Chapter 944: The Love-Hate Relationship between Azir and Xerath (Part )

Azir kept this plan a secret, not even telling Xerath.

Noah didn't quite understand why Azir had such an idea. He could have just told Xerath about this matter honestly. As a result, the good brothers turned against each other and became mortal enemies.

After Xerath became emperor, feeling betrayed, although he accepted Azir's decision on the surface and assisted Azir in governing the country, Xerath had already begun planning a huge conspiracy in private.

In the following decades, Shurima continued to expand its empire under Azir's rule, and Shurima even showed signs of returning to its heyday. Xerath envisioned a great empire for Azir, surpassing all empires in the world. But in order to become the ruler of the world, Xerath convinced Azir that he needed to become an invincible god-warrior and become an Ascended.

Azir agreed with his brother's idea. He did not think that Xerath would harm him. Moreover, after becoming emperor for many years, Azir's own ambitions had grown, and Xerath's plan was exactly what he wanted.

When Azir's power in the Shurima Empire reached its peak, he directly announced one thing: he was going to perform the ascension ceremony.

Azir claimed the right to stand beside Nasus and Renekton, as well as all of their glorious predecessors. Many questioned the decision.

Although the Ascension Ceremony can bring people great power, it is actually a very dangerous ritual. Usually only those whose lives are about to end will attempt it, such as Nasus. It was only when he had only a week left to live due to illness that Shurima decided to let him perform the Ascension Ceremony.

And in the Shurima Empire, only those who dedicate their lives to Shurima have the right to obtain the honor of ascension, and the ones who judge this standard are the sun priests. In their view, Azir's decision is arrogant, and even if he is the emperor, he is not qualified to grant himself such right.

However, Azir, who already had supreme power in the empire, would not give up his decision because of the threats of these sun priests. These sun priests, who had always had great power and were highly respected in Shurima, were directly subjected to Azir's iron-blooded methods. Under the threat of suffering and torture to death, the sun priests had to submit to Azir's orders.

Azir's ascension ceremony will be held as scheduled, and this is also within Xerath's calculations and is part of his conspiracy.

The plan to force the Sun Priests was a suggestion made to Azir by Xerath, who had been plotting to steal the power of the Ascendants from the very beginning.

Slaves would never have the chance to stand on the sun disk, so after Xerath formulated his plan, he began to instill vanity in the emperor, let the emperor's ego inflate, and implant the vision of an empire that unites the world into Azir's mind. But such a dream could not be achieved unless Azir could achieve ascension like the greatest heroes in Shurima's history.

Decades later, the seeds of conspiracy he had planted finally began to sprout. When the day of ascension arrived, Xerath stared closely at Azir's back and the shadow of the sun disk on the ascension altar.

Although everyone in the Shurima Empire was sweating for Azir's actions at this time, because in their understanding, only those chosen by the Sun Priest could ascend to become god warriors, and people like Azir who used coercion to threaten the Sun Priest's approval would most likely fail to ascend successfully.

But Xerath thought these people's ideas were extremely stupid. The famous legendary story of Renekton's Ascension revealed to the world that a mortal did not have to be chosen by the Sun Priest, and anyone could rise.

According to the historical materials that Zerath found in the library's history books, the ascension experience of the great scholar Nasus proved that the power of ascension is not impossible to seize.

Many years ago, Nasus was granted the gift of Ascension after he was afflicted with illness and nearing the end of his life.

During the ascension ceremony, the giver of the blessing needs to walk up the stairs by himself and receive the blessing of glory alone, and no one else is allowed to be around.

However, due to long-term illness, Nasus' muscles had atrophied and his bones were brittle. He was so weak that he could not even climb the last step and walk into the light of the sun disk to receive the blessed power.

After seeing this scene, Nasus's younger brother Renekton immediately ignored the dissuasion and his own life, and carried Nasus on his back and walked into the Ascension Altar together to receive the light of the sun disk together.

To everyone's surprise, Renekton was not devoured as expected. When the holy light gradually faded, the two Ascendants appeared at the same time. Not only did the two brothers survive, but they also had new vitality.

This story made Xerath realize the possibility of seeking the power of ascension, so he spent decades carefully planning this conspiracy. On the day of ascension, Azir strode towards the ascension altar, and Xerath still followed him.

However, when Azir was about to step onto the altar to receive the divine light, events took a turn that Xerath had not expected.

Azir turned to Arisa and told him that he was free. Azir also announced to everyone that all slaves would be freed and that there would be no slavery in Shurima from then on.

Xerath was stunned. He was given everything he had ever wanted. At this moment, his mind recalled the scene of his childhood when he and Azir talked about abolishing slavery in the library.

How he wanted to stop at this moment, to stop the plan he had made for a long time. But he could no longer turn back. The desire for freedom in Zeratul's heart had expanded like a cancer and turned into a blazing hatred. Driven by this flame, Zeratul could not turn back.

The two powerful Ascended ones, Nasus and Renekton, had already been sent away by Xerath, and the other Ascended ones in Shurima were either guarding the borders or had their minds corrupted and turned into darkin because of the Void War many years ago.

Azir came to the highest point of the altar, ready to receive the infusion of solar energy. But the next moment, Azir was pushed out of the altar by Xerath, who stood in Azir's original position with tears in his eyes.

Without the protection of the rune ring, Azir was immediately swallowed by the sun's fire and burned to ashes.

However, although Azir is dead now, in Noah's eyes, this memory is still continuing. Perhaps this is the memory captured by Azir's remaining consciousness at that time?

Xerath took Azir's place, and the sun's rays infused him, reshaping his flesh and blood into the body of an Ascended.