I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 725 Why the relentless pressure, insisting on driving them to the brink of destruction? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

When Li Chen, who played the role of the Witch Ancestor, heard this righteous and stern accusation, he was not angry at all. Instead, he laughed out loud as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous.

He shook his head, and then, under the horrified gazes of Romanov and Ivan, slowly wiped away the halo on his face and the robes that symbolized his identity as the ancestor of witches, revealing his true face.

That face belonged to Emperor Tian Ce, Li Chen—young and handsome, yet possessing an aura of dominance over the world!
A mocking smirk played on Li Chen's lips as he calmly looked at the completely petrified Romanov and said indifferently, "What if the Ancestor of the Witches is me?"

Romanov was completely stunned, his mind went blank, as if he had been struck by lightning.

His eyes widened as he stared intently at Li Chen's face. He had seen this face countless times in the intelligence files of the Tian Ce Empire, and he had even glimpsed it from afar himself! There was absolutely no mistake!

But how could this be?! The Witch Ancestor who stirred up the storm in the Great Luo Dynasty and whom he regarded as a major threat, and Emperor Li Chen of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty who was competing with him from afar in the south and opposing him at every turn, are actually the same person?!
A tremendous sense of absurdity and unprecedented fear instantly overwhelmed him.

All his calculations and reliance seemed to become a huge joke at this moment.

Ivan had never seen Li Chen's true face. Seeing his ancestor frozen in place as if he had seen a ghost, his face filled with disbelief and horror, he was filled with doubt and couldn't help but ask, "Ancestor, who exactly is this person? Why do you..."

Romanov's throat was dry, as if every word carried a heavy burden. He was silent for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, as if he had exhausted all his strength: "He is Emperor Tian Ce, Li Chen."

"What?! He's Li Chen?!" Upon hearing this, Ivan was struck dumb, as if by lightning. He gasped sharply and stumbled back several steps, his face turning deathly pale.

Although he had never seen Li Chen in person, he had heard the legends about this powerful ruler of the Heavenly Strategy Sect countless times.

Legend has it that he attained unparalleled cultivation at a young age, possessing unfathomable strength; legend has it that he was of unparalleled beauty and charm; legend has it that he was a man of great talent and ambition, with wisdom as vast as the sea, single-handedly leading the Tian Ce Empire to its zenith.
In the past, Ivan always thought that these were just boasts and marketing by Tian Ce to deify its ruler, and should not be taken seriously.

But now, this legendary figure is standing right in front of him, and in the guise of "Witch Ancestor," a title he had once tried so hard to win over and even somewhat feared!

His handsome appearance and domineering aura proved that the legends were not unfounded.

However, what was even more terrifying than realizing who Li Chen was was the overwhelming sense of absurdity and shame that followed!

Emperor Tian Ce, Li Chen, is none other than the Witch Ancestor! So, what have I been doing all this time?!

It was she herself who, under various pretexts, sent those beautiful concubines from the harem to the "Witch Ancestor's" side, so that he could enjoy them to his heart's content!
It was he and his ancestor who racked their brains to "grant" the title of "Witch Ancestor" to the vast war-torn lands of the south, which was tantamount to handing over the empire's territory to the monarch of an enemy country!
It was he and his court officials who, against all odds, acknowledged the exalted status of "Witch Ancestor," the empire's guardian deity and the new emperor's tutor, allowing him to legitimately intervene in imperial affairs! Furthermore, his own faction unwittingly opened the door wide for "Witch Ancestor's" missionary work, enabling him to easily gain the faith of countless commoners and become the uncrowned king of the Great Luo spirit!

All of this was not because they had outsmarted the Witch Ancestor, but because they were a bunch of complete idiots, manipulated by Li Chen, and even thought they had succeeded!
This extreme humiliation and stupidity of being sold out and still counting the money for the seller, treating the enemy as an honored guest, and even personally handing the knife to the enemy, gnawed at Ivan's heart like a venomous snake, making him almost suffocate. It was a thousand times more painful than being killed directly!
His body trembled slightly as he pointed at Li Chen, his lips quivering, but he couldn't utter a single word. Only his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins and boundless hatred and regret.

Romanov was, after all, a seasoned veteran who had weathered many storms. After the extreme shock and absurdity, he forcibly suppressed his surging blood and qi, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down and analyze the situation.

The current situation is a dead end! Including Li Chen, the opponent has a total of six Saint Realm experts!
On his side, he was the only one at the Saint Realm. Ivan and the dozens of royal experts were not able to play a decisive role in the Saint-level melee, and they could not even protect themselves.

If it were outside, perhaps the emperor could mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops and use the power of the resonance of the military formation's chakras to fight back.

But this was a secluded paradise he had personally created for privacy, completely isolated from the outside world, so that the imperial guards outside could not sense it or enter! This was simply a self-inflicted trap!

Right now, it's practically a death trap! Either he dies or he risks everything to drag the other down with him; maybe then there's a sliver of hope!
Thinking of this, Romanov fixed his gaze on Li Chen, trying to gain the moral high ground, and said in a somber voice: "Li Chen! My Great Luo Dynasty and your Tian Ce have no past grievances or recent enmities! Even if there have been some border frictions, they do not warrant the destruction of a country and the extermination of a race!"

You have now infiltrated undercover, deceived the world, manipulated power, and obtained faith, land, authority, and beauty—you have it all! Why then do you persist in your relentless pursuit, determined to annihilate me?!

From the moment he opened his mouth, he placed himself on the side of victimhood and moral high ground.

Upon hearing this, Li Chen seemed to have heard an amusing joke. The mocking smirk on his lips grew even more pronounced. He leisurely took a step forward and casually retorted:
"Romanov, you are quite a figure, having lived for nearly a century and weathered many storms. Ask yourself honestly, if you were in my position today, holding such a huge advantage and initiative, would you have stopped now and allowed a potentially huge threat to continue to exist?"

Upon hearing this, Romanov was taken aback, and then a bitter expression appeared on his face.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally admitted with difficulty: "No. To expand territory and annex a superpower with a long history is an ambition worthy of being recorded in history and remembered for eternity. If it were me, I would never stop, and I would even do more than you are doing now."

He spoke from the heart; if you put yourself in his shoes, he would never let such a good opportunity slip by.

After a pause, Romanov raised his head and looked at Li Chen with a complex expression, a sense of relief on the verge of death and a final thirst for knowledge. He slowly said, "Before we take action, I have one last question for you, and I hope Your Majesty will answer it truthfully."

Li Chen raised an eyebrow and said in a calm tone, "Speak freely, but I may not tell you."

(End of this chapter)