This fellow's cultivation was indeed impressive. His body was recovering at a visible rate, shedding its burnt shell. The scorched blackness peeled away from his body, falling to the ground in a messy heap.
However, his condition and complexion were steadily improving.
Everyone's burning gazes were fixed on him.
Yan Xing sighed helplessly, "Fine, I'll transform. I'll become a small dog, alright?"
Under everyone's eager eyes, Yan Xing transformed into a small dog, even letting out a few barks that drew laughter from the crowd.
Yan Xing was usually arrogant and dismissive of others in the clan, and no one dared to provoke him. To think that today he would be subdued.
The crowd was pleased to witness this scene, feeling a sense of catharsis.
Just then, a figure suddenly descended from the sky, landing with a thud directly on the dog.
Another person, someone of unknown origin!
Yan Xing, restored to human form, was pinned beneath, his ribs broken in several places.
The newcomer seemed a bit disoriented, his eyes darting around as if pondering where he had landed and who these people were.
Yan Xing cried out, "Who is it? Who's on top of me? Get up quickly!"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the surrounding people burst into laughter. "You're truly down on your luck today. First struck by lightning, then crushed by someone."
Mo Qi said profoundly, "Actually, I had foreseen this as well, I just didn't mention it. He only asked me what would happen next, and I didn't dare to say too much, lest it be superfluous."
"That is indeed the case," the clan leader nodded.
At this moment, someone noticed the appearance of the person who had fallen from the sky and immediately shrieked, "He, he looks just like that statue from before."
Everyone fixed their gaze. Some couldn't recall the statue's appearance clearly, but many still exclaimed in surprise, "Yes, yes, it's him!"
The young man flipped over and stood up, chest out. "That's right, I am the Myriad Realms Saint Emperor, here to experience life among you."
Yan Xing was startled and also quickly got to his feet, scrutinizing the young man. He indeed found that the fellow bore a strong resemblance to the statue in his memory. He immediately pressed, "Are you truly the Saint Emperor?"
The young man glared at him. "There is only one Myriad Realms Saint Emperor. Would I dare to impersonate him? Who would be so bold?"
The crowd unconsciously turned their gazes towards Mo Qi.
Mo Qi's heart tightened. Could it be that the Myriad Realms Saint Emperor had truly arrived?
And the most complex internal monologue belonged to Hei Kui!
At this moment, numerous thoughts flashed through his mind.
Firstly, between these two, who was the real Saint Emperor?
Or perhaps, were both of them fake?
If the one who fell later was the real one, was it too late for him to pledge allegiance?
But he had already made his choice. If he were to "change allegiance" now, wouldn't Yan Xing seize upon it as a handle?
If he identified one now, would that mean offending the other?
But the crucial question was, who among these two was the real one! Would someone give him a hint?
While he was struggling with indecision, Yan Xing had already made his choice. He immediately pointed at Mo Qi, "You are fake. You are definitely an imposter."
That person wore a yellow robe, exuding an air of nobility, though the robe was somewhat tattered, making him appear particularly downcast. How could the true Saint Emperor be so destitute?
Furthermore, his cultivation was similar to that of the previous person, which also didn't seem like the real deal.
But Yan Xing firmly believed that the person who arrived later was the Saint Emperor.
The Saint Emperor was also surprised. He followed Yan Xing's pointing finger and saw Mo Qi. "Who are you? How dare you impersonate me?"
Mo Qi's mental defenses were on the verge of collapse, but he then felt that the person before him wasn't the real Saint Emperor either. So, he hardened his resolve and decided to go all the way with the pretense, impersonating the Saint Emperor to the end.
Moreover, even if he admitted to impersonation now, they wouldn't forgive him!
Therefore, he could only press on down this single path.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating me?" Mo Qi retorted without hesitation.
The Saint Emperor was taken aback, then flew into a rage. "I'm impersonating the Saint Emperor? I am the Saint Emperor myself, why would I impersonate anyone?"
Saying this, the Saint Emperor lunged forward, claws and teeth bared, ready to attack Mo Qi, but was restrained by others pulling him back.
After calming down, the Saint Emperor produced a jade seal. "Do I not have this item with me, which is sufficient proof that I am the Saint Emperor?"
Everyone peered closely, unable to discern what was written on it, only seeing a piece of translucent jade.
Fearing it might be snatched, the Saint Emperor quickly put the jade seal away.
Yan Xing also couldn't clearly see what was written on it, but it was enough. He looked at Mo Qi, gnashing his teeth in hatred. "You imposter, you just made me into a dog. You, transform into a dog for me now, and I'll spare your life."
Mo Qi, however, stared intently at the Saint Emperor. "Where did you pick that thing up? I lost one a while ago, but it wasn't this shape. Did you get it carved on some street corner, or did you transform it from something else?"
The Saint Emperor was furious. "What did you say? You say I had it carved on the street? That's slander and utterly unreasonable. Then... you, how do you prove you are the Saint Emperor?"
"It's simple," Mo Qi said with a beaming smile. "Whoever reveals their true phoenix form is the Saint Emperor."
The bet from earlier hadn't been settled yet, and it was a perfect opportunity to let everyone witness that even he, the imposter, had a real side.
Yan Xing also suddenly remembered and looked at the Saint Emperor. "Yes, just show us simply, and expose him for what he is."
The Saint Emperor hesitated. "This... I've already shown the jade seal, isn't that enough to prove it?"
"It's quite sufficient," Yan Xing said, bowing and scraping. "But they don't believe it. So we still have to trouble you to demonstrate."
The Saint Emperor pointed at Mo Qi. "Then let him demonstrate first."
He assumed Mo Qi would be unable to demonstrate, and he would preemptively expose him, thus avoiding his own demonstration.
Hei Kui naturally saw through the other's intentions and immediately said, "You try first!"
The Saint Emperor replied, "You try first."
A stalemate ensued.
The surrounding people couldn't help but curl their lips. "I think both of them are fake."
Mo Qi stepped forward. "I'll try first. If I linger any longer, they'll all say I'm fake."
Hei Kui's mouth hung open. Did he want to be exposed immediately?
Yan Xing remained silent, looking at Mo Qi and making a gesture of invitation.
The Saint Emperor looked on with anticipation, expecting to see Mo Qi fail to demonstrate.
However, to everyone's astonishment, Mo Qi next unleashed the Phoenix Fire Dance Art. Flames leaped around him, and within the flames, it seemed a phoenix was dancing!
What?
The Saint Emperor was stunned!
What was going on? In all the myriad realms, there shouldn't be a second phoenix!
Hei Kui's face overflowed with the joy of victory. He looked at Yan Xing. "Do I need to say more? This imposter, daring to impersonate the Saint Emperor, deserves to be executed."
Yan Xing was still unwilling to give up. He firmly believed that the one beside him was the real one. He cast a sidelong glance at Hei Kui. "What are you panicking about? Our side hasn't tried yet. On what basis are you being so hasty?"
Hei Kui pressed his advantage. "Do I need to say more? Are there two Saint Emperors in these myriad realms?"
Seeing he couldn't hold his ground, Yan Xing quickly looked at the Saint Emperor. "Hurry up and try! Demonstrate quickly and silence them with your actions."
The Saint Emperor's face showed difficulty. "To tell you the truth, there are traitors in my empire. They ambushed me and injured my vital energy. I barely escaped with my life. I'm lucky to be alive, let alone reveal my true phoenix form. Perhaps, you could just not consider me the Saint Emperor and treat me as an ordinary person. Once I recover my injuries and my cultivation is restored, I will return to the Myriad Saint Palace and reward you all."
Seeing how pitiful he sounded, Mo Qi felt a pang of sympathy. "He has admitted he is not the Saint Emperor. Let's be kind and take him in. Besides, what does it matter if he is the Saint Emperor or not? I have never considered myself the Saint Emperor; I am always approachable wherever I am."
The Saint Emperor was livid. How could you say that so righteously? If my vital energy weren't so depleted, I would have killed you on the spot.
The person involved could easily move past this matter, but how could Yan Xing?
He wanted to use the Saint Emperor to overthrow the clan leader!
Therefore, how could this matter be left ambiguous? Regardless of whether he was the Saint Emperor or not, he had to be made the Saint Emperor, and he had to stand on their side.
"If you are, you are. How can you be treated as an ordinary person?" Yan Xing said. "Can the treatment of an ordinary person be compared to that of a Saint Emperor? Moreover, if you admit to being an ordinary person, wouldn't that allow some imposter to take advantage of the loophole?"
As he spoke the last sentence, he specifically glanced at Mo Qi, his meaning clear: you are the imposter.
Mo Qi almost believed the other was the Saint Emperor. What he said sounded so pitiful, not like a fabricated story!
But you still need to have convincing evidence, right?
"How about this, give me another piece of evidence to prove you are the Saint Emperor," Mo Qi said, looking at the Saint Emperor.
In fact, the meaning of this statement was very clear: I believe you are real, but you need to prove yourself.
However, Yan Xing, in his current state of agitation, didn't grasp this!
Hei Kui understood. He was also in a difficult position and felt the Saint Emperor was rather pitiful.
Currently, he had three ways to handle this: First, treat the Saint Emperor as an imposter and execute him. This was entirely possible now, and while a bit risky, the Saint Emperor was so destitute and alone. But who could guarantee he had no loyal followers? If his loyal followers were to investigate this place one day, wouldn't they annihilate the entire clan? Second, execute Mo Qi and side with the Saint Emperor. This seemed to solve the problem, but it had endless future troubles. Yan Xing was his staunch supporter, and in his eyes, Hei Kui was already a fence-sitter. If the Saint Emperor recovered, he might instigate him to deal with Hei Kui. Third, do not ascertain who the Saint Emperor is for now, do not offend either side, and act according to circumstances later, making a decision when things become clearer.
At this moment, the Saint Emperor pondered for a moment, then said with some dejection, "Isn't this yellow robe I'm wearing enough to prove it?"
Yan Xing nodded. "Yes, it's so obvious!"
The surrounding people shook their heads. "The kings of the Red Leaf Kingdom and even all the kingdoms wear yellow robes. In the early days, our clan leaders all wore yellow robes."
Yan Xing waved his hand. "Only you understand. Are they all fools? Yellow robes are not all the same."
"How are they different?"
"This..." Yan Xing stammered slightly.
"They are certainly different," the Saint Emperor said. "Theirs have at most nine golden dragons, while mine has eighteen golden dragons."
"One, two, three..." Some people actually started counting on the Saint Emperor.
However, because the robe was too badly damaged, they could only count eight golden dragons in the end.
This was rather awkward.