The Invincible Sect Leader

The next morning, the imperial palace was filled with grief and tension. The emperor Chan Li's father had passed away in his sleep.

But Chan Li knew the truth.

His father's death was no accident.

The court was in an uproar, but before the empire could mourn, the emperor's younger brother, Prince Zhao, seized control. With the imperial guards under his command and key ministers already swayed to his side, he declared himself the new emperor before the mourning period had even begun.

Chan Li stood in the shadows of the grand hall, watching the declaration. His uncle, now the self-proclaimed Emperor Zhao, sat upon the golden dragon throne. The very seat Chan Li was once destined to inherit.

"All officials will swear loyalty to me, or they will be removed," the new emperor announced coldly.

The message was clear serve, or die.

Chan Li felt no anger, no resentment. He had expected this. His uncle was nothing more than a greedy vulture.

Yet, there was one thing his uncle did not know.

Chan Li had already made his choice.

That night, before the new emperor could order his death, Chan Li disappeared from the palace.

He abandoned his royal status, leaving behind his princely robes and title. He took only what he needed gold, a few treasures, and a handful of rare books containing forbidden cultivation techniques that even the imperial family had long forgotten.

He left behind a simple letter:

"I am no prince, no ruler, no heir. The empire means nothing to me. Do not look for me, for I no longer exist."

When the new emperor read the letter, he laughed.

"The useless prince has run away? Good! Let him be forgotten!"

And so, the empire erased Chan Li's name from its records.

But the world would soon remember him again.

Because this was not the end of his story.

It was only the beginning.