Lu Li sat by himself in the hall for a while. He was about to go backyard when Ming Yu came and told him that Liu Yi was here.Messengers from the Liu Family, Patriarch Nine and Pei An of the G.o.d-down City had been here for quite some time but Lu Li didn"t have any time to meet them. Yet he had to meet Liu Yi.
Lu Li had already paid back what he owed the Liu Family by giving the G.o.d-down Island to Liu Yi. That was why he chose not to meet Patriarch Nine. Lu Li didn"t want so many people to share his interests.
Liu Yi was evidently more mature and experienced than before. Her realm was improved as well. She had reached the Soul Pond Realm, so it would seem that the G.o.d-down City was completely under her control.
Liu Yi didn"t say much except that she wanted to be with Lu Li, no matter what he a.s.signed her to do. She would accept being a maid.
Lu Li refused. He knew what Liu Yi had in mind. She knew Lu Li well enough to be sure that as long as she was with him and he was alive, the Liu Family could rise up.
Lu Li had too many things on his plate so he didn"t want to spend more time worrying about the Liu Family. He told Liu Yi to go back and be her Island Owner. But if she was in trouble, she could go to him and he would lend a helping hand.
Liu Yi knew what to do at this point. She was quite satisfied with the G.o.d-down City, but the patriarchs of the Liu Family were too ambitious.
Liu Yi left with frustration. She was clear that she was in a different world with Lu Li. What she had with Lu Li in the old days could only protect the Liu Family for 100 years. If the Liu Family wanted to grow, they must rely on themselves.
…
More than half a month pa.s.sed before good news came from the Heaven Cold Kingdom. The two troops had arrived at the Heaven Cold City. Ye Li was killed by Yu Huashen and the Heaven Cold Kingdom was gone!
The Northern Desert was unified as of today. Madam Yan was busier. Since the Northern Desert was unified, an empire must be established.
Where would the capital be? How should the empire be managed? What kind of inst.i.tution should they have? How should they divide the interests…
Lu Li decided to make the Heaven Frigid City the capital. It had already been a super city and it would save him a fortune. The imperial palace was luxurious. Lu Li had become used to living here.
What was more—the Heaven Frigid Kingdom was closed to the Central Plains. Lu Li would have to trade with the Central Plains so teleporting over from the Heaven Frigid Kingdom was the shortest way.
That being said, all the Teleportation Formation to the Central Plains were destroyed under Lu Li"s instruction. But it was not important. Lu Li planned to move the Teleportation Formation at the Heaven Martial Kingdom here.
At the same time, he ordered to destroy the Teleportation Formation at the Heaven Cold Kingdom. There could only be one Teleportation Formation to the Central Plains. Lu Li wanted to have complete control over the pa.s.sage to the Central Plains.
The imperial palace was ready. The Heaven Frigid Kingdom was re-named The Ling Empress City.
Needless to say, it was an indication how much Lu Li was missing Lu Ling. It was also a reminder to Lu Li that he could not save Lu Ling without enough power. He could only sit around and watch Lu Ling suffer out there in the world.
At first, Lu Ling intended to name the empire Ling Empress Empire, but everyone else objected. It would be such a rash decision and it was not impressive.
After some discussion, Lu Feixue made the call by naming the new empire the Empire of G.o.dly Prowess. Name was settled and the date was settled as well. In half a month, Lu Li would be ascending the throne and coronated.
As a matter of fact…
This was not Lu Li"s wish. After all, the Northern Desert was a small place. Being an emperor here was no different from being a minor official. It would be a cause for laughter for families at the Central Plains.
A Lu Family disciple was exiled and named himself an emperor in such a small place in the Northern Desert. Disciples of other big families would laugh at him.
But it had been the practice of the Northern Desert. Whichever forced unified the Northern Desert would have to establish an emperor. Lu Li had to do in Rome as Romans do.
…
The Hall of Enchantress.
Lu Feixue let the maids go and got down to business with Lu Li. "Lu Li, you are about to be coroneted. This may not be a big deal at the Central Plains, but you are an emperor nonetheless. You must have wives. I think Bai Xiashuang is good enough to be in your harem."
"Of course…"
Before Lu Li could answer, Lu Feixue continued, "You are the oldest grandson of the Lu Family and you have a high status. Bai Xiashuang cannot be your wife. She can only be a concubine. Your wife must be a young lady of the 12 Royal Families. It cannot be negotiated."
Lu Li was embarra.s.sed. He must have feelings toward a girl before he could propose marriage. He and Bai Xiashuang were just friends. How could they be forced into marriage?
This was Lu Li"s decision to make. He must make the call by himself. Under his demand, Lu Feixue dropped this matter.
After half a month, almost all the family patriarchs of third rank and above families were gathered at the Ling Empress City. They were here to witness Lu Li ascending to the throne and the establishment of the Empire of G.o.dly Prowess.
The ceremony was simple. Lu Li had made that clear. Otherwise, he would have to spend a whole day on it.
At the plaza, Lu Li was dressed in an imperial robe and a crown. He offered sacrifice to Heaven with all his officials. Then everyone else knelt down and yelled, "Long live the emperor!"
Lu Li didn"t feel content looking at those people on their knees, especially to all those powerful warriors. Instead, he felt upset.
He looked towards the south, feeling down. How much he wished Lu Ling was here with him to see all this?
He grew up with Lu Ling in the Di Long Tribe against so many difficulties. They had n.o.body to rely on and they were bullied. Lu Ling was almost raped and she was handicapped.
At that time, even an average warrior of the Wu Ling County would be someone Lu Li would have to look up to. He couldn"t imagine he could become an emperor of the Northern Desert. He had to pull coffins in snow and ice just for a couple of Body Refining Pellets…
Now he had become the emperor of the Northern Desert. He had more than 10 warriors of the n.o.ble Lord Realm serving him, more than 100 at the Eternal Realm, and more warriors of the Fate Wheel Realm and the Soul Pond Realm than he could count.
He had the Northern Desert under his control. But where was Lu Ling? How was her life now?
"Sister, wait for me!"
Lu Li clenched his fists. Veins popped out. He thought to himself that after a while when everything was settled at the Northern Desert, he would go find Jiang Qiling and ask her to find Lu Ling.
At the same time, he would send out people to search for her as well. Once Lu Ling was found, he would do everything to save her.
"And my parents!"
Lu Li then turned to the north. He seemed to be in pain. He knew where his parents were but there was nothing he could do. Who could understand this kind of pain and suffering?
"I must think of a way to have a try!"
Lu Li had warriors working for him. He could send some irrelevant ones to the Ice Abyss and take some risk to find out. He had to find it out. Maybe someone would be able to save Lu Renhuang and his mother.
"Great Emperor, live long and prosper~"
People were still shouting. Every street in the city was crowded with kneeling civilian. They were all chanting.
The twilight gave Lu Li a cover of mysterious halo. He looked rather outstanding.
"Live long? That is not what I want. I want to seize every minute!"
Lu Li murmured. He would rather live pa.s.sionately for 100 years than 10,000 years doing nothing. Controlling the Northern Desert was just the beginning.
…