Immortal Supreme: Sovereign of the Grand Dao-Chapter 268: Untimely Rebellion?

The emperor waited for the noise to die down before continuing. "Furthermore, I have another announcement that will bring great joy to the empire."

His expression softened slightly, showing genuine emotion for the first time.

"My wife, Empress Helena Hartfield, has fully recovered from her long illness."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The empress had been bedridden for years. Many had assumed she would never recover.

"And more than that—she has been confirmed to be with child. A male child."

The arena exploded into noise.

"A new prince!"

"The empress recovered and is pregnant?!"

"This is a miracle!"

"But what does this mean for the succession?"

In the stands, cultivators and nobles began furiously calculating the implications.

A new prince, born directly from the emperor and empress, would have an undeniable claim to the throne—stronger than any of the current princes who were from different mothers or adopted.

A merchant grabbed his friend’s shoulder. "Do you understand what this means? The entire power structure is about to shift!"

"Should we move our investments?"

"Move them where? Everything’s uncertain now!"

A group of young nobles huddled together. "If there’s a new prince, and Arthur declined the Crown Prince position..."

"Could Arthur be making way for his new brother?"

"That’s insane! No one gives up power like that!"

"Unless he has something else planned..."

The speculation ran wild, each theory more outlandish than the last.

Emperor Markus raised his hand once more. "I hereby declare the Grand Martial Arts Tournament officially concluded. Rewards will be distributed according to the rankings. All participants should report to the imperial treasury tomorrow morning."

He turned to leave, clearly intending to exit before the chaos grew worse.

But then a voice rang out.

"Your Majesty, if I may?"

Everyone turned to see Prince Julius’s father stepping forward. He was a heavyset man with a beard peppered with gray, and his cultivation aura—while not as powerful as the emperor’s—still commanded respect.

Emperor Markus’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Speak."

Julius’s father bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, I wish to first congratulate you on the empress’s recovery and the coming birth of your son. Truly, the heavens smile upon our empire."

"Your point?" the emperor’s voice held a warning edge.

"I only wish to express what many of us are thinking, Your Majesty." The man straightened, his voice carrying across the arena. "You have ruled wisely and justly for many years. Your strength has kept the empire stable and prosperous. For this, we are grateful."

Murmurs of agreement from various sections.

"However," Julius’s father continued, his voice taking on a grave tone, "times are changing. The world is changing. There are signs—prophecies—that speak of great upheaval to come."

The emperor’s jaw tightened. "Careful with your next words."

But Julius’s father pressed on. "The prophecy of the Rejoining of the Five Continents. Your Majesty surely knows of it."

Shocked gasps erupted from the common spectators. Most had never heard of such a thing.

"The Five Continents will rejoin?!"

"What does that mean?"

"I thought the continents were separated permanently!"

An old cultivator in the stands went pale. "The Rejoining... I heard rumors of this from my master before he died. He said it would bring bloodshed on a scale not seen in thousands of years."

His companion grabbed his arm. "What are you talking about? Explain!"

"The continents were separated after the last Realm War to prevent exactly such a catastrophe from happening again. If they rejoin..."

"If they rejoin, it means all five continents—with all their powers, sects, empires, and cultivators—will be thrown into direct contact once more."

"And they’ll fight for resources, territory, power..."

"It’ll be a bloodbath."

In the VIP sections, those who already knew of the prophecy watched carefully to see how the emperor would respond. This was forbidden knowledge, meant to be kept from the general population to prevent panic.

Julius’s father had just violated that agreement.

"You dare spread panic among the people?" Emperor Markus’s voice was cold as ice. "Watch your words carefully, or you may find yourself watching your next words from a cell."

But Julius’s father didn’t back down. "I spread not panic, Your Majesty, but truth. The people have a right to know what’s coming. They have a right to prepare."

"Prepare?" the emperor scoffed. "And how do you propose they prepare for something that may not even occur?"

"By uniting!" Julius’s father’s voice rose with passion. "By bringing together all the forces of the Southern Continent under a single banner! By—"

"By questioning my rule?" the emperor interrupted. "Is that where this is going?"

Before Julius’s father could respond, another figure stepped forward.

The leader of the Thunder God Sect, his voice booming like his namesake. "Your Majesty, if I may speak?"

The emperor’s eyes swept across him. "It seems everyone has something to say today."

"Your Majesty, I believe what Prince Julius’s father is trying to express—perhaps inelegantly—is that the major sects feel... unheard."

"Unheard?" the emperor’s eyebrow raised. "I was not aware that the sect leaders had lost their ability to speak. Perhaps I should send imperial physicians to examine you all?"

A few nervous laughs from the crowd, but tension hung thick in the air.

The Fire Spirit Sect’s representative stepped forward next. "Your Majesty, please don’t misunderstand. We all respect your rule. But times are changing, and perhaps it’s time for the governance of the continent to change as well."

One by one, other sect leaders began stepping forward.

The Cloud Mist Sect’s elder: "Your Majesty, the sects have long felt that the empire holds too much power, leaving us with too little say in continental affairs."

The Crimson Blade Sect’s leader: "We don’t question your wisdom, Your Majesty. We question whether any single person—no matter how wise—should hold absolute authority."

The Yin-Yang Sect’s twin leaders spoke in unison: "Balance is the nature of all things. Perhaps it’s time for balance in governance as well."

The Beast Tamer Sect’s chief: "The beasts of the wild know that no single creature rules the forest alone. Even the tiger must respect the territory of others."

Emperor Markus stood perfectly still, his expression unreadable. But those who knew him well could see the fury building beneath his calm exterior.

Arthur, still standing on the arena floor, watched everything unfold with calculating eyes. ’So this is their move. They’ve been planning this.’

Finally, the twins’ father—Prince Cedric and Xavier’s father—stepped forward. He was the most senior of the princes’ fathers and commanded respect from the royal family.

"Your Majesty," he began, his voice solemn, "I speak now not as a member of the royal family, but as someone who cares deeply for the future of our empire and our continent."

He paused, making sure every eye was on him.

"We plead with you, Your Majesty, to consider a new form of governance. One where power is shared among the major forces of the continent. Where the sects, the kingdoms, and the empire work together as equals."

"You speak of rebellion," the emperor said flatly.

"We speak of unity!" the man insisted. "Currently, many forces feel oppressed. Many kingdoms feel they have no voice. Many sects feel their concerns are ignored. This breeds resentment, Your Majesty. And resentment breeds conflict."

"So you suggest I simply hand over power? That I dissolve the empire my ancestors built over thousands of years?"

"We suggest you evolve it, Your Majesty. Transform it into something greater. A confederation of equals, working together for the good of all."

The emperor’s laugh was bitter. "Pretty words hiding ugly ambitions."

But before he could say more, another shock rippled through the arena.

Figures began emerging from the stands—representatives of various kingdoms that had been sitting quietly among the spectators.

The Lefay Kingdom’s envoy stepped forward, his purple robes marking his allegiance.

The Stormwind Kingdom’s ambassador joined them.

The Ironpeak Kingdom’s minister added his voice.

One by one, representatives from dozens of smaller kingdoms and territories began gathering, creating a show of force that couldn’t be ignored.

"We stand with the sects," the Lefay Kingdom’s envoy declared. "The current system no longer serves the interests of all. It’s time for change."

Emperor Markus’s eyes swept across the gathering forces. Dozens of kingdoms. Half the major sects. Even some of his own extended family.

This wasn’t a spontaneous uprising.

This was a coordinated coup.

And they’d chosen to reveal it here, now, in front of twenty thousand witnesses, making it impossible for him to simply sweep it under the rug.

The emperor’s aura began to leak out, causing many in the crowd to struggle to breathe under the pressure.

"You dare..." his voice was soft, but it carried across the entire arena like a death sentence.

The various forces stood firm, though many were sweating under the emperor’s killing intent.

Arthur remained motionless, his expression neutral. But his mind was racing, calculating the implications of everything he was witnessing. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

’So the game finally begins in earnest,’ he thought. ’This tournament was never about finding a Crown Prince. It was about gathering enough forces in one place to make this move.’

The emperor’s gaze swept across the gathered rebels, then landed on Arthur.

Their eyes met, and an entire conversation passed between them in that moment.

Then Emperor Markus smiled—a cold, dangerous smile that promised consequences for everyone who’d chosen to stand against him.

"Very well," he said quietly. "Let us discuss this... properly."