going to go far away, and in the future, I might not be able to protect you. But so long as you comprehend the memories I've passed onto you, your cultivation won't mind up any lower than mine.

"Remember my words: help Ye Zichen take the throne and transcend…." Emperor Hades' transmission trailed off like a wisp of smoke, then disappeared completely from Su Yiyun's sea of consciousness. Su Yiyun nodded forcefully, then turned towards the Northwest and bowed deeply.

He didn't know where exactly his master was, so this bow was purely intended to express his respect.

He gazed at Emperor Hades' palace, as well as the river of souls in his palm. Although he didn't even dare imagine it, it seemed he'd truly become Emperor Hades. In the future, the heavy burden of protecting the River Styx would land squarely on his shoulders.

As for helping Ye Zichen ascend the throne….

Su Yiyun instinctively glanced at Ye Zichen and smiled. They were close friends to begin with, so even if Emperor Hades hadn't ordered him, he would have done everything in his power to help Ye Zichen.

He had a million things to say, but in the end, he merely managed a single sentence. "Master…. Take care!"