Chapter 2047: The Eternal Sage Emperor! (1/2)
”Not good!”
Wang Chong immediately wanted to rush forward, but the Sage Emperor stopped him.
”No need. We are fine!
”Wang Chong, remember your promise to Us! You are dismissed!”
The Sage Emperor's eyes closed as he slowly leaned back against the golden dragon throne.
As Wang Chong looked at the Sage Emperor, he understood.
He could clearly sense the death energy rapidly building up in the Sage Emperor's body and the guttering flame of life, and he knew that the wise sovereign had reached the end of his life.
This would probably be their last meeting.
Wang Chong felt a bitterness in his heart, and an endless sorrow. He understood that the Sage Emperor did not wish for him to see his last moment, wished to retain the visage of a sovereign.
”The lowly subject Wang Chong bids farewell to the Sage Emperor!”
Wang Chong took in a deep breath, suppressing sorrow, and reverentially kowtowed.
A curtain had descended on an era. This place was his final destination.
Turning around, Wang Chong finally walked out of Taiji Palace, carrying with him both sorrow and resolve as he parted ways with this supreme sovereign.
……
Once Wang Chong was gone, the hall fell silent once more.
In just a few moments, that enthroned figure's black hair turned white with astonishing speed, the man himself rapidly aging.
He was no longer the revered Sage Emperor at this moment, merely an ordinary man of flesh and blood.
Clap!
He flicked his finger, sending some of his remaining Stellar Energy out to strike a hanging scroll on the left side of the hall.
The binding rope around the scroll was struck by the Stellar Energy, and the scroll unrolled to reveal a painting.
It was an exquisite portrait of a dancing woman dressed in red, appearing like a fairy descended to the mortal realm. She seemed very similar to Consort Taizhen, but it was clear that they were not the same person.
”Qing Luo, We will be with you soon…”
The Sage Emperor looked with soft and affectionate eyes at the portrait.
”Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is waiting outside!” Gao Lishi's aged voice came from outside.
”Let him come in…”
……
A few moments later, the Crown Prince left Taiji Palace, his face stricken with grief, his eyes red, and his voice choked with sobs.
In the hall, the Sage Emperor was growing weaker and weaker. His hair had gone completely white, and he seemed to be on the precipice of death.
But he remained seated on the throne, seemingly waiting for something.
”Your Majesty, this old subject has come to see you!” A voice came from outside, and another figure slowly entered the hall.
Upon hearing this voice, the Sage Emperor suddenly opened his eyes.
The Sage Emperor cracked a smile upon seeing this familiar figure.
If Wang Chong had seen who this man was, he would have undoubtedly been shocked. This was because the man the Sage Emperor called 'Teacher', the one who had been waiting for in the last moments of his life, was clearly his grandfather, the revered Duke Jiu.
”Haaaa…”
Upon seeing the dying Sage Emperor, Duke Jiu let out a long sigh.
For a moment, he felt like time had gone back to the first time he was seeing this child. At that time, this child had also called him 'Teacher'.
”Go! You are the best student that I have ever taught!
”Teacher is proud of you!”
……
A carriage rumbled through the palace avenues. The entire inner court was solemn and somber. As Wang Chong's carriage was about to pass through the main gate, he suddenly heard a bell ring out over the capital.
Bong!
The solemn tones of the bell were tinged with deep sadness and sorrow.
The moment this bell rang out, all of the capital, from the most common laborer to the highest noble, put down what they were doing, and nearly one million pairs of eyes turned in the direction of Taiji Palace.
”The Sage Emperor has passed!” A shrill voice arose from the Imperial Palace.
Within the carriage, Wang Chong's body trembled, and he could no longer stop the flow of tears.
Countless people dropped to their knees and began to weep.
All of them could tell that this was a death knell!
The entire capital was engulfed with sorrow.
Bang!
No one noticed that as the bell rang out, an invisible dome began to spread out from Taiji Palace over the entire capital.
The Xiangliu Formation—or perhaps one could call it the Sage Emperor's Miniature Nine Provinces Domain—now activated with the Sage Emperor's death.