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

Chapter 754 To curry favor with the powerful, they've abandoned all shame! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

"Summon the clan's elite elders and guards, and come with me to the Sighing Corridor! If there truly is an extraordinary opportunity, my Wind Whisperer clan will fight for it!"

At this very moment, deep within the Sighing Corridor, before the circular abyss, tens of thousands of powerful individuals from various factions have gathered!
Humans, half-elves, dwarf hybrids, and even some rare winged people and dragon descendants—a vast expanse of beings, each occupying their own territory, yet none daring to approach too closely the center of the abyss.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the sky above the abyss.

Because there, a vast and pure ancient aura, seemingly dormant for millennia, is slowly reviving and expanding!

This aura carried unparalleled pressure, pressing down on everyone's hearts as if it were a tangible force, making the air thick and sticky.

Even a powerful figure like Lorthera, who had touched the threshold of the Saint Realm, felt short of breath and trembled from the depths of his soul. He dared not approach the core source of that aura and could only watch in awe from the outside.

Suddenly, a sudden change occurred!
The space above the abyss began to twist violently, forming a huge, slowly rotating elemental vortex.

Crimson fire, emerald wood, cyan wind, and dazzling light—countless of the purest natural elements converged from all directions as if paying homage to a king, surging into the vortex and rendering it a kaleidoscope of colors and rays of light!

The entire sky was illuminated in a magnificent light, yet it also possessed a breathtaking majesty.

At the center of the vortex, it seemed to connect to another time and space, where the faint outlines of ancient palaces and towering ancient trees could be seen, exuding a vast and ancient aura that transcended eternity.

The deep humming sound seemed like an ancient sigh, resonating with the vibrations of the space itself, causing everyone's heart to beat involuntarily.

"What exactly is this? Has an ancient secret realm opened? Or..."

Lor'themar's pupils contracted, a storm raging within him. He had never witnessed such a pure and powerful convergence of elements, nor had he ever felt such overwhelming pressure from his bloodline, a pressure that inspired such awe and reverence!
The tens of thousands of powerful figures present were completely silent, with only heavy breathing and the sound of their hearts pounding.

Everyone was wildly speculating: Was it the ruins of an ancient elf? Was it a projection of the divine kingdom of a fallen god? Or was it an ancient being about to awaken from its slumber?
In this profound silence, where everyone is watching with bated breath—

At the center of that enormous elemental vortex, space rippled like water, and a figure shrouded in endless radiance and hazy celestial mist stepped out!
It's as if it has traversed countless ages and emerged from the dust of history.

His figure wasn't tall, yet he seemed to be the center of the entire world.

He was surrounded by a tangible band of elven power, his silver hair moved without wind, his pointed ears revealed his pure bloodline, and his appearance was so perfect that he seemed otherworldly. His eyes, when they opened and closed, seemed to contain the birth and death of stars.

A calm yet supremely majestic voice, seemingly originating from the very pulse of the soul, resonated clearly deep within everyone's minds, carrying a hint of displeasure at being disturbed:
"Who dares to make a sound before my palace?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploding in everyone's soul!
"Plop!" "Plop!" "Plop!"

Almost subconsciously, like dominoes being toppled, it started from the lowest-level cultivators on the outermost edge, then moved to the leaders and elders of various families, and even the proud and arrogant mercenary kings.
Apart from a very few of the strongest and most determined individuals who could barely stand but were trembling and sweating profusely, more than 80% of the people, under the irresistible pressure of their bloodline and the shock to their souls, had their knees buckle and knelt down!
Even Lor'themar, the patriarch of the Windwhisperer family, only managed to hold on for two more breaths before feeling the supposedly noble half-elf blood within him wailing and surrendering madly.

An absolute gap in their life levels made him unable to stand any longer. With a thud, he knelt on one knee, his head bowed low, unable to look directly at the radiant figure.

They knelt on the ground, gazing up at the figure—like a god descending to earth—with utter awe, through the corner of their eyes or between their fingers. 'The Elf King?!' Lor'themar screamed inwardly, his blood nearly freezing. 'Such pure bloodline pressure, such terrifying elven power—the legends are true! The bloodline of the ancient Elf King has truly awakened?!'

'This oppressive aura is a thousand times more terrifying than that of the clan leader!' This was the common sentiment of all those who knelt down.

Before the entire abyss, all was silent, except for that figure suspended in the air, radiating a light that illuminated the ages, looking down at the living beings kneeling like ants below.

Li Chen remained suspended in mid-air, his divine light somewhat restrained, but the natural pressure emanating from his "bloodline" and "strength" still enveloped the entire area.

He frowned slightly, and beneath his silver eyelashes, his eyes, which seemed to hold the shimmering light of a galaxy, swept over the dark mass of people kneeling below. A perfectly measured hint of "doubt" and "displeasure" at being disturbed from his meditation appeared on his face. His voice was clear and cold, like the clinking of jade stones.
"Why have you all gathered here, disturbing my peace?"

Lor'themar, kneeling at the very front, reacted extremely quickly. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show his face in front of the "ancient beings"!

He immediately lowered his body even further, and in an extremely respectful tone, even with a slight tremor of excitement, answered loudly before anyone else could:
"Your Majesty, we are descendants of humble elves, and we have just sensed the awakening of an aura of supreme nobility in this place, which resonates with heaven and earth, and all things pay homage! This is an unprecedented event in our race's history! We are filled with trepidation yet deeply honored, and have come here solely to welcome Your Majesty's return. We have no intention of offending you in the slightest! If we have caused any disturbance, please forgive us!"

His words elevated Li Chen to the position of "supreme" and "holy return," and cleverly categorized all the half-elves and related races present as Li Chen's "descendants," attempting to build rapport.

Seeing this, the patriarchs and leaders of the other families cursed Lor'themar the shameless old fox in their hearts, but their actions and words were not slow at all, and they all rushed to kowtow and echo his sentiments:

"Chief Lor'themar is absolutely right! We are all Your Majesty's loyal descendants, and we respectfully welcome Your Majesty's awakening!"

"Your Majesty's divine might is like a prison; to be able to see your countenance is truly our greatest fortune!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive us for disturbing you!"

Everyone hoped to leave even the slightest good impression on this seemingly newly awakened "ancient powerhouse," to become a familiar face—that would be an immense opportunity.

Li Chen chuckled inwardly, but his face remained indifferent and aloof. He seemed to have just noticed his surroundings, his gaze carrying a hint of bewilderment and reminiscence.

He slowly swept his gaze across the crumbling space, the distorted laws, and the colossal skeletons of gods and demons in the distance, muttering to himself, yet making sure everyone could hear:

Why does this place feel so unfamiliar? It seems completely different from the place before I fell into slumber.

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirring up even bigger ripples.

Lor'themar's eyes flashed with a sharp light; his chance had arrived! He practically scrambled forward, sliding to his knees a few steps, his posture so humble it was almost groveling, and hurriedly explained:

"Your Majesty, you are wise! Eighty thousand years have passed since the last 'War of Gods and Demons' that swept across the world! Heaven and earth were overturned, the laws collapsed, and all things withered and were reborn. Your Majesty must have slumbered in that calamity and only awoke today! We, we are indeed your most loyal and humblest descendants!"

Seeing Lor'themar so shamelessly and blatantly trying to curry favor, the other clan leaders were furious, cursing inwardly, "That old bastard Lor'themar is really getting worse with age! He's completely shameless in his attempt to curry favor with the powerful!"

(End of this chapter)