Chapter 57: Embracing the Waist

It was no wonder they were so shaken; after all, they were all at the Saint King realm, which meant that Zhou Tian, who could command Li Lingyi to kneel with a single word, could just as easily make them kneel. How could they possibly accept this?

"Prime Minister Liu seems to be holding his ground," remarked the Duke, wiping golden blood from the corner of his mouth and glancing at Prime Minister Liu beside him. Just now, only two people had refrained from releasing their divine sense: the National Preceptor and this Prime Minister Liu.

Prime Minister Liu gave a wry smile. "No wonder Zhou Yi has been applying for an external transfer these past days. I was puzzled since he still needs to take care of Zhou Tian, but now it seems Zhou Tian is far from simple..."

In the arena, Zhou Tian was shielded by violet runes, and Li Lingyi's overwhelming spiritual power could only linger outside the barrier. Though Zhou Tian was tempted to leap out and be blasted to death by the force, this was clearly not the time. Looking down coldly at Li Lingyi, he declared, "The evidence is undeniable! These people are suspected of murdering the Crown Princess of the Qin King. By the law, they must be executed!"

The projection was displayed again, each scene vivid and clear. The faces of the accused turned deathly pale once more. Zhou Shu's aura, as deep and swift as a torrent, locked onto them, making them feel as insignificant as leaves tossed in a raging sea, about to be crushed at any moment.

In the VIP room, Prime Minister Liu frowned. "No, not yet. It's still not time to make a move—he was doing well earlier, but now he's getting reckless."

"Reckless? He can command you to kneel with a word," the Duke retorted with a cold smile.

Prime Minister Liu was left speechless, unsure how to respond.

On the stage, the leader's lips trembled uncontrollably, his mind reeling under the shock. His eyes darted desperately to the ongoing projection, searching for fabricated evidence. The first time the projection played, they were stunned by its existence and hadn't watched carefully. Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and without thinking, he shouted, "It's fake! It's fake! We didn't say 'kill...'"

But he froze mid-sentence, his eyes darkening with despair, his complexion ashen as he collapsed to the ground.

Li Lingyi's aura finally calmed. He suddenly realized the force restraining him had dissipated; he could now stand, but he seemed to have aged several years. He knew all his efforts were wasted.

"Now it's time," said Prime Minister Liu with a hearty laugh. No one cared what they had said now—the evidence of their deed was enough.

A smile spread across Zhou Tian's face. He had waited so long for this moment, for those words. Otherwise, Zhou Shu, as an Emperor, would have acted already; there was no need for such a lengthy setup. The goal was to shatter their spirits, making them lose all composure.

The previous buildup had their nerves riding a rollercoaster, stripping away their calm. With Zhou Tian commanding Li Lingyi to kneel and Zhou Shu's terrifying aura enveloping them, their minds finally collapsed.

Zhou Tian walked slowly toward the man who had fallen to the ground, temporarily relaxing his grip on Tian Ling. He crouched down and smiled, "What was your name again? My memory fails me, but it doesn't matter now. Remember to live as an ordinary person in your next life..."

Despair flashed in the man's eyes as he stared at Zhou Tian, now within arm's reach. Light flickered in his hand as he stabbed a longsword at the violet rune shield, but it was utterly futile.

Zhou Tian stood and spoke softly, "Honestly, I've really wanted to die... but it's a pity..."

With that, he turned and left. Violet runes surged behind him, enveloping the seven men like a tide. Silent and swift, they vanished without a trace.

Zhou Tian embraced Tian Ling once more, his hand resting where she had been struck by the holy spear, revealing a swath of pale, luminous skin.

Hmm, the sensation is quite nice, but I'm just making sure Ling'er doesn't suffer any wardrobe mishaps, Zhou Tian reassured himself inwardly.

He strode to the center of the stage, looked up, and declared loudly, "The facts have proven me right. Once again, I apologize to everyone here and to all those watching via projection for affecting your viewing experience. I am truly sorry!"

He bowed deeply, nearly ninety degrees, for about thirty seconds.

After a brief silence—

"Bravo!"

Someone called out, and the entire arena erupted in thunderous applause, the sound echoing everywhere.

Those watching the projection couldn't help but applaud as well, cheering for Zhou Tian.

Excellent, excellent—his timing was perfect. I'll make sure he gets an extra drumstick tonight, Zhou Tian silently praised the one he'd arranged for the occasion.

In truth, even without the person Zhou Tian had arranged, the people of Futian Prefecture would have cheered for him. They felt a strong sense of belonging to the Tian Qin Empire, which had governed Futian Prefecture for countless years, maintaining order and prosperity.

Although Tian Qin was an imperial dynasty, it never oppressed its subjects. After all, this was their stronghold, their military warehouse.

To invade another world, high-level combat power was essential, but low-level troops were equally important. In the conquest of the heavens, whose soldiers can be trusted more than those of one's own nation? It would be suicide to invade a world, conscript troops there, and then invade the next world with them!

Thus, the Tian Qin Empire—and the Zhou family—placed great importance on Futian Prefecture, managing it diligently.

When Zhou Tian undertook this matter, his father Zhou Yi had repeatedly reminded him to consider the reaction of the people of Futian Prefecture. Given his status, intervening in the Youth Tournament could easily be seen as abusing his power.

Yet, seeing Zhou Tian's courtesy and repeated apologies, and knowing the accused truly meant harm to the Crown Princess, the people naturally united in support of Zhou Tian.

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Shu removed Zhou Tian, Tian Ling, and the third companion from the arena space, ignoring Li Lingyi, Iron Ox, and Zi Qing.

The audience departed one by one, their faces alight with excitement. What was meant to be an ordinary battle had turned into a sensational event. They couldn't wait to regale absent friends with stories—even though projections allowed everyone to watch, witnessing it firsthand felt incomparable.

The people of Futian Prefecture now had a new topic for their idle conversations, though only regarding this matter. Even those with high cultivation who watched solely through the projection couldn't discern that Zhou Tian had made Li Lingyi kneel by his own power; most assumed the Zhou steward had secretly assisted.

But in the imperial capital, a tempest was brewing. The great figures had witnessed Zhou Tian's mysterious abilities firsthand, each deeply shaken.

In the days that followed, invitation after invitation arrived at the Qin King's residence—not for Zhou Tian, but for Zhou Yi. Everyone was eager to probe his intentions and uncover Zhou Tian's secrets.