Chapter Nineteen: The Emergence of the Quasi-Emperor—Submit or Perish

Eastern Wasteland, Cang Family.

Within a hidden secret realm, an ancient cauldron, blood-red and archaic, stood firm amidst the chaotic currents like Mount Tai, harboring immense and profound power—so formidable that it astonished many of the Eastern Wasteland’s strongest cultivators.

This ancient cauldron exuded a faint imperial Dao aura, revealing its extraordinary potential and strength. Any formidable figure from the Eastern Wasteland who witnessed it would surely exclaim the identity of its master—the illustrious Cang Yan Martial Emperor.

At this moment, atop the cauldron in its highest chamber, within a vast space, the Cang Yan Martial Emperor sat majestically on his throne, clad in a crimson imperial robe, his gaze sternly surveying all below.

“Father, the Xiao family is utterly ungrateful, blatantly provoking your authority. You absolutely cannot let them off so easily!” a pale-faced young man with a dark expression complained to the Martial Emperor.

This man was none other than Cang Yan’s only son, Cang Er.

Though Cang Er was the son of a quasi-Emperor, his cultivation was disappointingly weak, hardly worthy of mention.

Cang Yan Martial Emperor currently boasted a cultivation at the fifth level of the Quasi-Emperor realm, yet Cang Er possessed only a Dao Palace secret realm, and even that was artificially bolstered by his father through rare heavenly materials and treasures.

Otherwise, Cang Er would barely have reached the Lunhai secret realm—an utterly shameful state.

Were it not for having a quasi-Emperor father, even moderately skilled wandering cultivators could easily have beaten him mercilessly, leaving him unable to rise again.

Moreover, Cang Er was a reckless playboy, often abusing his father’s status to bully women, indulging in countless affairs, which left his body increasingly frail. His cultivation ceiling was likely limited to the Fourth Extreme secret realm—visible from afar.

“Why so impatient at such a young age? That imperial decree from the Xiao family is no mere trifle; it truly comes from a great Emperor’s own hand. For your father to break it, he would have to exert enormous effort. One misstep might even injure his root source, jeopardizing his future path to Emperorhood.”

“Let the imperial decree’s power dissipate first. Then your father will make them pay the price,” the Martial Emperor replied coldly, showing unexpected respect for the imperial decree the Xiao family had unleashed.

Even he found it impossible to forcefully break such a decree in a short time; he could only wait for its strength to wane.

Though the Xiao family had gained an additional imperial decree, it only prolonged their survival by a few days.

Their fate had long been sealed—there was absolutely no chance for alteration!

“By the way, Father, please do not harm Xiao Jinyu. That woman is beautiful, with an excellent figure—a rare top-grade cauldron. I intend to take her as a concubine. Please don’t let anything happen to her!” Cang Er suddenly remembered the Xiao family’s stunning beauty and hurriedly warned.

“Hmph, I have said before, cultivators rely on their own strength above all else. When you become strong enough, why would you worry about lacking women throwing themselves at you?” the Martial Emperor retorted.

“You’re really something, wasting all your attention on women while neglecting your cultivation. Only a Dao Palace secret realm now—a real disgrace to your father!” The Martial Emperor was displeased with his son’s indulgence but felt powerless to change him. For cultivators, the stronger one becomes, the harder it is to reproduce. Cang Er was his only bloodline and a late-born son, so the Martial Emperor often indulged him.

Previously, Cang Er only dared to set his sights on a certain saintess from the Sacred Land; he did not have the courage to pursue any imperial princess.

This time, daring to take Xiao Jinyu as a concubine was only because the Xiao family was a fallen imperial clan. Had they been flourishing, even the Martial Emperor would have killed him for such insolence.

“Haha, Father, rest assured. After this matter, I will focus on my cultivation!” Cang Er smiled slyly, promising with his lips while fantasizing about his exploits with the enchanting Xiao Jinyu.

The Martial Emperor saw through his son’s facade but said nothing, unsurprised.

From his perspective, any woman favored by his son was blessed by countless lifetimes of cultivation—there was no reason to refuse such fortune.

The true reason behind the Martial Emperor’s pressure on the Xiao family was not about taking concubines but their imperial foundation and imperial Dao inheritance.

Though the Xiao family had fallen, as a former imperial clan, they naturally possessed imperial cultivation techniques and legacies.

Currently only a quasi-Emperor himself, the Martial Emperor was regarded as having the potential to become an Emperor, but he knew well that, with his talent and accumulation, he was far from achieving that goal.

Therefore, he needed to absorb more imperial Dao essence and study the imperial methods of his predecessors to aid his own breakthrough into the imperial realm.

However, imperial techniques and legacies were extremely rare, mostly held by powerful imperial clans, whom the Martial Emperor dared not offend lightly.

Imperial realm legacies were the inviolable secrets of the imperial families, accessible only to their core members and never shared outside.

After much contemplation, the only imperial methods he could easily obtain were from the Xiao family—their ‘soft underbelly.’ This was the true reason behind the Martial Emperor’s relentless pursuit.

Taking concubines for his son was merely a pretext.

Events unfolded exactly as the Martial Emperor expected. Under his pressure, the Xiao family ultimately revealed only one imperial decree and, beyond that, no stronger trump cards.

At this realization, the Martial Emperor’s gaze blazed with renewed intensity. Once the decree’s power was exhausted, he would personally descend upon the Xiao family to seize their imperial methods!

Eastern Wasteland, Xiao Family.

“The power of the imperial decree is about to run out. Has Patriarch Xiao Xuan not returned yet?” Xiao Qingtian looked up at the imperial decree hovering above the Xiao estate, eyes filled with deep worry.

The decree had hung over the Xiao family for two days already. With barely another day left before its power was depleted, Xiao Qingtian grew frantic.

If the imperial decree’s power expired before Patriarch Xiao Xuan returned, the Xiao family would truly be in peril!

“Clan leader, since Patriarch Xiao Xuan promised to return, he surely will,” Xiao Jinyu softly comforted him.

“Sigh, these past few days, the only help the Xiao family has received was from a mere youngster. How ironic,” Xiao Qingtian shook his head with a bitter smile, tinged with mockery.

The Xiao family was now desolate. Days had passed without any aid arriving—a truly humiliating state.

Xiao Qingtian had even resolved that if Patriarch Xiao Xuan failed to return in time, he would do everything to protect the young generation of the Xiao family.

“The imperial decree’s power will last a while longer, but as for the Grand Elder…” Xiao Jinyu’s face clouded with concern.

Xiao Cangming was already old and frail, his lifespan nearing its end. On top of that, he had been heavily injured under the pressure of the quasi-Emperor’s decree, barely clinging to life.

“With the blessing of Patriarch Xiao Xuan, the Grand Elder will surely be fine,” Xiao Qingtian forced a smile, silently praying.

Grand Elder, you must hold on! Perhaps when Patriarch Xiao Xuan returns, there will still be hope!

Suddenly, an overwhelming and terrifying aura spread through heaven and earth, drawing everyone’s attention.

Above the Xiao estate, the skies had turned a deep crimson. A thousand miles of space shattered as a towering, ancient, blood-red cauldron slowly descended, emanating colossal pressure!

Upon the cauldron stood a figure resembling a demon god. As the figure appeared, the surrounding void warped, faint images of heavenly gods and demons flickering, instilling dread.

“The Cang Yan Cauldron! That’s the quasi-Emperor weapon of Cang Yan Martial Emperor!”

“The Cang Yan Martial Emperor has personally arrived!”

All the Eastern Wasteland cultivators encircling the Xiao estate gasped in shock. No one expected the Martial Emperor to descend so swiftly.

This signaled that the enmity between the Martial Emperor and the Xiao family had reached a point of no return.

Before the Xiao family lay only two paths: submission or annihilation!