The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 844 The Absurd and Tyrannical Monarch

"It seems I have to use my ultimate move." A ruthless glint flashed in Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes.

He took a deep breath, formed a hand seal, and a strange energy fluctuation emanated from his body.

"What is this?" Zhu Yuanzhang felt a chill run down his spine, sensing a dangerous aura.

"This is a forbidden technique I've painstakingly cultivated for many years—the Blood Demon Disintegration Technique!" Zhu Xiong Ying sneered. "Grandpa, just enjoy it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Xiong Ying's body suddenly swelled up, his skin turned blood red, and his eyes turned scarlet, emitting a chilling light.

A terrifying energy fluctuation spread outwards from Zhu Xiong Ying.

Everyone inside the palace was forced to retreat by the powerful energy fluctuations.

"Not good!" Zhu Yuanzhang's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Zhu Xiong Ying to use such a forbidden technique.

The Blood Demon Disintegration Technique is an extremely evil forbidden art that can burn one's own essence and life force to unleash powerful energy in a short period of time.

However, the aftereffects of this forbidden technique are extremely serious; at best, one loses all cultivation, and at worst, one's life is in danger.

"Xiong Ying, have you gone mad!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. "Stop it now!"

"Too late!" Zhu Xiong Ying had lost his mind, his eyes filled with nothing but a frenzied killing intent.

He flashed and appeared before Zhu Yuanzhang like a ghost, striking him in the chest with a palm.

Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly tried to defend himself, but he felt an overwhelming force coming from him, and he was thrown back and crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out blood.

"Grandpa!" Zhu Di exclaimed, rushing forward to help Zhu Yuanzhang up.

"Cough cough..." Zhu Yuanzhang struggled to stand up, but found that he was too weak to move.

“Xiong Ying, you…” Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiong Ying, who had become a monster, his eyes filled with grief and disappointment.

"Hahaha..." Zhu Xiong Ying laughed wildly, looking like a madman. "Now, who can stop me?"

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Lü Zhi, a lewd glint in his eyes.

"My beauty, you are truly stunning. Why don't you become my queen?"

As Zhu Xiong Ying spoke, he reached out to grab Lü Zhi.

"How dare you!" Zhu Di roared, stepping in front of Lü Zhi.

"Prince Yan, you're courting death!" Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he struck Zhu Di with a palm. Although Zhu Di had also broken through to the Martial Saint realm, he was still far inferior to Zhu Xiong Ying, who was using forbidden techniques.

He was slapped away by Zhu Xiong Ying and crashed heavily to the ground, his fate unknown.

"Prince Yan!" Lü Zhi exclaimed and rushed to Zhu Di's side.

Zhu Xiong Ying approached Lü Zhi step by step, his eyes filled with greed and desire.

Zhu Xiong Ying stretched out his blood-red palm, the crimson light in his eyes growing even more intense. The blood demon power surging around him, exuding an eerie aura, was like a boundless abyss, inspiring despair in anyone who looked at him.

Empress Lü tightly gripped Zhu Di's blood-soaked hand, her pretty face deathly pale, yet a stubborn ruthlessness flashed in her eyes: "Zhu Xiong Ying, how dare you! There is no monarch in the world as absurd and tyrannical as you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying grinned, his blood-red teeth appearing even more menacing: "Hahaha! You dare to use 'monarch' to lecture me? Interesting, indeed interesting!" He then clenched his fist and said in a mocking yet authoritative tone: "Do you know that when I stood in this position, the Ming Dynasty already belonged to me! How dare a mere woman presume to comment on my actions?"

"You won't get away with this!" Lü Zhi's gaze was resolute. She reached into her undergarments and pulled a dagger, holding it in front of her to protect the unconscious Zhu Di. She gritted her teeth and said, "If you want to kill him, he won't let you; if you want to humiliate him, I will certainly not grant your wish!"

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze fell on the dagger, and suddenly his eyebrows shot up, his expression turning contemptuous: "A mere woman like you dares to brandish a broken dagger at me? Lü Zhi, you are indeed quite stubborn... Otherwise, I will give you a chance." As he spoke, he pointed at the fallen Zhu Di and said casually, "If he can still stand up and speak for you within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I will forgive and forget. Otherwise, you will have to kneel at my feet and appease me. Whether I am pleased or not depends on how gracefully you behave."

As soon as the words were spoken, all the officials' expressions changed drastically, and they immediately knelt down and begged, "Your Majesty! You mustn't!"

Zhu Xiong Ying raised his eyes, his fiery red gaze sweeping over the crowd, and sneered: "What, do you all want to make decisions for me? Your knees are becoming more and more useful, do you even want to live anymore?"

His words were like a sharp dagger stabbing into everyone's hearts. The palace fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath in tension, lowered their heads, and dared not utter another word.

"You dog emperor! If you hadn't usurped the throne, everyone would respect the founding emperor, and no one would have to suffer such humiliation from you!" Suddenly, a middle-aged civil official who had been kneeling on the ground roared in fury. He staggered to his feet, sword in hand, and charged at Zhu Xiong Ying without any strategy.

Zhu Xiong Ying watched this scene with utter disdain. He didn't even flinch, simply standing there, even examining his own palm with interest, as if the civil official's attack was nothing more than a tickle. Sure enough, the next instant, just as the civil official stepped in front of Zhu Xiong Ying, he merely flicked his hand, and a burst of blood energy formed a palm print that crashed down, reducing the civil official and his sword to dust, leaving not a trace behind.

"Do you submit?" Zhu Xiong Ying asked with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the crowd who were still kneeling on the ground.

There was no answer, only a deathly silence.

"Very good." He withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and looked at Lü Zhi, whose face had already turned pale. "It seems no one can save you, beauty. This emperor... well, no, I prefer being called 'dog emperor' by you, it's quite a novelty." Zhu Xiong Ying's tone was full of teasing. Just as his blood-red palm was about to touch Lü Zhi's face, a cracking sound suddenly rang out at the palace door.

"boom!"

A beam of golden light shot out through the main hall's doors, followed by a slightly aged yet authoritative voice: "You unfilial son, how dare you?"

Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly turned around, his face stiffening for a moment before turning into a mocking smile, his tone flustered yet nonchalant: "Oh, I didn't expect you could still stand up after such a short time, old man."

It was Zhu Yuanzhang. Although he had been seriously injured earlier, he arrived with an imposing presence, his aura not diminished but increased, as if shrouded in a near-holy golden halo. He held an inconspicuous short sword in his hand, but the sharp sword intent emanating from it instantly overturned the bloody aura emanating from Zhu Xiong Ying, and even subtly suppressed Zhu Xiong Ying.

(End of this chapter)