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Chapter 331: The Death of the Sun King
Chapter 331: The Death of the Sun King
Ji Xinghuo was cultivating when he saw the news.
Almost immediately, news channels, social media platforms, and media outlets from every country around the globe broadcast the same message, citing the official announcement from the American Federation.
"Obituary: 'Sun King' Passes Away."
The subheading read: "Christopher Hollenche, aged 118 (2108-2226), passed away at home today."
"Ah?"
Ji Xinghuo did a double take at the headline, momentarily setting down his barbell. Even his teacher, who was in the middle of a lesson, was taken aback and immediately pulled up the American Federation's government website to confirm the news.
"The Sun King is really dead?" Ji Xinghuo exclaimed in disbelief.
But then, he didn't find it surprising.
Over the past few years, rumors of the Sun King's impending death had surfaced every few months, only to be disproven by the man himself later on.
But this time, it was for real.
The first among the Heavenly Kings, the strongest human in recorded history, his death was undoubtedly a global sensation.
Moreover, the Sun King wasn't just any ordinary Heavenly King. He was the guardian of the American Federation, a symbol of the nation, and the embodiment of freedom and power. In a sense, the Sun King was a god-like figure in the hearts of the citizens of the American Federation!
While the Sun King held no official title, he was undoubtedly the most influential political figure in the American Federation, his influence far surpassing that of the president.
His every action and word carried immense weight and profoundly impacted the American Federation's government.
Especially in the 23rd century, as the Asia-Pacific Community began to surpass the American Federation in terms of both national power and the strength of its individuals, pulling ahead and gaining a comprehensive upper hand.
Only the Sun King, the undisputed strongest person on Earth, kept the American Federation's spirits high. Though he seemed to be on par with the second and third Heavenly Kings, he actually surpassed them, maintaining the American Federation's pride.
The Sun King was the American Federation's anchor in their competition with the Asia-Pacific Community.
However, the Sun King had one significant flaw.
He could die!
And it would be of natural causes.
As unbelievable as it sounded, like a god bleeding, a Heavenly King with a lifespan of at least 300 years lived a shorter life than a Legend. Yet, this was the truth, and it had happened twice now.
"Sun King" was more like a title, representing unbeatable power on Earth, but not specifically referring to a single individual.
Including the one who died today, there had been two Sun Kings in history.
The first was named "Henry Starville," born in 2024. He ascended to the rank of Heavenly King in 2077 and displayed overwhelming power during the Third World War, proclaiming himself the "Sun King." Later, he led the formation of the American Federation in 2091.
In the year 2138, the Sun King suddenly died.
Just like today.
However, when the Sun King died, his power didn't disappear. Instead, it was completely transferred to another individual.
That person inherited the Sun King's stellar power and abilities, and in a very short time, continuously evolved, leaping from a Super Individual to a Heavenly King, reclaiming the top spot on the Heavenly King Ranking and becoming the new Sun King.
His name was Christopher Hollenche, the second-generation Sun King.
And now, he too had passed away.
The first Sun King lived to be 116, and the second, 118—a very small difference.
Why the Sun Kings' lifespans were so short, not even as long as a Legend's, had been a topic of much speculation over the years.
The American Federation never responded to these speculations.
Nor did the Sun King himself ever reveal any secrets.
Countless people around the world had their theories, and the most convincing one suggested that it was due to a unique ability.
Before the first Sun King rose to prominence, he was unknown. Yet, in just a few short years, he mastered power that overshadowed the entire globe.
However, his profession template and abilities were not particularly remarkable.
Initially, he only had "Iron Guard" and "Fleet-footed," granting him a steel-like body and super-speed.
But his stellar power was exceptionally robust, far beyond the norm.
Contemporary individuals with high-quality abilities and more robust profession templates were no match for the Sun King; they weren't even in the same league.
This led to speculations that the Sun King had fused with a very powerful and unique ability, but that this ability came at a cost—either reducing his lifespan or preventing him from extending it through evolution, limiting him to the theoretical maximum lifespan of a regular person.
The sudden death of the first Sun King had once triggered significant global political turmoil.
It was only when the second Sun King emerged that people realized the power would be passed on.
And the new Sun King was even stronger than his predecessor! When he evolved, he had another chance to fuse with other species and advance through more profession templates.
The second Sun King had also cultivated "Flame Maniac" and other super-mode abilities.
The trend among individuals globally was that each new generation produced even more talented individuals. Overall, the newer generation of individuals tended to be stronger than the previous one due to more comprehensive ability research, greater resources, and technological cultivation methods.
This trend was supported by statistical data on both the Legend Ranking and the Heavenly Ladder.
However, since the day the Sun King first appeared, he had always been the strongest human, and his dominance had never been challenged.
Even individuals like the Iron Emperor and the Fuhrer couldn't compare to the Sun King; they stood no chance against him.
This was the advantage brought about by the Sun King's generational evolution.
A few years ago, when the second-generation Sun King surpassed the age of 110, there were rumors of his impending death, just like the previous Sun King, who had seemingly reached the end of his natural life. However, no one dared to ask him about it directly.
Each time such death rumors surfaced, the Sun King would make a public appearance to dispel them.
This time, he couldn't refute them anymore.
Ji Xinghuo carefully read through the obituary released by the American Federation, which mainly recounted Christopher Hollenche's life, affirmed his contributions to the country, and announced that a grand state funeral would be held for him in the capital, St. Louis, in two days.
The last sentence of the official press release mentioned that Christopher Hollenche had chosen the new Sun King before his passing.
The third-generation Sun King would make his first appearance at the late Sun King's funeral.
"Another iteration," Ji Xinghuo murmured.
If his speculation was correct, this iteration of the Sun King's power would once again undergo a significant boost. And the previous Sun King had already been at the pinnacle of the third stage of the Heavenly King realm. Could he break through the sixth stage and ascend to the rank of a Star Shepherd? The thought sent a shiver down Ji Xinghuo's spine.
As a citizen of the Asia-Pacific Community and an adversary in the global rivalry with the American Federation, this was about the worst news he could imagine.
A Star Shepherd could single-handedly suppress an entire planet, a force that not even multiple Heavenly Kings could withstand.
The best-case scenario would be a nuclear exchange, resulting in mutual destruction.
Whether from the perspective of the Asia-Pacific Community or that of humanity as a whole, the Sun King's advancement to Star Shepherd would undoubtedly trigger intense turmoil.
The future of Earth had become shrouded in uncertainty.
Ji Xinghuo immediately stopped his cultivation and left the etheric energy chamber. As he entered the resting hall, he saw that it was filled with Legends, each of them wearing a grave expression as they watched the news of the Sun King's death on the large screen mounted on the wall.
The internet was abuzz with the news as well.
From the first to the tenth, the trending searches were all related to the Sun King.
Countless people were discussing how the Sun King's death and iteration would impact the global landscape.
The hottest topic of speculation was the identity of the new "chosen one" who would assume the mantle of the Sun King.
From a super-individual to the most powerful being on the planet—it was a remarkable transformation.
It didn't necessarily have to be a super-individual, though. After all, there had only been one iteration so far, and it could be someone from another rank or even an ordinary person, as some theorized.
At that moment, two Heavenly Kings walked out.
They had both been cultivating here earlier—one was a youthful-looking man in his thirties, his handsome face exuding a cold and ruthless aura. Adorned in a military uniform, he bore stars on his shoulders, identifying him as "Champion Marquis" Hawke Chiji.
The other was "Morning Phoenix Master" Luo Yimeng, ranked tenth among the Heavenly Kings and the most powerful Tamer in the world. She served as the president of the Global Tamers' Association.
The Legends in the resting room rose to their feet, offering respectful greetings to the two Heavenly Kings.
Unlike Li Xuan, these two Heavenly Kings not only possessed formidable strength but also held significant power or commanded immense respect.
Hawke Chiji nodded slightly to the assembled Legends.
Then his gaze fell upon Ji Xinghuo, and he said, "Xinghuo."
"General Hawke," Ji Xinghuo replied.
The Legends around them were surprised to see the familiarity between Ji Xinghuo and General Hawke.
Although Luo Yimeng remained silent, it was evident that she held Ji Xinghuo in high regard, as she nodded and offered him a kind smile.
"Come with us," Hawke Chiji said.
Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat as he guessed that the leader of their nation was summoning them to discuss the matter of the Sun King. Without a word, he followed the two Heavenly Kings out of the resting room and boarded a military flyer parked outside.
As soon as the flyer left the parking lot, it took off, heading toward the nearby Yuan Capital.
None of the three spoke during the ride.
Soon, Ji Xinghuo found himself back at the Yuan Capital, entering the administrative building that symbolized the nation's highest center of power. He walked into a conference room guarded by vigilant Cobalt Dragons and saw the leader seated at the head of the table.
"Your Excellency," the three of them greeted with reverence.
Ji Daosheng nodded slightly, his expression unreadable. "Take a seat," he said.
There were over twenty chairs around the oval-shaped conference table, none of them bearing any names. Ji Xinghuo sat down in the nearest available seat.
Over the next few minutes, more people arrived.
In addition to their own group, there were high-ranking government officials and military generals, filling the conference room to capacity. Some who hadn't made it back to Chang'an in time joined the meeting via projections, their images appearing in the vacant seats.
"Now that everyone is here, let's begin," Ji Daosheng said, rapping his knuckles on the table. "Today's emergency gathering has only one agenda item, and I'm sure you're all aware of it. The Sun King of the American Federation has passed away, marking the second iteration."
"Our intelligence agents have obtained information on the third-generation Sun King."
"Take a look."
As Ji Daosheng finished speaking, a document appeared on the screens in front of each person. The most striking feature was a photograph of a man with blond hair and blue eyes who appeared to be in his twenties.
His looks were not exceptionally handsome, but his high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes gave him a typical Caucasian appearance. He wore a standard eight-toothed smile.
According to the information, his name was "John Anthony."
(End of Chapter)
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