Chapter 58: Yongning

When Chen Xiyi pushed open the door, a massive surge of water spread out like a great river.

The civil and military officials who saw this almost had their hearts stop from fright.

Amidst the great river, Chen Xiyi sat on a water lily, with a huge water spirit giant following behind him like a guardian figure.

“The Imperial Destiny is complete, heaven and man grant forgiveness, and you possess the qualities of a sage ruler,” Chen Xiyi spoke.

Hearing this, the officials looked up and saw a strange figure fully covered in armor sitting atop a water dragon formed by the river.

For a moment, everyone swallowed hard, including Wang Li, who had not expected such a grand display.

But he was not panicked at all. Instead, he was very pleased, as the grander the spectacle, the more it legitimized his rule. After all, it was endorsed by an immortal.

Chen Xiyi was also willing to lend Wang Li a hand. Although Wang Li was just a white-name NPC, he had not caused Chen Xiyi any trouble.

“Thank you for your praise, Great Immortal. Please, come this way,” Wang Li quickly said.

With such an event, he was certain his foundation was now secure, and the nobles and ministers at court would no longer harbor disloyalty.

“Hah, no need for such trouble. Come with me,” Chen Xiyi said. As he spoke, the water in the courtyard swirled and formed a long dragon, carrying Wang Li and all the civil and military officials into the air.

By the time they realized what was happening, they were already lifted by the water currents. Some couldn’t help but gasp in surprise but quickly composed themselves, not wanting to lose their decorum in front of others.

Once they regained their composure, they understood why Wang Li had such confidence.

With an immortal in his household, how could he lack confidence?

Standing on the water currents in midair, no one dared to move recklessly, afraid of falling and shattering to pieces. Especially when they looked down at the ground, their legs felt weak.

But seeing their colleagues, who were also gritting their teeth and avoiding looking down, they did not want to lose face in front of the immortal.

Fortunately, the journey was extremely fast. In just a short while, the water dragon carried the officials and the new emperor to the palace gates.

Wang Li felt both fear and joy. After such a public display, no one would question his legitimacy as the rightful ruler.

“Thank you, Great Immortal, for allowing us to tour the Capital’s scenery. Please, enter the palace,” Wang Li said, forcing himself to remain calm as he guided Chen Xiyi with impeccable etiquette.

Chen Xiyi merely nodded slightly and followed him into the palace.

The officials behind them exchanged glances and then followed on shaky legs, especially the elderly ministers who, already advanced in years, were quite shaken by the experience. Though they hadn’t fainted, they were clearly terrified.

Yet, they had no choice but to follow. This was an immortal, someone with the secret to Immortality. If their old bodies could obtain the method for eternal life, wouldn’t they be able to remain nobles forever?

With power and longevity within reach, how could they remain unmoved?

They were determined to curry favor at all costs.

“Great Immortal, this is Yongning Palace. I hope it meets your approval,” Wang Li said, leading Chen Xiyi into a palace that was not only vast but also extravagantly furnished, clearly built at great expense.

Especially the Landscape Lake in front of the hall, filled with rare rocks and prized fish, was evidently newly constructed to cater to Chen Xiyi’s hobby of fishing.

“For a mortal abode, it is an excellent place,” Chen Xiyi said calmly.

Truthfully, he was quite envious. If he had a good reason, he would have liked to take Yongning Palace with him.

Even if his Homestead couldn’t accommodate it, it would still be great to keep as a collection.

“I’m glad you like it, Great Immortal. Let me show you inside…” Wang Li said, feeling relieved. As long as Chen Xiyi stayed, everything would be fine.

Inside the palace, there were stewards, eunuch officials, maids, and matrons—everything was fully staffed, ensuring Chen Xiyi could live a life of luxury.

But Chen Xiyi understood one thing: he must not let such luxuries cloud his judgment. He wasn’t someone who enjoyed hardship, but neither was he fond of extravagance.

He knew well the saying: “It’s hard to go from luxury back to frugality.”

Still, he didn’t dismiss the servants, as Yongning Palace was too large to maintain without help. According to Chen Xiyi’s estimate, the area of Yongning Palace was much larger than his Homestead.

It was at least the size of two football fields, including not just the palace itself but also the surrounding courtyards, which were part of Yongning Palace.

Chen Xiyi guessed that the origins of Yongning Palace were not simple, otherwise, it wouldn’t be so vast.

The tour took a considerable amount of time, especially since Wang Li and the officials, dressed in heavy ceremonial attire for the coronation, were exhausted.

In contrast, Chen Xiyi felt nothing. His Alloy Helmet had an Enchantment that restored stamina, and with the Vigorous state from excess Satiety Level, he wasn’t tired at all.

After the tour, Wang Li forced himself to stay alert and chatted with Chen Xiyi for a while before leading the officials away.

Looking at Wang Li’s condition, Chen Xiyi couldn’t help but smile.

[Wang Li the Emperor, Health Points: 99%, Status: Fatigue, Excitement, Exhilaration]

The prefix had changed from “Prince” to “Emperor,” showing that prefixes weren’t fixed but changed with the NPC’s experiences.

He had suspected this before but never seen it until now. Though it might not be particularly useful…

‘After this grand spectacle, my position is firmly established, but the cost was not small.’

Once again, Jianghu had overused the Water Manipulation and spell (water) abilities, and it would need to rest for a while.

After everyone left, Chen Xiyi had already returned Jianghu to the Miniature Garden to rest.

Besides Jianghu’s exhaustion, a significant amount of water had been consumed—at least 1,000 units. Fortunately, Jianghu had grown stronger, otherwise, it might not have been able to control that much water.

This was far more than when it condensed the water cloud earlier, as carrying people required much greater energy.

Still, the rewards were quite satisfying.

‘Next, I’ll wait for resources and the cooldown of the Cycle Function, while also searching for remnants of other fallen sects.’

Chen Xiyi realized there wasn’t much left to do now. His plan had succeeded so thoroughly that the Home Game had lost all its challenge.