After the completion of many tedious matters, Wu Tao then set about dealing with the one to two million surrendered Liu clan royal family members and cultivators from the four great families.
Wu Tao dispersed them and integrated them into his Ascending Immortal Sect army. He then leveraged the authority of the central imperial court to expand greatly, quickly amassing an army of three million cultivators.
...
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Once all matters were settled, everything required for the grand ceremony was prepared on the altar, a million zhang high, at the highest point of the imperial capital, Chang'an.
The reason for such swift preparation was that Wu Tao had directly utilized all the previous resources of the Liu clan royal family, saving a great deal of formality.
Naturally, the ritual for becoming the Immortal Emperor and the relevant documentation were also obtained from the Liu clan royal family.
...
On this particular morning, the vicinity of the altar was already filled with cultivators from the Ascending Immortal Sect, densely packed, numbering three million.
Their expressions were solemn, and they stood perfectly straight, awaiting Wu Tao's imperial enthronement ceremony.
On the colossal altar, an imperial throne, nine zhang long and nine zhang wide, was constructed from five-colored immortal earth. This was in accordance with the variations of the Ziwei Star constellations, signifying the destiny of an Immortal Emperor ruling the world.
Before the imperial throne, loyal followers such as Ye Yu, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, and Nangong Xing, along with civil and military officials soon to be enfeoffed, waited with utmost care and quiet anticipation for the arrival of the day's protagonist.
Within the imperial palace, Wu Tao, clad in a golden dragon robe and wearing an imperial crown adorned with twelve pearls, sat upon the dragon throne in quiet contemplation. You Meng stood beside him, and neither spoke.
"Your Majesty, it is time."
As the appointed hour drew near, You Meng felt compelled by her duty to remind Wu Tao.
This was not due to any conflict between them, but rather because such announcements were typically made by eunuchs, and You Meng felt an awkwardness in fulfilling this role.
"Mmm!"
Observing the slightly wistful You Meng, Wu Tao's lips curved into a slight smile, a mixture of triumph and amusement, clearly indicating his deliberate teasing.
With that, Wu Tao rose from the elevated dragon throne and instantly transformed into a beam of light, soaring towards the altar.
Upon witnessing this, You Meng stomped her foot lightly, her youthful temper flaring.
However, recognizing the significance of the day, You Meng did not cause a scene and also transformed into a beam of light, following him.
As the appointed hour arrived, ninety-nine bell tolls resonated throughout the entire imperial capital, Chang'an!
"Dong~~ Dong~~~ Dong~~~~"
The ninety-nine tolls of the Imperial Bell shook the Purple Continent's cultivation world. In the imperial capital, Chang'an, both cultivators and mortals alike were momentarily dazed by the bell tolls, imbued with the power of destiny.
When they regained their senses, a figure had already appeared on the altar.
Upon seeing this figure, all eyes fixed on Wu Tao with fervent anticipation.
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
As if to heighten the atmosphere, the three million cultivators roared in unison, their voices, capable of shattering clouds and splitting rocks, reverberating in all directions!
As Wu Tao strode step by step with resolute gait from the imperial path towards the imperial throne, everyone, including You Meng, watched this unforgettable scene in silent reverence.
Once Wu Tao ascended the imperial throne and looked down upon the millions of cultivators below, an imperious aura, contemptuous of all beings, flashed across him.
"Bow to the Immortal Emperor!"
You Meng declared loudly on behalf of Wu Tao.
At that very moment, regardless of their rank or status, and whether they willed it or not, under the pressure of the prevailing trend, all were forced to make their choice.
Everyone in the imperial capital, Chang'an, performed the same action: facing the altar, they knelt thrice and bowed nine times.
A sea of humanity, densely packed, was seen bowing and rising, rising and bowing, performing the ritual of three kneels and nine bows.
Wu Tao sat high upon the imperial throne, gazing down upon the multitude. Countless individuals prostrated themselves, offering their fealty as subjects, their voices shaking heaven and earth, as if even the will of heaven and earth itself was moved and altered at this moment.
An Immortal Emperor in the cultivation world differed greatly from a mortal emperor. To gain the recognition of untamed cultivators was a far more arduous task than deceiving ignorant mortals.
Therefore, reaching this stage was exceptionally difficult. Few had ever achieved it throughout history, especially for Wu Tao, who was the founding ancestor!
"Kowtow!"
"Second kowtow!"
"Ninth kowtow!"
"Kneel!"
"Second kneel!"
"Third kneel!"
As everyone prostrated themselves, strands of their destiny converged upon Wu Tao.
Under the expectant gaze of all, Wu Tao rose, drew his Chuxi Sword, pointed it towards the heavens and earth, and declared loudly.
"Heaven and Earth above, from this day forth, the nation's name shall be 'Ming'. By the mandate of Heaven, may it endure for eternity. The myriad mountains and rivers, the nation's weight, shall stand firm under the heavens!"
...
With a certain mysterious rule, Wu Tao spoke.
As Wu Tao's words fell, a colossal character, "明" (Ming), materialized in the sky above the imperial capital, Chang'an. It flickered, seeming to be condensed from destiny itself.
...
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a world-shattering dragon's roar surged into the sky, echoing through the heavens and earth, heard for hundreds of thousands of li.
Not long after this dragon's roar, the altar began to change.
The massive altar resembled the eye of an enormous storm vortex, with boundless power of destiny surging from all directions!
After a while longer, to everyone's stunned astonishment, a nine-clawed golden dragon of destiny, ten thousand zhang long, ascended into the sky.
The ten-thousand-zhang, nine-clawed golden dragon of destiny soared into the upper atmosphere. Its dazzling and vast golden radiance enveloped the surroundings, making the imperial capital, Chang'an, appear as a golden kingdom at this moment.
"Immortal Emperor, long live, long live, long, long live!"
"Immortal Emperor, long live, long live, long, long live!"
"Immortal Emperor, long live, long live, long, long live!"
"Immortal Emperor, long live, long live, long, long live!"
...
Witnessing this, the cultivators and mortals of the imperial capital, Chang'an, continuously shouted their acclamations, their voices rising in succession, one surpassing the other.
At this moment, an expression of almost frenzied worship appeared on countless faces.
The Immortal Emperor was the Emperor of all Immortals, a true son of heaven, an supreme sovereign!
Under normal circumstances, a supreme existence with the celestial status of an Immortal Emperor would be virtually impossible to defeat unless the protagonist was to unleash their special plot armor.
Listening to the continuous cheers from below, Wu Tao's lips curved slightly. He raised his hands, as if summoning something!
As Wu Tao made his gesture, more and more destiny converged from various parts of the Purple Continent's cultivation world towards the imperial capital, Chang'an.
The boundless power of destiny pressed back the surrounding clouds.
...
Eventually, the abundant destiny began to swirl, forming a giant, inverted funnel above Wu Tao's head.
Wu Tao's life-bound artifact, the Chuxi Sword, and the recently refined Bright Moon Jade Seal flew out from his body, hovering in mid-air.
Boundless destiny poured in, and Wu Tao, the Chuxi Sword, and the Bright Moon Jade Seal were all subjected to the scouring of heaven and earth's destiny.
Infinite destiny was infused into them, continuously absorbed by Wu Tao, the Chuxi Sword, and the Bright Moon Jade Seal, becoming more and more abundant...
Wu Tao, the Chuxi Sword, and the Bright Moon Jade Seal acted like bottomless pits, absorbing relentlessly, as if consuming something incredibly nourishing, their absorption frantic.
The destiny filling the sky surged forth as if infinite, only ceasing when Wu Tao, the Chuxi Sword, and the Bright Moon Jade Seal could absorb no more.
As destiny surged skyward, Wu Tao, the Chuxi Sword, and the Bright Moon Jade Seal showed signs of significant advancement. Five-colored radiance continuously emanated from the person and the two artifacts.
With the Chuxi Sword and the Bright Moon Jade Seal hovering beside him, Wu Tao closed his eyes, savoring the scouring and infusion of destiny. This sensation, frankly, was incredibly exhilarating.
It was more exhilarating than any form of entertainment in the world, so much so that he felt as if he were about to take flight.
The power of destiny was immense. The destiny of the entire Purple Continent's cultivation world scoured Wu Tao's body until he could absorb no more.
Under the scouring of destiny, the source of time within Wu Tao began to show subtle cracks.
Under the combined effect of destiny and the power of time, Wu Tao unexpectedly comprehended two more laws: the Law of Time Sand and the Law of Time Delay.
When this meteoric rise subsided, Wu Tao opened his eyes, his aura radiating outwards!
Concurrently, the ten-thousand-zhang, nine-clawed golden dragon of destiny in the sky let out a deafening roar.
"His Majesty the Immortal Emperor, long live, long live, long, long live!!!!"
Countless people cried out in unison at this moment, their cheers resounding through all directions.
With the blessing of the Immortal Emperor's celestial status, Wu Tao's cultivation speed was thirty times faster than before.
Thirty times! A full thirty times the cultivation speed. Upon realizing this, Wu Tao couldn't help but gasp.
With a slight movement of his divine sense, the ten-thousand-zhang golden dragon of destiny integrated into the imperial capital, Chang'an.
Standing on the altar, Wu Tao took a deep breath and raised his right fist high, a hint of unconcealed excitement in his voice as he declared loudly.
"From this day forth, the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty is established. Rejoice, my subjects!"
...
"The Great Ming Immortal Dynasty shall endure forever."
"The Great Ming Immortal Dynasty, the greatest for ten thousand generations!"
"We wish the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty to be passed down for eternity."
As Wu Tao's words concluded, countless people roared with excitement. At this moment, the imperial capital, Chang'an, transformed into an ocean of joy.
Hearts were unified at this moment, and Wu Tao's image was imprinted in the minds of many.
Henceforth, the Purple Continent's cultivation world became Wu Tao's territory, and Wu Tao became the master of the Purple Continent's cultivation world.
After Wu Tao became the Immortal Emperor, he began the grand enfeoffment of his officials.
As the saying goes, one man's rise brings prosperity to his associates.
Wu Tao's achievement of his current position was not solely due to his own efforts; a large group of people had also contributed significantly behind him.
Now that Wu Tao had become the Immortal Emperor, he had to reciprocate these individuals.
This was not merely out of sentiment but also because, as a high-ranking figure, one must possess a vested interest group of one's own.
And using one's own people was always more effective and reliable than using outsiders.
This was why many leaders of factions preferred to groom relatives with mediocre talent rather than cultivate outsiders.
As the list of enfeoffments was successively read out by You Meng, many rejoiced, jumping and skipping in place. Some even fell to the ground, weeping with joy.
"I never imagined that in my lifetime, I would be able to reach the position of Domain Lord!"
Ji Mo exclaimed.
...
"Indeed, though I am not as fortunate as you, I have been appointed a County Governor, in charge of a county. His Majesty the Immortal Emperor is truly generous!"
Huang Ming nodded in agreement.
...
Many were like these two individuals. They not only possessed seniority but had also rendered significant meritorious service, thus receiving the greatest benefits.
While others did not receive as much, their rewards were still considerable.
Wu Tao could not guarantee that everyone would be satisfied, but he could ensure that most people felt a sense of balance. As a superior, achieving this much was sufficient.